I wanted to share a few words of wisdom and talk about your weight loss goals. I recently had a client tell me that she wanted to lose 20 pounds in one month. I have had thoughts like that, and so have so many of my clients. I don't want to put a damper on her enthusiasm but I did want to share some of my experience with that whole process.
Some of what I have to say, you've no doubt heard before. But some of my ideas might be fresh! When we undertake a weight loss (or fat-loss) project, most of us will have a small amount of weight loss fairly quickly. Like 5 pounds in the first week. This is usually hard to maintain and most people get quite discouraged at the point that they stop losing.
When you think about losing a pound of body fat, remember that, in order to burn a pound, it requires a 3500-calorie deficit. In other words, over say a week, if you burned 500 calories per day more than you consumed (7 X 500), you could expect to be down a pound of body fat. The body fat scale is the only reliable way to measure this.
Many of us are eating up to 3500 calories a day, which is not necessarily bad, it just depends on how much we're burning. Most of us are burning considerably less than we are consuming. Hence the state of our overweight population. Common foods are extremely high in calories and carbs, but most consumers are basically unaware of this as a problem.
Unfortunately, the body is designed to be expert at holding on to fat so, even if we reduce our calories, which is what most dieting is about, the body does not use fat for energy. Fat is the body's last choice. It will use carbohydrates first (blood glucose), protein (muscle) second, and fat last.
So, for example, let's say that you undertake a light yoga program and start eating mostly fruit and vegetables...your body does not burn much calories in a light yoga workout (nothing like say the same amount of time on the elliptical or treadmill), and all the fuel your body needs can be found in the fruits and vegetables (carbs), so it never has to go into it's fat stores at all.
Basically, there is no calorie deficit created there, even though you will feel like you're really putting a lot of effort into your new program. You're not eating your favorite foods, you're exercising - what's the problem? The problem is that this is a mathematical equation and your math is just off.
In my program, we carefully look at how we can keep you full/satisfied with the highest density, and highest quality calories available, which don't immediately get grabbed and utilized/burned by the body. Carbs go to your bloodstream very quickly - we will circumvent that process by eating more protein and EFAs. This slows down the time everything takes to go through your system.
Then we see how we can incorporate some sweating into your week, so you are using more energy than before. This is how you create the calorie deficit.
It's a little science along the way, nothing extravagant. If you're eating yogurt, whole grain toast, fruit, fruit juice, eggs, hashbrowns, lean bacon, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat crackers, whole grain bagels, light cream cheese, carrots, corn and peas, and a little tofu weiner and some chicken, your math will simply not work out. I'm sorry to say. Regardless of how much food manufacturers have tried to convince us that those are all healthy choices. These items are certainly staples in our North American diet, but again, look at the state of North American waistlines.
Let me help you put together a program that will actually give you the results you are looking for. No, it won't take a month. It'll take 90 days of consistent effort. I'll be there with you, every step of the way by phone, by e-mail, by personal visit (if you live in Vancouver, BC). And, before Christmas, you'll have lost the 20 pounds that you want to lose, your clothes will fit better, and you can buy yourself a New Year's outfit in a size that will make you ecstatic!
Yes, you can do this while you go to school, yes, you can do this as a single mom, yes, you can do this as a busy businessman or woman. I have so many strategies that have saved my ass and given me great results, and I am happy to share them with you.
I just know that I can help you Get Your Body Back! I DID IT! SO CAN YOU! What are you waiting for? Just send me an e-mail at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com and let's get you started on your way to fat-burning! Billie
Monday, August 06, 2007
Thursday, August 02, 2007
For the Love of Food...
My regular readers will know that I often bring your attention to the articles of Dr. Andrew Weil, MD. Recently, he mentioned the "Fourth Annual Conference on Science and Nutrition," in San Diego, Calif. (co-sponsored by the Program in Integrative Medicine, which Dr. Weil co-directs).
In attendance at the conference was Michael Pollan, a journalist and author of, "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals". His book is referred to as "a withering indictment of America's industrialized food system. Overdependent on one crop - corn - and propped up by a disastrous mix of pesticides and long-distance food transportation, American agriculture has scarred the land and left its citizens overweight and undernourished."
During the conference, Pollan sounded an optimistic note. "I do see a lot of hopeful trends in American food," he said. The best way to reform the system, he said, is to support positive movements such as the following: (my comments follow each point in parenthesis)
1. The rise of alternative agriculture. "Organic and local" are becoming powerful words in the American food marketplace, said Pollan. "More and more farmers are deciding to put quality above quantity. So there are choices out there that did not exist 30 years ago. These choices are in supermarkets now, but there are also new choices outside of supermarkets. There are over 4,000 farmers' markets; the number has doubled in 10 years." (Here in BC, we are very familiar with Farmers Markets, as well as with the growth of organic foodstuffs in our larger grocery stores. Don't forget to check out my workshop, "How to Eat Healthy & Organic for $7 a Day" at your local community centre.)
2. The growth of an American food culture. Americans eat badly, Pollan said, largely because we lack a native food culture that anchors us to tried-and-true healthy eating patterns - consequently, we fall prey to fads pushed by processed food marketers. But in the 1970s, forward-thinking restaurateurs such as Alice Waters of Berkeley, California's Chez Panisse restaurant "began to create an American cuisine, one based on fresh, local foods," Pollan said. "Now, there is a restaurant like that in every city in America; one based on quality ingredients rather than fancy technique." (Again, here in BC, we are blessed with numerous restaurants that care about quality over quantity. Be selective when you go out to eat. Although you may want to support the local eatery, you can request fresh and local foods wherever you go. As the consumer raises his standards, the restaurant must follow suit, or lose the customer to the restaurant down the street that actually listens to its customers.)
3. Food is becoming prestigious. "You cannot overlook the importance of glamour in America," Pollan said. When Hollywood stars begin eating only organic food or free-range poultry, "it gets filtered through to the whole economy and the whole culture." One fortunate effect is that farming itself is becoming glamorous. "Now, the farmer's name is on the menu of the restaurant. Suddenly, becoming a farmer is a sort of cool occupation." Pollan added that, "The number of farmers has fallen in America since the turn of the last century, but it is finally ticking up now. The new farmers tend to run small operations, usually servicing farmers' markets" with quality food." (Wow, BC tops them all doesn't it? From Richmond to Abbotsford, you can find local farms. Take the drive this Sunday and visit these farms along our local highways. They need your support. Buy Chiliwack corn, Okanagan fruit and berries, and Valley produce whenever you can.)
4. More Americans are engaged in food politics. "When I speak to large groups of people, I feel a real political energy around this issue." Pollan said. "People are realizing that two major problems come together with this food problem: the health issue and the environment issue. And it is something we can do something about. Every day, we get three votes on what we will eat, called breakfast, lunch and dinner. That's a great power, and people are starting to use it. Voting with your fork is catching on." (Whenever you get a chance to discuss a local food issue, get right in on it. Visit the Farmers Market in your area. Our political system needs change, just as much as the American one does. Don't let Canadian complacency lull you into a false sense of security. Your voice counts. Say NO to MSG, Aspartame, hidden ingredients, and GMO foods. Say YES to more honest food labelling, reducing the prices of organic foods, and leave the manufacture of vitamin supplements to the producers with long histories of high quality; we can't let them label everything a drug, just so the establishment can control it's use. Consumers deserve a say in the products they want to take.)
For more information on the 2007 Farm Bill in the US and how you can help support the growing of nutritious, environmentally responsible food, visit the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy at http://www.iatp.org/.
I hope this was helpful. Please e-mail your questions and comments to me at
wellness-unlimited@hotmail.com. I will gladly feaure your e-mails here on my blog.
Remember...Eat well, exercise, and take my vitamins*...just in case! Billie
* Body Wise products are manufactured with the highest industry standards, in San Diego, CA
In attendance at the conference was Michael Pollan, a journalist and author of, "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals". His book is referred to as "a withering indictment of America's industrialized food system. Overdependent on one crop - corn - and propped up by a disastrous mix of pesticides and long-distance food transportation, American agriculture has scarred the land and left its citizens overweight and undernourished."
During the conference, Pollan sounded an optimistic note. "I do see a lot of hopeful trends in American food," he said. The best way to reform the system, he said, is to support positive movements such as the following: (my comments follow each point in parenthesis)
1. The rise of alternative agriculture. "Organic and local" are becoming powerful words in the American food marketplace, said Pollan. "More and more farmers are deciding to put quality above quantity. So there are choices out there that did not exist 30 years ago. These choices are in supermarkets now, but there are also new choices outside of supermarkets. There are over 4,000 farmers' markets; the number has doubled in 10 years." (Here in BC, we are very familiar with Farmers Markets, as well as with the growth of organic foodstuffs in our larger grocery stores. Don't forget to check out my workshop, "How to Eat Healthy & Organic for $7 a Day" at your local community centre.)
2. The growth of an American food culture. Americans eat badly, Pollan said, largely because we lack a native food culture that anchors us to tried-and-true healthy eating patterns - consequently, we fall prey to fads pushed by processed food marketers. But in the 1970s, forward-thinking restaurateurs such as Alice Waters of Berkeley, California's Chez Panisse restaurant "began to create an American cuisine, one based on fresh, local foods," Pollan said. "Now, there is a restaurant like that in every city in America; one based on quality ingredients rather than fancy technique." (Again, here in BC, we are blessed with numerous restaurants that care about quality over quantity. Be selective when you go out to eat. Although you may want to support the local eatery, you can request fresh and local foods wherever you go. As the consumer raises his standards, the restaurant must follow suit, or lose the customer to the restaurant down the street that actually listens to its customers.)
3. Food is becoming prestigious. "You cannot overlook the importance of glamour in America," Pollan said. When Hollywood stars begin eating only organic food or free-range poultry, "it gets filtered through to the whole economy and the whole culture." One fortunate effect is that farming itself is becoming glamorous. "Now, the farmer's name is on the menu of the restaurant. Suddenly, becoming a farmer is a sort of cool occupation." Pollan added that, "The number of farmers has fallen in America since the turn of the last century, but it is finally ticking up now. The new farmers tend to run small operations, usually servicing farmers' markets" with quality food." (Wow, BC tops them all doesn't it? From Richmond to Abbotsford, you can find local farms. Take the drive this Sunday and visit these farms along our local highways. They need your support. Buy Chiliwack corn, Okanagan fruit and berries, and Valley produce whenever you can.)
4. More Americans are engaged in food politics. "When I speak to large groups of people, I feel a real political energy around this issue." Pollan said. "People are realizing that two major problems come together with this food problem: the health issue and the environment issue. And it is something we can do something about. Every day, we get three votes on what we will eat, called breakfast, lunch and dinner. That's a great power, and people are starting to use it. Voting with your fork is catching on." (Whenever you get a chance to discuss a local food issue, get right in on it. Visit the Farmers Market in your area. Our political system needs change, just as much as the American one does. Don't let Canadian complacency lull you into a false sense of security. Your voice counts. Say NO to MSG, Aspartame, hidden ingredients, and GMO foods. Say YES to more honest food labelling, reducing the prices of organic foods, and leave the manufacture of vitamin supplements to the producers with long histories of high quality; we can't let them label everything a drug, just so the establishment can control it's use. Consumers deserve a say in the products they want to take.)
For more information on the 2007 Farm Bill in the US and how you can help support the growing of nutritious, environmentally responsible food, visit the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy at http://www.iatp.org/.
I hope this was helpful. Please e-mail your questions and comments to me at
wellness-unlimited@hotmail.com. I will gladly feaure your e-mails here on my blog.
Remember...Eat well, exercise, and take my vitamins*...just in case! Billie
* Body Wise products are manufactured with the highest industry standards, in San Diego, CA
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Is Food Getting Sweeter?
Warmer nights and longer days are finally here on the West Coast of Canada. We have an old plum tree in the back yard. Last year, I decided to follow my own advice and create a garden underneath the tree. I planted seed potatoes and watched the budding greens grow and mature into two-foot-high bushes. It seemed that every time a neighbor walked by the house, I was flogging potatoes. By the time the winter was upon us, we had all seen enough of my red little spuds! On top of that, I was giving away plum jam as Christmas gifts.
Gardening is a favorite hobby of many. But for some, gardening is considered a daunting task. I assert that today, more than ever before, we have some very strong arguments for taking the time to become home gardeners.
Consider the following article from Dr. Andrew Weil, MD.
If you’ve gotten the impression that more and more sugar is being added to common supermarket foods – you’re right.
A report in the May 6, 2007 London Sunday Times, based on an examination of an industry handbook on food composition, found that food companies have doubled the amount of sugar they add to their more popular products since 1978.
For example, in 1978, Kellogg’s Special K cereal had 9.6 grams of sugar per 100 grams. This has now nearly doubled to 17 grams. Some canned soups have shown a similar increase.
Interestingly, even fruits and vegetables are now sweeter, probably due to market pressures forcing growers to breed hybrids with higher sugar content. Between 1978 and 2002, the sugar in a banana rose from 16.2 grams per 100 grams to 20.9 grams; pears and carrots got sweeter by a similar percentage.
Is it any wonder that obesity and diabetes are becoming worldwide epidemics? The only rational response to this situation is to bypass the industrial food complex as much as possible.
Buy unprocessed foods from farmer’s markets and health food stores, and, if possible, select non-hybrid, heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables over modern hybrids, which are quickly becoming analogs of sugar beets.
Best choice of all: grow as much of your own food as you can.
I heartily agree with Dr. Weil. As consumers, we have less and less control about what we put into our bodies when we eat. The food industry has all the control.
Take back control and grow your own food; in the yard, on the balcony, at the local community garden... Don't wait until your body starts feeling tired and run down to change some of your daily habits. Making healthy and organic choices, along with taking high quality nutritional supplements, is like extra health insurance.
I haven't had a sick day in over 5 years and I wish the same for you and your family members. For more information on how to take control of your own health, read my free report Traditional Secrets from Mother Nature's Kitchen, How to Eat Healthy & Organic for $7 a Day.
To request my Free Report, send an e-mail to wellness-unlimited@hotmail.com.
Gardening is a favorite hobby of many. But for some, gardening is considered a daunting task. I assert that today, more than ever before, we have some very strong arguments for taking the time to become home gardeners.
Consider the following article from Dr. Andrew Weil, MD.
If you’ve gotten the impression that more and more sugar is being added to common supermarket foods – you’re right.
A report in the May 6, 2007 London Sunday Times, based on an examination of an industry handbook on food composition, found that food companies have doubled the amount of sugar they add to their more popular products since 1978.
For example, in 1978, Kellogg’s Special K cereal had 9.6 grams of sugar per 100 grams. This has now nearly doubled to 17 grams. Some canned soups have shown a similar increase.
Interestingly, even fruits and vegetables are now sweeter, probably due to market pressures forcing growers to breed hybrids with higher sugar content. Between 1978 and 2002, the sugar in a banana rose from 16.2 grams per 100 grams to 20.9 grams; pears and carrots got sweeter by a similar percentage.
Is it any wonder that obesity and diabetes are becoming worldwide epidemics? The only rational response to this situation is to bypass the industrial food complex as much as possible.
Buy unprocessed foods from farmer’s markets and health food stores, and, if possible, select non-hybrid, heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables over modern hybrids, which are quickly becoming analogs of sugar beets.
Best choice of all: grow as much of your own food as you can.
I heartily agree with Dr. Weil. As consumers, we have less and less control about what we put into our bodies when we eat. The food industry has all the control.
Take back control and grow your own food; in the yard, on the balcony, at the local community garden... Don't wait until your body starts feeling tired and run down to change some of your daily habits. Making healthy and organic choices, along with taking high quality nutritional supplements, is like extra health insurance.
I haven't had a sick day in over 5 years and I wish the same for you and your family members. For more information on how to take control of your own health, read my free report Traditional Secrets from Mother Nature's Kitchen, How to Eat Healthy & Organic for $7 a Day.
To request my Free Report, send an e-mail to wellness-unlimited@hotmail.com.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
June 10-17 is Men’s Health Week.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common, noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, common in American and European men over the age of 50. While the actual cause is not completely understood, experts believe it is closely linked to hormone levels.
Try the following to help reduce the risk of BPH:
1.) Eat a diet low in saturated and trans-fats, focusing instead on the healthier monounsaturated and omega-3 fats.
2.) Eat more whole soy foods. Asian men have a lower risk of BPH and some researchers believe it is related to their intake of soy foods.
3.) Avoid symptom triggers such as caffeine and alcohol, which increase the need to urinate and may irritate the bladder.
4.) Avoid constipation by increasing fiber in your diet. The pressure from constipation may make the symptoms of BPH worse.
5.) Have regular check-ups. The National Institute on Aging recommends that men get regular medical checkups including a prostate exam.
6.) For additional insurance against male health challenges, I recommend nutritional supplementation:
Male Advantage, from Body Wise International, addresses the unique nutritional needs of men and is specifically formulated to promote heart health, energy, and overall health.
Saw Palmetto and Nettle Root contain nutrients known to provide nutritional support for healthy prostate functioning.
Korean Ginseng Root and Damiana are traditional herbs that have been used for centuries to support healthy male functioning.
Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapples, is known to support healthy digestion.
Male Advantage capsules are scientifically processed with advanced nutritional technology. They contain no yeast, egg, or dairy, no artificial coloring, no flavoring, preservatives, sodium, or gluten.
Male Advantage contains 17 key ingredients for male health.
For more information on Male Advantage, or to place an order, please send an e-mail to wellness-unlimited@hotmail.com . This product ships free anywhere in the US or Canada (some conditions apply).
I encourage you to share this information with the men in your life...Billie
Friday, June 08, 2007
Eat Healthy & Organic for $7 a Day
An organic product is raised, grown, stored, and/or processed without the use of synthetically produced chemicals or fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, or any pesticides, growth hormones or growth regulators.
Who can afford to buy organic, you say? Well, apparently, plenty of people are trying to. According to recent market research, 73 percent of the US population consumes organic food and beverages at least some of the time. Almost all households with incomes under $50,000 are buying organic foods, as are households with incomes over $50,000.
But how can you eat healthy without going broke?
As you know, I'm a Holistic Nutritionist, and owner of Wellness Unlimited, a health and wellness consulting practice in Vancouver, BC. I recently set off on a mission: to see if a single person could eat a healthy and predominantly organic foods diet on $7 a day. That's $50 a week, or $200 a month.
When I used the term "healthy diet", it included a healthy balance of protein, starchy carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruits. It also meant low sugar, low fat, and low junk. Could it be done?
What I found when I went shopping...
Protein sources were the most expensive. But at three different stores, I discovered organic and antibiotic-free items on sale. For example, I noted Specialty Farm chicken thighs, pork loin boneless centre chops, non-medicated chicken thighs, and non-medicated pork chop rib ends.
Next, the prices on some of the high quality carbohydrate sources were impressive. Nature's Path Heritage Heirloom Cereal, Bob's Red Hill 7-Grain Cereal, Peace Cereal in Maple Pecan, Oat Honey Bread, and Lundberg Brown and White Basmati Rice were well within my budget.
Sometimes people shy away from the produce aisles, when it comes to organics, due to the perception of higher prices. I was pleased to find a wide array of affordable choices in fresh vegetables. I found imported spinach, local organic broccoli, organic romaine hearts, certified organic fresh carrots, and leaf lettuce.
Organic fruit was harder to come by, but that will likely change, once the Farmer's Markets are under way. I was able to find good prices on imported strawberries.
I went to the store with my $50 budget in hand, paper, pen, and a calculator. Sometimes I had to sacrifice one item for another of better value but, each week, I came away with a selection of items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 7 days. Some weeks, I even came away with a few snacks, such as a big bag of Old Dutch Restaurant Multigrain Tortilla Chips and San Marcos Salsa, again on sale. The probiotic yogurt with fruit juice was a fabulous find at $3.49 for the 650g tub. Born 3 eggs didn't cost much more than their non-organic counterparts, and were worth the price of $3.55 for a dozen.
Next post, we'll talk about cooking at home and packing your own lunches. This saves you an incredible amount of money, freeing up the cash for higher quality items in your grocery cart. One of my most popular blog postings was on strengthening the immune system with quality food, and we'll revisit that subject when we discuss using excellent ingredients in your slow-cooker.
Saving money and time, while enjoying high quality, are my specialties, which is why I'm known as Vancouver's Budget Gourmet...you too can learn how to eat well and lose weight, without breaking the bank!
Until next time, happy "eating healthy and organic"! Give it a try!
Who can afford to buy organic, you say? Well, apparently, plenty of people are trying to. According to recent market research, 73 percent of the US population consumes organic food and beverages at least some of the time. Almost all households with incomes under $50,000 are buying organic foods, as are households with incomes over $50,000.
But how can you eat healthy without going broke?
As you know, I'm a Holistic Nutritionist, and owner of Wellness Unlimited, a health and wellness consulting practice in Vancouver, BC. I recently set off on a mission: to see if a single person could eat a healthy and predominantly organic foods diet on $7 a day. That's $50 a week, or $200 a month.
When I used the term "healthy diet", it included a healthy balance of protein, starchy carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruits. It also meant low sugar, low fat, and low junk. Could it be done?
What I found when I went shopping...
Protein sources were the most expensive. But at three different stores, I discovered organic and antibiotic-free items on sale. For example, I noted Specialty Farm chicken thighs, pork loin boneless centre chops, non-medicated chicken thighs, and non-medicated pork chop rib ends.
Next, the prices on some of the high quality carbohydrate sources were impressive. Nature's Path Heritage Heirloom Cereal, Bob's Red Hill 7-Grain Cereal, Peace Cereal in Maple Pecan, Oat Honey Bread, and Lundberg Brown and White Basmati Rice were well within my budget.
Sometimes people shy away from the produce aisles, when it comes to organics, due to the perception of higher prices. I was pleased to find a wide array of affordable choices in fresh vegetables. I found imported spinach, local organic broccoli, organic romaine hearts, certified organic fresh carrots, and leaf lettuce.
Organic fruit was harder to come by, but that will likely change, once the Farmer's Markets are under way. I was able to find good prices on imported strawberries.
I went to the store with my $50 budget in hand, paper, pen, and a calculator. Sometimes I had to sacrifice one item for another of better value but, each week, I came away with a selection of items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 7 days. Some weeks, I even came away with a few snacks, such as a big bag of Old Dutch Restaurant Multigrain Tortilla Chips and San Marcos Salsa, again on sale. The probiotic yogurt with fruit juice was a fabulous find at $3.49 for the 650g tub. Born 3 eggs didn't cost much more than their non-organic counterparts, and were worth the price of $3.55 for a dozen.
Next post, we'll talk about cooking at home and packing your own lunches. This saves you an incredible amount of money, freeing up the cash for higher quality items in your grocery cart. One of my most popular blog postings was on strengthening the immune system with quality food, and we'll revisit that subject when we discuss using excellent ingredients in your slow-cooker.
Saving money and time, while enjoying high quality, are my specialties, which is why I'm known as Vancouver's Budget Gourmet...you too can learn how to eat well and lose weight, without breaking the bank!
Until next time, happy "eating healthy and organic"! Give it a try!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Secrets to Flushing Out Body Fat
Following is an excerpt from my upcoming book, the Budget Gourmet Diet. I invite you to preview Chapter 5 and give me your feedback at wellness-unlimited@hotmail.com. Any and all comments would be much appreciated.
It's Spring, finally. Aren't you ready to shed those heavy clothes and start thinking about lighter fabrics, warm breezes, and BBQs on the patio? I sure am!
Unfortunately, along with these thoughts often come less pleasant thoughts about the bulges around the waistline. If you're like most people, you gain winter weight, the kind that comes from too many comfort dinners and too few active days burning off those extra calories. Who can get excited about going to the gym on a dark morning, with the ice and snow?!
The Budget Gourmet Diet is designed to help you lose weight and feel great, without breaking the bank! Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!
Step 5: Water & Vitamins
Secrets to Flushing-Out Body Fat
Water: As incredible as it may seem, water is the single, most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take it for granted, pure, clean water may be the only true magic potion for permanent weight loss.
Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase. Why does an increase in water intake actually reduce fat deposits? The kidneys cannot function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped on the liver.
One of the primary functions of the liver is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body, so when the liver is doing some of the kidney's work, it can't do its own. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and fat loss slows down.
Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone, aiding proper muscle contraction and preventing dehydration.
Water helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss. Shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.
Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has more waste to get rid of, and all of that metabolized fat must be shed. Water flushes out this waste.
When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The result? Constipation. When a person drinks enough water, normal bowel movement returns, supporting the colon.
On average, you should drink 8 – 8oz. glasses of water per day. For every extra 10 lbs. of excess weight that you are trying to lose, have one additional glass. Once you are exercising regularly, increase that amount again.
When the body gets all the water it needs to function optimally, all body system fluids will be in balance. Reference: colonhealth.net/free_reports/h2oartcl.htm
Vitamins: 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.
In Step 6, we will be incorporating vitamin and mineral supplements as a component of the Body Transformation plan. By then, you will have received your nutritional supplementation kit, which contains the following items:
Ø A 30-day supply of Right Choice AM Vitamin Supplement
Ø A 30-day supply of Right Choice PM Mineral Supplement
Ø Meal Replacement Protein Powder (Va Va Vanilla or Oh So Chocolate)
Even if you were taking some other vitamins prior to coming to the Budget Gourmet Diet, I recommend that you put them aside for the next 12 weeks, while you work with me. The supplements you've now received are designed to be used together and are synergistically compatible.
Let's discuss each of these supplements individually, so that you have an idea as to why I recommend this exact system to support you in your Body Transformation.
Right Choice AMs
This formula is rich in B vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients that promote efficient energy utilization, healthy blood sugar levels, metabolism, and overall health. In all, there are 31 different components in AMs, which represents a major savings of your hard-earned cash. The recommended use is 3 tablets per day, in the morning.
Right Choice PMs
This formula is designed to include a full spectrum of nutrients to support optimal health, energy, and metabolic balance. It is formulated with calcium, vitamin D3, chromium, and antioxidants – a powerful nighttime formula. In all, there are 23 different components in PMs, another cash savings. The recommended use is 3 tablets per day, in the evening.
BW365 Meal Replacement Shakes
When starting on a weight management program, it's important to get the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, along with essential nutrients the body needs for optimum functioning. Many of the popular meal replacement products on the market are designed for quick weight loss, without long-term maintenance and good health in mind.
BW365 Shakes provide quality essential vitamins, superior forms of trace minerals, and anti-oxidants. They promote efficient energy utilization and healthy blood sugar levels, and are easily absorbed by the body. The protein complex is a proprietary core of seven different proteins in a specific combination to help your body assimilate protein and build lean tissue. Also included are seven forms of calcium, five forms of chromium, zinc, and a proprietary blend of four forms of Magnesium.
Some people find it a challenge to remember to take their vitamins. Like incorporating any new habit, it can take a little while to remember your vitamins every day but it is essential to the success of your program. I recommend that you purchase a vitamin sorter of some type, preferably with the days of the week on it. On Sunday night, fill your sorter with supplements for the week. As a double check, each ‘day of the week’ compartment should have 6 supplements in it, ie. 3 AM, and 3 PM (plus any additional ones).
Put your vitamin sorter where you are sure to see it when you eat your breakfast and your dinner.
During Boot Camp (Step 9), two of your meals should be protein shakes but, for now, we have four new behaviours to adopt, so one shake per day will be sufficient: Remember:
Consume 8-10 cups of water each day.
Take 3 AMs with your morning meal (opt: with a shake).
Take 3 PMs with your evening meal (opt: with a shake).
Here's a simple recipe for a delicious shake:
Place 1/4 of a banana and 1/4 cup of frozen berries (your choice) in a blender. Fill to 1 1/2 cups with filtered water. Buzz these ingredients for about one minute (longer, if frozen). Add 2 scoops of Vanilla or Chocolate protein powder (you can add one scoop of each, if you prefer) and blend for another 30-45 seconds. Absolutely delicious!
As you can see, water and vitamins are secret weapons for flushing out body fat. I believe you will be so impressed with Body Wise nutritional supplements, you will want to take them for life, as so many people around North America have been doing for almost 20 years.
As for water, I recommend you find a source as close to home as possible to get natural spring water.
If you live in British Columbia, you are very fortunate to have access to the best spring water I've ever tasted. It comes from the Okanagan Valley and I recommend you give them a call, as they deliver to most of the larger centres in the province for about a dollar a day. Check them out on the web at www.okanaganspringwater.com.
Water's interaction with its environment determines its physical and chemical properties. Okanagan Natural Spring Water is sourced from a natural underground hi-flow spring nestled in the Monashee Foothills on the Northern Edge of the Okanagan. Mother Nature has created a perfectly balanced natural spring water source with no impurities, chemicals, artificial additives, or preservatives.
All of their products are bottled at the source. The water is preserved and maintained since no tanker trucks or other intermediate transfer mediums are used. You get pure, natural, delicious spring water every time.
Remember, water and vitamins are your secret weapons to flushing out body fat!
It's Spring, finally. Aren't you ready to shed those heavy clothes and start thinking about lighter fabrics, warm breezes, and BBQs on the patio? I sure am!
Unfortunately, along with these thoughts often come less pleasant thoughts about the bulges around the waistline. If you're like most people, you gain winter weight, the kind that comes from too many comfort dinners and too few active days burning off those extra calories. Who can get excited about going to the gym on a dark morning, with the ice and snow?!
The Budget Gourmet Diet is designed to help you lose weight and feel great, without breaking the bank! Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!
Step 5: Water & Vitamins
Secrets to Flushing-Out Body Fat
Water: As incredible as it may seem, water is the single, most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take it for granted, pure, clean water may be the only true magic potion for permanent weight loss.
Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase. Why does an increase in water intake actually reduce fat deposits? The kidneys cannot function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped on the liver.
One of the primary functions of the liver is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body, so when the liver is doing some of the kidney's work, it can't do its own. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and fat loss slows down.
Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone, aiding proper muscle contraction and preventing dehydration.
Water helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss. Shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.
Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has more waste to get rid of, and all of that metabolized fat must be shed. Water flushes out this waste.
When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The result? Constipation. When a person drinks enough water, normal bowel movement returns, supporting the colon.
On average, you should drink 8 – 8oz. glasses of water per day. For every extra 10 lbs. of excess weight that you are trying to lose, have one additional glass. Once you are exercising regularly, increase that amount again.
When the body gets all the water it needs to function optimally, all body system fluids will be in balance. Reference: colonhealth.net/free_reports/h2oartcl.htm
Vitamins: 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.
In Step 6, we will be incorporating vitamin and mineral supplements as a component of the Body Transformation plan. By then, you will have received your nutritional supplementation kit, which contains the following items:
Ø A 30-day supply of Right Choice AM Vitamin Supplement
Ø A 30-day supply of Right Choice PM Mineral Supplement
Ø Meal Replacement Protein Powder (Va Va Vanilla or Oh So Chocolate)
Even if you were taking some other vitamins prior to coming to the Budget Gourmet Diet, I recommend that you put them aside for the next 12 weeks, while you work with me. The supplements you've now received are designed to be used together and are synergistically compatible.
Let's discuss each of these supplements individually, so that you have an idea as to why I recommend this exact system to support you in your Body Transformation.
Right Choice AMs
This formula is rich in B vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients that promote efficient energy utilization, healthy blood sugar levels, metabolism, and overall health. In all, there are 31 different components in AMs, which represents a major savings of your hard-earned cash. The recommended use is 3 tablets per day, in the morning.
Right Choice PMs
This formula is designed to include a full spectrum of nutrients to support optimal health, energy, and metabolic balance. It is formulated with calcium, vitamin D3, chromium, and antioxidants – a powerful nighttime formula. In all, there are 23 different components in PMs, another cash savings. The recommended use is 3 tablets per day, in the evening.
BW365 Meal Replacement Shakes
When starting on a weight management program, it's important to get the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, along with essential nutrients the body needs for optimum functioning. Many of the popular meal replacement products on the market are designed for quick weight loss, without long-term maintenance and good health in mind.
BW365 Shakes provide quality essential vitamins, superior forms of trace minerals, and anti-oxidants. They promote efficient energy utilization and healthy blood sugar levels, and are easily absorbed by the body. The protein complex is a proprietary core of seven different proteins in a specific combination to help your body assimilate protein and build lean tissue. Also included are seven forms of calcium, five forms of chromium, zinc, and a proprietary blend of four forms of Magnesium.
Some people find it a challenge to remember to take their vitamins. Like incorporating any new habit, it can take a little while to remember your vitamins every day but it is essential to the success of your program. I recommend that you purchase a vitamin sorter of some type, preferably with the days of the week on it. On Sunday night, fill your sorter with supplements for the week. As a double check, each ‘day of the week’ compartment should have 6 supplements in it, ie. 3 AM, and 3 PM (plus any additional ones).
Put your vitamin sorter where you are sure to see it when you eat your breakfast and your dinner.
During Boot Camp (Step 9), two of your meals should be protein shakes but, for now, we have four new behaviours to adopt, so one shake per day will be sufficient: Remember:
Consume 8-10 cups of water each day.
Take 3 AMs with your morning meal (opt: with a shake).
Take 3 PMs with your evening meal (opt: with a shake).
Here's a simple recipe for a delicious shake:
Place 1/4 of a banana and 1/4 cup of frozen berries (your choice) in a blender. Fill to 1 1/2 cups with filtered water. Buzz these ingredients for about one minute (longer, if frozen). Add 2 scoops of Vanilla or Chocolate protein powder (you can add one scoop of each, if you prefer) and blend for another 30-45 seconds. Absolutely delicious!
As you can see, water and vitamins are secret weapons for flushing out body fat. I believe you will be so impressed with Body Wise nutritional supplements, you will want to take them for life, as so many people around North America have been doing for almost 20 years.
As for water, I recommend you find a source as close to home as possible to get natural spring water.
If you live in British Columbia, you are very fortunate to have access to the best spring water I've ever tasted. It comes from the Okanagan Valley and I recommend you give them a call, as they deliver to most of the larger centres in the province for about a dollar a day. Check them out on the web at www.okanaganspringwater.com.
Water's interaction with its environment determines its physical and chemical properties. Okanagan Natural Spring Water is sourced from a natural underground hi-flow spring nestled in the Monashee Foothills on the Northern Edge of the Okanagan. Mother Nature has created a perfectly balanced natural spring water source with no impurities, chemicals, artificial additives, or preservatives.
All of their products are bottled at the source. The water is preserved and maintained since no tanker trucks or other intermediate transfer mediums are used. You get pure, natural, delicious spring water every time.
Remember, water and vitamins are your secret weapons to flushing out body fat!
Friday, April 06, 2007
Super-Immunity for Kids
Some of the contents of today's blog comes from a book by Leo Galland, MD. When I was studying to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, his book gave me a lot of insight into feeding little children a healthy diet.
As parents, we know that a healthy diet is important for our children's growth. But our children are bombarded by media messages daily that encourage them to eat for entertainment, not nourishment. And food manufacturers spend large amounts of money trying to convince us that processed foods contain healthy ingredients. They use labelling with colorful pictures and healthy-sounding words to lure you and your children to their packages on the shelf.
What's a parent to do? How do parents keep up with the times, but still feed their children healthy foods? And how important is it (really) that children eat natural foods? After all, the fast food companies tell us every day that they offer us the components of a well-balanced diet...
Ages One to Five: The Super-Nourished Toddler
There is one basic principle to remember when your toddler says no to food: You control what she eats, and she controls how much she eats. This means that it isn't productive to tell a toddler that she won't get cookies unless she finishes everything on her plate. It may be tempting to say this when she refuses to eat her carrots but, if you give way to the temptation, the end result will be that she will think cookies are one of the most important things in life, while eating carrots is pure punishment.
Here are two possible ways to deal with this situation:
1) You decide what's on the menu. Your toddler is entitled to everything on the menu. If she doesn't eat her carrots, she will still get her cookie (they aren't tied to one another). This way you won't set up a war over carrots and, next time you serve carrots, she may give them another chance.
2) Make desserts as nutritious as possible so that, when your toddler eats them, she is eating much more than refined sugar and non-essential fat.
These years may be the last time you will have almost complete control over your child's diet. Contrary to popular belief, well-nourished toddlers do not crave sweets, and will normally not stuff themselves with candy or ice-cream. A palate that's been formed on low-salt, low fat cooking will find most manufactured foods too salty and too greasy.
...more to come later...
As parents, we know that a healthy diet is important for our children's growth. But our children are bombarded by media messages daily that encourage them to eat for entertainment, not nourishment. And food manufacturers spend large amounts of money trying to convince us that processed foods contain healthy ingredients. They use labelling with colorful pictures and healthy-sounding words to lure you and your children to their packages on the shelf.
What's a parent to do? How do parents keep up with the times, but still feed their children healthy foods? And how important is it (really) that children eat natural foods? After all, the fast food companies tell us every day that they offer us the components of a well-balanced diet...
Ages One to Five: The Super-Nourished Toddler
There is one basic principle to remember when your toddler says no to food: You control what she eats, and she controls how much she eats. This means that it isn't productive to tell a toddler that she won't get cookies unless she finishes everything on her plate. It may be tempting to say this when she refuses to eat her carrots but, if you give way to the temptation, the end result will be that she will think cookies are one of the most important things in life, while eating carrots is pure punishment.
Here are two possible ways to deal with this situation:
1) You decide what's on the menu. Your toddler is entitled to everything on the menu. If she doesn't eat her carrots, she will still get her cookie (they aren't tied to one another). This way you won't set up a war over carrots and, next time you serve carrots, she may give them another chance.
2) Make desserts as nutritious as possible so that, when your toddler eats them, she is eating much more than refined sugar and non-essential fat.
These years may be the last time you will have almost complete control over your child's diet. Contrary to popular belief, well-nourished toddlers do not crave sweets, and will normally not stuff themselves with candy or ice-cream. A palate that's been formed on low-salt, low fat cooking will find most manufactured foods too salty and too greasy.
...more to come later...
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Purge That Fridge
Now that you've taken care of the pantry, it's time to visit the fridge. This is another place where poor choices abound, and you'll need to completely re-think what you have in the house, if you are serious about losing weight, getting healthy, and preventing disease.
Here are some wise words from Dr. Weil, foremost expert on healthy aging:
Get rid of:
Whole or two-percent-fat dairy products, creamers with artificial additives or sugars, regular margarines or spreads that contain “partially hydrogenated oil,” yogurt with added sugary fruit or artificial sweeteners, and American or processed cheeses, “cheese food” and cream cheese.
Replace with:
Organic, hormone-free skim or one-percent-fat milk, organic soy, almond, rice or oat beverages (look for organic soy products that do not contain the thickening agent carrageenan, and that are calcium-fortified), low-fat, organic yogurt (plain or a lower sugar vanilla - add your own organically grown fruit), and small amounts of natural, hard cheeses or varieties of soft cheese that are naturally lower in fat.
The following summarizes some of the specifics of a diet intended to prevent inappropriate inflammation, reduce the risk of age-related diseases, and promote optimum health at any age.
Here are some wise words from Dr. Weil, foremost expert on healthy aging:
Get rid of:
Whole or two-percent-fat dairy products, creamers with artificial additives or sugars, regular margarines or spreads that contain “partially hydrogenated oil,” yogurt with added sugary fruit or artificial sweeteners, and American or processed cheeses, “cheese food” and cream cheese.
Replace with:
Organic, hormone-free skim or one-percent-fat milk, organic soy, almond, rice or oat beverages (look for organic soy products that do not contain the thickening agent carrageenan, and that are calcium-fortified), low-fat, organic yogurt (plain or a lower sugar vanilla - add your own organically grown fruit), and small amounts of natural, hard cheeses or varieties of soft cheese that are naturally lower in fat.
The following summarizes some of the specifics of a diet intended to prevent inappropriate inflammation, reduce the risk of age-related diseases, and promote optimum health at any age.
- Aim for variety.
- Include as much fresh food as possible.
- Minimize your consumption of processed foods and fast food.
- Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables.
For those of you who requested a copy of The Pantry Purge chapter from my book, Get Your Body Back, I'm terribly sorry for the delay. We had a computer melt-down and are still waiting for the retreival of our Word files, which have been promised to us by later this week. I promise to send the chapter to you, as soon as I can.
Meanwhile, other thoughts on purging the pantry...watch out for culprit foods at office functions and various gatherings. If you don't have the foods at home, and wouldn't buy them for your pantry or fridge, why would you eat them when they're free. In other words, once you make the commitment to yourself tht you are going to put only healthy, wholesome, nutrient-rich foods in your body, extend that promise to all eating, including away from home.
More on that on my next blog...
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Is Your Doctor Dangerous To Your Health?
We are taught as children to trust the doctor, to suffer the pain of procedures like shots and giving blood samples, because it's good for us. How difficult it is to become adults, only to discover that our doctor isn't always right, doesn't always know best, and sometimes is downright incompetent.
If you want a taste of reporting that really questions the wisdom of most of the medical profession today, start to read www.mercola.com and learn. I became acquainted with Dr. Mercola's site a few years ago when I first started studying natural nutrition. One of my favorite aspects of his work is when he goes into local grocery stores and exposes harmful and deceitful advertising on package labels. He's intelligent and factual, and believes that we should listen to our bodies, and not to food manufacturers and doctors, who are often paid to pass out information and prescriptions by the drug companies themselves.
So today, MSN news reports on a study that was conducted on medication errors in hospitals, sometimes resulting in death. A non-profit organization reviewed not just a few medication errors, but 11,000 of them, reported by 500 hospitals. Next time you place yourself or your children in the hospital for surgery, be prepared...here's an excerpt from the story:
TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- Medication errors that occur during the course of a surgical procedure are three times more likely to harm a patient than errors committed during other types of hospital care, a new report shows.
Some 5 percent of such errors resulted in harm, said Diane Cousins, vice president of the department of Healthcare Quality and Information at the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), which conducted the survey. The nonprofit group sets safety standards for pharmaceutical care that are used worldwide.
The report analyzed 11,000 errors reported by 500 hospitals between 1998 and 2005. This is the largest known analysis of medical errors related to surgery, according to the USP.
Overall, there were about 500 harmful errors, including four fatalities, one of which involved a child.
Errors were most common in the operating room and were most likely to affect children. Almost 13 percent of pediatric errors resulted in harm, proportionately higher than any other group studied.
If you want to read the whole story, go to http://health.msn.com/guides/surgery/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100157359>1=9145
In her book, Pathology and Nutrition, author Liliana Stadler Mitrea states, "For us to be healthy and become more and more balanced, as individuals and as a society, we need to know more about what causes imbalances and ultimately, disease.
Does that mean we can all become Nutritionists? Of course not. I don't need to learn how to do a tune-up on my car. We can only be expert in so many areas...I take my car to an expert. So in the area of nutrition and understanding imbalances and disease, I recommend you speak to a professional holistic nutritionist. We study the effect on the body of food, emotions, environment, age, and much more.
Be an expert in the areas that really excite you...as they say, do what you love and the money will follow. A holistic nutritionist should be able to pass along enough information, when you need it, to give you the basic foundation of good health. Sometimes lifestyle adjustments are needed to move toward optimum health but the intervention will be based on natural solutions. They involve listening to your body and providing it with what it asks for, and protecting your body against what harms it.
Am I saying that all doctors are bad? Of course not. But blind faith may not be the right course of action when it comes to seeking out a doctor's advice. Ask around. Look for a doctor that believes in a holistic approach. If your doctor doesn't know much about nutritional options (many don't), he/she should be willing to refer you to someone who is an expert in that area, to complement everything your doctor is suggesting.
After all, who is responsible for our medical care? As always, we are responsible for ALL of the decisions that we make for ourselves. Choose your practitioners wisely.
I will carefully and thoughtfully answer any questions you may have about your nutrition and the effect it has on your body. Please e-mail your questions to billiesinclair@mybodywise.org
If you want a taste of reporting that really questions the wisdom of most of the medical profession today, start to read www.mercola.com and learn. I became acquainted with Dr. Mercola's site a few years ago when I first started studying natural nutrition. One of my favorite aspects of his work is when he goes into local grocery stores and exposes harmful and deceitful advertising on package labels. He's intelligent and factual, and believes that we should listen to our bodies, and not to food manufacturers and doctors, who are often paid to pass out information and prescriptions by the drug companies themselves.
So today, MSN news reports on a study that was conducted on medication errors in hospitals, sometimes resulting in death. A non-profit organization reviewed not just a few medication errors, but 11,000 of them, reported by 500 hospitals. Next time you place yourself or your children in the hospital for surgery, be prepared...here's an excerpt from the story:
TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- Medication errors that occur during the course of a surgical procedure are three times more likely to harm a patient than errors committed during other types of hospital care, a new report shows.
Some 5 percent of such errors resulted in harm, said Diane Cousins, vice president of the department of Healthcare Quality and Information at the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), which conducted the survey. The nonprofit group sets safety standards for pharmaceutical care that are used worldwide.
The report analyzed 11,000 errors reported by 500 hospitals between 1998 and 2005. This is the largest known analysis of medical errors related to surgery, according to the USP.
Overall, there were about 500 harmful errors, including four fatalities, one of which involved a child.
Errors were most common in the operating room and were most likely to affect children. Almost 13 percent of pediatric errors resulted in harm, proportionately higher than any other group studied.
If you want to read the whole story, go to http://health.msn.com/guides/surgery/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100157359>1=9145
In her book, Pathology and Nutrition, author Liliana Stadler Mitrea states, "For us to be healthy and become more and more balanced, as individuals and as a society, we need to know more about what causes imbalances and ultimately, disease.
Does that mean we can all become Nutritionists? Of course not. I don't need to learn how to do a tune-up on my car. We can only be expert in so many areas...I take my car to an expert. So in the area of nutrition and understanding imbalances and disease, I recommend you speak to a professional holistic nutritionist. We study the effect on the body of food, emotions, environment, age, and much more.
Be an expert in the areas that really excite you...as they say, do what you love and the money will follow. A holistic nutritionist should be able to pass along enough information, when you need it, to give you the basic foundation of good health. Sometimes lifestyle adjustments are needed to move toward optimum health but the intervention will be based on natural solutions. They involve listening to your body and providing it with what it asks for, and protecting your body against what harms it.
Am I saying that all doctors are bad? Of course not. But blind faith may not be the right course of action when it comes to seeking out a doctor's advice. Ask around. Look for a doctor that believes in a holistic approach. If your doctor doesn't know much about nutritional options (many don't), he/she should be willing to refer you to someone who is an expert in that area, to complement everything your doctor is suggesting.
After all, who is responsible for our medical care? As always, we are responsible for ALL of the decisions that we make for ourselves. Choose your practitioners wisely.
I will carefully and thoughtfully answer any questions you may have about your nutrition and the effect it has on your body. Please e-mail your questions to billiesinclair@mybodywise.org
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Purge that Pantry
Most pantries hold a confusing mix of healthy and unhealthy food items, but cleaning out the questionable ones and replacing them with better choices isn’t really all that difficult.
- Toss out any cereals and breads that are refined, pre-sweetened or made with white flour, and replace them with organic, high-fiber cereals, organic and natural instant varieties of hot cereals, and whole-grain breads.
- Replace instant soups (which can be very high in sodium), rice or noodle mixes (often high in sodium and undesirable fats) and instant drink mixes (such as iced tea, instant coffee and sugary hot chocolate mixes), with whole grains, dried beans, peas and lentils, and high quality green, white or oolong and herbal teas.
- Add some spices - an important part of the anti-inflammatory kitchen and diet. Herbs are best when used fresh, but dried herbs, such as basil, sage, thyme, and rosemary, can keep their healthful characteristics and aroma very well.
Instant everything - that's a common marketing ploy in today's fast-paced world. You are told that you don't have time to cook and you say, "Hey they're right - I don't have time to cook" and you buy what the big companies tell you to buy.
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know I advocate a return to the kitchen. Of course, we're all busy but saving time in the kitchen can cost you in other ways. The body is capable of adjusting to almost anything, for a while. But is it fair to ask so much of your body on a daily basis, and give back so little? You can't do that to your car. Ignore the maintenance of your car and it will sputter and croak when you need it the most - same goes for your body. And then you'll be scrambling.
Of course, I'll be there to pick up the pieces but, do we really have to go there? Remember, forewarned is forearmed. You have the chance to change your bad habits now, stop listening to the words of big-business, whose only intention is to fatten their wallet, before your body starts to rebel and break down.
If you won't believe that white sugar and flour can hurt you, that cans, bottles, and boxes of everything cause your body enormous amounts of stress, then I can't help. Are restaurants any better? Of course not - their job is to get you coming back for more, so portions get larger and ingredients get tastier...but have you ever asked what's really in those creamy sauces and those tasty desserts? I dare you to ask and be prepared for vague answers, if any at all.
Next time you're at your favorite fast-food chain, ask for the Nutritional Information sheet. These sheets are supposed to be readily available for the customers but usually, they're hidden away and the staff bring them out only on request. You'll be shocked at the calorie content, and even more shocked at the ingredient list, of most of your favorites. How long are you going to keep feeding your body garbage, and in excess amounts?
Some people need to learn everything the hard way. I just hope that, when your body breaks down, you'll finally listen. If you'd rather listen now, I commend you. If you're willing to take your car in for routine maintenance, give your body the same regard. Don't wait for the breakdown, start now to clean up your pantry, and put healthy food choices in your home. It may take a little time to learn new habits, to cook a little extra at dinner so you have your lunch for the next day. I have a whole chapter on the Pantry Purge in my book, which I will happily send you by e-mail for free.
For a copy of the chapter on the Pantry Purge, send me an e-mail at billiesinclair@mybodywise.org and let's get started on cleaning up your kitchen and your body, before it's too late!
Billie
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Helping Teens Make Better Food Choices
So today, let's cover the topic of what teens are eating and how to help them make better choices.
Peer pressure is a real challenge for people who want to eat well, no matter what age. The office baseball team spends 90 minutes on the field and 90 minutes in the pub afterwards. It's someone's birthday and you're expected to join the festivities, eating and drinking late into the night. You've done well with your eating all week and, because it's Friday, some kind work-mate decides to treat everyone to a big box of Tim Horton's. How do you stick with good choices in the face of all this tempation, from well-meaning friends and associates?
If you think it's tough as an adult, imagine the difficulty that teens have with good eating. All of their friends are eating their meals at Wendy's, Burger King, MacDonald's and Pizza Hut. No one eats in the cafeteria and, if they did, the food's not much better there. And today, vending machines are standard fare in many high school hallways. Add to this the onslaught of TV commercials, telling your kids that stuff in a box contains vitamins and minerals, and everything they need to grow up healthy and strong.
What's a parent to do? Concentrate on the meals you can control - breakfast, supper, and (sometimes) after-school snacks. And give them some basic supplements for nutritional insurance.
Your teen needs a moderate amount of protein, a lot of fiber and minerals, and very little fat, sugar and salt. Many recent studies have linked fats to cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and arthritis. A diet high in salt contributes to hypertension and strokes. Sugar supplies calories without nutrients and contributes to obesity and several vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Your teen needs a variey of nutritious foods: fish, poultry, lean meats, eggs, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, and grains (rice, corn, oats, wheat, etc). At home, avoid serving high fat foods, sugar, and phosphates (found in preservatives and soft drinks).
In the Get Your Body Back program, we talk about your pantry. If it's not there, you can't eat it, so make sure your teen only has healthy choices in the pantry. Today we'll focus on breakfast. Here are some healthy suggestions and recipes that teens can make when they're in a rush (which is almost always):
Teen Healthy Breakfast Solutions
Homemade Granola
(makes 7 cups)
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup oat bran
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/2 cup shelled sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup flaxseed or sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil two cookie sheets. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring together until wet is evenly distributed. Spread the mixture on the cookie sheets. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. When slightly golden brown, remove from oven, pour back into large bowl, and stir in raisins and coconut. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container. Keep in the fridge. Serve with almond or rice milk, which comes in flavors or plain.
Sesame Waffles
Peer pressure is a real challenge for people who want to eat well, no matter what age. The office baseball team spends 90 minutes on the field and 90 minutes in the pub afterwards. It's someone's birthday and you're expected to join the festivities, eating and drinking late into the night. You've done well with your eating all week and, because it's Friday, some kind work-mate decides to treat everyone to a big box of Tim Horton's. How do you stick with good choices in the face of all this tempation, from well-meaning friends and associates?
If you think it's tough as an adult, imagine the difficulty that teens have with good eating. All of their friends are eating their meals at Wendy's, Burger King, MacDonald's and Pizza Hut. No one eats in the cafeteria and, if they did, the food's not much better there. And today, vending machines are standard fare in many high school hallways. Add to this the onslaught of TV commercials, telling your kids that stuff in a box contains vitamins and minerals, and everything they need to grow up healthy and strong.
What's a parent to do? Concentrate on the meals you can control - breakfast, supper, and (sometimes) after-school snacks. And give them some basic supplements for nutritional insurance.
Your teen needs a moderate amount of protein, a lot of fiber and minerals, and very little fat, sugar and salt. Many recent studies have linked fats to cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and arthritis. A diet high in salt contributes to hypertension and strokes. Sugar supplies calories without nutrients and contributes to obesity and several vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Your teen needs a variey of nutritious foods: fish, poultry, lean meats, eggs, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, and grains (rice, corn, oats, wheat, etc). At home, avoid serving high fat foods, sugar, and phosphates (found in preservatives and soft drinks).
In the Get Your Body Back program, we talk about your pantry. If it's not there, you can't eat it, so make sure your teen only has healthy choices in the pantry. Today we'll focus on breakfast. Here are some healthy suggestions and recipes that teens can make when they're in a rush (which is almost always):
Teen Healthy Breakfast Solutions
- Fruit salad or cut-up fruit on a plate
- Low-fat cheddar or monterey jack cheese on whole grain toast
- Homemade Granola
- Sesame Waffles (teens like gadgets; buy a waffle iron and supply the pre-mix)
- Pancakes
- Protein Shakes
Homemade Granola
(makes 7 cups)
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup oat bran
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/2 cup shelled sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup flaxseed or sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil two cookie sheets. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring together until wet is evenly distributed. Spread the mixture on the cookie sheets. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. When slightly golden brown, remove from oven, pour back into large bowl, and stir in raisins and coconut. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container. Keep in the fridge. Serve with almond or rice milk, which comes in flavors or plain.
Sesame Waffles
This batter is best when made the night before.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp sesame seeds
2 eggs (free range, if available)
1 tbsp oil
1 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp water
The night before: In a large bowl, sift together flours and baking soda. Add sesame seeds. In the blender, mix eggs, oil, buttermilk, and water. Add this liquid to the dry ingredients, stirring with a few strokes until just mixed. It's better with a few lumps.
In the morning: Turn on and lightly oil waffle iron. Turn on your oven too. When hot, pour on 1/2 cup of batter per waffle. Each waffle takes about 4 minutes to cook to a golden brown. Keep waffles warm by placing on a baking sheet in the oven (on warm) while the rest of the waffles cook. Don't stack the waffles in the oven so they'll stay crispy. Top waffles with sugar-free applesauce or jam, or mash up some fruit, like bananas and peaches.
Pancakes
(Batter can be prepared the night before)
Premix (can be mixed and kept in the fridge until pancake time):
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup soy flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp sunflower oil
In a large bowl, stir together flours and baking soda until combined. Add blueberries and mix until berries are coated with flour mixture. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and add buttermilk (or yogurt), water and oil; blend thoroughly. Add liquid mixture to the dry mixture, stirring until combined (don't overstir; a few lumps is better).
Heat a large frying pan and oil lightly. Pour 1/4 cup batter in the pan for each pancake. When bubbles appear on pancake surface, edges look dry and pancake is lightly brown, flip pancake. Cook about 2 minutes more. You may need to add a bit of oil between the pancakes.
Top pancakes with sugar-free applesauce or jam, or mash up some fruit, like bananas, peaches, and add more blueberries.
Protein Shakes
When your teens are rushing to school and won't take the time to sit down for breakfast, the protein shake is the ideal nutritious quick breakfast. And I don't mean the Slim-Fast or Nestle's kind, which are full of artificial sweeteners (that's a topic for another blog!). If you can, I recommend you try the Body Wise Meal Replacement Shake powders, which come in Va Va Vanilla and Oh So Chocolate flavors. They are available for purchase online at www.billiesinclair.bodywise.com and can be shipped (no-charge for shipping) anywhere in the US or Canada. Why do I recommend this brand from San Diego, over the store-bought varieties?
Many reasons:
They have 9 different proteins (some fast proteins, some slow proteins)
They have 22 amino acids
They have only 4.5 g fat
They have only 5 g carbs
They have 20 g protein
They have lots of vitamins and minerals
They are sweetened without sugar or artificial sweeteners
THEY TASTE GREAT and I've tried LOTS of protein shakes!
My teens love this quick breakfast idea:
1/2 cup of frozen peach or mango or pineapple
1/4 cup of frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
filtered water
2 scoops of Va Va Vanilla shake powder
In the blender, put in frozen fruit first. Add water to the 1 1/2 c mark (more will be too runny). Blend on high until well mixed. Turn down to low, add the protein powder. Mix for another 30 second on low. Pour and enjoy. Can be put into a thermos and taken on the road. Just make sure the container is thoroughly washed at school and brought home clean for tomorrow!
This shake is also great for your younger children, particularly if you don't believe in drinking milk. It can be poured over granola or on oatmeal. Share the above quantity with 2 or 3 younger children or, if you only have one child, share it between the two of you!
Well, I hope those suggestions help you get your teens off to a good start in the morning. In a future blog, I'll cover after-school snack ideas.
Bon appetit! Live long and healthy, and prosper! Billie
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Where to start?
Hi Folks...welcome back to my blog, as it was on hiatus for the month of February. The trip to California was awesome. It's a yearly venture to meet with health professionals from across North America. We discuss the health challenges that our clients and patients are facing back at home. We share ideas about the things that have worked in our practices, from a nutritional perspective.
Yesterday's nutrition news said that, by the time your children are in Grade 9, most of them aren't eating breakfast, don't know the meaning of the word vegetable, and ingest most of their food from Burger King, Pizza Hut, and MacDonalds. And, unless they're into organized sports, they aren't getting any exercise.
Today's nutrition news said that, while the World Health Organization (WHO) predicted a rising incidence of diabetes worlwide, we are actually surpassing their estimates. Since 1995, there has been a 69% increase in the prevalence of known diabetes. Their prediction was a 39% increase. By 2030, there is expected to be a 6.4% prevalence among adults worldwide, which is an increase of another 39% over the numbers since 1995.
So where to start? Does anyone out there really think that the way we all eat has nothing to do with our overall health? Excuse me while I get the sand out of my ears - that happens every time I stick my head in the sand...
Enough said for today...the month of March will be dedicated to talking about what sickness really means. Let's look at what we're doing to our bodies every time we take a bite.
Yesterday's nutrition news said that, by the time your children are in Grade 9, most of them aren't eating breakfast, don't know the meaning of the word vegetable, and ingest most of their food from Burger King, Pizza Hut, and MacDonalds. And, unless they're into organized sports, they aren't getting any exercise.
Today's nutrition news said that, while the World Health Organization (WHO) predicted a rising incidence of diabetes worlwide, we are actually surpassing their estimates. Since 1995, there has been a 69% increase in the prevalence of known diabetes. Their prediction was a 39% increase. By 2030, there is expected to be a 6.4% prevalence among adults worldwide, which is an increase of another 39% over the numbers since 1995.
So where to start? Does anyone out there really think that the way we all eat has nothing to do with our overall health? Excuse me while I get the sand out of my ears - that happens every time I stick my head in the sand...
Enough said for today...the month of March will be dedicated to talking about what sickness really means. Let's look at what we're doing to our bodies every time we take a bite.
Friday, January 12, 2007
February Special!
During the month of February, I am offering new clients a unique opportunity.
Get a free 25-minute "Unleash your Fat-Burning Potential" one-on-one coaching session with Billie Sinclair.
In this powerful telephone session, you will leave with:
* Written positive outcomes for your Body Transformation,
* A new awareness of what is making it difficult for you to lose weight and keep it off (it might not be what you think), and
* A "next-step" action plan for moving into your next phase of energy, weight-loss, and optimum health.
This offer is available to only the first 10 people who respond to this blog.
This session is normally $197 but, as a special offer to my blog readers, I'm making it available for free to the next 10 people only!
As I will be in California for part of February, I have only 10 spaces open for these sessions all month and, once they are gone, they're gone!
Send me an e-mail at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com . I look forward to speaking with you. I just know that I can help you Get Your Body Back! Billie
Get a free 25-minute "Unleash your Fat-Burning Potential" one-on-one coaching session with Billie Sinclair.
In this powerful telephone session, you will leave with:
* Written positive outcomes for your Body Transformation,
* A new awareness of what is making it difficult for you to lose weight and keep it off (it might not be what you think), and
* A "next-step" action plan for moving into your next phase of energy, weight-loss, and optimum health.
This offer is available to only the first 10 people who respond to this blog.
This session is normally $197 but, as a special offer to my blog readers, I'm making it available for free to the next 10 people only!
As I will be in California for part of February, I have only 10 spaces open for these sessions all month and, once they are gone, they're gone!
Send me an e-mail at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com . I look forward to speaking with you. I just know that I can help you Get Your Body Back! Billie
Monday, January 01, 2007
New Year - New You!
Almost 40 years ago, Dr. Royal Lee, perhaps the world's greatest nutritionist said, "One of the biggest tragedies of human civilization is the precedence of chemical therapy over nutrition. It's a substitution of artificial therapy over natural, of poisons over food, in which we are feeding people poisons (drugs), trying to correct the reactions of starvation."
What was the good doctor trying to say? Fast forward 40 years to 2007 and ask yourself if almost every ailment of the human condition doesn't have a prescription or over-the-counter solution being rammed down our collective throats. Very little mention is ever made of the causes of these ailments, nor the prevention of them.
Think of this for a moment. The immune system of the human body is remarkably sophisticated. It makes the most advanced computer software in the world look like a child's toy. Any idea how this magnificent system can malfunction?
Germs or microbes flourish as scavengers at the site of disease. Enlightened understanding is that they are not the cause of the disease, any more than flies and maggots cause garbage. Flies, maggots, and rats do not cause garbage but rather feed on it, so the germ theory of medicine can be related to the "rat theory of garbage."
That is, if germs cause disease, then rats must cause garbage. Show me a town that's full of rats and I'll show you a town that's full of garbage, a town with a sanitation problem, guaranteed.
How do antibiotics cause the human body to lose immunity?
Antibiotics in our bodies can't tell the cops from the robbers. With no discretion, they kill friendly as well as harmful bacteria. Yet the vast majority of bacteria in our systems is helpful, actually working for us, like the microflora in our intestines. Thus, when the system is flooded with antibiotics, it doesn't work. A false sense of temporary resistance is acquired by the body.
Antibiotics can also weaken our immune system by creating certain B-vitamin deficiencies. Antibiotics kill the friendly bacteria that manufacture vitamin B12 in the gut.
Where is the logic behind depressing our immune system to fight an infection artificially?
Bacteria and viruses, which are cell scavengers, aren't in the system because they have nothing else to do. They're there because there is malnourished, unhealthy, devitalized, enzyme-depleted, diseased, and necrotic tissue, and unprocessed metabolic waste. Functioning as nature's biological sanitation department, bacteria and viruses must break down and eliminate the sick tissue to prevent further poisoning of the body. If you stop their action, you allow the body's continuous poisoning by the decaying tissue.
Disease is not the presence of something evil, but rather the lack of the presence of something essential.
The body uses vitamins and minerals as a means of increasing the success of the immune response. The best way to help the immune system is to first cleanse the tissues and then fortify the body with natural, whole complex nutrients. How do you do this? By eating a wholesome, natural diet, and leaving the boxes, bags, cans, and jars on the supermarket shelf where they belong (not in your stomach).
As the New Year arrives, many of us are contemplating what we want 2007 to look like. If this is your year to Get Your Body Back, then you have come to the right place.
I have been in the slimming business for over 20 years. It took me a while to realize that one-on-one consultation brings almost 100% success. I am a Certified Coach and Holistic Nutritionist, and my passion is personal development. The Wellness Wheel has six components: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Social, Spiritual, and Financial. I specialize in the Physical component because I believe that, by getting our body under control, we unleash a personal power that we can then use to achieve whatever we want, in every area of our lives!
For more information or a private no-obligation consultation, e-mail me at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com. I truly look forward to supporting you to make this your best year ever! Billie
What was the good doctor trying to say? Fast forward 40 years to 2007 and ask yourself if almost every ailment of the human condition doesn't have a prescription or over-the-counter solution being rammed down our collective throats. Very little mention is ever made of the causes of these ailments, nor the prevention of them.
Think of this for a moment. The immune system of the human body is remarkably sophisticated. It makes the most advanced computer software in the world look like a child's toy. Any idea how this magnificent system can malfunction?
Germs or microbes flourish as scavengers at the site of disease. Enlightened understanding is that they are not the cause of the disease, any more than flies and maggots cause garbage. Flies, maggots, and rats do not cause garbage but rather feed on it, so the germ theory of medicine can be related to the "rat theory of garbage."
That is, if germs cause disease, then rats must cause garbage. Show me a town that's full of rats and I'll show you a town that's full of garbage, a town with a sanitation problem, guaranteed.
How do antibiotics cause the human body to lose immunity?
Antibiotics in our bodies can't tell the cops from the robbers. With no discretion, they kill friendly as well as harmful bacteria. Yet the vast majority of bacteria in our systems is helpful, actually working for us, like the microflora in our intestines. Thus, when the system is flooded with antibiotics, it doesn't work. A false sense of temporary resistance is acquired by the body.
Antibiotics can also weaken our immune system by creating certain B-vitamin deficiencies. Antibiotics kill the friendly bacteria that manufacture vitamin B12 in the gut.
Where is the logic behind depressing our immune system to fight an infection artificially?
Bacteria and viruses, which are cell scavengers, aren't in the system because they have nothing else to do. They're there because there is malnourished, unhealthy, devitalized, enzyme-depleted, diseased, and necrotic tissue, and unprocessed metabolic waste. Functioning as nature's biological sanitation department, bacteria and viruses must break down and eliminate the sick tissue to prevent further poisoning of the body. If you stop their action, you allow the body's continuous poisoning by the decaying tissue.
Disease is not the presence of something evil, but rather the lack of the presence of something essential.
The body uses vitamins and minerals as a means of increasing the success of the immune response. The best way to help the immune system is to first cleanse the tissues and then fortify the body with natural, whole complex nutrients. How do you do this? By eating a wholesome, natural diet, and leaving the boxes, bags, cans, and jars on the supermarket shelf where they belong (not in your stomach).
As the New Year arrives, many of us are contemplating what we want 2007 to look like. If this is your year to Get Your Body Back, then you have come to the right place.
I have been in the slimming business for over 20 years. It took me a while to realize that one-on-one consultation brings almost 100% success. I am a Certified Coach and Holistic Nutritionist, and my passion is personal development. The Wellness Wheel has six components: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Social, Spiritual, and Financial. I specialize in the Physical component because I believe that, by getting our body under control, we unleash a personal power that we can then use to achieve whatever we want, in every area of our lives!
For more information or a private no-obligation consultation, e-mail me at getyourbodyback@hotmail.com. I truly look forward to supporting you to make this your best year ever! Billie
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Does Smoking Really Kill?
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
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
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
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