Empowering Wellness

Scared Healthy: Don't Let This Be You!

2011-05-30T13:12:00.010-05:00

What gorgeous weather God gave us today! It's sunny and warm. Flowers are in bloom. It's my favorite time of year. Yet, I'm in a reflective, pensive mood this morning. In fact, my mood took me out to sit by the lake for a while and ponder over things this morning. You see I am facing a pretty big colon surgery soon. Yes, your health coach is mighty sick.

So Petey (the furkid) and I headed out to our favorite spot on the boardwalk

this morning. I sat and pondered how much genetics might have played a role in my current situation. Both my siblings have had recent colon problems. I pondered how much the standard american diet and lifestyle had played a part in the colon problems of all three of us.

Well, yes, since my battle with Lupus I have greatly improved my nutrition and lifestyle. Nutrition played a huge part in my remission from Lupus. But the previous 40 or so years I was the average unsuspecting American where nutrition was concerned. All THOSE years I ate mindlessly as do millions of Americans; not understanding three meals on the table do not make a person automatically healthy. The nutritional quality of those meals is of vital importance. I remember when my mother discovered "TV" dinners. She thought they were a godsend and my dad and I thought they were a "treat" from the usual. We didn't realize they were nutrient-poor death in a box.

So I sat by the lake with Petey today and pondered all this.

I'm sure my mother didn't question whether tv dinners were nutritious or not. She, like millions of other mothers, never dreamed the food industry would present anything other than nutritious products. After all they said so in their TV commercials. Pondering this got me to thinking how many mothers TODAY are sending their children to school with the pre-made processed food box lunches which are specifically marketed to children. Have those mothers read the INGREDIENTS of those box lunches? MSG, High Fructose Corn syrup, other things which sound like a science experiment .... need I go on? If our great-grandmothers wouldn't recognize the ingredients as food we shouldn't be giving it to our kids.

What one eats today doesn't just nourish you for today; it also plays a part in your future health. Dr Dean Ornish (and others) have recently shown in their research it is possible to turn off bad DNA and/or keep bad DNA from turning on by maintaining good nutrition and a lifestyle which includes routine exercise. I've worked in a hospital for 30+ years and I can tell you sadly people don't understand that food really is medicine. It MATTERS what you eat! Our hospitals are filled with people with lifestyle disorders. So much of the misery I see at the hospital is nearly totally unnecessary.

I routinely see people who have done nothing to reverse their risk factors for illness and now expect their physician(s) to make them healthy again. Unfortunately, our health system, food industry advertising and the pharmaceutical industry create this self-uninvolved reactive mindset toward health. We, each one of us, MUST be proactive regarding our health. It is MUCH easier to stay healthy than to get healthy and health is home-made! It is NOT pharmaceuticals which create health. It is a properly functioning immune system which is supported by good nutrition which creates health.

As you can tell I did a lot of thinking sitting out there by the lake today. I know there are a lot of people who don't know what to do to reverse their risk factors and don't want a situation of being "scared healthy" in their life. Most importantly they don't understand that drugs do not create health.

I clearly don't have all the answers. Neither does your doctor. But I know a few things for sure. I know awareness of nutrition is of paramount importance. Nutrition matters! Food IS medicine. I know moving your muscles routinely is of paramount importance. I know there are too many people mindlessly driving thru fast food windows. I know we MUST get back to eating WHOLE FOODS.

Where do you start to support your health better? Very simply don't try to make to many changes at once. Make healthy changes one at a time. One of the easiest and healthiest changes you can make is to have a "green" smoothie every day. It sounds trite. But green veggies are chock full of nutrients. It only takes five minutes to make a smoothie and clean up afterwards.

You might try this recipe:

Avocado Surprise

1 avocado
1.5 cups almond milk
2 tsp honey or agave nectar
ice cubes
Blend in blender.

Here's another one:

Papaya Delight

papaya
banana
baby spinach
ice cubes
Blend in blender.

The pharmaceutical industry likes to discuss risk factors as though they are diseases. The word "disease" psychologically triggers people to think of themselves as ill and needing drugs. But risk factors are NOT diseases and in many instances can be reversed thru awareness of nutrition and attention to exercise and good sleep.

That was some pondering session huh? I would just like to conclude with this. Don't buy the B.S. the food industry feeds you in their commercials. Think nutrition first. Eat mindfully. Be Smart. Eat to live. I care about you. I don't want you to be "scared healthy" I want you to be healthy.

I hope you'll subscribe to this blog and allow me to help you make healthful changes.

Smoothies: Home-made Health

2011-05-29T17:21:00.000-05:00

Are you one of the multitudes who swing thru McDonalds for a quick breakfast? Did you know you could throw together a nutritious smoothie in less time than it takes to go thru McDonalds? You can make a smoothie and clean up in 5 minutes.

Many folks want to improve their health but don't know where to start. Incorporating a smoothie for breakfast is a great and healthful first step to improving your nutrition and healthstyle. It's an easy way to get a portion of your "5 a day".

You might try this smoothie:

Pear Smoothie

8 oz almond milk
1 Pear
8 oz fresh apple juice
1 tsp plain greek yogurt
cinnamon (to taste)
ice cubes

Blend in blender.

Or you might try this one:

Chocolate PB Smoothie

8 oz almond milk
2 tsp plain greek yogurt
2 tsp organic peanut butter
1 scoop (chocolate) whey protein powder
ice cubes

Blend in blender.

Too many people treat physicians like mechanics. They don't take good care of their health and then expect their physician to fix it. It's much easier to stay well than to get well. Health must be nurtured with good nutrition and a consistent regimen of exercise. Health is home-made.

If you are a "drive-up" breakfast eater or even worse; don't take time to eat breakfast I would urge you to give having a smoothie for breakfast a try!

Next post we'll talk about GREEN smoothies. They are especially nutritious. Subscribe to this blog so you don't miss it!

Why I Grow Food

2011-04-18T11:01:00.000-05:00

It's my favorite time of the year. I'm anxiously planning my patio container garden. For the last several years I've grown veggies in containers on my patio. Despite all my years of observing my parents grow their garden there has been a learning curve. Last summer though, I grew an amazing amount of veggies in containers on my patio. It was delightfully fun!

Why do I grow food? There are so many reasons. First, the sheer joy of watching plants grow, blossom and bring forth fresh food. There is nothing like the succulent goodness of a fresh tomato. Growing your own food you have security in knowing how healthfully it was grown. There is great satisfaction and stress relief in planting and tending a container garden. It's very exciting when the first veggies appear! I use organic soil and growing in containers have no need of weed poisons. I also have not needed any poisons to get rid of pesky bugs but will use organic methods if bugs become a problem. Thus far I have successfully grown tomatoes, bell peppers, green beans, squash and zucchini. Here's a picture of part of last summers patio container garden:

Having only a small space in which to grow your container garden is not limiting. You are only limited by your imagination! It's fun to design your container garden. There are so many colorful containers from which to choose. What will you grow? What are your favorite vegetables? Is there a vegetable you've never eaten but would like to try? Do you want to grow tomatoes? There are many, many varieties of tomatoes from which to pick!

I hope you will consider planting a garden this growing season! It's a great project to get your kids involved in! It doesn't take a lot of space or even a lot of time and the benefits are many! Fresh veggies are terrific for your health! There is great joy in growing, harvesting and eating food which you grew. There's nothing more wonderful than the taste of freshly harvested vegetables!

You can do it! Start planning! Get out there and ENJOY!

Gratitude: A Circle of Joy

2010-12-11T15:30:00.000-06:00

If you've followed my blog you know I usually write about nutrition and transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. I do this for a few reasons. One of the most important reasons is the gratitude I feel about getting my life back from Lupus thru nutrition. A nurse friend of mine clued me into the power of nutrition and supplements. Helping others like I was helped is my way to pay it forward. Gratitude is a circle of joy.

As you can tell, today I'm not writing about nutrition. As a holistic nutritionist I try to look at the whole of life and that which supports wellness. How you interact with other people and what you think and tell yourself, as well as, the ability to see and treasure the good in the bad are all important in the foundation of your happiness and wellness.

It all starts with gratitude.

“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach

So I was overjoyed recently when my friend, Sue Ingebretson told me about The Gratitude Book Project. A book The Gratitude Book Project: Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude (the national proceeds of which will go to four charities) comprised of an inspirational reading about gratitude for every day of the year. The co-authors of this book answered the question "What are you Grateful for?" in 200 words or less. I thought it was the coolest project ever!

I contacted the editor Donna Kozik and jumped into the project with both feet. Let me tell you putting my feelings about gratitude in only 200 words was tough! My first draft was 1500 words. I sat at my desk straining my brain for how to condense it down to 200.

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” — Albert Schweitzer

I guess you could say Donna and Sue lit a flame within me. I'm grateful to Sue for letting me know about the project and to Donna for the opportunity. You know when you have to reach deep inside for the words to explain how you feel it's an amazing uplifting process. It wasn't easy but it was awesome!

The stories and lessons of gratitude in this book will indeed light the flame within you too. One of the coolest things about this book is the circle of joy it will ennervate. It blesses those of us who are co-authors in the project to share with you our reasons and thoughts about gratitude; blesses those who read it and feel more gratitude in their lives and lastly it will bless the four charities (ASPCA, Make-A-Wish Foundation, FeedAmerica and Women for Women) to which national sales proceeds go to. And it doesn't end there! The blessings will be paid forward to everyone all these people and organizations come in contact with. So you see how gratitude is a circle of joy. Isn't that cool?

I believe many, many lives will be changed by this book and am so very proud to be a co-author. In an effort to achieve Amazon Bestseller status and increase the National proceeds to the four charities we ask you to purchase this book on Wednesday, December 15th. It can be purchased here: http://amzn.to/fbXLpN God bless you !

Sci-Fi In The Grocery Store

2010-10-08T17:01:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I perused the "health" food aisle at the grocery store. What an adventure! Venturing into the "health" food aisle is kind of like a sci-fi movie where nothing you see is as it appears.

First, I picked up a can of yummy looking soup. Label said "no added MSG". You would think if the label says "no added MSG" it wouldn't have MSG in it. Wouldn't you? Well, that's what they want you to think. It's a subtle lie. Read the ingredients list and many times you may find yeast extract, hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed pea protein, carrageenan or sodium caseinate; all of which are sources of MSG. So no they didn't specifically add MSG just another ingredient which is a source of MSG. I still call that lying.

Then I looked at a bag of "natural" chips. Would you believe there was yeast extract in a bag of "natural" chips? Yup, there was.

I looked to see I was for sure in the HEALTH food aisle. You know Mapquest occasionally takes you off course. Yes, I was REALLY in the "health" food aisle.

And there was more deception to be found. How do you like "all natural" ice cream? Better read the ingredients. You just may find fake vanilla, alkalized cocoa, corn syrup, or partially hydrogenated soybean oil in your "all natural" ice cream.

Having pancakes for breakfast? Looking forward to that "Natural" maple syrup? Better read the ingredients. You just may find "artificial caramel coloring" in it.

All set for your "natural" peanut butter and crackers snack? Read the ingredients list. The "all natural" peanut butter may have added sugar.

I found product after product deceptively labeled. I suddenly got really hot. Nope, not a hot flash. Just so ticked off at the deception of the food industry.

Ohhhhhh don't even get me started about the foods marketed to children. They are HORRENDOUS and deserve a blogpost all to themselves.

So there you have it. There's not much in the "health" food aisle which is truly healthy. If you're going to persist in eating processed foods be sure to read the ingredients list and choose as wisely as you can. Do you realize the incidence of chronic illnesses rose parallel with the rise of the processed food industry? Keep in mind the healthiest foods are whole foods; the fresh vegetables and fruits in the produce department. You hardly need venture into any other aisle in the grocery store.

Morning With Petie

2010-10-08T10:19:00.004-05:00

It's another sunny but cool fall morning. Yes, a wonderful morning to have my morning green tea out by the lake. Took furkid Petie with me. He's a sedate, laidback little guy.

My Petie

He barely blinks an eye at the ducks on the lake.Isn't he cute? He has a haircut in this picture. He is actually a long-haired chihuahua. Furkid Penny on the other hand wants to play with the ducks. Not conducive to a meditative morning tea. So furkid Penny is not on this meditative walk with us.

     Sitting by the lake enjoying my tea this morning I thought to myself I am indeed blessed.  I'm fortunate to be able to help people both as a respiratory therapist at a hospital and in my business as a holistic nutritionist. One niteshift at the hospital last year I had the privilege of watching the sunrise with a cancer patient. She was a delightful, perky lady; a truly amazing person. The sunrise was beautiful but that isn't why I will remember it. I will remember it because this lady had such an awesome spirit. I felt so privileged to be able to share the sunrise with this beautiful person.

     Perhaps, just perhaps, cancer happening to this awesome lady didn't have to happen. According to the W.H.O. 70% of all cancer can be prevented thru proper nutrition. Perhaps, the standard american diet is what really killed her. Processed foods and fast foods are greatly lacking in the nutrients your body needs.

     Do you realize coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, dental diseases, osteoporosis, gastrointentinal diseases and atherosclerosis are associated with dietary causes? What you eat truly MATTERS. Food matters. Research is showing poor lifestyle choices can turn on bad genes. By proactively choosing a healthy lifestyle you may keep bad genes from turning on.

     As I sat down to write this blog I thought of various patients, clients and friends who sporadically make attempts to eat healthier and exercise. I know it's their inconsistency which fuels their health problems. I thought about clients who only sporadically purchase vitamins for their children. They are unintentionally setting their children up to repeat their health mistakes. They are unwittingly teaching their children it's ok to put health second. What are you teaching your children by your actions?

      Your body is designed to heal itself if given the nutrients it uses to do the job. Doctors don't heal broken bones. Your body does. When you fall down your body begins healing the scrape on your knee or arm. Did you know your body stops cancer every day? It does. Unless it doesn't have the nutrients it needs to do the job.

     Health MUST be THE priority. As hard as it is to form new healthier habits; it's even harder to get well once you've fallen ill. Make your goal to be your healthiest! Wellness is the foundation of the quality of your life. Think about it. Without wellness you lose choice. Make your best choice now. Choose to have your best life.

     How many times have you thought to yourself "gee I should eat better" or "I'll start tomorrow". You can start now! Pick one of these options to incorporate in your daily life. Then in seven days make another healthful change in your daily routine.

1. Have a green smoothie daily. (Need a recipe google one or ask me!)
2. Have a salad every day.
3. Drink 1/2 ounce water for every pound you weigh every day.
4. Eat a healthy breakfast!
5. Get the OK from your doctor and begin an exercise routine.

So what are you going to do? How are you going to feel 90 days from now? I'm hoping you're choosing to live your BEST life!

Two Furkids, A Lady and a Cat

2010-09-28T19:03:00.002-05:00

Spent some time sitting by the lake yesterday pondering what I would write for this blogpost. I contemplated once again what I wanted to accomplish with this blog and how to better help folks with nutrition. My thoughts drifted to what an amazing journey I've had with Lupus.... and back to health. I've been in remission a little over six years. I think I can (and will) stop counting now.

I live here by the lake with two furkids and we (the furkids and I) have a cat. The cat is not a furkid. Cats don't join things. Cats run things. The two furkids, Petey and Penny, are chihuahuas. But they don't know that. The cat has a name also, Pounder. But he doesn't answer to it. He is however, really lovable. Well, lovable most of the time; but not when we get company. He lets company know in no uncertain terms how very unwelcome they are. Just because all they ever see are his teeth; no one believes he's lovable. Imagine that.

It's a really long story how I came to be so involved in nutrition but I'll make it shorter. I promise. You see in the middle of my journey with Lupus I met an RN who showed me how really powerful nutrition could be. When I met her I'd been dealing with Lupus for 16 years. Not one physician in all those years ever asked about my nutrition. Nutrition is what gave me my life back. That's why I went back to school and earned a Masters in Holistic Nutrition.

Well, that's part of the reason.

You see I have worked in respiratory care as a respiratory therapist for over 25 years. The really sad situations I've witnessed as a respiratory therapist and the amazing difference nutrition made in my life made me realize something very important.

We're killing ourselves. Is it to extreme to say that? Ummm.... I don't think so. The standard american lifestyle and diet are lethal. Every shift I work as a respiratory therapist this is validated to me. Our hospitals are full of people with lifestyle disorders. Disorders which didn't have to happen.

Food matters and what many, many of us are eating is seriously not healthy.

I don't know this little boy but he's right: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Id9caYw-Y

It's a hard thing to transition from the standard american lifestyle and diet. But like he said you can pay the farmer or you can pay the hospital. Over the years I've seen people with multiple admissions to the hospital. They would always reach for the next best drug but they almost NEVER paid serious attention to what they ate or gave much thought to exercise.

And I can tell you from experience as hard as it is to make changes in your life; it's easier to stay well than to get well.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and everyone would be eating the appropriate amount of veggies and fruits and consistently exercising and thinking positive thoughts. Unfortunately, there is no magic wand and I can only help those who raise their hands and ask.

You can raise your hand and ask by subscribing to my newsletter Empower Wellness at http://optimizetoheal.com/ . I hope I'll be seeing you. Don't worry the cat won't hurt you.

Pondering Change

2010-05-11T13:54:00.000-05:00

Pondered a lot lately and reached a few conclusions.
Resolutions are born out of our discontent.
We WANT to change. We truly do.
We want to lose weight, be healthier, more successful, more organized, etc.

So often we profess a desire for change and then continue to do the same things over and over as if the result will be different. We are married to our habits, to convenience...... to our comfortable life. Change requires ACTION which is sometimes uncomfortable, at least, at first.

It's so much easier to stay mired in our customary everyday habitual routine which is safe and comfortable.
Let me say this about "habit". Habit may be comfortable but it takes away our power of choice almost as much as illness does. One can't both, stay mired in habit, and CHOOSE to CHANGE. Give that one some thought.

May I suggest you look at making healthful changes this way....

If you love your life, you will want to take care of your body. If you were diagnosed with a life threatening disease you would change your diet.... you might even exercise more (if you could) ... but you wouldn't be doing those things because of what the scale said or how you feel about how you look. You'd be doing those things because you love your life and didn't want it cut short.

So my question to you is: Why wait till you get sick?

As hard as change is it's much easier to stay well than get well.

Your wellness is the foundation of everything good in your life. Every good thing you do to support your wellness will pay you back in the enhancement of some aspect of your life. Think about it. Wellness is integral to every part of your life.

You can make healthful changes, feel better, have more energy, and perhaps, decrease the amount of medication you take (with your physicians assistance). Don't attempt a lot of changes at once. Make one change at a time. When you're comfortable with that change go on to the next healthful change.

There's no time like the present to get started......

Sugar: Not Always Bad

2010-05-03T14:33:00.002-05:00

Pick up any diet book or read almost any diet article and you will read about the evils of sugar. Millions of dollars are spent on diet products spiked with fake sweeteners in the effort to cut out sugar. We are in a frenzy to lose weight by cutting out evil sugar.

What is less known is that there are sugars which are essential to our health. They are necessary carbohydrates, sometimes called "glyconutrients", which is a neutraceutical term not a scientific one. Scientists call these sugars biological sugars, saccharides or mono-saccharides, otherwise known as plant sugars. Do NOT confuse them with the evil-labeled common table sugar!

There are eight known necessary essential sugars. They are: Glucose, Galactose, Fucose, Mannose, Glucosamine, Galactosamine, Neuraminic cid, and Xylose. All eight of them are needed for proper functioning of the body. Therir function is to enable cell to cell communication. On the surface of every cell in your body there are molecules called Glycoproteins which are made of sugars and proteins. Fat cells, or lipids, are made of sugars and fats (i.e. glycolipids).

These sugars form antenna on the outside walls of your cells. These antenna enable the cells to communicate. This is the very heart of your immune system! Without this communication your immune system would go haywire. In fact, 60+ diseases have been connected to a deficiency of one or more of these sugars.

Unfortunately, because we almost always green-harvest we aren't supplying our body with enough of these glyconutrients. Not only do we green harvest but many of us rely heavily on processed foods. Green harvesting and relying on processed foods is a double-whammy against our immune system. There are, however, various neutraceutical products which supply glyconutrients. I personally don't go a day without Limu Plus which has five of the eight known necessary glyconutrients in it. Supplements, however, are just that. Supplements. Nutritional products which supplement your already healthy food intake. They do not cure or treat any disease, nor do they make up for your nutritional sins.

Mother Nature has a plan for your health and is an awesome artist. For optimal health first start with your nutrient intake. Make your plate colorful with various fresh (or frozen) veggies and fruits. The more colorful your plate the more nutrients you are getting. Bon Appetit!

Creating a Healthy Lifestyle

2010-05-03T13:44:00.001-05:00

Before continuing you might want to review the previous blogpost in which we discussed an 8 week plan to create a healthier lifestyle!

Considering the span of your lifetime in which you probably indulged in the standard American diet and lifestyle; eight weeks is a short period of time in which to reverse your unhealthy habits and create new healthy habits.

No doubt you probably will experience both successes and failures during the 8 weeks. Transitioning to a healthier lifestyle is a work in progress and you are taking positive actions so don`t beat yourself up over your failures. Definitely don't focus on your failures. Be proud of and concentrate on your successes and continue to build on them.

In this post we will explore further the essential components of optimal health:

1. Managing Stress
2. Exercise
3. Diet
4. Mind, Body, Spirit and Self-talk

Optimal health isn't just about "eating right". Your health is affected by how you (do or don't) manage stress in your life, how sedentary you are, what you say to yourself and your beliefs. Optimal health encompasses your whole lifestyle.

Stress

Stress is the most common cause of ill health, probably resulting in as many as 70-90% of all visits to the family physician. Stress in our lives comes from many areas; workplace and/or school, financial, relationship problems being the three top situations where stress arises.

Chronic stress may lead to such chronic illnesses as: depression, cardiac disease, ulcers, obesity, anxiety disorder, sexual dysfunction, decreased immune system health and even possibly cancer. It is imperative you learn to manage the stress in your life because it is a very real danger to your health.

So how do you manage stress? Many people use food, alcoholic drink or cigarettes to give them a short term relief from stress. However, in the end this will only result in greater stress due to their long term negative effects on health. A better way to manage stress is to examine your life and determine what is creating stress in your life. Actually write down what you feel your sources of stress are on paper. If you started a journal during the 8 weeks use your journal for this. (If not why didn't you?) Now would be a good time to start a journal. You may find you have a list of stress sources. After you have determined your stress sources write down three positive actions you might take to relieve the stress of each of these sources.

Sometimes the actions needed to resolve stress are not "quick fixes". For example you may need to see a financial expert to set up a program for reducing your debt or a relationship counselor to heal your relationships or perhaps, you may need to find a new job more in line with your passions. Those things take time.

For a temporary relief from stress you may:

1. Stretch your arms above your head. Reach for the ceiling!
2. Move your hands in a circle to relieve stress in your wrists.
3. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in thru your nose and
slowly out thru your mouth. Count to ten slowly as you inhale and again as you exhale.
4. Take a walk around your desk, down the hall or even better, outside where you can appreciate the beauty of nature, benefit from the sunlight and breathe fresh air.
5. Have a bite of dark chocolate. I DO mean just a bite! Some chocolates are healthier than others. Be choosy!
6. Try Rescue Remedy: A Bach Flower remedy you can find in most health stores.

Keep in mind those who indulge in a daily routine of exercise and eat optimally nutritious meals find dealing with stress much easier.

Exercise

A regular routine of exercise is imperative for optimal health and longevity. Exercise helps relieve stress, combats depression, increases your energy level, helps prevent osteoporosis and high blood pressure, boosts good "HDL" cholesterol, helps to maintain a normal weight, promotes better sleep and improves your sex life. Exercise is one of the keys to optimal health.

It is said the average person watches four hours of television a week. We all have time to exercise. It's a choice. There are many kinds of exercise. You can find something you enjoy doing! Take a class in ballroom dancing, or square dancing, join a gym, start walking everyday, hire a personal trainer to develop an exercise routine which accommodates your needs, the possibilities are endless! There is a form of exercise you can do no matter your age or physical ability. But check with your doctor first if you have been sedentary and/or have health issues.

If we can watch television for four hours a day we can certainly find the time to exercise for 30 minutes. If it seems overwhelming start with 10 minutes a day. Just start! Your health and quality of life depend on it!

Diet

Probably the biggest stumbling block one encounters in their journey to transitioning to a healthier lifestyle centers around food. Most people have a hard time deciding what to eat because they aren`t accustomed to having to think about what they eat. In our culture we are so used to reaching for convenience foods. It's hard to stop pulling into the local drive-up junk food place,nuking your dinner or grabbing a convenient soda when thirsty. But if you have the desire to live a life of quality with optimal health you must stop eating junk food and drinking junk drinks. You will need to develop a repertoire of nutritious recipes you enjoy. In the first eight weeks you have made an attempt at eating a salad every day and increasing your vegetable intake. That wasn't easy but it was a good first step. Hopefully, you have at least decreased your intake of junk food, if you haven't totally cut it out yet.

Your next step with food is to consider eating a percentage of the vegetables and fruits you eat raw. For instance, 60% of my nutritional intake is raw. Women should eat 7 servings and men should eat 9 servings of vegetables and fruits per day. Remember a serving is ½ cup. Why would you want to eat raw foods? Because food in it's natural state contains enzymes which are destroyed when you cook food at high temperatures. Your body needs those enzymes. Every function in the body is run by enzymes. One of the chief reasons processed food is not good for you is because enzymes are destroyed in cooking/food processing. Many illnesses can be traced to enzyme deficiencies.

Lest you think your only option for eating raw is eating salads let me tell you that is far from true! Considering you have probably spent your lifetime eating predominately cooked food this is going to take some work on your part. Obviously, you aren't just going to dive in and start eating this way. Eating a percentage of your food intake raw is something you work up to. The good news is if you're following the 8 week plan you've already started by eating a healthy salad every day! Eating raw is much more than that though! You can learn more about eating raw and how to transition to eating raw foods by reading any of these books:

1."12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food" by Victoria Boutenko and Gabriel Cousens
2."Raw: The Uncook Book: New Vegetarian Food for Life" by Juliano, Erika Lenkert,and Juliano Brotman
3."Living on Live Food" by Alissa Cohen
4. "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko

Food in it`s natural state supports our immune system. We have taken food in its natural state, and adulterated it with additives, processing, coloring etc. As a result we have many chronic diseases and acutely severe diseases such as cancer. We must return to eating foods in their natural state. Every cell in your body is created from what you eat. If you assist your immune system by giving it the nutrients it needs your immune system will assist you in combating, recovering from and even preventing chronic illness.

Mind, Body, Spirit

We are not just physical beings. We are also mental and spiritual beings and the balance between mind, body and spirit contributes to our degree of optimal health. There is so much busy-ness in life we frequently forget to care for the deeper inner us when, in fact, the spirit facet of us needs care just as our mind and body do. Whether one explores spirituality by engaging in one of the worlds many faith traditions or embarks on an independent path it is a journey vitally important to optimal health.

Our connection with spirit paves the foundation for our understanding and experience of the concepts of forgiveness and gratitude, the importance of service and compassion and the equal importance of giving and receiving. Connection with spirit helps us to choose love, make positive choices, have meaningful relationships and connect to the joy of being. These are all integral to managing stress, feeling happiness and creating optimal health in our life. In optimal health spirit uplifts the body and mind. It is important to take some time to give some thought as to what part spirituality plays in your life.

You may further explore spirituality in these books:
1. "Finding Joy: A Practical Spiritual Guide to Happiness" by Dannel Schwartz and Mark Hass
2. "There`s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem" by Wayne Dyer
3. "The Laws of Spirit: A Tale of Transformation" by Dan Millman

Self Talk

What is it you say to yourself when you're alone? Self-talk is key to mind/body interaction. What it is you say to yourself over and over colors your attitude, raises or lowers both your energy and stress levels, it may affect your relationships or finances, your emotional state and even the degree of success you have in life. Your self-talk has very real effects upon your health and life.

Negative self-talk such as "I can't", "I'm dumb", or "I'm fat" demoralizes you,lessens your self-esteem and creates a setting for depression to take hold and your immune system to be weakened. On the other hand positive self-talk such as "I'm good", "I can do it" or "I'm a beautiful person" raises self-esteem, combats depression and motivates you to take positive action. It gives you a sense of well-being,less stress and a stronger immune system.

Are you in a negative rut with your self-talk? Sometimes people fall into a habit of negative self-talk which becomes very hard to overcome and change. But you can! When you find yourself thinking something negative immediately replace the thought with a positive one. Take some time in your journal writing to make a list of your good qualities and the things and people in your life for which you feel gratitude. Focus on solutions instead of problems. Be your own best friend. Remember your body hears and reacts to what you say to yourself.

So what are your next plans in transitioning to a healthier lifestyle? Consider these suggestions:

1. If you haven't completely stopped eating fast and/or processed food resolve to do so. It's a hard habit to break, but as you incorporate more fresh vegetables and fruits into your daily nutrition regimen you will find it will become easier to say no to less healthier options.
2. Go to the library or bookstore and get a raw food book(s) and discover the amazing array of healthy gourmet options open to you. You will be pleasantly surprised! Gradually incorporate recipes and ideas from these books into your daily nutrition regimen. This will also help you to stop eating unhealthy foods.
3. Continue to journal about your successes and thoughts and feelings regarding transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. You might also write about what you feel gratitude for each day. It makes a difference to think about it and write it down!
4. Plan your meals a week at a time so that less healthier options aren't inviting.
5. Don't forget about your stress list positive actions. Go to work resolving your stress issues.
6. When you have a negative thought replace it with a positive one! Negative thoughts (and negative self-talk) are habits which can be rehabilitated! You might write a few positive affirmations on index cards and carry them with you. Read these positive affirmations several times a day.

Lastly, be proud of yourself for taking responsibility for your health. Continue to make small changes in your day to day life which enhance your new healthy lifestyle. A balanced life with optimal health is a great joy. One in which you can experience the complete fullness of life. Don't settle for anything less!

I hope you will join me at http://blogtalkradio.com/empower wellness

8 Weeks to a Healthier Lifestyle

2010-05-03T13:24:00.000-05:00

Many of my clients tell me they want to live in a healthier way. They know they need to overhaul their eating, but don't know where to start and often they feel more than a little overwhelmed. Does that also describe you? Does the prospect of a major lifestyle change seem a little overwhelming to you?

Making healthy lifestyle changes does not have to be overwhelming. The key to incorporating healthy positive changes in your lifestyle is to break the changes down into do-able actions. As you gradually make positive changes in your lifestyle and consistently repeat them, they will become new healthy habits.

Before you start making changes I would suggest you keep a journal while you are instituting changes into your lifestyle. Write about how you feel about making changes, the difficulties, as well as the successes you have along the way. What changes might you make? Here's a suggested (but not all inclusive) 8 week plan to get you started on your new healthy lifestyle:

Week One: Instead of drinking soda drink, water. Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. Does this sound like a lot to you? Get yourself a 32 ounce mug. It's much easier psychologically to drink two mugs of water rather than 8 - eight ounce glasses. I would suggest getting a good water filtration system for your home or drinking spring water which you can find in any grocery store. Do not drink tap water! You may add lemon to your water to enhance taste.

Week Two: Eat a salad every day. I would not recommend the "chemical ridden" salad dressings in your favorite grocery store. Rather, you may use a little orange or lemon juice as a dressing or a tablespoon of flaxseed oil. Olive oil makes a good salad dressing especially if you add a little minced shallot, Dijon mustard, garlic powder or minced garlic to it. You might also go to your favorite library, bookstore or online vegetarian website and look-up a recipe for healthy salad dressings. Don't use the commercial brands.

Week Three: In addition to the salad you're now eating everyday, resolve to eat five more vegetable servings per day. This isn't hard when you stop to realize a serving is only ½ cup. Be sure to eat vegetables of different colors. Make your plate colorful! The more colors in your plate of food, the more nutrients you are giving your body.

Week Four: Stop eating all fast and processed foods. Yes, it's really convenient to pull into the nearby fast food place or to nuke something in the microwave. But these foods are lacking in nutrients and are high in both calories and the wrong kind of fat. Use the rule -- 'if God didn't make it, I won't eat it'. Think of it this way: every cell in your body is made from the food you eat. If you eat less than healthy food, your body will enjoy less than optimal health.

Week Five (for coffee drinkers): Cut down on coffee! Resolve to have only one cup in the morning. If you are a heavy coffee drinker you may consider having one cup of caffeinated coffee and remaining cups 50/50 caffeinated and non-caffeinated. Gradually change over to just 50/50 and then slowly decrease the number of cups you have until you're only drinking one cup. You might even consider booting coffee out of your life. Perhaps, switch to green tea for its antioxidant qualities.

Week Five (for non-coffee drinkers): Have a cup of green tea every morning.

Week Six: Begin eating four fruits a day. If you haven't been wild about eating fruits up till now then start with eating two a day and work up to four. Oh and fruit juices don't count! Your body needs the fiber from whole fruit.

Week Seven: Incorporate some form of exercise into your daily regimen. If you have been mostly sedentary for some time, do check with your physician before starting an exercise program. Your exercise regimen could be as simple as walking. Get a pedometer and work up to 10,000 steps per day.

Week Eight (for smokers): With the issuance of the recent Surgeon General's report, don't you agree it's clear how bad smoking is for your health? Here it is if you haven't read it: (http://surgeongeneral.gov/) . There are many ways to quit smoking, however, there is no one way which works for everyone. You might try hypnotism or auricular therapy. Some folks go "cold turkey" and just stop. If you are a heavy "nervous" type smoker I recommend you talking with your doctor about how to quit and be sure to look-up an area support group. You can find a smoking cessation group in your area by contacting the American Lung Association or by calling the respiratory care department of your local hospital.

Week Eight (for everyone): Go through your kitchen pantry and refrigerator and throw out anything containing high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners (i.e. aspartame, NutraSweet, Splenda). Many experts feel they both contribute to obesity and less than optimal health.

Congratulations! Be proud of yourself for taking action to create a healthier lifestyle. Give yourself a pat on the back. You have worked very hard for eight weeks. The changes you have made in your lifestyle have gotten you started on a healthier path. You may have even lost some weight during these eight weeks. Your consistency with these changes will change your life. You will find you'll have more energy, less aches and pains and a healthier frame of mind.

Getting Unstuck

2010-04-29T14:39:00.000-05:00

When clients come to me they are many times in a state of overwhelm. They know there are many things they need to change in their lives to create a healthier lifestyle. Most of the time change became an impossible frustrating experience because they have tried to change so many things at once.

Part of the problem is folks need to just make one change at a time and when comfortable with that go on to the next one; instead of changing many things at once. But the other part of the problem is what they are thinking. They focus on their failure instead of any success they may have had.

Think about this. When you were a child learning to ride a bike you fell down. But before you fell you maybe rode two feet. You felt a taste of success during that two feet didn't you? That taste of success made you get back on that bike again and again until you rode around the block. However, what if when you fell down you focused on falling down. Would you have ever rode a bike? Would you even consider getting back on the bike?

Many people get stuck in life, in relationship problems, in weight loss problems, in financial problems because they focus on the failure and not the glimmers of success.

Focus on your moments of success and build on them! Go for it! You were meant to have an extra-ordinary life!

I hope you will join me every Monday 9am - CST at Empower Wellness Radio

Reversing Illness: Eating To Live

2010-04-29T09:15:00.001-05:00

In the sixteen years Lupus was active in my life (and I was struggling to stay off disability) not once did a physician ever ask about my nutrition. Nor did any of the 13 drugs they prescribed create a miracle; though there was a clinical trial drug which was almost a miracle. My true miracle came with attention to nutrition and supplements. Today thanks to nutrition I have been in remission six wonderful years.

As Hippocrates said, "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food".

Recently I went on a caribbean cruise with a group of business friends. One of the ladies had lost a remarkable amount of weight and looked so much healthier. There was an awesome change in her! In talking to her she told me her husband was 100% into the raw food lifestyle and she had been so sick she finally acquiesced and joined him. In the four months between when she had joined him in the raw food lifestyle and the cruise she lost 45 lbs, her diabetes had disappeared and she was off all diabetes medication and all problems she had been having with ulcerative colitis were also gone. All of that happened in 4 months.

I know this lady also utilizes supplements. In fact, she is a perfect example of the correct way to use supplements. Supplements are for supplementing an already healthy nutrition regimen. Why would a person need to supplement a supposed healthy nutrition regimen? Because our produce today has 5-40% less vitamins and minerals in it than it used to contain. This is why the government increased the servings on the Food Pyramid and why in the 2002 the Journal of the American Medical Association it was recommended everyone supplement.

I'm not going to tell you to go 100% raw with your nutritional intake; but I do encourage you to make a percentage of your intake raw foods. I myself eat 60% raw.

Why are raw foods so healthy? Food in its natural state contains enzymes that are destroyed when you cook food at high temperatures. Your body needs those enzymes. Every function in the body is run by enzymes. Many illnesses can be traced to enzyme deficiencies.

Every cell in your body is created from the food you take in. If you assist your immune system by giving it the nutrients it needs your immune system will assist you in combating, recovering from and even preventing illness.

I hope you will join me every Monday at 9am CST at Empower Wellness Radio

How Much Sodium Is In Your Diet?

2010-01-02T12:54:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the new year! I wish you a happy, healthy year! Happy New Year!

Let's start off the new year by talking about sodium. Average healthy people should have less than 2400mg (approx. 1 tsp) per day. According to the AHA people with high blood pressure should have less than 1500mg per day.

How much sodium is in YOUR diet? Do you REALLY know? Most of us have way to much sodium in our diets. (and as you will soon see that is an understatement!) Do you have high blood pressure? a hard time losing weight? Get serious about the sodium in your diet!

Take a look at the sodium contents in the entrees at these popular restaurants:

OLIVE GARDEN

MCDONALDS

WENDY'S

HARDEE'S

Panera Bread

Some serious sodium there, huh! Makes one think a little differently about eating out. Eating out indiscriminately is indeed not good for you. You don't have to stop eating out. Just make healthier decisions. Research your favorite restaurants. Armed with the facts you can choose what to eat more wisely.

Read labels when you grocery shop! Not only will the ingredients label tell you if there is sodium in the product; it will also tell you about sodium-containing compounds such as MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG), BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER, DISODIUM PHOSPATE or SODIUM ALGINATE.

Don't think that taste will tell you about the sodium content of a food. A bagel certainly doesn't taste salty but some bagels have 450mg sodium! READ LABELS or ASK! Also, don't overlook the sodium in condiments.... especially ketchup and mustard!

There are a lot of very tasty spice concoctions to choose from to enhance the taste of your foods! I LOVE the spices at PENZEY'S (No, I am not connected in any way with Penzeys!) There are also a lot of good spices in your grocery store. Be sure to read the label and make sure they are salt-free.

One of the best and healthiest perks of paying attention to the sodium content of your food is you will naturally turn to whole foods! Whole foods are so much healthier than processed foods. Bon Appetit!

Are You Thinking Yourself Sick?

2009-12-15T17:22:00.001-06:00

Hopefully, if you are ill you will read this blogpost with an open mind. Lots of ill folks aren't ready to hear what I'm going to say and yes, I will most certainly make a percentage of these folks mad. However, for the people who are ready to hear what I'm going to say this is going to make a huge difference in their life. If I reach even just one person it's worth the rest of you getting mad at me.

Why do people settle for less than a happy and healthy life? Certainly, we would all say we desire to be happy and healthy. But are we all programmed with a mindset which allows us to live happy healthy lives. Obviously not.

As a holistic health coach I keep bumping into a wall. Many people say they want to be well but won't take the actions needed to improve their health. It perplexes me and I'll tell you why. In my own life I got very sick, in fact, my illness and subsequent remission is the reason I went back and earned a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. In my illness I followed my physicians recommendations (and I had an army of docs) but when I heard to many "I don't knows" and was on the verge of being forced to go on disability, I looked outside of my physicians for the answers to getting my life back. I wanted my life back and wasn't going to let the disease run my life. Nor do I believe God (the Universe,Higher Power etc) gives us sickness or intends for anyone to live a life of sickness.

What I have had a hard time understanding (till now) is why some people when diagnosed with a chronic illness will take a hard look at their lifestyle and make healthy changes or when their medical treatment isn't creating a hopeful result go seek answers on their own to get well and take the actions they need to to do so (like I did) while others don't. Most settle for their doctors answers (or lack thereof) and in many cases allow their disease to rule their lives.

I've worked in hospital healthcare for almost 30 years. Thru the years I have seen countless people with a variety of disorders; COPD, Diabetes, Arthritis, Cardiac disease, come in and out of the hospital over and over. I've seen more times than I want to think about; the sad, steady deterioration of these people as they go in and out of the hospital over a period of years. There are some common denominators with this group of people. The vast majority do nothing (or next to nothing) on their own to enhance their health. The overwhelming majority of these people did not live the healthiest of lifestyles before they got sick and did not change their diet to one nutritionally healthier with more physical activity after they got sick. They have spent a lifetime eating mostly processed foods,fast foods and junkfood snacks. They depend on their prescribed medications to regulate their disease (though I would be remiss if I didn't point out some don't even take their meds as prescribed). And when a new problem pops up they go back to their doctor for another medication. I've seen people with a list of 22 medications, who have NOT changed their nutrition or added exercise to their lifestyle.

In thinking about this I realized these people are no different from folks who work at a job their whole life which doesn't particularly give them much satisfaction. I won't address that topic here see this blogpost for that discussion How Are YOU Programmed?" But I will say people stay in situations because they believe they can't change them to something better. In my thinking I also realized the answer to my personal question; "Why did I get my life back from my illness?" I'll answer this in a minute.

Why do people settle for struggling with an illness?

The answer is simple. People settle for struggling with an illness because they believe they can't get well. Why did I get my life back from my illness? In their notes my doctors referred to me as "steroid dependent" and "unfortunate". My doctors basically told me I couldn't get well; that I would never get off of steroids and was doomed to live the painful life I was living. I refused to BELIEVE that.

If you truly believe you can't get well you aren't going to take the actions needed to get well. I'll go one step farther; your body and mind talk to each other; if you don't believe you can be well nothing you do will get you to a place of wellness. I didn't buy into my doctors negativity, therefore I was able and motivated to look outside of them for answers. I was fortunate to have people in my life who reinforced the belief I could be healthy and who alerted me to the body/mind connection and the power of nutrition.

Let's back up for a minute, how are you programmed to get sick to begin with?

Well, how much tv do you watch? News shows are filled with negativity. Many television shows and movies have negative story lines. Negativity affects you. Additionally, television commercials are designed to brainwash you to a certain way of thinking and to take certain actions. What do you commonly hear in television commercials? Eat this processed food, drink this soda, take this drug, eat this snack, slather on this skin cream, etc. Television commercials reinforce unhealthy habits. How many commercials are you inundated with during an evening of television? How many of those foods, drinks, snacks and skin creams do you use?

Seemingly insignificant remarks made to you in childhood by your parents and teachers may have reinforced a belief you "weren't strong". Children internalize the comments they hear. A comment that a child is "not strong" creates this belief in the mindset of the child. Children who grow up with a "sickly" mindset become sickly adults. (That was me.) Comments regarding a childs "sickliness" start a negative "I'm sickly" pattern of thinking in the childs thoughts. Thoughts repeated over and over become beliefs and finally manifest in your life.

Many people work so hard at their career health is put on the back burner. They are programmed with core beliefs about working hard which put them at risk of neglecting and thus, harming their health. (That was me too.) Balance in life is imperative to have a healthy body/mind.

Think about the people with which you spend the most time. Are they positive or negative? Do they uplift you? Hanging with negative people keeps a negative tape going in your thoughts. Negative people enable you to stay sick. Don't hang out with people who don't uplift you. It is hard to cut an old friend out of your life but for the sake of your health this may be what you need to do.

How do you begin to change your sickness situation?

1. If you have a negative doctor find a positive doctor. Do not allow a doctor to attach negative labels to you. Also understand your doctor is one person. One person can only have a limited view of the options open to you. Research your options. Keep your doctor apprised of what you learn and/or do to improve your situation. In the sixteen years my disorder was active not one of my physicians asked about or made any suggestions about my nutritional intake. Nutrition was paramount in my remission.

2. If you belong to a disease support group where the meetings are focused on each member discussing their lousy fate get away from these people. This kind of support group will keep you sick because it is illness-focused. I used to be a support group leader of a group just like this until I realized this was not the way to help people. Disease support groups which focus on the negatives happening in the participants lives enable the continuance of a victimhood thought pattern. Wellness is not created by focusing on illness.

3. Change your thoughts. Thoughts affect your beliefs. Beliefs affect your health. When a negative thought enters your mind replace it with a positive one. Keep an index card with you with positive health affirmations written on it. Review these affirmations often during the day.

4. Do something nice for someone else every day. Don't be focused just on yourself and your illness. What you give out comes back to you.

5. It is of paramount importance to give yourself whole foods. Unlike processed foods whole foods have the enzymes, vitamins, minerals your body needs to fight disease. Banish artificial sweeteners, processed foods (and their accompanying chemicals) and sugar from your life.

6. Socialize with positive people who uplift you. Cut negative folks out of your life. Get your health back. When you are stronger you may or may not decide to see those folks on a limited basis. (If you must have them in your life.) Who knows? Maybe your positive modeling will encourage them to change.

7. Concentrate on the positive. Start a gratitude journal. Each morning or nite write about what you are grateful about. Write about the good things in your life. You might also keep a log of the healthy whole foods you ate and your feelings about them.

People settle for the bad things in life because they don't believe they can change them. But many bad things start inside of you in your mind. You have thousands upon thousands of thoughts every day. If you tell yourself in your thoughts over and over that you are sick; you aren't giving yourself the possibility of being well. Your thoughts create beliefs. Give yourself permission to take the actions needed to rebuild your health. Give your body the chance to fight to get well. Make your thoughts positive. Determine to manifest a healthy happy life.

Supplements, Healthstyle and Change

2009-11-16T09:54:00.003-06:00

Are supplements worth the money you pay for them?

A recent study,the Health Impact Study IV, commissioned by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance showed that:

In a five yr period, if all Americans who are enrolled in Medicare took calcium with vitamin D daily, it could result in 776,000 fewer hospitalizations for hip fractures. If everyone over the age of of 65 took 1800 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids daily, coronary heart disease would be reduced so that 374,000 hospitalizations would be avoided. If people with age-related macular degeneration took 6-10mg lutein with zeaxanthin daily 191000 sufferers could avoid needing skilled help at home or moving into nursing homes.

These are only a few of the supplements available to you. As you can see they do help. It is important to remember, however, supplements do not make-up for your nutritional sins. Their purpose is to SUPPLEMENT your nutrition. Note that in 2002 the Journal of the American Medical Association recommended everyone supplement their diet with a quality multi-nutrition product.

The body runs on vitamins and minerals. Give your body the "tools" it needs and amazing things happen.

Nutrition and supplements, supporting my immune system gave me back my life. Very few of us, me included, live a perfectly healthy life. Regularly look at your healthstyle and discern what you can do better. Do you eat to much food which is processed, manufactured, or fast foods? I've had clients who didn't think they did until I had them keep a journal. You might try keeping a journal for a while.

And it's not just nutrition which you should be aware of; how stressed are you? Do you schedule time to wind down? Do you get enough exercise?

A study in Psychological Science (2008), "The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature" showed the benefits of relaxation. It showed walking in a nature environment was more recuperative than taking a walk in a city environment. Nature is restorative, relaxing, allows our brains to not be as active, whereas city sights and sounds require attention and keeps our brain working. So when you can take a walk in a park! Get back to nature. Visit a zoo.

Very few, in fact only 8% of American adults, engage in all five major behaviors promoting health:

1. Maintaining a healthy weight
2. Eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily
3. Exercising at least 12 times a month
4. Drinking alcohol only in moderation
5. Not smoking

Where do you need to focus?

What can you do better?
Add a salad everyday.
Schedule exercise time.
Get a personal trainer?
Add a couple fruits a day.
Get adequate rest.

Make one change at a time.

You can do it.

Vitamin Depletion?

2009-11-13T13:56:00.003-06:00

Are you aware most OTC and prescription drugs deplete/disable nutrients you need?

For instance:
Aspirin - inhibits the body's ability to absorb vitamin C. It also can reduce the levels of iron and folic acid.
Acid blockers - reduce levels of iron and zinc
Contraceptives - deplete the body of vitamins B6, B12, zinc and magnesium

You can view a prescription drug depletion chart here:
http://tinyurl.com/yfgqedv

In June 2002 the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recommended everyone supplement their diet with a quality multi-nutrition supplement.

There were a few reasons for this:
1. Thanks to modern agriculture the vitamins/minerals in our produce is diminished
5-40% from what it used to be. This means you can't eat enough veggies/fruits to get the vitamins/minerals your body needs.
2. The degree of processed foods people are eating. Unfortunately 65% of the average Americans daily diet is comes from nutrient-poor processed foods.

One must definitely incorporate more whole foods and a quality multi-nutrition supplement to their daily nutrition. You might consider supplementing with VitaOne http://tinyurl.com/kuj58a

Minivans and Lunchables: A Culture in Crisis

2009-09-27T13:02:00.003-05:00

As many of you know I had a long battle with Lupus and am now in remission. Along my road to wellness I discovered the power of nutrition and the lack of nutrition in the standard american diet (S.A.D.). What I learned fueled my reasons for heading back to school to earn my Masters in Holistic Nutrition.

Let's look at it in a historical perspective .... we used to eat whole foods. We grew them in our gardens, bought them at the local market, prepared them in our kitchens.

Then the Industrial Revolution happened.... modern farming practices were introduced, the food industry changed...... produce was trucked from one area to another. In order to get produce from one area to another without going bad it was picked green thus leaving it nutrient poor. Eventually moms went to work outside the home. The era of minivans and lunchables was launched. Industry was all to happy to provide easy, convenient meals for mom to fix. I remember my own mothers gleeful buying of tv dinners. Read the ingredients list of those easy, convenient meals and you will find a laundry list of chemicals. Chemicals your body was not designed to assimilate. As industry grew so did the list of chronic illnesses and obesity. The worst thing industry did (in my humble opinion) is market frankenfoods to children. There's a place in hell reserved for those who market frankenfoods to children.

Today we have a cultural nutrition nightmare.

Families need real mealtimes and real food. Whole foods. Fresh veggies and fruits. What you and your children eat today impacts your/their future health.

The body runs on real nutrients. Nutrients you aren't getting if your diet is predominantly processed, manufactured or fast food. Every cell in the body is made from the nutrients you give it.

In 2002, it was recommended in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Assoc) everyone supplement their diet with a quality multi-nutrition product. The USDA food pyramid was changed to include more servings. Why? Because our produce contains 5-40% less minerals and vitamins than it used to. We can't eat enough to get the vitamins and minerals we need. The problem is magnified with the fact that many, if not most of us to begin with don't always eat the healthiest .

Consider that 85% of all disease can be directly attributed to lifestyle. 70% of all cancer can be PREVENTED thru good nutrition. 95% of office visits are due to symptoms arising from stress. Kids are showing up with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. The number one killer of kids is cancer. Chronic diseases are skyrocketing.

We MUST change.

We need to stop the insane busy-ness which feeds into our need for easy, convenient "foods". As a culture we need to set aside time for family connectedness and mealtimes of real food. True nutrition. Not a run thru a fast food place. Not microwaved processed food eaten in front of the tv. We need to sit down as family. Connect with each other and eat real food. Whole foods. Fresh veggies and fruits. Our lives depend on it.

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Healthy Hope and Change

2009-07-31T08:42:00.008-05:00

Hope and change. We were promised hope and change. And yes, our healthcare system needs some hope and change. I think we all agree on the basics. We know what we want the end-product to look like. It's the "how to" which trips us up. We have world-class healthcare here in the great United States of America. That is why people from other countries (with universal care systems) come here for care.

Free market systems encourage innovation and our country leads in development of new technologies and treatments. We must not make thoughtless changes which stymie innovation. It would not only hurt our people, but people the world over.

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

As I read the various proposals for healthcare changes, seems to me folks are suggesting planting some very bad seeds. My heart sank as I read. The lack of reverence for life I see in these proposals is appalling. Every life is precious. One is not more precious than the other. Every life has a purpose. And every life is important to the world. It is a profound loss to the world to not value our elderly. Their wisdom is the worlds salvation. It makes me cry when I wonder how many scientists, poets, leaders and thinkers have been aborted. What a loss to the world.

Yes currently end of life care is costing us greatly. But why are we talking about mandated end of life discussions? Why are we planning lessening care? We should be stressing encouragement of healthy healthstyles! Providing nutrition education! Why aren't we talking about exercise? Why not provide exercise classes (not just for the elderly) for everyone? Exercise should be a lifelong daily activity. Why not stress the importance of exercise in schools? Mandate an hour of exercise every school day. And why do we allow processed foods with unhealthy ingredients to be marketed to our children?

As a 30 yr healthcare professional I have seen the difference between a 65 yr old who did not lead an active healthy healthstyle life and one who did. I've seen 90 yr olds spryer than folks in their 50's. Their spryness and bright mental acuity was due to their healthstyle and remarkable positive outlook on life. When exercise and good nutrition are lifelong partners ills are prevented. As a country our healthcare costs are greatly impacted by the healthstyle of our people. It's time to change the standard american diet and lifestyle.

As I read the various proposals for healthcare changes it occurred to me most want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We do not need to overturn our whole healthcare system in order to "fix" healthcare. Nor should we do anything which would lessen the quality of care. As a 30 yr health professional thats what I see in these proposals; a lessening of quality of care. Nor should there be pork and payoffs in the healthcare proposals. The betterment of healthcare should only be about healthcare. Time to overhaul congress way of doing things. We need politicians with backbones and honest values. I'm anxious to see who steps up to the plate.

Let's fix the problems with with the systems we have. Price gouging needs to stop. Stop the unfairness regarding pre-existing disorders. Put the decisions fully back into the hands of physicians. Reform liability laws. Put a cap on lawyers fees. Put a stop to frivolous lawsuits. And go after the fraud in the medicare system. Nor should the tax dollars of our people be used to reward those who enter our country illegally.

Let's fix what's wrong with what we have. Not enact a monstrosity which would create more government. We can provide healthcare to our people without doing that. Let's remember the tenets upon which America was founded and hold true to them while providing the best healthcare in the world.

But remember always healthcare starts with YOU. The government is not going to make you healthier. Not even your doctor can do that. YOUR healthstyle determines your quality of health. Take responsibility for it.

Observations From a Wheelchair

2009-06-24T12:31:00.005-05:00

Wow! For various reasons I won't go into I recently had occasion to spend some time in a wheelchair. Life is interesting from chair view.

Once I put my feelings about being in the wheelchair aside.... I observed some things. Lots of folks aren't happy. I've never seen so many scowls and wrinkled foreheads. Not to mention lots of folks are inconsiderate. And most everyone is stressed. Hey, I was at SeaWorld ... shouldn't be a place for scowls, frowns and wrinkled foreheads. Where were the smiles I should have seen at a fun place? Are folks so stressed they can't even relax when they are supposed to be having fun?

Do you realize that 90% of doctors office visits are related to symptoms arising from stress?

What does that tell you? It tells me maybe a lot of people need to make some changes in their lives. Do YOU? We all need to from time to time get off the merry-go-round and take stock of our life. IF we aren't happy and healthy we need to make changes.

Are you passionate about what you do for a living? Or is it just a job?
Do you get enough sleep?
Do you schedule fun? Yeah I said SCHEDULE. Stop being a work-aholic!
Do you give your body the nutrients it needs?
Do you put up with tolerations?
Are the people closest to you positive? Do they support your endeavors?
What is YOUR mental outlook? Are you positive? or do you engage in negative self-talk?

Answer those questions honestly. Your life depends on it.

*********

Help me help YOU --- subscribe to Empowering Wellness Newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com free ebook to get YOU started on healthier path.

Processed Danger

2009-06-02T18:07:00.002-05:00

I have time and time again told folks the healthiest, most nutritious food is located around the perimeter of the grocery store. But I haven't talked much about the interior of the grocery store. What do you find in the interior aisles? Processed frankenfoods loaded with additives. "Foods" loaded with neurotoxins.

What are neurotoxins? A substance that causes damage to nerves or nerve tissue. What neurotoxins may you find in processed foods? Here's a whopper list of neurotoxic food additives:

aspartame
autolyzed anything
barley malt
beef base
beef flavoring
beef stock
bouillon
broth of any kind
calcium caseinate
carrageenan
caseinate
chicken base
chicken broth
chicken flavoring
chicken stock
disodium anything
dough conditioner
flavoring
gelatin
gelatinized anything
glutamate
gaur gum
hydrolyzed anything
kombu extract
l-cysteine
malt anything
malted anything
milk solids
monosodium glutamate
natural flavor
nutrasweet
pork base
pork flavoring
protein concentrate
protein extract
seasoned salt
seasoning
smoke flavoring
sodium caseinate
solids of any kind
soup base
soy extract
soy protein anything
soy sauce
spice
stock
textured protein
textured vegetable protein
umami
vegetable gum
whey anything
yeast extract

This list is from http://tinyurl.com/o8bqu9 (a terrific article)
For more info google "neurotoxins food".

What can you do? Become an ingredients reader! Note that many of the foods marketed to YOUR CHILDREN contain neurotoxic additives.

Better yet eat whole foods and know that you are giving yourself the best in nutrition. Remember the food/drink you imbibe/eat is what your body uses to make cells. Your health starts at the cell level. If your body has less than healthy ingredients to make new cells it's going to make cells which are not healthy. This is where disease starts.

Healthy cells = healthy organs = healthy systems = healthy body

Want to clean-up your healthstyle? Subscribe to the "8 Weeks to a Healthier Lifestyle" E-Course at http://optimizetoheal.com

Belief and Survival

2009-05-11T17:42:00.002-05:00

There was a time in my journey with Lupus (from which I am in remission) when one of my physicians referred to me as "unfortunate" and "steroid-dependent". There was a time when my cardiologist didn't think I should ever come of the heart drug he had put me on to manage paroxysmal tachycardia. At one time I needed three inhalers around the clock.

Today I am off all pharmaceuticals except for an inhaler I use maybe once or twice a year if one of my asthma triggers sneaks up on me. I'm not "unfortunate" or "steroid-dependent" but I would have continued to be had I only listened my physicians.

Interestingly in the sixteen years my lupus was active and I was struggling to stay off disability; not even one of my physicians ever inquired about my nutrition.

Why am I in remission? Why do I have my life back? How come today I lead a normal life and indeed workout four times a week? (I was exercise intolerant during the time my lupus was active).

It wasn't just that I met an RN who introduced me to nutrition and supplements. Yes, it's important to give your body the nutrients it needs so the immune system has the "tools" to work like it's designed too. Doing that certainly played a part in my regaining my life.

But it's also cos I refused to buy into my physicians negativity. They aren't gods and they don't have crystal balls to see into the future. I believed I could be well again.

A big part of the reason I am in remission is because I believed I could be.

Over the years I've met many people with Lupus. So many have bought into their disease. They become their disease. As they listen to the negativity of western medicine the option to get well disappears. They don't believe they can get well.

This scenario is played out in every major chronic illness.

I will suggest this to you. Believe you can get well. Give your body a chance to get well by giving it optimal nutrition and with your doctors permission exercise. You may be so sick you can't do much exercise. I myself was exercise intolerant when my Lupus was active. Do what you can. Don't push. There are exercise CD's with chair exercises. You might try those.

Just Believe. The only unfortunate people are the ones who accept the label.

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Salad - A Quick Complete Meal

2009-05-06T09:16:00.004-05:00

I hear from my clients over and over one of their biggest obstacles to transitioning to a healthier lifestyle is the nutrition part. What do you eat? Folks who have partaken of the standard american diet their whole lives are not equipped to eat healthy. So my mission is to give them the "tools" to change their eating healthstyle.

Let's start with salads because usually my first advice to someone transitioning to a healthier healthstyle (after advising the addition of a quality multi-nutrition supplement) is to add a salad everyday. Why? Because a salad can be a complete meal! It's easy, quick and nutritious.

Let's start with the salad dressing. The dressing is where lots of people go wrong! Opt for a dressing without preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, or chemicals like "stabilizers," or "emulsifiers." Read the ingredients before you buy any commercial salad dressing! Choose for health! I like several versions of Annie's salad dressings. Also, you can use fresh-squeezed orange juice or lemon juice as a dressing. Olive oil and vinegar makes a good dressing for your salad. You can even get vinegars which are flavored! Try Honey-Mustard dressing: mix together a little honey and your favorite mustard and a dash of your favorite balsamic vinegar. Or make a cucumber dressing: Blend in your blender 1 1/2 cups nonfat cottage cheese 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped , 1 cucumber, chopped with or without skin, a dash of Salt and pepper to taste.

The Salad

Greens - I steer clear of iceberg lettuce for more nutrient-dense leafy veggies. Try field greens, a little kale, baby spinach, escarole, romaine. Stick with the darker lettuces which offer more vitamins and phytochemicals. Though cabbage isn't green, it's a good choice!

Vegetables - Think colorful! Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, green beans, snap peas, carrots, radishes, avocado, bell pepper, beets and cucumber. When possible use organic veggies! There are studies which conclude organic foods contain about one-third higher amount of antioxidants than non-organically grown veggies.

Fruit - Raisins, apple slices, blueberries, orange slices, raspberries, blackberries give a salad some zip! Fruit also adds an explosion of health-enriching antioxidants to your salad!

Protein - Your salad can be a complete meal by adding a form of protein to it. Turkey, chicken, tuna, tofu, nuts, cheese, beans and/or eggs. Go easy on the cheese!

Grains - You can add a little bit of pasta to your salad. Stick with the whole wheat or multi-grain variety of pastas.

Here's a great recipe from Dr Ben Kim (drbenkim.com):

Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad Recipe
Makes about 8 small portions
Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into half-inch pieces 2 cups green lentils, rinsed and drained 1 yellow onion, finely chopped 2 large carrots, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely minced Extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt and pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (optional) Small handful torn parsley leaves (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and roast for about 20 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Give the sweet potatoes a good stir about halfway through.
3. While sweet potatoes are roasting, use a large pot to cook onions, carrots, garlic, and oregano in olive oil over medium heat. Stir frequently and cook for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly tender. Season with black pepper.
4. Add green lentils and four cups of cold water. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat, then set heat to low, cover with a lid, and let simmer for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until lentils are nice and tender.
5. Allow lentils to cool to room temperature. Gently fold lentils and other vegetables in with roasted sweet potatoes.
6. Give sweet potatoes and lentils a good drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and parsley, and enjoy.

Try this healthy and filling salad with a crisp green salad and a slice of a crusty baguette.
Many thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow for sharing this recipe. Be sure to check out her newsletter at Goop.com.

Bon Appetit!

As you transition to a healthier healthstyle I would strongly suggest (as recommended in the 2002June issue of JAMA) you supplement your nutrition with a quality multi-nutrition product. Consider VitaOne -Super Nutrition Made Easy

Here's what one of my clients says about VitaOne:
"I have to admit VitaOne is the best vitamins I have ever taken. I have fibromyalgia and possible lupus. These vitamins have helped me so much to feel better. I have more energy, and now can run after my 1-year-old Grandson. I could tell a difference after only one week of taking them. I HIGHLY recommend these brand of vitamins!! Eat healthy, exercise, and take your VitaOne's and you'll be amazed at the difference you'll see. I have even lost 42 lbs, and I contribute part of that to the VitaOne's cause of the increased energy, I coud move again, and get in exercise. Thanks Pam for telling me about these. I think I've been taking these 7 months now...don't remember lol....but so glad I started them :)"

To Your Health!

Forget The Scale

2009-05-04T17:46:00.002-05:00

Obsessing over your scale is probably the worst thing you can do.

In the big scheme of things it's not about weight.
It's about health.

Eat for health.
Move your muscles.
Manage stress.

There are hundreds of "diet" books with so-called "secrets" to losing weight. There are a lot of ways to lose weight... which don't enhance your health. But if you aim for health.... you get the best of both...

Make healthy eating a fact of life.
Aim for health and the rest follows.

I like the Shrink It Weight Loss System because it encourages a sane healthy eating regimen, exercise and supplementation. Since our produce has been found to have 5-40% less vitamins and minerals supplementation is a must.
Shrink It supports GOOD HEALTH HABITS.

I offer free health coaching (30 min via phone per wk and unlimited email contact) to anyone who purchases the shrink it system.

Small Changes Big Benefits

2009-05-04T17:31:00.002-05:00

What with the continual onslaught of food industry advertising of processed foods... convenience foods,... drive up windows at fast food places (for the latest greatest upsized combo) etc. No wonder we have an obesity epidemic. And no wonder our medical system is in the shape it is in.

Many people have literally grown up with "THAT" kind of advertising inundating them and that kind of eating being a natural, "normal" type of eating for them which isn't healthy at all. Walk down the cereal aisle and see what kids are being inundated with today. It's horrendous. Kids are now turning up with Type 2 diabetes which is an adult disease... and the number one killer of kids is now cancer. Look at what they are eating!

Every time we turn on the tv we are lied to about the "healthiness" of processed foods. For folks who have grown up with this inundation to move to a healthier way of living is a huge shift in thinking and doing.

But we must do a paradigm shift in thinking. Well first we have to START THINKING and stop allowing the advertising agencies to program our buying habits and appetites.

First, understand that eating processed food is NOT normal. We've been conditioned to eat processed foods. They are nutrient-poor. We must get back to eating whole foods.

Once had a client , a young mother of three, say to me "But Pam how do you not eat processed foods they are all around you?" ...... Well, it would be easy if we could all have a veg chef move in with us ... I've wished for that myself.

You have to remember two things:

1. It's a choice - what you eat becomes a part of your body. What you eat determines a lot not just about your health now but also in the future.Think heart disease,diabetes, cancer, arthritis, etc. Those are largely preventable!

Dr Dean Ornish did a study which showed that what you eat can turn on or keep from turning on the bad genes in your body. It showed we have an amazing amount of control over our health that most of us aren't taking advantage of. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dean_ornish_says_your_genes_are_not_your_fate.html

You can choose what is good for you and the more you do so the more of a habit it becomes. You don't have to deprive yourself. Just make better choices and use portion control. (Not to forget exercise!)

Lots of people have problems with the exercise... I tell them (after they get the ok from their doctor to start an exercise program) to start out with 10 minutes in the morning. Give yourself, your future health, your stress level.... just 10 minutes in the morning. No 10 minutes isn't enough but it's a start. You have to start somewhere.

What can you do in those 10 minutes? You can work out with free weights or a Leslie Sansone walking dvd, get on your elliptical or treadmill, etc. There's a lot of things you can do with that 10 minutes. But, of course, check with your physician first to make sure there's no reason to not start an exercise program... especially if you've been sedentary for a long time.

I guarantee when that 10 minutes becomes a habit..... you'll be seeing and feeling the results and want to do more than 10 minutes.

2.The healthiest foods are located around the perimeter of your grocery store (i.e. whole foods). Another way to look at this is if its in a box or a can or you need a chemistry book to understand the ingredients then you don't want to eat it. You really don't hardly need to step into the center of the store. This revelation I know takes the biggest paradigm shift in thought and do. Most people need to learn how to plan their meals and cook much differently. I have found it's easiest to gradually add the "whole foods" mindset a little at a time. Jumping in with both feet is a sure disaster.

Make small changes. Make one good new health habit a week. In a short time you'll feel like a new you!

Would love to support you in your transition to a healthier healthstyle! Subscribe to Empowering Wellness newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com the free ebook will help you get started!

Eat For Health

2009-05-04T17:16:00.002-05:00

This is what I tell my clients..... Look at it this way .... if you love your life, (you DO don't you?) ....... you will want to take care of your body. If you were diagnosed with a life threatening disease you would change your unhealthy eating habits .... you might even exercise more (if you could) ... but you wouldn't be doing those things because of what the scale said or how you feel about how you look. You'd be doing those things because you love your life and didn't want it cut short.

Why wait till you get sick? And as you answer that question keep in mind the most dangerous answer is "it won't happen to me". Health is not something you can be lackadaisical about. There's a time factor. You may be seemingly healthy now...... but unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise will catch up with you....

Instead of waiting and REACTING to illness:
Why not do all you can now to support your immune system and optimal wellness?
Why not do all you can now to PREVENT illness?
Why not adopt a healthy life routine and healthy eating habits now?

Doing anything less is playing russian roulette with your life. It honestly is. And if you follow a healthy life routine with attention to MOVING and eat a healthy diet based on whole foods .... you will lose weight without obsessing over what your scale says.

If you’re not feeling and looking your best, well, let me say..... you are better than that. It’s time to be relentlessly who you really are! Get some gumption ... enough is enough ..... no more excuses .... fight fat right back!Force your fat to sweat.... build muscle. Get ENERGIZED.

Freedom blossoms as fat dissipates and your true physique emerges! It's empowering when people start to notice.... empowering when you get complimented... empowering when you notice you have the energy you used to have! Your self esteem will be boosted off the map when you have to buy smaller, better fitting clothes, even a new bathing suit. You'll find health is the new wealth!! The real you is empowered to be the best you..

MY TOP TIPS.......

READ labels....banish artificial sweeteners from your life.
READ labels ... banish high fructose corn syrup from your life.
READ labels.... know that MSG is hidden behind ingredient terms such as yeast extract, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed soy protein,citric acid,Calcium caseinate,Sodium caseinate,Gelatin. Those who eat more monosodium glutamate weigh more.

See study: http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v16/n8/full/oby2008274a.html

Eat a percentage of your food raw... your body needs the enzymes. Drink water. MOVE!!!!! Your muscles were meant to be used..... using your muscles helps your body to work right. And last but not least muscle burns more calories than fat.

Consider the Shrink It Weight Loss System. It encourages healthy eating, exercise and supplementation. The June 2002 issue of JAMA recommended supplementation due to variance in peoples eating habits and the decreased nutrients in our produce. Vitamins/minerals in our produce has been found to be 5 -40% decreased.

Lastly, know that health is freedom. Illness lessens your choices in life. Don't take your health for granted. Eat for health!

Fad Diets --- UGH

2009-05-04T17:10:00.003-05:00

There are tons of fad diets out there.....
Follow the money... that's what they are about.
You can throw out most of the fad diets/books.

The way to lose/manage weight is to eat for health and get off your couch and MOVE your muscles. Period. There are no magic secrets or easy ways.

Think about this. Do you see any fat animals in the wild?
They eat what God gave them to eat.

Isn't that what you should be doing?

Think NUTRITION. Eat for health. Move your muscles regularly.
And your weight will normalize.

Don't know where to start?

Subscribe to Empowering Wellness newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com/ Get the free ebook which will get you started on your transition to a healthier healthstyle.

Weight Problems and Common Sense

2009-05-04T17:00:00.003-05:00

I believe folks simply need to use their common sense and follow a common sense nutrition plan. God gave us what we needed. Whole foods. Have you seen any wild animals with a weight problem?

We have an obesity epidemic..... and incidence of chronic disease is climbing. Why? Because we don't eat nutritionally well, our diets are predominantly made up of processed foods and we don't move our muscles enough.

I like the shrink it weight loss system It encourages both healthy eating and exercise. I especially like that it gets folks in the habit of supplementing their nutrition (as was recommended in June 2002 JAMA issue). Its a healthy sane system. (and I'm giving free health coaching support with the purchase of the system).

What did YOU eat yesterday? Any fresh veggies? It astounds me when I go to the grocery store and I see carts piled high with processed foods and not one fresh veggie or fruit in the cart.

Isn't it time you stopped the madness?

Subscribe to Empowering Wellness newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com Get the free ebook which will help you get started on your transition to a healthier healthstyle.

Why Is Belly Fat So Bad?

2009-05-04T16:53:00.002-05:00

Besides the obvious negative asthetics of belly fat; it indicates a real health problem in the making.

There are two types of fat in your abdominal area.... the first is subcutaneous fat. It covers up your abdominal muscles from being visible and lies directly under the skin.

The second type of fat lies deeper beneath your muscles and around your organs. This is called visceral fat and studies have shown it is the more dangerous. It releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

Inflammation in your body is the basis for many health problems. However, both kinds of fat contribute to the development of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, and various forms of cancer.

Would love to support you in your transition to a healthier healthstyle. Subscribe to my Empowering Wellness newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com (and get a free ebook to get you started!)

Diets Don't Work

2009-05-04T14:44:00.003-05:00

Have you ever perused the diet book section at your local bookstore?
There you will find a zillion different diets all promising you the same thing.
Which one do you choose?

I say none of them.

I say you already have all you need. You just need to use your common sense.

What's making you fat?

You have an unhealthy diet. You never think about nutrition. Your diet consists mostly of processed foods and you imbibe soda and expensive coffee drinks daily.

And you rarely get off your butt and get any exercise.

I'm sooooo hoping you don't smoke too. UGH.
OR spend a lot of time in an environment filled with second-hand smoke.

Considering that 85% of all disease can be directly attributed to lifestyle don't you think it's time to get your act together. As hard as it is to change bad habits it's still MUCH easier to stay well than to get well. You NEVER want to be in the position of having to try to get well.

So, ready to clean up your healthstyle?
Where oh where do you start?

You start between your ears.
Yes, between your ears.
Your biggest obstacle to transitioning to a healthier healthstyle is what you're telling yourself.

What have you been telling yourself?
Geeze, I hate myself. I'll eat better tomorrow. I'll start exercising tomorrow. I'll never look that good. Be real. You've never heard anyone say: "I look wonderful I think I'll start a diet today."

In transitioning to a healthier healthstyle your first task is to stop talking negatively to yourself. When you have a negative thought replace it with something positive. Always.

Next realize diets don't work.

"Diets" have become in our culture synonymous with a temporary way to eat.
In transitioning to a healthier healthstyle you must resolve to eat healthy and partake in regular exercise for your lifetime. You don't want to be healthier or lose weight on a temporary basis. You want to be healthier and maintain a normal weight for your lifetime. So think of it that way as you exchange your bad habits for good ones.

So how do you transition to eating healthy?

Well, start out in small ways.

Add a salad every day.
Start eating breakfast everyday.
Eat two fruits everyday.
Once a week eat a vegetable you've never eaten.
Three meals a week have a totally veggie meal.
Clean your kitchen pantry out. Dump anything that lists high fructose corn syrup or any kind of artificial sweetener or anything hydrolyzed in the ingredients.

Not an all inclusive list.... but it'll get you started.

Oh yeah and one more thing......

Subscribe to my Empowering Wellness newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com
Read the free Ebook you get with the subscription .....

To Your Health,

Pam Murphy,M.S.,RRT

Politics, Profits and Pandemic Fear Mongering

2009-05-02T10:27:00.005-05:00

I don't often use my blog for other peoples articles/thoughts. However, the article below by Barbara Loe Fisher is immensely important. What she says about the questionable safety of a "hurried" vaccine is something we all need to consider. Do YOU want to gamble on that? Some of us are old enough to remember the last swine flu debacle.

She's right on the money (no pun intended) ...... wash your hands diligently, eat well THINK NUTRITION, get plenty of rest, manage stress. I would add (because you should be all the time as suggested in the June 2002 Journal of the American Medical Association) take a quality multi-nutrition supplement..... because vitamins/minerals in our produce has decreased 5-40%. Consider VitaOne http://tinyurl.com/dz5vth or Primalux http://tinyurl.com/c72yhg and for the kids http://tinyurl.com/ctouqu Are you getting the recommended servings of veggies/fruits? (i.e. Women 7 Men 9 Children 5). Note a serving is 1/2 cup.

Ok, I'll shut up and let you read the article:

Politics, Profits & Pandemic Fear Mongering
by Barbara Loe Fisher
http://nvic.org

Are you grabbing your face mask, stocking up on food and Tamiflu, locking your doors and keeping your TV tuned to the news to find out just how bad the "swine flu pandemic" really is going to get? While Americans are being scared to death, few are noticing how much of their tax money politicians are giving to drug companies and government health officials to grease the skids to create more experimental flu vaccines and drugs and more effective ways to quarantine or force their mass use whenever a "public health emergency" is declared in the future.

Call me cynical but not clueless. The bird's eye view I have had for the past 27 years at the National Vaccine Information Center has taught me one thing: the global alliance between Big Pharma and Big Public Health is a prescription for disaster that could extend far beyond a bout with the flu.

The international drama playing out right now before our eyes is an example of how citizens around the world can be easily manipulated by doctors and politicians engaging in fear mongering in the name of disease control to forward agendas that have more to do with ideology, power and corporate profits than health. When the U.S. Director of Homeland Security is the government official doing the talking rather than the U.S. Director of the Centers for Disease Control, put a copy of the U.S. Constitution in your pocket and take a look at federal and state legislation passed since September 11, 2001 to understand which civil rights you don't have anymore when government health officials declare a "public health emergency."

But before we take a look at the threat to civil liberties that pandemic fear mongering poses, let's take a look at how creation of a global human market for influenza vaccines works. It is a blueprint for Successful Marketing 101 (or perhaps it is all just a coincidence).

In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an international call for all nations to do whatever it takes to increase public appetite and demand for annual influenza shots as the main strategy to prepare for an influenza pandemic. In April 2007, the WHO used money donated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to fund the creation of influenza vaccine manufacturing plants in Mexico and other countries one week after the FDA gave Sanofi Pasteur a license to produce an experimental bird flu (H5N1) vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur is just one of many drug companies the U.S. government has given millions of dollars to for the creation of bird flu vaccines.

On February 19, 2009, the FDA's Vaccines & Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) discussed whether to give approval for the testing of experimental bird flu vaccine on American infants. VRBPAC consumer member, also NVIC's Director of Patient Safety Vicky Debold,PhD, warned that testing of an experimental pandemic bird flu vaccine on infants in the absence of a real epidemic and without assurances that unapproved novel oil based (squalene) adjuvants (AS03, MF59) are safe, could pose unacceptable risks in terms of inducing severe immune dysfunction.

On February 27, 2009 it was confirmed that an influenza vaccine maker, Baxter International, had released a mixture of seasonal influenza viruses mixed with unlabeled live bird flu viruses to facilities in Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Slovenia. Baxter, which is waiting for a license to manufacturer bird flu vaccine, explained it was an "accident" and that no harm was done.

On April 23, 2009, the world heard the first news reports about a mysterious pig (H1N1) and bird (H5N1)and human hybrid influenza virus that was making people sick near a Mexican pig farm. By April 30, the WHO had issued a Phase 5 "Alert" warning that the world was facing an imminent pandemic influenza epidemic on the strength of several hundred cases of "swine" flu and less than 10 confirmed deaths.

The pandemic flu panic that has an especially strong grip on people living in Mexico and the U.S., thanks to the governments of both countries declaring a "public health emergency," has been a good thing for pharmaceutical companies in the pandemic flu business. Wall Street revealed that the pandemic scare sent stock prices soaring for drug companies making anti-viral drugs, rapid flu diagnosis tests and influenza vaccines. Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, Novavax, Baxter, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, BioCryst, and Vical are among the drug companies likely to benefit from the world pandemic panic.

In all the chaos that has Americans running to drug stores to buy face masks, closing schools to wipe desks down with rubbing alcohol and avoiding public transportation, there is action being taken behind the scenes by politicians and government health officials to prepare the way for implementation of future quarantine and mass vaccination of citizens with experimental vaccines and drugs that have by- passed normal FDA regulations for demonstrating purity and potency of pharmaceutical products. A "public health emergency" has become an excuse to grease the skids and rush to market experimental drugs and vaccines that are not subject to product liability in the civil courts.

The creation of this pharmaceutical company stockholder dream scenario and simultaneous erosion of civil liberties in the name of disease control began in earnest in 21st century America after the tragic events on September 11, 2001. In a time defined by shock, fear, anger and deep sadness, Congress reacted quickly and passed the Homeland Security Act while CDC officials pulled out model state legislation (Model State Emergency Health Powers Act) that gave sweeping new powers to public health officials to use the militia, if necessary, to quarantine citizens and force them to use experimental drugs and vaccines after the U.S. Secretary of Health declares a "public health emergency."

The stampede in 2001/2002 to re-write long standing public health laws in this country was fueled by reports that terrorists were in possession of weaponized smallpox and anthrax, a fear that was fostered by U.S. government officials and New York Times journalists reporting Iraq had secret stockpiles of weaponized smallpox and anthrax. This myth played a role in public support for the U.S.-Iraq War and persuaded Congress to pass Bioshield and pandemic influenza vaccine legislation that gave billions of dollars to vaccine manufacturers, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to create experimental bioeterrorism and pandemic flu vaccines while protecting drug companies and doctors from liability for vaccine injuries and deaths that will occur.

The mandated, mass use of multiple vaccines has become big business in the last quarter century since the U.S. Congress passed a law in 1986 shielding vaccine makers and doctors from liability for vaccine injuries and deaths and the numbers of vaccines recommended by the federal health officials for American children multiplied from 23 doses of 7 vaccines to 48 doses of 14 vaccines from birth to age six. For older children and adults, there are several dozen more federally recommended or state mandated vaccinations.

All of this liability protection and government vaccine mandating has been a boon for vaccine profit- making and public health agency empire building. In 1986, four drug companies made and sold vaccines in America and, by 2007, after corporate mergers and acquisitions there were six drug company giants making and selling vaccines in the U.S. Today, there are more drug companies seeking to enter the lucrative multi- billion dollar U.S. vaccine market as financial predictions for global profits from the worldwide vaccine business by 2010 have climbed to more than $20B.

A true global influenza pandemic that could take out projected millions of people is something all nations should prepare for using reasonable strategies to ensure the public health and safety. However, it is a matter of legitimate debate as to whether the primary strategy being urged by the WHO, pharmaceutical companies and government health agencies around the world - ramping up production and use of seasonal influenza vaccine and fast tracking the creation and human testing of influenza vaccines using novel but potentially risky adjuvants and cell substrates - is the way to effectively deal with public health or a future influenza pandemic.

Certainly, the loss of the human right to bodily integrity and informed consent to taking pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines that may pose serious health risks is not justified in the name of controlling pandemic influenza or any other infectious disease outbreak. Politicians should not bow to additional pressure from vaccine manufacturers and public health officials to by-pass normal FDA standards in proving safety and efficacy of pandemic flu vaccines and their components for the purpose of rushing them to market in response to the pandemic panic that has been created. The swine flu debacle of 1976 should have taught Congress that lesson.

A rational perspective that reduces pandemic fear and includes common sense advice for staying healthy in every season is being offered by holistic health doctors, such as Joseph Mercola, D.O. and physician Congressman Ron Paul, M.D. The next time you turn on the TV or the radio or search the internet for the latest news on the flu pandemic, take a deep breath and consider all the natural ways to stay healthy and resist influenza or any illness : washing your hands; eating nutritious food; drinking plenty of water; getting enough exercise, rest and sunshine, and lowering stress - which includes not walking around filled with fear, anxiety and dread.

Green Tea and the FDA

2009-04-30T01:50:00.007-05:00

Some of the conclusions the FDA reaches just amaze me. Here’s what the “public health protectors” said about green tea and prostate cancer:

"One weak and limited study does not show that drinking green tea reduces the risk of prostate cancer, but another weak and limited study suggests that drinking green tea may reduce this risk." ( http://tinyurl.com/d9mypy )

Based on these studies, FDA concludes that it is highly unlikely that green tea reduces the risk of prostate cancer.”If indeed these two studies are “weak and limited”, how can the FDA conclude anything from them?

Heaven forbid the FDA might have to pronounce any alternative actually helpful. Perhaps, they missed these studies:

In 2003, an Australian study found that regularly drinking green tea can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by two-thirds. http://tinyurl.com/dndr7k

In 2004, American Association for Cancer Research published the results of a study that concluded that “Green Tea Polyphenols Thwart Prostate Cancer Development at Multiple Levels.” http://tinyurl.com/cctngb

And in 2005 at the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, the results of a clinical study were announced that showed 90 percent efficacy of green tea in men with pre-malignant prostate lesions. http://tinyurl.com/coh4b3

So when the FDA pronounces something “highly unlikely” to be helpful, perhaps, you better do some research on your own.

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The Answer Between Your Ears

2009-04-30T01:04:00.004-05:00

One of the most misleading protocols of conventional medicine is having people pop a pill to "treat" high blood pressure as though it were a disease. When their blood pressure drops they conclude they have solved their problem. Many doctors are happy at this point also. Hmmm blood pressure is high .... pop a pill .... blood pressure comes down ... everybody is happy. If your doctor is happy at this point......RUN! That doctor is into SICKCARE not HEALTHCARE.

Masking a symptom does not address the cause and does NOT create wellness. The blood pressure was not high due to a deficiency of blood pressure medication.

What if the person:
excessively consumes salt? doesn't manage stress well? has a deficiency of magnesium? has a below normal vitamin D level? doesn't drink an adequate amount of water? lives a primarily sedentary lifestyle and is overweight?

Blood pressure medicine doesn't fix any of those situations. Yes, high blood pressure is dangerous and a person may need medication to get them out of a danger zone. But along with medication they should receive instruction in lifestyle changes. Most of the time people are placed on a pharmaceutical and left there.

Now tell me. Does it really make sense to you to take a drug and NOT address the REASON the blood pressure is high?

Pharmaceuticals are not panaceas. They have side effects which can themselves negatively impact your life. We have become spoiled by convenience and convenience is killing us. It would be nice if we could just pop a pill for any ill that shows up. The sales of pharmaceuticals illustrate a large part of our population buys into the myth of "wellness"-by-pharmaceutical". But though they are life-saving in acute situations pharmaceuticals rarely if ever are the whole answer to a chronic problem.

85% of all disease can be directly attributed to lifestyle. Many cases of hypertension can be solved with lifestyle changes. The answer is between your ears. It's being consciously aware of the choices you make. The healthful choice is rarely the convenient one.

Real wellness is created by addressing the cause of the symptom. High blood pressure is NOT a disease, it is a symptom of a deeper problem. It often signifies lax healthstyle habits. Symptoms are the way your body tells you something is wrong. It is your body crying out for something it needs. (Think nutrients, water, exercise!)

Don't be satisfied with popping a pill. Strive in partnership with your physician to make healthful healthstyle changes. You may just find you don't need that pill.

Would love to support you in your transition to a healthy healthstyle! Subscribe to Empowering Wellness Newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com/ and get a free Ebook to get you started!

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Life Is Not A Race

2009-04-30T00:37:00.005-05:00

Been thinking a lot about my remission from Lupus. It's been six years. I was diagnosed in 1987. It was an amazing thing to get my life back after fighting with lupus for 16 years. I feel blessed and thank God every morning for my remission and second chance at life. Lupus took a lot away from me.....but it also gave me a lot...it gave me a perspective on life I wish I could bottle and gift to people.

For a long time I've been searching for the right words to express what Lupus taught me. Was reading a newsletter I subscribe too and found some words which come close to what I need to express.

"Life is not a race. It’s an experience. It’s a miracle."

We all need to exhale and slow down at least 10%. Don't wait till an illness comes along and forces you to slow down......the anxiety and stress in modern life is not necessary....it's something we do to ourselves by the choices we make.

Consider this. For a time I ran a pulmonary patient education program at the hospital where I work. Every morning the computer system would generate a list for me of folks who were admitted the previous day. Not long after I began receiving the admissions list I noticed something. Most days the vast majority of the admissions were due to health problems that were preventable! Do you realize 85% of diseases are lifestyle-related?

In wellness coaching with folks (especially folks coping with chronic illnesses) I always tell them two things:

1. Don't let western medicine tell you wellness is not an option. Doctors are not gods with crystal balls. There was a time when my life consisted of either being at work or being in bed resting so I could go to work. That was my life. Most days were, quite frankly, miserable. My docs referred to me as "unfortunate" and "steroid dependent". I am neither of those things today. You don't have to be a statistic either.

2. Take responsibility for your health ....Change the things in your life which do not promote health. I can guarantee you this; if you don't get serious about your wellness (and specifically about your nutrition) you will at some time be forced to get serious about your illness. Cos that is what you will be: ill.

All good things take effort. If you are serious about wellness you will change the things in your life you can change to positively affect your wellness. Nope, it's not easy to change your habits. It's not easy to change your diet. It's not easy to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. All good habits take effort and discipline. And yes you need to spend some money on supplements. Even prescription-pushing physicians are realizing the need for supplementation. There has even been an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) regarding the need for supplementation.

I will say this; taking care of yourself does reduce the anxiety in your life. When you are truly taking care of yourself; you make better choices and your priorities change. It's so easy to be sucked up into the whirlwind of busy-ness....but what is really important? You are. What are your priorities?

What stands between your health and possible illness? Your choices.

There is freedom in health. Wellness allows you to partake fully in the miracle called life. Don't take your health for granted. Illness decreases the choices available to you. Be proactive!

Would love to support your transition to a healthy healthstyle! Subscribe to Empowering Wellness Newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com/

How Will You Feel In 90 Days?

2009-04-30T00:12:00.006-05:00

I'm sure you've heard the old adage if you keep doing the same thing you'll keep getting the same results. Unfortunately, most of us aren't listening when it comes to our health.

How many times have you thought to yourself you need to eat better or exercise more? Do you find yourself out of breath after a flight of stairs? Are you tired much of the time? Are you "out of shape"? If you don't change anything in your lifestyle 90 days from now you will feel the same as you do right now ...... or maybe worse.

Do you realize five of the leading ten causes of illness and death (coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and atherosclerosis) are associated with diet ? Not to mention high blood pressure, obesity, dental diseases, osteoporosis, and gastrointestinal diseases are also related to dietary causes. 85% of all disease can be directly attributed to lifestyle. YOU have control over your diet. And what you eat MATTERS!

Everything you eat eventually makes up every cell in your body. I'll say it again.

What you eat matters. Nutrient-poor junk food makes unhealthy cells which may not function correctly. Nutrient-dense food makes healthy cells!

Consider this:

Researchers with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Shanghai Cancer Institute in China have discovered a possible link between a diet rich in certain vegetables and a decreased risk for breast cancer. The study appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The World Health Organisation feels 70% of ALL cancer could be prevented with nutrition.

The Lewin Group http://www.lewin.com/ has done a study showing sickness and chronic disease can be dramatically reduced by supplementing with nutritional supplements.

In 2002 the AMA in their Journal of the American Medical Association recommended everyone supplement their diet with a multi-nutrition product.

A Harvard study of more than 87,000 female nurses ages 34 to 59 found a 41% reduction in heart disease risk among those who took vitamin E supplements for at least two years.

A study of almost 40,000 male health professionals ages 40 to 75 found a 37% lower risk of heart disease among those who took daily vitamin E supplements of at least 100 IU for more than two years.

A National Institute of Aging study of 11,000 elderly people found those who used vitamins C and E supplements had a 53% reduction in mortality from heart disease and a 42% reduction in death from all causes, compared with non-users.

And most of all consider this:

An important video lecture by Dr Dean Ornish --- very short but very important! ... it's well worth the few minutes. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/252 This was life-changing research! Surely what Dr Ornish had to say made you do a double take! Poor lifestyle choices can turn on bad genes. By proactively choosing a healthy lifestyle you may keep bad genes from turning on. Wow! it's all about your choices.

Are you aware the Journal of the American Medical Association and the United States Department of Agriculture have admitted that today's produce no longer has enough nutrients to keep us healthy? That's why it's been recommended everyone supplement their diet with a multi-nutrition product.

So what are you going to do? How are you going to feel 90 days from now?

I'm hoping you choose to live your BEST life!

Would love to support your transition to a healthier healthstyle! Subscribe to Empowering Wellness Newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com/

Check out VitaOne - Super Nutrition Made Easy

Top Of The Food Chain?

2009-04-30T00:04:00.002-05:00

It's amazing we are egotistical enough to regard ourselves as top of the food chain...... cos we do the dumbest things.

You know it's true. Just think about it. The only species on this planet who goes out of its way to feed their children nutrient poor junk food is the human species. That is exceedingly dumb. The human body to work in the way it was designed needs nutrients. Children especially need a nutritious diet.

Take a walk down the cereal aisle of any grocery store and you will see brightly colored super heroes and animal mascots jumping out at you from cereal boxes. The cereal aisle is a wonderland for children. Read the fine print of the ingredients on those boxes and you will wish you’d paid attention in chemistry class.

In the meat section you will see a big name brand of boxed lunches made for and advertised to children by the use of cute names and colorful characters on the boxes. Read the ingredient list fine print of these and you will find some have MSG in them, as much as 46g of sugar and high sodium counts. Let’s not talk about the preservatives found in these meals. It gives me a headache thinking about children eating this. Read the ingredients list and again you’ll wish you’d paid attention in chemistry class. Let’s not forget the rows of candy at the checkout most usually placed at the right height for children to peruse.

Nor does the marketing of unhealthy foods stop with the grocery store and television. Fast food restaurants feature play areas, clowns and toys. But nutrition? Not much. Though there is a growing revolt against it; unhealthy foods are even marketed to our children in our schools! Children who aren't allowed soda at home can buy it at school. Nobody needs soda. Why do we allow it in our schools?

And we wonder why we have an epidemic of childhood obesity, diabetes, and ADHD. Do you know what the #1 killer of children is? It's cancer.

Do you think the reason might be found in what we are feeding them?

The overwhelming marketing of poor food choices to our children has resulted in a childhood obesity epidemic. Some children are even exhibiting formerly adult health problems; diabetes, high blood pressure, hormone disorders and skeletal diseases. What are we to do? How can we protect our children? How can we encourage a healthy lifestyle?

Very simply we must model the behavior ourselves in our choices both for our health and theirs.

Would love to support your transition to a healthier healthstyle! Subscribe to the Empowering Wellness Newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com

Avoiding The Flu Shot - Staying Well

2009-04-29T14:51:00.005-05:00

Oh myyyyy there's a swine flu threat. Quick make a vaccine. HUH? Not so quick. There are a lot of reasons to avoid the flu shot. I worry about folks thinking a flu shot is the end all be all to protection. There is such a push for folks to get flu shots and not near enough talk about PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for wellness. There is a lot YOU can do for YOUR HEALTH. And YOU should be doing it!

Flu shots aren't a guarantee of protection. We all remember in 2004 when the flu vaccine didn't cover the prevalent strain. There was also a study published in the Lancet which revealed there was no correlation between the flu shot and reduced risk of pneumonia. Other studies have come to the conclusion the flu vaccine is no more effective than a placebo. Hmmmm, the "experts" don't talk much about that do they?

One of the most important parts of personal responsibility for wellness is to not just follow advice. Let me explain. Some people have what I call the "Lemming Syndrome". If docs say it it must be true and they don't feel the need to find out the facts for themselves. Don't be a Lemming! Get the facts for yourself. It's YOUR LIFE we're talking about here. Who cares the most about YOU? YOU DO.

Have you ever wondered about what is in a flu shot? You really should. Read This and Read This TOO Draw your own conclusions. Note that vaccines contain mercury. In fact, there is 250 times the mercury than what is legally classified as hazardous waste in a multi-dose flu shot. Does it make sense to you to inject that in people? There are antibiotics in vaccines -- to kill off STRAY BACTERIA -- in the cocktail. Don't ya think it's a little scary to know there are stray bacteria in there? Google why those stray bacteria are in there and where they come from. (Well, I'm not gonna do all your research for you.)

Some vaccines contain Polysorbate 80. Look it up on PubMed While your looking things up; look up the connections being made about the combination of mercury, formaldehye and aluminum causing Alzheimer's.

Finally, consider that there is no evidence that flu shots actually work. You can find studies which say just that on Pub Med.

So what do you do?

1. Make sure your body has an adequate level of Vitamin D. (You can test for this in the lab - ask your doc.)Also google "Vitamin D".
2. Cut out sugar! Sugar depresses the immune system.
3. Manage your stress! Stress depresses the immune system.
4. Eat for health. Think nutrition. Eat whole fruits and veggies. Add garlic (a natural antibiotic) to your favorite recipes. Drink healthy green drinks (i.e. juice together broccoli, kale, cucumber and celery and add an apple).
5. Get sleep. Lack of adequate sleeptime depresses the immune system.
6. As recommended in the June 2002 issue of JAMA add a quality nutrition supplement to your health regimen. I recommend VitaOne and Limu Plus .
7. Get into the habit of daily exercise. It helps strengthen the immune system and relieves stress.

One thing good about the swine flu threat is it gets people thinking about how NOT to get sick. Health is so often taken for granted. Start today to take more personal responsibility for your wellness. Wellness is freedom and illness is a prison with a lot less choices.

Would LOVE to support you in your transition to a healthier lifestyle. Subscribe to my wellness newsletter "Empowering Wellness" at http://optimizetoheal.com

Pandemic Pandemonium

2009-04-28T11:18:00.003-05:00

Well good morning folks! Had an interesting (and very tiring) shift at the hospital last nite. Our ER was on diversion. (Meaning not accepting any more people - diverting to other hospitals). Why? not because of weather or trauma cases... but because the ER was crammed full of people freaked out by the swine flu.

And guess what, not even one of them had swine flu.

Let's calm our jitters. Folks who cram ER's for no good reason could possibly delay services to folks who REALLY need help. We are not at the moment having a pandemic. In fact, at this point we shouldn't even use the word. I believe the media and various government agencies have used this word very irresponsibly. At this point we don't even have an epidemic, much less a pandemic.

Yes, we should be concerned. Caution is called for here but not craziness. I can't imagine why our government leaders haven't CLOSED OUR BORDER with Mexico. (Boggles the mind doesn't it?) Maybe we should ask our leaders why our border has not been closed? Ask the senate and congress and our president

What should YOU DO?

Take personal responsibility for YOUR HEALTH. Wash your hands, support/strengthen your immune system by eating recommended servings of veggies/fruits, take a quality multi-nutrition product (I recommend VitaOne and Limu Plus and get plenty of rest.

I will go on record saying I don't believe in flu shots (nor is there one for swine flu). I believe (and I'm not alone in believing) immunizations weaken your immune system. Do YOUR due diligence and come to your own conclusions about that. Especially google the ingredients of immunizations before you take the step of getting a flu shot. If you think it makes sense to inject that cocktail in your one and only precious body.... well, what can I say? Ouch. Read here: http://tinyurl.com/c5jf9v and http://tinyurl.com/djh64w .

The people who survive epidemics have strong immune systems.
Isn't that just common sense?
How do you have a strong immune system?

You EAT NUTRITIONALLY WELL.
Get plenty of rest.
Get Moderate amount of physical exercise .
Manage stress.
.....and as recommended in the June 2002 issue of JAMA supplement your diet with a quality multi-nutrition supplement.

So don't let the media whip your emotions up! Use your common sense. Take CARE of yourself. Every cell in your body is made from the nutrition you take in. Take in nutritionally-poor junk foods and your body will build cells which may not function normally. Help your body to help you. Take in nutritionally dense veggies and fruits and build cells which are strong. Give your body the nutrients it thrives on!

Healthy cells make healthy systems make a healthy body!

Make sense to you! Yes! Good! Now calm down and take good care of you!

Eight Weeks To A Healthier Lifestyle Continued

2009-04-25T13:40:00.002-05:00

Considering the span of your lifetime in which you probably indulged in the standard American diet and lifestyle; eight weeks is a short period of time in which to reverse your unhealthy habits and create new healthy habits. No doubt you probably experienced both successes and failures during the 8 weeks. Transitioning to a healthier lifestyle is a work in progress and you are taking positive actions so don`t beat yourself up over your failures. Concentrate on your successes and continue to build on them. In this article we will explore the essential components of optimal health. Before continuing you may review the previous blogpost!

In this post we will cover more in depth four essential components of optimal health:

1. Managing Stress
2. Exercise
3. Diet
4. Mind, Body, Spirit and Self-talk

Optimal health isn't just about "eating right". Your health is affected by how you (do or don't) manage stress in your life, how sedentary you are, what you say to yourself and your beliefs. Optimal health encompasses your whole lifestyle.

Stress

Stress is the most common cause of ill health, probably resulting in as many as 70-90% of all visits to the family physician. Stress in our lives comes from many areas; workplace and/or school, financial, relationship problems being the three top situations where stress arises.

Chronic stress may lead to such chronic illnesses as: depression, cardiac disease, ulcers, obesity, anxiety disorder, sexual dysfunction, decreased immune system health and even possibly cancer. It is imperative you learn to manage the stress in your life because it is a very real danger to your health.

So how do you manage stress? Many people use food, alcoholic drink or cigarettes to give them a short term relief from stress. However, in the end this will only result in greater stress due to their long term negative effects on health. A better way to manage stress is to examine your life and determine what is creating stress in your life. Actually write down what you feel your sources of stress are on paper. If you started a journal during the 8 weeks use your journal for this. (If not why didn't you?) Now would be a good time to start a journal. You may find you have a list of stress sources. After you have determined your stress sources write down three positive actions you might take to relieve the stress of each of these sources.

Sometimes the actions needed to resolve stress are not "quick fixes". For example you may need to see a financial expert to set up a program for reducing your debt or a relationship counselor to heal your relationships or perhaps, you may need to find a new job more in line with your passions. Those things take time.

For a temporary relief from stress you may:

1. Stretch your arms above your head. Reach for the ceiling!
2. Move your hands in a circle to relieve stress in your wrists.
3. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in thru your nose and
slowly out thru your mouth. Count to ten slowly as you inhale and again as you exhale.
4. Take a walk around your desk, down the hall or even better, outside where you can appreciate the beauty of nature, benefit from the sunlight and breathe fresh air.
5. Have a bite of dark chocolate. I DO mean just a bite! Some chocolates are
healthier than others. Be choosy!
6. Try Rescue Remedy: A Bach Flower remedy you can find in most health stores.

Keep in mind those who indulge in a daily routine of exercise and eat optimally nutritious meals find dealing with stress much easier.

Exercise

A regular routine of exercise is imperative for optimal health and longevity. Exercise helps relieve stress, combats depression, increases your energy level, helps prevent osteoporosis and high blood pressure, boosts good "HDL" cholesterol, helps to maintain a normal weight, promotes better sleep and improves your sex life. Exercise is one of the keys to optimal health.

It is said the average person watches four hours of television a week. We all have time to exercise. It's a choice. There are many kinds of exercise. You can find something you enjoy doing! Take a class in ballroom dancing, or square dancing, join a gym, start walking everyday, hire a personal trainer to develop an exercise routine which accommodates your needs, the possibilities are endless! There is a form of exercise you can do no matter your age or physical ability. But check with your doctor first if you have been sedentary and/or have health issues.

If we can watch television for four hours a day we can certainly find the time to exercise for 30 minutes. Your health and quality of life depend on it!

Diet

Probably the biggest stumbling block one encounters in their journey to transitioning to a healthier lifestyle centers around food. Most people have a hard time deciding what to eat because they aren`t accustomed to having to think about what they eat. In our culture we are so used to reaching for convenience foods. It's hard to stop pulling into the local drive-up junk food place or nuking your dinner. But if you have the desire to live a life of quality with optimal health you must stop eating junk food. You will need to develop a repertoire of nutritious recipes you enjoy. In the first eight weeks you have made an attempt at eating a salad every day and increasing your vegetable intake. That wasn't easy but it was a good first step. Hopefully, you have at least decreased your intake of junk food, if you haven't totally cut it out yet.

Your next step with food is to consider eating 75% of the vegetables and fruits you eat raw. Women should eat 7 servings and men should eat 9 servings per day. Remember a serving is ½ cup. Now why would you want to eat 75% raw? Because food in it's natural state contains enzymes that are destroyed when you cook food at high temperatures. Your body needs those enzymes. Every function in the body is run by enzymes. One of the chief reasons processed food is not good for you is because enzymes are destroyed in cooking/food processing. Many illnesses can be traced to enzyme deficiencies.

Lest you think your only option for eating raw is eating salads let me tell you that is far from true! Considering you have probably spent your lifetime eating predominately cooked food this is going to take some work on your part. Obviously, you aren't just going to dive in and start eating this way. Eating 75% raw is something you work up to. The good news is you've already started! You can learn more about eating raw and how to transition to eating 75% raw by reading any of these books:

1."12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food" by Victoria Boutenko and Gabriel Cousens
2."Raw: The Uncook Book: New Vegetarian Food for Life" by Juliano, Erika Lenkert,and Juliano Brotman
3."Living on Live Food" by Alissa Cohen
4. "Eat To Live" by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
5. "Lupus Recovery Diet" by Jill Harrington

Food in it`s natural state supports our immune system. We have taken food in its natural state, and adulterated it with additives, processing, coloring etc. As a result we have many chronic diseases and acutely severe diseases such as cancer. We must return to eating foods in their natural state. Every cell in your body is created from what you eat. If you assist your immune system by giving it the nutrients it needs your immune system will assist you in combating, recovering from and even preventing chronic illness.

Mind, Body, Spirit

We are not just physical beings. We are also mental and spiritual beings and the balance between mind, body and spirit contributes to our degree of optimal health. There is so much busy-ness in life we frequently forget to care for the deeper inner us when, in fact, the spirit facet of us needs care just as our mind and body do. Whether one explores spirituality by engaging in one of the worlds many faith traditions or embarks on an independent path it is a journey vitally important to optimal health.

Our connection with spirit paves the foundation for our understanding and experience of the concepts of forgiveness and gratitude, the importance of service and compassion and the equal importance of giving and receiving. Connection with spirit helps us to choose love, make positive choices, have meaningful relationships and connect to the joy of being. These are all integral to managing stress, feeling happiness and creating optimal health in our life. In optimal health spirit uplifts the body and mind. It is important to take some time to give some thought as to what part spirituality plays in your life.

You may further explore spirituality in these books:
1. "Finding Joy: A Practical Spiritual Guide to Happiness" by Dannel Schwartz and Mark Hass
2. "There`s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem" by Wayne Dyer
3. "The Laws of Spirit: A Tale of Transformation" by Dan Millman

Self Talk

What is it you say to yourself when you're alone? Self-talk is key to mind/body interaction. What it is you say to yourself over and over colors your attitude, raises or lowers both your energy and stress levels, it may affect your relationships or finances, your emotional state and even the degree of success you have in life. Your self-talk has very real effects upon your health and life.

Negative self-talk such as "I can't", "I'm dumb", or "I'm fat" demoralizes you,lessens your self-esteem and creates a setting for depression to take hold and your immune system to be weakened. On the other hand positive self-talk such as "I'm good", "I can do it" or "I'm a beautiful person" raises self-esteem, combats depression and motivates you to take positive action. It gives you a sense of well-being,less stress and a stronger immune system.

Are you in a negative rut with your self-talk? Sometimes people fall into a habit of negative self-talk which becomes very hard to overcome and change. But you can! When you find yourself thinking something negative immediately replace the thought with a positive one. Take some time in your journal writing to make a list of your good qualities and the things and people in your life for which you feel gratitude. Focus on solutions instead of problems. Be your own best friend.

So what are your next plans in transitioning to a healthier lifestyle? Consider these suggestions:

1. If you haven't completely stopped eating fast and/or processed food resolve to do so. It's a hard habit to break, but as you incorporate more fresh vegetables and fruits into your daily nutrition regimen you will find it will become easier to say no to less healthier options.
2. Go to the library or bookstore and get a raw food book(s) and discover the amazing array of healthy gourmet options open to you. You will be pleasantly surprised! Gradually incorporate recipes and ideas from these books into your daily nutrition regimen. This will also help you to stop eating unhealthy foods.
3. Continue to journal about your successes and thoughts and feelings regarding transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. It makes a difference to write it down!
4. Plan your meals a week at a time so that less healthier options aren't inviting.
5. Don't forget about your stress list positive actions. Go to work resolving your stress issues.

Lastly, be proud of yourself for taking responsibility for your health. Continue to make small changes in your day to day life which enhance your new healthy lifestyle. A balanced life with optimal health is a great joy. One in which you can experience the complete fullness of life. Don't settle for anything less!

Eight Weeks To A Healthier Lifestyle

2009-04-25T12:13:00.003-05:00

Many of my clients tell me they want to live in a healthier way. They know they need to overhaul their eating, but don't know where to start and often they feel more than a little overwhelmed. Does that also describe you? Does the prospect of a major lifestyle change seem a little overwhelming to you?

Making healthy lifestyle changes does not have to be overwhelming. The key to incorporating healthy positive changes in your lifestyle is to break the changes down into do-able actions. As you gradually make positive changes in your lifestyle and consistently repeat them, they will become new healthy habits.

Before you start making changes I would suggest you keep a journal while you are instituting changes into your lifestyle. Write about how you feel about making changes, the difficulties, as well as the successes you have along the way. What changes might you make? Here's a suggested (but not all inclusive) 8 week plan to get you started on your new healthy lifestyle:

Week One: Instead of drinking soda drink water. Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. Does this sound like a lot to you? Get yourself a 32 ounce mug. It's much easier psychologically to drink two mugs of water rather than 8 - eight ounce glasses. I would suggest getting a good water filtration system for your home or drinking spring water which you can find in any grocery store. Do not drink tap water! You may add lemon to your water to enhance taste.

Week Two: Eat a salad every day. I would not recommend the "chemical ridden" salad dressings in your favorite grocery store. Rather, you may use a little orange or lemon juice as a dressing or a tablespoon of flaxseed oil. Olive oil makes a good salad dressing especially if you add a little minced shallot, Dijon mustard, garlic powder or minced garlic to it. You might also go to your favorite library, bookstore or online vegetarian website and look-up a recipe for healthy salad dressings. Don't use the commercial brands.

Week Three: In addition to the salad you're now eating everyday, resolve to eat five more vegetable servings per day. This isn't hard when you stop to realize a serving is only ½ cup. Be sure to eat vegetables of different colors. Make your plate colorful! The more colors in your plate of food, the more nutrients you are giving your body.

Week Four: Stop eating all fast and processed foods. Yes, it's really convenient to pull into the nearby fast food place or to nuke something in the microwave. But these foods are lacking in nutrients and are high in both calories and the wrong kind of fat. Use the rule -- 'if God didn't make it, I won't eat it'. Think of it this way: every cell in your body is made from the food you eat. If you eat less than healthy food, your body will enjoy less than optimal health.

Week Five (for coffee drinkers): Cut down on coffee! Resolve to have only one cup in the morning. If you are a heavy coffee drinker you may consider having one cup of caffeinated coffee and remaining cups 50/50 caffeinated and non-caffeinated. Gradually change over to just 50/50 and then slowly decrease the number of cups you have until you're only drinking one cup. You might even consider booting coffee out of your life. Perhaps, switch to green tea for its antioxidant qualities.

Week Five (for non-coffee drinkers): Have a cup of green tea every morning. For added health benefit, add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.

Week Six: Begin eating four fruits a day. If you haven't been wild about eating fruits up till now then start with eating two a day and work up to four. Oh and fruit juices don't count! Your body needs the fiber from whole fruit.

Week Seven: Incorporate some form of exercise into your daily regimen. If you have been mostly sedentary for some time, do check with your physician before starting an exercise program. Your exercise regimen could be as simple as walking. Get a pedometer and work up to 10,000 steps per day.

Week Eight (for smokers): With the issuance of the recent Surgeon General's report, don't you agree it's clear how bad smoking is for your health? Here it is if you haven't read it: (http://surgeongeneral.gov/) . There are many ways to quit smoking, however, there is no one way which works for everyone. You might try hypnotism or auricular therapy. Some folks go "cold turkey" and just stop. If you are a heavy "nervous" type smoker I recommend you talking with your doctor about how to quit and be sure to look-up an area support group. You can find a smoking cessation group in your area by contacting the American Lung Association or by calling the respiratory care department of your local hospital.

Week Eight (for everyone): Go through your kitchen pantry and refrigerator and throw out anything containing high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners (i.e. aspartame, NutraSweet, Splenda).

Give yourself a pat on the back. You have worked very hard for eight weeks. The changes you have made in your lifestyle have gotten you started on a healthier path. You may have even lost some weight during these eight weeks. Your consistency with these changes will change your life. You will find you'll have more energy, less aches and pains and a healthier frame of mind. Congratulations!

For support in transitioning to a healthier lifestyle subscribe to "Empowering Wellness" Newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com

Western Medicine Is Broken

2009-04-22T11:35:00.003-05:00

Ohhhhh I feel a rant coming on. I just turned off my television. I can't tell you how much I hate pharmaceutical commercials. They must think we're all idiots.

Western medicine is broken. It is deadly, expensive, corrupt, inefficient, and riddled with greedy "special interest" which care more about the bottom line ($$$) than you or I. Have you really listened to pharmaceutical commercials on tv? Pay attention to the side effects and then ask yourself: Isn't there a better way?

I always ask myself who listens to the rundown of side effects on pharmaceutical commercials then runs to his/her doctor to ask for the drug. Yet as a respiratory therapist who knows many doctors I KNOW people DO THIS. It boggles the mind! WAKE UP PEOPLE!

Does our reliance on pharmaceuticals really make sense to you? Why have we forgotten God gave us ALL WE NEED to nourish our body? Do you realize the more we hear pharmaceutical commercials the more we get comfortable with side effects? How dangerous do you think that is? I think it's criminal to have pharmaceutical commercials on television.

Your body does not have a deficiency of any pharmaceutical. Drugs are poison. They rob your body of nutrients. Don't believe me? Take a look at the book, "Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook" published by Lexi-Comp, Inc. Yes pharmaceuticals have a place. They are indeed life-saving in acute situations. But they also rob your body of nutrients and in the case of most chronic illnesses do not offer a cure, but only cover up or suppress symptoms.

Remember the various drug retractions a few years ago (ie the Cox2 debacle)? These will only continue to occur. Why? Because the human body was not made to handle synthetic substances. Have you heard about the side effects of Viagra? (Google it!) You can't fool Mother Nature but we'll keep trying. We don't have disease because of a lack of toxic, synthetic chemical drugs in our body.

We have disease because vital cell function is impeded due to stress, toxins and a lack of nutrient components that only come from diet and supplementation. Disease, quite frankly, is your body crying out for what it isn't getting.

Nutrients! the modern "missing link" of wellness. We have to stop relying on pharmaceuticals for health. Drugs do not create health. Nutrients create health. Veggies and fruits of all colors. Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals! Life-enriching goodness from nature.

Aaaahhh I'm glad I got that out. I hope you ponder it and become proactive about your wellness. What! You haven't subscribed to the Empowering Wellness Newsletter! Quick go here: http://optimizetoheal.com/ a free Ebook too.. what a deal!

I Win... And You Can Too!

2009-04-21T10:39:00.002-05:00

This is a cardio day and I must say I had a great cardio workout this morning! I'm so psyched.... my balance is better, doing steps better, way stronger .....Ha! so much for Lupus...I WIN!

Started this blog to document my success with the Shrink It Weight Loss System but it's really more than that for me. It's another victory over lupus from which I've been in remission for five years (during which I've earned an M.S. in Holistic Nutrition.) Nutrition gave me back my life. It is now my mission to keep this body as optimally healthy as I can. My body was exercise intolerant during the time my lupus was active. So it was with some fear I started my exercise routine. (Hmmm who am I kidding? It was with a LOT of fear.) I workout four days a week. Two cardio and two strength training. Let me say I'm going at it with a single-minded determination. I will NOT let illness take the choices in my life away from me again.

It's somewhat unfortunate the Shrink It Weight Loss System has "weight loss" in the name. It's about much more than losing weight. The products in the Shrink It System support your optimal health. For instance, everyone should be taking a quality multi-nutrition product like VitaOne . In 2002, it was recommended in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) everyone take a quality multi-nutrition supplement. Why? Because most folks don't eat very healthy to begin with AND our produce now has 5 - 40% less nutrients in it. So even if you eat well you can't get all the nutrients your body needs.

Or let's look at another product in the Shrink It system Omega 3. Omega 3 is a good fat. You need good fats to help you lose weight, but Omega 3 has a lot of other benefits too. Google "Omega 3 benefits". You will be amazed!

So yeah this has been another victory for me. I'm losing 2 lbs a week and am much stronger. But it's NOT about losing weight. Losing weight is NOT about losing weight for anybody. Losing weight is terrific and it makes you feel good to look better. But it's really about being HEALTHIER and fostering a Healthstyle which works for you instead of against you!

Eat well, exercise, feel better, look better... give your body the support it needs to work optimally well. I'm winning my battle...... I don't want you to have a battle to win. It's a whole lot easier to stay well than to get well. Every facet of your life depends on your wellness. Don't take it for granted. OK?

Subscribe to Empowering Wellness Newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com

What Is Freedom?

2009-04-20T16:31:00.002-05:00

I can answer that question in three words. Health is freedom.

Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you didn't have your health?
What if you couldn't work to support yourself or your family?
What if you couldn't do the things you now enjoy doing on your time off from work?
What if you were so incompacitated you had to depend on someone else to dress, feed and bathe you?

When we take good health for granted and our healthstyle incorporates primarily nutrient poor foods and a lack of exercise we set ourselves up for a variety of "lifestyle diseases". The it-won't-happen-to-me or the I'll-start-eating-better-tomorrow attitudes are the most dangerous attitudes you can have. Why? Because the human body can withstand an amazing amount of nutritional abuse; but when Mother Nature says "Enough" ..... times up. You don't have time to procrastinate. Mother Nature plays by HER rules not yours.

Illness is a prison. I know. I've been there. It's way harder to get well then to stay well. But I did it! Life with choices is oh so much better. Life with the stamina abd strength to do all the things you enjoy is priceless. Life with health is life with the freedom to become all that you can.

Take it from me the freedom to be you is worth more than money.

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Mindful Choices

2009-04-15T17:34:00.004-05:00

Consider this. Hypertension isn't just about hypertension. Hypertension is never just about hypertension. Diabetes is not just about diabetes. Cancer is not just about cancer. Physical problems usually never happen in isolation. And it's not just about your genes either. Well it sorta is. There's a lot of scientific evidence coming to the forefront now saying hypertension, diabetes, cancer, heart disease is about your healthstyle. Make no mistake about it, it's also about the quality of the rest of your life.

Think about this. Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer are preventable. Why then do we have an epidemic of all of these? Why then are 50% of people over age 50 dealing with hypertension? I was talking to a cardiologist a while back who felt that we are genetically preprogrammed for hypertension. Ok, maybe there is a gene for that. This conversation took place before Dr Dean Ornish's study in which he found lifestyle (what I like to call Healthstyle) could turn off or turn on bad genes. Yes, it's about your HEALTHSTYLE. It's greatly up to you! As Dr Dean Ornish says, your genes are not your fate.... http://tinyurl.com/47avy7

I can't tell you how important it is to manage stress in your life. Stress and inflammation go hand in hand. Inflammation is your body's worst nightmare. You must manage stress. Exercise helps manage stress as does eating nutritionally. The functional beverage Limu Plus helps with stress. And are you happy in the work you do? Are you working at your passion? If not, figure out how you can.

Not long ago I had a nutrition discussion with a young mother of three. She stated yes she knew nutrition is important but when you're surrounded by processed foods how can you not eat them? The answer to that is really simple; it's a choice you make. Don't buy it and you won't eat it. You can choose to eat healthy, life-giving fresh whole foods or you can choose to eat nutrient-poor processed foods and pay the price later in illness. We all make choices. She didn't like that answer. People resist change even when on some level they know it's the right thing to do. Change is uncomfortable. However, 85% of diseases are related to nutrition. Like I keep saying, it's a choice.

I choose to eat mindfully aware of nutrition and take the super-nutrition supplement VitaOne for added support. I choose to make the choices which support my best life. There are so many good choices we can make to support our wellness. It boggles my mind to see grocery carts full of everything but fresh whole fruits and veggies. What was in your last grocery cart?

What Is Your Best Life?

2009-04-15T17:07:00.005-05:00

Remember a few blog posts back I said my work as a holistic nutritionist wasn't just about teaching folks to eat mindfully and encourage exercise? It's about the WHOLE you. I want to help you live your best life.

Let's talk about that! I think most people would agree a good life which supports wellness and joy is comprised of fulfilling relationships with other people, optimal health/fitness and a feeling of inner contentment and happiness. Contentment comes along with fulfilling relationships and optimal health, but also with meaningful work. Also whether you believe in God or not and whether you participate in organized religion or not; a spiritual connection of some kind is an important and necessary part of your life. It is integral to the expression of wellness and joy in your life.

Let's stop a minute and recap; your best life supportive of wellness and joy is comprised of:

a. Fulfilling relationships with other people

b. Optimal health/fitness

c. Inner Contentment/Happiness

d. Meaningful work. Spiritual Connection

How close is your life to the ideal circumstance of each of those five objectives? How balanced is your life?

I have homework for you to do. My clients have found this exercise immensely beneficial. Sometimes we need someone else to give us "permission" to get off the merry-go-round we live on and take some "me" time. Time to take stock of our life; what we're happy with and what we need to change in order to be happy. Consider this your permission to do just that! So get a glass of iced tea (or whatever you like); find a comfy quiet spot and with a journal or notebook ponder the questions below. The questions are just a place to start....just go with them and write what you feel. Hey, I'm not asking you to do anything I haven't already done....I promise you it'll be worthwhile. Nobody needs to see what you write. It's just between you and your notebook.

1.Write down the names of the five people closest to you. Next to their names write your feelings about how they add to your life. Do all the people in your life support you positively? Are there negative people close to you in your life? How do people who are negative make you feel? Do you let the negative people in your life rob you of your power?

2. Write about what you do with fore-thought to clearly support your health. How many servings of fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, dairy do you eat everyday? Or do you even give any thought about eating in a nutritive way? If you've already started the Shrink It Weight Loss System you're ahead of the game. Congratulations! What do you do for exercise? Do you workout in a gym? at home? How many minutes/hours a week do you exercise? Or are you a couch potato? How much do you weigh? Do you have any idea how much sodium is in your daily diet? Are you happy with your level of wellness?

3. Write about your life. Are you more often happy or sad? Are you depressed? Do you always feel hurried? Is there not enough time in the day? Do you wake up smiling? Do you ever just take time for you? What do you do for enjoyment? How often? Some people never stop "doing". They are incessantly on life's treadmill and complaining. Is that you? What would your ideal life look like?

4. Write about your feelings regarding your work. Is your work just a job for which you get a paycheck? Or do you wake up in the morning with a passion to do the work you do? Why, or why not? What IS your passion? What puts a bounce in your step and a smile on your face? If you're not doing that which puts a bounce in your step and a smile on your face, why aren't you?

5. You are not just a mind and a body. You are also spirit. Your spiritual self plays an integral part in the expression of physical wellness and emotional joy. For instance, (and this is just one small example) the act of meditating makes dieting more successful by getting at the cause of excessive appetite or emotional eating habits. What part does spirit play in your life? What do you do to support/enhance the spiritual side of your nature?

In this journaling exercise you may have found insight into not only what is right about your life, but also what you could change to support and enhance wellness and joy in your life. You don't need to make sweeping changes in your life all at once. In fact, you shouldn't. Rather, make small changes over a period of months. Maybe the questions I presented you with only scratched the surface. Schedule some quiet time and think about your life! Decide how you would like to improve your relationships with other people, attain optimal health/fitness, increase your work happiness and your connection to the spiritual. Be sure to see your physician before you start an exercise program.

And yes, I can hear you saying, "What does this have to do with weightloss, being healthier or optimal wellness"? My friend, it has everything to do with it. Consider these wise words:

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." ~World Health Organization, 1948

"The concept of total wellness recognizes that our every thought, word, and behavior affects our greater health and well-being. And we, in turn, are affected not only emotionally but also physically and spiritually." Greg Anderson

Contemplate what you need to change in your life in order to experience your BEST life. Until you THINK about what your Best life would be how can you have it?

Wishing You Wellness and Joy!
Pam Murphy,M.S.,RRT Holistic Health Coach
314-397-0686 anytime (really!)

A Seat In Hell

2009-04-15T16:24:00.005-05:00

Food is the most powerful drug on earth and yet we don't think about it. We mindlessly pull into drive-up windows and eat big butt burgers, fries and sodas or imbibe $4 coffees. Most of us don't give a second thought to the nutrition (or lack thereof) in our food. But we wonder why the ranks of chronic illnesses and obesity are swelling (no pun intended). Are we stupid?

Think about this. Humans are the only creatures on the face of the earth which feed their children junk food. How dumb are we? Seriously, have you stopped to read the ingredients of some of the food marketed to kids. I swear there must be a seat in hell reserved for anyone who would market frankenfood to kids. Do you realize cancer is the #1 killer of kids? And we're now seeing Type 2 diabetes (an ADULT disease) in children. Ya think it could be what they are eating? and drinking? Are we stupid?

Considering food as a powerful natural drug; here's something to think about:

"With the exception of accidents and suicide, the 10 leading causes of death in the US can all be caused by eating the wrong diet, and all of them have been cured by eating the right diet!" metabolictypingonline.com

There's an awful lot of evidence out there that what you eat is pretty darn important to your best level of survival, huh! Throughout this blog I've been telling you to think twice about processed foods. We all need to be eating fresh fruits and veggies and much much much less processed foods. Whole foods should be the centerpiece of your healthstyle.

Let's look at the benefits of just one food, grapes:

Daily grape juice consumption reduces oxidative DNA damage and plasma free radical levels in healthy Koreans.
Park YK, Park E, Kim JS, Kang MH.
Mutat Res. 2003 Aug 28;529(1-2):77-86. Erratum in: Mutat Res. 2004 Feb 26;546(1-2):103

Concord grape juice supplementation reduces blood pressure in Korean hypertensive men: double-blind, placebo controlled intervention trial.
Park YK, Kim JS, Kang MH.
Biofactors. 2004;22(1-4):145-7.

Potential health benefits from the flavonoids in grape products on vascular disease.
Folts JD.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2002;505:95-111. Review.

Grape flavonoids and menopausal health.
Huntley AL.
Menopause Int. 2007 Dec;13(4):165-9. Review.

It would be to your benefit if you cast all processed foods from your life. It CAN be done! It's a CHOICE folks. Make the right one. The future quality of your precious life depends on it.

Oh well there I go ranting again..... sometimes I can't help myself. Went to the grocery store this morning and do you know how MANY grocery carts I saw with NOT ONE fresh veggie or fruit in them. Carts full of frankenfoods filled with colorings, preservatives, sugar, ugh! .... it was a holistic nutritionist bad dream. I very nearly needed to duct tape my mouth. Honest.

Soooo tell me how are YOU doing on the Shrink It Weight Loss System I need to hear from you! I've had a few of you call me but I know there's more of you out there. I don't bite but I may take your potato chips away from you. Seriously, I'm here for you! Let me HELP YOU. K?

Need some help transitioning to a healthstyle which supports your wellness? Subscribe to the Empowering Wellness Newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com

Pam Murphy,M.S.,RRT

314-397-0686 ANYTIME!!! (really!)

Repetition and Acceptance

2009-04-15T16:12:00.003-05:00

Hmmmm...Let's see millions of dollars are spent per year to program you to drink soda. Repetition works.

Fast food places spend millions of dollars per year to program you to eat fast food.

Repetition works.

Can you see how this relates to pharmaceutical commercials? And the acceptance of side effects?Repetition works.

Yes, repetition works. But it only works if you aren't thinking about what you are putting into your body. It only works if you haven't taken responsibility for your wellness. No-one would put water in the gas tank of their car and expect their car to run. Cars run on gasoline. What you put into your body to "make it run" is as important as the fuel you put in your car. Your body "runs" on nutrients.

You can get away for a lot of years with being a couch bum and eating less than nutritiously. But it will eventually catch up with you. It will catch up with you in the form of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, etc. You know; the lifestyle diseases.

We have to start thinking critically. Thinking for ourselves. Thinking people eat food because it is nutritious. Thinking people need less pharmaceuticals (and sometimes none). Thinking people are healthier.

If you take care to exercise and put the right nutrients into your body you will greatly lessen the chances of having to succumb to using pharmaceuticals. And you will greatly enhance your quality of life. Think about it.

Corn Puffs Or Carrot Sticks?

2009-04-15T15:43:00.006-05:00

Have some questions for you. Did you ever consider injecting yourself with heroin? And is it perfectly acceptable to you to drink a six-pack every night? I bet right now you're thinking; "Whoa she's nuts!" Admittedly those are extreme examples. (Got your attention though, huh!)

It's amazing the number of people who would not think of doing the above, but who think nothing of plopping themselves on the couch to watch TV while wolfing down a bag of chips or bowl of ice cream every night. Fast track to diabetes and cardiac complications. Where did you think lifestyle diseases started? They start in many cases on a couch in front of the television.

The processed food industry has done such a good job of inundating us with mind-numbing commercials for snackfoods; we don't even think twice anymore about nutritional content or what our bodies need in order to work properly. Does your lifestyle need a change? Change it NOW or deal with the effects of your choices in the form of illness later. Where do you start?

Start with thinking BEFORE you eat. Learn to substitute healthy snacks for the unhealthy snacks you crave.

If you're craving candy try eating a piece of fruit. If you're craving ice cream try eating some (natural) applesauce.

If you're craving cheese puffs try eating carrots. If you're craving potato chips try eating pretzels or popcorn.

If you make GOOD CHOICES often enough they become easier and then become a new healthy habit. Cool how that works, huh?

Do you need help changing your healthstyle? Subscribe to the Empowering Wellness newsletter http://optimizetoheal.com/

An Amazing Life

2009-04-15T14:49:00.005-05:00

Thought I'd tell you about a product today. It's what is called a functional beverage (i.e. a health beverage). It's not a part of the Shrink It Weight Loss System, (but I think it should be). Take a look at the functional beverage Limu Plus. Here's two audios about it: Part one http://tinyurl.com/cbk7lr and Part two http://tinyurl.com/d6ml3y . They talk about fucoidan on the audios. Go to http://pubmed.gov/ and search "fucoidan". You'll find over 700 studies. You'll quite possibly thank me for telling you to go search "fucoidan". A minute of your time could change your life. Awesome, huh! This could quite possibly be the best tip anyone will ever give you. I drink Limu Plus every day. (hint, hint.)

The hospitals are filled with folks suffering lifestyle diseases. Ills which could have been prevented. Think about this. THINK. Do you realize the World Health Organization (WHO) states 70% of Cancer is preventable with healthy nutrition? Did you know an optimally working immune system stops cancer in it's tracks everyday? So how well are you taking care of yourself! If that knowledge doesn't motivate you to eat healthy nothing will. (Again, go search "fucoidan"). They also say 70% of all disease starts with a deficiency of antioxidants. NUTRITION! Red, yellow, green, orange, white veggies and fruits! Fill your plate with color to support your wellness!

It's a sad thing to see a preventable illness take away the choices in a persons life or even take their life. No one needs to suffer a lifestyle disease; unless you make poor eating and exercise choices. Resolve today to make your lifestyle (I like to call it your "healthstyle") work FOR you instead of AGAINST you.

Life is terrific... get all the goodness out of it you can! What an amazing gift life is! I have a hard time putting into words what it was like to be sick for 17 years and then find myself in remission. How blessed I have been! I struggle to impart what a joy life is to everyone I meet. But there aren't words expressive enough to explain how differently I experience life in remission. It's 110% awesome and that is an understatement! I'll say this you have not seen the true beauty of a rose (or any flower) until your life has been threatened. The beauty I see is beyond description. What a gift life is!

You know my work as a holistic health coach isn't just about healthy eating and exercise encouragement. It's about the whole you! I want you to have your BEST life! Your best life starts with being mindful of giving yourself health-enriching nutrition and moving your muscles. There's no getting around it. Yet people will say "I don't have time". Do you have time for illness? Illness doesn't give you a choice in how you spend your time.

Think of it this way (and yes you've read these words from me before). If you were diagnosed with a life threatening disease you would do everything you could to get well. You'd seek out nutrition advice and eat healthier. You'd seek out exercise advice and (if you were able) you'd exercise. Cos you don't want your life to change; you don't want to have to depend on anyone else and want to be able to provide for yourself and family. Oh and you don't want to die before your time. Don't you agree?

And if you think about it I'd guess you'd agree (wouldn't you?) most of us live such a fast-paced life we often don't take time to ponder how much we love our life or ourselves; until we get sick and are forced too. Consider taking proactive care of yourself? The western medical system is so tuned into reactivity. It's much easier to stay well then to get well. Our reactivity mindset fuels the problems with our healthcare system. We MUST reframe our outlook on wellness. Love yourself NOW! You are special and unique! Your smile lights up the world around you! You Rock! Make your healthstyle work FOR you instead of AGAINST you and have your BEST life.

Need help with your healthstyle? Subscribe to my Empowering Wellness newsletter at http://optimizetoheal.com

Change Your Healthstyle, Change Your Life

2009-04-15T09:18:00.004-05:00

Good Morning! And it's a beautiful sunny spring morning here! Yeaaa! My clients tell me they know they need to overhaul their eating but they don't know where to start. Is that YOU? Well, I have some good info for you today. Changing your lifestyle ( I like to call it "healthstyle") will literally change your life. You'll have more energy, less aches and pains and a healthier mentality. Here are some tips to help you change your healthstyle to a healthier one?

Start with eating approximately every 3 hrs. (i.e. 4 - 6 times a day, three meals and 2 or 3 snacks). Spreading the calories out benefits you a couple ways:

You maintain your energy all day.
You balance your sugar and prevent cravings.

And remember never ever skip breakfast. It sets you up for the rest of the day!

But what to eat and how much?? Let's look at your plate: divide it into thirds. One section will be for protein, one for a complex carb and the last for a fruit or vegetable. So when you sit down to eat you will have one serving of a protein, a complex carb, and a fruit/vegetable. For example, have a 4 ounce piece of salmon with 1/2 cup of brown rice, and a salad.

The next meal substitute the salmon for turkey, the rice for quinoa, and the salad for asparagus. Or substitute the salmon for chicken, the rice for a slice of whole grain bread, and the salad for broccoli. (Hint: I like to use flaxseed oil on my toast instead of butter! I even sprinkle it on my vegies!) What about breakfast? Have a hard boiled egg with a few strawberries or a slice of melon and 1/2 whole grain bagel or english muffin. Or have a smoothie (soy milk, strawberries and banana with Appetizer Diet Vanilla Shake). Eating like this you will have approximately 300 - 400 calories per meal.

So what about snacks? Well, here are some ideas for 100 calorie healthy snacks:

1. 2 domino-sized slices low-fat Colby or cheddar cheese
2. 1 cup sliced apples with 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter (I recommend organic peanut butter not the commercial peanut butter with added sugar).
3. 10 dry roasted cashews or 12-15 natural almonds.
4. One hard boiled egg.5. 1 cup squash (baked acorn or butternut)
6. 5 oz. Turkey breast (roasted, no skin)
7. 25 pistachios8. 10 cashew nuts
9. Half a small avocado
10. 3 ounces cooked whole-grain noodles with 1 fresh tomato and 1/2 ounce hard cheese
11. 3 handfuls of unbuttered popcorn, seasoned with herbs
12. 2 ounces of lean roast beef
13. 2 TB hummus and 10 baby carrots
14. as many cucumber and celery sticks as you'd like
15. Scramble 5 egg whites and cook in a non-stick skillet. Top with 1Tbsp of salsa.

How do you incorporate the Shrink It Weight Loss System into your eating regimen? Here are some suggestions:

Have a shake and a cookie for breakfast OR lunch OR dinner (I prefer lunch.)
Have a shake OR a cookie for one of your snacks
Take your VitaOne and Omega 3 supplements at breakfast.

Keep in mind eating mindfully aware of nutrition is only one facet of your new healthy lifestyle! Do NOT forget exercise! Exercise is important to a healthy body. However, be sure to check with your physician before starting an exercise program; especially if you have been sedentary for a long time. Drink a Crave Energy Drink before/during your exercise routine!

Did you know loss of muscle mass is a huge reason for a lagging metabolism? Being sedentary, as many of us are these days, is a great detriment to maintaining a normal weight. Muscle burns a lot more calories than fat. So get off that couch! Find yourself a form of exercise you will enjoy and then DO IT! Hire a personal trainer to work with you (as I have) to develop an exercise routine you can live with if you must. Do what you must do to get yourself off the couch and moving!

As always I'm here to help you! And with the purchase of the Shrink It Weight Loss System I give free health coaching to support you (1 - 30 min phone session a week and unlimited email contact).

Don't Believe The Doctors

2009-04-14T10:21:00.005-05:00

Wow! what a great morning! Great workout at the gym. Today is an aerobic day; bike, arc trainer, arc trainer with arms and treadmill. FUN!! FUN! FUN!

If you have a chronic illness, don't believe your docs. When lupus was socking it to me at the worst one of my docs referred to me in his notes as "steroid dependent" and "unfortunate". All of my docs told me I'd be on steroids (prednisone) forever. When I grew tired of hearing docs say "I don't know" I took charge of my wellness and responsibility for finding answers on my own. Today I am OFF all pharmaceuticals and have been in remission for five years. I'm anything but "unfortunate" and most certainly NOT steroid dependent. Hence, the reason I went back to school and earned an M.S. in Holistic Nutrition. I want to help others like I was helped.

I'm not going to tell you that changing your diet, changing your mind and exercising is going to give you the remission that I have attained. I don't know that. I DO KNOW everything in your life which isn't promoting wellness which you change for the better will give you a greater degree of wellness. So what are you waiting for? Give yourself a fighting chance! Western medicine is really good at creating victims. Doctors don't have fortune-telling ability. Don't let them put a black cloud over your life. You can choose NOT to be a victim! You ALWAYS have a choice.

That bears saying again: You ALWAYS have a choice!

I've seen so many people with chronic diseases just give up. They only do what their docs tell them. They don't try to help themselves. They become victims as they become their disease. The minute you identify with your disease and allow it to define your life you become a victim. Realize this: In 17 yrs of my lupus being active not one physician (and I had an army of them) inquired about my nutrition. NUTRITION is what gave me my life back.

This advice goes to the "healthy" folks out there too! Read yesterdays blog. If you aren't taking charge and taking responsibility for your wellness you have a really high probability of joining the ranks of those with chronic illness. Remember 85% of diseases are lifestyle related. So get off your butt! Stop saying you don't have time to exercise or cook healthy meals. In a REAL WAY you DON'T have time. You don't have time to waste making excuses. "Healthy" people don't have to be victims of lifestyle diseases either... UNLESS you choose to be!

Start with a terrific multi-nutrition supplement, VitaOne . VitaOne is part of the Shrink It Weight Loss System. It's a terrific supplement whether you have weight to lose or not. The Super Nutrition of one VitaOne packet is equivalent to nutrients found in: 30 cups Kiwi (niacin), 15 oz Steak (magnesium), 50 cups cooked carrots (B6), 198 Medium Apples (vitamin A), 10 cups Green Beans(folic acid), 5 cups Raw Spinach (calcium), 378 Cantaloupes(Vitamin E), 48 slices Wheat Slices (zinc), 3 cups Green tea (polyphenol Extract content), and 60 peaches (Vitamin C). One packet a day delivers the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, concentrated green nutrients, enzymes and essential fatty acids your body needs.

Take some time today and ponder what in your life does not promote wellness. Get a notebook or a journal and make a list. Resolve to replace what doesn't promote wellness with behaviors which do promote wellness. Make a second list of positive behaviors you wish to change to. Then go at them one at a time.

Your daily nutrition regimen should include:

Women - 7 servings of veggies and fruits
Men - 9 servings of veggies and fruits
Children - 5 servings of veggies and fruits

If you need to lose weight I recommend the Shrink It Weight Loss System If not you can purchase the system products individually as well as childrens vitamins here . Everyone needs to supplement their nutrition with a quality multi-nutrition product.

Do what you can to make your lifestyle work for you instead of against you!

And don't believe the doctors..... You always have a choice! You don't have to be a victim.

If you take my advice and I so hope you do please let me know how things are going for you.

To your wellness and joy,

Pam Murphy,M.S.,RRT pamsteam@gmail.com 314-397-0686 anytime!

Facts For Thought

2009-04-13T17:17:00.002-05:00

Wow! I had a great workout with my personal trainer this morning. I look forward to my workouts at the gym. Four mornings a week I mix up a bottle of CRAVE energy drink and head to the gym. Gradually I'm able to do more and more. I have noticed my balance is better and I'm stronger.

But enough about me; I wanted to share some facts lots of folks aren't aware of with you today:

1. Human genes remember a sugar hit for two weeks, with prolonged poor eating habits capable of permanently altering DNA. - (from a study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine)

2. 85% of all disease can be directly attributed to lifestyle, (it's an AMA fact).

3. 90% of doctor visits can be attributed to stress.

4. At least 70% of cancer can be PREVENTED thru nutrition according to the World Health Organization.

If your health, exercise and eating habits haven't turned you into a firm, energetic and unstoppable powerhouse perhaps you need to change your habits. Ya think?

To often I hear from people they don't have time to cook healthier meals or exercise. Oh well, we all make choices. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. But the statistics I gave you paint a very grim picture of where a lifestyle of poor health, exercise and eating will lead you. You must get your lifestyle working for you instead of against you! I'm hoping you take these statistics to heart.

It's not easy to correct poor health, exercise and eating habits. The benefits of a healthy lifestyle aren't just about gaining or losing weight or being sick or well. Your success in what you do with your life is impacted by your lifestyle. Sometimes folks think they can put off exercising and improving their lifestyle until they are farther along in their career; until they've reached a certain level of success. But in actuality it works in reverse. Put your health first and everything else in your life is enhanced. Quite frankly, especially if you are already overweight you don't have time to not have time to put your health first.

Don't try to change everything all at once. Change one thing at a time. First, get your doctors OK to start an exercise program. Then find an exercise you enjoy. Add a salad a day. Add a piece of fruit a day. Start drinking 8 glasses of water a day. You get the idea? Gradually you'll find yourself feeling better, normalizing your weight, having more energy than you've had in a long time.

Need some help? I'm always available to you. And as always I'm offering free health coaching with the purchase of the Shrink It WeightLoss System. You can also get the supplements individually here: Pams Nutrition Store

Pam Murphy,M.S.,RRT
314-397-0686 anytime
quantumwellness@charter.net

Big Butt Burgers, Sodas and DNA

2009-04-11T09:34:00.003-05:00

One of things I missed more than anything else when my lupus was active was working out. I loved to work out. Unfortunately during the years my lupus was active my body was exercise intolerant. Caused me much frustration. Remission has given me my life back and there are no words to describe how happy I am to be back in the gym.

Not only am I back in the gym I have lost 4% of the bodyfat I gained from years on prednisone. You should have seen me yesterday when I found out about the 4% loss. I was grinning from ear to ear all day...... and I still am. Another victory over lupus. Yesssss. So exercising, eating nutritionally and following the Shrink It Weight Loss system is working for me.

And what about you? If you're sitting there thinking you're healthy think again. Don't take your health for granted. So many people do. If you're not MOVING or if you are mostly eating processed foods you are a time bomb. You're setting yourself up for illness. The body needs to move, muscles need to be challenged and your body needs nutrition. Get your docs ok and find an exercise you enjoy!

It's such an easy thing to pull into a fast food drive-up or pop a microwave dinner into the microwave. Most folks do it without thinking. That (mega-sized) big butt burger, fries and soda isn't going to do a lot to support your health and processed convenience foods in general are nutrient poor.

How important is nutrition? In a recent issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine a study concluded: "Human genes remember a sugar hit for two weeks, with prolonged poor eating habits capable of permanently altering DNA". Think about that seriously!

Changing a couch-potato-poor-eating lifestyle is a hard thing. But you can do it. Make one change at a time.

1. Add a salad every day.
2. Add two fruits every day.
3. Add 3 servings of veggies a day.
4. Take a walk every day.
5. Use manual doors at stores instead of the automatic doors.
6. Park farther away from the store or your work (in safe areas).
7. Cut back on coffee - switch to a cup of green tea.

Not an exhaustive list but you get the idea. Make small changes one at a time. Overtime you will see the benefit. As recommended in the June 2002 issue of JAMA every should supplement their nutrition with a good multi-nutrition product. If you don't need to lose weight you can get the Shrink It Weight Loss system products individually at my store.

Need help? I'm here to help you.

Malnourished With A Full Plate?

2009-03-25T12:36:00.004-05:00

Good morning! What a beautiful spring morning it is! I just got home from a workout with my personal trainer. It was quite a nice workout! I hope YOU'RE moving in some way; exercising your muscles. YOUR body needs to move as much as it needs you to give it nutritious food.

Let's talk about nutrients today. Are you aware in June of 2002 there was a recommendation in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) that everyone supplement their eating regimen with a quality multi-nutrition product? There were several reasons for this recommendation.

FIRST - Not many of us eat an optimally healthy diet. We make poor choices. Did you have the recommended servings of fruits and veggies yesterday? 7 servings for women, 9 for men and 5 for kids. (serving - 1/2 cup)

SECOND - Our produce today does NOT have the level of nutrients in it which it used to have. In fact, in a recent report published in the Journal of HortScience (Feb 2009) it stated there are declines of 5 % to 40% or more of some minerals in groups of vegetables and perhaps fruit. In another study a similar decline was also found in vitamins and protein.

So Houston there's a problem! Most of us are making poor choices and even when we do eat somewhat well we aren't getting what we need from our produce. Hence, the recommendation to supplement with a quality multi-nutrition product.

This is why the quality multi-nutrition product VITA ONE is an integral part of the Shrink It Weight Loss system Good nutrition is vital!

Here's what they said:

Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12, are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E, and C) may increase risk for several chronic diseases. Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone. Pending strong evidence of effectiveness from randomized trials, it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements. JAMA. 2002;287:3127-3129.

AND

We recommend that all adults take one multivitamin daily. This practice is justified mainly by the known and suspected benefits of supplemental folate and vitamins B12, B6, and D in preventing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis and because multivitamins at that dose are safe and inexpensive. JAMA. 2002;287:3127-3129

The greatest tools for preventing and reversing disease are your fork and spoon and being conscious of the nutrition quality of your food! Most people think because they eat three meals a day and don't feel sick they are getting what they need. With the recent studies reporting the decrease in vital nutrients in our produce we know that is not true.

Even if you are eating well you aren't getting all the nutrients your body needs. Most of us are malnourished even though our plates are full. Whether or not you are utilizing the Shrink It Weight Loss system to lose weight you should definitely be taking a quality multi-nutrition product such as VitaOne .

***********

As always I am offering free health coaching support with the purchase of the Shrink It Weight Loss system. Shrink It Weight Loss

Calories: The Scoop

2009-03-23T12:53:00.003-05:00

Good morning... what a beautiful (though windy) spring day! I'm going to take a long walk with the furkids soon as I finish this blog post. It's been a busy morning. I started working out with a personal trainer this morning at Gold's Gym. We had a good session!

Let's talk a little about calories today. Folks shouldn't get crazy about calories but it's good to know how many you are taking in to maintain your current weight. Sometimes that number is an eye opener!

The amount of energy your body needs to function is called your basal metabolic rate. To figure out your basal metabolic rate (BMR) you have to plug some numbers into a formula:

Women: 655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: 66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Then you need to incorporate activity:

If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent
If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent
If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent
If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent
If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent
Add this number to your BMR.
The result is the number of calories you eat every day to maintain your current weight.

In order to lose weight, you'll need to take in fewer calories .

There are 3500 calories in 1 lb. So to lose weight you must expend (or not take in) 500 calories per day. Keep in mind muscle burns calories much better than fat. Exercise is key to building muscle and losing weight. Exercise consistently and make your calories taken in GOOD nutritious calories.

More about burning fat:

Omega 3 is part of the Shrink It Weight Loss system. There are a lot of good reasons to take an Omega 3 supplement. But for the purposes of weight loss Omega 3 is a GOOD FAT which helps your body burn fat by helping it to respond better to a hormone called Leptin. Leptin does a few things: it tells your brain to suppress your appetite, increases your metabolism and causes your body to burn fat for energy. Omega 3 fats also help to curb your appetite by stabilizing your blood sugar. There was an Australian study which showed people who took Omega-3 fats while on an exercise program burned more fat than people who only exercised (without taking Omega-3 fats).

There are good reasons for the inclusion of all the supplements in the Shrink It Weight Loss system and we'll be talking about this in future posts. BOOKMARK this site!!

Here's what I'm eating today!

(keep in mind this menu may or may not be enough calories for you) I give you my menus as an example for you to model yours after not as a menu for you to follow.

Monday Menu = 1490 calories

Breakfast: Blueberry/vanilla appetizer diet shake

Banana

Snack: Apple slices (1 apple) and peanut butter (1 TBSP) (Organic peanut butter NOT that commercial stuff w/sugar in it)

Lunch: Chicken breast/ Steamed veggies(2 cups)/Salad(2 cups)

Snack: Walnuts/Almonds (Emerald nuts has a 100 calorie pack of walnuts/almonds packaged seven packs per box)

Dinner: Scrambled Tofu (green pepper, onions, mushrooms, tofu, turmeric) over wild rice (1 cup)

Snack: Low fat cottage cheese/pear slices

Got questions? Email me Pamsteam@gmail.com

Ready to change your life? http://pams.shrinkitweightloss.com/ I'm here to help you along the way. Free health coaching with the purchase of the Shrink It Weight Loss System.

Have a smiley day! I care about you!

Blueberry Shake and A Weightloss Tip or Two

2009-03-13T11:56:00.006-05:00

I'm sitting here enjoying a blueberry vanilla shake. So good!!! Yummy is an understatement!
I just have to give you the recipe again!

*Blueberry/Vanilla Appetizer Diet Shake*

1/2 cup FROZEN blueberries
1 cup or a 1 1/2 cups soy milk
scoop vanilla appetizer diet shake (http://tinyurl.com/bb85wf )

In blender, blend frozen blueberries and soy milk
Pour into shaker cup
Add vanilla appetizer diet shake
SHAKE

Enjoy!!!! It's YUMMY!!! and so good for you! Try substituting your favorite fruit!

I know my post yesterday was a little long. Yup, sometimes I get carried away when I talk about the power of nutrition and how most of us are missing the boat. Hoping you read it all the way to the end..... cos what I said comes from the heart. I'm really saddened by and sick of seeing folks in misery from PREVENTABLE health situations. YOU can choose NOT to be a statistic.

And do you realize in order to turn the healthcare situation around in this country we all MUST choose to not be a statistic. Industry is not going to stop selling you BS. The solution starts with YOU and ME. Stop buying into the got-a-problem-pop-a-pill mentality. Pharmaceuticals don't create health.... nutrients create health. Stop buying into the pop-it-into-the-microwave mentality. Your body craves whole foods unadultered with chemicals, dyes etc. You can choose NOT to be a statistic by what you put into your body. Think about it, ok.

On the homefront..... I'm doing well with the Shrink It Weight Loss system. http://tinyurl.com/c5n4eo Being sure to get my 7 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Filling out my daily record http://tinyurl.com/dyyfvl helps me see my progress. Have to confess I was already taking VitaOne, Omega 3 and drinking Crave Energy though I must say filling out the daily record has improved my consistency 100%. In the notes section of the daily record I always note, I took my supplements and had my 7 servings of fruits and vegetables. (Note: Men = 9 servings of fruits and vegetables, Kids = 5 servings of fruits and vegetables). Does 7 servings sound like a lot to you? It's not. A serving of vegetables is approximately 1/2 cup.

If you buy the bags of veggies already cut up for you... (such as, Mann's Sunny Shores) there are five servings in a bag. Just don't microwave them! Eat them raw (you should be eating a % of your nutrition raw) or steam them yourself on top the stove. Microwaving decreases the nutrition! DON'T microwave. There's already less nutrients in our produce today than there used to be; don't lose more nutrients by microwaving.

I've been eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. You will find eating every 2-3 hrs you won't have the cravings you normally have. Eating every 2-3 hrs raises your metabolism! Include a little protein each time you eat. For instance, a good snack is apple slices with peanut butter. OF course, I use organic peanut butter not the regular commercial peanut butters which have added sugar. Try it, it's delicious! and so much better for you.

Bookmark this blog. I'll be giving you more tips and recipes.

To Your Health and Happiness......

Pam

Do You Have Time?

2009-03-12T09:56:00.013-05:00

The current issue of Bottomline Health states a recent HealthGrades study (www.healthgrades.com/research) reached an interesting conclusion. Seems that patients in five-star hospitals were 70% less likely to die while in the hospital for treatment of one of the listed conditions compared with a one-star hospital. The study included death from any reason, not just errors. More than half of all deaths were associated with four diagnoses: Heart failure, respiratory failure, pneumonia and sepsis.

There is value in this study in that they point out the more often a procedure is performed at a hospital, the better the outcome. Seems like just common sense but a lot of people don't realize how much difference there can be between hospitals. As a respiratory therapist with 28 yrs experience I can tell you there can be lots of difference between hospitals and lots of difference between doctors. So if you are in need of a medical procedure compare your local hospitals before you proceed.

But I think studies like this also miss the boat. In fact, western medicine misses the boat. The healthcare ship has sailed and left you stranded.....

Here's what I mean....

We hear so much about the millions of dollars cancer (or heart disease or diabetes etc) research needs. We are assaulted with commercials and ads on tv and in magazines about the next terrific pharmaceutical solution. We are even told we can eat anything we want; just pop an antacid later.

The you-have-a-problem-pop-this-drug mentality is one of the reasons we have a healthcare crisis in this country. The pharmaceutical industry should be ashamed and drug commercials should be banned from tv. Heart disease, diabetes and cancer are not caused from a deficiency of pharmaceuticals.... but from a lack of nutrients.... and exercise. Pharmaceuticals have a place in acute life-threatening situations but the emphasis in healthcare should be on not contracting heart disease, diabetes, cancer or any other malady; not on covering up the symptoms with pharmaceuticals. We need to learn to be proactive instead of reactive in our healthcare.

We pour tons of money into medical research and spend tons of money on pharmaceuticals and still the United States health system ranks 37th in the world. http://www.who.int/whr/2000/media_centre/press_release/en/index.html Additionally, the United States ranks worst in preventable deaths. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN07651650

Common sense should be telling us one of the reasons for this (maybe THE reason) is while we place so much emphasis on dollars for research; we overlook nutrition. Yet according to the World Health Organization 70+% of cancer could be PREVENTED thru ... guess what ...... NUTRITION!

Look at what the majority of us eat. We are addicted to convenience; fast food, microwavable meals, processed nutrient-poor frankenfoods and high fat, high sodium, high sugar snacks. OUCH!

Look at the increasing chronic illness statistics and one realizes we are killing ourselves. The leading cause of death in kids is cancer... and we are now seeing Type 2 diabetes (an adult disorder) in kids. This alone should wake us up! Walk thru a grocery store and read the ingredients of food products marketed to kids..... it's SHAMEFUL.

You say "what about genetics?"....... well, Dr Dean Ornish has reached an amazing conclusion regarding genetics. Watch this: http://tinyurl.com/47avy7

It seems we have an amazing amount of control over the quality of our health.
My question is when are we going to wake up ... wise up.... and use the control we have.

For our own survival we must create a new mentality regarding wellness. We must learn to be consciously aware of the nutrition in what we eat. Mindless eating is killing us.... and our children.

The vast majority of us live like there's an infinite amount of time allotted to us. But time slips by while we utter the words "I'll do it tomorrow" or "I should..." . A lot of the people I run into as a respiratory therapist in a hospital and also as a health coach in my nutrition business haven't connected time and health. But they are intimately connected.

Make no mistake about it what you consume today affects your future quality of health.

There are moments when I reflect on what I've been thru in my own journey to conquering illness and on what I see in the hospital as a respiratory therapist and at those moments I desperately want to get thru to every person I meet how really tragic it is to lose the quality of your life thru illness; especially illness you could have prevented.

Preventable illnesses are incredibly tragic. Illness takes away a lot of the choices in life. The loss of human potential and the implications that has on the quality of an individuals life, as well as, the loss to society is unfathomable.

I'd say at least 90% of the misery I see in the hospital is preventable.

And if you check out the World Health Organizations website or read a number of books "The China Study" by T Colin Campbell, "Eat To Live" by Joel Fuhrman,M.D., "The AntiOxidant Miracle" by Lester Packer, PhD to name just a few; you will find I am exactly correct.

Just the other day a casual friend remarked she just HAD to lose weight. She's right. She's headed for a really bad life if she doesn't. She asked me how to lose weight. I gave her a few suggestions. She replied she couldn't do that to each suggestion. She doesn't have time and it's to expensive to buy healthy food. Ok so let's get this: she wants to lose weight but she won't change anything that she's doing. If she sticks with the decision she doesn't have time she will join the ranks of thousands of other people overweight with a high incidence of chronic illness.

What she's missing is that time is running out on her not having time to take care of herself.

Another friend stated she's losing weight by eating a high protein diet and generally eating less. But can't find time to exercise. Hopefully, she's eating just enough protein and not overdoing it. Excess protein is not a good thing. Eating less could be a good thing. But it's not really about eating less; it's about being aware of what you are eating, eating mindfully, eating a varied diet of vegetables and fruits and being sure to get all the nutrients her body needs. I hope she is.

And she'll have to come to the realization exercise is a part of the deal. Good health isn't just about eating right and it's not just about normalizing your weight. The body needs to move as much as it needs for you to give it the right nutrients. What she's missing is that time is running out on her not having time to exercise.

These two folks are representative of the folks I keep bumping into in my quest to help others live a healthier life. I'm not picking on these two folks, really I'm not... it's just that they are both on my mind cos not only do I care about both of them greatly; they really are representative of the folks I keep bumping into.... folks with a time problem. There's far to many of you out there.

Aas a respiratory therapist I see the results of the standard american diet and a sedentary lifestyle over and over. It's what urged me to earn my M.S. in Holistic Nutrition and become a health coach. Overweight people. Massively overweight people. Gaping ulcers on their body. Diabetes. Leg amputations. Dementia. Heart disease. Re-do re-do cardiac bypasses. COPD patients who can't breathe but still manage to suck on cigarettes. I see tragic results caused by an unhealthy lifestyle that were preventable.

And folks who don't have time to eat nutritiously or exercise.

The clock is ticking folks....

How many times have you said to yourself:

I should eat better?
or I should exercise more?
or I wish I had more energy?

How many times have you actually attempted to lose weight, get stronger,
live healthier..... and failed? Don't kick yourself.

Most of us have grown up living the typical american lifestyle and eating the typical standard american diet. It's not easy to change a lifetime habit and it's to your credit you have tried even if you failed. You just need a little support and guidance.

Nutrition gave me back my life from a debilitating illness. I am so grateful to have my life back. The power of nutrition amazed me so much I then went on to earn a Masters in Holistic Nutrition. My mission and passion is to help you realize the benefits of a nutrition-aware lifestyle. Normalize your weight, have more energy, feel better! Help yourself to have a well life.

Are you ready to transition to a healthy lifestyle? Lose weight? Have more energy? Feel good?

Don't try.....DO.
Time isn't waiting for you.

My offer still stands: Free health coaching (once a week 30 minutes, unlimited email contact) with your purchase of the Shrink It Weight Loss system http://tinyurl.com/c5n4eo

Even if you don't need to lose weight you do need to eat well, exercise and take a quality multi-nutrition supplement http://tinyurl.com/37plfv .

Time isn't waiting for you.
Don't try, DO.

Oh Don't Worry Bout It, That's Just Aging

2009-03-10T09:28:00.005-05:00

That's the biggest lie ever.
And one of the most life-threatening.

Oh don't worry bout it.... that's just aging. HA!

Your body is geared to health. Your immune system is the body's computer programmed to keep things running smoothly. In fact, your body can heal itself if given the nutrition tools it
needs to do the job. You've seen this when you've cut yourself, scraped a knee or broken a bone. I've seen it in a bigger way... nutrition helped my body beat Lupus.

A steady diet of unhealthy choices causes inflammation in your body.
That inflammation causes the symptoms most people attribute to aging.
Inflammation is your body's biggest enemy.

YOUR choices determine your quality of health. Dr Dean Ornish recently did a study which showed nutrition and lifestyle choices can turn on or off bad DNA. We have an amazing amount of control over the quality of our health.

See for yourself ... watch this video http://tinyurl.com/47avy7

So it's NOT just aging..... it's YOUR CHOICES!

Is your convenience/junk food habit worth how it's making you feel?
Is it worth what it's doing to your self-esteem?
Are you tired all the time?

What you put in your body drives your health one of two paths.
It either supports your health or drives you away from health.

Are you ready to transition to a healthy eating regimen and lifestyle?
Ready to make better choices?
Ready to lose weight?
Feel better?
Have more energy?

Along with a healthy eating regimen and moderate exercise the components of the Shrink It Weight Loss system :

VitaOne - nutrition
Appetizer Diet Cookie and Shake - fiber, protein, appetite control
Crave Energy Drink - energy
Omega 3- fat burning

provide 4 Key Solutions To Permanent Weight Loss.

Don't know where to start?
Need help transitioning to a healthy eating regimen?
My offer stands: Free health coaching with your purchase of the Shrink It Weight Loss System. http://pams.shrinkitweightloss.com/ Now there's every reason for success!

Here's an awesome recipe:

BLUEBERRY SHAKE

1 1/2 cups soy milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
Vanilla appetizer diet shake

In a blender blend frozen blueberries and soy milk.
Pour into a shaker cup
Add 2 scoops Vanilla appetizer diet shake
Shake.
Enjoy!!!

Who Makes Stupid Choices?

2009-03-08T10:26:00.002-05:00

The answer to that question is simple. Be honest. The body doesn't make stupid choices, WE DO.

It's tough isn't it? We have stupid choices thrown at us everyday. Turn on the tv or pick up a magazine and we see people eating fast foods, microwavable foods, pizza, drinking soda and sucking down french fries like they are going out of style. And THEN taking an antacid! Not a wise choice in the bunch.

In fact, stop and think about it...... humans are the only creature on earth which feed their young junk food.

WHOA! that realization is a mind-boggler, huh!

It's even dumber... that we expect them to grow up healthy after feeding them junk.

How stupid is that?

Even stupider.... we wonder why cancer is the leading cause of death in kids and why we are seeing Type 2 diabetes in kids.

TIME to get a grip folks!

Kids aren't getting cancer and type 2 diabetes, nor are adults getting diabetes, cancer, heart disease or any other disorder because they have a deficiency in pharmaceuticals ...... disease stems from a deficiency of nutrients! Pharmaceuticals do not create wellness...... nutrients create wellness.

The human body is geared to lean toward health ... that's what your immune system does. It's our responsibility to give the immune system the "tools" to keep us healthy. Sooo who makes stupid choices? Not our body. We do.

Are you ready to eat healthy, lose weight, turn to a healthy lifestyle? http://pams.shrinkitweightloss.com My offer stands.... free health coaching with the purchase of the Shrink It Weight Loss System. I'm here to support you. I know you can do it.

Today was weigh day for me...... I lost 3 lbs this week!

What are you waiting for?

Good News, Good Menus and a Tip or Two ...

2009-03-05T14:37:00.002-06:00

Hey there..... hoping you are having a smiley day! I certainly am.

Good news..... I've lost two pounds.... :o) Doesn't that rock! Yahoo!
How about you? I want to hear about YOUR success too.

If you haven't got started yet...... what are you waiting for?
http://pams.shrinkitweightloss.com

Here's your tip for the day:

Wanted to talk a bit about vitamins. As you know VitaOne (multi-nutrition product) is a part of the Shrink It Weight Loss System. Did you know that back in early 2002 the American Medical Association in their journal (Journal of the American Medical Assoc - JAMA) recommended that EVERYONE take a good multi-nutrition supplement?

The reason for that recommendation is that our produce no longer has the vitamins and nutrients in it that it used to have. For instance, today it takes 2 lbs of spinach to get the same amount of Vitamin A which used to be in 1 lb of spinach. Have you ever ate 2 lbs of spinach? It now takes eating 8 oranges to get the amount of Vitamin C we used to get in 1 orange. When was the last time you ate 8 oranges? By some estimates it takes more than 8 oranges to get the vitamin C that used to be in one orange. All of our produce is this nutrient-poor.

The fact that very few of us eat healthy as we could to begin with combined with the decreased amount of nutrients in our produce means everyone of us needs to supplement our nutrition with a quality multi-nutrition product!

Here's the menus I promised to share with you:

Breakfast: Green Tea, Oatmeal Raisin Appetizer Diet Cookie, hard boiled egg
Snack: CRAVE Energy drink and a serving of almonds (15)
Lunch: Crab Salad Stuffed Tomato (recipe below)
Snack: Celery sticks and Peanut Butter
Dinner: Veggie Salad (Field greens, tomatoes, onion, broccoli, shredded carrot, Annies Green Goddess dressing)
Snack: Chocolate Appetizer Diet Shake

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Sandwich on Whole Grain Bread, Chocolate Appetizer Diet Shake
Snack: CRAVE Energy drink and a serving of almonds (15)
Lunch: Spinach salad w/Annies Green Goddess Dressing, Apple
Snack: Chocolate Appetizer Diet Shake
Dinner: Steamed veggies, Steamed Tilapia fillet w/lemon pepper seasoning
Snack: Strawberries and low fat cottage cheese

Crab Salad Stuffed Tomatoes (from Family Circle Oct.08)

4 large tomatoes
3/4 pound surimi or imitation crab, roughly chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tbsp light sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups mixed salad greens
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Cut tops off tomatoes. Gently squeeze out seeds and discard. Scoop out the flesh using a melon baller or spoon and reserve 1 cup; chop and set aside. Place tomatoes cut side down on a paper towel-lined plate; allow to drain. Stir together reserved tomato, surimi, yellow pepper, mayonnaise, onion, sour cream, lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper in a medicum-size bowl. Fill tomatoes with a heaping 2/3 cup of crab fillion, mounding slightly. Place salad greens in a bowl; drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and toss to combine. Serve alongside the tomatoes.

Enjoy!

That's all for today...... stay tuned for more tips and menus!

No More "Dieting"

2009-03-03T09:40:00.004-06:00

You know in my view the Shrink It Weight Loss system isn't about dieting. In fact, I have expunged the word diet from my vocabulary. It's about being healthier. It's about giving yourself a new lease on life. It's about supporting your body with healthful supplements, exercise and quality food. It's about creating a healthy lifestyle..... for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.

This is what I tell my nutrition/weightloss clients.....

Look at it this way .... if you love your life, (you DO don't you?) ....... you will want to take care of your body. If you were diagnosed with a life threatening disease you would change your unhealthy eating habits .... you might even exercise more (if you could) ... but you wouldn't be doing those things because of what the scale said or how you feel about how you look. You'd be doing those things because you love your life and didn't want it cut short.

I'm here to tell you I've been a respiratory therapist for 28 yrs with much of my experience being in emergency and critical care medicine ..... and what I see in our hospitals is at least 90% preventable.....

There is a high probability YOUR UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS AND LACK OF MOVEMENT(exercise) WILL RESULT IN PREVENTABLE ILLNESS.

So let me ask you, just as I ask my clients.....Why wait till you get sick to do what you need to to protect your health?

And as you answer that question keep in mind the most dangerous answer is "it won't happen to me".

Health is not something you can be lackadaisical about. There's a time factor. You may be seemingly healthy now...... but unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise will catch up with you.... does that make sense to you?

Instead of waiting and REACTING to illness:

Why not do all you can now to support your immune system and optimal wellness?

Why not do all you can now to PREVENT illness?

Why not adopt a healthy life routine and healthy eating habits now?

Doing anything less is playing russian roulette with your life.

It honestly is.

And if you follow a healthy life routine with attention to MOVING and eat a healthy diet based on whole foods .... you will lose weight without obsessing over what your scale says.

If you’re not feeling and looking your best, well, let me say..... you are better than that.

It’s time to be relentlessly who you really are! Get some gumption ... enough is enough ..... no more excuses .... fight fat right back!

Force your fat to sweat.... build muscle. Get ENERGIZED.

Freedom blossoms as fat dissipates and your true physique emerges!

It's empowering when people start to notice....

empowering when you get complimented...

empowering when you notice you have the energy you used to have!

Your self esteem will be boosted off the map when you have to buy smaller, better fitting clothes, even a new bathing suit!

You'll find a special kind of wealth in your new health! Health is PRICELESS!

The real you is empowered! Success in life starts with health, is empowered by health!!!

As you change your unhealthy eating habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle; if you need help my offer is still open for free health coaching with the purchase of the Shrink It Weight Loss System. http://pams.shrinkitweightloss.com/ I would be honored to support you in your endeavor to be proactive about your wellness.

And yes, I'll be posting an update on my weight loss and my menus soon!

Ready, Set, Here We Goooo......

2009-03-01T09:04:00.003-06:00

Ok today is the day I start the Shrink It Weight Loss system. Are you new to the Shrink It Weight Loss System? (See my first post to this blog for a great opportunity for YOU.)

I'm so psyched! Got up this morning and weighed myself. I will share with you I have 83 pounds to lose. Onward and downward I go! I hope YOU'RE going with me! In fact, as I type this I am enjoying an oatmeal raisin cookie and vanilla shake for breakfast.

Keep in mind by eating often your body comes to realize in a couple hours you will be refueling so it uses up what you gave it. Thus you raise your metabolic rate by eating often. Just keep in mind you must eat smart.... not junk! Look at my menu for the day you will see I have a little protein nearly every time I eat. Something else you will notice as you peruse my menu; I have cut out the white menaces, sugar, white potatoes, and white bread.

Here's my menu for the day:

Breakfast: Oatmeal Raisin Appetizer Diet cookie and vanilla shake
Snack : Crave Energy Drink
Lunch: Steamed Veggies over MultiGrain Pasta
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast (recipe below)

Snack: Apple slices with peanut butter
Dinner: Marinated Bean Salad
Snack: Low fat cottage cheese and strawberries

If you must have your tea sweetened I recommend you use Stevia. Fake sweeteners (in my opinion) have to many health questions attached to them and sugar sabotages your weight loss efforts.

One needs to eat well and you also have to MOVE. What are you going to do for exercise? The possibilities are endless. Choose something you will enjoy! Since it's still cold weather here I am using a Leslie Sansone Walk at Home DVD which is a 3 mile weight loss "power" walk. I'm also doing a free weight routine an exercise physiologist friend of mine created for me and utilizing my elliptical. I'm looking forward to warm weather when I can get outside and walk with my furkids!

So are YOU psyched? I am. I hope you will write and tell me how things are going for YOU. I will be posting regularly sharing my menu plans, tips and how my weight loss is progressing. Onward and downward we gooooo......

Recipe: Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients:
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 small chopped onion
1/4 tsp lemon peel
1/2 cup spinach
1/8 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt
black pepper
1 boneless skinless chicken breast

In a large non-stick skillet, saute onion in olive oil, 5 minutes.
Steam spinach to wilt the spinach; stir in lemon zest, feta, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Spread spinach mixture on chicken breast.
Roll up and secure with toothpick.
In same skillet, cook chicken in oil.
Turn chicken occasionally till cooked through.
Remove toothpick.

Enjoy!

Shrink It!!!

2009-02-23T21:16:00.000-06:00

I invite YOU to LOSE WEIGHT with ME!

Back in 1987 I was diagnosed with UCTD (undifferentiated connective tissue disease) which gradually morphed into Lupus... not an unusual progression .... spent a LOT of years on steroids.
You know what steroids do.... make you gain weight! I'm in remission now..... and have my life back....... took me a while to believe I was in remission... but oh boy I'm on the right page now!

Nutrition and a change in diet is what I feel brought about my remission. Curiously, or maybe I should say infuriatingly in the many years I was fighting to stay off disability not even one of my docs ever asked about my nutrition. I've been a healthcare professional for over 25 yrs but when nutrition gave me back my life I went back to school to specifically earn a Masters in Holistic Nutrition..... so I could help others the way I'd been helped. Docs push drugs and overlook nutrition in many cases.

Having my life back is great ...... it's priceless ...... but I want my normal weight self back too!

Are YOU wanting to get your normal weight self back too!

I'll make you a deal. Being a Holistic Health Coach...... I'll give you FREE weightloss/health coaching with your purchase of the Shrink It Weight Loss System.

Now THAT's a deal..... clients pay me $62 an hr. YOU can get my coaching for FREE.

A healthy weight loss system and coaching support!

Now there's every reason for SUCCESS!

Let's lose weight together!

The 4 Components of the Shrink It Weight Loss Plan, Appetizer Diet Cookie (oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip),Omega 3,VitaOne and Crave Energy Drink address every piece of the weight loss puzzle....

Appetite control - Appetizer Diet Cookie

Fat Burning,- Omega 3 supplement

Energy - Crave Energy drink

Nutrition - VitaOne

Combined with a sensible healthy diet and moderate exercise = SUCCESS!

http://pams.shrinkitweightloss.com/

PS: I'm starting Sunday, March 1st, 2009. When are YOU starting?