It's Later Than You Think

Those who know me outside of "bloglife" know how much it meant to me to earn my Masters in Holistic Nutrition in 2008. Nutrition gave me back my life from Lupus. So at the age of 50 I went back to school to earn my Masters in Holistic Nutrition. The mission and yes, the passion, of the rest of my life is to help others the way I was helped. Because you see, western medicine isn't. It's shameful not once in the sixteen years I was battling active Lupus not one of my physicians (and I had a regiment of them) ever asked about my diet.

You know even a mechanic would check to see if you had gas in the car.

But I digress. After I earned my Masters I turned to the next step of my journey. How do I help people understand the standard american diet is killing them? How do I help them understand there is an urgency to them understanding this? That nutrition CAN make a difference in chronic illness. That nutrition can even prevent chronic illness. New research is even showing that proper nutrition can STOP bad genes from turning on. Do you get the immensity of that information? This is HUGE. It's so huge it makes me feel, well, it makes me feel, inadequate.

You know though I've been in remission for eight years, Lupus stole quite a lot of time from me. There were years (yes, years) when if I wasn't at work I was in bed resting so I could go to work when it was time again. There were times I couldn't get out of bed. Literally. But in all that downtime Lupus taught me something too. It gave me an appreciation for the time of my life which I don't think I would have had to such a degree had I not gotten sick. And in a very unmistakable way, it taught me time is elusive.

I have a friend who puts it this way, "it's later than you think."

A few years ago while working a nightshift I had the privilege of watching the sunrise with a cancer patient. She was a delightful, perky lady; a truly amazing person. To this moment I am in awe of her attitude. It's one sunrise I will never forget. Yeah the sunrise was beautiful but that isn't why I will remember it. I will remember it because that lady had such an awesome spirit. I felt so privileged to be able to share that sunrise with this person. It almost brought me to tears only I didn't want to cry in front of her. She was special. And perhaps, just perhaps, cancer happening to her didn't have to happen. Perhaps the standard american diet is what killed her. Processed foods are greatly lacking in the nutrients your body needs. According to the W.H.O. 70% of cancer can be prevented thru proper nutrition. So you might give some thought to changing your diet for the better to one brimming with whole foods . The human body can repair itself if given the nutrients it needs. In fact a properly working immune system kills cancer cells everyday. Yes, I said everyday. Eating nutritiously is vitally important. And please consider this today, not tomorrow because...

I have a friend who puts it this way, "it's later than you think".

As I sat down to write this blog post I thought of various clients and friends who only sporadically eat well and supplement with vitamins. Then they complain and blame the vitamin or supplement when really it's their inconsistency which fuels their health problems. Worse yet I thought of clients who sporadically purchase childrens vitamins. Because what they are teaching their children is it's ok to put health second. They are unintentionally setting-up their children for an unhealthy life. Meanwhile time flies by.

I have a friend who puts it this way, "it's later than you think".

Do you get what I'm trying to say? Time goes by quickly. It's elusive. And sometimes you run out of it. Life is such a priceless, wondrous gift. Wellness is the foundation of the quality of your life. Without wellness you lose choice. I've been there and done that. It's not fun. Unfortunately, it's really easy to let time fly by and to take wellness for granted. And it's a mistake to do so. Wellness must be taken care of and nurtured. Treasured. How many times have you thought "gee I should eat better" or "I'll quit smoking next week" or "gee I should exercise more" or "I'll do better tomorrow".

Tomorrow you may be sick. It may be later than you think.

Scared Healthy: Don't Let This Be You!

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

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!

Sci-Fi In The Grocery Store

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

     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!

Sugar: Not Always Bad

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

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

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.

Reversing Illness: Eating To Live

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

Supplements, Healthstyle and Change

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.

Observations From a Wheelchair

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.





*********


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Belief and Survival

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

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

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

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!

Weight Problems and Common Sense

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.

Diets Don't Work

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

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.

The Answer Between Your Ears

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.




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Super Nutrition Made Easy!

Life Is Not A Race

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/