Sunlight, and Vitamin D, Could Help You Lose Weight, Really.

0702161140aWeight loss isn’t about calories-in/calories-out;  being a healthy weight (and STAYING THERE), is about being Normal.  We’re a chemistry set, not a math equation.

Sunlight, and optimal levels of Vitamin D, are a crucial to being Normal.  They help make our chemistry what it should be.  Being normal doesn’t just allow us a healthy weight, it also means improved immune function, and prevention and reversal of disease.

There’s a lot of science behind those statements, here some of it:

We make Vitamin D when the cholesterol on our skin cells is hit with the UVB rays of the sun.

Low levels of Vitamin D correlate to higher incidences of diabetes and insulin resistance more than obesity does! ( Vitamin D is more hormone than vitamin.)  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/06/29/vitamin-d-insulin-resistance.aspx

Vitamin D positively affect thousands of genes, but Vitamin D’s effects are more far reaching than that:

-Optimal Vitamin D makes cell membranes more “sensitive”, or open, to insulin, which means blood sugar/glucose can be stuffed in a cell rather than being remade into triglycerides/fat

-Optimal Vitamin D lowers hyperglycemia induced from statin drugs, and anti-psychotic drugs

-Optimal Vitamin D lowers the risk for ALL cardiovascular diseases

-Optimal Vitamin D is crucial for the prevention of auto-immune diseases, which are on the rise everywhere

-Optimal Vitamin D up-regulates the production of testosterone and progesterone

-Optimal Vitamin D is used to repair DNA and up-regulate immune function

-Optimal Vitamin D slashes our cancer (all cancers) risk by 60%!!

IT’S ACTUALLY MORE CANCER PROTECTIVE TO GET SUN EXPOSURE THAN NOT TO. *

-Being Vitamin D deficient increases the risk of all neurological conditions, from depression to Alzheimers to Parkinson’s, by 31%

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/06/29/vitamin-d-insulin-resistance.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20160629Z1&et_cid=DM109461&et_rid=1550781528

Sunlight, which contains a spectrum of rays that interact with our body and mind in a myriad of ways, is crucial for:

-Nitrous oxide production, which lowers blood pressure

-Serotonin production, which is a feel good hormone  (who knew??)

-Melatonin production, which is a hormone that regulates not just sleep, but our whole circadian rhythm and it’s also intricately related to the female hormonal cycle

-Beta endorphin production, another happy hormone

-Successful treatment of several skin conditions, including psoriasis, vitiligo, dermatitis, and more

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3427189/

Americans spend less time out doors than ever in history.  When we are out doors, we’re slathered in toxic/cancer causing sunscreen.  0703161325

Vitamin D deficiency is epidemic.

If you’re convinced that the Sun is your Enemy, please, please, read the link attached below from The Truth About Cancer.  Look at both the research, and who’s presenting it. *

We live in a world full of contradictory health advice. It’s up to us to do the work and learn what’s right for us.

I hope you decide to get Normal!  Go outside and relax, or go outside and move, but go outside.  Encourage your kids to go outside… and go with them.  Be sun-smart; baking for hours causes it’s own set of issues, but, large areas of skin do need to be exposed to the sun for Vitamin D to be made and for the sun’s rays to interact with all the magic buttons on our skin cells.

After you’ve been out for a while, put on a t-shirt and a hat.

Eat plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables, which are incredibly sun-protective, every day.  Take astaxanthin, which is the most powerful carotenoid-antioxidant available.

Quit eating poison, it makes you weak, vulnerable, and sick.

If you’re in the search for healthy sunblocks, check out EWG’s list here:  https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/

Happy Summer!

Sun Exposure: Cancer Cause or Part of the Solution?

Want To Be Lean & Healthy? Get Normal!

0422161434aQuestions I’m often asked:

“How do I ramp up my metabolism?”

“How do I make my immune system strong?”

“How do I get a flat stomach?”

“How can I have more energy?”

(BTW, that’s Shelby and I on Marco Island a couple of weeks ago )

These questions are expressed from the perspective that if we could take a special supplement, cut a bunch of calories, walk a certain amount of steps, or find the right exercise, the things we hate about ourselves would go away and we’d be golden.

Really though, what we need to do is become normal.  God made our bodies spectacular; we just need to eat the right foods, think the right thoughts, sleep, and move often, to keep it so.

It’s not rocket science, but it’s tricky, because we’ve been inundated with terribly bad advice on diet and health for several decades now.

All those words of wisdom from our doctors/government/pharma, along with commercials and advertising, have us sicker, fatter, and more depressed than ever.

How to pull yourself away from 40 years of being told you need to count calories, shun fat, and take pills to feel good?

Educate Yourself!  We’re a chemistry set, not a math equation.  Work with your chemistry, and you become NORMAL (lean and healthy).   Here’s some wisdom:

Read here to learn how excessive Stress Hormones mess up your gut, your immune system, your sex hormones, your brain, and cause heart disease and weight gain. (Manage Your Stress = Think About What You’re Thinking About).

Read here about studies showing that Rosemary is effective against estrogen dominant breast cancer, and here to learn about studies showing how much more effective Turmeric can be than radiation and chemo, with none of the side effects.  ( Eat medicine foods daily!)

Read here to learn why award-winning cardiologist, Dr. Assem Malhotra, says we need to watch our sugar instead of fat when it comes to heart disease and weight.  (It’s not about the calories.)

Read here to learn how a lack of iodine can cause cancer and disease in many parts of our body.

Please, read, invest your time in learning about how your body works and what it wants. None of us are “low in medicine”; but we’re often full of crappy food, crappy thoughts, and lack of movement.  That’s all poison to the body, and your body will respond accordingly.

Eat Real Whole Foods, control your thoughts/manage your stress, move a LOT, get regular sleep.  It’s truly that simple.

Dandelion, Beet Greens, & Honey Comb; Plus, Is Your Butt Really Your Biggest Problem?

pestoWoop Woop!  I’ve been MIA from my blog, but I’m back, and I have a new Mantra! Instead of just “Food is Medicine or Food is Poison”, I’ve expanded that to:  “Moving Is Medicine, and Not Moving is Poison”, and “Good Thoughts are Medicine, and Bad Thoughts are Poison”.

The science behind each of those phrases is rock solid.  Today, though, we’re just talking about food.

Look at my title, does it sound silly? It’s not. I’m amazed at how many people obsess over their weight/thighs/butt/stomach, when their health/ energy/ mood is dangerously poor; when they’re constantly sick, or sore; when they struggle to get out of bed in the morning.

Feeling good, feeling positive and stable and healthy, that’s the result of our daily lifestyle choices.  Aging… jobs… difficult people.. those are excuses.  Change your thoughts if you’ve been using them to justify your bad habits or poor health.

First thought to change: that food is about calories, and if I could just keep my calories low enough, I’d lose weight, feel great, and be happy.

Load. Of. Crap. Thinking.

Calories-Smalories.  Food is medicine, or food is poison, and American’s eat a lot of poison.  We feed it to our children thinking it can’t hurt them, but it does.

Following is a Recipe Index for Kitchen Sink Smoothies, which is pure Medicine Food.

Americans need more Medicine Food, and here’s why:

The American Institute for Cancer Research predicts a 55% rise in cancer by 2055. The CDC predicts that every single chronic disease will continue to increase through 2030 ( that’s as far out as they predict.).  Depression has been rising since the 1980s and will continue to rise.

It’s not for lack of medications, because we take more medications THAN ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.

Hmmm.  If medications make you healthy – which is the total reason for their existence – than why would all of our markers for health be decreasing instead of increasing?

The problem is NONE of us are “low in medicine“;….  we’re low in nutrients – which literally make every single part of our body.  ( We also don’t move enough or control our thought life in the right direction. More later.)

Enter the “Kitchen Sink Smoothies”, so called because I throw in everything except the Kitchen Sink.  These are Real Whole Food Bonanzas!

Most people begin their Smoothie path with Starter Smoothies, and they’re great!  It’s like walking before you run.

Here’s an example of a Starter Smoothie Recipe:

Good Protein Powder (very few ingredients, NO artificial flavors or sweeteners, maybe even organic or grass fed whey – there’s plenty of good ones on the market.)

Berries & Banana

Spinach

Mix it all in a blender with a few ice cubes and go.  Easy Peasy.  Perfect for Busy Moms who also have to make breakfast for a pack of kids.

Unfortunately, it’s not going to keep you full very long, or at least this never kept me full very long.  There’s no fat, and it’s too easily digested.

Pros:  there’s some good nutrients, and it’s fast and easy

Cons:  there’s limited nutrients, especially because we all tend to get in to food ruts, and eat the same foods over and over.

Kitchen Sink Smoothies are a great way to broaden your range of nutrients, and (honestly) use Medicine Food to fight:  weight gain, Heart Disease, CANCER, depression, diabetes, auto-immune, bacterial/viral infections, aging skin, etc etc etc.

I’m going to give you a list of Greens, Fats, Herbs & Spices, and “Fun Add Ins”, and you should try to use at least one from each column to build your smoothie.

This list is by no means “complete”; these are a few options in a sea of more options.

Make accumulating these ingredients a gradual process; in other words, don’t buy all these this week.  Accumulate them over time, and get in the habit of rotating the ingredients.

Mantra:  My body needs a broad assortment of nutrients.

20160221_163012 (1)Greens (other than spinach):  Beet Greens;  Kale;  Chard;  Bok Choy;  Cabbage;  Dandelion Greens; Sprouts ( aka – sunflower sprouts, beet sprouts, kale sprouts, etc.)

20160221_164352TIP:  Wash (if they’re not already), baggie asap, and then freeze.  Greens become like glass in the freezer:  very easy to crush and dispense into your blender.  And this way they don’t decompose before you use them.

Fats: Coconut Oil; Flax Seed Oil ONLY IF YOU’RE NOT ESTROGEN DOMINANT; all Nuts, and all Seeds; Avocado Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Coconut Flakes, Avocado, Eggs/Raw ONLY IF YOU GET THEM FROM A FARMER/NOT A STORE, AND HAVE A GOOD IMMUNE SYSTEM, Real Cream; Real Yogurt; Real Keifer;  ( Check out Rich Food Poor Food by the Caltons if you have no idea what I mean by “real”).

TIP:  Don’t be afraid of using Fats.  Fats make us:  our hormones, our brain, our organs, our tissues, the membrane of every single cell in our body is made from fats.  Fats also assist many nutrients into the cells to be used.

Herbs & Spices:  Ginger ( real/powdered ); Cloves; Turmeric; Nutmeg; 0401162017Cinnamon; Salt; Parsley, Cilantro; Lemon Balm.

Tip:  Herbs & Spices are SERIOUS Medicine Food.  Check out www.greenmedinfo.com and and match your body/health/conditions with different herbs.  It’s a database of Pub Med Research articles.

More:  Cherries; Cranberries; Mixed Berries; Black Berries; Blueberries; Raspberries; Oranges; Carrots; Beets.

Tip: Don’t get stuck in a rut with your berries, their nutrient content is very different, and we need them all.

What else do I throw in?   Maca Root powder; Baking Soda, Greens Powders; L-Glutamine; Magnesium; Rose Hips; Collagen, and any leftover herbs from teas I made the day before.

You can really start your day off with a bang!  Here’s my last tip, and actually, I got this from my daughter Macy over Easter Break: add more water, and make enough to have a breakfast smoothie and a lunch smoothie.

Whew.  That was a lot. I hope you see how creative you can get with your smoothie.  A breakfast of bagels, cereal, or toast is fast, and easy, and….. Poison.

Take the steps, make the plan, do the shopping and the chopping and the prepping, to eat Medicine Food all day, every day.  What are some ingredients not on these lists that you use in your smoothies?

Home Remedies: Proven, Safe, and Effective; Get Over The Learning Curve.

 

mark and i on roadHappy Snowmaggon!

I get a lot of questions about using essential oils and herbs for both illness and prevention.  Well, I have both going on in my house right now:  Shelby’s ill, and I’m trying to prevent catching it.

(**Important: Real prevention comes from a strong immune system: no sugar, good sleep, managing stress, and eating Real Whole Food. “An ounce of prevention….”**)

I think it started as the flu and has morphed to bronchitis.  What am I doing?  A lot!  Here’s a pic showing some of the natural medicines I’m using on both her and the rest of us:supps on counter

And here’s a list of what’s in that photo from left to right:

Biotics ADP – which is oregano extract (anti-viral)

Tea tree and eucalyptus essential oil (these go in a pot of water – steam inhalation.)

Herbal Medicine’s Respiratonic, and Osha Cough Syrup ( definitely helping!  Bought this at Natural Market in Warrenton, Va.)

Ovvio Thief Plus ( I LOVE essential oils!!) This I put directly on the throat and use in a diffuser.

Biotics Vitamin D3

Garlic, which I mix with Manuka Honey (look at a ‘how to’ here)

Herba Tussin Tea, by Traditional Medicinals

Those front baggies:  from the left –

Ground Rose Hips – HUGE amount of vitamin C ( that’s for all of us, I put it in smoothies).

Chamomile flowers ( Natural Market by the ounce – CHEAP, POTENT and very relaxing. I o.d. her a little bit at night.  We all sleep better that way.)

Marshmallow root ( Natural Market, Cheap/Potent/ rebuilds lining of esophagus, great for a cough/sore throat.)

The 2 jars in the back are homemade Vinegar of Thieves and homemade Elderberry Syrup, easy recipes for both are here.

What you’re not seeing?  Regular cold meds.  They give me the creeps.  Do you know what’s in them?

Let’s look at Nyquil:

Active Ingredients (in each 30 mL) (Purpose)

Acetaminophen 650 mg (Pain reliever/fever reducer)

Dextromethorphan HBr 20 mg (Cough suppressant)

Doxylamine succinate 12.5 mg (Antihistamine)

Phenylephrine HCl 10 mg (Nasal decongestant)

Inactive Ingredients

alcohol, citric acid, D&C Yellow No. 10, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Green No. 3, flavor, glycerin, propylene glycol, purified water, saccharin sodium, sodium benzoate, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, sorbitol, sucralose

Why would we put these poisons in our kids?  When I look at the artificial colors, the propylene glycol, the saccharin, the sodium benzoate, I just see cancer and disease. Acetaminophen is the #1 cause of liver failure in the US! This crap can’t make anyone healthier – ever.

Moms, this is mostly up to us.

Our kids are predicted to die at an earlier age than we are.  This isn’t something our family doctor is preventing, as it’s happening under their watch.

This is OUR job.  We need to recognize and then reverse the conditioning we’ve received our whole lives to immediately turn to OTC meds for every sniffle, ear ache, and sore throat, because honestly, these substances aren’t making anyone healthier.  The long-term effects of the ingredients ruin livers, kidneys, hormones, stomachs, etc.

Look around.  The statistics show we’re all getting sicker, fatter, and more depressed by the minute.  This is a multifaceted phenomena, and we can safely say that the ingredients in OTC products are one of the facets.

We all need to step up to the Mom Plate, and start studying, because there’s a big learning curve to using herbs and essential oils. There is no Natural Home Remedies Lobby paying for advertisements via the TV, Radio, and Print Ads.  ( I’m convinced that most Americans get all their medical knowledge thru Big Pharma’s advertising business.)

Neither will our doctors be recommending Natural Remedies, as in med school, they’re only educated on synthetic drugs. Period.

I’m wrapping up here with a dose of guilt, which my kids say I’m good at:  aren’t your kids worth the learning effort?  Isn’t taking care of our kids supposed to be our biggest priority?

That said, there’s a lot to learn.  How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.   Get on the daily mailing list for GreenMedInfo and Dr. Mercola.  Their peer-reviewed information is free – and priceless.  I remember feeling overwhelmed when I first started this journey, but not anymore.  You’ll become confident and comfortable too if you pledge to learn a little bit every day.

Our health, and our children’s health, is in our hands.  Email me if you need help.

Tough Love: Ditch The Grains & Excuses Or You’ll Never Lose Weight.

It’s January, 2016.  How different is your body from January, 2015?  Better, worse, or….  the same?

If you’re better – GOOD FOR YOU!!! WOO HOO!   If you’re worse, or the same, make 2016 your year for improvement; actual, real, permanent improvement: weight loss, muscle gain, energy, less inflammation, better hair/skin/pooping.  You get the picture.

Ask yourself, what’s been holding you back? Why have previous efforts failed?

Here’s a few educated guesses:

1) You’re eating grains/wheat/gluten free grains. This just won’t work, especially as you age, or if you’re already fighting a weight or health issue.  Grains just have to go.

They’re poison; if you’re unconvinced, listen to cardiologist Dr. William Davis on the subject.  Or read this Post on how grains are killing you and your family. Fill your mind with the latest facts and science, not Big Food’s appealing advertising.

Here’s an idea: try a 7 day “100% grain-free” experiment on yourself.  Watch your stomach shrink and your energy sky-rocket.  7 days,… it’s a blip on the time line.  Keep feeding your family whatever your normally feed them and just focus on you for 7 days.

Grains lead to inflammation, weight gain/bloat, foggy thinking, bad sleep, bad skin, constipation, leaky gut, headaches, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, heart disease, etc etc.

What to eat instead of pasta,cereal, and bread:  clean meats, plenty of healthy fats (coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, grass fed butters, raw dairy), a TON OF VEGETABLES, some fruit, nuts/seeds/avocados, maybe some beans.  That depends on your blood sugar.

It’s not hard, but I have to admit, eating real whole food does involve time and energy. Eating real whole food means shopping, chopping, prepping, cooking, and packing.

And that brings me to my second guess as to why you haven’t lost weight or improved your health.

2)  You think cooking is either too hard or too time consuming.

You’re right!  Cooking does take a little learning and practice; maybe your mom never taught you, or you can’t figure out how to follow a cookbook.  Cooking’s definitely a lost skill in America.

Develop that skill! We’re humans, we learn things all the time.  Learn how to make cooking, and eating real whole food, a normal part of your life.  Pass that skill on to your kids. ( Or pass on the opposite skill: teach your kids how to live on convenient processed foods and watch them become fat, sick, and depressed.)

All it takes is a little coaching.  It’s just Real Whole Food;  it’s not rocket science.  Honest.  Get in touch with me and we can work together on this part.  I’ve done Power Cooking classes with dozens of clients now.  It’s empowering to learn how to make 4 or 5 full meals in a couple of hours.

One more reason you’re not healthier in 2016:

3) You can’t stick to your plan for more than a few days.  This is a biggie. Most plans involve starvation and excessive exercise, which make excuses to jump off the wagon easy. ( “I’m busy”, “I deserve this”, “I’ll start again on Monday.”)

Low calorie diets are DOOMED TO FAIL.  Statistically, almost 100% of everyone who goes on a “diet” gains their weight back.  50% gain back more than they lost.  

Stop the guaranteed cycle!  Compliance and change happen when your brain really, really cares about what you’re putting in your body.  You don’t sit down and devour a bag of Cheetos or a box of ice cream if you genuinely think they’ll cause cancer or stomach distress for a day or a terrible night’s sleep.

This is where coaching comes in again.  Step doing the same old thing and getting the same old results,..   Call me.

Start now, and when 2017 gets here, you can be a different person.  Health is everything!  The health of your kids and your family – it’s everything.

We create our health and our weight.  80% of all illness is designated as “life style disease”.  Our weight is the result of our food choices and habits.

Make health a priority in 2016.  We aren’t doomed to be fat, sick, sore, and tired just because we’re getting older or busy or both.  We are the result of how we take care of ourselves, so ditch the excuses along with the grains.

Back to my lead-in;  it’s January, 2016.  How are you different from January 2015?  What do you want to be in January 2017?  Take ahold of your power and your choices and your actions, and create the you God made you capable of being.

Don’t Give In Just Because It’s December!

elf eating spaghettiI’ve heard this more than a few times in the past couple of weeks: “Forget trying to be good.  It’s the Holiday’s.  It’s impossible! Can you help me lose weight in January?”

My answer:  Sure I can help you in January, but, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF.  Having a specific date when you’re going to be “good”… that’s crazy talk.  That’s kickin the can down the road, like our government does with the federal budget (which keeps our debt constantly growing. Make the analogy).

When we pacify ourselves with promises to compensate later for over-indulging today, we actually reinforce the habits and desires that got us either overweight or unhealthy or both.

Here’s some blasts from the past to help you stay committed to Real Whole Food, and making good choices, even in December.  It’s critical to change our thoughts about food; food is medicine, or food is poison.  Food brings us energy and healing and beautiful skin, or food brings cancer, fatigue, gut issues, headaches, diabetes, and heart disease.

Fill your mind with thoughts that make you powerful.  Be purposeful about what you allow your brain to dwell on.

Click on the highlighted link to read the whole post, or just read the displayed paragraphs. Santa-Paws-Christmas-card-holiday-dog-pet-funny-hilarious-saying-sayings-500x338

From December, 2013:

I’ve heard from more than a few people expressing sadness about weight gain, specifically, weight gain since Thanksgiving. You’ve got a choice here, you either go with the line, ” I’ve already blown it, New Years Day is right around the corner, I’ll start then.” or this line, “More vegetables, more fruit, more healthy fats and proteins; I’m going to plan the next few days well and get back on track because I don’t like feeling this way.”

Pick a line and go with it. If it’s the second line, MEDITATE ON IT. Choose your thoughts; quit letting a momentary whim lead to actions that make you feel horrible later. Do this for me: next time you want some food that’s not healthy, set a timer on your phone and see how long the desire lasts. Unless you’re genuinely starving, Hunger Is Temporary. Seriously. If you turn out to still be starving in 15 minutes, evaluate what you ate at your last meal. Was there enough fat, enough protein, enough vegetables, enough Real Whole Foods, or did you do the “diet” thing and now you’re hungry? Give your body the nutrients it needs, and that compulsive desire to eat will start to fade away. Weight loss (if you need it) is a side-effect of eating healthy.

Reasons to be scared of Flour and Sugar:

I’m going to blast some facts at you, because : All Behavior Is Belief Driven. Think it’s hard to walk past platters full of doughnuts, cookies, or bagels without eating any? It depends on your belief: do you believe that flour and sugar are literally toxic to your brain and body, or do you still look at food as calories that you can work-off or starve-off later?

Fact: flours that contain Gluten (a group of proteins that are in grains) have ADDICTIVE properties, they literally stimulate pleasure centers in your brain that make you want more.

Fact: no human being on earth has the digestive enzymes to break down glutens from wheat, barley, or rye. Think you don’t have a problem because you’re not a Celiac? Celiac disease is an AUTO IMMUNE reaction to the glutens. That happens to some people. For the rest of us, the damage accumulates over YEARS: the undigested proteins leak thru the gut wall, inappropriately; our immune system responds to the foreign objects, and wherever we’re most vulnerable (joints, brain, nervous system, thyroid, etc) gets attacked.

Fact: sugar has addictive properties. Studies show that it’s more addictive than Cocaine! In 1700, the average American ate 4 lbs of sugar a year; in 1800 it was 18 lbs; in 1900 it was 90 lbs, in 2009, it was 180 lbs.

Read the details of this Post for supplement and exercise tips; here’s the gist:

Three emails this weekend about Holiday Weight Gain are prompting a Post. Don’t Diet In December; don’t despair if you’ve gained a few pounds since Halloween; don’t “throw in the towel and restart in January”; and don’t kill yourself with extra hard workouts.

All that stuff would be SHORT TERM THINKING, and short term thinking never produces good Long Term Results.

What should you do instead? CHILL. Honestly. It’s the holidays and we’ve all got about 50 extra things on our to-do lists. Stressing about it = CORTISOL, which = WEIGHT GAIN and ILLNESS ( come January or sooner).

In addition to all our “extras”, is the assumption we’ll eat more just because it’s the holidays; constant indulgence = CORTISOL + INSULIN, which = WEIGHT GAIN AND ILLNESS ( come January, or sooner).

Blood sugar becomes a complete mess, and the impulse to soothe stress with food or alcohol feels irresistible. Here’s what to do instead-

And finally, from Holiday Eating Gone Bad, 8 Facts To Scare You Straight:

It’s the holiday season, you’re busy, you’re struggling, you want motivation, so I’ll be fast and effective.

I’ve had several emails and comments in the past two weeks full of regret and remorse over Eating Gone Bad. There’s definitely the sense of, ” I couldn’t help myself because…”

A client friend said to me yesterday, ” I want to become scared of flour and sugar, like you are.” I want ALL OF YOU TO BECOME SCARED OF FLOUR AND SUGAR, like I am! Let me scare you straight, quickly.

Simple carbs from Grains and Sugar cause high levels of sugar and insulin in your blood/arteries/veins. The negative health effects from this are PROFOUND:

1) Excess blood sugar ( from sugar and grains) is converted to Triglycerides and stored in our fat cells.

2) Excess blood sugar “GLYCATES” proteins and lipids in our blood and body. EXAMPLES OF GLYCATION ARE WRINKLES, AGE SPOTS, AND IMPOTENCE. Alzheimer’s is being called Diabetes Type 3 because of the plaques/glycation of the brain, which is composed of fats and proteins.

3) Alzheimer’s, Migraines, Dementia, and all sorts of Neurological Conditions, including ADD and Mood Disorders, are highly associated with high blood sugar and insulin.

4) Cancer cells are covered with Insulin Receptors. Cancer cells eat SUGAR. The insulin receptors that cover cancer cells make sure those cells get all the sugar they want and need to grow and thrive. APPLY THAT THOUGHT TO YOUR KIDS THE NEXT TIME YOU FEED THEM MAC N CHEESE WITH A SIDE OF BREAD. Seriously. That stuff is poison!

5) Heart disease is caused by several conditions initiated by sugar and insulin: excess sugar thickens the blood; excess sugar robs the heart of it’s favorite mineral – Magnesium, and it’s favorite vitamin – the Bs ( that’s because digesting/metabolizing sugar requires an enormous amount of Magnesium and B vitamins ); and excess sugar and insulin severely damage artery walls, in several ways.

6) Damage to the artery walls ( whether those arteries are near your heart, in your neck, or MEN: IN YOUR FAVORITE ORGAN THAT FILLS WITH BLOOD!!) means they need to be “fixed”. In an effort to mitigate the damage we do, the liver puts together PLAQUE patches, and sends them to the sites of the damage. This keeps us alive for years, but eventually, the high blood pressure, the thick blood, the extra stress on the heart, comes back to Bite Us In The Butt.

7) Excess sugars can completely change the Bacterial Composition of your entire gut: from the stomach, which needs to have just a tiny bit of H-Pylori and a TON of acid to be optimal, to the small intestine, which should be intact but more often then not is “LEAKY” or plagued with SIBO ( small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. If you bloat badly, ask me about this.), to the large intestine, which should house at least a few POUNDS of beneficial bacteria that perform literally THOUSANDS of jobs for our bodies. Constipation, Bloat, Reflux, Diarrhea: NOT NORMAL! It means you’re not breaking down and absorbing your nutrients which sets the stage for all sorts of disease and dysfunctions.

8) Excess sugar and insulin suppress your immune system, IMMEDIATELY, for up to 24 hours. This means if you let your kid eat a breakfast of pop tarts or crappy cereal, and then send them to school to sit by someone on the bus or in the classroom who’s coughing or sneezing, they’re an EASY TARGET for the germs to set up house and proliferate. Same for you: a quick muffin or sugar/chemical drink at Starbucks, then off to an office/gym filled with bad germs? You’re a sitting duck!

I could go on and on, but say this to yourself: Food Is Medicine, or Food Is Poison; for me, and for my kids.

Then, delete the ancient notion that eating well means Dieting; eating low fat/no fat chicken and steamed broccoli is a recipe for a Rebound Binge.

That’s why I love the Paleo Diet: Real Whole Food with plenty of good FAT, good meats and proteins, TONS of vegetables, some fruit, some nuts and seeds, and GOOD dairy if you can tolerate it. The Paleo Diet even includes Real Whole Food DESSERTS, what’s not to like? ( Christmas Paleo Party at my house, 12/12/14, from 12 -2. Everyone’s invited, and you’ll get to see just how good Real Whole Food is!)

If Food Addiction is your struggle, then all the common sense/information in the world doesn’t help too much. Read my last post. If you have trouble staying away from grains and sugar, know that they contain compounds that trigger addiction centers in your brain, and your child’s brain. That doesn’t happen with Real Whole Food.

Finally, in this stressful, busy season of the year, acknowledge that “eating for stress relief” doesn’t actually Relieve Your Stress, it makes you MORE STRESSED afterwards. Just the opposite of sitting down to a Real Whole Food meal, which actually satiates your mind and body.

Change today. Don’t wait til the season is over. We’re talking about your health, your mind, and the example you’re instilling in your kids. The food you put in your mouth matters. I’ll say it again: Food is Medicine, or Food is Poison.

Tom Brady calls Cocoa Cola and Frosted Flakes “Poison”, and he’s right!

Did you hear about the Tom Brady dust up recently?  Finally!  We have a prominent professional athlete speaking out against the Giants of Big Food instead of promoting them for money.  This is awesome!  Here’s a couple quotes,

“I think we’ve been lied to by a lot of food companies over the years, by a lot of beverage companies over the years. But we still [believe] it… We believe that Frosted Flakes is a food…”

Great point.  Food is food.  Frosted flakes, ( and Captain Crunch and Froot Loops and Raisin Bran etc etc etc) are processed pieces of flour, sugar, artificial color/flavors/scents, additives, and preservatives.

Read the ingredient list for Frosted Flakes:

Milled Corn, Sugar, Malt Flavoring, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Sodium Ascorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Reduced Iron, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Palmitate, Folic Acid, BHT, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D

That’s not food.  That’s crap.  In Tom Brady’s words, “And the fact that they can sell that to kids? I mean, that’s poison…”

Did you notice that Coke now sells their product in cans and bottles that have names on them??  Oh yeah.  They researched the 250 most popular TEEN names, and stuck them on their containers.  Wow.  So much for their promise not to market to kids.

Here’s the ingredient list for Coca Cola:

Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors, and caffeine.

I’ve become used to people telling me I’m either crazy/way too out there/or over-reacting.  That our government wouldn’t ever let our food supply become saturated with ingredients that absolutely cause cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mood disorders, auto-immune, and every single other disease out there.

Well, I’m happily wearing the crazy hat, because I believe that’s exactly what’s happened.  Want proof?

Recent studies show:

– 70% of all the calories Americans consume now come from processed foods ( breads, crackers, pasta, cereals, pizza, etc)

Multiple studies confirm that processed food is just as addictive as heroin and cocaine.  Moms, this means that your skinny, active kids actually shouldn’t get a pass to eat processed foods; their life long eating patterns are being created – by you, right now.  Bad patterns will eventually come back to bite them in the butt.

Multiple studies link artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and additives to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, allergies, hyperactivity, Alzheimers, and literally every disease out there.  Not convinced?  Read here.

Let’s look at a few common ingredients.

BHA and BHT are synthetic preservatives that keep fat from going rancid. Look on cereals, breads, meats, microwave dinners, vegetables oils, margarine’s, chewing gum, any and all chips, cookies, cakes, skin lotions, face make-up,… the list is endless. Literally. If you buy and consume processed, refined foods (and lots of restaurants use processed refined foods), you’re consuming these chemicals.

Let’s follow the chem trail. In the 1970’s, the FDA reviewed BHA and BHT and gave then a “GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status, but acknowledged additional review was needed.

In 1986, they just repeated that dictum. No further review – by the FDA – has happened.

However, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Agency for Cancer Research, and The National Toxicology Program, have all declared BHA and BHT as Carcinogenic. There’s also very strong links between these products and hyperactivity in children; it’s highly suspected they cause liver damage; and it takes the average male adult TEN days to eliminate BHA from the system.

Our food system is loaded with cases like this!  Let’s look at pizza, which is pretty much a giant chemical, unless you’re making it at home (another recipe here).

The average American eats 46 slices of pizza a year. 25% of all boys ages 6 to 19 eat pizza every single day.  Our government has actually declared pizza a vegetable for school lunches, hospitals, jails, and social programs. (??)

Food Babe (an incredibly determined Activist) did a thorough investigation of the ingredient list in several pizzas, and the results were horrible. Did you know you can say “100% Real”, legally, and have it be loaded with crap??

Among the many chemicals is MSG, in all it’s FDA approved monikers. Think a little MSG can’t hurt? Oh my gosh, please think again. MSG, under ALL it’s names (yeast extract, autolyzed yeast extract,… there’s more than 40 approved names for it) is an EXCITO-TOXIN. It literally excites brain cells to death; MSG’s links to cancer and other disease states are profound. Unfortunately, like so much poison, it makes food taste good, and it has the effect of stimulating areas of the brain that make us want more. MSG is a Food Manufacturers Dream.

Take a look at some pizza ingredients that contain MSG:

dominos

YUCK!  Not. Real. Food. In Tom Brady’s words: Poison.  We have to wake-up, and unhook ourselves from the siren call of processed foods, because it’s killing us.  Slowly and quietly, but it’s killing us.

The answer?  Real Whole Foods.  Cooking at home.  Making food and meals and nutrition a priority for our health, and our kids health.  Letting go of the idea that skinny=healthy, because it doesn’t.  Healthy=Healthy.  I know lots of skinny people with cancer, heart disease, auto-immune conditions, neurological conditions, etc.

It’s the food.  Moms and dads, don’t push this advice away just because you’re overwhelmed and busy. Our kid’s futures depend on this.  We can make Real Whole Foods our norm, honest.

Want a great place to start? Read the links included in this Post.  The more you know about our food system, the easier it becomes to avoid processed foods through fear and disgust.

Don’t know how to cook/shop/prep/pack?  Get in touch with me.  It’s not hard, it’s just a skill to master; and a way of thinking.

Finally, I want to link to a great book I finished recently: French Kids Eat Everything.  This book is wonderful, and I wish I’d read it 25 years ago.  It details the differences in American and French food beliefs/culture/norms, and why and how French kids eat everything.  It’s a positive approach to food that we just don’t have here.  For example, we have “kid foods” galore in the US:  chicken nuggets, pasta, cereal, etc.  Kid foods in France are pureed vegetables and small bites of organ meats. They don’t snack, and they use utensils at 2. They really do eat everything over there, and consequently, France has the second lowest rate of heart disease in the industrial world, and no weight issues.

I hope you get 2 take-aways from today’s Post. (1) we’re literally creating and training our children for life long eating patterns and food preferences every single day we have them.  (2) We are what we eat.  We eat crap, we create a crap body.  We eat Real Whole Foods, and we give our body the nutrients it needs to rebuild, repair, and thrive.

Get in touch with me for help and changes.  We have so much potential!

Supplements for Cold and Flu Season

This Post really is about supps for colds and flu, but first, read this excerpt from an October 12, 2015, Medscape newsletter on the upcoming Gastro Conference:

“A prominent theme of the meeting — the way food affects health — will be reflected in a lecture on food allergies, sensitivities, and food-related illnesses by William Chey, MD, professor of gastroenterology at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and coeditor-in-chief of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

The association between food and gastrointestinal ailments has received renewed attention in the past 5 years; however, little credible research has supported specific dietary interventions for gut disorders, Dr Chey told Medscape Medical News.”

Wow, the Gastroenterologists are going to be considering that “food affects health and the gut”,  even though “little credible research supports dietary interventions for gut disorders”.

And this folks, is why we need to quit putting our full trust in the medical establishment, who think we’re sick from a lack of pharmaceuticals, and become very responsible for our own health.

We are, literally, made out of the food we eat ( sleep, movement, and stress management play a big role too.)  Everything we put in our mouth has an effect on us, good or bad.  Everything.

Which brings me back to Supplements:)  I got a cold about 10 days ago, darnit. My goal:  support my immune system so it’s able to overcome the virus that got me.  Here’s the routine I used to get well.

20151022_072817Fire Cider!  This is Powerful!  I’ve used a homemade version of this the past 2 winters, but since I didn’t get sick, I just used it preventively: 20151022_072834 a couple teaspoons in a big jar of water everyday, or sometimes on my salads.  This particular cold caught me off guard.  No homemade hooch so I had to buy it at my favorite health food store, Natural Market in Warrenton.  If you’re not from my area, and you don’t want to DIY, you can find the Fire Cider here.

This year, I just poured the Cider in a shot glass and downed it – WHEW.  It has a kick, and it’s effective. If you’re a wuss when it comes to food, and will only eat things that taste like pie, this could be tough.  That’s a weakness to over come though because a lot of healthy foods are bitter, sour, or hot. If I can develop my taste buds, you can you, I promise.

Next, I used oregano essential oil ( Plant Guru ), and DoTerra On Guard, which is a blend.  I also used a ton of eucalyptus oil, both Plant Guru and Arbor Oil.  I kept one in my car, and carried the other with me.  Eucalyptus is wonderful because you can rub it directly on your nose and in your nose; it opens up sinus passages fast.

Speaking of sinus passages, the Neti Pot is awesome.  Gross, but awesome.

About essential oils:  some can be rubbed directly on your skin or in your cheek, and some will burn the heck out of you if you don’t dilute them with a carrier oil like coconut oil.

I accidentally got cinnamon oil on my raw nose skin and that really stung!  There was nothing I could do, it just had to kind of “burn out”:(  I’ve also had a few minor disasters with oregano oil, and geranium oil, (I use geranium oil on my face, and I’ve learned to always put my carrier oils on first, heavily.)

I actually tried some oregano oil in my Neti Pot.  It was horrible!  I did it 4 times anyway, dumped it out, and switched back to salt water.  Much more pleasant.

I went through a whole lot of Elderberry Syrup, garlic and Manuka honey, and liquid zinc ( zinc is huge for good immune function.)  I took Biotics products “Bio-immunozyme” every morning and every night, along with A.D.P.

To sleep, I used a tonic with Valarian, Hops, Passionflower, and Skullcap, along with a Biotics Melatonin w/ B6 and Magnesium.  I slept mostly great, which is totally necessary since we repair best when we’re asleep.

I made sure to eat a huge variety of vegetables, herbs, and spices; I had liver more than normal, more lemon than usual, and more turmeric and ginger. ( I put turmeric in every single morning coffee, a habit I’m going to keep.)

20151022_082312And last, I got an ear infection, which I thought was just for kids.  I used Mullein Garlic oil: eardrum soothed, and infection gone.  Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics has changed their position on ear infections to “watch and wait”?  Most ear infections are viral, and most clear up – untreated – in a week.

I did a pretty good job staying away from sugar(which seriously and immediately suppresses immune function), except for a dive into Trickling Springs ice cream on Saturday night.  I was weak.  And made sure I got outside every day to move in the sunshine.  Vitamin D and fresh air – remedies for everything!

Here’s what I didn’t do:  use conventional cold meds.  Why?  One, suppressing symptoms while ruining my liver and other organs scares me now.  Besides, I used that stuff for years, and it never seemed to suppress the symptoms well anyway.

Sneezing, dripping/runny nose, watery eyes:  that’s our immune system expelling germs from the body.  Why would I get in the way of that?

Two:  take a look at these ingredient lists.

Vicks Dayquil:

Inactive Ingredients: Citric acid, FD&C yellow 6, flavor, glycerin, polyethylene glycol (aka PEG, I wrote about this in the Miralax post), propylene glycol, purified water, saccharin sodium, sodium citrate, sucrose.

Active Ingredients: Acetaminophen ( #1 cause of Liver Failure in the U.S.),Dextromethorphan HBr, and Pseudoephedrine HCl ( banned from store shelves since 2006).

Vicks Nyquil:

Inactive Ingredients: Acesulfame potassium, alcohol, citric acid, D&C Yellow No 10, FD&C Green No 3, FD&C Yellow No 6, flavor, high fructose corn syrup, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, saccharin sodium, sodium citrate.

Active Ingredients: 650 mgs Acetaminophenm Dextromethorphen Hbr, and Doxylamine succinate.

No wonder we’re such a sick society!

It’s the end of October, start stocking up for your family now.  Colds, flus, sore throats, ear aches,… tis the season.  Make sure you and your family are covered.

Remember, no one “gets” us sick.  We come into contact with germs every day, all the time, every where.  Our immune system is either strong or weak, and our life style determines that.  Our choices determine that.  Let’s choose to be strong, and do what’s best for our body.

Supplements Supplements Supplements!

11225426_837045249726296_7631522987210496314_oHi There!  Here’s yet another homemade photo for my blog:)  Professional photographer, I am not.  This is Mark and I SUPping ( StandUpPaddleboard) on Lake Frederick yesterday.  We’ve supped almost every weekend since July, and we’re getting really good!  Our goal is a SUP vacation next summer, and also to get to know all our Virginia Parks, Rivers, and Lakes.

Today’s Post isn’t on fun activities though, it’s on supplements, because I get asked about them all the time.

Supplements sound promising, but when faced with the options in a store, feel confusing.  That’s because they are!  We need to make sure that the supplement bottle we buy actually contains the supplement we need, and nothing else.  ( Read The Labels!  Artificial colors? Flavors? Sweeteners? Read. The. Label.)

And it matters to me that my supplements are derived from Real Whole Foods in the United States, and not Petroleum Products from China.  It’s a whole big supplement world out there, and it’s a good idea to have at least a little knowledge if you’re using them.

For the most part, I use Biotics supplements, and I recommend them to everyone I work with, and my whole family.  Here’s why:  I know my rep; I know Biotics uses real, quality ingredients; I know they produce everything in the US; I know they SUBMIT EVERYTHING TO THE FDA.

That’s super rare.  It costs a fortune, and most supp companies don’t do that step.  Studies show that 90% of ALL supplements are “made in China”, from petroleum products.  That’s disgusting.

Okay, here’s my routine, and why:

First thing in the morning on an empty stomach, I take 6 Intenzymes and 3 Bromeleins (both are systemic enzymes for inflammation and viscous blood – bc I’m often sore, and I have had 2 blood clots), 2 GTA Forte ( I tested hypothyroid a few years ago, and I like this desiccated pig thyroid product better than Armor, and wow! it works!  My eyebrows have grown back in!), and 2 L-Tyrosines – I started this 2 summers ago for energy after reading The Mood Cure by Julia Ross. I love energy!.

If I’ve injured myself, or I’m extra sore, I take more enzymes both in the morning, and throughout the day, always on an empty stomach. They work wonders, honestly.

Systemic (and Digestive) enzymes are FANTASTIC.  I think they’re the one supplement I wouldn’t give up.  If you’re curious, either meet with me, or ***learn about them.  Actually, even if you’re a client, learn about them.  It’s so important to be informed as to how our body actually works.

After breakfast, I take between 2 and 4 Omega-3 fish oils, (depends on my workouts, and my schedule.  I used to take a lot more but feel I’m more “normal” now), a Vit B with C, a Co Q 10, and from there, it varies.  This summer I flew a few times, so I took a supplement called BioProtect, which is a broad spectrum anti-oxidant.  Airports and planes pump us full of radiation; this isn’t good for anyone, but apparently 1 in 20 of us actually have genes that make us even more susceptible to radiation than others.

Last night, and for the next few days, I’m taking “A.D.P.”, which is a standardized extract of emulsified oregano because I feel a sore throat coming on.  This is a supp I recommend all the time for bacterial, viral, or fungal/candida issues.  I make sure that my kids all have A.D.P. for the winter time/cold/flu/sore throat season.  It’s powerful.  (I also did my go-to Manuka honey w/garlic last night.  I don’t wait around to see if things get worse, I act.)   And right before bed, I rubbed a little Eucalyptus Essential Oil on my tonsils, armpit, and a swipe inside my cheek (it tastes disgusting…).

If I’m tired during the afternoon, and have an appointment or training at night, I’ll take 2 more L-Tyrosine’s on an empty stomach.

If I’m super sore, I’ll add L-Glutamine in the afternoon.  (L-Glutamine’s also great for rebuilding gut lining/repairing leaky gut.)

Oh! I’ve also been taking Bio-Immunozyme (broad spectrum vitamins, minerals, enzymes, glandulars, plus herbs like echinecea) for the past few days, again, because I’ve felt a little something coming on. This is in combination with a busy week that gave me a couple late consults and early, early mornings. Recipe for a weak immune system.

I take digestive enzymes ( Hydrazyme ) and HCl (stomach acid)(Betaine + HP) if I have a big meal, or am teaching a class/training someone right after I eat.  I used to have to be religious about digestive supplements with each and every meal, for years, but not so much anymore.

I digest really well now.  Oh!  I’ve been adding Apple Cider Vinegar to 99% of all my water for about 4 years.  That’s GREAT for digestion, plus cheap and easy and delicious.  Get it “with the mother”, and make sure you shake it before you pour it.

In the evening I take 2 supplements that aren’t from Biotics, but from Dr. Carolyn Dean, who’s a big authority on Magnesium, which I believe EVERYONE should be supplementing with.  They’re called ReMag (liquid magnesium), and ReLyte (liquid multi-mineral). There’s other great magnesium’s on the market, but I like that this one is liquid.  1) Less water to swallow right before bed, and 2) more easily absorbed.

I have all my girls on Biotics magnesium, called Mg-Zyme.  It’s a great product!  I also make sure they all have the complex B with C.  Women go through a lot of B vitamins and Magnesium with their cycles.

Plus, most people are deficient in Magnesium; our body uses a LOT, and our soils – and therefore our foods – are deficient.  Actually, are soils are woefully deficient in nutrients, and getting more so.  Plants get their minerals from the soil….

Do you have gut issues?  Low stomach acid ALWAYS means low B12 absorption (long explanation, but the same cells that make stomach acid also make Intrinsic Factor, and Intrinsic Factor basically gets B12 into our cells).

Actually, gut issues mean you’re probably not absorbing several nutrients.  This is important because OUR BODY IS MADE OUT OF NUTRIENTS FROM THE FOOD WE EAT.  Gas/bloat/indigestion/UC/colitis/IBS….. 1)change your diet 2) add key supplements to heal and seal the gut.

Also, I also Love my tinctures!  I just finished 2 liver tinctures from Herb Pharm: Dandelion and Milk Thistle.  I like to nurture my liver, frequently.  I also use Herb Pharm Liver Tincture, and Biotics Beta TCP and Beta Plus, on a rotating basis.

Whew!  Seriously, that’s barely scratching the surface.  I rotate and change up my supplements throughout the year, depending on season and circumstance.  I’ve already begun accumulating supps to give my kids at Christmas, and will be making homemade Fire Cider and Elderberry syrup soon – Posts to follow:)

For now, if you want to Supplement, do your homework first.  Supps from the drugstore and Costco are probably crap.  Ask me if you need help, or go to your trusted health food store ( that’s NOT Vitamin Shop- they’ll sell you anything and everything there).   If you’re in my area, go to Natural Market, the owner, Shelley,  and the employees really, really know their stuff, plus, they sell reputable products.

It Matters A Lot!

Last words:  You can’t out-supplement a bad lifestyle.  Supplements are supplemental to Real Whole Food, adequate sleep, moving, and stress management.

They’re not magical pills or liquids that solve your problems.  They’re supplements.   Have a great day!

 

Do You Ride The Diet Roller Coaster, Weekend Binge, or Punishment Exercise?

Two big steps to weight loss are at the end of this Post, but I want to start with a client email.

Most important lesson I have learned is I now have a more balanced life w/ exercise and eating. Always needed to have both diet and exercise to feel good.

Now, if I don’t make the gym, I don’t feel guilty, just make sure I am eating good food. And the scale is not topsy curvy on me. So used to gaining extra weight over the weekends. Now eating mostly at home, the scale is my friend on a Monday morning. Might be up very slightly, but due to maybe eating bigger portions on Sat and Sunday nights vs weeknights. Between hearing it from you, and also reading it in more than one article, I was able to put it into practice.

Beautiful weather yesterday, skipped the gym, we went for long walk around the neighborhood, then cooked burgers and hot dogs on the grill, w/ salad and tons of veggies. A nice relaxing night before another busy weekend.

Alan’s still amazed at all the good food we are eating, not hungry and he no longer has his sugar cravings.

So glad we decided to do this w/ you, and not doing it on our own. Well worth every penny. You make it so easy.

I’m a recovered Chronic Dieter-Weekend Binger-Punishment Exerciser; that whole “so used to gaining weight on the weekends/ balancing my eating and exercising”, spoke to me.

Can you relate?  Maybe you have a touch of my old diagnosis, here’s some clues:  The scale goes up and down, a lot.  You convince yourself you “need” a treat because you’ve been so “good”/you have major craving/ or after all, it’s the weekend.

You wake up mornings determined to (1) barely consume a thing, and (2) burn thousands of calories via workouts.  You believe this will burn butt or belly fat.

You LIVE by the 80-20, rule, which only makes sense because since calories rule, and weight is a math issue; a 20% indulgence can easily be nullified by starving/excessive cardio.

I could go on and on, but you get it, right? It’s a miserable way to live, it’s ineffective – especially long term – and consuming.  Who wants to be consumed with their weight or their body?  Not me!  Thank goodness for wake up calls, of which I had many.

One of them was when Mark gave me Dr. Perricone’s book, The Wrinkle Cure, for my 40th birthday. (Don’t judge – that’s my kind of book and Mark knows it.) The book preached eating fats for good skin. That was a conundrum for me as I thought fat was the devil.  At 40, I was deep, deep into chronic dieting and excessive exercise. It seemed to be working, except for the constant bloat, stomach problems, asthma, blood clots, varicose veins, and total disgust I had with myself after the weekend binges.

Dr. Perricone had a lot of science in his book, and the whole “eat fat” message was being preached more and more.  It was getting hard to ignore.

Next wake-up: The “eat fat” paradigm was joined by the “eat Real Whole Food” paradigm.  Another shocker! And scary. I loved my Diet Foods.  I couldn’t imagine life without Diet Ice Cream, Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Crackers, Diet Pizza, Diet Cereal, Diet Wraps, or Diet Desserts. (They’ve been gone for years now and I could care a less. Shows how wrong our thoughts can be.)

Further fueling my fire: I was a devout reader of all books and magazines Diet, like Oxygen/Muscle&Fitness Hers/Shape. All those women exercised like crazy, starved themselves for days, and had a cheat day.  They looked amazing and were definitely my role models.

I was brain washed.

I dropped all my subscriptions a few years ago. (Another thing I don’t miss – at all.)

Thank you God!

Thank You for the multiple wake up calls, because I’m someone who apparently only learns the hard way.

If you’re stuck in this vicious pattern, here’s a wake up call: Dieting doesn’t work.  Science and studies show that almost 99% of everyone who Diets gains their weight back.  99%!

Exercise – which is WONDERFUL – doesn’t take weight off.  Sucks, but true.  If it did, I’d weigh 50 pounds instead of 130.

Want to lose weight? Or at least get off the Roller Coaster of weight up and weight down?

Stop dieting, and stop the punishment exercise.  Eat Real Whole Foods, exercise smarter (not more), prioritize sleep, and put effort into managing your stress. Really.  But I said I’d give you 2 specific steps to weight loss.

1) Drop the grains.  White, whole wheat, quinoa, whatever.  If you have weight issues (and health issues) stop eating them.  You’ll live without your sandwich, your cereal, or your pasta.  Honest. I thought I’d die without those foods, but they’re not even a blip on my memory radar.  Try it for 3 weeks and see how you feel; watch your stomach flatten; access your energy levels/skin condition/immune function.

2) Quit the excessive exercise.  Studies have shown that it’s counter-productive for weight loss as excessive exercise (and punishment exercise) raises cortisol, and cortisol makes belly fat and prevents fat loss from fat cells. Besides, it’s impossible to out exercise a bad diet, impossible.

Lift, practice yoga, limit HITT workouts to a few a week, walk with a friend/dog/sister, or compete in your favorite sport because you love it.

Punishment exercise doesn’t work.

Two more tips:   Drop the unrealistic images -that we all hold- of what we should look like.  Magazines are photoshopped.  Actresses and models go through herculean efforts to be skinny because their living depends on it.  It’s not natural nor healthy.

Let’s be natural and healthy!

Finally, Action and Effort are necessary.  We’ve got to Plan, and then Stick To Our Plans.  Plan our shopping, cooking, packing, and workouts.

Got kids? Got a job?  Got a commute? Hormonal Issues?  Those are just details to be factored into your Plan, not excuses. They’re like the zombies on Walking Dead: we have to work around them.

That’s all for now.  If you want help, get in touch with me.  I LOVE this stuff!  You’re not doomed. You’re not destined to be overweight, or sick, or tired.  If you are, it’s just where you are right now, now where you have to be in a few months.

You could be a whole new you by Christmas!