There has been a very scary rise in IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) both in this country and in Canada. Studies have been done recently tying these increase to the consumption of the artificial sweetner Splenda. Well, splendid!
Aspartame, according to scientific studies, should be avoided. Splenda is a kissin' cousin, chemically. A paper published in the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology theorizes that the increase in this troublesome disease (IBD) may be related to the impairment of digestive poteases, caused by the inhibition of gut bacteria by dietary chemicals, such as saccharin and sucralose.
If you read label closely, and you SHOULD, you may find sucralose in a lot of products in your pantry. It certainly is all over the grocery store. The trouble with this consuming this stuff is that your good gut bacteria is reduced by 50%. Dr. Mercola says that if you keep destroying up to have of your gut flora by regularly consuming Splenda, then poor health is virtually guaranteed!
Who would do that???? Plenty of people who are trying to save calories and are being duped into thinking that this is the way to do that - hence they loose weight. That clearly isn't happening. What IS happening is that more and more people are getting ill.
We were told that testing had been done and this product, Splenda, and all the various cousins (Asparatame etc) are safe. The TRUTH is these studies were done on animals and they DID find problems such as:
Brain lesions
Decreased red blood cell count and anemia
Enlarged and calcified kidneys
Increased mortality
Male Infertility
Spontaneous abortions in rabbits
Ready to have another drink of diet soda, or have a "sugar-free" cookie, piece of gum of whatever with Splenda in it?
The artificial sweetners are all equally toxic and even if you have no symptoms (YET) there is damage being done inside your body that can cause so many varied - and icky - symptoms and diseases down the road for you. I recently gave a nutritional talk at a beauty salon and the employees, mostly 30 and under, all said "Oh we can eat/drink anything we want to!" and they were, right then and there, downing the diet coke. Taking your health for granted is something most 20-30 year olds do. Then once 40-50 hits them, old age gets blamed for their "newly" acquired symptoms and diseases. Shocking!
I cannot emphasize enough about taking responsibility for our health, right now, whatever age you are. Know that, in time, if you are consuming something that is artificial and chemically laden, you WILL pay for it sometime.
If you are trying to be healthier in your choices, I suggest water with fruit or cukes in it, or carbonated water like Perrier with a squirt of lemon or lime and a dash of Agave to mimmic soda. Try some of the wonderful fruity tasting herbed iced teas, or mint flavored. There are so many great flavors out there just waiting for you to try them.
A splendid toast to your future health and wellness! Make this summer chemical free good old-fashioned lemonade (with agave or natural sugar) or herbal iced teas!
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Saturday, June 2, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
It's the Radical, Man
I think a while back I was joking around about free radicals. I didn't understand what they were. I love being free so that part resonated positively with me. The radical part, well I've been called radical on more than one occasion in my life because I tend to think way outside the box sometimes, plus sometimes my zest for being free interferes with the "done thing". A little kooky but harmless.
To compound my misunderstanding of free radicals, I thought that anti-oxidants had to be bad guys cuz they were so, ummm, anti.
Well thank God for education! After a few years in school I know more than I really need to about how terribly wrong my original thinking was. You will not find me saying to any free radicals in my body "Hey dudes, go for it!" Oh no. These "dudes", the free radicals, are out to make me old before my time, and totally screw up my body chemistry. Free radicals destroy DNA, clog up arteries, and disrupt cells.
So where do these dudes come from? Some are naturally created during metabolism. Sometimes the body's immune cells purposefully create them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. They DO have their function when the body is in complete balance and harmony. Normally the body can handle them.
Normally eating a GOOD diet with anti-antioxidants is enough.
But oh those free radicals. They tend to accumulate with our aging process. They become really accelerated in production by environmental pollution, cigarette smoking, and poisons like cleaners or herbicides - the chemicals we really REALLY need to avoid in our lives. When they become dominant and out of control (they are unstable to begin with) it's a great set-up for diseases and will help put you on the fast track to the grave.
Enter the anti-oxidants . They are anti the free radicals, so in essence, they are really the Good Guys!
We get them by eating 5-8 servings of fruits and veggies. If we are not consuming this amount, (I highly recommend organic because you can easily counter the benefits with herbicides/pesticides on your food) then maybe its time for some supplementation.
The best are A, E, C and beta carotene. Obviously getting these nutrients from food makes them more easily absorbed, but get them however you can. The foods that are just great for their anti-oxidants are, nuts, seeds, fish oil, whole grains, apricots, citrus fruits, green peppers, cabbage, spinach,broccoli, kale, antaloupe, kiwi, strawberries, carrots, squash, yams, tomato, peaches, egg yolk, and milk. Not a bad list to chose from if one wants to prevent heart disease and cancer, and stop aging too fast, eh?
I got ticked off about the recent put down of Vitamin E. Supposedly research found that Vitamin E doesn't prevent heart disease they way "they" thought, so they actually were saying on the news not to bother taking it. This kind of misinformation from the media is so criminal. I'm sure Vitamin E BY ITSELF would not be enough to prevent squat. What I wanted to know was what were these people in the study EATING? You cannot have a diet of burgers and fries, take a lousy little Vitamin E and think you will not ever have a heart attack. But, sadly, this kind of misinformation for the general public does rather mislead people.
I take an anti-oxidant called Astaxanthin - actually the label is BioAstin. It is Vitamin A, E, Lutein and natural astaxanthin. It's part of my attack on the free-radicals. Of course I eat a pretty fair amount of fruit and veggies every day too. It's not a fountain of youth pill, but I feel like, between the coconut oil and this, my skin looks pretty darn youthful for a 65 yr. old - yikes I am too young to be this old! Haha!
Ok - disclaimer time - I am not a medical doctor. But I have had over 1200 hours of nutrition and herbs classes, which is more than any conventional medical doctor I know of! And I'm still in school!
To me, this is part and parcel of preventative care that everyone should practice. If we keep ourselves healthy and disease free, we have a better quality of life, a longer life, and have saved a bundle on drugs. Sure these supplements cost money, but I spend far less on them than many people spend on their drugs.
The wrap up:
Free Radicals - NOT hippie protesters - they are needed but easily can get out of control and once that happens, it's not good!
Anti-oxidants - Eat them up!!! These are the good guys! They will keep those free radicals in line.
I simply must put in another plug for eating organics. Seriously, if the herbicides/pesticides are IN or ON your foods, you have just increased the nasty free-radicals. If you consume GMO's the pesticide is IN the food, in it's DNA, you cannot avoid it by washing to food. If you smoke, you add more radicals. If you are exposed to chemicals, (room deodorizers, cleaning products - oh that smell of "clean" is toxic - personal care products ladden with chemicals) you have added more crazy free- rads.
The best way to have cellular balance is always to eat right. And you KNOW what that is, right?
To compound my misunderstanding of free radicals, I thought that anti-oxidants had to be bad guys cuz they were so, ummm, anti.
Well thank God for education! After a few years in school I know more than I really need to about how terribly wrong my original thinking was. You will not find me saying to any free radicals in my body "Hey dudes, go for it!" Oh no. These "dudes", the free radicals, are out to make me old before my time, and totally screw up my body chemistry. Free radicals destroy DNA, clog up arteries, and disrupt cells.
So where do these dudes come from? Some are naturally created during metabolism. Sometimes the body's immune cells purposefully create them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. They DO have their function when the body is in complete balance and harmony. Normally the body can handle them.
Normally eating a GOOD diet with anti-antioxidants is enough.
But oh those free radicals. They tend to accumulate with our aging process. They become really accelerated in production by environmental pollution, cigarette smoking, and poisons like cleaners or herbicides - the chemicals we really REALLY need to avoid in our lives. When they become dominant and out of control (they are unstable to begin with) it's a great set-up for diseases and will help put you on the fast track to the grave.
Enter the anti-oxidants . They are anti the free radicals, so in essence, they are really the Good Guys!
We get them by eating 5-8 servings of fruits and veggies. If we are not consuming this amount, (I highly recommend organic because you can easily counter the benefits with herbicides/pesticides on your food) then maybe its time for some supplementation.
The best are A, E, C and beta carotene. Obviously getting these nutrients from food makes them more easily absorbed, but get them however you can. The foods that are just great for their anti-oxidants are, nuts, seeds, fish oil, whole grains, apricots, citrus fruits, green peppers, cabbage, spinach,broccoli, kale, antaloupe, kiwi, strawberries, carrots, squash, yams, tomato, peaches, egg yolk, and milk. Not a bad list to chose from if one wants to prevent heart disease and cancer, and stop aging too fast, eh?
I got ticked off about the recent put down of Vitamin E. Supposedly research found that Vitamin E doesn't prevent heart disease they way "they" thought, so they actually were saying on the news not to bother taking it. This kind of misinformation from the media is so criminal. I'm sure Vitamin E BY ITSELF would not be enough to prevent squat. What I wanted to know was what were these people in the study EATING? You cannot have a diet of burgers and fries, take a lousy little Vitamin E and think you will not ever have a heart attack. But, sadly, this kind of misinformation for the general public does rather mislead people.
I take an anti-oxidant called Astaxanthin - actually the label is BioAstin. It is Vitamin A, E, Lutein and natural astaxanthin. It's part of my attack on the free-radicals. Of course I eat a pretty fair amount of fruit and veggies every day too. It's not a fountain of youth pill, but I feel like, between the coconut oil and this, my skin looks pretty darn youthful for a 65 yr. old - yikes I am too young to be this old! Haha!
Ok - disclaimer time - I am not a medical doctor. But I have had over 1200 hours of nutrition and herbs classes, which is more than any conventional medical doctor I know of! And I'm still in school!
To me, this is part and parcel of preventative care that everyone should practice. If we keep ourselves healthy and disease free, we have a better quality of life, a longer life, and have saved a bundle on drugs. Sure these supplements cost money, but I spend far less on them than many people spend on their drugs.
The wrap up:
Free Radicals - NOT hippie protesters - they are needed but easily can get out of control and once that happens, it's not good!
Anti-oxidants - Eat them up!!! These are the good guys! They will keep those free radicals in line.
I simply must put in another plug for eating organics. Seriously, if the herbicides/pesticides are IN or ON your foods, you have just increased the nasty free-radicals. If you consume GMO's the pesticide is IN the food, in it's DNA, you cannot avoid it by washing to food. If you smoke, you add more radicals. If you are exposed to chemicals, (room deodorizers, cleaning products - oh that smell of "clean" is toxic - personal care products ladden with chemicals) you have added more crazy free- rads.
The best way to have cellular balance is always to eat right. And you KNOW what that is, right?
6
comments
Labels:
anti-oxidants,
diet,
free radicals,
fruit and veggies,
nutrients,
Vitamin E,
vitamins
Labels:
anti-oxidants,
diet,
free radicals,
fruit and veggies,
nutrients,
Vitamin E,
vitamins
Building Muscles of Change
Some people handle change very well. It is almost as if they have had training. Maybe they have? Maybe there is such a thing as building up muscles of change.
I read Zen Habits, one of my favorite blogs, and there was Leo Babauto writing about the principals of growth that may aid in change like a workout helps build muscles. Here is a list of a few things he said:
1. Start Small - If you try to life too much weight at first, you'll have bad form and injure yourself and won't last long. But if you start with just the barbell you can learn how to life and you are much more likely to stick with it for awhile. The change muscle is the same; start with one change, just 5 minutes a day. You will want to do more, but if you do more, you're much more likely to fail in the long run.
2. Train regularly. Some people will go to the gym for a week, then stop, the start again in a few months. This is a waste of time, and no progress will be seen. You have to do it regularly to see any progress. Same with the change muscle, do it daily, just 5 minutes a day. You'll get stronger and stronger with regular training. Don't start big, then fail after 1-2 weeks, then start again later. Regular repetition is the key.
3. Increase load gradually. If you don't increase the weights, you don't get stronger. But if you increase too much, you'll get injured. With your change muscle increase your daily training by 5 minutes each week -- so 5 minutes a day the first week, then 10 minutes a day the second week. You'll be amazed at how strong your change muscle gets with gradual progressive loading.
4. Res, and cut back on other work. Most people don't understand the importance of rest when it comes to training. We train, then rest, and we grow. If we don't rest, we hurt our progress. Growing the change muscle is the same --- you need to train, then rest. Meaning don't try to make changes all day long at first. Don't try to make your first change as you're traveling and taking on big projects and also taking classes and making three other changes at the same time. You will overload yourself. Make one change, and let yourself stick to your regular routine/load the rest of the day.
5. Fuel the growth. Aside from rest, fuel is one of the most overlooked aspects of muscle growth. You need sufficient calories for growth, otherwise all the training in the world won't get you anywhere. So what fuels the growth of muscle change? Motivation. Find as many ways to motivate yourself as possible. Make the change enjoyable, get a partner, join a class, blog publicly about it, join a forum, create rewards, celebrate small victories, create a chart to see your progress. The more, the better! Most people underfuel their change muscle.
So there you have it. These tips are great whether it's actual weight lifting, or not. This could apply to starting meditation on a daily basis, or even just deep breathing. It could be anything you want it to be. Don't beat yourself up - get out of the blame game - realize that you CAN teach yourself new tricks if you really want to.
Let me know what you think of these suggestions and be sure to share if you have something that worked well for you in the discipline/change department.
I read Zen Habits, one of my favorite blogs, and there was Leo Babauto writing about the principals of growth that may aid in change like a workout helps build muscles. Here is a list of a few things he said:
1. Start Small - If you try to life too much weight at first, you'll have bad form and injure yourself and won't last long. But if you start with just the barbell you can learn how to life and you are much more likely to stick with it for awhile. The change muscle is the same; start with one change, just 5 minutes a day. You will want to do more, but if you do more, you're much more likely to fail in the long run.
2. Train regularly. Some people will go to the gym for a week, then stop, the start again in a few months. This is a waste of time, and no progress will be seen. You have to do it regularly to see any progress. Same with the change muscle, do it daily, just 5 minutes a day. You'll get stronger and stronger with regular training. Don't start big, then fail after 1-2 weeks, then start again later. Regular repetition is the key.
3. Increase load gradually. If you don't increase the weights, you don't get stronger. But if you increase too much, you'll get injured. With your change muscle increase your daily training by 5 minutes each week -- so 5 minutes a day the first week, then 10 minutes a day the second week. You'll be amazed at how strong your change muscle gets with gradual progressive loading.
4. Res, and cut back on other work. Most people don't understand the importance of rest when it comes to training. We train, then rest, and we grow. If we don't rest, we hurt our progress. Growing the change muscle is the same --- you need to train, then rest. Meaning don't try to make changes all day long at first. Don't try to make your first change as you're traveling and taking on big projects and also taking classes and making three other changes at the same time. You will overload yourself. Make one change, and let yourself stick to your regular routine/load the rest of the day.
5. Fuel the growth. Aside from rest, fuel is one of the most overlooked aspects of muscle growth. You need sufficient calories for growth, otherwise all the training in the world won't get you anywhere. So what fuels the growth of muscle change? Motivation. Find as many ways to motivate yourself as possible. Make the change enjoyable, get a partner, join a class, blog publicly about it, join a forum, create rewards, celebrate small victories, create a chart to see your progress. The more, the better! Most people underfuel their change muscle.
So there you have it. These tips are great whether it's actual weight lifting, or not. This could apply to starting meditation on a daily basis, or even just deep breathing. It could be anything you want it to be. Don't beat yourself up - get out of the blame game - realize that you CAN teach yourself new tricks if you really want to.
Let me know what you think of these suggestions and be sure to share if you have something that worked well for you in the discipline/change department.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
China Rejects GMO's - Really?????
I read recently that China, (of all the places eh?) is rejecting GMO's. They would be joining most of the European Union. There are more food scandals in China than we have here, but people are people. Nobody wants to get poisoned by the food they put on their dinner tables!
The media, here and I guess in China too, never really reveals the truth about our foods or GMO's either for that matter. And why? Because the large corporations control everything, the media and the government. What is going on in the food industry is pure greed for those top 1% while the 99% still has to eat, so we eat their lousy food - phude. Well, some do. I don't and I know most of my readers are reading labels and chosing wisely. Because the status quo continues on and on I would have to say we are probably the minority.
I don't know what it is going to take. It's rather like David attacking Goliath. But hey, the little guy won, didn't he? People speaking up, screaming actually, got rid of the pink slime in school meat. I clapped and whoo-hooo'd myself silly over that. YES! The power of the people speaking up! We do not have to take this altered food (phude) and serve it up for dinner and believe the nonsense about its safety. We don't keel over dead on the spot from consumption or it would be far easier to prove that this chemically laden food supply is causing tremendous increases in disease and illness.
I post articles on Facebook that are continual wake up calls. GMO studies (the REAL ones not funded by the same crappy companies that manufacter this stuff) show second generation STERILITY, TUMORS and ORGAN DAMAGE from consuming GMO's. Isn't that enough to wake folks up?
There are petitions on line all the time - Green America, Organic Consumers Association, Institute for Responsible Technology have all had them. There IS progress being made with these. Please take a moment out of your busy life to find them, sign them, forward them to friends and keep this progress going.
Unfortunately I could not get the video to load but here is the link to the article. This is more evidence that people all over the world are concerned about food safety.
Following a series of food scandals in China, experts claim that consumers are demanding to be told more about what ends up on their dinner tables. Not only food companies, but also the media are being pressured to reveal more information.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/china-hungers-for-information-about-food.html#ixzz1rYT6uFsl
The days of passivity and trust and over where our food is concerned. DEMAND better! Your voice is a valuable asset. Let's save future generations, if not our own, from the consequences of GMOs.
The media, here and I guess in China too, never really reveals the truth about our foods or GMO's either for that matter. And why? Because the large corporations control everything, the media and the government. What is going on in the food industry is pure greed for those top 1% while the 99% still has to eat, so we eat their lousy food - phude. Well, some do. I don't and I know most of my readers are reading labels and chosing wisely. Because the status quo continues on and on I would have to say we are probably the minority.
I don't know what it is going to take. It's rather like David attacking Goliath. But hey, the little guy won, didn't he? People speaking up, screaming actually, got rid of the pink slime in school meat. I clapped and whoo-hooo'd myself silly over that. YES! The power of the people speaking up! We do not have to take this altered food (phude) and serve it up for dinner and believe the nonsense about its safety. We don't keel over dead on the spot from consumption or it would be far easier to prove that this chemically laden food supply is causing tremendous increases in disease and illness.
I post articles on Facebook that are continual wake up calls. GMO studies (the REAL ones not funded by the same crappy companies that manufacter this stuff) show second generation STERILITY, TUMORS and ORGAN DAMAGE from consuming GMO's. Isn't that enough to wake folks up?
There are petitions on line all the time - Green America, Organic Consumers Association, Institute for Responsible Technology have all had them. There IS progress being made with these. Please take a moment out of your busy life to find them, sign them, forward them to friends and keep this progress going.
Unfortunately I could not get the video to load but here is the link to the article. This is more evidence that people all over the world are concerned about food safety.
Following a series of food scandals in China, experts claim that consumers are demanding to be told more about what ends up on their dinner tables. Not only food companies, but also the media are being pressured to reveal more information.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/china-hungers-for-information-about-food.html#ixzz1rYT6uFsl
The days of passivity and trust and over where our food is concerned. DEMAND better! Your voice is a valuable asset. Let's save future generations, if not our own, from the consequences of GMOs.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
How Sweet It Is! Sweet Potato Nutrition
I have always loved sweet potatoes. I was so surprised that when my kids were little they didn't like them. Fortunately, for them, they outgrew that disdain and now eat them joyfully.
These yummy potatoes pack a high nutritional value. High inVitamin C, calcium, folate, potassium and beta-carotene, The Center for Science in the Public Interest rates them as the number one most nutritious vegetable.
Beta-carotene is an antioxidant which converts to Vitamin A in the body. High levels of Vitamin A are a skin superfood! This is great because beta-carotene combats the free radicals which result in your skin aging. Who wants that? Eat sweet potatoes for wrinkle prevention if you can't find any of the other nutritional benefits worthy - though here are a few more to think about.
According to an article by Tara Green on NaturalNews "Sweet potatoes are like yoga. Their high potassium content means sweet potatoes can alleviate muscle cramps which are often related to potassium deficiency. During times of stress, the body uses more potassium, so eating sweet potatoes can help protect you from the negative health effects of tension."
Who knew? Try sweet potatoes when you feel that stress thing comin' on.
Compared to white potatoes, the glycemic index is another consideration, especially if you are diabetic or even just watching your blood sugars. White potatoes have an index of 29, sweet potatoes only 17. That was a shock to me---how about you?
Don't save this vegetable for just Thanksgiving or holidays. They are inexpensive power houses of nutrition. If you have any favorite way of preparing them, please share in the comments so others may become inspired to eat them.
These yummy potatoes pack a high nutritional value. High inVitamin C, calcium, folate, potassium and beta-carotene, The Center for Science in the Public Interest rates them as the number one most nutritious vegetable.
Beta-carotene is an antioxidant which converts to Vitamin A in the body. High levels of Vitamin A are a skin superfood! This is great because beta-carotene combats the free radicals which result in your skin aging. Who wants that? Eat sweet potatoes for wrinkle prevention if you can't find any of the other nutritional benefits worthy - though here are a few more to think about.
According to an article by Tara Green on NaturalNews "Sweet potatoes are like yoga. Their high potassium content means sweet potatoes can alleviate muscle cramps which are often related to potassium deficiency. During times of stress, the body uses more potassium, so eating sweet potatoes can help protect you from the negative health effects of tension."
Who knew? Try sweet potatoes when you feel that stress thing comin' on.
Compared to white potatoes, the glycemic index is another consideration, especially if you are diabetic or even just watching your blood sugars. White potatoes have an index of 29, sweet potatoes only 17. That was a shock to me---how about you?
Don't save this vegetable for just Thanksgiving or holidays. They are inexpensive power houses of nutrition. If you have any favorite way of preparing them, please share in the comments so others may become inspired to eat them.
Six Ways to Stop Automatic Eating and Being Your Own Mom
Whether you are fighting with your weight or................wait just one minute. Is that even possible???
It means we are fighting ourselves. Now that is just plain outrageous when you think about it. It is not the WEIGHT that is the problem. So what is then?
It could be that there is some automatic eating going on. You know what I mean. Eating without really thinking about it. Eating stuff because it is THERE - the candy dish at the office, the snacks at the party, the left overs in the fridge, the soda that will go "flat" if you don't finish it, like now. Grazing can actually be a healthy way to eat if it involves good nutritious food, like apples, a few nuts, a handful of seeds. But come on. Who grazes that way? Not the person who is "fighting a weight problem", that much I know.
So here are some practical suggestions to help take control of mindless munching.
1. Declare your home a junk-free zone. If it isn't there, you cannot eat it.
2. Clean up the office. Talk with coworkers about reducing the unhealthy food at work or at least confine these foods to a break area or put snacks in cabinets to keep the temptation out of sight.
3. Stop and THINK. As you reach for that candy bar or soda at the check out counter, stop. Consider what you are doing. Becoming aware of the automatic triggers and the nature of automatic eating will help give you a change to interrupt this cycle.
4. Restrict TV. Commercials showing food (and let's face it, they are not showing you apples) cue people to eat and feel hungry. Kids are especially susceptible so limit their viewing to commercial free programs on PBS or DVD's. If you ARE going to eat a snack while watching TV, put it in a small bowl and never eat out of the box or bag. Count the pieces you put in the bowl. (Eating 10 almonds, for instance, will help fill you up and give you some great nutrients.)
5. Reflect on your habits. Just think about your eating habits and develop a few personal rules to thwart mindless eating. In essence you will discover you are not fighting your weight, but fighting your habits. Make new ones!
6. Use automatic eating to your advantage! Because we usually eat what is available, keep healthy foods (carrot sticks, trail mix etc) in easily reachable spots. (Example - I'll put a small bowl of sunflower seeds on my kitchen counter and take a few here and there throughout the day. Next day I will chose something else, like dried apples.)
There are times we have to parent ourselves. If mom doesn't buy the junk food and soda, the kids cannot consume it.
To sum it up, be kind to yourself. Don't fight with yourself because you are not the weight you want to be. Love yourself enough to be a really really good parent to yourself. Make mom proud!
Happy Mother's Day to all, whether you are an "official mom" or not.
It means we are fighting ourselves. Now that is just plain outrageous when you think about it. It is not the WEIGHT that is the problem. So what is then?
It could be that there is some automatic eating going on. You know what I mean. Eating without really thinking about it. Eating stuff because it is THERE - the candy dish at the office, the snacks at the party, the left overs in the fridge, the soda that will go "flat" if you don't finish it, like now. Grazing can actually be a healthy way to eat if it involves good nutritious food, like apples, a few nuts, a handful of seeds. But come on. Who grazes that way? Not the person who is "fighting a weight problem", that much I know.
So here are some practical suggestions to help take control of mindless munching.
1. Declare your home a junk-free zone. If it isn't there, you cannot eat it.
2. Clean up the office. Talk with coworkers about reducing the unhealthy food at work or at least confine these foods to a break area or put snacks in cabinets to keep the temptation out of sight.
3. Stop and THINK. As you reach for that candy bar or soda at the check out counter, stop. Consider what you are doing. Becoming aware of the automatic triggers and the nature of automatic eating will help give you a change to interrupt this cycle.
4. Restrict TV. Commercials showing food (and let's face it, they are not showing you apples) cue people to eat and feel hungry. Kids are especially susceptible so limit their viewing to commercial free programs on PBS or DVD's. If you ARE going to eat a snack while watching TV, put it in a small bowl and never eat out of the box or bag. Count the pieces you put in the bowl. (Eating 10 almonds, for instance, will help fill you up and give you some great nutrients.)
5. Reflect on your habits. Just think about your eating habits and develop a few personal rules to thwart mindless eating. In essence you will discover you are not fighting your weight, but fighting your habits. Make new ones!
6. Use automatic eating to your advantage! Because we usually eat what is available, keep healthy foods (carrot sticks, trail mix etc) in easily reachable spots. (Example - I'll put a small bowl of sunflower seeds on my kitchen counter and take a few here and there throughout the day. Next day I will chose something else, like dried apples.)
There are times we have to parent ourselves. If mom doesn't buy the junk food and soda, the kids cannot consume it.
To sum it up, be kind to yourself. Don't fight with yourself because you are not the weight you want to be. Love yourself enough to be a really really good parent to yourself. Make mom proud!
Happy Mother's Day to all, whether you are an "official mom" or not.
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comments
Labels:
aha moments,
eating,
habits,
help parents,
junk food addiction,
Mother's Day,
snack food,
weight
Labels:
aha moments,
eating,
habits,
help parents,
junk food addiction,
Mother's Day,
snack food,
weight
Sunday, May 6, 2012
At Odds with Dr. Oz and Lazy Girls Weight Loss
Most of the time I applaude everything Dr. Oz has on his show. I tape his shows and breeze thru quickly when I'm taking a break from studying or having a quiet evening at home. I always have a notepad when I watch the show and I'm as open to learning and trying new things as anyone.
However he had two shows last month that I screamed NO NO NO at the TV.
One show was "The Lazy Girls Guide to Getting Healthy". I'm sure that title was done for commercial value - all the lazy people would tune in to hear how they could continue their lazy ass ways and yet tell themselves they were on a health kick. (My OWN advice follows after my rant.)
So I'm gonna lecture Dr. Oz here. Do NOT perpetuate the lazy attitudes and mind sets out there. I have zero humor about this. There is nothing cutesy about being lazy when it comes to your health. Look at your audience for Godsake! Great sampling of the obesity trend! The Lazy Girls Guide should be to drop the lazy altogether, ramp up their metabolism with exercise and good food choices. Every one of the women he had as "assistants" were extremely over weight and nothing he told these women to do would have made an ounce worth of difference, despite his little charts exclaiming "doing this would mean you would loose 7 lbs in one year." Sorry Oz. Make it 70 lbs. and it will make a difference. And if they are lazy, they probably won't do it anyway! Very little mention of getting off those large butts and exercising - seriously? Lazy isn't healthy - period!
The other show that got me screaming was "hearing the truth, once and for all, about Aspartame". He has another doctor on explaining the safety of aspartame. Don't know who might have PAID her to say what she said, or if she is just oblivious to the serious side effects of aspartame. For Oz to say "Now we know the truth." is just wrong! It is an opinion, not a truth. There is far too much scientific proof that aspartame is the equivalent of a toxic poison for you to declare the "truth" of its safety.
Rather than saying "Hey Lazy people, you only have to do one little thing" here are several simple shifts toward healthier living. Do them ALL. Dr. Oz may pat you on head, I'm more into whoop ass.
Eat more beans! Packed with fiber, beans have a powerful range of health benefits, which includes helping to control blood sugar. Different beans have different benefits - black beans are high in antioxidants, soybeans (eat only organic) host the phytochemical family of isoflavones, white beans are potassium-laden, and adzuki beans pack in some carotenoids. Best of all beans are cheap and provide protein.
Eat within an hour of waking and every 3-4 hours throughout the day. Each "meal" must include a little fat and a little protein. Dieters think I'm nuts when I tell them this. This eating plan will up your metabolism, promote stable blood sugar and eliminate brain fogs. The bonus is, yes this is true, you will lose more weight this way - as long as you are doing some EXERCISE daily, even 20 min. of brisk walking at a minimum. So if you were confessing to being one of those lazy girls Dr. Oz was talking to, sorry honey, move it to lose it! To my knowledge, nobody has successfully lost weight or ramped up their health by just thinking about it.
Eat more nuts and seeds, preferably raw. Raw walnuts, almonds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds. Sprinkle them on your foods, or just have 10 walnuts as a snack. They have fat, yes, but it is the good fat your brain needs. Count em! No eating the whole bag.
Swap veggies for grains whenever you can. Instead of pita bread with the humus, use carrots, cukes, broccoli - instead of eating nut butters on toast, put it on apples, bananas. I bought a cool little tool that slices up a zucchini into long strips which I use in lieu of pasta. Just saute the zucchini "noodles" in a bit of coconut or olive oil and top it with Parmesan and pine nuts - yummmm. Use lettuce leaves for bread when making sandwiches. (These tricks can be used for a week of no grains to see if you feel better without the gluten - I do this not because I'm gluten intolerant but I do have more energy without breads and pastas - but I do miss them! I allow an occasional piece of bread - it is now a treat, not an everyday consumption.)
Drink more water! Green and white teas will provide an antioxidant boost. (Save your money and do not buy vitamin waters or enhanced water.)
Walk more. Dance more. Stretch more. (Stretching is THE MOST helpful thing you can do for your body and it helps with those aches and pains, which could be due to NOT moving enough. Stretch everything daily.)
Laugh more. Smile more.
Read my blog more - comment more! (((((thank you!!)))))
p.s. to Dr. Oz - I really DO appreciate you are trying to make getting healthy an ok thing and you really are making a difference for some folks out there!
However he had two shows last month that I screamed NO NO NO at the TV.
One show was "The Lazy Girls Guide to Getting Healthy". I'm sure that title was done for commercial value - all the lazy people would tune in to hear how they could continue their lazy ass ways and yet tell themselves they were on a health kick. (My OWN advice follows after my rant.)
So I'm gonna lecture Dr. Oz here. Do NOT perpetuate the lazy attitudes and mind sets out there. I have zero humor about this. There is nothing cutesy about being lazy when it comes to your health. Look at your audience for Godsake! Great sampling of the obesity trend! The Lazy Girls Guide should be to drop the lazy altogether, ramp up their metabolism with exercise and good food choices. Every one of the women he had as "assistants" were extremely over weight and nothing he told these women to do would have made an ounce worth of difference, despite his little charts exclaiming "doing this would mean you would loose 7 lbs in one year." Sorry Oz. Make it 70 lbs. and it will make a difference. And if they are lazy, they probably won't do it anyway! Very little mention of getting off those large butts and exercising - seriously? Lazy isn't healthy - period!
The other show that got me screaming was "hearing the truth, once and for all, about Aspartame". He has another doctor on explaining the safety of aspartame. Don't know who might have PAID her to say what she said, or if she is just oblivious to the serious side effects of aspartame. For Oz to say "Now we know the truth." is just wrong! It is an opinion, not a truth. There is far too much scientific proof that aspartame is the equivalent of a toxic poison for you to declare the "truth" of its safety.
Rather than saying "Hey Lazy people, you only have to do one little thing" here are several simple shifts toward healthier living. Do them ALL. Dr. Oz may pat you on head, I'm more into whoop ass.
Eat more beans! Packed with fiber, beans have a powerful range of health benefits, which includes helping to control blood sugar. Different beans have different benefits - black beans are high in antioxidants, soybeans (eat only organic) host the phytochemical family of isoflavones, white beans are potassium-laden, and adzuki beans pack in some carotenoids. Best of all beans are cheap and provide protein.
Eat within an hour of waking and every 3-4 hours throughout the day. Each "meal" must include a little fat and a little protein. Dieters think I'm nuts when I tell them this. This eating plan will up your metabolism, promote stable blood sugar and eliminate brain fogs. The bonus is, yes this is true, you will lose more weight this way - as long as you are doing some EXERCISE daily, even 20 min. of brisk walking at a minimum. So if you were confessing to being one of those lazy girls Dr. Oz was talking to, sorry honey, move it to lose it! To my knowledge, nobody has successfully lost weight or ramped up their health by just thinking about it.
Eat more nuts and seeds, preferably raw. Raw walnuts, almonds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds. Sprinkle them on your foods, or just have 10 walnuts as a snack. They have fat, yes, but it is the good fat your brain needs. Count em! No eating the whole bag.
Swap veggies for grains whenever you can. Instead of pita bread with the humus, use carrots, cukes, broccoli - instead of eating nut butters on toast, put it on apples, bananas. I bought a cool little tool that slices up a zucchini into long strips which I use in lieu of pasta. Just saute the zucchini "noodles" in a bit of coconut or olive oil and top it with Parmesan and pine nuts - yummmm. Use lettuce leaves for bread when making sandwiches. (These tricks can be used for a week of no grains to see if you feel better without the gluten - I do this not because I'm gluten intolerant but I do have more energy without breads and pastas - but I do miss them! I allow an occasional piece of bread - it is now a treat, not an everyday consumption.)
Drink more water! Green and white teas will provide an antioxidant boost. (Save your money and do not buy vitamin waters or enhanced water.)
Walk more. Dance more. Stretch more. (Stretching is THE MOST helpful thing you can do for your body and it helps with those aches and pains, which could be due to NOT moving enough. Stretch everything daily.)
Laugh more. Smile more.
Read my blog more - comment more! (((((thank you!!)))))
p.s. to Dr. Oz - I really DO appreciate you are trying to make getting healthy an ok thing and you really are making a difference for some folks out there!
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