True To Health

What Do Childhood Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies Have in Common?

2009-10-05T05:22:00.000-07:00

(Previously published by Holistic Health Counselor, Ruth S. Sheets, in "Sweet Connections", Oct. 2009 edition. Sign up for this newsletter at http://www.sweetwellnessjourney.com/)

"The new epidemics can be defeated. They are epidemics of metabolic dysfunction and toxicity, and they can be overcome by rebalancing the metabolism, and reversing that toxicity." - Kenneth Bock, M.D.

Recently, I read a fascinating book by Kenneth Bock, M.D entitled "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Goundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders". It was published in 2007.

Dr. Bock, who practices in Rhinebeck, NY, has helped more than a thousand children who have suffered from these highly debilitating, heart-breaking diseases. In his book, Dr. Bock shares his healing program, in detail, for others to use. Dr. Bock believes in a holistic approach using medication, when needed, to bolster detoxification or other natural processes that the body needs to allow itself to heal. He argues against using medications, such as Ritalin, that simply do not help the underlying problems but only cover up or relieve symptoms.

In recent years, these "4-A" disorders (autism, ADHD, asthma, and allergies) have become significantly more prevalent in children because of a "perfect storm" of contributing factors. These include the surge of environmental toxins, heavy metals found in vaccinations such as mercury and aluminum, a dramatic increase in the number of childhood vaccinations, an increase of nutritional deficiency from eating poorly, and other stressors. Often children will suffer from more than one of these disorders.

The perfect storm may be the bad news, but the good news is that all these diseases, including Attention Deficit Disorder which Dr. Bock considers a subtype of ADHD, essentially have the same causes. This is good news because similar programs can be used to treat the various diseases. Another words, even though these diseases have been labeled with distinct names, and often have different symptoms, the underlying problems are related. It appears to be a matter of genetics which disease takes hold when the body has been forced into imbalance by overbearing environmental factors. It must be emphasized that genetics alone don't cause epidemics: they occur as a result of environmental changes that overload our bodies (or our children's bodies) to the point that we (or the children) breakdown and become diseased.

The good news continues further because the underlying causes can be reversed. Dr. Bock believes in addressing the underlying causes so that the patient's body is restored to balance. When balanced, the healing becomes apparent by the return to normal functioning and behavior. The program he uses involves an appropriate diet for the individual, supplementation, detoxification and administration of medications, often given temporarily, instead of being life-long sentences.

Of course, there are no guaranteed results with Dr. Bock's healing program because life can have its twists and turns that cause complications, and there are unknowns that can negatively affect the outcome. However, many children have been helped when the metabolic dysfunction, nutrient deficiency, and toxicity is reversed.

Your heart will be touched as you read the accounts of the diseased children in this book. There are many success stories, and sadly, some that ended in tragedy. The book does an excellent job of explaining the conditions of the causing the epidemics, the reasons for the increase of these diseases, and why and how the treatment is able to work.

For me, the book was yet another confirmation of many ideas I have come to believe:
1. Toxins are a critical problem to our health.
2. To be healthy one must avoid toxins, where possible, and remove toxins that have already accumulated.
3. It is important to honor the body by consuming the nutritious "life giving" foods, and avoid those which destroy our balance (processed foods, chemicalized foods, Trans fats, etc.).
4. Do not rely on drugs to solve all your health problems. Many pharmaceuticals just cover up the underlying problems.
5. The body can indeed heal itself, even in seemingly hopeless cases, if given the right resources in a timely manner.
6. "Genetics may load the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger."
7. We are meant to be healthy, to live long, productive, and happy lives.

Dr. Bock has done a great service by documenting and sharing his expertise on this subject. I urge you to read it and share it with others - parents, grandparents, teachers, pediatricians, nurses, medical students, etc.

Quick Links...

See Dr. Kenneth Bock video

Order Sensible Cleanse (e-book) for you and your family's health Get insights into the toxic environment we live in and what to do about it.

Asparagus and Cancer

2009-06-19T08:19:00.001-07:00

Circulating the e-mail circuit is an article about cancer and asparagus. Snopes gives a list of case histories of cancer patients using a asparagus puree on a twice daily basis, to get rid of cancer.

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/asparagus.asp

Until I checked my email this morning, I had not heard of the asparagus therapy, but according to Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods, in a lecture I heard in spring of 2007 at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition "cancer, arthritis, and most diseases cannot exist in an alkaline medium". I checked the Food and Chemical Effects on Acid/Alkaline Body chart by Dr. Russell Jaffe. Asparagus is the "more alkaline" column, so it has that going for it, too. The American diet is heavily acidic: beer, soda, sugar, cocoa, processed cheese, ice cream, beef, and processed flour all are in the "most acid" column according to Jaffe.

Caveats: 1) Asparagus, a purine-rich food, can contribute to gout. If you are at risk for gout, maintain a diet low in purines at all times. Purines contribute to uric acid formation.

2) Asparagus treats many kidney problems but should not be used when there is inflammation. Too much asparagus can irritate the kidneys.

You may want to try the asparagus therapy and see how it goes. But remember, there is no one diet that is perfect for everyone. The foods best for your body are unique to you, and they are going to change through such variants as the seasons, your locality, your genetics, your activity level, and your stress level, to name a few. That is why it is helpful to take some time and learn about food -- the stuff your cells are made of -- because food is amazing and has incredible abilities to support your body (or harm it if you eat too much sugar, alcohol, or foods that just aren't right for you.) So I encourage you to work with an holistic health counselor who knows about the energetics of food, the ying / yang of food, and tha alkaline/acidic properties of food, and a lot more!

There is very little money to be made by a cancer cure that comes from asparagus. So do not be surprised if the pharmaceutical companies do everything possible to "disprove" the use of any natural substance that helps people make cancer disappear from their bodies. They will call these supposed cures "anecdotes" as if we should not listen to anything so "unscientific". Personally, I find stories useful. It gives the scientists -- unbiased ones, please -- something to check out! Meanwhile, remember it is your body that you need to become or stay healthy. Further, it is still a free country, and you can decide for yourself what is best for your health, and act on it. I say vote with your choice of groceries for a healthier you and don't rely on the miracles of modern medicine to do it all for you!

NuVal System Oversimplifies Too Much

2009-03-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

There is a new nutritional scoring system coming to the shelves of a supermarket near you. Called the NuVal Scoring System, it claims to factor in "all aspects of nutritional quality." (For more information, check out www.nuval.com.)

But We Don't Know All the Aspects

Excuse me? Since when do we know everything there is to know about nutrition? Humans are still learning about food. I suspect there will be many new vitamins, enzymes, bioflavonoids, phytonutrients, etc. that will be discovered in the years ahead.

A few years ago, I listened to a CD from a whole foods vitamin company (Standard Process) where the speaker mentioned there was a "vitamin B4". Ever hear of it? I certainly had not! Why? It turns out that scientists are not able to isolate it but they have determined that it exists.

Edited April 11th: Check here for some info on vitamin B4

They cannot yet measure it, and nobody knows much about it. Maybe someday researchers will discover how to isolate vitamin B4, how to measure it, and determine what it does. Maybe it is important to health. Maybe not. But to think that we know "all aspects of nutritional quality" is absurd, arrogant, or at least ignorant.

NuVal Does Have Some Value

Now to be fair perhaps the system will be helpful to alert people to the idea that there is variation in quality of one processed food over another in the same category. For example, if you are buying crackers, and you know that crackers are not a food that you should be eating a lot of, you might consider choosing a product with more known nutrients than some other cracker product. But hopefully you will not just go for the high scoring crackers, while cheating yourself out of other food such as whole grains, fruit and vegetables, seeds and nuts, and quality proteins that may have lower scores.

NuVal is Missing a Banquet of Factors

There is a banquet of factors that this system does not address: promoting a good balance of proteins, fats, and carbs; organically vs. conventionally grown; raw vs. cooked; seasonal foods; portion control; food energy (grounding, upward, warming, cooling, etc.), and just plain special qualities that particular foods possess.

Not all Strawberries are Created Equal

For example, not all strawberries are created equal. Seasonal availability, distance it has traveled to your plate, whether it was lovingly grown in rich soil or mass-produced with pesticides and herbicides in depleted soil makes a critical difference what its nutritional value is going to be. (Also, it could be that one variety is more nutritious than another.)

Sure, I can buy strawberries here in upstate New York in February. However, they cannot compare to the strawberries that are grown at a local farm, without chemicals, and picked hours before eating in June when the strawberry season is at its peak. The local ones will likely be significantly more nutritious. They will taste better. I will enjoy eating the local ones much more than the February versions. It makes no sense that the NuVal system gives strawberries a score of 100, regardless of whether or not they are in season, locally grown or have been picked several weeks ago, 2000 miles away.

Individuals have Different Food Needs

Further, individuals have different body types that are best served with different types of food qualities. Some food is alkaline, some acid: you must obtain a balance that is right for you. Are you an alkaline producer or an acid producer? This will influence what are the best foods for you.

Some food has grounding energy, and some has more upward energy: some days you need more of one type and less of the other. Some food has cooling properties, and yet other food has warming tendencies: what is right for your body on a given day? No general scoring system is going to help you with these decisions. You must listen to your own body and choose the foods that will maintain the balance you need.

Your Body Needs Variety

Another thing that the NuVal system ignores is the importance of variety. One score per food item does nothing to encourage eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. I think it would be a mistake only to pick fruits and vegetables based solely on high scores. Vegetables like garlic or radishes may not have high scores (they are not currently listed) yet garlic is flavorful, supports detoxification, and has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral properties. It is one of my favorite remedies for staving off a winter cold. Raw garlic has helped me numerous times avoid a seasonal cold if I eat it at the first indication that I'm coming down with something. Similarly, radishes may not seem to be of much value, yet they are known to help bust up fat cells. Who knows, they may have other valuable properties that have not been discovered.

Food is abundant in qualities: NuVal oversimplifies too much.

To summarize, my overriding concern is that the NuVal system takes some known nutritional information, ignores plenty other considerations that influence how "healthy" a food is, and tries to come up with a measurement that is only partially useful. The result is just too one-dimensional. I believe foods are gifts from God that have multiple properties to support our health. I really do not see the sense of trying to squeeze all that abundance of nutritional support into a single number between 1 to 100 without considering so much more that truly matters.

Learn about food. You will be blown away how amazing it is!

Copyright ©2009 Ruth S. Sheets. All rights reserved.

Six Healthy Ways to Cut Grocery Bills

2009-03-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

There has been a deluge of articles online, in magazines, and on TV about cutting your food bills. Many suggestions seem reasonable: buy in bulk, freeze it yourself, shop less often, never shop when you are hungry, use coupons, and cut out processed food.

Often overlooked is the fact that the body needs nutrient rich food. Food that is cheaper may not be your best value because your body will crave more nutrients, that is, your body will still be hungry no matter how much you eat. You may end up eating more because you will not be satisfied. Nutrient rich food may be more expensive, but if you can find ways to need less quantity you will have your nutrients and your savings, too.

I am particularly concerned about the idea to shop only every two weeks that some are suggesting. This would cause you to do without fresh produce too much of the time. The most nutrient rich food is on the farm. Travel time and shelf time decrease the nutrient value, and only having fresh fruit and vegetables for a few days a month will not be often enough to support your nutrient requirements for good health.

Here are 6 tips to deal with getting nutrient rich foods on your table without breaking the bank.

1. Buy nutrient-rich foods like brown rice, quinoa, oats, etc. in bulk from the grocery store or health food store. Fix enough for several meals and reheat as needed.

2. Consider eating more beans or lentils. They are good sources of protein and are really inexpensive. You can buy these in bulk, too.

3. Reduce your dairy and cheese consumption. You were weaned for a reason: you can get your calcium and magnesium from dark leafy greens. If you can tolerate dairy, just use smaller amounts for flavor. Need more reasons why to cut dairy? Check out Health Concerns about Dairy Products

4. Where possible start growing some of your own food. Years ago people with yards had gardens. Why did we stop this? Too busy, too much trouble? My excuse is the deer, but I still can do some container gardening on my deck. (See photo of some of my containers where I grew kale, kohlrabi, basil, parsley, leaf lettuce, and a some flowers in 2008. It was a joy to watch everything grow and to eat the produce!)

5. Buy produce from local sources such as farmers' markets. This is great for the local economy, and the fruit or vegetables will usually taste wonderful having avoided the 1400 mile ride to your plate that most food endures.

6. Drink more water and less coffee, beer, wine, dairy, soda, etc. Water is really the best way to quench your thirst, anyway. Water is a critical nutrient that is needed for every cellular function. According to Deepak Chopra, who I heard speak at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, water is needed for 6 trillion reactions taking place every second in every cell. Most people do not get enough.

We all need to cut back on our spending to get through this economic stress, but remember that illness is much more expensive than staying healthy. Cutting out healthy foods is not the best way to save money. You can cut your grocery bills, but do it intelligently!

Copyright ©2009 Ruth S. Sheets. All rights reserved.

What to Buy Organic

2009-03-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

I stopped in at Nature's Pantry, a health food store, about 12 miles from my home. Normally I buy my fruits and vegetables closer to home, but when I happen to be in the vicinity I make a point of stopping by. They usually have a great selection of organic produce, and this day was no exception. I had to control myself not to overbuy. Everything looked so good!

This reminded me of a question that many people ask: if you can't afford to buy exclusively organic which foods are most important to buy organic?

You can consult the list at Environmental Working Group to determine which foods have the most and the least pesticides. Every year they revise the list of the "Dirty Dozen" and the "Cleanest 12". Notice that peppers and celery are high on the "Dirty Dozen" meaning they are high in pesticides.

These are the two vegetables that I make a point of buying organic because I eat them often. I also buy organic carrots. It saves time if you can just scrub them and don't have to peel them. (If I am serving people outside my family, I do peel them just because most people are squeamish about having unpeeled carrots because they don't know that organic ones are fine unpeeled.)

When it comes to apples I often buy locally grown ones, in favor of the organic. This may be a mistake, but the locally grown ones do taste great. If possible, I ask the farmer about their use of pesticides.

It makes sense to cut down on ingesting pesticides, which are a source of chemical stress on the body, and have been implicated in contributing to cancer. Take a look at the EWG list and determine which foods you should be sure to buy organic. Those high on the Dirty Dozen that you eat often are prime candidates.

Copyright ©2009 Ruth S. Sheets. All rights reserved.

The 12 Minute Test

2009-03-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

Six weeks ago I took the 12 minute running/walking test on the treadmill and ran 1.06 miles which was in the "Good" category, but at the low end of the range. My goal was to run 1.10 miles during the 12 minutes. Yesterday I took this test at the gym, again on the treadmill, and I was able to go 1.12 miles which is in the middle of the "Good" range. Can I get to the top of the Good category in another six weeks? I figure it is worth a try.

Goals help motivate me, but the important thing is to keep exercising at a level that is beneficial to you.

Six Week Weigh In

2009-03-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

I'm halfway through my 12 week transformation program at the gym. Last night I went to the six week weigh-in.

My weight is the same. My body fat is down 1.8%.

My bicep is ½ inch smaller (not the direction I wanted to go in). The waist is a whopping 5 inches smaller, but I think they did not measure that right the first time! My thigh is also ½ inch smaller, and my hips are the same.

During the last 6 weeks, I've found out that I like Pilates, especially the exercise program I do from a video. I also have been able to run faster on the treadmill, which I really did not expect. Overall, I feel better. I think that is the important thing.

Originally my goals were:
• Do not get injured.
• Improve my endurance.
• Get stronger.
• Tweak my diet.
• Have fun!

I may not have gotten as far as I had hoped, but I feel that I'm making progress. I'm glad I'm doing the program. And I'm planning to have 6 great weeks to finish up!

What Are You Hungry For?

2009-02-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get hungry just a couple of hours after eating? Why does this happen? After all, you just ate.

It could be many things. It could be that you are hungry for nutrients that your food is lacking. If you are eating a Standard American Diet (SAD) which is deplete of high-nutrient fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and lean protein, it is quite likely that various vitamins, minerals, and/or phytonutrients are missing. Your body can only say, "I'm hungry." It doesn't tell you, "Hey, I need more magnesium and B vitamins," even though that may be the case. Unfortunately, if all you have available is more of the same pathetic variety of chemical-laden, sugar-loaded, processed food, you won't be satiated as long as you continue eating such "foods". The poor quality food is making you hungry!

Sometimes you may actually feel hungry, but you are actually thirsty. Try drinking water -- 8 ounces within 10 minutes or so, and then perhaps, even another glassful a few minutes later. If you drink enough in a short period of time, your body knows that there is plenty, and can send the water around to where it is needed. But if you just sip it, and never have much in your stomach at one time, then your body acts as if there is a water shortage, and uses it only for the critical organs such as the brain.

Beside the nutrient aspect, there could be other contributing factors. Some people are hungry for other things that are missing in their life such as healthy relationships, a satisfying career, and a meaningful spiritual life. Some people eat simply out of boredom: there is not enough satisfaction to keep them going without excessive eating. But the truth of the matter is that eating for reasons other than for enjoyable sustenance just never satisfies, and the hunger continues no matter how much you eat.

So sit down, and think. Try writing (journaling) what is on your mind. Try listening to your soul. Ask yourself what is truly unsatisfying it your life, and when the answers come you will know what to improve in your life. Maybe it is the quality of your food, maybe it will be the activities or relationships in your life. Whatever it is, it is worth fixing, and getting a better solution because the status quo is just not working for you.

Copyright ©2009 Ruth S. Sheets. All rights reserved.

Let's Be Consistent -- Drop the Candy!

2009-02-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

This year it was better than last. Last year at a local health fair several of the organizations were giving away candy at their table, presumably to entice people to stop by their table. This year there were far less organizations doing that.

Last year the Alzheimer's Association was guilty of this, and when I pointed out that some think of Alzheimer's as a third type of diabetes, the woman at the table handed me one of their brochures that talked about this idea! This year there was no candy that I could see, so someone from the organization cared enough not to promote sweets. Congratulations, Alzheimer's Association! You figured it out.

However, the American Heart Association, still has room for improvement when it comes to encouraging people to prevent disease. On their table, right next to a handout entitled "What is Diabetes? And How Can I Control It?", there was a tin of hard candy mints. Did they not see the irony?

They wouldn't hand out cigarettes, would they? So why do they give out sweet empty calories that only contribute to the problem of excess sugar in the blood? It just does not make sense. The AHA should realize the hard candy mints do not belong in the diet when one is trying to avoid high blood sugar levels and the diseases that go with it. Don't offer candy at health fairs.

Also with the same misguided thought the Anytime Home Care representatives had lollipops for the taking. Again, lay off giving out candy if you want to be helpful to the health of your fellow Americans. Providing free candy just gives the wrong message, folks!

Food Choices Should Reflect the Mission

2009-02-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

Dr. Max Gomez saw the irony. He thanked the Heart Association for the eggs and bacon at the breakfast where he was keynote speaker.

Do you catch the irony? Organizations trying to prevent or help a disease but provide food choices that are counter to their mission.

This happens way too often. One of my first posts to this blog (Jan. 15, 2009) discussed the practice of a medical group providing soda, chips, and candy vending machines in their lobby or waiting room. Will the vendors at health fair that I'm attending this weekend have the same problem of not following their own advice?

People, let's take ourselves seriously. If we are trying to prevent disease, choose food to serve at your events that do not contribute to the problem!

Prevent Heart Disease

2009-02-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

I went to hear Dr. Max Gomez from WCBS-TV speak yesterday. He talked about the need for prevention of heart disease and stroke. Where I live in Dutchess County, NY, 140 people die of heart disease every year.

One misconception that people often have is that heart disease happens suddenly. People think that one day you are fine, and the next day you have a heart attack. Gomez emphasized that this is not the case. He mentioned the Bogalusa Heart Study (1972 - 2002) where thousands of children from a biracial community participated. The study showed that heart disease is present in the arteries in youth. Indeed, a more recent report indicated that obese children can have arteries of a 45 year old.

Gomez is concerned about the increase of obesity, physical inactivity, and Type II diabetes. This, combined with the aging baby boomer population, will cause health insurance to be unaffordable. We simply need to prevent the diseases of the vascular system better.

Gomez suggested self-care measures:
1. Get tested. Get a Coronary Calcium Scan, C-reactive protein, and blood pressure tests. It is an important self-care step to get tested regularly because even very physically fit and nutrition conscious people can be the victim of heart disease because of genetic problems, for example.
2. Control your weight. (Let's assume he meant that nutrition is important!)
3. Exercise.
4. Quit smoking.

I would also add another self-care item: work on stress reduction.

These self-care measures are critical because they not only work for heart disease, but will help with all chronic degenerate diseases. The great thing about self-care is that overall it costs less, and makes life better because nutritious food tastes delicious, satisfies you on many levels, and makes you feel good. Not only is exercise is good for your body, but it improves your mood because endorphins, the "feel good" hormones, are released and the "stress" hormones, like cortisol are decreased.

Make self-care a priority. Prevent heart disease and improve your health, in general. You are worth it!

Pilates: A Powerhouse Surprise

2009-02-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

I decided that I should try Pilates again. Years ago I bought a couple of Pilates videos, tried them, but decided they were not for me. Some of the exercises were too difficult and some were too boring. I couldn't bring myself to work at doing them. I stopped using these videos, letting them sit on the bookshelf, never touched for years.

With my attempts to transform my body I needed to make a concerted effort to improve my physical fitness in certain areas. I always enjoyed walking, but strength training and working on my abs seemed to get sloughed off.

I noticed that the Pilates instructor at my gym really looked fit and trim. Perhaps it was the Pilates? Maybe I could force myself to try Pilates again, if it would bring the results I wanted. I wasn't ready to try the hour long class at the gym, but I decided to try the videos again at home.

I started with the 20 minute basic workout. Quite unexpectedly, it was actually fun to do. Then I went on to the advanced, one hour version. It is more challenging to be sure. Several exercises including the Teaser, Neck Pull, and Hip Circles will take some time to perform well. However, after using the tapes several times I can already see progress on many of the exercises. And best of all, I like doing this program. I especially like Rolling Like a Ball, the Rollover and the Seal. It sure feels like I at getting a workout, but I'm having fun! I don't need to "force" myself to do this workout.

Sometimes it is good to consider trying something again. You might just change your mind!

Exercise you once weren't keen on may at some point be fun. I guess one's motivation changes and perhaps, one's level of fitness can influence what you like to do. So go ahead, try something "new", or maybe try something "old", even if you decided long ago that you didn't like it. What do you have to lose? You just might find that you love it!

Beware of Care Package Junk

2009-02-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

This week I got another mailing from my son's university encouraging me to provide him a Final Exams Care package. This is a common practice to raise money each semester. I suspect most colleges and universities do this. My kids went to very different types of higher education institutions, yet both places offered the same kind of junk food that supposedly helps the students through exam week. What bunk!

For instance, the Support Basket Pack which claims to be stuffed full of tasty and wholesome foods "designed to bring encouragement right to your student". I don't think pop tarts, fruit snacks, lollipops, something called Toad-Ally Hanky Panky and something called Laffy Taffy would test out to be particularly nourishing compared to real food. (I'm surprised that the students who study nutrition don't blow the whistle on this practice!)

I think it is better to send your student the money instead and tell them to treat themselves to things like high quality fruit smoothie, a Stonyfield Farm drinkable yogurt, apples, pears, berries, citrus or other fruit, baby carrots, almonds, trail mix, raisins or other dried fruit, some organic soup, dark chocolate, or go out to for a dinner / study break with a friend which is good for the soul. Even if they end up getting some not-so-nourishing selections, it'll be their choice, and they can enjoy savoring whatever they choose instead of getting 18 - 56 items that they don't really want. The going rate for the care packages are $20 to $55 dollars plus tax (since it isn't real food). With that kind of money they could really get something decent to boost their energy and their spirits.

Yes, the university will not make any profit if you send or transfer the money directly to your student, but I figure if the student doesn't have the brain fog brought on by too much sugar and empty calories, he will do better in his exams. And just maybe, this success in his courses will eventually lead to success in a career, and then he will gladly support the university with his own heartfelt donations for years to come.

Go for the real food. It'll work in your favor.

More Good News...

2009-02-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

The good news just keeps rolling in! You can probably guess that I am not talking about the economy. I am talking about what is happening in the emerging field of functional medicine which searches for the underlying cause of illness, a major switch from conventional medicine that too often just treats the symptoms.

I just read a very exciting article in “Life Extension Magazine”, March 2009, a publication associated with Life Extension Foundation about the work of Dr. Mark Hyman. Dr. Hyman treats his patients having various physical diseases through a combination of appropriate dietary changes, nutritional supplements, exercise, meditation, and lifestyle changes. In doing so, he inadvertently discovered that he was simultaneously curing their mental diseases. That’s right, the same natural healing techniques that he used to address chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, digestive problems, also caused brain disorders to go away. Depression, anxiety, memory disorders, attention deficit disorder were eliminated because the body was healed and brought into balance.

“Heal your body and you heal your brain.” -- Dr. Mark Hyman, medical director of UltraWellness Center, Lenox, Massachusetts.

In a recent visit to Washington, Dr. Hyman told the working group on health care reform that we have to stop pharmaceutical advertising on TV and stop junk food marketing to children. Dr. Hyman advocates that doctors be retrained to find the “right” medicine for each person, be it nutrients, diet change, detoxification, a hormone, exercise, or a drug. (He also mentioned exorcism, but I think that was a joke.) The point is to use the appropriate process to bring the patient back in balance, and often that is frequently a natural, holistic approach. I hope the healthcare reformers were listening.

If the healthcare system would move in the direction of using more natural means, it would surely bring motivation for providing more nutritious meals in schools, restaurants, and the American home, more resources for exercise such as bike paths, running paths, soccer fields, swimming pools, and neighborhood parks, and more people developing their spiritual side through meditation and relaxation, all resulting in a healthier American lifestyle. As healthier lifestyles become more prevalent, better mental health will exist in society, causing more people to thrive as human beings. Crime will decrease. Life satisfaction will increase.

Not only that, but I see it saving billions of dollars in healthcare costs. In the long run, this would be great for the economy because we can spend those dollars in other pressing needs such as building infrastructure and keeping the planet healthy.

Healthcare using more holistic, natural measures is the way to go because it works so well and brings genuine health – to the body and the mind. Wouldn’t that be joyful to the American soul?

A Change in This Lifetime

2009-02-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine recently wrote in an email that she and her husband had “learned so much about food and nutrition!” They are a well-educated, highly respected couple who are known far and wide for their intelligence, accomplishments and generosity. Health concerns had compelled the husband to learn more about nutrition and the result was life changing.

In August 2007, following his annual physical and its routine tests, it was determined the husband was pre-diabetic. Not wanting to become diabetic he asked the medical doctor what he should do. Of course the doctor said, "Lose weight." The husband replied, "Fine! How much?" When the doctor responded, "We'll start with thirty pounds", the patient’s kneejerk response was, "Not in THIS lifetime!" He just couldn’t imagine how that was going to happen.

Though he was dubious that he could actually lose that much weight, he immediately began work on losing weight by attending the Diabetes Directions classes at Saint Francis Hospital, in Poughkeepsie, NY, a program for pre-diabetics and diabetics that have been referred by a doctor. He was a star pupil and to date has lost thirty-eight pounds in a slow but steady way.

How did he do this? Making better food choices and exercising on a regular basis.

It is critical to learn about nutrition to determine what changes you as an individual need to make. It is a mistake, perhaps a deadly mistake, to assume that your knowledge of nutrition is adequate, and there is nothing you need to learn. It is a mistake to assume that your diet is healthy and you do not need to make any changes. (There are many places that offer nutrition programs: holistic health counselors, nutritionists, continuing education courses, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC, as well as hospitals and health centers.)

You probably learned about nutrition in school when you were a kid, maybe as a Girl or Boy Scout, or maybe from your parents. Well, much has changed. The American diet has been compromised by the food industry that is often more motivated to make a profit, and less driven by concern for your health.

A few generations ago the food was healthier. Here are some reasons:
1. All food was organic because there were no pesticides or herbicides. Now, conventional farming utilizes 2.5 million tons of pesticides yearly. Pesticides are toxic to humans and also cause the plant to produce less potent nutrients.

“Research indicates that organic foods have more nutrients than foods grown conventionally.” – Mark Hyman, M.D., author of UltraMetabolism, 2006.

2. Farm animals grazed on grass, their natural diet. Now, cattle enduring feedlot life are corn-fed. This negatively impacts their health requiring them to be given large doses of antibiotics which end up in the food.

3. Chemical additives were not widely used. Today, more than 14,000 additives have been added to food products.

4. Sugar was a rare commodity. In the early 1700’s it is estimated that the American colonists ate 4 pounds of sugar a year. In 2006, the average American consumed 63 pounds of sugar and 75 pounds of corn-derived sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup. This is too much for the human body to handle and causes numerous health problems.

"By 2006, according to USDA sources, industrial sugar use averaged 63 pounds per person per year. In contrast, 75 pounds of corn-derived sweeteners and 2 pounds of honey and edible syrups were consumed that year for an annual total sweetener consumption per person of 139 pounds (excludes artificial sweeteners)."
- From the Agricultural Marketing and Resource Center, article: sugarcane profile

Your great grandparents did not have to learn much about nutrition because their food was intrinsically healthy. Sadly, this is no longer the case. You need to learn about nutrition from a source that is not influenced by the food industry (or the USDA whose mission is to promote the food industry). To be healthy, you need to eat real food, including lots of clean vegetables and fruits, greatly reduce your ingestion of chemical substances, sugar, HFCS, etc. There many facets of nutrition – too numerous to list here – that you need to be aware so you can eat the food that is best of you.

What’s the solution? Well, you could wait until you are in a health crisis and take your chances, or you could choose the better way of learning what you need to know about nutrition and following through by making the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Study nutrition from a reliable source that has a good handle on addressing your individual needs and is knowledgeable in modern day food problems that you need to avoid. You will be amazed what you will learn.

Start making the appropriate food choices and you will notice wonderful improvements in your health. Make it happen, now, in this lifetime, while you still have time!

Connecting Spiritually

2009-02-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

I am a holistic health counselor. This means that I believe that health is influenced by many factors including nutrition, physical activity, relationships, vocation, avocation, and last, but not least, spiritual life. Today I want to share an idea for enhancing your spiritual connection to God, whatever your religious belief. (If you are a nonbeliever, you will have to tell me how you connect to your spiritual side. I don’t know much about that.)

Last year I was listening to Dr. Joseph Mercola, an integrative medicine doctor, in one of his many video lectures when he said something in passing that I found incredibly valuable. It was about prayer.

Now, I was raised a protestant, and I have prayed all my life. I can’t imagine trying to go through life without prayer, and it is a rare day that I forget to pray. I need that connection to God.

In all the years I attended Sunday School and church services, in all the sermons, and in even the occasional prayer class, I do not recall the idea that Dr. Mercola offered ever being discussed. This astonishes me, because I find the idea Mercola mentioned incredibly helpful.

So what was the idea? It was that you need to prepare yourself to pray by feeling God’s presence first. For the non-emergency type of prayers, at least, feel God’s love and support first, then ask for what is on your mind.

So I have been trying this out. I think about how great God is, how all-knowing, how generous, how benevolent, and how blessed I am. This brings to me a wonderful feeling of God’s presence right there with me. I enjoy this feeling: I feel loved and supported, and I want to return often to this feeling.

When I feel connected to God, I start going through my prayer list, not before. I pray about all those things that are on my mind: my concerns for myself, my family, friends, community, country, and the world. Because I feel supported and loved by God when I am praying, it helps me trust that God will answer the prayer in the best possible way, maybe not in the way I asked, but in the way that is truly best overall. It’s a great way to pray.

Try this out, and I think you will greatly benefit from the time you spend connecting to God through prayer.

Namaste!

Minor Injuries

2009-01-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

I messed up on my goal #1 of my transformation program at the gym. Goal #1, as I explained in another post, was to avoid injury. On Monday, about 40 minutes into my first aerobic step class in at least 10 years, I got a pain in my knee and in the front of my ankle.

The good news was that I did survive the class. There was no need to call an ambulance. The pain in the knee and ankle was not too bad, but I knew I needed to take action to get it to heal as quickly as possible.

What do you do when you have such pains – not bad enough to call the doctor but, still, you know that you are definitely in some pain, and you certainly do not want to make it worse?

Fortunately, I have more than a few things up my sleeve. Tuesday, I did not exercise and gave my knee and ankle a rest. I did a bit of Reiki on myself (I had taken a course to learn how to do this last year). I also drank plenty of water – I have gotten rid of some pains just by this alone, believe it or not. I avoided sugar except for a smidgeon of cake that I had at a social get-together. (It would have been better if I had totally skipped this, I’m sure.) Throughout the day, I chose alkaline foods, which are helpful in reducing inflammation, including raspberries, collards, quinoa, and kombucha (a therapeutic beverage). These sensible ideas anyone can do without an appointment or a co-pay.

Another therapeutic measure I like to do on such occasions is to use some arnica gel on my sore joints and muscles. You see, sometimes I indulge in some activity for which I really am not properly conditioned, someone else’s idea for the “exercise du jour”, for which I acquiesce. Whether it is cross country skiing, hiking, or the squat machine at the gym, I end up paying for it afterwards.

Arnica: a liquid preparation made from the dried flower heads of a perennial herb. Use: treating bruises and sprains in alternative medicine. – Encarta Dictionary

I was introduced to arnica gel a few years back when my son was taking tae kwon do. Often on Board Breaking Day, some kid or adult would manage to hit the board or cinder block improperly (if you can imagine that). Anyway, the tae kwon do master would always spray the badly bruised hand or foot with arnica. It worked well enough that the injured student would be “just fine” the next day. It was impressive.

I like to use the clear arnica gel which is available in health stores and some drugstores. At the health store that I was in yesterday I could not find it, so fortunately I asked the clerk if they had it. As a result I got a short tutorial on the various products and learned some helpful tips.

The clerk told me to definitely stay with an arnica gel that is paraben-free. Then he asked if I needed the gel for trauma or chronic pain. Since normally I do not have pain, and this problem had come from a sudden change in direction while trying to keep up with the aerobic step instructor who is probably half my age, I decided it was “trauma”. So the store clerk directed me to the Boiron Arnicare gel with blue tube. The “blue tube” contains homeopathic medicine that you take by letting it dissolve in the mouth. (You aren’t supposed to outright swallow it.) I never knew about this option to ingest “Arnica montana” before. Great, yet another trick for my holistic tool bag! (Moral of the story: Ask questions at the health food store, and you find out some helpful tips.)

Today, Wednesday, the pain is almost totally gone so I decided to see how it was on the treadmill. I walked or jogged through 3.5 miles in 50 minutes without pain.

The more you know about natural supportive measures for health – through food, exercise, supplements, relaxation, meditation, etc., and the more you incorporate them in your daily life, the healthier you will be. And then, when you do have a health problem – be it caused by illness or accident -- the more prepared you will be to restore yourself to wellness.

Nonetheless, next time I think I will try an “easier” exercise class.

The Bok Choy Salad Makeover

2009-01-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

We often have potluck dinners at my church. A couple of years ago, Sally and Craig brought a bok choy salad that so many people liked that everyone clamored to have the recipe published in the church newsletter. Being an easy to make “crowd-pleaser” salad, I kept the recipe because I relished the thought of sharing it with others, and if truth be told, getting a bit of glory for bringing it to a party.

Since then I have had conversion about what constitutes a healthy diet. So when I recently went to make the recipe, I ran into a few issues.

The first problem was that the recipe called for Chinese chow mein noodles. You see, I had read the label on the noodle can and to my chagrin, there it was: partially hydrogenated soybean oil, also known as a Trans fat! Uh-oh, Trans fat! Can’t have that in my salad!

I searched several food stores including a health food store for healthy Chinese chow mein noodles without Trans fat, but alas, there were none that I could find. What to do?

Well, I thought, the Chinese noodles were crunchy. Maybe I could use carrots or water chestnuts instead. It wouldn’t be the same, but I decided it would still taste good. So I decided on water chestnuts, hoping that the can did not supply BPA which is linked to cancer. To be safe, I probably should have just gone with the julienne carrots. Maybe next time.

"Most canned goods are coated with a resin lining derived from Bisphenol-A (BPA). A component of polycarbonate plastic, BPA may be linked to certain cancers, fertility and behavioral problems in children. The risk is especially great when exposed in the womb; women who are pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant and young children should be especially careful of their canned-food intake." From “Nine ways to Avoid Household Toxins” by Christina Gillham, Oct. 1, 2008.

The next hurdle was the butter. You see, the recipe called for sautéing the sliced almonds and sesame seed in ¼ cup of butter. Too much butter, I thought. Better make that olive oil, and cut it drastically. I have toasted almonds before without any oil, so the one tablespoon of olive oil is plenty if the heat is not too high.

The sugar in the original recipe was a little much for someone trying to be healthy so I went with agave syrup, in a much smaller amount.

Here is the recipe. Enjoy it in health!

Healthy Bok Choy Salad
- Thanks to Sally and Craig for their original recipe!

Serves 8

1 T olive oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1.5 oz. sliced almonds (slightly less than ½ cup)

Heat oil. Sauté sesame seeds and almonds until golden, being careful not to burn.

1 lb. Bok choy, sliced
1 package Ramen, broken up into tiny bite-sized pieces. (Discard the seasoning packet.)
1 cup sliced water chestnuts (or sliced carrots)
2 scallions, chopped.

Toss all the above together.

3/8 cup canola oil (organic is best!)
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon agave syrup/nectar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Mix together and toss with salad just before serving.

Do It Your Way

2009-01-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

To change your habits, it is important to do it your way. So for my transformation program I have made a version just for me. It is more fun that way, and I am most likely to stick with it if it has my personal touch.

Today, I did a 10 minute warmup on the treadmill. About half way through I increased the incline to a whopping 1%. (LOL) Anyways, I proceeded with 12 minutes of jogging, going somewhat faster than usual, but never feeling like I was overdoing it. (Remember my goal #1 is "do not get injured".) In the end, the result was 1.06 miles in 12 minutes. This is the bottom of the "good" category for my age.

I continued to jog and walk on the treadmill until a total of 45 minutes elapsed, overall walking 3.3 miles. Then I did some free weights and my favorite stretches. It felt good.

You may be more advanced in your physical fitness level, or you may be less physically fit than me. It doesn't matter where you start. It matters that you start and keep going at a pace that is comfortable for you. There is no health benefit to burning yourself out or getting injured. Small steps are a great way to get more fit.

I hadn't done a running test in decades. I really don't know what is reasonable to set as a goal. I'm guessing moving into the middle of the good category, say 1.10 miles in 6 weeks is doable. So that is my goal for now as far increasing my jogging endurance, but the important thing is to listen to my body. It will tell me what is possible without needless strain.

What is your body telling you?

Goals I Can Believe In

2009-01-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

I signed up for the Transformation program, had my “before” picture taken, and looked over the official program handbook. What do I do next, besides start exercising?

Actually, I have been exercising, usually 3 to 4 times a week – mostly walking. But now, with this program, I have motivation to set some new goals so that I see a transformation of some sort in 12 weeks. To be honest, it sounds a bit ambitious to me, but I’m game…

The handbook suggests focusing on either gaining lean body mass (muscle) or losing body fat and firming muscle. I have trouble figuring how these goals are different because I have an understanding that says you will burn body fat as you get more muscular. So I don’t know exactly which program to follow. I think I will just make up some of my own goals.

Goal 1. Do not get injured. This is very important to me, and if I am not careful I could easily hurt my knees, back, shoulder, get shin splints, or “who-knows-what”. Don’t want that! So, first off, I am going to work at not overdoing it.

Goal 2. Improve my endurance. Funny, but the handbook doesn’t really seem to address this, even though the program slogan includes “Endurance, Strength, and Structure”.

I decided to search the Internet for an endurance test. I will take the 12-minute test on the treadmill within a couple of days to set a benchmark, and try to see improvement in my results when I repeat the test in 6 weeks or so. (Warning, since I already do a fair amount of aerobic exercise, and know I can slow jog for 12 minutes, it is reasonable for me to do this test. If you haven’t been exercising don’t take the test. As always, consult with your physician before starting any new exercise program.)

Goal 3. Get stronger. Hopefully, become a little more chiseled. (OK, “chiseled” is a stretch, maybe I should say “toned”.)

Goal 4. Tweak my diet. I do have a fair amount of energy, but with the added exercise of strength training I think I may need slightly more protein, and maybe more calories. I’ll have to monitor this and eat mindfully.

I must say that the nutrition program in the handbook is not appropriate for me. As a holistic health counselor I believe that there is no one diet that is right for everyone , and the 16 oz. of milk they suggest a day would be definitely be a problem for me. I’m lactose intolerant! (Experts estimate that as many as 50 million American adults are lactose intolerant.)

Also, I have concerns about consuming even the 100% lactose-free version of milk. I have found that a small serving of organic yogurt and, occasionally, a tiny bit of cheese for flavoring is enough daily dairy for me, so I’m going with what I know works for me.

Goal 5. Have fun! Try some new classes, some new exercises, meet some new people, and try some new healthy recipes. Enjoy the journey!

These are my goals: they are goals I can believe in. They are reasonable, and I’m psyched to work on them. I'm ready to persevere because I think overall it will be fun. I am grateful to Gold's Gym that they have inspired me to do this program.

Go ahead. Why not rethink your goals to recharge your fitness program and make some healthy improvements in your life this year?

Day One

2009-01-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day of Barack Obama’s term. It was also the day of my start of the 12 week Transformation program at Gold’s Gym. So as we begin to remake America, I also begin to remake my endurance, strength and structure or "ESS" as the Transformation program calls it. I love new beginnings!

All I had to do today was show up for my photo and measurements clad in my bikini bottom and sports bra. It went pretty well except they had me sign my measurement records, and without my reading glasses, I had no idea what I was signing. It wasn’t until I got home that I read my body fat was 31.1 % -- higher than I expected, and even more disappointing, according to them my waistline is 35 inches. Good grief! I don’t think so!

I grabbed my tape measure. I get 31 inches, which is nothing to brag about, but it certainly is better than the 35 inches that has been recorded. I think what the guy who measured me did was to measure across the belly button and not across the narrowest circumference point between the rib cage and hip (which most women would think of as the waistline). Oh well, details.

The good news that I stayed after the picture taking and actually exercised! I did my circuit and even added a couple of machines that I had been skipping in the past months (read year or so). Small steps toward progress makes for a great beginning!

Food that Saves Lives

2009-01-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

It was a spectacular rescue. Yesterday, when a US Airways jet crashed in the Hudson River, rescuers from numerous agencies responded with speed and proficiency, and despite the odds, none of the 155 people aboard was seriously injured. It was wonderful wasn’t it? Such an event lifts our spirits, gives us hope, and fills us with joy.

For a moment, let’s contrast this to the 159 people who are diagnosed with cancer every HOUR. Or how about the 1500 people who will die every day from the disease? (Note 1.) How could we save them?

You and I probably will not ever be involved in a dramatic rescue, but when it comes to helping save lives by lowering the risk of degenerate diseases, that is something we can all do.

If you’d like to save your own life, you can start by eating your “five a day”. That means five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. How hard is that? (Not very!) You will find that your body will respond positively if it has the nutrients it needs, and you will lower your risk of many diseases. Isn’t that a rescue you’d like to pull off?

But don’t take my word for it. Here are a few ideas from others in the know:

“If everyone in the U.S. ate at least five servings of vegetable and fruit a day, cancer rates could fall by as much as 20 percent.” - American Institute of Cancer Research

“Each time you sit down to a meal, you’re making life-and-death decisions.” –Steven Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews, authors of SuperFoods: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life.

“Virtually every disease of aging – including heart disease, diabetes, and many common forms of cancer such as breast cancer and prostate cancer – result from damage to DNA, which can be prevented by the substances found in fruits and vegetables.” – David Heber, M.d., Ph.D., author of What Color is Your Diet?

Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D., a well-known wellness expert and author of Ultrametabolism and Ultraprevention, explains that we need a diet rich in fruits and vegetables because these are loaded with phytonutrients. (There are many different types of phytonutrients and researchers continue to discover more. A single tomato is estimated to contain 10,000 different phytonutrients.) These “hidden medicines” found in the color pigments of fruits and vegetables turn on genes that promote health and reverse disease. Without them one’s health deteriorates, aging advances, and diseases result.

Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables will assure you get your rainbow of phytonutrients which in turn will allow for vibrant health. Go ahead, eat well and begin to liberate yourself in wellness. Save your own life!

Note 1: Source for cancer statistics: “Winning the War on Cancer” from www.mercola.com, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/20/winning-the-war-on-cancer.aspx

Moving beyond Obesity in America

2009-01-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

Thirty-four percent of Americans are obese and another 32% are overweight, but not obese. This week, I heard Jack Cafferty on CNN label this situation as a national disgrace.

I have compassion for overweight people. I see them as victims of a food system that is more concerned with profits than health, and of a healthcare system that hasn’t adequately done its job. Overweight people have not been sufficiently supported to put a healthy lifestyle into practice. If a person eats a typical American diet and follows a typical American lifestyle, it is very likely they will become overweight. In general, our food and our stressful way of living are wrong for wellness. Being healthy in America requires you to go out of your way to choose a lifestyle and diet that diverge from the mainstream.

There are nurses, doctors, nutritionists, and dietitians who are overweight. Surely they know better. They work in healthcare, for goodness sake. Yet, they don’t see the light clearly enough to take action. Too often, they don’t take care of themselves, nor do they stand up to act consistent with their knowledge. Too often they play along with the poor food choices and the sedentary and stressful American lifestyle. Sometimes, I would guess, they just do not realize how critical food and exercise are in the equation. What a shame.

The national disgrace is not the abundance of behemoth people, but the dearth of following through on our knowledge if we have it, or not seeking the knowledge, if we don’t. Instead, we need to lead lives as individuals and a society that makes smart choices for our health.

The national disgrace must also include the food industry that has promoted high fructose corn syrup, chemical additives, and Trans Fat, etc., as well as supersizing. These do the body no good, but make the food cheaper, more convenient, and more fattening.

One simple example is our overconsumption of soda and refined sugar. We know soda and sugar are detrimental to our health. When you have too much refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup, more that 1 – 2 teaspoons of sugar in your blood, the body has to treat the situation as an emergency, and produces insulin that ushers the excess sugar out of the blood and into your soft tissue where it changes to fat. If you consume too much sugar on a regular basis, the body cannot keep up with repairing the damage, and your health deteriorates faster than it otherwise would, increasing your risk for disease.

So why does a local medical group have vending machines full of soda and candy? That’s right. Last August, when I took a family member to the doctor I took this picture in the waiting room. When I went to another facility in November, guess what, they, too, had vending machines in the lobby with similar items – candy, chips, and soda - but with a few healthier choices also available such as yogurt.
It just doesn’t seem right that doctors, who have taken an oath to “do no harm” would provide access to such unhealthy food to their staff and patients right there at their office building.

Americans must stop living in an “evidence free zone” where evidence and the eventual consequences are ignored. We must avoid unhealthy practices that we know cause health problems. We must have the backbone to support our brain, and do what we know makes sense when it comes to food choices – as individuals, healthcare providers, and food suppliers. Let us embrace a vision of America where our food habits are not a disgrace, but source of national pride.

What to Wear for the Before Picture?

2009-01-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

I signed up for a “transformation” program at Gold’s Gym. Twelve weeks to get my ESS in shape, as they say. ESS stands for endurance, strength and structure. I don’t need to lose weight, fortunately. That, I already did. I’m interested in bringing up my physical fitness a level or two. I figure it will be worth the effort because even a minor difference would be most welcome!

Actually, I don’t officially start until Jan. 20th. That’s when I get my “before” picture taken. So yesterday I decided to shop for what I was going to wear for the picture. I have some decent looking sports bras so that is not a problem, but, what was I going to wear on the bottom? The instructions for the program say “women – bikini or shorts”. And the shorts have to be short shorts, exposing most of the thigh.

A bikini or short shorts? I had to go shopping. Unfortunately, not many stores in upstate NY where I live are selling bathing suits quite yet. I’m sure they will show up soon, but I decided I needed to find something now, so I was determined to make a selection on this one shopping trip. After going to Kohl’s, Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, JC Penney, Sears, and Macy’s, I went back to Target. Funny, I don’t remember ever buying clothing for myself at Target before, but today they had the best selection of swimwear. During the afternoon I tried on 14 possible choices including some shorts. I finally talked myself into a bikini, size: extra large.

Me in a bikini? Jeeze Louise! A bikini at my age? I’m 58. This is insane. I had gotten rid of my last bikini in my 40’s when I realized that I really did not look good in it.

Do I look good in the one I bought? Short answer: no. Long answer: No, but given that the gym’s photographer will have me show my midriff in the photo anyway, it will be preferable, I think, than having the bulkiness of the rolled down hipster style swim suit or shorts. At least the bikini will be one thickness of material. My “muscle-at-ease” (flab) will show, but hey, I’m taking comfort in the fact that you aren’t supposed to look fabulous in a “before” shot!

Finding Motivation for Self Care

2009-01-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

The week I decided to create this blog I went to hear Dr. Eric Plasker, author of the book, The 100 Year Lifestyle. Dr. Plasker’s message reminded me why I had lost weight a few years ago. He recommended that if we were not motivated to do the things we knew we should, such as losing weight or exercising, to visit some nursing homes and observe what life is like for the residents. That would surely do it.

For nine years before she died, my mother had been in a nursing home. Actually, two nursing homes, as my sister and I moved her to a second nursing home so that we could more easily visit her. Both nursing homes were similar in that the residents were mostly incapacitated, frustrated, and unhappy.

I don’t fault the nursing homes. They tried to make life interesting and good for these people. But when you are ill with no hope of improving, when you are in pain that even medicine cannot assuage, when you are alone, away from loved ones, and when your reality is greatly removed from your understanding and expectations of what life should be, it is nearly impossible to make a someone happy, even momentarily.

Several years ago, I was overweight by 12 – 15 pounds. Even worse, I was in pain. I had joint pain that flare up in different parts of my body. From the least provocation it might appear in the lower back, shoulder, wrist or, chronically, the elbow. It was not until my orthopedic surgeon told me that he had exhausted the treatment options for me before I looked for natural ways to fix the problem.

I decided to do something about it! Surely, making an effort to live a healthier lifestyle would help.

Total healing of my joints came over time. I cannot say one thing was the “charm” that made all the difference. Instead it was a combination of multiple lifestyle improvements including supplementation, yoga, healthier food, and exercise. With all of these changes – particularly an increase in fruits and vegetables and with a severe reduction in sugar consumption - I automatically without effort lost 14 pounds over several months. Furthermore, my new weight has remained stable because I continue to eat, exercise, and live in a healthy manner. Everyday.