Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Little Weight Loss Tip

Tomorrow is the beginning of 2009. I for one am very excited about what this year will bring. More and more I meet people who understand the importance of getting and staying healthy. So I'm excited to work with more of you on your journey to great health.

Because it's January, many of us think about losing weight. Did you know that one simple thing you can do is to sleep more? That's right. Getting 7 to 8 hours of sound sleep daily will make a huge difference in your weight and your overall health.

While you are sleeping - in the deepest stage of sleep - your body is restoring itself and repairing everything that's broken (provided it has the necessary nutrients to accomplish this task). Sleep deprivation can have devastating effects as seen below:
  • Affects mental health: Sleep deprivation has mental, as well as physical, complications. While those with depression are more likely to suffer from insomnia, insomniacs or those suffering from other sleep disorders are also more likely to develop depression.
  • Decreases the production of leptin: Leptin is a hormone that signals the sensation of "fullness" after eating. Without enough leptin, a person's appetite increases, causing him to eat more and crave more foods containing carbohydrates.
  • Increases cytokines: As part of the immune system, cytokines are that fight disease and infection. As the body's levels of cytokines drop, you become more susceptible to illness and infection.
  • Increases insulin resistance: As a lack of sleep makes the body more resistant to insulin, a person is more susceptible to diabetes.
Another reason to get more sleep is to help reduce the cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a stress hormone released at the first sign of stress. In ancient times stress meant we might not be able to find food for a few days, so the natural response of our bodies was to store calories to help us survive. Cortisol is responsible for grabbing those extra calories and, in effect, gluing them to your midsection to see you through stressful times.

The problem is that today's lifestyle causes many of us to feel stressed all day long. So the cortisol is always on board doing it's job. When we don't give ourselves a good 7 or 8 hours of sleep every day to reverse the effects of so much stress, everything will start to wear out and the excess weight will be almost impossible to lose.

So do yourself a favor and get some sleep. Naps will help during the day too - more on that another day. If you want more information on how to de-stress and get rid of cortisol call me or drop me an email. I'd love to help you have a fantastic 2009.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Digestive Enzymes

How are digestive enzymes destroyed or rendered inactive?

1. Chemical cultivation. When natural food is grown in an artificial, chemical environment created by chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, enzyme content suffers.

2. Heat. Enzymes begin breaking down at 118° F and are totally destroyed at 129° F.

3. Pasteurization, Sterilization, Freezing, Micro-waving. All these modern processes render enzymes inactive.

One of the most effective ways of preventing disease is to maintain an ample reserve of enzymes in the body.

Medical research shows that food enzyme supplements can fight illness, slow the development of life-threatening diseases, and slow the effects of aging. Dr. Francis Pottinger conducted an amazing study with over 900 cats. He fed one group of cats raw milk and meat. They lived healthy and disease free. They produced healthy litters generation after generation. He fed another group of cats pasteurized milk and cooked food. After the first generation, this group became lethargic and began to suffer from allergies, infections, and other diseases, including heart, kidney, and lung diseases. Each succeeding generation of cats that ate cooked food suffered more diseases. By the third generation, the cats were unable to reproduce.

Another study showed that after eating cooked food, the human body reacted just as if suffering an acute illness. Within 30 minutes of eating cooked food, white blood cell counts increased dramatically, as though the body were fighting an infectious disease.

In a very interesting experiment, one group of pigs was fed enzyme-rich raw potatoes and another group enzyme-deficient cooked potatoes. The pigs eating cooked potatoes gained weight rapidly. The pigs that were eating raw potatoes did not get fat.

An area of deep concern is obesity. Dr. David Galton at the Tufts University School of Medicine tested people weighing 230-240 pounds. He found that almost all of them were lacking lipase enzymes in their fatty tissues.

Lipase is found abundantly in raw foods, a fat-splitting enzyme that aids the body in digestion. Lipase activity breaks down and dissolves fat throughout the body. Without lipase, fats are kept and stored in tissues. We see this manifest around the waistline, hips, and thighs. According to 1998 statistics, a minimum of 25 percent of our children are overweight today—an increase of 33 percent since 1978. This obesity may be due to chronic enzyme deficiency.

The need to supply our bodies with raw food and therefore live enzymes is critical. That's why we love Body Balance. With 9 sea vegetables, organic aloe, black cherry and raw honey, Body Balance is loaded with abundant live enzymes as well as vitamins, amino acids, minerals and phytonutrients. Body Balance is cold processed and produced FRESH as ordered so it arrives at your door full of all the good nutrition nature intended.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Avoid the "side effects"


I just saw another one of those scary drug commercials for arthritis. You know the one with all the side effects - including death! There is a better way. If you give your body what it needs nutritionally, it can heal almost anything. It's truly amazing! I believe it was Linus Pauling who said that the root of all disease is a mineral deficiency. Imagine ~ just by supplying your body with a broad spectrum of minerals, like we used to get in our food, our bodies can handle attacks from viruses, bacteria, allergens, etc. and win.

Here are some tips from the Food Matters web site.

5 Ways to Reduce Inflammation ~ Without Drugs:

Experts predict that as a result of a study, which seemed to show that the statin drug Crestor lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes in those with high levels of inflammation, will lead to millions of people being put on statin drugs.

But the benefits were actually tiny -- about 0.72 percent of the statin takers in the trial had a heart attack or stroke, compared with 1.5 percent of those taking placebos.

Instead of a statin drug that comes with dangerous side effects, try these five measures instead:

1. Stop smoking. Smoking hardens the arteries and increases inflammation. But research shows you can reverse all the damaging effects to your arteries within 10 years of quitting.

2. Think olive oil, fish, and nuts. People who stick with a Mediterranean-style diet based on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and olive oil can lower their levels of inflammation. It works by increasing the amount of foods you eat that are rich in omega-3 fats, which fight inflammation.

3. Get active. Exercise is a great way to lower inflammation without any of the side effects associated with medications.
Shrink your waist size. If you're a woman with a waist measurement of over 35 inches or a man with a waist of over 40 inches, you probably have high inflammation. Whittling a few inches off the waist by reducing your portions and increasing activity can go a long way toward solving that problem.

4. Get enough sleep. A new study shows that elderly people with high blood pressure who sleep less than 7.5 hours a night have dramatically elevated chances of having a stroke or heart attack. Other research has shown that both too little and too much sleep increases inflammation. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says most adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep each night.

5. Reduce stress. High levels of stress hormones can lead to the release of excess inflammatory chemicals.

Source: U.S. News & World Report November 11, 2008

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If you want help with the stress hormones, take a look at our new TruBoost. It has been clinically shown to reduce cortisol levels by up to 24.8%. A side benefit that many are reporting is a loss of belly fat which is healthy for everyone.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Croupy Cough Natural Remedy

Tis the season for those awful bugs that keep us up nights coughing. I'd love to share with you one of my favorite cough and cold remedies. It's simple and safe for any age.

Bring 2 cups of filtered water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of dried Thyme and a 1/2 inch chunk of peeled ginger. (a teaspoon of bottled ginger works well too)

Let this simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Then strain and add lemon and honey. Be generous with both.

Sip this throughout the day. This will make enough for one adult for one day. Start with 1/4 cup for a 5 year old - you can mix it with apple or cranberry juice.

Most people notice a rapid improvement in just one day. Of course you want to be sure to drink lots of fresh water in addition. Stay warm and sleep as much as possible.

Here's hoping your Holidays are full of joy and good health.
Be well ~
Mary