On Switches for Cancer

A couple of weeks ago, as a public service to the community, I presented Cancer Prevention Awareness Night - a free event whose sole purpose is to educate people on making smarter choices for long term health. You see, cancer is a disease as is diabetes, heart disease, auto immune... and all disease have commonalities when it comes to contributing factors.

I thought I would excerpt some of the information presented in my slides, as I have friends and followers across the nation that I know wanted to be be present at my presentation, but obviously could not.

Inflammation is a major player in cancer and all disease, but take a look at all the causes of inflammation! Granted, we cannot completely control our environment and exposures to toxins, BUT there are many choices we can make...of which we have complete control.

Take a look at the list...I will be covering each of these factors as my time permits. I apologize for not posting more frequently, but I do work full time, have my own growing health and wellness business, coach and help many people and read and study in my "spare time" ...so that I can bring you potentially life saving information as a service to fellow human kind.

•Inflammation

–Acidic vs. Alkaline pH

–Vitamin deficiencies

–GI Bacteria –good gut flora vs. bad

–Toxic overload

–Hormone Imbalance

–Oxygen depletion

–Meds/Radiation

–Sleep deprivation

What's important to realize is that genetic predisposition to cancer makes up a very small portion of diagnosed cases – less than 5. Medication (both Rx and OTC) and radiation are also damaging to cellular health, which is why choosing a healthy lifestyle is important to avoid meds as much as possible.
Rx is a leading cause of disease, 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.
 

Sunshine on My Shoulders Makes Me Happy (for a reason!)

This past weekend I was routed through the Denver, Colorado airport on the way to Vegas for an amazing and transforming weekend with the health and wellness company I consult for, through which I am building my dream life. While in the Deniver airport...John Denver could be heard in just about every store - "Rocky Mountain High", "Sunshine on My Shoulders"...and I got to thinking...

There is a biological reason that sunshine on one's shoulders "makes me happy" - sunshine provides the very necessary Vitamin D3 - which scientists are not recognizing as an actual hormone versus a "vitamin". Which in of itself is interesting...  

Dr. Russell Blaylock has written extensively, in  recent issues of his wellness newsletter, on the topic of anxiety and depression. A commonality, per Blaylock, is a deficiency in Vitamin D.  Therefore, if one has enough Vitamin D3 - the opposite of depression would be "happy". The sunshine vitamin = a dose of happy vitamin.

Here in Wisconsin, winter is cold, lacks sunshine, and the gray skies take a toll on people - S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) becomes more common. This past winter I heard stories from at least 6 people I know whom developed this. I knew my company was likely formulating a Vitamin D spray - I only wished I had it in my hands for those dear to me who were affected - and we had such a LONG winter, too. You can learn more about S.A.D. here.

Dr. Joe Mercola wrote an article, "Vitamin D is VITAL for You - and Your Family", in which he goes into great detail on the benefits of Vitamin D. I will sum it up with his key bullet pointed benefits:

- Heart Health

- Cell formation and longevity

- Skin health

- Pancreatic health

- Aging process

- Sleep patterns

- hearing

- Reproductive Health

- Eye health

- Athletic heatlh

- Vascular System health

- Respiratory Health

- Immune health

- healthy mood and feeling of well being

- Weight management, including carb and fat metabolism

- hair and hair follicles

- Strong healthy bones, as D encourages cacium uptake

- Muscles (check out this article)

Are you surprised to see muscles on the list? I admit I did not realize Vit. D3 was so important for so many biological functions.

Vitamin B12 should go hand in hand with D for maximum benefits. B12 is necessary for red blood cell formation, and helps alleviate chronic fatigue.

I hope this sheds some LIGHT on the topic of the necesisty for Vitamin D., and B12, too!  If you can't get a little sunshine on your shoulders for 15-20 min. per day (no sunscreen, no clothing to cover), you may want to have your levels checked and determine if supplementation may be to your benefit. According to Dr. Gominak, and his report found here, we would need to drink 100 cups of milk per day to get the Vitamin D we need. In fact, after reading that article, I do believe I need to go spray a bit of Essnetial Vitamin D/B12 into my mouth. It will be absorbed quickly, and I just may have the best night's sleep ever!

To your health!

Rita S. 

Color Your Plate!! Forget the FDA Food Plate...

It's summertime! With farmer's markets, home gardens and roadside produce stands there is no better time to start incorporating a healthy eating plan. When the FDA released it's newer, modern food plate in 2011 I was actually shocked by the proportions shown on the plate. This is NOT how we teach our own children to eat.

The FDA plate contains, in a nutshell, too many grains. Most households will throw a slice of bread or pasta in that "section" of the plate thinking it is all good for their children and themselves. When in fact, the "grain" being incorporated into the typical American diet is, in all liklihood, sourced from processed refined flours vs. whole grain products that are comprised of 4-5 ingredients. What this means in easy to understand terms - is that these types of grains are classified as SIMPLE CARBS. Now, don't get me wrong - we need carbohydrates for our bodies to function - but we need COMPLEX carbs.

What's wrong with simple carbs, products made from processed and refined flours, hydrogenated oils, etc. you ask? Basically, these foods are major contributors to Type II Diabetes, high cholesterol, hardening of the arties and blockage, heart disease and more.  (Dr. Russel Blaylock, Blaylock Wellness Report Newsletters) Because simple carbs are processed the same as table sugar in our bodies (Dr. John Lee "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer") it promotes and fuels cancer cell growth. There are  many reasons to reduce simple carbs in one's overall diet. Another one is its contributory factors to auto immune diseases, gluten in particular. Once a family staple in our household, I would guess we have not served pasta in our home for at least 18 months. Once fooled by the "whole grain" varieties, label reading helped me realize that those, as well, are made with processed, refined flours.

That's not to say we go completely without.  Sundays are set aside as a day to enjoy a bakery item - such as a muffin or pastry, made with refined flour, sugar and omega-6 oils (I am reading a lot right now on Omega 6 and Omega 3 oils and surely will share more about that in a future post.) Eating clean 90% of the time allows us to deviate and maintain our weight losses, and continue to keep us free of Rx and OTC drugs.

There is a lot more I could go into regarding the FDA's attempt at create a balanced food plate diagram. Even though it is posted in our children's classrooms, we let our kids know that it does not mean it is accurate in portraying a healthy eating lifestyle.

There is no better time than the summer season to cover 1/2 to 2/3 of your plate in non-starchy vegetables, which contain good carbs. Greens and vegetables are GOOD FUEL for your body and give it the energy it needs. These foods are alkaline based, and when consumed in a ratio that is greater than acidic foods (such as dairy and meat food groups) it will help you lead a life in which you will feel better, look better, enjoy increased clarity of mind and energy.

Below is a sample of a Heatlhy Living Dinner Plate I created after listening to Dr. Molly Geil give a talk on a 30 Day Detoxification/Feeling Fit program. I created this mostly to post on our refrigerator to keep us accountable for food serving proportions, along with ideas for each section in order to assist my husband who is home first weekdays, and typically puts our dinner together. There is an entire booklet available for anyone who does wish to detox or eliminate foods they may be allergic or sensitive to in order to determine what is causing their aches, low energy, weight gain, etc.  The page goes into a detox plan a bit as well, but primarily - the idea was to provide a healthy living food diagram. Our family has incorporated much of the information in this booklet into our day to day living, and the page below simply makes a great "cheat sheet".

Currently, if your plate is all protein, then by all means - start with the FDA plate to steer you in the right direction. However, if you experience any of the simple carb related ailments then I would encourage you to shift gears and color your plate - there is no better time to start than when fresh produce is readily available!

To your health,

Rita S.

Malnutrition is linked to obesity

If your body doesn't get the nutrition it needs it goes on the defensive, this may sound weird, but true. Dieting and cutting calories drastically doesn't work. If you truly want to lose weight you have to give your body the nutrients it needs to survive. If you do not, it thinks it is "starving" and every ounce of fat you have will be retained "for the famine ahead."
What you eat is more important than how much you eat. On my journey to lose 85 lbs., I never once counted calories, checked for carb grams, or tallied points. It was a change of mindset that warranted my success. Now, I did not count calories, but DID read labels. I watched for chemicals that retain fat on the body - such as glutamates (MSG), saccharin, aspartame; and those that spiked insulin production thereby storing fat - sugars, simple carbs, high fructose corn syrup.
It was important to detox my liver with an alkaline based detox derived from sea algae - as a dysfunctioning liver does not properly digest and utilize food, and can be a blame for weight gain. (This is a topic in itself.)
Today, I want to share the importance of taking a QUALITY multi-vitamin. Now, I do have friends who don't believe in vitamins - they claim to get all they need from whole foods. Interestingly enough, all the doctors whose health publications I read are pro-vitamin people. Dr. Russel Blaylock and Dr. Mercola state that U.S. soils are so depleted of nutrients that the whole foods, the spinach, greens, vegetables and fruits we depend on for beneficial nutrients, do not have the same nutrition-packed power as produce of the early 1900s. Dr. Peter Matravers states one would need to consume 5500 calories per day to get all the needed nutrients. Now, I know I could personally not consume that much - I am not physical enough to eat 5500 calories without becoming obese. One of my friends that is all about whole foods - is a daily "power athlete", as I would describe her ...and she can burn all that.
I want to share a post by Dr. Mark Hyman, whose blog you may want to subscribe to. He states, "Overwhelming basic science and experimental data support the use of nutritional supplements for the prevention of disease and the support of optimal health." Supplementation SAVES you money when you spend less on co-pays to the doctors office, Rx, OTC drugs - and health alone is worth its weight in gold, which many of us never realize until it is gone.
He provoides great insight, AND links to studies to back up his article, on the importance of quality vitamins, check it out.
Note that he stresses QUALITY vitamins, as I have in past posts. ORAC value is important. Dr. Peter Matravers says, “it’s not how much you eat but how much you absorb”.
ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity and is an indicator of a substance's ability to absorb (stabilize) radical oxygen molecules in the body that are responsible for many different types of cellular damage.
The vitamins my husband and I use have an ORAC value of 10,000 - which makes them a potent anti-oxidant part of our nutritional plan.
Often I am asked how much my vitamin has of this or that. Let's take calcium as an example. My vitamin brand has 600 mg of calcium citrate.
When someone makes a comment that they need to take 800 mg of calcium a day I ask what the ORAC value is of the supplement they are currently using. If they do not know I ask them to inquire, and explain: For any supplement to be labeled standard process it has to have a minimum ORAC value of 4000. What this means, is that non standardized supplements available from over the counter department store brands have an ORAC value less than 4000. Which supplement would you absorb more calcium from? 600 mgs of calcium citrate at an ORAC value of 10,000, OR 800 mgs of calcium with an ORAC value of 2000, or 400, or even 150, which is not uncommon in inexpensive supplements.
Make sense? You truly get what you pay for, and often people are flushing their hard earned dollars with inexpensive brands. Since we have been taking our essential vitamins daily, we have become a healthy family. Because our family nutrition includes multi-vitamins, vegan Omega 3s and other individually geared supplements, our metabolism is healthier, which results in healthier poeple.
2011 has been a great year for us. Our garden did well, and we may expand it this coming year. We expect to feel even more great in 2012 as we continue to explore whole food nutrition, cook creatively without convenience of malnourishing processed foods, and shop more from local farmers. We are fortunate to have several within a few short miles from our home that sell direct. CSAs are becoming more abundant, be sure to look one up in your area!
Lastly, I am booking into January for "New Year, New You" classes. Are you already considering a 2012 weight loss resolution? Are you confused by calorie counting, carbs, point systems, and label reading? This is my passion and I would be happy to share how I successfully lost 85 lbs. by doing only one of those things...label reading. Contact me to book your class for January, or jump start yet this December by booking a class the evenings of December 27, 28 or 30th!

To your health,
Rita S.