Two Furkids, A Lady and a Cat

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.

Processed Danger

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