Preventing the Flu the "Natural" Way

Last Wednesday, Ottawa approved the H1N1 influenza vaccine. And on Saturday, U.S. President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency.

But is the influenza vaccine the only way to prevent the Swine (and other varieties of the) Flu?

As a Natural Nutritionist, I have been taught that it is absolutely vital to have a strong immune system, which will help fight off diseases, colds, and flu's. But what does that really mean? What exactly is the flu and how do we "catch" it? Or is there another explanation, is the body capable of cleansing itself, with an annual flu-type ritual?

I have heard people say, "I hate that I have the flu but I'm so glad I got sick...I really needed the break from work."

So then ‘catching the flu’ is a modern excuse to blame someone else for our suffering (we caught it off someone else) and quickly escape it and get back to our daily routine of work work work.

What is really happening is the body needs a break to rid itself of stress and accumulated toxins and it starts to cleanse itself. It is the body's own natural defense mechanism against toxic build-up. Taking over-the-counter medications merely slows down or stops the cleansing response.(http://www.detox.net.au/)

In our North American society, we work long hours; we sleep for short periods; we eat de-natured, packaged, high-fat, processed foods; we drink sugar-laden beverages to make it through the day. Do you suppose there's a connection between the way we treat our bodies, and the way our bodies treat us?

About ten years ago, I became ill with the "flu" twice within a few months. Both times, my body ached, my head hurt, my nose ran and, the final assault, after about a week of coughing, I lost my voice to laryngitis. During the second bout with the "flu", I decided I needed to make some lifestyle changes and began researching healthier living practices.

I have been cold- and flu-free for over 6 years now, and have been sharing my simple strategies through this blog, and by speaking to any audience that will listen!

Here are my favorite Do's and Don'ts for strengthening the Immune System, and living a healthy life:

1. Eat live food at every meal. I eat fresh or frozen fruit at breakfast, and a variety of fresh vegetables throughout the day.
2. Eat lettuce in at least one meal a day. I have a salad with every lunch and every dinner, 7 days a week.
3. Cooked veggies are great, but they don't replace fresh live veggies. I eat baby carrots, snap peas, cut celery, cucumber slices, etc throughout the day.
4. Drink water first thing in the morning. When I wake up, the first thing I put in my stomach is fresh water. When I'm hungry, I drink water first.
5. Eat nuts in small quantities. I buy my nuts in the baking department or the health food store; not roasted and salted, but raw and unflavored. I mix nuts with dates or cranberries for added flavour.
6. Limit junk foods. I gave up chips, cheezies, hot dogs, pastries, donuts, candy, and desserts. I eat limited amounts of muffins, breads, and buns. When socializing, I will agree to eating pizza with salad.
7. Don't drink coffee when you should be eating something. Many people never feel their hunger because they drink so much coffee. Put off coffee, if you're not sure if you're eating enough live, fresh food.
8. Pack your own lunches. Taking food with you when you leave the house allows you to make your own choices about what you'll eat during the day.
9. When eating out, try replicating a good home-cooked meal. Restaurant meals are known to be high in fats and sugars; don't be tempted by too many nutrient-poor, high-calorie foods.
10. Take good quality vitamins and minerals daily. I do this to cover all of my bases.

Well, these are my suggestions for boosting the immune system. Making the decision to have the flu shot or not is personal, and I don't make recommendations of that nature. But I do suggest that, as an individual, you need to start taking a more personal role in deciding who is in charge of your health...the food industry, the pharmaceutical companies, or you?

When Will We Finally Get the "Sugar Message"?

The American Heart Association (AMA) journal, Circulation, has reported online that North Americans are swallowing 22 teaspoons of sugar each day.

Most of this added sugar comes from soda pop and candy. In fact, there is so much pop sold today in this continent that we all drink, on average, 597 cans per year.

This Summer, McDonald's introduced their Any Size pop for $1. And, for the longest time, the size of the 7-Eleven's pops and slurpies have been growing to enormous proportions... the Big Gulp is 32 oz. of pop, and the Super Gulp is 64 oz. of pop...Slurpies range in size from 12 oz. to 40 oz.

Is all this pop necessary? Does pop even quench thirst? Or does it just delay thirst, and hunger?

Rachel K. Johnson, professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont in Burlington, lead author of the statement published online, says we need to "take a good hard look at our diet. Figure out where the sources of added sugars are and think about how to cut back on those items."

To check for added sugars, look for a variety of ingredients on labels, including sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, molasses or evaporated cane juice.

Remember that, on average, most women need about 1,800 calories a day and most men need about 2,200 calories to maintain their weight. And added sugar contributes no useful, nutritious calories...so, next time you're thirsty, drink a glass of water first.

Don't camouflage your hunger with a tasty soda...go get some real food!

What the Experts Say...Take Your Vitamins!

Joe Schwarz, the dirtector of McGill University's Office for Science and Society, recently wrote that "Most people are eating crap and thinking that they'll take a vitamin to equalize things. It's pointless. The problem with our diet is not a lack of vitamins. It's the fat, salt and sugar. Those issues are not addressed by taking more vitamins."

However, according to the World Health Organization, one-third of the world's population doesn't get enough micronutrients. And the deficiency is not just limited to developing nations.

A 2002 study found that 97% of Canadians are deficient in vitamin D through winter and spring, while University of Guelph researchers say 78% of Canadian children are low in omega-3 fatty acids. Many of us are also short on iron, calcium and - depending on whether you smoke, drink too much or are overweight - vitamins C and B as well.

"My view is that a supplement should never be taken as a silver bullet to replace a healthy diet or lack of exercise," says Brett Waslefsky, president of an Arizona-based company that makes supplements aimed at people in certain careers, such as nurses and teachers.

And Sherry Torkos, a Niagara-based pharmacist and author of The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Wiley, 2008) said, "The truth is that most people are not getting nearly enough fruits and vegetables. Supplements can be used to complement a healthy diet and lifestyle to make up for things that cause deficiencies, like smoking, eating food with a lower nutritional value and drinking too much."

Every week, I promote adopting better eating habits, getting physically active, and supplementing with a select group of essential nutrients. My favorite supplements are still the BodyWise products, manufactured in California by Vita Tech International http://www.vitatech.com/ .

For the everyday needs of you and your family members, I recommend the AM (multi-vitamin), the PM (multi- mineral), and the Beta C (Vit C from mixed carotenoids).

For more specific health concerns, such as sports performance or sports-related injuries, send an e-mail to bsinclair@mybodywise.org and I will be happy to provide a nutritional consultation and supplement recommendation.

Magnificent Mind - At Any Age...

According to Dr. Daniel G. Amen, author of Magnificent Mind at Any Age, most of us take our brains for granted.

But we can promote brain health by consuming the following foods:

• lean protein, such as fish, chicken, and turkey
• complex carbohydrates, that are low on the glycemic index, such as leafy greens
• salmon, tuna, avocado, and walnuts (foods that contain Omega 3 fatty acids)
• water, to avoid dehydration
• blueberries
• broccoli
• oatmeal
• oranges
• red bell pepper
• spinach
• eat from the rainbow...foods of many colors provide the most anti-oxidants
• fish oil supplements*
• multi-vitamin/mineral formulations**

And it's probably not a coincidence that those lifestyle habits that protect the brain also contribute to the health of all our other organs!

* Super Omega $24 One Month Supply
** AM/PM $42 One Month Supply
Ask about purchasing these great products today from:
BODY BALANCE Smoothie & Snack Bar (778) 229-9271

Eating Fruit on an Empty Stomach...Why?

It is commonly believed that the human stomach should be able to digest any number of different foods at the same time. However, digestion is governed by physiological chemistry. It is not what we eat that is crucial to our health, but what we digest and assimilate.

The principle behind food combining is that different food classes require different enzymes, different rates of digestion, and different digestive pHs for proper digestion. If the foods of the different food classes are combined incorrectly, the specific requirements for their proper digestion tend to cancel each other out.

For example, flesh foods require an acid media for digestion, whereas milk is highly alkaline, so it can neutralize the acid required for digesting the flesh foods.

Fruit digestion results in the release of an alkaline secretion, which neutralizes the acid secretions that are needed for protein digestion. Because of this, it is not a good idea to eat fruits and proteins at the same meals.

Some foods are digested faster than others. If fast-digesting foods, like fruits, are held up in the digestive system for a longer time than necessary through being combined with foods that digest more slowly, fermentation takes place. For this reason, you will experience better digestion when fruits and starches (which are digested slowly) are eaten at different meals.

Fruits and vegetables require different digestive enzymes, which tend to neutralize each other, so these too are best eaten at separate meals.

Swimming as a Work-Out Option

At last, warmer temperatures are greeting us as we step out of our homes…Spring is in the air! Most of us have a little winter baggage to shed, and bathing suit season, only 3 short months away, looms large in our minds.

Other signs of a West Coast Spring are all around us…fair weather runners are out in droves, with the Sun Run scheduled for April 19th. We breathe the warmer air in, stretch our limbs in every direction, and look forward to the freedom of our lighter wardrobes.

Did you know that regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness? It can serve as a cross-training element to your regular workouts. Before a land workout, you can use the pool for a warm-up session.

Swimming with increasing effort to gradually increase your heart rate and stimulate your muscle activity, is easily accomplished in the water. After a land workout, swimming a few laps can help you cool-down, move blood through your muscles to help them recover, and help you relax as you glide through the water.

Swimming burns calories at a rate of about 3 calories a mile per pound of bodyweight. If you weigh 150 lbs. and it takes you 30 minutes to swim one mile (1,760 yards or 1,609 meters), then you will be using about 900 calories in one hour.

Swimming is also an activity that the whole family can enjoy, so come down to MBody Fitness & Wellness Spa (in the Pacific Palisades Hotel) and splash into Spring in our beautiful 55’ warm-water lap pool! Or join us for an Aqua Fit class (call ahead for our current class schedule) and take advantage of the buoyancy that water has to offer, while getting a full body workout.

Not ready for the full dip but still want to shed the winter blahs? Drop in and use the Jacuzzi, steam room or, for a small additional charge, try a few sessions in our Infra-Red Sauna. The benefits of infra-red are many, such as detoxification, relieving aches and pains, and weight loss.

Even though our West Coast Winter was reasonably kind this year, plan now to enjoy Spring to the fullest!

Joint Health

Joint Health

Glucosamine Sulfate
Chondroitin Sulfate
Avocado/Soy Unsaponifiables (ASU)

These three natural ingredients are proven to provide unparalleled support for the health of joints and connective tissues.

Glucosamine and chondroitin both play a role in joint health by providing the raw materials the body uses to manufacture complex molecules called proteoglycans, which are the building blocks of joint tissue. Supplementing with glucosamine may help to rebuild cartilage and treat arthritis.

ASU is a unique ingredient, pioneered in France, which has been clinically shown to have remarkable benefits for joint health.

Potassium has been known to relieve the pain of arthritis.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) provides sulfur, a vital building block of joints, cartilage, skin, hair and nails, and methyl groups, which support many vital biochemical processes in the body, including energy production.

MSM is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in small amounts in many foods. As a dietary supplement, MSM is synthesized. When made correctly, it is identical to that found in nature. MSM can be taken alone or in combination with other joint health nutrients, such as glucosamine and chondroitin.

Hyaluronic acid is a major constituent of cartilage, providing structure and holding water and nutrients.

Special herbal extracts, such as white willow bark and boswellia, help soothe joint tissue.

Recommended Daily Intake
While a recommended daily intake has not been established for Glucosamine Sulfate, most supplements contain a daily dose of 1500 mg.

Cost of our Joint Complete (from Body Wise International)
Available in a 90-count bottle: Take 3 tablets daily, which includes 175 mg Potassium, 1500mg Glucosamine Sulfate, 500 mg MSM, 300 mg ASU, 150 mg Chondroitin Sulfate, plus additional nutrients. $57.60 plus tax

Weekly Nutrition Tip - Calcium

Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the human body, has several important functions. More than 99% of total body calcium is stored in the bones and teeth where it functions to support their structure. The remaining 1% is found throughout the body in blood, muscle, and the fluid between cells.

Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and sending messages through the nervous system. A constant level of calcium is maintained in body fluid and tissues so that these vital body processes function efficiently.

Bone undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant resorption (breakdown of bone) and deposition of calcium into newly deposited bone (bone formation). The balance between bone resorption and deposition changes as people age. During childhood there is a higher amount of bone formation and less breakdown.

In early and middle adulthood, these processes are relatively equal. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal men and women, bone breakdown exceeds its formation, resulting in bone loss, which increases the risk for osteoporosis (a disorder characterized by porous, weak bones).

Daily Intake

The recommended intake of Calcium for adults 19 - 50 yrs of age is 1000mg per day.
For adults 50+, it's 1200 mg per day.

Common Food Sources

Some common food sources of calcium are: yogurt, sardines, cheddar cheese, canned salmon, cottage cheese, and spinach.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps improve calcium absorption. Your body can obtain vitamin D from food and supplements, and it can also make vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Thus, adequate vitamin D intake, both from foods and from sun exposure, is essential to bone health.

Cost for Billie's Essential Calcium (Body Wise International)

Available in a large bottle: 120 tablets (250mg tablets), take 4 tablets for 1000mg daily, includes 400 IU Vitamin D = $33 plus tax (wholesale) $33 plus tax.

Here's to strong bones and teeth...

Get back on the horse...

The Holidays are behind us, and most of us are unhappy with the visible results of the last few months of excess! Now's the time to get back to our routines and schedules, especially the ones that help us with our health and wellness goals.

Since the winter began, I have hurt my knee 3 times. I'm still not walking or sleeping properly without pain so, needless to say, my fitness regimen is completely messed up. At a time like this, most people would simply give up on their goals and consider that they've had another failed attempt to lose weight or look better.

Rather than doing that, I have reduced my caloric intake by adding about 75% more fresh fruits and vegetables to my daily menu. While I know that my "fat loss program" is suffering because I can't do the cardio that I love and need, I also know that I'm doing all that I can do while I manage this setback.

I've had to forego the idea of competing in April but, if all goes well with the healing of my knee over the next few months, I will get back to the gym and into competition mode to prepare for November 2009.

I'm telling you this story to let you know that we all deal with life's curveballs; that the process of going after our goals is mostly about handling contingencies. Fitness goals are alot like relationships, "it's easy when it's easy". Real accomplishment happens in the face of challenge.

So, just in case you've given up on your self or your health and wellness goals, I'm here to tell you that you're exactly where you should be. And that every morning you have an opportunity to start fresh, to get back on the horse, and to keep moving forward.

I'm here to help you get back on that horse! All you have to do is believe in yourself one more time and reach out...