Holiday Spirit, Holiday Cheer

‘Tis the season to be jolly and this season lasts ¼ of the year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanza, New Years and Valentines Day. These months are filled with parties and family gatherings that have one thing in common, EXCESS!

Excess food, excess drink, excess stress, excess expectations, a little less of all of these is not such a bad thing. Holidays that are celebrated with less food, drink, stress and lower expectations will be better remembered if the EXCESS is trimmed and new activities are incorporated into your holiday routine.

Group activities will bring the family closer together and can help bring back holiday spirit and holiday cheer.

Reminisce about the “old” days. Kids love hearing about their great, great grandparents or cool stories about their parents or other family members.

Enjoy playing games. Clear the table as quickly as possible and start playing some games, the longer you sit at a table with food, the more you may be tempted to eat or eat without even being aware you are noshing. Games like Charades or Bingo are great for the entire family to play.

Reading about the holiday and having kids act out the story or just discussing it is another activity kids and adults can do together, http://www.nj.com/parenting/sandra_lee/index.ssf/2009/11/reading_holiday_books_can_be_p.html, and it can done without a lot of extra stress. It’s also a great way to steer the conversation towards holiday spirit and away from stressful conversations like the economy or the heathcare debate.

During the holidays there are bound to be situations that occur that are stressful. Stress only brings on more stress. Think of things to do when a stressful event happens to help you re-focus your energy so that it does good.

Positive reinforcement gets you more than complaints, so make sure you use your best manners and tell everyone how much you appreciate every little bit of help you get for setting the table, carrying the groceries, meal preparation and clean up, you’ll be surprised how a little positive reinforcement goes a long way.

It’s all about attitude, keeping a positive attitude can be catchy. No matter what happens be positive and be aware of how it affects everyone around you.

Pre-think holiday meals, do not buy too much extra food. Figure out how many people will attend your meal and what the accurate portion sizes of the food you are serving are. Only buy enough for the meal. There will be less left overs and it will help keep costs within reason.

Spreading holiday cheer and getting into the spirit of the holidays is much more important than stuffing yourself to the point of not being able to get up from the table. Sure every family has family traditions but it is never too late to start new traditions.

Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Capturing the Fountain of Youth

The secrets of staying young and healthy will not come in a pill, a cream or a special diet. Most likely your genetic make-up will determine how you age. However, living a healthy lifestyle will stack the odds in your favor.

• Eating a balanced diet, filled with vegetables and “real” g-d made food while limiting commercially processed foods will give your body the nutrients it needs to function at its best. Nutritional supplements should be based on the individuals need but my belief is that everyone should take a multivitamin, DHA (fish oil) and calcium with Vitamin D, magnesium and boron.

• Staying active including weight bearing and breathing exercises will help ensure muscle mass, bone strength (see my previous blog, We All May Have The Potential to Capture The Fountain of Youth!) and that adequate oxygen gets to your cells.

• Supporting collagen production will help your skin look its best and reduce wrinkles. There are a few things that have been known to help form collagen, amino acids (proline, lysine, and glycine), vitamin C, horsetail, rose-hip and marigold. I suggest speaking with your doctor about any supplementation you may consider, including the ones mentioned in the first bullet under eating a balanced diet. That said I have been using a great product, ANTI-AGING 3™ Collagen powder, http://www.drvenessa.com/dcp/detail.php?id=1122, it seems to have good research that supports the ingredients used and they claim that it helps “activate the body’s own mechanisms to continue producing collagen at any age”. It’s about $4.00/serving and only 100 calories. I will put my credentials on the line and say that this product is a healthier product than any of Nabisco’s 100 calorie snack packs!

Have you tried to capture the Fountain of Youth? Please share your ideas.

We All May Have The Potential to Capture The Fountain of Youth!

The Fountain of Youth is a legend claiming eternal youth for anyone who drinks its water. Many companies try to keep this legend alive by selling supplements, creams and promises of a younger more youthful you!

Well many of you may realize this but my belief is that we all have the ability to capture The Fountain of Youth. However, it will not be found in a fountain or a single product that is full of promises. The Fountain of Youth is a state of mind, body and soul. Your youthful appearance, your wellness and happiness all come from within you.

Aging is a result of different reactions that occur naturally in our bodies. By the time we reach our 20’s our bodies begin to switch from building to maintaining and then eventually to losing many of the functions that keep us looking young and keeping us healthy.

While we still look good on the outside, by the time we are 25 years old we experience many age related changes inside our bodies:

1. muscle mass decreases 3-5% every 10 years
2. bone reaches its peak mass and then naturally starts to lose 1% of bone per year
3. we start to lose collagen (important for skin, bones, teeth) at a rate of 1.5% per year

A consequence of not having enough muscle mass is that you cannot eat the same amount of food without gaining weight. A consequence of bone loss is increased risk of breaking bones. A consequence of less collagen is more wrinkles. And although these are three different symptoms of aging they can work together. Collagen helps muscles recover after a work out. More muscle (not being a body builder just maximize your body’s natural muscle capacity) helps you maintain your activity, weight, movement etc… Stronger bones will help prevent falls and also supports movement.

Mistakenly, many people believe that it’s the outside appearance that counts the most. Meanwhile your internal aging clock keeps ticking and it’s as important to focus on the inside “body” health as it is to focus on the outside. More and more I am finding that thin people who seem very healthy on the outside are unhealthy on the inside and although you may not hear any complaints, I see the diagnosis of diabetes and other complaints that severely affect quality of life. Your healthy insides will help give your skin and outside appearance a makeover.

What are some ways you might be able to stay young and healthy on the inside? I’ll let you know in my upcoming blog.

Laugh Your A** Off: For The Health Of It

Hello all!

A friend came for a visit this week. We have not seen each other in awhile and had a great time. Friday night, we put the kids to bed, sat on the couch and watched T.V. She turns the channel to HBO on Demand and says, ”You have to see Wanda Sykes, “I’ma Be Me”, http://www.hbo.com/events/wanda-sykes-imabeme/index.html. OMG, this was one of the funniest comedy shows I’ve seen. We could not stop laughing, we definitely laughed our a**es off.

When something good comes along it’s always good to share. So, I’m sharin’ the show because:

1. You can’t beat the price, it’s free!

2. Laughing can help you unwind and decrease the built-up stress from a work week.

3. Your body releases “feel good” hormones (Endorphins) and you get a similiar affect when you eat chocolate. Unlike eating chocolate, you do not have to worry about portions or calories.    

Thanks Wanda! Thank you for helping the world be a better place by spreading laughter and helping people live healthier lives. 

A laugh a day will keep the doctor away. We all know how we feel after a good laugh. Laughing makes you feel good inside and has a positive affect on mood. It can help you escape negative emotions or pressure. However, what may not realize is that a good laugh is good for your health.

Here’s how:

1. May help reduce the risk of a heart attack by improving blood flow through the vessels

2. Can increase antibodies and immune cells that help fight infection and boost the immune system

3. May help alleviate pain because endorphins prevent nerves from releasing pain signals.  

Here are a couple of interesting articles you may like to read:

http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm, http://stress.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=stress&cdn=health&tm=577&gps=138_623_1004_559&f=20&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.holistic-online.com/stress/stress_humor.htm.

What makes you laugh?

Eat to Beat Sickness: 5 Quick Nutrition Tips

Your immune system is a system that works to protect you from things (parasites, bacteria, viruses, toxins…) that can make you sick. Seventy percent of the body’s immune system is found in the digestive tract. Consuming the right foods and supplements can help your immune system stay in fighting shape this season.

Make sure you get plenty of rest and incorporate these 5 food and supplement options into your daily routine. Your health is in your hands.

1. Probiotics and good gut health have been shown to have a direct link to good health. Keep up the amount of friendly bacteria to make sure you keep the unfriendly bacteria in its place. If you are unsure of how to choose a probiotic, this information will help, http://www.ehow.com/how_5022443_choose-probiotic.html. For you skeptics, there was a study that showed the probiotic strain Bacillus coagulans helped ward off the flu, http://www.postgradmed.com/index.php?art=pgm_03_2009?article=1971.

2. Omega-3 is a nutrient that has been shown to give your immune system a boost. Foods that have high amounts of omega-3 include: salmon, sardines, low-mercury tuna, mackerel, herring, swordfish, chia seeds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, cod liver and olive oil, walnuts and dried oregano

3. Minerals specific to help keeping you healthy are zinc and selenium. The best sources of zinc are fortified baby cereals, beef, dark meat turkey, oysters and beans. Egg yolks, Brazil nuts, cottage cheese, sunflower seeds, lamb chops, tuna, red snapper, shellfish, whole grains and vegetables contain lots of selenium.

4. Carotenoids (vitamin A) and vitamins C & E will also help you avoid being sick.Vitamins A and E are fat soluble and are better absorbed when consumed with fat such as avocado or olive oil. 

     Vitamin E: wheat germ, seeds, vegetable oils, and grains
    

     Carotenoids: kale, sweet potato, chili powder, collard and dandelion greens, grape leaves, pumpkin and carrots, cantaloupe.
   

     Vitamin C: peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, chili peppers, cherries, strawberries, orange, grapefruit

5. Spices: Turmeric, (curry) and Garlic

5 quick nutrition tips that will help keep you healthy, think about it…

Make A Change To Make A Difference: Ready, Set, Go!

Changing behavior is one of the most difficult things to do in life and do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Although “change” is a simple word, the process of change is complicated. If you have diabetes (or any medical condition that can improve with lifestyle changes), wish to lose weight or want a better relationship, your readiness to change will make the difference in your long term success.

Being diagnosed with an illness is difficult to digest. Desperately wanting to lose weight after many failed weight loss attempts will not make losing weight easier. In order to get on the right track to reach your goals, you must get “ready”.

“READY” is defined as, “completely prepared” or “in condition for immediate action”. Therefore one of the best ways to ensure you will achieve your health goals is to get ready.

Make weekly appointment with youself. Set a date and time, put it on the calendar or you may never get the time you need to take care of yourself. Then determine what your goals are and prepare for action. This is all about Y-O-U! So, you will be the best person to determine what your goals are. No one else can tell you how to prioritize your life. You do not have to do this alone you can enlist a friend, family member or healthcare expert to help. I think its best to get as many people who are willing to support you on board as possible. Be honest with yourself; make sure those who support you provide unconditional help. Be prepared to deal with those who are not supportive.

GET SET:

List your goals.

List specific actions that must be made.

Describe how you will execute your plan.

List behaviors that will contribute to success.

Think about the barriers you will have to overcome and plan on how to change your behavior to achieve victory.

Learn from mistakes and plan for success the next time you experience a pitfall.

Accept the fact that changing behavior is not easy and you will experience setbacks.

Ask yourself:

How will I learn new behaviors and let go of poor behaviors?
How can I anticipate a behavior relapse?
How can I maintain motivation?
What are the benefits?
What are the drawbacks of my changes?

GO: No one else can do this for you but you. Denial and avoidance will get you nowhere. Take the bull by the horns and GO for a healthy lifestyle. It will likely be an opportunity for improved quality of life and good health for the whole family.

Dealing With Diabetes and Depression: You Are Not Alone

There are so many topics about diabetes that can be covered, I could stay on this topic and never have to write about anything else. I am going to cover two more topics (depression and readiness to change) that are extremely important to good health and diabetes and then move on to other topics. However, I will continue to weave diabetes into my blog and answer any comments or questions you may have.

Being diagnosed with diabetes, any medical illness or emotionally traumatizing event should automatically trigger the waving of a yellow “support” flag. All too often we are diagnosed with a physical illness such as diabetes, heart disease or cancer and we rush to treat the physical problem. We forget about the emotional and psychological component of being, or having a loved one, diagnosed with a life altering condition. Everyone at some time in their life experiences depression and if you are diagnosed with a medical condition or you experience horrific situations as a soldier or you are a victim of crime or an accident, you are likely to experience some form of depression. Even new moms are prone to postpartum depression. Heck just getting older is enough to start thinking the worst. No matter what the reason. Please know you are not alone.

Over the course of one year, approximately 19 million adults will experience depression. Twenty-five to fifty percent of people who are diagnosed with a chronic illness are also likely to suffer from depression, http://www.cmha.bc.ca/resources/bc_resources/depconcurrent/.
Here are some of the stats for those who are diagnosed with a medical condition and who suffer with depression:

Postpartum depression: 10-20%
Cancer: 42%
Heart disease: 18-26%
Diabetes: 33%
Multiple sclerosis: 6-60%
Parkinson’s disease: 40%
Stroke: 30-50%
Substance abuse: 50%

Your mind is critical to overcoming diabetes (or any illness) and the health conditions associated with it. Accepting and becoming actively involved in caring for diabetes is the most important part of treating high blood sugar. Denial is easy, especially with diabetes because you can walk around and function as if you did not have any illness at all, well that’s until diabetes catches up with you. No one knows that you feel tired, your vision is blurry, or your thirst is unquenchable. In fact many people can perform daily tasks and walk around with high blood sugar levels without realizing they have diabetes.

However, when you throw a monkey wrench into the mix, namely depression, your ability to care for yourself is diminished despite the need for consistent self-care. Here’s a quick resource to help identify depression and get appropriate help, http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/depression.jsp, http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/17/3/167.full. If you follow this link, http://www.cmha.bc.ca/resources/bc_resources/depconcurrent/, see “Depression and Diabetes”. You’ll see the relationship between diabetes and depression and how debilitating the two co-existing conditions can be. They describe diabetes and depression as, “A vicious cycle that makes both your diabetic and depressive conditions worse. Knowing about this cycle is half the battle: depression => lack of motivation => poor management of diabetes => high blood sugar levels => greater fatigue and lethargy => worsened mood => further depression.”

Understand the signs and symptoms of depression, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-and-depression/AN02011, http://diabetes.about.com/od/preventingcomplications/qt/depression.htm, and work with a mental health professional to get you on track and help develop strategies for dealing with depression and its impact on your day-to-day life, http://www.helpguide.org/mental/treatment_strategies_depression.htm.

Insulin Lurks As An Underlying Cause to Many of Your Health Concerns

The link between insulin, diabetes and breast cancer is not the only health concern we should worry about. Insulin’s association with the manifestation and prognosis of these risk factors and diseases has been shown time and time again:

1. colon cancer
2. prostate cancer
3. pancreatic cancer
4. breast cancer
5. diabetes
6. metabolic syndrome
7. obesity
8. high blood pressure (kidney damage)
9. congestive heart failure
10. high levels of triglycerides (liver damage)
11. low HDL (good) cholesterol (liver damage)
12. heart disease
13. high C-reactive protein levels (heart disease)
14. polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
15. inflammation
16. infertility
17. aging, common characteristics of those who live the longest include low normal values for:
• fasting insulin levels
• fasting glucose
• triglycerides
• body fat found around your organs, typically you carry weight around the mid-section of your body

High insulin levels affect children too! Here are risk factors associated with high insulin levels and diseases that are common in children who are overweight.

1. overweight
2. diabetes
3. metabolic syndrome
4. high homocysteine levels (a risk factor for heart disease and stroke)
5. high LDL (bad cholesterol)
6. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
7. acanthosis nigricans (a brown or black velvety color to the skin).

If the information is out there, ever wonder why the smart guys making big money do not focus on this? Me too, the bottom line for early detection of the illnesses mentioned above is to speak with your doctor about checking insulin levels (fasting and after you eat along with a glucose tolerance test) at routine visits. Eat low carbohydrate/low glycemic foods that will help keep insulin levels low.

Breast Cancer, Diabetes and Insulin: What you Know Could Save Your Life

Happy Columbus Day to you all! We celebrate Columbus Day today in remembrance of the discovery of America in 1492. So today, I thought it apropos to write about something that was not discovered today but that could have just as great an impact on our lives. In my last blog, I spoke of early detection of diabetes using insulin instead of current methods using blood sugar. Moving forward, I will introduce the link between insulin and other medical conditions that may be as valuable as the discovery of America because it may save your life!

So on the day we celebrate discovery and the month we celebrate breast cancer awareness (this month marks the 25th anniversary of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month), I am going to write about something everyone should know: The link between insulin and breast cancer.

What we know about higher insulin levels:

1. A link exists between high insulin levels, overweight and both diabetes and breast cancer. Women with diabetes are 20% more likely to get breast cancer than women without diabetes. http://www.diabeticcareservices.com/diabetes-education/breast-cancer-and-diabetes

2. High insulin levels are linked to increased breast cancer risk for all women but especially true for post-menopausal women
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709170819.htm

3. High insulin levels contribute to breast cancer recurrence, http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/100/8/530

4. Higher insulin levels indicate a lower rate of breast cancer survival regardless of weight. Both overweight and thin women with high insulin levels have a lower chance to survive breast cancer. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/320/7248/1496/a

Help yourself live a healthy life. Eat foods that do not provoke blood sugar spikes to help keep insulin levels in normal levels.

1. Non-starchy vegetables
2. fish, poultry, meat
3. nuts and seeds and nut butters
4. low glycemic fruit
5. legumes
6. Misc., shredded coconut, avocado, olives, real butter, ghee

We know that some carbohydrates are converted to sugar rapidly in our bodies and insulin is automatically released to bring blood sugar down. Avoid foods that have this affect on our bodies.

1. Sweets, desserts and commercially prepared foods that contain partially hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup, maltodextrin, sugar
2. high glycemic carbohydrates, potato, pasta, rice, cold cereal
3. large meals

A nutrition team at the University of Connecticut has supporting evidence of the link between eating high carbohydrate food and insulin responses http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/134/4/880 and health experts agree, http://www.ultraprevention.com/healing/insulin_resistance.htm.

So I urge you to speak to your doctor about checking insulin levels as part of your annual check-up. Howard Strickler, M.D., M.P.H. believes that checking insulin levels to screen and identify breast cancer early would prove to be a useful tool in breast cancer prevention. “It is also possible that screening non-diabetic postmenopausal women for high insulin levels could prove useful in identifying individuals at high risk for breast cancer,” says Dr. Strickler, http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-01/aeco-hil010909.php.

There is a common denominator amongst breast cancer and diabetes and insulin is its name. This advice could save your life or the life of someone you know, act now. Get insulin levels tested! If you want to take a quick test to determine if you may have high insulin or hormone levels, check out my book on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Stubborn-Fat-Fix-Metabolic-Exercise/dp/159486828X.

Diabetes Care: A Common Sense Approach

My last three blogs have been dedicated to diabetes and helping you get a practical perspective on how best to manage blood sugar based on what you can control. I’d like to explain how I came to these suggestions and describe how this all fits together. It is quite simple and centers around the 5 stages of diabetes, http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/53/suppl_3/S16.full. It is seldom mentioned that there are five stages. People typically talk about diabetes and do not realize that there are stages to this condition.

Stage 1, insulin resistance: Blood sugar levels seem normal because the pancreas balances high blood sugar by releasing higher amounts of insulin.

Stage 2, blood sugar levels rise: The pancreas has difficulty keeping up with the demand of producing more insulin to maintain normal levels of blood sugar. The pancreas becomes fatigued from overworking and it puts out less insulin, blood sugar levels begin to rise.

Stage 3, high blood sugar: Damage to the pancreas begins, insulin output does not match blood sugar so blood sugar levels rise more quickly

Stage 4, Damage to the pancreas is established and it is difficult to lower blood sugar without medication

Stage 5, the pancreas produces too little or no insulin and you will likely need to use insulin to survive

Current diabetes test standards do not include measuring insulin levels, despite the fact that high insulin levels would detect diabetes in the first stage. My suggestions are aimed at identifying diabetes as early as possible, stage 1. So, you can start changing your lifestyle and food habits early enough to stay healthy and control blood sugar forever. You have the power to reverse diabetes at least throughout the first four stages.

It is important to know that (stage 1) when insulin levels are high, maintaining weight and blood sugar can be difficult. Insulin is a fat storing and blood sugar regulating hormone. If someone has high insulin levels, it is much more difficult to lose weight than for those who do not have high insulin levels. High insulin levels can affect appetite, http://thyroid.about.com/library/news/blhormonediet.htm. If you are hungry you are likely to eat more. Eating more affects both weight and blood sugar.

As soon as you eat a food that is categorized as a starch, carbohydrate or sugar, your body responds by releasing insulin. If you choose to minimize these foods you can support your pancreas by giving it time to rest. This rest will be a big pay-off to you because your blood sugar will remain within normal range.

Here’s my problem with eating a diet containing 60% of calories from white rice, bread, potato, cold cereal, non-fat yogurt, pasta… your blood sugar will spike and remain high at least 60% of the day. A balanced diet for diabetes, in my opinion, is balancing foods so that you eat less carbohydrates to rest your pancreas and keep insulin levels down so you can reach your weight and health goals:

• 15-20% carbohydrate (non-starchy vegetables*, low carb dairy-cottage cheese, greek-yogurt, high cocoa chocolate, low carb fruits avocados, lemon, coconut, peach…, steel-cut oatmeal)
• 30% protein
• 50% healthy fats (nuts/seeds, olives, olive, coconut and other healthy oils) this also accounts for the fat from the protein you eat.

*The reason carbohydrates are low is because non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and do not contribute to a significant portion of total calories even though you can eat 7-10 servings, a lot of veggies that provide fiber, antioxidants…without a lot of blood sugar impacting carbohydrates.

You can get a detailed description of healthy food suggestions in my book, The Stubborn Fat Fix: http://www.amazon.com/Stubborn-Fat-Fix-Metabolic-Exercise/dp/159486828X

Once your diet and health is on track, you may find you can eat a balanced diet that divides carbs, fat and protein equally. You decide what you eat, how much, if you are active or whether you allow stress to get to you. If your hard efforts are not getting you the results you think you should get, medication is an option, however, it should NOT be a drug that makes the pancreas work harder by producing more insulin. In order to preserve the function of your pancreas, speak with your doctor about insulin sensitizing medications.

The key to good health is almost entirely up to you. You must make responsible food, exercise and lifestyle choices. Your doctor and health care professionals can only do so much. Be good to your body and your body will be good to you.