Archive for Mind/Body

More Gluten Free Summit Snipits, and a Focus Reminder

November 16, 2013 / / Comments Off on More Gluten Free Summit Snipits, and a Focus Reminder

gluten e summitThe Gluten E Summit continues to impress, if you haven’t registered, it’s not too late, there’s still 3 more full days of FREE lectures by doctors and researchers who are at the top of the game when it comes to Preventative and Functional Medicine.   Dr. O Bryan, who’s at the helm of all this, has created a listening ability to access each of the lectures right through your email.  If you don’t have Stitcher or iTunes, that’s okay, you don’t need them.  Just click on the link and listen in your car, your home, the gym, where ever.

Here’s some highlights from the past couple of days:

“Main stream medicine does NOT have a monopoly on knowledge” ( this from Dr. Natasha, who has TWO MDs)

“Fat makes you thin, and Sugar/Glucose makes you fat.”  (all carbohydrates break down to glucose)

Two slices of Whole Wheat bread have more glucose and will raise your blood sugar HIGHER than Two Tablespoons of Sugar.  ( whole wheat’s not the health food it’s cracked up to be)

Gluten-Free Foods are a BIG PROBLEM.  They’re made with high glycemic flours (rice flour gluten free mini browniesshoots blood sugar up quicker than wheat flour), sugar, and chemicals.   They’re usually just another processed food.    (from me:  if you go Gluten Free, let it mean Real Whole Foods)

Gluten Free = Gluten Free.  Microscopic amounts of Gluten trigger the same Immune Response that large amounts do.

“Removing gluten is NOT Alternative/Functional/Holistic medicine;  it’s good medicine backed solidly by Science.”

Put Gluten and Sugar together ( for example, in a processed food like crackers, cereal, bagels…), and you’ve got the perfect storm for Addiction.  Chemicals are triggered that are “opioid-like”;capn crunch  the same areas of the brain that respond to drugs and alcohol light up.  Why set your kids up for a life time of the same battles you’re fighting, or worse?

“It’s become NORMAL to start the day with dessert: cereal, danishes, bagels;  this matters because Food is Information, and the information anyone gets from those kinds of foods is All Bad”

Everyone who lectures reminds us that reactions to Gluten don’t just happen in the Gut.  As a matter of fact, around 70% of all reactions happen in places OTHER THAN THE GUT:  the brain, the cardiovascular system, the joints, and the skin.  Several Neurologists who’ve spoken say that Gluten Sensitivity is responsible for a large portion of Parkinson’s, Bells Palsy, Shaking, Migraines, etc.    Our food has consequences!

And my favorite quote of the day:  “Your Body Is NOT a Math Equation (calories in calories out doesn’t work), It’s a Chemical Reaction.”   The food we eat triggers hormones, and they determine whether we store fat or burn fat.

throw bread awayWhich leads right into our Change Effort that I’m running through January:  Most negative thoughts about your body lead to a plan to reduce calories through diet or burn more calories through exercise.  None of this works:  not the negative thoughts, and not the diet and exercise program (that’s the calories in – calories out paradigm).   Check the statistics:  almost 100% of everyone who loses weight on a “diet” gains it back.  Want real change?  Change Your Thoughts!!!  Quit focusing on what you don’t like about yourself ( your thighs, your stomach, your weight), and start focusing on being a better person, having a kinder heart, fostering better relationships.  Use the Mantra “I practice being kind, not right.”

As for really changing your body?  Start thinking of Food in terms of the Effects it has on your hormones:  carbs encourage you to store body fat through the hormone Insulin; and the main two components that build your body structurally are Fat and Protein.  Feed your body what it takes to run beautifully, and be beautiful.  Eat Real Whole Foods.  Work on being in charge of your thoughts.  Our food matters, and our thoughts matter.  We have so much power, control, and choice over our life! There’s some people who climb into little boxes and stay there for days, they will their Respiratory System and Cardiovascular System to slow down – just to prove they can.  These people aren’t magic, they’re focused;  you can focus too!  Start practicing now and change will happen.     “I practice being kind, not right.”

Category: Carbs, Mind/Body / Tags: , , , ,

Gluten Affects the Neurological, Digestive, Immune, and Cardiovascular Systems

November 13, 2013 / / Comments Off on Gluten Affects the Neurological, Digestive, Immune, and Cardiovascular Systems

me on porchThis is going to be a fun post full of fun – and fascinating  – facts.  I’ve been listening to the Gluten E Summit ( which is free – you should be listening too) and madly writing down notes to pass on ( if you can’t listen).

If you’re thinking, “I don’t have problems with gluten” – You’re Probably Wrong!!  Most gluten symptoms happen OTHER PLACES THAN THE GUT:  the brain, the heart, joints, skin, etc.  Got headaches, depression, or swollen knees?  The chance that it could be caused by reactions to gluten are very high.  What about your children:  headaches, behavior problems, constipation?  Again, there’s a good chance it’s reactions to gluten.  You should just TRY eliminating gluten for a few weeks, or a month, and test what happens.   (Eliminating means “100%”, I’ll explain why in a minute)

The doctors and researchers giving the presentations have credentials that take several minutes to go through – they’re all experts who study the absolute most current research available, and use that research in their practice. ***** (This is significant; according to an Institute of Medicine report on the state of the US Health Care System, it takes “it takes 17 years for new knowledge generated by randomized, controlled studies, to be incorporated into practice; and it even then application is highly uneven.”  That should make you feel uneasy.  It makes me more determined than ever to be my own best health advocate.

Here’s some bullet points from Monday and Tuesday’s Summit Talks:

No human can completely breakdown the protein gluten in their digestive system.  No one.  We don’t have the right enzymes.  For some, there are little to no consequences, and for others, there are big consequences:  neurological/cardiovascular/immune/joints/gut.

Gluten reactions and high blood sugars are highly involved in the plaques that cause Alzheimer’s and dementia.   The Lancet Journal of Neurology says at least 54% of Alzheimer’s victims could have prevented their disease with different lifestyle choices.   54%.

Intestinal Antibodies to Gluten are there for at least 7 years before there’s any “villis-atrophy”.  Translation:  Just like with all disease, it takes years to cook/incubate/manifest, but damage is happening way before a diagnosis.

Very low HDL is a marker of Gluten sensitivity and Celiac Disease.

“It is Mythological and Perverse information that fats cause Heart Disease and that a Lack of Fat helps you lose weight.”

The Brain must have fat ( saturated, mono-unsaturated, and Omegas), to function properly.  Trans fats and an incorrect ratio of Omega 3/anti-inflammatory to Omega 6/inflammatory are  very damaging.

Vascular Disease starts incredibly early:  if the mother’s health or diet is compromised, it affects the fetus.  Around 30% of children and teenagers have measurable markers of Heart Disease.

We have control over our levels of inflammation by just cutting back on Carbohydrates from flours and sugars.   Get your CRP tested – it’s an incredibly accurate reflection of the level of inflammation in your body.

The Ideal Diet is High Fat/ Low Carb.

It can take 6 to 12 months to heal leaky gut, calm down antibodies to gluten, and eliminate symptoms.  Patience is a virtue – and a necessity.

Gluten-Free needs to mean 100% Gluten Free.  A little tiny bit of gluten triggers the same reaction a lot of gluten does.  

The scientifically proven connections between autism and gluten are profound.  Check out Liz Lipski and the Autism Research Institute to learn a TON.

That’s it for my wrap up, more soon.

Have you been remembering to focus on the mantra of the week:  ” I practice being kind, not right.” ?  Practice deleting negative thoughts from your brain.  Nothing changes when nothing changes, know what I mean?   Change happens when you do something different:  think differently, feel differently, focus differently.   Read my post here and here to get a feel for what I’m talking about.

If you spend time in the car or time in the kitchen, it’s a great opportunity to listen to podcasts and youtubes that improve your health, your focus, and your life.  Take advantage of all the FREE information put out there by prominent members of the medical community.  Because much of their advice stems from diet and lifestyle changes, and not pharmaceuticals (aka $$$$$), you’ll need to search it out.  This isn’t information that just lands in your lap or that you’ll hear from your GP; but it’s there and it’s incredibly accessible, and FREE.  Go for it!  And remember,  “I practice being kind, not right. “

Category: Carbs, Mind/Body / Tags: , , ,

The Habits of Happy People Seminar

November 11, 2013 / / Comments Off on The Habits of Happy People Seminar

results and changeI had the pleasure of going to a seminar last Friday called the Habits of Happy People – I love stuff like that!! Did you know that with the advent of modern technology, the ability to really study and see the brain has just exploded.  For instance, until recently it was pretty widely accepted that the brain quit growing in early adulthood; now we know – via MRIs, that’s not true at all.  Our brain can grow and develop for as long as we challenge it.  That’s why games like Luminosity, crossword puzzles, and learning a new language are so good for us.  No challenge, no growth; just like our muscles.

Here’s another thing that won’t change without challenge:  our level of happiness.  Back up:  isn’t it exciting that we can change it???  Apparently, we’re born with a “pre-disposition” for happiness that we inherited from our parents.  Current science says that only accounts for about 50% of our mood and attitude- the other 50% is what we do, what we say, what we focus on, what we read or watch or listen to, who we pick for friends and peers, etc.  We have such opportunity for improvement!

I think this totally coincides with my own “Positive Attitude Positive Change” challenge I threw down last week:  Practice, Plan, and Work on taking Action Steps to STOP the Self Defeating Negative Talk, from now through January, and See the Changes!   What’s that mean?  Instead of focusing on how much you dislike something about yourself and want it to change ( which gets us NOWHERE despite years of thinking that way), focus on being healthy and taking the Action Steps to get there.

Action Steps are EVERYTHING.  You know how you can let your mind just wander and ruminate and spin on what you don’t like?  And how it can start with one subject, like your thighs/butt/weight etc, and then just keep growing, like ripples in a pond? Well, that’s what Actions Steps prevent: no more wasting  downtime “vegging” in front of the computer or tv.  No more spending hours of the day (driving, at the desk, even with other people) WASTING your brain time. Now practice focusing on doing:  when you can plan/shop/cook/pack; when you can get a workout in and what it’s going to be; listen to a podcast/youtube on a healthy topic like heart health or sleep or thinking positive; schedule cleaning out a drawer, your desk, or your closet and then do it;  schedule and follow through with family time, or friend time.  I know everyone’s busy, but God didn’t put 24 hours in a day and make it not enough (whether it seems that way or not).  He gave us 24 hours because he thinks that’s sufficient – so it must be.

Positive thinking and health; they’re practically one and the same.  Our thoughts come from the neurotransmitter mixes we make in our brain.  Neurotransmitters are made from  Amino Acids, which are from Protein.  Our synapses and neural connective tissues are made up of fatty acids (from fats).  Our body is made out of Protein and Fats.  Feed your body the foods that it needs to make itself.   

Positive thinkers and optimistic people have Stronger Immune systems (less cortisol, less negative hormones and neurotransmitter mixes).  They also heal from wounds quicker and have less perception of pain.   They’re also better problem solvers and more creative, have better success at work by all measures, have happier marriages and friendships, and greater resilience to all sorts of problems.    Why wouldn’t we strive for this?

So next time your mind wanders to what you don’t like about yourself, focus instead on the Action Steps to become what you want to be!

Quote for the week (I’ve been saying this one a lot): ” I practice being kind, not right.”  I think I got that from Joel Osteen.  Have a great day!

Category: Mind/Body / Tags: , , , , ,

The PLAN; and Everything You Wanted To Know About Broth and Gelatin

November 9, 2013 / / Comments Off on The PLAN; and Everything You Wanted To Know About Broth and Gelatin

talking about problemsDid you get a chance to read the last post on Changing Habitual Thoughts and Patterns?  If not, make sure you do.  It’s a theme I’m going to stick with for several weeks.  I want everyone to be able to quit the Negative Self Talk and Habits, switch to Positive Self Talk accompanied by Positive Action Steps, and see actual changes by January.  It’s all starts in the mind, so verbalize, write, and visualize the mantra from the last post:  ”Whatever the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve.  I take steps to be fit, healthy, and energetic.”

Now a quick post to answer a question I’ve had several times lately:  Where can I get  gelatin/bone broth/collagen, and why do I need it?

Here’s the scoop:  our body is FULL of a protein called Collagen. It’s everywhere:  it makes up our skin, our intestinal tract, artery lining,  stomach lining, cartilage and more.  Truly, it’s very abundant.  The breakdown of collagen, in our skin, our intestinal tract, cartilage, etc, is a big problem:  wrinkles and loss of elasticity in the skin, leaky gut, hardening of the arteries, arthritis, ……get the picture?

If we’re older, we don’t make collagen as well or as much as we used to.  If we have crappy diets that don’t supply the INGREDIENTS for collagen, we don’t make sufficient amounts; if we’re sick or compromised, we don’t make enough, and if we feed our body bad foods, we make bad collagen.

In other words, it’s pretty easy NOT to make enough collagen, or make BAD collagen.  That’s where bone broths and gelatins come in.  They’re LOADED with collagen, and all the cofactors to use and absorb it.

If you make homemade broth, make sure you’re simmering the bones, with a tbsp of vinegar, for at least 24 hours, 48 is even better.  Incorporate the broth into soups, stews, vegetables, fish, everything you can think of.  If you’re trying to heal a leaky gut, you should try to get at least 2 cups a day in, plain and warm and in a mug works well.    Don’t feel like making broth?  Check to see if any of the stores in your area that are selling LOCAL meats/cheeses/vegetables etc are also selling homemade broth ( commercial brands almost always have MSG).  If not, ordering online is always an option:  grassland beef.com, wisechoicemarket.com, and culturesforhealth.com are places to start.

Another option?  Buy dry, powdered Gelatin or Collagen, which is loaded with animo acids and highly absorbable.  I’ve been using the Great Lakes Gelatin for a few months now, literallygreat lakes putting it in everything from smoothies to casseroles to desserts and it’s AWESOME.   There’s NO taste whatsoever – literally.  It’s just amino acids and nutrients.  If you have a really compromised gut, get their hydrolyzed collagen instead of the gelatin, it’s easier to absorb if there’s health issues.  I use the gelatin for myself and my family.

Why would I still make bone broth and not just rely on the (easier) powdered gelatin, since they both contain collagen and amino acids?  Bone broth contains the minerals from the bones,  the nutrients from the joints (glucosamine, chondroitin, msm, hyularic acid..), the marrow from the bones,  and it’s  incredibly high in the amino acid glycine, which is  one of the liver’s main go-tos for it’s detoxification jobs (that means breaking down drugs, chemicals in foods, etc).

Gelatin and Hydrolyzed Collagen are both made from the collagen layer underneath animal hides, so there’s a different class of nutrients there from the bones and joints.   Bone broth and collagen both have different amino acid profiles than muscle meats.  That’s an important distinction!   Organ meats, bones, the collagen under the hides, these are nutritionally dense foods that until the past few decades were not just normally consumed in the United States, but were acknowledged for their nutritional SUPERIORITY over muscle meats.  Broths and gelatin are a way to reap some of those traditional benefits.

I hope this answers the Broth/Gelatin/Collagen questions.  Let me know if it doesn’t.  Consuming foods that improve health, actually focusing on getting as many nutrients as possible, will have big, positive, consequences for your health, your weight, your mood, and even your appearance (collagen and healthy fats are great for our skin).  Eat for Health, and Weight Loss is always a side effect.  Take the Action Steps!

I’m off to the gym with the Hubs to have a heavy leg day, and then we’re going to see Gravity – I can’t wait!  I also can’t wait to gather my notes for my next post on the Habits of Happy People Seminar I went to yesterday – it was Inspiring:)

Category: Fats, Mind/Body, Question of the Week / Tags: , , , ,

Change Your Thoughts to Change Your Body. Here’s A Plan.

November 7, 2013 / / Comments Off on Change Your Thoughts to Change Your Body. Here’s A Plan.

positive attitudeYesterday I had 3 different girlfriends/clients/women who take my classes, complain to me about their weight, their thighs, and their stomachs.  I’m in the Nutrition and Fitness business, so admittedly, bodies are my life.  Here’s the thing though, our bodies are the results of our minds.  Sound “woo-woo”?  It’s not.

The whole “what we think about we bring about?”, well, science is proving over and over again that it’s true.  Our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes aren’t made from air.  They’re made from chemical mixes of hormones and neurotransmitters; they’re very real.  There’s hundreds of books out there for the layperson explaining the science of this, but my short version is:  If you focus every single day on:  the weight you need to lose; how much better your thighs would look if they were skinnier; how undefined your arms are; how loose your stomach is; how much better life would be if you looked like a fitness model, etc etc etc, you’re literally creating a brain situation of chemicals, hormones, and thought patterns, that will keep you EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE.  There will be NO CHANGE with NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS.   You’ll keep exactly the same body you have now.

*****Ask yourself this question:  How long have you had these exact same thoughts, and what’s changed in all this time you’ve been thinking them? ****

Want to really change?  I’ve got a Plan:  make a deal with yourself that for 2 months, you WON’T allow yourself to entertain your normal, habitual, negative thoughts, but instead, you’ll PRACTICE focusing on positive thoughts instead.  How do you “practice focus”?  You gather a few positive words, or a positive phrase ( a quote or a verse), and you fill your life and your day with it.  Here’s what I mean:  say your verse or quote for the day or the week is:  “I’m full of discipline, self-control, and healthy habits.”, or ” I focus on things that are pure, and true, and just, and lovely; I’m full of praise.”   or “I’m Health and Energy Focused.”  Now take these words and put them ALL AROUND YOU.  Fill 20 sticky’s with your quote,  and then put them by your bed, on your books, on your microwave, in your car, in your fridge, mirrors, doors, everywhere. Read them, speak them, and think them, as often as possible.

When the Negative Thought (I hate my body, I need to lose weight, I can’t believe I just ate all that) creeps in, SHUT IT DOWN with your quote.  Quit allowing those negative mixes of chemicals and neurotransmitters to dominate your life!  

This will take awhile.  Did you answer that BOLD question above as to how long you’ve allowed your thought patterns to rule?  Your brain has come to like what you’ve been feeding it.  You’ve nurtured your brain with this particular recipe for a long time.  Now it’s time to feed it a different recipe of chemicals and neurotransmitters, and get a DIFFERENT OUTCOME.  Really!  I hear all the time: ” I eat so well, I exercise often, but I just can’t lose weight/lose these last pounds/get rid of this arm flab”   blah blah blah. Or:  “I can NEVER stay on a diet.; I could motivation:habitNEVER give up carbs/wine/sugar.”  

Our words are literally Self Fulfilling Prophecies, so guard your tongue, and guard your thoughts.  Look at the calendar; if you try a different tactic, you could honestly make a difference in your life by January 2014, which is right around the corner.  Or you could keep on the EXACT SAME MENTAL PATH YOU’RE ON NOW, and be exactly the same in January 2014, and January 2015, 2016, ….. You get the picture.

Is this making sense?  I hope so!  I’m not saying anything new, or claiming I invented this wheel, and I’m not perfect at applying it.  I’m only human.  But I’ve been Practicing My Focus for the past couple of years and it honestly gets easier and more natural all the time.  I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a negative thought about my body – not because it’s perfect – but because I’ve just quit thinking that way.  The more I focus on actually taking positive action steps to make my self feel healthy and energetic,  the more healthy and energetic I’ve become.  It’s a process and a journey that takes time, attention, and effort, but EVERYONE is capable of it.

Since I’ve asked you to commit a couple of months to this, I’ll commit a couple of months to helping.  I’ll make sure that I post quotes and thoughts that lead to gratitude, peace, health, and energy.  Here’s one for the next couple of days:  “Whatever the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve.  I take steps to be fit, healthy, and energetic.”  If you love quotes, find your own and go for it!  Speak words that appeal to you!

We really can change our bodies, our thoughts, our moods, and our health.  If we’re parents, we can influence – by example – our children to know this also.    God’s given us this amazing opportunity to live on earth and make a difference;  take advantage of your power and use it to create not just the best possible you, but a better world.

Category: Mind/Body / Tags: , , ,
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