Anti-aging Tips

I think the only time I really, really wanted to be older was when I was 12.  I couldn't WAIT to be a teenager!  How about you?

Now anti-aging - the term at least - I don't like.  It's very, well, anti.  Face it, kiddos, we are all getting older so no sense in all this anti stuff, right?  I've made peace with the number of my age (gulp, sort of) and I'm taking a pro-active approach to all this.  I want to feel good, have energy, keep in shape physically and mentally.  So the "rules" for this, which happen to be anti-aging tips are very simple.  I like simple and these little tips are working great for me obviously since my doctor doesn't believe my age - in a good way!

1.  Antioxidants - lots of fresh fruit and veggies, supplemented with additional anti-oxidants, the best of which is astaxanthin.  Also vitamin D

2.  Drink lots of water - a glass of wine now and then maybe - but nothing else other than herbal iced or hot teas.  My one cup of coffee a day I cannot do without or there would be dead bodies in my house I'm sure.

3.  Eat REAL food - no fast food, no processed foods, no packaged nuthin!  Eat organic as much as possible, only whole grains but very little bread regardless.

4. Exercise - oh don't groan on me now.  Make it fun!  Try classes like Zumba, get a bike and ride it, go for a walk at a pace like you are late for a date or something important.  Vary it daily so you don't groan on me that it is boring.  Your heart doesn't complain it's bored of beating does it?  But it has a much harder time doing just that one thing if you are screwing up not exercising and eating right.

5.  Have an attitude of gratitude.  You may think whining or bitching doesn't affect your health but it does - its been scientifically proven your thoughts affect your cells. (Read Candice Pert if you don't believe this)
Whatever it is upsetting you, let it go.  Give up the need to be right.  It's not worth aging faster is it?  What possibly could be???  Count to 20, breathe deeply and think about something wonderful - your best vacation ever, a precious memory, somebody you really love, or go hug your dog.  Dogs love you no matter what.

6.  Throw out the numbers and just do not let an old person IN.  Be who you are, dress the way you want to and skip down the road if you feel like it.  It is courageous to flick those numbers away and just BE.  So much of aging is mental and if it is mental then you have a choice about how to think about it.

7.  Avoid toxins in your home and personal products as much as you can.  I have many articles in my archives about this issue.  When you start doing your due diligence on this you may be as shocked as I was.  And this includes especially NOT using plastic bottled water.

8.  Keep reading my blog.   Yes - seriously.  It's all about health and wellness because I AM all about it.  And if you are healthy, the chronology just doesn't matter!  My blogging file is stuffed - know there is a ton more healthy info coming.  So do stay tuned. 

So that's the Great Eight in a nutshell.  I hope you are having a terrific summer!  Have a ball!

"Experts" on The Take

Honestly!  Who do you believe anymore?  Not Ronald Kleinman - oh excuse me, DOCTOR Ronald Kleinman.  This guy, this doctor, tells dietitians that the ingredients in coke (Coke!) - fluoride, sugar, artificial colors, nonnutritive sweeteners have been "carefully examined for their effects on children's health, growth, and development.  He tells this to the American Dietetic Association  in a presentation that and goes on to explore "the prevalent misconceptions about these food ingredients" and suggests ways that the dietitians can help quell unnecessary "concern among parents about their children's health."

One would think that he is knows his stuff.  He is physician-in-chief at Mass. General Hospital for Children, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.  Oh how influential he is, eh?  This is another case of somebody who is receiving "funding" from industry sources.

♦ Dr. Ronald Kleinman is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School who has received money from industry sources (like artificial infant formula manufacturers Mead Johnson and Nestle Ltd). His study on optimal duration of breastfeeding was funded by Gerber Products. He also served as a paid expert witness for Gerber when they were sued for deceptive advertising. And he contributed to a brochure intended for children entitled “Variety’s Mountain” produced by the Sugar Association.


The source of this precious information - and more on others - can be found at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI of which I've been a member for years) and their "Conflict-of-Interest Project" where they expose the financial ties to chemical,  and Big Pharma companies of those who are using their prestigious backgrounds to influence others.

Who do you trust anymore?  Every "expert" with Harvard-ess credentials has to be scrutinized these days.  I am just glad CSPI does what it does - they are truly on OUR side.  So is the Environmental Working Group (EWG) which you actually hear about on the news from time to time trying so hard to tell the truth.  Both of these organizations, btw, are run strictly on donations and I whole heartily encourage people to go check them out, get their newsletters, and contribute.  These organizations are working for the people, you, me and the people - not for profit.  I would rather contribute (and I DO) to them than the myriad of cancer groups looking for funding for fifty years with no "cures" yet!!

Bottom line here - Dietitians are being told Coke is a GOOD thing.  This is utter insanity.  The American Dietetic Assn.  with all its "Registered" dietitians work for hospitals, and schools - schools where people like Jamie Oliver is trying to get a decent lunch menu but is always fighting with the school boards dietitians.
And this is why this is so upsetting and bizarre.  Couple that with the fact that the CDC says 1 in 3 US adults will be diabetic by 2050.  But the ADA (supposedly the authority on diabetes) is providing seriously misguided information on how to manage and reverse this disease.  And now they are coke pushers???

 I do not have RD (Registered Dietitian) beside my name.  There are significant philosophical differences between nutritionists and dietitians.  We have two different fields of study and practice.  By accepting only a single credentialing agency (run by dietitians not nutritionists) state boards are establishing a "one-size-fits-all" standard which removes all competition, essentially handing the ADA a government mandated monopoly over nutritional therapy.  Key operative word for me here is government mandated.  I would have to follow their rules, study their USDA approved text books and folks, I looked into this, I really did, but I could not stomach the stupid food pyramid, the tell diabetics to use Splenda, and I do not want to be told lies and what to promote now because some big whig is getting money on the side to spout crap!   Who is the one responsible for the horrid food in hospitals and obviously hasn't a clue about the proper nutrients to heal a body?  You won't, sadly, find a nutritionist anywhere near the hospital  planning meals.  Pity isn't it?

Anyway,  I wonder how this doctor sleeps at night?  Counting money not sheep works for half the world it seems.  Before you accept or believe any "expert", check out CSPI and a few other places that might lead you who is funding this persons "expertise".  Follow the money!  It always about the money and not what is best for your health.

Man Made Cancer

What anyone truly believes in their whole heart is their Truth. 

We all have our Truths, be it in the realm of religion, politics, sexual preferences, finances, whatever.  Although I fall into "born again" evangelisitic fervor when I write about health and wellness, nutrition, eating organically, it is my Truth based upon decades of research, reading and education.

 I've made discoveries along the way that have blown my mind, some more than others.  I've also confirmed a lot of gut feelings about things not being as they should be, and had so much confirmed as Truth (a la scientific facts) that what I was taught as a child is right and true.  All in all, I would have to admit to you that at times I've learned things I really didn't WANT to know about and some things have shaken my previous faith in the way the world is run, especially our own government.

I grew up rurally in the 50's.  My maternal grandmother came from a huge family of 11.  They were all married, had kids my mom's age.  I spent each year of my early childhood attending funerals as the 22 elders passed on.  This was only my mom's family, mind you.  I cannot remember the word Cancer from that era.  Sorry.  I do not.  They all died of heart attacks, "old age", or pneumonia.  I'm not saying it didn't exist back then, but it wasn't commonplace. 

Nowadays every other person that dies, or so it seems, is dying from cancer.  Where the hell did it COME from?  Now read this:

NaturalNews) Diet, pollution and modern living conditions have been implicated as the factors responsible for cancer, concluded researchers, after analysing the remains of almost 1,000 individuals from ancient Egypt and Greece.

The investigation, conducted by a team from Manchester University, looked into medical literature of the time for descriptions of cancer symptoms as well as examining today's remains for signs of the disease. They did, for the first time, manage to identify cancer in one Egyptian mummy but this remained the only example in their widespread search. With this in mind, the scientists concluded that cancer was even rarer than previously thought.

Professor Rosalie David, who led the study, said: "In industrialised societies, cancer is second only to cardiovascular disease as a cause of death. In ancient times, it was extremely rare. There is nothing in the natural environment that can cause cancer. So it has to be a man-made disease, down to pollution and changes to our diet and lifestyle."

The research team painstakingly pieced together the development of cancer over the last 3,000 years, much longer than several other scientific papers. They found that cancer only began to emerge as a common disease in the 1700s, and its rate of occurrence dramatically rose during the 20th century.
Some critics attempted to dismiss the findings, arguing that individuals in ancient societies did not live long enough to develop cancer. However, the doctors dismissed this suggestion, noting that the ancient Egyptians enjoyed a long life expectancy and lived long enough to develop other chronic disease like atherosclerosis and osteoporosis.

As may be expected, there was no comment from any of the major cancer charities. This mini-industry, which has been regularly accused of existing only to serve the drug companies that contribute so heavily towards their income, has consistently distanced itself from research that supports the concept of preventing cancer. Instead, these charities maintain focus only on more advanced and more lucrative ways to manage the condition.

Dr Rachel Thompson of the World Cancer Research Fund instead spoke out about the study: 'This research makes for very interesting reading. About one in three people in the UK will get cancer so it is fairly commonplace in the modern world. Scientists now say a healthy diet, regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight can prevent about a third of the most common cancers so perhaps our ancestors' lifestyle reduced their risk from cancer.'

The conclusion from this research backs the logic offered by many nutritional therapists across the globe; they have continually stated that cancer is an expression of an individual's environment and is also totally preventable, too. Despite the position of many so-called cancer charities, it remains inconceivable that nutrient deficiencies and the choking influence of man-made toxins would not have some sort of effect on the mechanics of the body. This data suggests the effect may be even more than we had imagined.

Logic?  Facts?  What is your Truth?  Do you believe you have some control over whether or not you get cancer?  What preventative measures are you taking?





Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030363_cancer_origins.html#ixzz16nshQaUH

Arsenic in Your Chicken? You Betcha!

I've read on several sites - Alliance for Natural Health, Natural News, Grist and a few others I respect, about this latest finding.  The biggest part of this "news" is that the FDA actually (finally) admitted that it's very own testing SHOWED grocery store chicken contained "small amounts" of arsenic.  Has this made the national news yet?  Not as of this writing and I doubt it will.  They have to protect the Chicken Farmers of America ya know.

Scientists and critics of caged, inhumanely treated animal farming methods, and chicken feed complete with drugs, have said for years not to eat the chickens, that the meat contains the same drugs (antibiotics and arsenic and hormones) that the chickens are forced to eat.  The FDA fought this as long as they could.  They insisted that what the animals ate would NOT be in their flesh.  Really????   Some drum beats cannot and will not be ignored forever, thank heavens.  So this was a giant leap of UH-OH by the FDA.  Of course they say it does not pose a health risk.  REALLY?

Pfizer is the company that manufactures Roxarsone (the arsenic additive) and they agreed to suspend the sale for 30 days and (get this)"will facilitate an orderly process for suspending use of the product" in the US.  As mentioned on the Alliance for NH site "Sounds like a backroom deal with the FDA protecting Pfizer from liability while the company exits the arsenic feed business.  This is the company that pleaded guilty in 2009 to the largest health care fraud in US history and received the largest criminal penalty ever levied for illegal marketing of four of its drugs.  But even that was only a slap on the wrist.  If the US government prosecuted fully and won a conviction, by law Medicare could no long buy from the company, so major drug companies are effectively exempt from serious criminal penalties."

(BTW, this extends to fully protecting all the manufacturers of vaccines.  Have a bad reaction or die from one?  Too bad.  They take absolutely NO responsibility because they are protected from your silly lawsuit by the government - this same government I brought up to believe actually protected me, protected ME.  Silly me.)

If you like to eat chicken, I would highly recommend the organic chicken which actually has TASTE and not saline additives to weight it down more.  It is true, even if you do not want to hear about it, that the cheaper the chicken, the less the quality, the more the saline, antibiotics and yes, even arsenic.   Oh and let's not forget the hormones!  In ALL meat, unless it is organic you will get hormones.   This drives nutritionists and natural health care professionals crazy, crazy and crazier!  Talk about having a whacked out biochemical imbalance - it's awful!

Anyway, this probably won't be the end of arsenic in chicken.  Pfizer will sell off that chicken feed additive to somebody else and it will take another decade for the FDA to slap THEM!  Because that how this goes.  If there is money in it, even in arsenic, somebody will make that money.

Do I hear you saying you can't afford the organic chicken?  Eat less of it!  Dice it up for dishes rather than eating the pieces whole.  Throw pieces of chicken into salads, tacos, burritos, soups, stews.  Make a brown rice (or quinoa) casserole with herbs, chopped apples and chopped chicken, add a balsamic dressing - and voila.  We really need to eat a bit differently based on what is available that is actually SAFE to eat these days.  So adapt.  It's no big deal really. 

I will roast an organic chicken, freeze parts of it for NEXT week, and use half of it for several meals.  Hubs feels great if he doesn't think he is a vegetarian.  I may skip the chicken myself but I do my bit to make him feel good.  Whatever!  I'm happy that I've seen Organic Chicken on some menus in restaurants lately.  Nice trend!  If it doesn't say organic, it isn't.  And I do promise you............you can eat organic foods without becoming a hippie!  :)  Bon appetit!

Hormones---Not Just for Women!

This topic is for EVERYone of us - male or female - because we all have hormones.   I'm not talking night sweats or PMS but something that applies to us all - that three letter word  - FAT.


So what do hormones have to do with anything? If I were to ask you what your metabolism is, would you say, "It's the way my body burns calories"? If so, you're wrong! That's what your metabolism does, not what it is.


The correct answer is, your metabolism is your biochemistry. And that biochemistry is run by means of the chemical messengers known as hormones. Hormones tell you that you're hungry, full, when to eat, and what to do with your food (whether to burn it or store it). And when you exercise, hormones tell your body how to move and consume energy stores. Hormones control almost every aspect of how we gain weight — and how we can lose it.


The scary part is that your hormones — and by definition, your metabolism — are being set up to fail. Without your even knowing it, your hormones have been hijacked by toxin-filled, nutritionally deficient, stress-dominated foods — endocrine disruptors — that cause obesity and disease. It's time to target and eliminate these endocrine disruptors and replace them with the hormone-positive foods that make you healthy, happy, and skinny, no matter how old you are.

If ever there was a reason - and there are many! - NOT to eat processed foods, packaged foods, fast foods this would be one valid reason.  You mess up your biochemistry.  Your body needs real food, real nutrients and it is all very basic stuff.  Veggies, some fruits, grains, nuts (in moderation because of the fat content) seeds (chia and hemp are loaded with good stuff) perhaps a smattering of high quality organic meats, and what you'll have is bazillion cells going Yippeee!

Hormones, gosh I could write a book about them.  I will spare you that dissertation here.   Suffice to say that they are super important,  they impact your weight, energy and moods and they are waaayyyy beyond the commonly known estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.  Those are three.  There are more! 

High school health classes or science should teach the whole picture - or maybe they did and we were all asleep or bored to death by it - at that age, who cared?  I have found by teaching and coaching health and wellness and nutrition that most people know (this is metaphor now) to put gas in the car and turn the key to get it started.  That's about it.  Which may be fine as long as some wonderful mechanic you know can fix all the tweaks and breakdowns you have.  If you knew more about the car yourself, you could take care of it yourself right?

You aren't a car - duh, I know - but most people need to know a lot more about their bodies, how they work, how to keep things in balance, what kind of fuel is critical for optimum functioning.  Relying on a super mechanic (doctor) to constantly fix you with drugs/surgery reminds me of the old expression "closing the barn door after the horses got out".  Learning how to care for your own self can avoid a lot of going to the doctor which to me is the same thing.  It's preventative maintenance you can do yourself and should be doing yourself. 

There are many resources available - I am one of them.  You can email me anytime, or go to my website to ask any questions, no obligation/fee, or send someone you know who has health issues or weight management problems.  The natural health industry is growing.  People are getting fed up with the old systems and want to have more control over their health.  This is not just better for you, it is so much cheaper!  If you believe in preventative maintenance for your car, why not YOU?

As an example of some of the changes taking place - AND finally getting recognized - Dr. Dean Ornish started a clinic years ago to teach people with serious coronary diseases how to eat right, exercise, lower cholesterol (without drugs), lower blood pressure and in essence CURE their disease without the need for coronary surgery.  This is HUGE of course.  Well the insurance companies sat up and took notice and now many of the major carriers will pay for people to attend his clinic workshops, even though they are a month sometimes and a few thousand dollars rather than pay for open heart surgery, mega-thousands!

Many insurance companies also now cover chiropractic care.  It's about time!  The more that people seek "alternatives" and take control of their own health it will become more "acceptable" to do so.  I am currently working with clients on nutritional weight management that were sent to me by chiropractors.

Everyone has to start somewhere getting the basics on nutrition and health/wellness.  If you don't know where or how, drop me a line.
www.todayspath.com