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The Real Food Revivalist!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tums Aren't Solving Your Problem
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Can You Have A Cheat Day?
What to Do When You Fall off the Plan (Can you have a cheat day?)
by Erin Chamerlik, MT(ASCP)
Humans always will take the path of least resistance. So when you get caught without food ready, you will reach for the easy fill - chips, cereal, bread.
This is why you really can't wait until that day to have your food ready. Plan and prepare in advance!
Here's what I want you do, whenever fall off the wagon.
Recreate the "crime scene" the next day and figure out how much sugar those carbs converted into once they hit your bloodstream.
This should be eye-opening.
Here is an example of a real person's "cheat day" and how many tsp of sugar hit the bloodstream once the simple carbs were ingested.
Corn Chex, 3 cups = 18 tsp sugar
Milk, 1 cup 2%? = 3 tsp sugar
Nature Valley Granola Bar = 7 tsp sugar
Steak n Shake, depending on the burger 7-15 tsp sugar. Any fries (8 tsp)
Mashed potatoes, 1 cup = 9 tsp sugar
Ice Cream, 2 cups = 15 tsp or more
Look on the box to see how big one serving size is and multiply the grams of carbs by how many servings you ate (if there is any fiber, subtract those grams from total carbs/ Divide the answer by 4 to see how many tsp of sugar you consumed).
Then do the same for the estimated amount of milk.
Do the same for all the non-vegetable/fruit carbs you ate.
On this one cheat day, this person consumed 60 tsp of sugar, or about 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Picture yourself sitting down with the sugar bowl, spooning 1 1/2 cups of sugar into your mouth.
God created our bodies to run on about 1 tsp of sugar.
The actual amount of glucose in the blood is very small. In a healthy adult male of 165 lb, a blood glucose level of 100 mg/dL corresponds to about 5 g (or 1 tsp) of glucose in the blood. Small sugar packet provides about 2.8 grams each.
Can you imagine how crazy everything in your body is going to be after eating refined carbs?
A cheat day can do a great deal of damage to your body and set you on the slippery slope for a string of cheat days or even falling completely off the wagon.
The surge of sugar spikes your blood glucose, and your immune system is paralyzed for 4+ hours. You are feeding the bad bacteria and it is well known that cancer cells love sugar.
Your serotonin levels are affected by the sugar, so maybe your mood plummeted too.
Candida yeast is fat and happy on all the sugar that comes from a cheat day.
I know it is hard but I know you can do this!
Have a meal plan by thinking through what you will eat today and the next few days so that you don't have to think about it when hunger strikes. Make the decision ahead of time, then when you are offered sugar or refined carbs, you have already decided that you will say NO!
Step by step! One day doesn't make a trend. If you find that you fell off the plan, just start again. Move on, move ahead. Forgive yourself. Abolish the thinking, "Well, I have already blown it for today, so I might as well go ahead and eat more food that is off the plan."
This is a learning process.
You learned that you have to be prepared ahead of time for those days when you get up late.
You learned the importance of packing food whenever you leave the house, because we always are gone longer than we think. You learned that cheat days can result in an overload of sugar and a mountain of health consequences. You learned that when attending parties, it is best to go to the event with a full stomach or bring your own food.
When you are starving you will not make good choices, it is the path of least resistance!
So, back at it! This is a great time to start a new eating plan! Farmer's markets are opening and we still have 5 weeks until Memorial Day!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Aspartame - Causes Obesity, Toxic for Diabetics, Causes Neurological Problems
Is Aspartame safe for anyone?
Earlier I blogged about Cori Brackett:
Cori Brackett at 34 years of age was diagnosed with MS.
Why did this woman end up in a wheel-chair with double vision and slurred speech? Because she drank diet soda.
Here's is an article for diabetics using aspartame:
Is Aspartame Safe for Diabetics?
Monday, April 18, 2011 4:18 PM
Question: I am a diabetic. Is it safe for me to use the artificial sweetener aspartame?
Dr. Brownstein's Answer:
The most common artificial sweetener used is aspartame, sold under the brand names NutraSweet and Equal. It is added to more than 6,000 foods and many pharmaceuticals, including many children’s liquid medications.
Our experiences show that consuming large amounts of aspartame may actually cause many health problems, including obesity.
We have found that it is very difficult for people to lose weight if they are consuming large amounts of aspartame. In addition, there are many neurological and immune system disorders exacerbated by aspartame. Aspartame should not be used in any amount and should be avoided.
Astoundingly, Big Pharma claims that because aspartame has no calories, it is therefore an appropriate dietary supplement for diabetics. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Aspartame is particularly toxic for diabetics because it disrupts the body’s normal response to glucose, which is to cause the pancreas to release insulin.
The main symptom of diabetes is high blood sugar due to the body's inadequate production or utilization of insulin. Therefore, aspartame is doing exactly the opposite of what diabetics need.
Unfortunately, even the American Diabetic Association has fallen for this propaganda, and has accepted the idea that aspartame is a suitable sugar substitute for diabetics.
The bottom line: Aspartame is not safe for diabetics or anyone else. All sources of aspartame sweetener need to be avoided.
© 2011 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
Read more: Is Aspartame Safe for Diabetics?
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Sleep Apnea - The Lifestyle Fix
An epidemic of sleep apnea
Friday, April 15, 2011 by: Dr. Carolyn Dean
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032084_sleep_apnea_epidemic.html#ixzz1KCMut5sb
(NaturalNews) Why didn't I learn about sleep apnea in medical school? It's because it hadn't even been described until 1965. It still hadn't made its way into my course curriculum by the mid-1970s when I was in medical school. Now sleep apnea is so common that a New York travel agent tried to argue that sleep apnea was the reason she stole $25 million from her clients.
The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, which describes individuals with severe hypoxemia (lack of oxygen) and hypercapnia (increased carbon dioxide). Central sleep apnea is rare where brain damage stops the signals to the lungs that initiate breathing.
Initially tracheostomy - cutting a hole in the neck to insert a breathing tube - was the recommended treatment. It could save lives but had many side effects including fatal infections.
The treatment of obstructive sleep apnea became far less dangerous with the invention of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines by Colin Sullivan in Sydney, Australia in 1981. By the late 1980s CPAP was widely adopted. The technology has improved greatly over time with sleep clinics on every block touting the new treatment.
So what causes sleep apnea? The upper throat muscles help keep our airway open allowing air to flow into the lungs. And even though these muscles usually relax during sleep, the upper throat remains open enough to let air pass. But medical researchers tell us that some people actually have narrow throats that may completely close when their upper throat muscles relax during sleep. This prevents air from getting into their lungs.
When I read about collapsible throats I found it incredible that doctors believe that the human body was created with such a serious design flaw that makes it impossible for us to breathe properly at night. I don't think we were created that way but maybe it's the way we've molded new bodies with an imperfect diet and imperfect nutrients.
The major symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, 10-second (or longer) breathing gaps and labored breathing. The gaps turn to gasps as if you are holding your breath. The gasping can wake you up, interrupting and fragmenting your sleep. People can have breathing pauses from 10-30 times per hour. Other symptoms are associated with severe daytime sleepiness. They include:
1. Awakening unrefreshed in the morning
2. Falling asleep at inappropriate times
3. Possible depression
4. Memory problems
5. Headaches
6. Personality changes
7. Poor concentration
8. Restless sleep
9. Insomnia
10. Hyperactivity
Obesity seems to be a major contributor to sleep apnea. But you don't have to be obese to have this condition. Please know that I'm not minimizing or trivializing this disease. It's a horrific feeling to wake up choking and gasping. However, if obesity is the major contributor to sleep apnea, what is being done about that? With 66 percent of the population overweight and obese I don't believe there are enough attempts by doctors to reduce the obesity factor with diet and lifestyle intervention. And, of course, obesity doesn't only cause sleep apnea but it's a major contributor to diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
Sleep clinics promote CPAP machines and surgeons promote throat and palate surgery. I've yet to hear a client with sleep apnea tell me that weight control was the first line of treatment. Often surgery is offered first with no mention of diet.
How many people suffer from sleep apnea? According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 18 million people have this condition and probably a similar number go undiagnosed. It's under-diagnosed because a doctor can't detect it on a routine examination and there are no blood tests for sleep apnea.
If you have all or some of the following symptoms, you could be experiencing sleep apnea. However, it really struck me that many of these symptoms can be related to stress and overwork and lack of magnesium!
1. Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night.
2. Waking at night and having trouble falling back to sleep.
3. Feeling sleepy during the day and taking short cat naps.
4. Tingling in your legs when you try to fall asleep.
5. Having vivid, dreamlike experiences while falling asleep or dozing.
6. Episodes of sudden muscle weakness when you're angry, fearful, laughing.
7. Feeling as though you can't move when you first wake up.
8. Your legs or arms jerk often during sleep.
9. Needing stimulants, such as caffeine, to stay awake during the day.
When I look at the following list of conditions that can be promoted by untreated sleep apnea, I also think of magnesium deficiency...except maybe for MVAs.
With untreated sleep apnea there is and increased risk of:
1. High blood pressure
2. Heart attack
3. Stroke
4. Obesity
5. Diabetes
6. Worsening heart failure
7. Worsening arrhythmias
8. Work-related accidents
9. MVAs
TREATING SLEEP APNEA
1. Lose Weight
When you are lying down, excess flesh and fat around your neck can put undue pressure on your airway. Abdominal weight can also push on your stomach affecting your breathing and also cause heartburn and reflux. Losing weight is much easier when you join a weight loss program like Weight Watchers or my Future Health Now! Online Wellness Program.
2. Exercise
Aim for a strong healthy body turning fat cells into muscle cells and conditioning your body so it has optimal levels of oxygen.
3. Change Your Sleep Position
Doctors say that sleeping on your back may allow your tongue to fall back into your airway and cause an obstruction. Again, I think that's a pretty significant design flaw in the body. You would have to be very out of condition for that to happen. Personally, I think some people use way too many pillows under their head at night. This can scrunch your neck up so it almost touches your chest - providing a serious airway challenge.
Try lying on your side. Hug one pillow and put another flat pillow between your knees. To stop yourself from rolling onto your back you can cut a tennis ball in half and sew each half into your pajama top - put one near your neck and one in the middle of your back.
4. Inclined Bed Therapy
Propping your upper body up with pillows might work but if you slide down during the night you could further twist your neck and compromise your breathing. I have a module about Inclined Bed Therapy in Future Health Now! If you're not a member you can go to http://heal-me.com.au/ibt.html to find out more about sleeping with the head of your bed raised 6 to 8 inches.
5. Limit Drugs
You may not be aware that medications prescribed for headaches, anxiety, and other common problems can affect sleep and quality of breathing.
6. Limit Alcohol
Alcohol slows down your brain's respiratory drive during sleep causing further relaxation of your throat muscles, which increases obstructive sleep apnea. Eliminating alcohol dramatically reduces the number of sleep apnea episodes, increases the oxygen saturation levels of the blood, and leads to deeper, more restful sleep. Avoid alcohol within four hours of bedtime if your suffer from sleep apnea.
7. Avoid Sleeping Pills
Sleeping pills depress breathing, relax the muscles of the throat, and generally make sleep apnea worse.
8. Learn How To Breathe
There are several yoga breathing techniques that can be used to improve your breathing. Practicing them may give you temporary relief from obstructive sleep apnea. You can learn more about them at holisticonline.com infocenter on Pranayama.
9. Stay Calm
People panic when they wake up unable to breathe. It's instinctual to try and force a deep breath. However, this only worsens the problem and the fear. Instead, sit up straight or stand up and forcibly blow out your breath, then breathe in very slowly.
10. Take Magnesium
If, as medical researchers say, sleep apnea occurs when the upper throat muscles relax during sleep, I'd say you definitely need magnesium. Magnesium is necessary in any muscle problem because magnesium regulates the way muscles function. I would love to see people with sleep apnea treated with magnesium before having to resort to bulky breathing machines or surgery. The recommended dosage of magnesium citrate powder is 300 mg twice daily.
11. Take 5-HTP
Scientists recommend serotonin precursors such as 5-HTP for people suffering from sleep apnea. Decreased serotonin levels can lead to sleep apnea. The nerves that control breathing require an adequate supply of serotonin. Incidentally, serotonin production depends on magnesium. The recommended dosage is 100 to 300 mg of 5-HTP at bedtime.
12. Join Future Health Now!. It's my two-year Online Wellness Program. Staying healthy is the best defense against all the lifestyle diseases.
About the author:
Dr. Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor and naturopathic doctor. She has been in the forefront of the natural medicine revolution for over 30 years.
Dr. Dean is the author / coauthor of 22 health books (print and eBooks) including The Magnesium Miracle, IBS for Dummies, IBS Cookbook for Dummies, The Yeast Connection and Women's Health, Future Health Now Encyclopedia, Death by Modern Medicine, Everything Alzheimers, and Hormone Balance.
Dr. Dean is Medical Director of the Medical Anti-Aging Clinic and Pharmacy in Dubai Health Care City and Medical Director of the Nutritional Magnesium Association.
Dr. Dean has a free newsletter and a valuable online 2-year wellness program called Future Health Now! and a telephone consulting practice. Find out more at www.drcarolyndean.com
Monday, April 18, 2011
10 Reasons to Grow Your Own Food
Ten reasons to grow your own food
Sunday, April 17, 2011 by: Hope Egan
(NaturalNews) April is National Gardening Month. If you have never considered growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs, here are 10 reasons to start now.1. Gardening is delicious. Homegrown produce, especially juicy tomatoes and fresh basil, are usually tastier than when store-bought. Plant what your family likes to eat and enjoy the rave reviews.
2. Gardening is good exercise. Pulling weeds, digging holes and hauling dirt burns calories comparable to brisk walking. It also challenges and tones both lower and upper body muscles.
3. Gardening is good for children. They can learn the science of seeds and plants. They can learn planning and researching skills by deciding what and where to plant, and what each plant's water, sun and nutrition needs are. They are also motivated to eat healthier foods. This whole process teaches patience in today's era of immediate gratification.
4. Gardening relieves stress. The emotional benefits of gardening are so well known that horticulture therapy has sprung up: horticulture therapists prescribe gardening to help people sleep better, reduce anxiety and boost mood levels.
5. Gardening helps you prepare for potential food shortages. During these days of extreme economic uncertainty and worldwide crop shortages, planting your own food supply could be crucial for your family's survival.
6. Gardening is easier than you think. Just like learning to drive, going to college or having children, gardening can be overwhelming at first, but once you go up the learning curve, it becomes much easier.
7. Gardening makes it easy to eat organic. By avoiding pesticides and chemical fertilizers, it is simple to grow organic food.
8. Gardening makes it easy to eat locally. Harvesting sweet bell peppers from your backyard uses no fuel to transport the finished product to your kitchen. This is quite different than store-bought peppers that traveled from Canada, Holland or Israel.
9. Gardening may be cheaper than store-bought. After some initial investment in tools, seeds and soil amendments, the cost of home-grown produce is often cheaper than store bought. By composting scraps to make your own fertilizer, subsequent year costs can be limited to new seeds and seedlings. And by learning the art of seed saving, this cost can also be avoided.
10. Gardening has withstood the test of time. For its history mankind has depended on gardening to sustain itself; the decline of growing one's own food has paralleled the decline of our nation's health and overall welfare.
Read article
Conclusion
Enjoy National Gardening Month by starting your own garden now. You will reap physical, emotional, financial and intellectual benefits, as well as know exactly where your food is coming from.
Sources
National Gardening Month: http://www.nationalgardenmonth.org/
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Is Coffee Healthy? Is it Organic & Fresh?
The Surprising Benefits of Drinking This 'Unhealthy' Everyday Beverage...
Read entire article from Dr. MercolaOri Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet, The Anti-Estrogenic Diet, Maximum Muscle Minimum Fat, and the upcoming book Unlocking the Muscle Gene is an expert on how to improve your health with foods. In this interview, Ori shares his insights about caffeine.
Sources:
Dr. Mercola's Comments: |
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