Can we fight disease when we are not causing health?
This is the question we must ask ourselves when the United States Surgeon General's July 1988 report states that two-thirds of all deaths in the US are related to diet.
Between 1965 and 1986, the percentage of adult cigarette smokers dropped 35 percent, from 40 percent to 26.5 percent. However, the cancer death rate continued to climb. This is more than interesting because smoking is blamed by medicine as the major cause of cancer.
While we may not question the strong case linking lung cancer to smoking, related factors exist.
Before 1930, there was an abundance of long-term heavy smokers, and lung cancer was a very rare disease. Why was lung cancer so rare in the 1920's with a higher percentage of adult male smokers than today. Could it be that it was before the age of toxic agri-chemicals, depleted soils, and junk foods?
Can we suppose that artificial fertilization, ever-increasing and under-regulated amounts of highly toxic insecticides like DDT, chlordane, toxaphene, and lindane, and dangerous compounds called organophosphorous compounds, sprayed on tobacco fields, might have a role to play?
The act of smoking vaporizes these residues as they are inhaled into the smoker's lungs. Add to this a new generation of humans exposed to severe air pollution of lead, chlorinated napthalene, and other waste products of combustion, industry poisons, increased radiation, junk food, and general deficiency. And smoking may just be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
In other words, smoking may just be the longest nail in the coffin lid, but not enough to hold it down alone.
The cancer rate has continued to climb despite a significant reduction in alcohol consumption.
The cancer rate has continued to climb despite significantly increased spending on health care and legal drugs.
Heart disease is still the Number One killer, and half of all men die from it.
While the use of antibiotics has increased at a mind-boggling rate, the death rate attributed to septicemia (the presence of bacterial toxins in the blood) has soared.
Death rates from pneumonia have also soared.
More money, more doctors, more research, more surgery, more disease, more death.
All your immune system is trying to do is to get rid of the bacteria that is building up too high. When the body is too toxic and weak, there is too much pollution in the system. Waste has built up in the intestines, liver, kidneys, spleen, and lymph glands, and generally in the blood and tissues. The bowels get very sluggish.
The body wants to generate heat and the thyroid's not able to do it.
Enter the common cold or flu. What does the flu do? It's a turbulent detoxification reaction of the body. Every symptom of a cold or the flu is a symptom of detoxification.
High fevers burn waste and bacteria. The pores open for profuse sweating. The bowels dump via diarrhea. The chills generate internal heat. Vomiting is the process of coughing up and getting rid of respiratory mucus. All cleansing actions.
This is the way that the body can violently and quickly get rid of the unprocessed metabolic waste in the system. The waste is a smorgasbord of bacteria.
And what are we told to do, by TV and billboard advertising, and well-meaning loved ones? We start taking all kinds of anti-histamine cold pills and drugs, to try and stop the body's correct clean-up response because we misunderstand what's going on.
Let's return to the early 1920's, when an epidemic of coronary heart attacks began in this country. It soon became clear that, as vitamins and other nutrients were being discovered, some protective factors in our food supply were being stripped out.
So can we continue to blame smoking and ignore the fact that we are eating a diet of highly processed chemicals and nutritionless components?
Is there even a chance that we can return to more sane practices, as I said in my last blog, return to the kitchen, and heaven forbid, maybe return to the garden, be it in the back yard or on the apartment patio? That's where REAL organic, non-chemical produce has a chance to live.
Take back control, folks. We are pawns, being played by big business.
If we want optimum health, yes, quitting smoking is a necessity. But so is eating a real, healthy, and nutritious diet, with minimal processing, and maximum vitamin and mineral content.
I'd like to remind you that I write this blog in order to support people to live healthy, robust, productive, and consequently happy lives. I can help you lose your first 20 pounds of Body Fat in 90 days in a healthy manner, and set you on a path where you can regain control of your entire future.
If you'd like more information on the Get Your Body Back 10 Step Program, that has successfully worked for many others, send me an e-mail at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com and receive a free, no-obligation consultation.
"Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness..." Edward Stanley 1826 - 1893
To your superior health and longevity...Billie
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry
I recently got my hands on the transcripts of a talk that was delivered at the Annual Conference of Consumer Health of Canada a few years ago. If you read this blog on a regular basis, you already have some sense of how I feel about the food industry. In fact, I often put up a notice on the door of my office that says, "The food industry makes poison taste good. Which poisons are you consuming today?"
Today, I'm going to take the liberty of sharing some excerpts of this talk with you. If you want the complete transcript, I would be happy to fax it to you. Just send me an e-mail at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com with your fax number included.
Now, for a long time, my clients have heard me say, "Don't even get me started on the food industry..." Well, finding this 8-page transcript definitely "got me started!" all over again. I hope it does the same to you and gets you questioning many of the food choices you make for yourself and your family members. Notes from the talk will be italicized.
While traditional food processing enhances or increases the nutrient value of our foods, in modern times we have abandoned those practices in favor of factory and industrial processing, which actually destroys the nutrients in food and makes our food more difficult to digest.
Furthermore, industrial processing depends upon products that have a negative impact on our health, such as white sugar, white flour, processed and hydrogenated oils, additives, and synthetic vitamins.
Let's talk about breakfast cereals. In experiments conducted on commercial extrusion cereals, rats fed on vitamins, water, and all the puffed wheat they wanted died within two weeks. And they didn't die of malnutrition, as you might be thinking. Autopsy revealed dysfunction of the pancreas, liver, and kidneys, and degeneration of the nerves of the spine, all signs of insulin shock. In fact, the rats that got nothing but water and vitamins lived longer, at about two months!
In another experiment conducted with corn flakes, rats fed the box only became lethargic and eventually died of malnutrition. However, rats fed corn flakes and water developed schizophrenic behaviour, threw fits, bit each other and finally went into convulsions, and died before the rats that were eating the box! (This experiment was originally designed as a joke but the results, which were never published, were far from funny).
What to do? Go back to old fashioned porridge, not the packaged flavoured kind but the kind you actually have to cook in the morning...
Let's talk about milk. From an article in the LA Times, we will save the part about the treatment of milking cows for another blog.
The pasteurization process deforms and denatures proteins, whose role includes protection against pathogens, enhancement of the immune system, and is the carrier system for nutrients. When we drink pasteurized milk, our body mounts an immune response instead of deriving instant nourishment. Much is written about the benefits of full-fat milk from pasture-fed cows, which is not pastuerized, processed, or homogenized. Do your own research, starting with www.realmilk.com.
Another supposed healthy choice is orange juice. Did you know that new orange juice processing plants are completely automated and can process up to 1800 tonnes of oranges per day? Do you think they do this by cutting oranges in half and carefully squeezing out the juice? Of course not. They process the whole orange. Oranges are a very heavily sprayed crop and these sprays are cholinesterase inhibitors, which are real neurotoxins. When they put the oranges in the vats and squeeze them, all of those pesticides go right into the juice.
Protect yourself from pesticides and juice a few oranges yourself in the morning.
Next, before the advent of processed food, we made our broths for soups, sauces, and gravies from bones and the good drippings from our cooked meat. Processed soup bases and sauces contain artificial meat-like flavours because it's too expensive for the industry to make real broth.
In 1947, General Foods chemists predicted that almost all natural flavours would soon be chemically synthesized in the laboratory. Following the Second World War, food companies discovered MSG, which the Japanese had invented in 1908. When the industry learned how to make the flavor of meat in the lab using inexpensive proteins from grains and legumes, the door was opened to a flood of new products including bullion cubes, dehydrated soup mixes, sauce mixes, TV dinners, and condiments with a meat-flavoured base.
In fact, the food industry as we know it could not exist without MSG and other artificial meat flavours to make secret sauces and spice mixtures that beguile the consumer into eating bland and tasteless foods. The sauces in processed foods are basically MSG, water, thickeners and emulsifiers, and some caramel coloring. Your tongue is tricked into thinking that it's getting something nutritious when it is getting nothing at all except some very toxic substances. Look on your labels for hydrolyzed protein, aspartame, and MSG, the three most toxic additives in our food supply. But beware, the industry avoids putting MSG on labels and they don't have to, if the mix is less than 50% MSG. And the industry has known about health problems associated with MSG since they began studying it closely in 1957.
Well, eight pages is a long transcript and I think you've read enough for one day! Stay tuned when the next blog will reveal truths about fats and oils, including margarine, vegetable oils, trans fats, and artificial bacon.
For now, please get back into the kitchen. A little time invested in natural food preparation is a fantastic investment in the health and longevity of your family.
P.S. I'm currently looking for articles on the pet food processing industry as well. I believe that most of what is put into most pet foods is waste and garbage, unconsumable by humans and foisted upon our innocent, unsuspecting pets (by innocent, unsuspecting pet owners). Shortly after the purchase of my chihuahua, I went looking for research on pet health and decided to feed my little guy ONLY raw, real food for his dinner. Yes, the preparation takes a little more time than opening a bag or a can but it costs only pennies per day and I'm happy to spend about 30 cents and 10 minutes to see him happy and excited, the picture of perfect health!
To your health and longevity, Billie
Today, I'm going to take the liberty of sharing some excerpts of this talk with you. If you want the complete transcript, I would be happy to fax it to you. Just send me an e-mail at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com with your fax number included.
Now, for a long time, my clients have heard me say, "Don't even get me started on the food industry..." Well, finding this 8-page transcript definitely "got me started!" all over again. I hope it does the same to you and gets you questioning many of the food choices you make for yourself and your family members. Notes from the talk will be italicized.
While traditional food processing enhances or increases the nutrient value of our foods, in modern times we have abandoned those practices in favor of factory and industrial processing, which actually destroys the nutrients in food and makes our food more difficult to digest.
Furthermore, industrial processing depends upon products that have a negative impact on our health, such as white sugar, white flour, processed and hydrogenated oils, additives, and synthetic vitamins.
Let's talk about breakfast cereals. In experiments conducted on commercial extrusion cereals, rats fed on vitamins, water, and all the puffed wheat they wanted died within two weeks. And they didn't die of malnutrition, as you might be thinking. Autopsy revealed dysfunction of the pancreas, liver, and kidneys, and degeneration of the nerves of the spine, all signs of insulin shock. In fact, the rats that got nothing but water and vitamins lived longer, at about two months!
In another experiment conducted with corn flakes, rats fed the box only became lethargic and eventually died of malnutrition. However, rats fed corn flakes and water developed schizophrenic behaviour, threw fits, bit each other and finally went into convulsions, and died before the rats that were eating the box! (This experiment was originally designed as a joke but the results, which were never published, were far from funny).
What to do? Go back to old fashioned porridge, not the packaged flavoured kind but the kind you actually have to cook in the morning...
Let's talk about milk. From an article in the LA Times, we will save the part about the treatment of milking cows for another blog.
The pasteurization process deforms and denatures proteins, whose role includes protection against pathogens, enhancement of the immune system, and is the carrier system for nutrients. When we drink pasteurized milk, our body mounts an immune response instead of deriving instant nourishment. Much is written about the benefits of full-fat milk from pasture-fed cows, which is not pastuerized, processed, or homogenized. Do your own research, starting with www.realmilk.com.
Another supposed healthy choice is orange juice. Did you know that new orange juice processing plants are completely automated and can process up to 1800 tonnes of oranges per day? Do you think they do this by cutting oranges in half and carefully squeezing out the juice? Of course not. They process the whole orange. Oranges are a very heavily sprayed crop and these sprays are cholinesterase inhibitors, which are real neurotoxins. When they put the oranges in the vats and squeeze them, all of those pesticides go right into the juice.
Protect yourself from pesticides and juice a few oranges yourself in the morning.
Next, before the advent of processed food, we made our broths for soups, sauces, and gravies from bones and the good drippings from our cooked meat. Processed soup bases and sauces contain artificial meat-like flavours because it's too expensive for the industry to make real broth.
In 1947, General Foods chemists predicted that almost all natural flavours would soon be chemically synthesized in the laboratory. Following the Second World War, food companies discovered MSG, which the Japanese had invented in 1908. When the industry learned how to make the flavor of meat in the lab using inexpensive proteins from grains and legumes, the door was opened to a flood of new products including bullion cubes, dehydrated soup mixes, sauce mixes, TV dinners, and condiments with a meat-flavoured base.
In fact, the food industry as we know it could not exist without MSG and other artificial meat flavours to make secret sauces and spice mixtures that beguile the consumer into eating bland and tasteless foods. The sauces in processed foods are basically MSG, water, thickeners and emulsifiers, and some caramel coloring. Your tongue is tricked into thinking that it's getting something nutritious when it is getting nothing at all except some very toxic substances. Look on your labels for hydrolyzed protein, aspartame, and MSG, the three most toxic additives in our food supply. But beware, the industry avoids putting MSG on labels and they don't have to, if the mix is less than 50% MSG. And the industry has known about health problems associated with MSG since they began studying it closely in 1957.
Well, eight pages is a long transcript and I think you've read enough for one day! Stay tuned when the next blog will reveal truths about fats and oils, including margarine, vegetable oils, trans fats, and artificial bacon.
For now, please get back into the kitchen. A little time invested in natural food preparation is a fantastic investment in the health and longevity of your family.
P.S. I'm currently looking for articles on the pet food processing industry as well. I believe that most of what is put into most pet foods is waste and garbage, unconsumable by humans and foisted upon our innocent, unsuspecting pets (by innocent, unsuspecting pet owners). Shortly after the purchase of my chihuahua, I went looking for research on pet health and decided to feed my little guy ONLY raw, real food for his dinner. Yes, the preparation takes a little more time than opening a bag or a can but it costs only pennies per day and I'm happy to spend about 30 cents and 10 minutes to see him happy and excited, the picture of perfect health!
To your health and longevity, Billie
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Count-Down to the Executive Challenge
Well, faithful readers, it feels like it took a long time to arrive but finally, December 1st is upon us. It's time to count down to the Executive Challenge.
We begin the 90 day Ten Step Program on January 1st, just in time for some serious soul-searching and a renewed commitment to being the best you can be.
Do you have big plans for yourself in 2007? I certainly hope you do because these are some of the most exciting days in the history of mankind.
Did you know that today, in Vancouver, BC, the world's largest aircraft landed at our International Airport?! It is the world's largest passenger aircraft. The Airbus A-380 is the aircraft equivalent of the double decker bus with passenger space on two levels the entire length of the plane. It's in Vancouver on the last leg of what's called technical route proving before it heads back to Toulouse, France. And Vancouver is the only North American stop for the aircraft that's expected to be in service by the end of next year. Is that exciting or what?!
If you haven't given 2007 too much thought yet, now's the time to do so.
In just 31 days, you'll be saying goodbye to 2006. I hope you had an excellent year but I hope you have a stellar year planned for yourself in 2007. There is so much excitement in the air, excitement about achieving your goals and creating the future of your dreams.
Did you watch Larry King Live when he had Jack Canfield, Bob Proctor, Joe Vitale, James Ray, and others on his show? The show was all about how we can create a dramatic and phenomenal life, full of abundance, just with our thoughts. In fact, we are creating our life right now, with every thought that we think.
How many times have you heard it said, "As a man thinketh, so is he." Or perhaps, "What you focus on, expands." These words are no longer up for debate, as leaders and scientists are now coming together in understanding about the power of the mind.
I invite you to step up to the plate. Make a commitment to yourself and have 2007 be the year that you give up weight as an issue in your life permanently. You'll see that, once you lose those first 20 pounds, your perception of yourself will change dramatically. And you'll do it without starving, without diet pills and without stuff in a can. You'll do it while you eat and enjoy real food, move your body the way it was meant to be moved, and think yourself to the best that life has to offer.
All in a format that you'll want to adopt as a way of life. Let us help you find the freedom you've been looking for.
If you didn't catch Larry King, click on this link for transcripts of the show on CNN. It could dramatically change your life...
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/16/lkl.01.html
Come join us and see for yourself...I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...Billie
We begin the 90 day Ten Step Program on January 1st, just in time for some serious soul-searching and a renewed commitment to being the best you can be.
Do you have big plans for yourself in 2007? I certainly hope you do because these are some of the most exciting days in the history of mankind.
Did you know that today, in Vancouver, BC, the world's largest aircraft landed at our International Airport?! It is the world's largest passenger aircraft. The Airbus A-380 is the aircraft equivalent of the double decker bus with passenger space on two levels the entire length of the plane. It's in Vancouver on the last leg of what's called technical route proving before it heads back to Toulouse, France. And Vancouver is the only North American stop for the aircraft that's expected to be in service by the end of next year. Is that exciting or what?!
If you haven't given 2007 too much thought yet, now's the time to do so.
In just 31 days, you'll be saying goodbye to 2006. I hope you had an excellent year but I hope you have a stellar year planned for yourself in 2007. There is so much excitement in the air, excitement about achieving your goals and creating the future of your dreams.
Did you watch Larry King Live when he had Jack Canfield, Bob Proctor, Joe Vitale, James Ray, and others on his show? The show was all about how we can create a dramatic and phenomenal life, full of abundance, just with our thoughts. In fact, we are creating our life right now, with every thought that we think.
How many times have you heard it said, "As a man thinketh, so is he." Or perhaps, "What you focus on, expands." These words are no longer up for debate, as leaders and scientists are now coming together in understanding about the power of the mind.
I invite you to step up to the plate. Make a commitment to yourself and have 2007 be the year that you give up weight as an issue in your life permanently. You'll see that, once you lose those first 20 pounds, your perception of yourself will change dramatically. And you'll do it without starving, without diet pills and without stuff in a can. You'll do it while you eat and enjoy real food, move your body the way it was meant to be moved, and think yourself to the best that life has to offer.
All in a format that you'll want to adopt as a way of life. Let us help you find the freedom you've been looking for.
If you didn't catch Larry King, click on this link for transcripts of the show on CNN. It could dramatically change your life...
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/16/lkl.01.html
Come join us and see for yourself...I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...Billie
Saturday, November 25, 2006
The Benefits of a Starter Salad
In a recent blog about longevity, I mentioned that eating fewer calories can contribute to a longer lifespan. So how do we eat fewer calories, yet not feel food-deprived? The answer is to eat more of the foods that are high in nutrition, and low in calories...welcome...your favorite salad ingredients.
From the latest Pritikin newsletter:
In new research presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity conference in October in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, scientists at Penn State University found that volunteers who ate a big salad before eating a main course of cheese tortellini ate 107 fewer calories overall than volunteers who didn’t have a first-course salad.
One important caveat: Stick to low-calorie dressings and skip high-fat, high-calorie ingredients like cheese, bacon, and croutons. When the volunteers ate salads full of calorie-dense dressings and condiments, they ended up eating more calories – even more than volunteers who were told to skip salads and go straight for the tortellini.
The good news: The subjects rated the salads equally satisfying, and didn’t notice the difference between the full-fat dressings and the lower-fat ones, most likely because the taste of low-fat varieties has greatly improved lately, says lead researcher Barbara Rolls.
The seven-week study looked at six salads that differed in fat, size, and calories. For the 42 volunteers involved, the salads that were the most effective at reducing overall calorie consumption had the following characteristics:
1. Low in fat (just 14% of calories from fat).
2. Big in size: Three cups of low-fat salad were much better at curtailing tortellini consumption than 1½ cups.
3. Low in calories: The salads low in calories and high in fresh, low-calorie veggies like romaine lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and celery did the best job at cutting overall calories for the meal. These salads (all three cups worth) added up to a mere 100 calories. The salads with cheese, full-fat dressings, and bacon bits quadrupled the calorie count – to 400 calories.
So, next time you're in the grocery store, load up on fresh, low-calorie veggies for your fridge. I believe in packing your lunch every day if your job allows. Take your veggies with you to the office every day and eat them at the beginning of your lunch. A longer life awaits you!
From the latest Pritikin newsletter:
In new research presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity conference in October in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, scientists at Penn State University found that volunteers who ate a big salad before eating a main course of cheese tortellini ate 107 fewer calories overall than volunteers who didn’t have a first-course salad.
One important caveat: Stick to low-calorie dressings and skip high-fat, high-calorie ingredients like cheese, bacon, and croutons. When the volunteers ate salads full of calorie-dense dressings and condiments, they ended up eating more calories – even more than volunteers who were told to skip salads and go straight for the tortellini.
The good news: The subjects rated the salads equally satisfying, and didn’t notice the difference between the full-fat dressings and the lower-fat ones, most likely because the taste of low-fat varieties has greatly improved lately, says lead researcher Barbara Rolls.
The seven-week study looked at six salads that differed in fat, size, and calories. For the 42 volunteers involved, the salads that were the most effective at reducing overall calorie consumption had the following characteristics:
1. Low in fat (just 14% of calories from fat).
2. Big in size: Three cups of low-fat salad were much better at curtailing tortellini consumption than 1½ cups.
3. Low in calories: The salads low in calories and high in fresh, low-calorie veggies like romaine lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and celery did the best job at cutting overall calories for the meal. These salads (all three cups worth) added up to a mere 100 calories. The salads with cheese, full-fat dressings, and bacon bits quadrupled the calorie count – to 400 calories.
So, next time you're in the grocery store, load up on fresh, low-calorie veggies for your fridge. I believe in packing your lunch every day if your job allows. Take your veggies with you to the office every day and eat them at the beginning of your lunch. A longer life awaits you!
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Preventing Self-Sabotage
We've all done it. Our program is going along very nicely and we lose focus for one reason or another...oh no, it looks like self-sabotage!
What causes us to sabotage our weight-loss efforts? Don't we know better? How can we prevent ourselves from behaviours that we'll later regret?
As in most situations that involve change, we are best prepared by understanding ourselves and telling the truth. Let's examine some likely scenarios...after all, fore-warned is fore-armed. Here are some sage words from Susan Mendelsohn, a licensed psychologist who works with a variety of addictions and specializes in managing eating disorders.
What causes us to sabotage our weight-loss efforts? Don't we know better? How can we prevent ourselves from behaviours that we'll later regret?
As in most situations that involve change, we are best prepared by understanding ourselves and telling the truth. Let's examine some likely scenarios...after all, fore-warned is fore-armed. Here are some sage words from Susan Mendelsohn, a licensed psychologist who works with a variety of addictions and specializes in managing eating disorders.
Old habits are more comfortable. Even though those old behaviors are nonproductive, they actually feel more comfortable to us for the mere reason that we know what to expect. Heading into uncharted territory may feel uncomfortable for us. Basically, the more you travel the same path, the more difficult it becomes to change directions. Only by breaking out of old routines can you make exciting new discoveries. You may soon discover that those old habits are not as comforting as you once thought.- Change is tough. Change takes time to plan for and is certainly not easy. But, sometimes the things that are most difficult are those that have the greatest payoff. Change requires need, desire, information, self-efficacy and movement. It takes patience, discipline, perseverance, self-discipline, responsibility and sacrifice. Without change there can be no breakthroughs! Let’s work together and break through those barriers.
Throughout history, the greatest achievements have come only after countless failures. There would be no phones, computers or electricity if certain individuals had just given up! Imagine what our world would be like if we all gave up! - Immediate gratification. If you are an individual who wants immediate results, then you will probably never give yourself the chance to be the healthiest or most content you can be later on. People tend to sabotage their new and healthy habits, because they are not seeing the fruits of their labor immediately. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle, it takes time for your mind and body to become regulated. Give your mind and body the courtesy and the time they need to adjust and you’ll reap the benefits of a lifetime of wellness.
- Fear of the unknown. Many folks fear what hasn’t even occurred yet. Why? Most likely, it is an irrational idea that change may lead to other problematic issues. But how in the world would you ever know if you haven’t experienced those changes? Fear can result in preventing us from the experience of a whole new life! Cross the bridge of fear if and when the circumstances call for it. Don’t fret about what cannot be controlled.
- Strong emotions. Your emotions may have a stronger hold on you than you ever imagined. Yes, both positive (the feeling-good feelings) and negative (the feeling-bad feelings) emotions can cause you to sabotage your efforts in a single moment. Emotional highs and lows are both culprits in sabotaging efforts, especially with weight management. When we feel “high,” we feel invincible and simply forget that we have to remain conscious in the choices we make. For instance, let’s say you just got a promotion. What is the first thing you do? Many folks say, “Let’s go celebrate.” Celebration is more than understandable and deserved, but how is it that we celebrate? Usually, we celebrate with a nice expensive dinner out on the town and other potentially harmful substances (alcohol, drugs, etc). Hence, we make a decision, either unconsciously or consciously that, “I deserve to pig out” or “get drunk,” because I have earned the right. At that moment, our “feeling good” emotions have taken over and may leave us with a mess to clean up later. On the other hand, those negative emotions, or the “feeling bad” ones, can wreak havoc on our achievements as well. Most of us do not enjoy feeling down, and many of us turn to food (or other substances) as an escape from those issues and feelings that we choose not to deal with. Yes, this is a choice we make.
- Obstacles! Yes, roadblocks are inevitable! Unpleasant and unexpected situations arise from time to time. So what? Should you use them as an excuse to quit your efforts at becoming healthy? I think not! If you think of barriers as a challenge rather than a threat, it is more probable that you will persist. Continuous effort will break down the barriers and conquer seemingly immoveable mountains! Don’t judge yourself as bad or worthless if you have a setback. Basically, stop judging yourself at all. Survival of the fittest is the ageless law of nature. The fittest are those that have the ability to adapt to rapidly changing conditions and endure difficult situations. Don’t get discouraged by a temporary defeat. You can do anything you want to if you stick to your plan long enough. Each step, whether it brings success or failure, supplies you with new understanding and enriches your journey.
- Excuses. Just another reason that we tend to sabotage our efforts. Too many of us are used to thinking and acting like children. By this, I mean we have grown accustomed to blaming others for our misery. It is time to act like an adult by taking responsibility for your own actions. Once you can take responsibility, it is up to you to push on. If you look for external reinforcement, you are giving power to those around you. Once you give up that power, you are doomed to accept others’ expectations of how you should look, how you should act, how you should feel, etc. This is a sure-fire way of sabotaging your efforts at anything you attempt to accomplish!
What do you do when adversity hits home? Will you complain, blame or act? Will you panic or persist? Will you find excuses to quit or give up, or will you look for reasons to push forward?
The job of a Wellness Coach is to support you to follow through on your plans. Your coach provides a committed listener, someone who actually cares whether you do what you say you're going to do. It's called "accountability." When you're accountable to someone, it doesn't mean that you've given up your power. Quite the contrary, it means that you've told yourself that failure is not an option and you've reached out to get the support you need to accomplish your goals, whatever they may be.
Body Transformation, as I've said before, requires major amounts of consistency. Current research says that even one bad (high fat, low nutrition) meal can have a negative effect on your body, when you're trying to make positive changes. Doing some physical activity now and then will not change your metabolism or burn your extra body fat.
Once we set up your program, which is based on your goals and your lifestyle, we work together to keep you on the path from where you are now to where you want to go.
The Executive Challenge will be launching soon. Wouldn't you like to lose 20 pounds in 90 days, starting on January 1st. Will weight-loss be one of your New Year's Resolutions? Once you've lost the first 20 pounds, you'll realize that you can do anything you set your mind to! Your other goals will suddenly seem VERY attainable. And isn't that what we all want? The magic of goal-getting!
Sign up now to join the Executive Challenge. Space is limited to 15 participants. We've received many inquiries and our panel is busy reviewing them. If you've already expressed an interest, you'll be hearing from us soon. If not, go to executivechallenge@hotmail.com and let us know that you are committed to losing 20 pounds in 90 days. Your success story will be featured in an upcoming book on the subject of Body Transformation.
I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...Billie
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Cold Weather Brings Immune System Challenges
Do we catch colds from our loved ones or do our compromised immune systems fail us when there's a season change and a drastic change in the weather?
In 1999, I was singing my heart out with the Vancouver Soul Gospel Choir. I sing lead alto, and I have always had a love for Gospel music, especially the hand-clapping, toe-tapping variety that Checo Tohomaso leads so well.
One month before our Christmas Concert, I got a cold. Colds used to hit me in the chest first and, as it got worse and worse, I began to lose my voice. Within a few days, I had full-blown laryngitis; I didn't have a voice at all.
Sadly, I attended the concert as a spectator, yearning to sing along with my alto section but, relegated to the pews, I sang along only in my mind.
By New Years, my voice had returned and I was happy to put that cold behind me. The weeks went by with the typical Vancouver winter, damp and dreary, with the odd tease of brilliant sunshine to remind me why I moved from the Prairies to the West Coast.
But in February of 2000, another cold threatened. I did everything I could think of to stave it off (Vitamin C, Echinacea, zinc lozenges, etc) but, not only did it return with a vengeance, it took my voice with it once again. I was furious at the Universe. As the days turned into three weeks, I became a man-on-a-mission. I was after a solution to ramp-up my immune system.
We have some local natural health publications here and I came upon a tiny ad in Shared Vision magazine, promising great health results. I was desperate but not stupid and, thinking I'd heard it all before, I called the number to query the guy about his claims.
In fact, he shared the story of his wife, who had suffered from a weakened liver and he said she had recovered her health enough to be put on the transplant list. They felt that she had done so with the help of a supplement line from San Diego called Bodywise.
As I've said, I was highly skeptical but I was young and adventurous so, rather than take his word for it, I called San Diego. People I spoke to there backed up everything my new friend in Langley had said. A plane trip was in order, to see for myself what this company could afford me.
During my trip, my admiration of this company and their people and products grew and grew. I visited the lab, and spoke with the company President, who had owned the pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing plant since the late 50's. They gave regular tours of the facility and I was able to participate in a chat with the scientists. Also, I was able to talk to many people who claimed that they had recovered their health with the help of this wonderful company and their nutraceuticals.
So, with some hesitation, I became involved, first as a customer and, later on, as a distributor, intent on spreading the good word to the folks of British Columbia and beyond.
It is now coming to the close of 2006 and I can say, unequivocally, that I have not had a cold or a flu since that last bout of laryngitis so many years ago. I am in the fourth year at my current job, where I work with a non-profit society, helping unemployed women get into the work force. You can ask our Executive Director...I have never had a sick day. I would like to invite you to follow me and find your own path to wellness.
No one knows your body like you do and every one is so different.
When colds, the flu and other pesky illnesses lurk on every bus, phone and banister, it's wise to try to bolster your immune system with nutrients that'll help you to stave off sickness.To keep your body in top working order, aim for the basics of a healthy diet. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables, and opt for whole grains over refined ones to provide the most vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals -- disease-fighting compounds from plant foods.
There are also certain nutrients that provide a sound foundation. As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, I suggest taking nutritional supplements at the recommended daily intake level. Keep an eye out for the following food sources of nutrients, while you use supplements in the areas where you feel you have a shortfall.
Here are some final thoughts from www.homemakers.com on strengthening your immune system.
1. Protein - People often look for lesser-known nutrients or supplements while paying little attention to protein intakes. But adequate protein -- at least 46 grams per day -- provides a foundation for essential components of the immune system, including white blood cells and antibodies. Go for moderate portions of protein-rich options such as fish, lean meats and poultry, eggs, soy foods, legumes and nuts.
2. Iron - It's a mineral that young women are often lacking, but dietary shortfalls can occur at any age. Red meat, eggs, legumes, dark leafy greens and whole- grain products supply dietary iron. But to boost absorption of iron from plant sources, it's recommended that you consume a vitamin C-rich food at the same meal.
3. Selenium - This important player in immune function is needed only in small amounts. Brazil nuts, meat, fish and poultry all supply this mineral.
4. Zinc - Too little or too much of this mineral can lead to a compromised immune system because zinc is significantly involved in immune-system development and reactivity. Meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, legumes, whole grains and milk are all chock-full of zinc. While earlier studies found inconsistent results, the latest on zinc gluconate lozenges shows that they seem to shorten the duration and severity of symptoms of the common cold when administered within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms.
5. Vitamin A - One of the roles of vitamin A in the immune system is to maintain healthy mucous membranes, which provide protective barriers throughout the body to help fight off infection by blocking the viruses or bacteria from entering the blood stream. Sources include meat and plant foods rich in the orange pigment beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body. Carrots, squash and pumpkin are just a few beta-carotene-rich options.
6. Vitamin C - A vitamin with anti-inflammatory effects, Vitamin C helps the immune system by decreasing inflammation. This in turn results in fewer symptoms of pain, such as a sore throat, and also helps maintain healthy mucous membranes. Berries, melon, citrus fruits and tomatoes are a few examples of fruits and vegetables that fit the bill. There is a long-held belief that vitamin C can prevent colds, but research doesn't back it up. Supplements may lessen the symptoms and shorten the duration. Large amounts over time are linked to an increased risk of kidney stones, and for some, the acidic content of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid as it is called on food ingredient labels, can cause gastrointestinal upsets.
7. Vitamin E - Also an integral part of a healthy immune system, this vitamin has received some bad press as of late. Keep your intake of Vitamin E supplements moderate and consume foods rich in vitamin E, such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, avocados and margarine. Remember to keep your consumption of all fats, including oils, to a minimum.
8. Omega-3 fatty acids (EFAs) - For those with overactive immune systems, which includes those with autoimmune diseases as well as allergies, scientists have been investigating a number of foods and nutrients that may calm the immune system. Omega-3 fatty acids have been at the centre of much of this research. This group of unsaturated fats, found in foods including cold water fish such as salmon, trout and herring, and nuts and seeds such as walnuts, may have potential as anti-inflammatory compounds that may calm overactive immune systems. Researchers are still trying to determine which of these fatty acids have the most potent effects.
The fact that being obese is linked to a host of illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers comes as no surprise to most women. But its connection to impaired immune-system function is not well known. While achieving and maintaining a healthy weight improves immune system performance, yo-yo dieting, in which a significant amount of weight is lost and regained, can do the opposite.
For information on the supplements I've used to strengthen my immune system and keep me healthy and sick-day-free, e-mail me at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com and I'll be happy to answer your questions and share my results with you.
I just know that you can Get Your Body Back - Billie
In 1999, I was singing my heart out with the Vancouver Soul Gospel Choir. I sing lead alto, and I have always had a love for Gospel music, especially the hand-clapping, toe-tapping variety that Checo Tohomaso leads so well.
One month before our Christmas Concert, I got a cold. Colds used to hit me in the chest first and, as it got worse and worse, I began to lose my voice. Within a few days, I had full-blown laryngitis; I didn't have a voice at all.
Sadly, I attended the concert as a spectator, yearning to sing along with my alto section but, relegated to the pews, I sang along only in my mind.
By New Years, my voice had returned and I was happy to put that cold behind me. The weeks went by with the typical Vancouver winter, damp and dreary, with the odd tease of brilliant sunshine to remind me why I moved from the Prairies to the West Coast.
But in February of 2000, another cold threatened. I did everything I could think of to stave it off (Vitamin C, Echinacea, zinc lozenges, etc) but, not only did it return with a vengeance, it took my voice with it once again. I was furious at the Universe. As the days turned into three weeks, I became a man-on-a-mission. I was after a solution to ramp-up my immune system.
We have some local natural health publications here and I came upon a tiny ad in Shared Vision magazine, promising great health results. I was desperate but not stupid and, thinking I'd heard it all before, I called the number to query the guy about his claims.
In fact, he shared the story of his wife, who had suffered from a weakened liver and he said she had recovered her health enough to be put on the transplant list. They felt that she had done so with the help of a supplement line from San Diego called Bodywise.
As I've said, I was highly skeptical but I was young and adventurous so, rather than take his word for it, I called San Diego. People I spoke to there backed up everything my new friend in Langley had said. A plane trip was in order, to see for myself what this company could afford me.
During my trip, my admiration of this company and their people and products grew and grew. I visited the lab, and spoke with the company President, who had owned the pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing plant since the late 50's. They gave regular tours of the facility and I was able to participate in a chat with the scientists. Also, I was able to talk to many people who claimed that they had recovered their health with the help of this wonderful company and their nutraceuticals.
So, with some hesitation, I became involved, first as a customer and, later on, as a distributor, intent on spreading the good word to the folks of British Columbia and beyond.
It is now coming to the close of 2006 and I can say, unequivocally, that I have not had a cold or a flu since that last bout of laryngitis so many years ago. I am in the fourth year at my current job, where I work with a non-profit society, helping unemployed women get into the work force. You can ask our Executive Director...I have never had a sick day. I would like to invite you to follow me and find your own path to wellness.
No one knows your body like you do and every one is so different.
When colds, the flu and other pesky illnesses lurk on every bus, phone and banister, it's wise to try to bolster your immune system with nutrients that'll help you to stave off sickness.To keep your body in top working order, aim for the basics of a healthy diet. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables, and opt for whole grains over refined ones to provide the most vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals -- disease-fighting compounds from plant foods.
There are also certain nutrients that provide a sound foundation. As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, I suggest taking nutritional supplements at the recommended daily intake level. Keep an eye out for the following food sources of nutrients, while you use supplements in the areas where you feel you have a shortfall.
Here are some final thoughts from www.homemakers.com on strengthening your immune system.
1. Protein - People often look for lesser-known nutrients or supplements while paying little attention to protein intakes. But adequate protein -- at least 46 grams per day -- provides a foundation for essential components of the immune system, including white blood cells and antibodies. Go for moderate portions of protein-rich options such as fish, lean meats and poultry, eggs, soy foods, legumes and nuts.
2. Iron - It's a mineral that young women are often lacking, but dietary shortfalls can occur at any age. Red meat, eggs, legumes, dark leafy greens and whole- grain products supply dietary iron. But to boost absorption of iron from plant sources, it's recommended that you consume a vitamin C-rich food at the same meal.
3. Selenium - This important player in immune function is needed only in small amounts. Brazil nuts, meat, fish and poultry all supply this mineral.
4. Zinc - Too little or too much of this mineral can lead to a compromised immune system because zinc is significantly involved in immune-system development and reactivity. Meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, legumes, whole grains and milk are all chock-full of zinc. While earlier studies found inconsistent results, the latest on zinc gluconate lozenges shows that they seem to shorten the duration and severity of symptoms of the common cold when administered within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms.
5. Vitamin A - One of the roles of vitamin A in the immune system is to maintain healthy mucous membranes, which provide protective barriers throughout the body to help fight off infection by blocking the viruses or bacteria from entering the blood stream. Sources include meat and plant foods rich in the orange pigment beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body. Carrots, squash and pumpkin are just a few beta-carotene-rich options.
6. Vitamin C - A vitamin with anti-inflammatory effects, Vitamin C helps the immune system by decreasing inflammation. This in turn results in fewer symptoms of pain, such as a sore throat, and also helps maintain healthy mucous membranes. Berries, melon, citrus fruits and tomatoes are a few examples of fruits and vegetables that fit the bill. There is a long-held belief that vitamin C can prevent colds, but research doesn't back it up. Supplements may lessen the symptoms and shorten the duration. Large amounts over time are linked to an increased risk of kidney stones, and for some, the acidic content of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid as it is called on food ingredient labels, can cause gastrointestinal upsets.
7. Vitamin E - Also an integral part of a healthy immune system, this vitamin has received some bad press as of late. Keep your intake of Vitamin E supplements moderate and consume foods rich in vitamin E, such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, avocados and margarine. Remember to keep your consumption of all fats, including oils, to a minimum.
8. Omega-3 fatty acids (EFAs) - For those with overactive immune systems, which includes those with autoimmune diseases as well as allergies, scientists have been investigating a number of foods and nutrients that may calm the immune system. Omega-3 fatty acids have been at the centre of much of this research. This group of unsaturated fats, found in foods including cold water fish such as salmon, trout and herring, and nuts and seeds such as walnuts, may have potential as anti-inflammatory compounds that may calm overactive immune systems. Researchers are still trying to determine which of these fatty acids have the most potent effects.
The fact that being obese is linked to a host of illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers comes as no surprise to most women. But its connection to impaired immune-system function is not well known. While achieving and maintaining a healthy weight improves immune system performance, yo-yo dieting, in which a significant amount of weight is lost and regained, can do the opposite.
For information on the supplements I've used to strengthen my immune system and keep me healthy and sick-day-free, e-mail me at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com and I'll be happy to answer your questions and share my results with you.
I just know that you can Get Your Body Back - Billie
Monday, November 06, 2006
Massive Amounts of Consistency
Good Morning, all of you with Weight Loss Goals and Dreams.
As the holiday season ramps up, I suggest you set some goals for your party-participation.
There's just no way we want to be walking into January 1st together, another 5-7 pounds behind the 8-ball.
On December 1st, we begin the planning phase of the Executive Challenge. Why are we planning? Why don't we just jump right in?
Because human nature says that change is difficult; that we resist change; some of us even hate changes that we know we have to make or that we know will be good for us.
December 1st is when we start focusing on the destination, not on the journey. There's your first pre-2007 goal right there. Join the Executive Challenge and get started on the path to Optimum Health.
The Executive Challenge is an opportunity for you to drop the excuses and cut the crap. We're not talking therapy here; if you need a therapist, I support you in getting one right now. The Challenge is about working with your mind and your body in a whole new way. Do I care why you've gained weight? Of course. But do I care more about how you're going to get it off and keep it off? You bet I do!
And am I going to try and prevent you from welcoming the New Year with additional baggage, in the form of a few extra pounds of blubber? I most definitely am!
Remember, the food industry IS AGAINST YOU! They simply want you to eat more and more of whatever they produce.
The beverage industry IS AGAINST YOU! There is very little that's good for you that comes out of a can or a bottle.
Even the exercise industry IS AGAINST YOU! They couldn't give a crap if you actually USE the machines and the gym memberships you buy - they only care that you spend your heard-earned money on their products and fatten their bank accounts!
In the words of Ralph Calzadilla, Fitness Pro, "As always, your ultimate success in achieving your goals is based on effective exercise (weight training and cardio), following a great nutrition plan and massive amounts of consistency. The formula never changes."
Signing up for the Executive Challenge will put the formula into your hands.
Send me an e-mail about getting on board at executivechallenge@hotmail.com . I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...Billie
As the holiday season ramps up, I suggest you set some goals for your party-participation.
There's just no way we want to be walking into January 1st together, another 5-7 pounds behind the 8-ball.
On December 1st, we begin the planning phase of the Executive Challenge. Why are we planning? Why don't we just jump right in?
Because human nature says that change is difficult; that we resist change; some of us even hate changes that we know we have to make or that we know will be good for us.
December 1st is when we start focusing on the destination, not on the journey. There's your first pre-2007 goal right there. Join the Executive Challenge and get started on the path to Optimum Health.
The Executive Challenge is an opportunity for you to drop the excuses and cut the crap. We're not talking therapy here; if you need a therapist, I support you in getting one right now. The Challenge is about working with your mind and your body in a whole new way. Do I care why you've gained weight? Of course. But do I care more about how you're going to get it off and keep it off? You bet I do!
And am I going to try and prevent you from welcoming the New Year with additional baggage, in the form of a few extra pounds of blubber? I most definitely am!
Remember, the food industry IS AGAINST YOU! They simply want you to eat more and more of whatever they produce.
The beverage industry IS AGAINST YOU! There is very little that's good for you that comes out of a can or a bottle.
Even the exercise industry IS AGAINST YOU! They couldn't give a crap if you actually USE the machines and the gym memberships you buy - they only care that you spend your heard-earned money on their products and fatten their bank accounts!
In the words of Ralph Calzadilla, Fitness Pro, "As always, your ultimate success in achieving your goals is based on effective exercise (weight training and cardio), following a great nutrition plan and massive amounts of consistency. The formula never changes."
Signing up for the Executive Challenge will put the formula into your hands.
Send me an e-mail about getting on board at executivechallenge@hotmail.com . I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...Billie
Saturday, November 04, 2006
November is Prevent Diabetes Month
For this post, I am borrowing from the Canadian Diabetes Association. Did you know that November was Prevent Diabetes Month?
Let's not take this stuff lightly. My son is just turning 20, slender, and handsome, and was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Like most young people, his favorite food group has always been SUGAR. Now he has finally decided to listen to his body, change his diet and add some physical activity to his life.
Here is a 30-point message from their website or go visit www.getserious.ca for a personal look at whether you are a candidate for developing diabetes in your lifetime.
BETTER YOUR ODDS
Top 30 Tips for Managing Diabetes and Preventing Type 2
1. Get off to a winning start with the ‘Better Your Odds’ Action Plan at www.getserious.ca. Even if you don’t have diabetes, the action plan can cut your risk of heart disease.
2. Manage your blood glucose levels: an A1C of 7% or below is recommended. Keep levels in check with a healthy meal plan, active lifestyle, and – in some cases – medication.
3. Talk to your health team about using a blood glucose meter.
4. Ask your local Canadian Diabetes Association if your province or territory subsidizes the cost of blood glucose monitoring supplies.
5. You may have pre-diabetes, if your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not at the diabetes diagnosis level. Good health management can cut heart disease risk and avoid or delay type 2 diabetes.
6. Manage your cholesterol levels. Follow the new lipid (blood fats) guidelines. LDL cholesterol target is 2.0 mmol/L or lower and the new total cholesterol/HDL target is less than 4.0.
7. Have blood lipids measured when first diagnosed with diabetes, and then every 1 to 3 years – or more often. Lifestyle management is important to managing levels, but medications may also be prescribed.
8. Keep your cholesterol in check - watch what’s on your plate. Use spices and herbs to boost flavour without fat. For dips or sauce, use salsa instead of gravy or cream-based sauces.
9. Even if you don’t have diabetes, cut your cardiovascular risk by keeping tabs on lipid levels and by following good lifestyle practices.
10. Are you overweight? A weight loss of just 5 to 10% can improve your lipid profile. Reduce your risks with regular exercise and a well-balanced meal plan.
11. Manage your blood pressure. Aim to be at or below 130/80. Good lifestyle management plays a key role. In addition to exercise and healthy meal plan recommendations with lots of vegetables and fruit, you may also be advised to limit salt and alcohol.
12. Don’t rely on lifestyle changes alone to manage blood pressure. Medication is also a common ‘must’ to reduce and maintain healthy levels.
13. Even if you don’t have diabetes, keeping blood pressure under control is important for overall health, and reduces cardiovascular risk.
14. If you smoke, start a program to quit. If you have diabetes and smoke, you are three times more likely to die of heart disease or stroke than people without diabetes.
15. Eat breakfast. You’re less likely to over-eat or indulge in fatty snacks later in the day.
…/2
- 2 -
16. Manage your weight. Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight will help you control blood glucose, blood fats, and blood pressure – and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
17. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietitian
18. Eat your way to health with an energy-restricted, well-balanced meal plan that’s high in fibre and low in dietary cholesterol, saturated fats, trans fatty acids, and refined carbohydrates.
19. Pile more veggies onto your plate. Vegetables are high in nutrients but low in calories.
20. Just for today…skip the donut with your coffee; drink water instead of pop; walk around the block at lunchtime.
21. Find it hard to get enough fruit? Add it to your main meals. Try sliced peach or mango with pork and chicken; toss grapes or berries into salads; or make a fruit salsa to go with a spicy menu.
22. Try frozen fruits and berries as a refreshing dessert. Or start your meal with a chilled fruit soup.
23. Up your fibre intake by enjoying an orange instead of orange juice; add kidney beans to salads and pastas; choose whole wheat bread over white – and toss a handful of frozen peas into pasta dishes, stir-fries and casseroles.
24. Go nuts! Add them to salads or grain dishes; toss some in with stir-fries.
25. Check out the healthy and tasty recipes at getserious.ca. Order a cookbook from the Canadian Diabetes Association. They’re chockfull of great ideas on how to eat well.
26. Have an annual check up with your doctor, even if you feel fine, especially if you are 40 or older. Many conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, often have no symptoms.
27. Whether or not you have diabetes, almost everyone will benefit from regular physical activity. Be creative about integrating physical activity into your life. Instead of going for a coffee with a friend, take a walk together. Instead of watching a video with your kids, take the gang to the skating rink.
28. Don’t try to change your whole lifestyle in one go. Pick one new healthy habit a week. Ease into the exercise groove. Start with 5 minutes today, and add 5 minutes a day.
29. Check out your cardiovascular age. You may be older – or younger – than you think! Enter your personal information in the quiz available at www.getserious.ca to learn your cardiovascular age, along with valuable facts like the number of years that smoking adds to your age.
Get serious about diabetes management and prevention – today. Type 2 diabetes can be avoided or delayed with good health management and a healthy lifestyle.
I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...Billie
Let's not take this stuff lightly. My son is just turning 20, slender, and handsome, and was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Like most young people, his favorite food group has always been SUGAR. Now he has finally decided to listen to his body, change his diet and add some physical activity to his life.
Here is a 30-point message from their website or go visit www.getserious.ca for a personal look at whether you are a candidate for developing diabetes in your lifetime.
BETTER YOUR ODDS
Top 30 Tips for Managing Diabetes and Preventing Type 2
1. Get off to a winning start with the ‘Better Your Odds’ Action Plan at www.getserious.ca. Even if you don’t have diabetes, the action plan can cut your risk of heart disease.
2. Manage your blood glucose levels: an A1C of 7% or below is recommended. Keep levels in check with a healthy meal plan, active lifestyle, and – in some cases – medication.
3. Talk to your health team about using a blood glucose meter.
4. Ask your local Canadian Diabetes Association if your province or territory subsidizes the cost of blood glucose monitoring supplies.
5. You may have pre-diabetes, if your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not at the diabetes diagnosis level. Good health management can cut heart disease risk and avoid or delay type 2 diabetes.
6. Manage your cholesterol levels. Follow the new lipid (blood fats) guidelines. LDL cholesterol target is 2.0 mmol/L or lower and the new total cholesterol/HDL target is less than 4.0.
7. Have blood lipids measured when first diagnosed with diabetes, and then every 1 to 3 years – or more often. Lifestyle management is important to managing levels, but medications may also be prescribed.
8. Keep your cholesterol in check - watch what’s on your plate. Use spices and herbs to boost flavour without fat. For dips or sauce, use salsa instead of gravy or cream-based sauces.
9. Even if you don’t have diabetes, cut your cardiovascular risk by keeping tabs on lipid levels and by following good lifestyle practices.
10. Are you overweight? A weight loss of just 5 to 10% can improve your lipid profile. Reduce your risks with regular exercise and a well-balanced meal plan.
11. Manage your blood pressure. Aim to be at or below 130/80. Good lifestyle management plays a key role. In addition to exercise and healthy meal plan recommendations with lots of vegetables and fruit, you may also be advised to limit salt and alcohol.
12. Don’t rely on lifestyle changes alone to manage blood pressure. Medication is also a common ‘must’ to reduce and maintain healthy levels.
13. Even if you don’t have diabetes, keeping blood pressure under control is important for overall health, and reduces cardiovascular risk.
14. If you smoke, start a program to quit. If you have diabetes and smoke, you are three times more likely to die of heart disease or stroke than people without diabetes.
15. Eat breakfast. You’re less likely to over-eat or indulge in fatty snacks later in the day.
…/2
- 2 -
16. Manage your weight. Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight will help you control blood glucose, blood fats, and blood pressure – and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
17. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietitian
18. Eat your way to health with an energy-restricted, well-balanced meal plan that’s high in fibre and low in dietary cholesterol, saturated fats, trans fatty acids, and refined carbohydrates.
19. Pile more veggies onto your plate. Vegetables are high in nutrients but low in calories.
20. Just for today…skip the donut with your coffee; drink water instead of pop; walk around the block at lunchtime.
21. Find it hard to get enough fruit? Add it to your main meals. Try sliced peach or mango with pork and chicken; toss grapes or berries into salads; or make a fruit salsa to go with a spicy menu.
22. Try frozen fruits and berries as a refreshing dessert. Or start your meal with a chilled fruit soup.
23. Up your fibre intake by enjoying an orange instead of orange juice; add kidney beans to salads and pastas; choose whole wheat bread over white – and toss a handful of frozen peas into pasta dishes, stir-fries and casseroles.
24. Go nuts! Add them to salads or grain dishes; toss some in with stir-fries.
25. Check out the healthy and tasty recipes at getserious.ca. Order a cookbook from the Canadian Diabetes Association. They’re chockfull of great ideas on how to eat well.
26. Have an annual check up with your doctor, even if you feel fine, especially if you are 40 or older. Many conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, often have no symptoms.
27. Whether or not you have diabetes, almost everyone will benefit from regular physical activity. Be creative about integrating physical activity into your life. Instead of going for a coffee with a friend, take a walk together. Instead of watching a video with your kids, take the gang to the skating rink.
28. Don’t try to change your whole lifestyle in one go. Pick one new healthy habit a week. Ease into the exercise groove. Start with 5 minutes today, and add 5 minutes a day.
29. Check out your cardiovascular age. You may be older – or younger – than you think! Enter your personal information in the quiz available at www.getserious.ca to learn your cardiovascular age, along with valuable facts like the number of years that smoking adds to your age.
Get serious about diabetes management and prevention – today. Type 2 diabetes can be avoided or delayed with good health management and a healthy lifestyle.
I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...Billie
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The Physical Component of the Wellness Wheel
Let's talk about Heart Health today...
Heart disease is still our nation's number one disease killer - in spite of decades of low cholesterol diets - in spite of an abundance of drugs and surgical procedures. Atherosclerosis has reached epidemic proportions.
From The National Post, October 25, 2006
"North America is in the midst of a heart failure epidemic that will only get worse because of ageing Baby Boomers and more people surviving heart attacks with damaged hearts. This is what 3500 delegates were told at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress held in Vancouver this week.
Dr. Malcolm Arnold, a London, Ont., cardiologist who heads a national task force on newly released diagnosis and treatment guidelines, said in an interview that an estimated 400,000 Canadians have heart failure and about 25% of them go to the hospital each year with abnormal heart function symptoms. These range from lightheadedness, breathlessness and fatigue, to swollen legs and feet.
Heart failure is the most common diagnosis in people over age 65, and hospitalizations (13 days, on average) because of it are projected to double in the next 20 years. Heart failure is said to be the only type of serious heart disease that has steadily increased over the fast five to ten years.
To help stem the increase in hospitalizations, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society is asking family doctors to bone up on their heart failure knowledge so they don't waste any time getting patients diagnosed and treated while they wait the weeks to months it takes to get a patient an appointment with a heart specialist."
One of my favorite quotes:
"Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness..." by a British Earl who lived until 1893 (I can give you more specifics, if you care to ask!).
I would go one step further and say that we need to make time for healthy living and eating, and physical activity NOW.
I've been reading a book by David Rowland, PhD, the founder of the Edison Institute of Nutrition and former publisher of Health Naturally Magazine. He writes that the human body was very cleverly designed to be self-repairing and that we live in a body that has incredible, innate healing wisdom.
I've been impressed by the concept of restoring heart health by natural means. Dr Rowland's program can reverse atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries, arterial blockages) without surgery.
Here I give you Dr. Rowland's suggestions for the Nutritional Bypass program that consists of:
Heart disease is still our nation's number one disease killer - in spite of decades of low cholesterol diets - in spite of an abundance of drugs and surgical procedures. Atherosclerosis has reached epidemic proportions.
From The National Post, October 25, 2006
"North America is in the midst of a heart failure epidemic that will only get worse because of ageing Baby Boomers and more people surviving heart attacks with damaged hearts. This is what 3500 delegates were told at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress held in Vancouver this week.
Dr. Malcolm Arnold, a London, Ont., cardiologist who heads a national task force on newly released diagnosis and treatment guidelines, said in an interview that an estimated 400,000 Canadians have heart failure and about 25% of them go to the hospital each year with abnormal heart function symptoms. These range from lightheadedness, breathlessness and fatigue, to swollen legs and feet.
Heart failure is the most common diagnosis in people over age 65, and hospitalizations (13 days, on average) because of it are projected to double in the next 20 years. Heart failure is said to be the only type of serious heart disease that has steadily increased over the fast five to ten years.
To help stem the increase in hospitalizations, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society is asking family doctors to bone up on their heart failure knowledge so they don't waste any time getting patients diagnosed and treated while they wait the weeks to months it takes to get a patient an appointment with a heart specialist."
One of my favorite quotes:
"Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness..." by a British Earl who lived until 1893 (I can give you more specifics, if you care to ask!).
I would go one step further and say that we need to make time for healthy living and eating, and physical activity NOW.
I've been reading a book by David Rowland, PhD, the founder of the Edison Institute of Nutrition and former publisher of Health Naturally Magazine. He writes that the human body was very cleverly designed to be self-repairing and that we live in a body that has incredible, innate healing wisdom.
I've been impressed by the concept of restoring heart health by natural means. Dr Rowland's program can reverse atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries, arterial blockages) without surgery.
Here I give you Dr. Rowland's suggestions for the Nutritional Bypass program that consists of:
- Reducing one's exposure to harmful factors,
- Increasing one's intake of those foods that have a protective effect, and
- Taking specific supplements that can help the body remove arterial plaque.
These are Dr. Rowland's guidelines:
- Stop smoking.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat fish twice weekly.
- Increase dietary fibre by consuming 100% whole grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds or legumes at each meal. Use fresh, raw fruit for snacks.
- Drink at least 8 large glasses of purified water daily.
- Reduce intake of polyunsaturated oils. Use butter, olive oil or peanut oil.
- Restrict consumption of concentrated sugars of all kinds (sucrose, glucose, fructose, white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, molasses, etc).
- Eliminate caffeine. Use herbal teas, coffee substitutes, pure water, fruit juices or decaffeinated beverages.
- Limit intake of alcoholic beverages.
- Avoid processed meats.
- Reduce exposure to radiation, x-rays, exhaust fumes and other suspect inhalant chemicals.
- Strengthen the immune system by taking specific supplements, which give the body the raw materials it needs to heal itself.
Don't wait until heart disease finds you in the doctor's office. I recommend you implement the first 11 points by systematically changing your dietary and activity habits.
For the 12th point, I recommend you consider a supplement I discovered almost ten years ago, produced by a company near San Diego, CA called Body Wise International:
Cardio Wise is a superior formula with targeted nutrients that have been shown to support cardiac health. It has a unique balance of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals to maintain heart health. It contains an expert blend of modern science and traditional botanicals to support heart health.
The nutrients in Cardio Wise were specially selected for their known benefits in supporting heart health. The formula is rich in important B vitamins - niacin, folic acid, and vitamin B12, known to be integral to heart health functioning.
Cardio Wise is an excellent source of antioxidants that are known to support heart health: vitamin C, vitamin E, and Pycnogenol (R) are all excellent sources of antioxidants.
Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, work together. A number of them have special properties and may be taken in supplement form. Cardio Wise contains Taurine, L-Cysteine and Carnitine, amino acids that are known for their heart-supporting properties.
Hawthorn berries and garlic are traditional herbs that have been shown to support healthy heart functioning.
The product contains no yeast, no egg, no gluten, no dairy, no artificial coloring, no flavoring, and no preservatives. I can supply you with their 17-point manufacturing criteria, which comes with every product. Free shipping is available anywhere in North America.
Remember, you own your body. You can take control of it. You can direct the course of your own health without having to trust blindly in anyone else to do it for you. You have the ability to prevent and reverse serious health problems, to improve the quality, and perhaps even the length of your life, as so many others have done already. The choice is yours.
For more information on this and other health-promoting ideas and products, please e-mail me at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com and I will respond within 24 hours. And don't forget about the Executive Challenge. We've had lots of inquiries and the respondents will be contacted in the next few weeks to see if they meet the criteria to become one of the 15 case studies for our book. To express your interest in The Challenge, which will begin with the preparation phase on December 1st, e-mail me at executivechallenge@hotmail.com.
I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...Billie
Thursday, October 26, 2006
The Wellness Wheel
Wellness means different things to different people but we know that wellness, with all its various components, is important for everyone.
What is a working definition of Wellness?
It encompasses the active, lifelong process of educating ourselves and making life choices that will lead to optimal health and a more successful and balanced existence.
Wellness is multi-dimensional and is based on the premise that our minds, bodies, spirits, and our sense of community, are all important and interrelated.
The Wellness Wheel offers an integrated overview of human life. It encourages the development of a harmonious balance of life components that result in overall well-being.
The six components of the Wellness Wheel are: Physical, Emotional, Occupational, Social, Intellectual, and Spiritual.
When we focus an inordinate amount of time on one area, and neglect other areas, our lives are out of balance. For example, this can often happen with the Occupational area. Some people spend so much time at their jobs, that they have little time for anything else. The other areas of their life suffer.
If you're a new business owner, perhaps you have to invest this time in the start-up phase. But, if it's been a few years and you still don't "have a life", it's time to re-evaluate your business game-plan. Other areas of your life may be suffering from neglect. And you are suffering along with them.
As the Dalai Lama once said, "I believe both external things and internal development are important, and must be developed side by side so as to achieve a good balance between them. "
The next six postings will each cover a component of the Wellness Wheel. As a Wellness Coach, I strongly believe that, in order to be truly happy with our lives, we must strive for success in all of these areas.
If you would like a transcript of the Dalai Lama's recent talk in Vancouver, BC, please e-mail me at bsinclaircoaching@hotmail.com and I will be happy to send it to you in an attached Word document.
As always, I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...and achieve a life of balance!
Yours, in wisdom and health, Billie
What is a working definition of Wellness?
It encompasses the active, lifelong process of educating ourselves and making life choices that will lead to optimal health and a more successful and balanced existence.
Wellness is multi-dimensional and is based on the premise that our minds, bodies, spirits, and our sense of community, are all important and interrelated.
The Wellness Wheel offers an integrated overview of human life. It encourages the development of a harmonious balance of life components that result in overall well-being.
The six components of the Wellness Wheel are: Physical, Emotional, Occupational, Social, Intellectual, and Spiritual.
When we focus an inordinate amount of time on one area, and neglect other areas, our lives are out of balance. For example, this can often happen with the Occupational area. Some people spend so much time at their jobs, that they have little time for anything else. The other areas of their life suffer.
If you're a new business owner, perhaps you have to invest this time in the start-up phase. But, if it's been a few years and you still don't "have a life", it's time to re-evaluate your business game-plan. Other areas of your life may be suffering from neglect. And you are suffering along with them.
As the Dalai Lama once said, "I believe both external things and internal development are important, and must be developed side by side so as to achieve a good balance between them. "
The next six postings will each cover a component of the Wellness Wheel. As a Wellness Coach, I strongly believe that, in order to be truly happy with our lives, we must strive for success in all of these areas.
If you would like a transcript of the Dalai Lama's recent talk in Vancouver, BC, please e-mail me at bsinclaircoaching@hotmail.com and I will be happy to send it to you in an attached Word document.
As always, I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...and achieve a life of balance!
Yours, in wisdom and health, Billie
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Measuring Your Success
We all know that being overweight increases our risks associated with many illnesses and conditions. To name a few:
Heart disease and stroke
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Cancer
Gallbladder disease and gallstones
Osteoarthritis
Gout
Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea and asthma
But how do we measure our degree of risk?
Today, obesity is commonly measured by using a mathematical formula called the Body Mass Index.
BMI is determined by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and then multiplying by 705. For example, a woman who is 5'6" and weighs 190 would have a BMI of 31.
That sounds complicated, right?
(This calculation is based on the formula example from: The Calorie Council www.caloriecouncil.org)
How do you use this information in your real life? Fortunately, there is a more simple way to get this calculation.
To calculate your BMI, go to www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi and input your height and weight. This online calculator will give you your results immediately.
- An individual is considered underweight if their BMI is less than 18.5.
- BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered a "normal" measurement.
- Individuals who fall into the BMI range of 25 to 34.9 begin having some health risk concerns.
- Specifically those who have a waist size of more than 40 inches for men, or 35 inches for women, have a higher risk for obesity-related health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
- BMI of 30 or more qualifies an individual as obese.
- BMI over 40 indicates that a person is morbidly obese.
I'll use myself as a guinea pig here. We all have weight fluctuations, preferably minimal ones. When my weight is around 130, my BMI is 24.9. Considered on the high-end of Normal.
If my weight should fluctuate to 135, my BMI is 25.5, and I cross the line to Overweight on the BMI scale (over 25).
So I know that it's in my best interest to keep my weight around 130 or lower, for the sake of my health and longevity. This is a good measure for me to work with, compared to a weight scale, which doesn't give me enough of a picture of my overall risks.
Go to the BMI calculator now and enter your current numbers to get your current reading. Then keep entering a lower weight until your reading comes out in the Normal range, which is 18.5-24.9. This will give you a reading to set your healthy weight-goals by.
These results are based on your height and general frame. A smaller-framed person may prefer to be on the lower end of Normal, while a larger-framed person may prefer to be on the higher-end of Normal.
Play with the numbers. Then consider joining the Executive Challenge and let my team of experts help you lose 20 pounds in 90 days. Have your success story profiled in our new book. For more information, e-mail us at executivechallenge@hotmail.com. We're looking for 15 case studies and there are only a few spots left...
The important thing is to be aware of your risks, and following your BMI is a great way to measure your progress. I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Why Nutritional Supplements?
In 2002, Harvard researchers Robert Fletcher and Kathleen Fairfield convinced the conservative Journal of the American Medical Association to rewrite its policy guidelines on the use of vitamin supplements, based on a landmark review of 38 years of scientific evidence. In two reports, the authors concluded that the current North American diet -- while sufficient to prevent vitamin deficiency diseases, such as scurvy -- is inadequate to support optimal health.
They concluded that given today's diet, daily supplementation with a multiple vitamin “is a prudent preventive measure against chronic disease.”
The case is very strong for taking the necessary nutritional supplementation; the body requires 17 vitamins and vitamin-like substances, a diverse group of plant-based antioxidants, and at least 14 trace elements and minerals.
Like the four basic nutrients (water, carbohydrates, protein, and fats), vitamins and minerals are essential to life. They are often referred to as micronutrients simply because they are needed in relatively small amounts compared with the four basic nutrients.
When beginning a Body Transformation program, it's important to get the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, along with all the essential nutrients that the body needs for optimum functioning. Many of today's popular fad diets and meal replacements are designed for quick weight loss, without long-term maintenance and optimum health in mind.
Resist the urge to cut out whole food groups (carbs, for example), restrict calories (how little can I eat and still function?), or consume one main food (vegetable soup or bananas, anyone?)...
The Get Your Body Back program offers a proven system for losing 20 pounds in 90 days, plus the ability to either maintain that fat loss, or to continue losing the next 20 pounds.
You can say goodbye to fads, diet pills and yo-yo dieting forever, once you've gained the knowledge and the experience to work with your body, and give it what it needs for optimum health and an energetic life.
Imagine feeling that good! I know you can Get Your Body Back!
They concluded that given today's diet, daily supplementation with a multiple vitamin “is a prudent preventive measure against chronic disease.”
The case is very strong for taking the necessary nutritional supplementation; the body requires 17 vitamins and vitamin-like substances, a diverse group of plant-based antioxidants, and at least 14 trace elements and minerals.
Like the four basic nutrients (water, carbohydrates, protein, and fats), vitamins and minerals are essential to life. They are often referred to as micronutrients simply because they are needed in relatively small amounts compared with the four basic nutrients.
When beginning a Body Transformation program, it's important to get the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, along with all the essential nutrients that the body needs for optimum functioning. Many of today's popular fad diets and meal replacements are designed for quick weight loss, without long-term maintenance and optimum health in mind.
Resist the urge to cut out whole food groups (carbs, for example), restrict calories (how little can I eat and still function?), or consume one main food (vegetable soup or bananas, anyone?)...
The Get Your Body Back program offers a proven system for losing 20 pounds in 90 days, plus the ability to either maintain that fat loss, or to continue losing the next 20 pounds.
You can say goodbye to fads, diet pills and yo-yo dieting forever, once you've gained the knowledge and the experience to work with your body, and give it what it needs for optimum health and an energetic life.
Imagine feeling that good! I know you can Get Your Body Back!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Weight Gains over Holiday Season
Both the Canadian (October) and the American (November) Thanksgiving holidays are just around the corner. I hate to say it but Christmas is shortly after that. For most men and women, this time of year signals weight gain of between 5 to 10 pounds.
This, in itself, wouldn't be such a big deal. But the facts are that most people have this happen EVERY major holiday and, over the year, a few pounds creep on at each big meal or holiday. Do you realize that, if you gain just a small 1-2 pounds per month, by the end of the year you are 15 - 20 pounds heavier than you were the year before? But everyone knows how hard it is to hang on to the weight you're at and not gain a few pounds here and there.
Let me add that some careers are on the "buffet circuit". You go from one meeting to the next, from a grand opening to an awards night, from the company convention to the planning sessions. Every company function is complete with an array of non-resistable goodies.
And with busy careers, executive and otherwise, who has time for a visit to the gym or a run in the neighborhood, to burn off all those rich, wonderful calories?
That's right - very few people. And you're reading my blog right now, looking for the solution to on-going weight gain. You're not weak, you're not lazy, you're not even addicted to food (most of the time) and it's not that you lack willpower. It's just that a lot of things are against you in this situation. Your body is being asked for the impossible.
Body Transformation will be the topic of a book being written this year. Like any good book, we need more stories about real people; ordinary business-people who have struggled with their weight and achieved victory over the battle of the bulge.
Do you want to be one of those stories? If so, find out more about the Executive Challenge. We know how to help you lose 20 pounds in 90 days. And, once you've learned the steps and achieved your goal, you'll never have to fight with seasonal weight-gain again.
For more info, contact us at executivechallenge@hotmail.com
After all, you do want to Get Your Body Back, don't you?! I DID IT! SO CAN YOU!
This, in itself, wouldn't be such a big deal. But the facts are that most people have this happen EVERY major holiday and, over the year, a few pounds creep on at each big meal or holiday. Do you realize that, if you gain just a small 1-2 pounds per month, by the end of the year you are 15 - 20 pounds heavier than you were the year before? But everyone knows how hard it is to hang on to the weight you're at and not gain a few pounds here and there.
Let me add that some careers are on the "buffet circuit". You go from one meeting to the next, from a grand opening to an awards night, from the company convention to the planning sessions. Every company function is complete with an array of non-resistable goodies.
And with busy careers, executive and otherwise, who has time for a visit to the gym or a run in the neighborhood, to burn off all those rich, wonderful calories?
That's right - very few people. And you're reading my blog right now, looking for the solution to on-going weight gain. You're not weak, you're not lazy, you're not even addicted to food (most of the time) and it's not that you lack willpower. It's just that a lot of things are against you in this situation. Your body is being asked for the impossible.
Body Transformation will be the topic of a book being written this year. Like any good book, we need more stories about real people; ordinary business-people who have struggled with their weight and achieved victory over the battle of the bulge.
Do you want to be one of those stories? If so, find out more about the Executive Challenge. We know how to help you lose 20 pounds in 90 days. And, once you've learned the steps and achieved your goal, you'll never have to fight with seasonal weight-gain again.
For more info, contact us at executivechallenge@hotmail.com
After all, you do want to Get Your Body Back, don't you?! I DID IT! SO CAN YOU!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Water and Supplements: Secrets to Flushing Out Body Fat
In Step 5, we learn about water. "Are you nuts?", you're asking. "Everyone knows about water. What's water got to do with anything?"
As incredible as it may seem, water is the single, most important catalyst in losing body fat and keeping it off. Most of us take it for granted but pure, clean water may be the only true magic potion for permanent weight loss.
Water suppresses the appetite naturally.
Water helps metabolize stored fat.
Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase.
The kidneys cannot function properly without water.
Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone.
Water helps to prevent sagging skin following weight loss.
Water helps rid the body of waste and, during weight loss, the body has more waste to get rid of.
It'll be no surprise to you, then, that the Get Your Body Back 10-step Program incorporates an increase in water consumption. In fact, how about you start that step right now...
That's right, go to the kitchen now, and get yourself a glass of fresh, cool water. Your body will thank you and, after all, you do want to Get Your Body Back, don't you?
Have you inquired about The Executive Challenge yet? There are still a few spots left for Case Study participants...
If you have friends that are struggling with the same issues, tell them about this blog and get involved in The Executive Challenge together.
As incredible as it may seem, water is the single, most important catalyst in losing body fat and keeping it off. Most of us take it for granted but pure, clean water may be the only true magic potion for permanent weight loss.
Water suppresses the appetite naturally.
Water helps metabolize stored fat.
Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase.
The kidneys cannot function properly without water.
Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone.
Water helps to prevent sagging skin following weight loss.
Water helps rid the body of waste and, during weight loss, the body has more waste to get rid of.
It'll be no surprise to you, then, that the Get Your Body Back 10-step Program incorporates an increase in water consumption. In fact, how about you start that step right now...
That's right, go to the kitchen now, and get yourself a glass of fresh, cool water. Your body will thank you and, after all, you do want to Get Your Body Back, don't you?
Have you inquired about The Executive Challenge yet? There are still a few spots left for Case Study participants...
If you have friends that are struggling with the same issues, tell them about this blog and get involved in The Executive Challenge together.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
The Executive Challenge
The Executive Challenge
WANTED: 15 participants for Case Study
Need to Lose 20 pounds in the next 90 days?
Supervised Step-by-Step System
plus E-coaching (complimentary)
Safe, simple and proven effective
Contact executivechallenge@hotmail.com
Space is limited – Reserve your spot!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Step 4: Your Reason(s) Why
It has been well documented that, when we know where we're going, and why we're going there, the path seems much less difficult. Obstacles are less likely to stop us; they are viewed merely as setbacks, or small annoyances, to be overcome.
Most goals in life require us to overcome some obstacles along the way. This is particularly true in weight management and losing body fat. Getting a clear picture of what these obstacles have been for us in the past is helpful. This can also help us identify what they are likely to be in the future. Once we have identified the obstacles, we can develop strategies for overcoming them.
Obstacles can be both external and internal. For instance, the most common obstacle to becoming more physically active is finding time to exercise (an external obstacle). What you say to yourself (an internal obstacle) can also be an important influence on your behavior. Negative self-talk (e.g. focusing on all the times you haven’t achieved your eating and exercise goals in the past) is more likely to dissuade you from (rather than encourage you in) changing your eating and activity patterns.
So how do you determine 1) where you are going and 2) why you are going there? It's easy to say, "I want to lose 20 pounds." That may be so but Step 4 is about the very personal and critical reasons that you have undertaken this project of getting your body back, your own personal ‘why’. Everyone has their own definition of a successful outcome. We are going to discover your personal and unique reasons for being in this program, at this time in your life.
A) Take 10-15 minutes right now to make a list of all the reasons why you want to transform your body. Include all of the outcomes that you want. These are YOUR desires, YOUR reasons (not your spouse's or your family's reasons). Maybe you'd like to go swimming with the grandkids next summer. Maybe you'd like to run a 10K for charity next Spring. Think of the BIG reasons. Go wild here (no evaluations allowed, just make the list).
B) Next blog, we'll put together your Personal Mission Statement for Body Transformation.
Now, get writing! I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Most goals in life require us to overcome some obstacles along the way. This is particularly true in weight management and losing body fat. Getting a clear picture of what these obstacles have been for us in the past is helpful. This can also help us identify what they are likely to be in the future. Once we have identified the obstacles, we can develop strategies for overcoming them.
Obstacles can be both external and internal. For instance, the most common obstacle to becoming more physically active is finding time to exercise (an external obstacle). What you say to yourself (an internal obstacle) can also be an important influence on your behavior. Negative self-talk (e.g. focusing on all the times you haven’t achieved your eating and exercise goals in the past) is more likely to dissuade you from (rather than encourage you in) changing your eating and activity patterns.
So how do you determine 1) where you are going and 2) why you are going there? It's easy to say, "I want to lose 20 pounds." That may be so but Step 4 is about the very personal and critical reasons that you have undertaken this project of getting your body back, your own personal ‘why’. Everyone has their own definition of a successful outcome. We are going to discover your personal and unique reasons for being in this program, at this time in your life.
A) Take 10-15 minutes right now to make a list of all the reasons why you want to transform your body. Include all of the outcomes that you want. These are YOUR desires, YOUR reasons (not your spouse's or your family's reasons). Maybe you'd like to go swimming with the grandkids next summer. Maybe you'd like to run a 10K for charity next Spring. Think of the BIG reasons. Go wild here (no evaluations allowed, just make the list).
B) Next blog, we'll put together your Personal Mission Statement for Body Transformation.
Now, get writing! I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Monday, September 18, 2006
New Research on Outsmarting the Fat Instinct
As you all know by now, Body Transformation is my passion. So I am excited to report that I've been studying some new research on the Fat Instinct.
Many of us struggle with the fact that we know what to do, the program is laid out in front of us, but the follow-through isn't there. We beat ourselves up, thinking that lack of willpower means lack of personal ambition. Every time we succumb to a food we know is going to de-rail our efforts, we feel bad about ourselves and quit our program one more time.
Well, stay tuned. What I'm bringing to you is revolutionary. I'm going to be incorporating some concepts into the 10 Step Program that will help you with your cravings for high-fat and calorie-rich foods. All without the pressure of hunger and feelings of deprivation.
Tell your family and friends to tune into this blog for the most successful program out there to help them lose body fat and keep it off! Body Transformation at its finest!
Many of us struggle with the fact that we know what to do, the program is laid out in front of us, but the follow-through isn't there. We beat ourselves up, thinking that lack of willpower means lack of personal ambition. Every time we succumb to a food we know is going to de-rail our efforts, we feel bad about ourselves and quit our program one more time.
Well, stay tuned. What I'm bringing to you is revolutionary. I'm going to be incorporating some concepts into the 10 Step Program that will help you with your cravings for high-fat and calorie-rich foods. All without the pressure of hunger and feelings of deprivation.
Tell your family and friends to tune into this blog for the most successful program out there to help them lose body fat and keep it off! Body Transformation at its finest!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Expect Step 4
Chances are that some of you have been dragging your heels about physical activity. By the number of e-mails I've received, I get it that this is a busy time of year. Getting in that last bit of summer!
I hesitate to send the next Step until the previous Step has been addressed. So I'm suggesting that you get on with that research, check out a few local gyms, rec centres, or classes. All I'm asking for now is that you do the research. You don't have to start your exercise program yet. Maybe you can't get to the gym. Have you considered checking the TV Guide to see what fitness or yoga shows are on the TV in the morning in your area? Have you considered buy a small set of hand weights and doing a little routine in your living room three times a week? Let me know what you decide to do.
Some of you are buying re-bounders...remember them? Mini trampolines?
There's quite a bit of research that says they're actually good exercise! Before you buy a new one, though, check your local paper or garage sales. Some probably ended up under the bed a few weeks after they were purchased and you can get them nearly-new and cheap!
Don't stop now! I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
I hesitate to send the next Step until the previous Step has been addressed. So I'm suggesting that you get on with that research, check out a few local gyms, rec centres, or classes. All I'm asking for now is that you do the research. You don't have to start your exercise program yet. Maybe you can't get to the gym. Have you considered checking the TV Guide to see what fitness or yoga shows are on the TV in the morning in your area? Have you considered buy a small set of hand weights and doing a little routine in your living room three times a week? Let me know what you decide to do.
Some of you are buying re-bounders...remember them? Mini trampolines?
There's quite a bit of research that says they're actually good exercise! Before you buy a new one, though, check your local paper or garage sales. Some probably ended up under the bed a few weeks after they were purchased and you can get them nearly-new and cheap!
Don't stop now! I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Step 3: Physical Activity
By now, you've had a week to keep your Food Journals. Keep sending them in to me at thewisebody@hotmail.com and I'll keep sending you my thoughts and any feedback.
I've talked a lot about Body Fat here on my blog. Step 3 focuses on what it takes to actually burn body fat. There are many myths out there in the world of fitness regarding the burning of body fat. In the Get Your Body Back program, I try and dispel a few of those and give you the keys to making the most of the time you spend involved in physical activity, ie. burning the most body fat in the least amount of time.
So what is the real secret to burning body fat, you ask?
According to Cliff Sheets, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and author of "Lean Bodies", "Aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, or cycling, is the only type of physical activity that directly burns body fat. For fat to be burned, oxygen must be present and this occurs only through aerobic exercise."
Except for genetically gifted people who appear to be born fit, it's extremely difficult - if not impossible - to lose fat permanently with diet alone.
"Dieting without exercise is one of the main reasons for the 95% failure rate of weight loss programs today. The reason is simple: A decrease in caloric intake, if extreme or prolonged, slows down the metabolism, while an increase in activity can actually speed up your metabolism", says Tom Venuto, in his book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. " Eating boosts your metabolic rate. So by doing regular aerobic exercise and eating more often, you get a double boost in metabolic rate. "
Let's divide activity levels into three categories:
Sedentary
You drive or walk slowly to most places, you work at a desk job or a job that requires very little physical exertion, you seldom climb stairs, your daily pace is generally slow and easy, you don't run; your preferred activities in your spare time are laying down, watching TV, playing board or card games, reading, rocking in a chair, taking a sauna or hot tub, eating out, or joining your friends for beverages on the patio.
Moderate
You park your car and walk a few blocks to work, your work requires some movement, you use weights or fitness videos at home sometimes; in your spare time, your preferred activities are weeding the garden, walking the dog, washing the car, nature walks with a friend, swimming, weekly dance classes, or throwing parties at your house.
Intense
You walk or cycle to your workplace, you work in a physically demanding environment, you go to the gym for a workout almost daily, your workout is intense and of a 45+ minute duration, you walk or run in your neighborhhod at least 3 times per week, you walk or run your energetic dog at least once per day.
Once again, the honor system prevails here. If your physical activity level is in the Sedentary to Moderate range, and you honestly want to Get Your Body Back, it's time to find a variety of activities that you CAN and WILL do. Good nutrition is crucial but it's not enough all by itself. Your body needs physical activity to help you achieve your goal of losing body fat.
I've talked a lot about Body Fat here on my blog. Step 3 focuses on what it takes to actually burn body fat. There are many myths out there in the world of fitness regarding the burning of body fat. In the Get Your Body Back program, I try and dispel a few of those and give you the keys to making the most of the time you spend involved in physical activity, ie. burning the most body fat in the least amount of time.
So what is the real secret to burning body fat, you ask?
According to Cliff Sheets, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and author of "Lean Bodies", "Aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, or cycling, is the only type of physical activity that directly burns body fat. For fat to be burned, oxygen must be present and this occurs only through aerobic exercise."
Except for genetically gifted people who appear to be born fit, it's extremely difficult - if not impossible - to lose fat permanently with diet alone.
"Dieting without exercise is one of the main reasons for the 95% failure rate of weight loss programs today. The reason is simple: A decrease in caloric intake, if extreme or prolonged, slows down the metabolism, while an increase in activity can actually speed up your metabolism", says Tom Venuto, in his book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. " Eating boosts your metabolic rate. So by doing regular aerobic exercise and eating more often, you get a double boost in metabolic rate. "
Let's divide activity levels into three categories:
Sedentary
You drive or walk slowly to most places, you work at a desk job or a job that requires very little physical exertion, you seldom climb stairs, your daily pace is generally slow and easy, you don't run; your preferred activities in your spare time are laying down, watching TV, playing board or card games, reading, rocking in a chair, taking a sauna or hot tub, eating out, or joining your friends for beverages on the patio.
Moderate
You park your car and walk a few blocks to work, your work requires some movement, you use weights or fitness videos at home sometimes; in your spare time, your preferred activities are weeding the garden, walking the dog, washing the car, nature walks with a friend, swimming, weekly dance classes, or throwing parties at your house.
Intense
You walk or cycle to your workplace, you work in a physically demanding environment, you go to the gym for a workout almost daily, your workout is intense and of a 45+ minute duration, you walk or run in your neighborhhod at least 3 times per week, you walk or run your energetic dog at least once per day.
Once again, the honor system prevails here. If your physical activity level is in the Sedentary to Moderate range, and you honestly want to Get Your Body Back, it's time to find a variety of activities that you CAN and WILL do. Good nutrition is crucial but it's not enough all by itself. Your body needs physical activity to help you achieve your goal of losing body fat.
- Pull that old bike out of storage and take it in for a tune-up (don't forget to ride it too!).
- Visit your local gym or rec centre and have a look at the hours of operation and classes that they offer. Pick one or two and start attending regularly.
- Adjust your budget to make room for a small monthly fee at the gym of your choise.
- Canvass your friends for a workout buddy that's as serious as you are.
- Set a good example at the office by going to a fitness class over the lunch hour.
- Once you start working out at the gym, you won't want to eat high-fat high-junk lunches. Set the example and start packing your own healthy lunches.
If you're very stubborn and aren't quite yet convinced of the benefits of regular aerobic exercise, send me an e-mail at thewisebody@hotmail.com and I'll send you an article entitled, "10 Great Reasons to Embrace Regular Exercise."
I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Are You Focusing on the Journey, or the Destination?
I assert that getting rid of excess body fat is one of the best things you will ever do for yourself. Thus, coaching people to do just that, and watching them Get Their Body Back, is extremely rewarding work, which I love.
From time to time, I'll be highlighting folks on my blog, who have came to me with challenges, and who saw their frustration turn into results. Of course, every body is different to some degree. That's the point of providing individual suggestions and feedback. However at the same time, all bodies are very much alike, so we have some tried and tested solutions for getting rid of excess body fat.
Why re-invent the wheel when others have gone before you and succeeded? Jack Canfield, in his book The Success Principles, says that "Success leaves clues." Are you willing to follow the success (the clues) of others, or will you keep trying to figure this out all by yourself?
Someone once said, "Begin with the end in mind." In the Ten Step program, I begin with the successful loss of excess body fat in mind. I already know that, with that, comes too many side benefits to even count. From the end, I work backwards to plan for and achieve success, one step at a time.
I want to highlight a recent happy client from Texas.
Gerald had spent 28 years with IBM, and had retired early at 52. When we met, he was 55, and his health was compromised. He was pre-diabetic, on blood pressure medication, over-weight, suffering and on medication for his GERD (acid reflux), and couldn't get a good night's sleep, due to his Sleep Apnea. Gerald's goals included getting off medications, having more energy for his new-found love of swing dancing, and sleeping soundly without snoring (a common result of sleep apnea).
Gerald followed the Ten Steps (sometimes reluctantly) and, today, he has lost 20 pounds, no longer takes his acid reflux medication, has reduced his blood pressure (he's talking to his doctor about dropping that medication), and is no longer threatened with a CPAP machine as a bed-mate. Here are a few of Gerald's words:
"Last year I moved from Houston to Portland, met an amazing Body Transformation Coach, and completely changed my life health-wise."
"Billie, you have your shit together in terms of knowing your subject and how to present it and transfer your knowledge, and you have the right temperament for what you are doing."
Gerald focused on the destination, not the journey. He knew where he wanted to go and why, he put one foot in front of the other, and accepted the journey.
For most of us humans, change isn't easy. Adjustments to our lifestyle can meet with resistance, emotionally and physically. Determine your destination, and the journey (the course) will lay itself out in front of you, if you're willing and committed. I know that you can Get Your Body Back...
From time to time, I'll be highlighting folks on my blog, who have came to me with challenges, and who saw their frustration turn into results. Of course, every body is different to some degree. That's the point of providing individual suggestions and feedback. However at the same time, all bodies are very much alike, so we have some tried and tested solutions for getting rid of excess body fat.
Why re-invent the wheel when others have gone before you and succeeded? Jack Canfield, in his book The Success Principles, says that "Success leaves clues." Are you willing to follow the success (the clues) of others, or will you keep trying to figure this out all by yourself?
Someone once said, "Begin with the end in mind." In the Ten Step program, I begin with the successful loss of excess body fat in mind. I already know that, with that, comes too many side benefits to even count. From the end, I work backwards to plan for and achieve success, one step at a time.
I want to highlight a recent happy client from Texas.
Gerald had spent 28 years with IBM, and had retired early at 52. When we met, he was 55, and his health was compromised. He was pre-diabetic, on blood pressure medication, over-weight, suffering and on medication for his GERD (acid reflux), and couldn't get a good night's sleep, due to his Sleep Apnea. Gerald's goals included getting off medications, having more energy for his new-found love of swing dancing, and sleeping soundly without snoring (a common result of sleep apnea).
Gerald followed the Ten Steps (sometimes reluctantly) and, today, he has lost 20 pounds, no longer takes his acid reflux medication, has reduced his blood pressure (he's talking to his doctor about dropping that medication), and is no longer threatened with a CPAP machine as a bed-mate. Here are a few of Gerald's words:
"Last year I moved from Houston to Portland, met an amazing Body Transformation Coach, and completely changed my life health-wise."
"Billie, you have your shit together in terms of knowing your subject and how to present it and transfer your knowledge, and you have the right temperament for what you are doing."
Gerald focused on the destination, not the journey. He knew where he wanted to go and why, he put one foot in front of the other, and accepted the journey.
For most of us humans, change isn't easy. Adjustments to our lifestyle can meet with resistance, emotionally and physically. Determine your destination, and the journey (the course) will lay itself out in front of you, if you're willing and committed. I know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Sunday, August 13, 2006
On the Subject of Nutrition...
The famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn has just released its list of Top 10 healthy foods (alphabetically). Thought I'd share it with you all...my comments follow, in italics:
Apples: Apples are a good source of pectin, a fibre that lowers cholesterol and glucose levels. Apples are also a good source of vitamin C, an important antioxidant that helps the body absorb iron and folate. One of my clients likes to core and cut an apple or two, and put it in the fridge in a zip-lock bag, for afternoon munchies.
Almonds: Full of fibre, riboflavin, magnesium, iron, calcium and vitamin E, these nuts are good for the heart. And most of the fat in almonds is monounsaturated, which can help lower bad cholesterol levels when substituted for other fats. I recommend measuring a 1/2 cup of nuts into a small container, rather than sticking your hand in the bag. Like popcorn, you can turn around and wonder how did that bag get empty so fast?
Broccoli: This vegetable contains calcium, potassium, folate, fibre and phytonutrients - compounds that may help prevent diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. It also contains the antioxidant beta-carotene and is an excellent source of vitamin C. An awesome vegetable for roasting and for stir-frys.
Blueberries: These berries are a low-calorie source of fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients; they may improve short-term memory and reduce cell damage linked to aging. Keep a bag of blueberries in the freezer, and alternate days with frozen strawberries in your protein shake.
Red beans: Small red, pinto and kidney - red beans are an excellent low-fat source of antioxidants, protein, dietary fibre, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and thiamine. Open a can of beans into a plastic container and keep them in the fridge. Use by the tablespoon on salads, in stir-frys, in spaghetti sauce, or just eat by the spoonful.
Salmon: This popular fish is a terrific source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to provide heart benefits. It's low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is a good source of protein. The Mayo suggests choosing wild salmon, if possible, as it is less likely to contain unwanted chemicals such as mercury. Keep a few small salmon steaks in the freezer; they thaw quickly and are great for a quick lunch with veggies. I often saute one in the morning (throw a few veggies in the pan, for the last few minutes of cooking) to take to the office for lunch.
Spinach: Popeye's favourite is high in vitamin A, and is a solid source of calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, riboflavin and vitamins B-6 and C. The plant compounds spinach contains may boost the immune system and help prevent certain types of cancer. One cup of cooked spinach also contains 5 grams of protein or, sauted next to a large fried egg, add another 7 grams for a total of 12 grams of protein. Remember, go very easy on the cooking oil.
Sweet potatoes: High in beta-carotene and vitamin C, sweet potatoes (yams) are also a good source of fibre, vitamin B-6 and potassium and are fat-free and relatively low in calories. Have you tried baking your yams? Excellent! Go very easy on the butter and brown sugar, though.
Vegetable juice: An easy way to inject vegetables into a diet, vegetable juices contain most of the same vitamins, minerals and other nutrients the source vegetables do. Tomato juice, and vegetable juices which include tomatoes, are good sources of lycopene - an antioxidant that may lower the risk of heart attack and certain cancers. Low-sodium varieties are best. Freshly-squeezed whole juices are my professional preference. Buy a juicer for home or visit your local juice kiosk, prefering to juice the whole fruit, rather than throwing all the pulp away.
Wheat germ: A concentrated source of nutrients, three tablespoons provide thiamine, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. It can be worked into a diet as a topping for cereals, yogurt and salads, or an ingredient baked into muffins, cookies and pancakes. Other benefits: 3 tbsp contains 4 grams of fibre and 5 grams of protein.
Enjoy...I know you can Get Your Body Back!
Apples: Apples are a good source of pectin, a fibre that lowers cholesterol and glucose levels. Apples are also a good source of vitamin C, an important antioxidant that helps the body absorb iron and folate. One of my clients likes to core and cut an apple or two, and put it in the fridge in a zip-lock bag, for afternoon munchies.
Almonds: Full of fibre, riboflavin, magnesium, iron, calcium and vitamin E, these nuts are good for the heart. And most of the fat in almonds is monounsaturated, which can help lower bad cholesterol levels when substituted for other fats. I recommend measuring a 1/2 cup of nuts into a small container, rather than sticking your hand in the bag. Like popcorn, you can turn around and wonder how did that bag get empty so fast?
Broccoli: This vegetable contains calcium, potassium, folate, fibre and phytonutrients - compounds that may help prevent diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. It also contains the antioxidant beta-carotene and is an excellent source of vitamin C. An awesome vegetable for roasting and for stir-frys.
Blueberries: These berries are a low-calorie source of fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients; they may improve short-term memory and reduce cell damage linked to aging. Keep a bag of blueberries in the freezer, and alternate days with frozen strawberries in your protein shake.
Red beans: Small red, pinto and kidney - red beans are an excellent low-fat source of antioxidants, protein, dietary fibre, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and thiamine. Open a can of beans into a plastic container and keep them in the fridge. Use by the tablespoon on salads, in stir-frys, in spaghetti sauce, or just eat by the spoonful.
Salmon: This popular fish is a terrific source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to provide heart benefits. It's low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is a good source of protein. The Mayo suggests choosing wild salmon, if possible, as it is less likely to contain unwanted chemicals such as mercury. Keep a few small salmon steaks in the freezer; they thaw quickly and are great for a quick lunch with veggies. I often saute one in the morning (throw a few veggies in the pan, for the last few minutes of cooking) to take to the office for lunch.
Spinach: Popeye's favourite is high in vitamin A, and is a solid source of calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, riboflavin and vitamins B-6 and C. The plant compounds spinach contains may boost the immune system and help prevent certain types of cancer. One cup of cooked spinach also contains 5 grams of protein or, sauted next to a large fried egg, add another 7 grams for a total of 12 grams of protein. Remember, go very easy on the cooking oil.
Sweet potatoes: High in beta-carotene and vitamin C, sweet potatoes (yams) are also a good source of fibre, vitamin B-6 and potassium and are fat-free and relatively low in calories. Have you tried baking your yams? Excellent! Go very easy on the butter and brown sugar, though.
Vegetable juice: An easy way to inject vegetables into a diet, vegetable juices contain most of the same vitamins, minerals and other nutrients the source vegetables do. Tomato juice, and vegetable juices which include tomatoes, are good sources of lycopene - an antioxidant that may lower the risk of heart attack and certain cancers. Low-sodium varieties are best. Freshly-squeezed whole juices are my professional preference. Buy a juicer for home or visit your local juice kiosk, prefering to juice the whole fruit, rather than throwing all the pulp away.
Wheat germ: A concentrated source of nutrients, three tablespoons provide thiamine, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. It can be worked into a diet as a topping for cereals, yogurt and salads, or an ingredient baked into muffins, cookies and pancakes. Other benefits: 3 tbsp contains 4 grams of fibre and 5 grams of protein.
Enjoy...I know you can Get Your Body Back!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
The Wise Body - Step 2
In 1976, Stanley Burroughs published a tiny little book which has become the standard for those who promote natural healing. From his book, The Master Cleanser, I offer you this quote:
"At last, the basic cause of disease is no longer a mystery. The basic cause is the habits of improper diet, inadequate exercise, negative mental attitudes, and a lack of spiritual attunement which combine to produce toxic conditions and malfunction of our bodies. The elimination of the cause of illness is the obvious and only way to healing and health. The elimination of the habits that cause illness is done through the positive approach of developing proper habits that cause health, combined with corrective techniques that remove the ill effects of our former incorrect ways."
At this point, I want to remind everyone that I am not a doctor and do not purport to know the cause or cure of anyone's illnesses. However, as one human being to another, I have been ill, I have become well, and I am now ill so seldom that I believe I have something to share with others. Perhaps there is something that you can use, in the things that I share, to support your own healing. We can be our own best healthcare provider, regardless of what we may have been told by the medical community...if we take the steps to listen to our body and learn more about what our body needs for optimum functioning.
So, regarding Mr. Burrough's words of 30 years ago...Step 2 is about the fuel that you put into your body. Many people think that the key to having the body they want is exercise. So, if they can't work out, they don't create Body Transformation goals for themselves. Well, while it is true that physical activity plays a fundamental role in any successful fat-loss program, there is no question that food consumption plays an equally important role.
Step 2 is about getting conscious about what you put into your mouth and when (and sometimes why). Time to keep a record, which we'll call a Food Journal. For the next seven days, write in your journal before and after you eat something, everything, every time. And don't go changing your habits for 7 days, because you hate to admit what you're eating. This IS NOT about me, this is about you, and observing your eating is not about punishment or criticism. The beginning of the Get Your Body Back program is about self-assessment, getting to know yourself, becoming aware of your habits. We can't change what we don't know about ourselves. And, even if you think you do know, write a Food Journal anyway. For seven days, make a note of everything that goes into your mouth, how much, and at what time.
Some people benefit from making a note of why they ate too. Were they hungry, was it a ravenous hunger at 10 on the scale? Or were they bored, tired, or lonely? Were they at a function and the buffet was so tempting? Were they pressured at a family gathering to have another helping? This is all useful information for you to have about yourself.
You may prefer to keep your journal on the computer. After the 7 days are complete, send the document to me, and I'll send you some feedback. Stick to the basics and keep it as simple as you can...record the foods you ate, how much, when you ate them, and any feelings or observations you may wish to share.
I've written an article on our society, its difficulties with food and who's to blame. If you'd like a copy, send me an e-mail at thewisebody@hotmail.com and I'll fire it off to you.
I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
"At last, the basic cause of disease is no longer a mystery. The basic cause is the habits of improper diet, inadequate exercise, negative mental attitudes, and a lack of spiritual attunement which combine to produce toxic conditions and malfunction of our bodies. The elimination of the cause of illness is the obvious and only way to healing and health. The elimination of the habits that cause illness is done through the positive approach of developing proper habits that cause health, combined with corrective techniques that remove the ill effects of our former incorrect ways."
At this point, I want to remind everyone that I am not a doctor and do not purport to know the cause or cure of anyone's illnesses. However, as one human being to another, I have been ill, I have become well, and I am now ill so seldom that I believe I have something to share with others. Perhaps there is something that you can use, in the things that I share, to support your own healing. We can be our own best healthcare provider, regardless of what we may have been told by the medical community...if we take the steps to listen to our body and learn more about what our body needs for optimum functioning.
So, regarding Mr. Burrough's words of 30 years ago...Step 2 is about the fuel that you put into your body. Many people think that the key to having the body they want is exercise. So, if they can't work out, they don't create Body Transformation goals for themselves. Well, while it is true that physical activity plays a fundamental role in any successful fat-loss program, there is no question that food consumption plays an equally important role.
Step 2 is about getting conscious about what you put into your mouth and when (and sometimes why). Time to keep a record, which we'll call a Food Journal. For the next seven days, write in your journal before and after you eat something, everything, every time. And don't go changing your habits for 7 days, because you hate to admit what you're eating. This IS NOT about me, this is about you, and observing your eating is not about punishment or criticism. The beginning of the Get Your Body Back program is about self-assessment, getting to know yourself, becoming aware of your habits. We can't change what we don't know about ourselves. And, even if you think you do know, write a Food Journal anyway. For seven days, make a note of everything that goes into your mouth, how much, and at what time.
Some people benefit from making a note of why they ate too. Were they hungry, was it a ravenous hunger at 10 on the scale? Or were they bored, tired, or lonely? Were they at a function and the buffet was so tempting? Were they pressured at a family gathering to have another helping? This is all useful information for you to have about yourself.
You may prefer to keep your journal on the computer. After the 7 days are complete, send the document to me, and I'll send you some feedback. Stick to the basics and keep it as simple as you can...record the foods you ate, how much, when you ate them, and any feelings or observations you may wish to share.
I've written an article on our society, its difficulties with food and who's to blame. If you'd like a copy, send me an e-mail at thewisebody@hotmail.com and I'll fire it off to you.
I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Saturday, August 05, 2006
The Wise Body - Step 1
Take the time now to commit to following the Ten Steps. These are the steps I took to shed a significant amount of body fat and, even more importantly, to keep it off.
Everything I suggest you do in the Ten Steps has a purpose, whether or not it's apparent at the outset. As a Fitness Professional, I was schooled in numbers and logic (energy in, energy out). As a Personal Coach and Counsellor, I understand the communication skills needed to be an effective helper. So I follow a counselling model that goes like this:
The Ten Step Program begins with a personal assessment. In Step 1, you take some time to think and write about your weight history. It's best if you do this on your computer and save your writing in a file. I'll be asking you to send me an e-mail of your conclusions.
Everyone's story is different and this is your chance to tell yours. In as much detail as possible, I ask you to write out, in paragraph form, or chronologically, the history of your body shape. Were you a chubby grade-schooler? Were you a bean-pole who didn't gain weight until puberty? Did you have an average body until menopause? Tell the story in your own way.
After that, I ask you to write about a time in your life when you felt your body was ideal. What was going on in your life at that time? Were you on the high-school rugby team? the university rowing team? Do your wedding photos show that your body was in the best shape of your life?
Warning: Don't use this exercise as an opportunity to chastise yourself or kick yourself around the block. The practice of telling your story is not about self-flagellation. This is a time to take an honest look at the origins of your concern with your body weight. Reviewing your personal story is very important. It helps you get from where you are to where you want to go...
Lastly, write a summary of your thoughts about the story you've just written. Do you recognize any patterns, did you discover any triggers, was there anything you considered particularly significant in your story?
Once you feel your personal assessment is complete, send me your findings via e-mail at thewisebody@hotmail.com . I'll file this under your name as Step 1, and reply with some thoughts of my own.
Congratulations on making this commitment to yourself and on taking the time to complete your personal assessment. Stay tuned for Step 2...I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Everything I suggest you do in the Ten Steps has a purpose, whether or not it's apparent at the outset. As a Fitness Professional, I was schooled in numbers and logic (energy in, energy out). As a Personal Coach and Counsellor, I understand the communication skills needed to be an effective helper. So I follow a counselling model that goes like this:
- What is actually going on? Where are you currently at?
- What do you need or want? Where are you trying to get to?
- What do you have to do/ change to get there?
- How do you get actual, personal results?
The Ten Step Program begins with a personal assessment. In Step 1, you take some time to think and write about your weight history. It's best if you do this on your computer and save your writing in a file. I'll be asking you to send me an e-mail of your conclusions.
Everyone's story is different and this is your chance to tell yours. In as much detail as possible, I ask you to write out, in paragraph form, or chronologically, the history of your body shape. Were you a chubby grade-schooler? Were you a bean-pole who didn't gain weight until puberty? Did you have an average body until menopause? Tell the story in your own way.
After that, I ask you to write about a time in your life when you felt your body was ideal. What was going on in your life at that time? Were you on the high-school rugby team? the university rowing team? Do your wedding photos show that your body was in the best shape of your life?
Warning: Don't use this exercise as an opportunity to chastise yourself or kick yourself around the block. The practice of telling your story is not about self-flagellation. This is a time to take an honest look at the origins of your concern with your body weight. Reviewing your personal story is very important. It helps you get from where you are to where you want to go...
Lastly, write a summary of your thoughts about the story you've just written. Do you recognize any patterns, did you discover any triggers, was there anything you considered particularly significant in your story?
Once you feel your personal assessment is complete, send me your findings via e-mail at thewisebody@hotmail.com . I'll file this under your name as Step 1, and reply with some thoughts of my own.
Congratulations on making this commitment to yourself and on taking the time to complete your personal assessment. Stay tuned for Step 2...I just know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Friday, August 04, 2006
The Ten Step Program
As fall looms ahead, you can expect more men and women to be thinking about their health and fitness. But isn't swimsuit season the motivator of all time, you ask? Afraid not - summer is a time of relaxing with friends and family, basking in the warm rays of the sun, BBQs and beer around the pool. Most people gain weight over the summer, rather than lose it!
I've already had a number of inquiries from people who want to join the program in September. So, for their benefit, and as a review for those of you already involved, I'll be highlighting the Ten Step Program here on my blog.
If you are someone who wants only a small amount of direction, and wants to understand everything and figure everything out on your own, you may want to ask for the extended version of the Ten Steps, which I will send you by e-mail.
If, on the other hand, you are someone who doesn't need to know why, you just need to know what to do, this blog is perfect for you. The blog notes will spell out the Steps in some detail, and all you have to do is follow the intructions that come from me personally.
Stay tuned...I know that you can Get Your Body Back...
I've already had a number of inquiries from people who want to join the program in September. So, for their benefit, and as a review for those of you already involved, I'll be highlighting the Ten Step Program here on my blog.
If you are someone who wants only a small amount of direction, and wants to understand everything and figure everything out on your own, you may want to ask for the extended version of the Ten Steps, which I will send you by e-mail.
If, on the other hand, you are someone who doesn't need to know why, you just need to know what to do, this blog is perfect for you. The blog notes will spell out the Steps in some detail, and all you have to do is follow the intructions that come from me personally.
Stay tuned...I know that you can Get Your Body Back...
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Life is Precious...
"Health is the best and most prized thing a human can possess." These are the words of a friend of mine who is recovering from a burst appendix that went undiagnosed for many months.
If you've forgotten that life is precious, I have a suggestion. Spend some time with someone who is fighting to stay alive.
Julie is a 40-yr old single mom of a 10-yr old child. She's a non-smoker, the youngest of nine chldren, with parents in their late 70's. Most of her family lives in other provinces and, when she chose to have a child out of wedlock, relationships with her siblings became strained. Today, she is fighting for her life so she can see her son grow up to be a man.
Julie beat cancer once. Misdiagnosed for about a year, the breast cancer ravaged her body. A radical mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapy, and prayer, faith and love saved her life. Cancer-free for about a year, she carried on with her life, sharing her story and inspiring others to remember that life and loved ones are precious.
But this isn't the end of her story, as the cancer returned with a vengeance. Now in three other areas of her body, she faces treatment again. She hasn't been given much hope, and will be seeing BC's faint-hope chemo doctor this week, who has some amazing recovery stories from his clinic. I hope and pray that she becomes one of them.
Julie has an amazing spirit, she's a fighter and she says she isn't going down without a battle. She has too much to live for, namely a 10-yr old angel, an honor student in school, a healthy, happy child, with an engaging wit, and a playful glimmer in his eye. He is his mom's right arm right now, as her own right arm isn't working too well. He plays Nintendo DS with a passion, and cares for their two cats. He's learning to cook and do laundry, and he attends summer day camps at Science World and the Zoo like every other kid.
Every day, when you make the decisions that come with being a human on planet Earth, remind yourself that life is precious. And ask yourself, what have you done for life or for others today?
If you've forgotten that life is precious, I have a suggestion. Spend some time with someone who is fighting to stay alive.
Julie is a 40-yr old single mom of a 10-yr old child. She's a non-smoker, the youngest of nine chldren, with parents in their late 70's. Most of her family lives in other provinces and, when she chose to have a child out of wedlock, relationships with her siblings became strained. Today, she is fighting for her life so she can see her son grow up to be a man.
Julie beat cancer once. Misdiagnosed for about a year, the breast cancer ravaged her body. A radical mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapy, and prayer, faith and love saved her life. Cancer-free for about a year, she carried on with her life, sharing her story and inspiring others to remember that life and loved ones are precious.
But this isn't the end of her story, as the cancer returned with a vengeance. Now in three other areas of her body, she faces treatment again. She hasn't been given much hope, and will be seeing BC's faint-hope chemo doctor this week, who has some amazing recovery stories from his clinic. I hope and pray that she becomes one of them.
Julie has an amazing spirit, she's a fighter and she says she isn't going down without a battle. She has too much to live for, namely a 10-yr old angel, an honor student in school, a healthy, happy child, with an engaging wit, and a playful glimmer in his eye. He is his mom's right arm right now, as her own right arm isn't working too well. He plays Nintendo DS with a passion, and cares for their two cats. He's learning to cook and do laundry, and he attends summer day camps at Science World and the Zoo like every other kid.
Every day, when you make the decisions that come with being a human on planet Earth, remind yourself that life is precious. And ask yourself, what have you done for life or for others today?
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Body Weight vs. Body Fat
It makes NO SENSE to begin a weight loss program, if you don't know your Body Fat percentage, folks. I can't stress enough how it's not weight you want to lose, it's body fat. And there is medical proof that, if you start a calorie-reduction program, you will lose the ONE thing you don't want to lose...Lean Muscle Mass. In fact, on a calorie-reduction diet you can even GAIN fat, while losing weight on the scale!
Monitoring your Body Fat percentage will enable you to see exactly WHAT you are losing, not just how much. Let me give you an example:
Laura is 45 and weighs 150 pounds. She wants to lose about 20 pounds. If she's like the average gal her age, about 35% of her weight is Body Fat, which is 52.5 pounds of Fat, and 97.5 pounds is Lean Muscle Mass. Laura goes on a diet, and starts eating low carbs, low fat, increasing her vegetables, and she doesn't take second-helpings at dinner. For a while, Laura loses weight. She steps on the scale about a month into her diet and discovers that her weight has dropped to 140 but her body fat is still at 35%. If she did the math, she would see that her total body fat is now only 49 pounds, down 3.5 pounds. But what about the other 6.5 pounds? You guessed it; she also lost 6.5 pounds of lean muscle mass.
How could that be? To quote Tom Venuto, from his book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, "Body fat is like a reserve storage tank for energy. Thanks to tens of thousands of years of evolution, you've developed a body that is an incredibly efficient fat-storing machine. As paradoxical as it may seem, it is better to eat more and exercise more than it is to eat less without exercise. Slashing calories and not exercising slows the metabolism, decreases lean body mass and invokes the starvation response. Exercise allows you to burn fat while increasing your metabolism. Dieting without exercise is one of the major reasons for the the 95% failure rate of weight loss programs today."
So getting back to Laura, if her lifestyle is mostly inactive and she cuts her calories, her body will not go to her fat reserves for the fuel it needs, except as a last-ditch effort. Lean muscle mass is a much more available source of fuel so the body goes there before it goes to the fat.
I kept daily records for two 90-day periods, so that I could observe my body fat levels. I didn't cut calories, I cut out junk food, I stopped filling up on white breads, crackers, pastries, and pasta; I increased my lean meats and my veggies. I wasn't hungry; I ate more quality and more quantity!
When I was down 20 pounds, I could do the math and see that I'd lost almost 20 pounds of body fat...now that's worth getting excited about. If you want to know more about the program I designed for myself, send me an e-mail at herwisebody@hotmail.com. I'd be happy to answer your questions or design a program for you...I just know that you can Get Your Body Back!
Monitoring your Body Fat percentage will enable you to see exactly WHAT you are losing, not just how much. Let me give you an example:
Laura is 45 and weighs 150 pounds. She wants to lose about 20 pounds. If she's like the average gal her age, about 35% of her weight is Body Fat, which is 52.5 pounds of Fat, and 97.5 pounds is Lean Muscle Mass. Laura goes on a diet, and starts eating low carbs, low fat, increasing her vegetables, and she doesn't take second-helpings at dinner. For a while, Laura loses weight. She steps on the scale about a month into her diet and discovers that her weight has dropped to 140 but her body fat is still at 35%. If she did the math, she would see that her total body fat is now only 49 pounds, down 3.5 pounds. But what about the other 6.5 pounds? You guessed it; she also lost 6.5 pounds of lean muscle mass.
How could that be? To quote Tom Venuto, from his book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, "Body fat is like a reserve storage tank for energy. Thanks to tens of thousands of years of evolution, you've developed a body that is an incredibly efficient fat-storing machine. As paradoxical as it may seem, it is better to eat more and exercise more than it is to eat less without exercise. Slashing calories and not exercising slows the metabolism, decreases lean body mass and invokes the starvation response. Exercise allows you to burn fat while increasing your metabolism. Dieting without exercise is one of the major reasons for the the 95% failure rate of weight loss programs today."
So getting back to Laura, if her lifestyle is mostly inactive and she cuts her calories, her body will not go to her fat reserves for the fuel it needs, except as a last-ditch effort. Lean muscle mass is a much more available source of fuel so the body goes there before it goes to the fat.
I kept daily records for two 90-day periods, so that I could observe my body fat levels. I didn't cut calories, I cut out junk food, I stopped filling up on white breads, crackers, pastries, and pasta; I increased my lean meats and my veggies. I wasn't hungry; I ate more quality and more quantity!
When I was down 20 pounds, I could do the math and see that I'd lost almost 20 pounds of body fat...now that's worth getting excited about. If you want to know more about the program I designed for myself, send me an e-mail at herwisebody@hotmail.com. I'd be happy to answer your questions or design a program for you...I just know that you can Get Your Body Back!
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Let's Talk about Strong Bones
Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that can be prevented and treated.
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist.
Any bone can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine. A hip fracture almost always requires hospitalization and major surgery. It can impair a person's ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability or even death. Spinal or vertebral fractures also have serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, and deformity.
Millions of North Americans are at risk for osteoporosis. While women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, men also suffer from osteoporosis.
About 28 million people are at risk for osteoporosis, which costs about $13 billion in health care annually.
Researcher Roberto Civitello, M.D. of Washington University in St. Louis says it’s possible that you may absorb more calcium by eating foods that are high-lysine, such as poultry, fish, dairy products, legumes, defatted soy flour and nuts. (Nutrition; November - December 1992). This is good for osteoporosis and many other diseases.
A diet rich in calcium should contain at least 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day. In the study they used 800 milligrams of lysine a day. One good reason to eat calcium-rich foods (supplements should be your second choice) is a much lower risk of creating kidney stones. Many stones are rich in oxalate. The calcium in foods, however, may bind the oxalate before it can be deposited as a stone.
Some foods rich in calcium are sardines, spinach, turnip, mustard and collard greens, chick peas, kidney beans and lentils. Eating high-calcium foods helps you maintain healthy, strong bones, supports proper functioning of your nerves and muscles, and helps your blood clot.
So what can you do to maintain strong bones?
Although the evidence is strong that dairy-product consumption doesn't prevent osteoporosis, simply eliminating dairy products does not ensure strong bones. It pays to put some thought into keeping your bones healthy.
Studies have shown that the following factors are helpful in building and maintaining strong bones:
• Getting plenty of exercise. Studies have concluded that physical exercise is the key to building strong bones (it's more important than any other factor). For example, a study published in the British Medical Journal that followed 1,400 men and women over a 15-year period found that exercise may be the best protection against hip fractures and that "reduced intake of dietary calcium does not seem to be a risk factor." And Penn State University researchers found that bone density is significantly affected by how much exercise girls get during their teen years, when 40 to 50 percent of their skeletal mass is formed.
• Getting enough vitamin D. If you don't spend any time in the sun (about 15 minutes on the face and arms each day is enough), be sure to take a supplement or eat fortified foods.
• Eliminating animal protein. For a variety of reasons, animal protein causes severe bone deterioration.
• Limiting salt intake. Sodium leaches calcium out of the bones.
• Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. They contain vitamin C, which is essential for building collagen, the underlying bone matrix.
• Not smoking. Studies have shown that women who smoke one pack of cigarettes a day have 5 to 10 percent less bone density at menopause than nonsmokers.
So folks, let's not take our bones for granted. Starting to exercise and making good food choices are the keys to maintaining our health and strength long into our old age - and who wouldn't want a long and healthy life?
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist.
Any bone can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine. A hip fracture almost always requires hospitalization and major surgery. It can impair a person's ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability or even death. Spinal or vertebral fractures also have serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, and deformity.
Millions of North Americans are at risk for osteoporosis. While women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, men also suffer from osteoporosis.
About 28 million people are at risk for osteoporosis, which costs about $13 billion in health care annually.
Researcher Roberto Civitello, M.D. of Washington University in St. Louis says it’s possible that you may absorb more calcium by eating foods that are high-lysine, such as poultry, fish, dairy products, legumes, defatted soy flour and nuts. (Nutrition; November - December 1992). This is good for osteoporosis and many other diseases.
A diet rich in calcium should contain at least 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day. In the study they used 800 milligrams of lysine a day. One good reason to eat calcium-rich foods (supplements should be your second choice) is a much lower risk of creating kidney stones. Many stones are rich in oxalate. The calcium in foods, however, may bind the oxalate before it can be deposited as a stone.
Some foods rich in calcium are sardines, spinach, turnip, mustard and collard greens, chick peas, kidney beans and lentils. Eating high-calcium foods helps you maintain healthy, strong bones, supports proper functioning of your nerves and muscles, and helps your blood clot.
So what can you do to maintain strong bones?
Although the evidence is strong that dairy-product consumption doesn't prevent osteoporosis, simply eliminating dairy products does not ensure strong bones. It pays to put some thought into keeping your bones healthy.
Studies have shown that the following factors are helpful in building and maintaining strong bones:
• Getting plenty of exercise. Studies have concluded that physical exercise is the key to building strong bones (it's more important than any other factor). For example, a study published in the British Medical Journal that followed 1,400 men and women over a 15-year period found that exercise may be the best protection against hip fractures and that "reduced intake of dietary calcium does not seem to be a risk factor." And Penn State University researchers found that bone density is significantly affected by how much exercise girls get during their teen years, when 40 to 50 percent of their skeletal mass is formed.
• Getting enough vitamin D. If you don't spend any time in the sun (about 15 minutes on the face and arms each day is enough), be sure to take a supplement or eat fortified foods.
• Eliminating animal protein. For a variety of reasons, animal protein causes severe bone deterioration.
• Limiting salt intake. Sodium leaches calcium out of the bones.
• Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. They contain vitamin C, which is essential for building collagen, the underlying bone matrix.
• Not smoking. Studies have shown that women who smoke one pack of cigarettes a day have 5 to 10 percent less bone density at menopause than nonsmokers.
So folks, let's not take our bones for granted. Starting to exercise and making good food choices are the keys to maintaining our health and strength long into our old age - and who wouldn't want a long and healthy life?
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