March 9th, 2010 by Wilma Young CPT
By Wilma Young
Walking through the drugstore yesterday I saw the infamous sugar “peeps” that come in multiple shapes and colors for the Easter season. I flipped the package over and the listed ingredients started with sugar then corn syrup (another sugar), 4 different dye colors and carnuba wax. Not only is this awful and nutritionally bankrupt but here was the kicker, in pretty highlighted writing it said ” A Fat Free Candy” and then “Gluten Free”. I was so appalled knowing that the average person trying to manage their weight and increase their health could easily be persuaded that this item was a good choice for them to satisfy their sweet tooth. I know that these “peeps” are not the only land minds in our grocery isles and that navigating through the store can be difficult. But the gluten free aspect of this product (plus many products that use similar marketing techniques) would never make up for the nutriti onal deficiency and chemical bombardment of dyes that your body would have to process. In addition your insulin would spike, your brain would be put into overdrive, your belly would become inflamed and the crash of energy would be abrupt and uncomfortable. This makes this type of product distasteful and disastrous.
The majority of our population doesn’t even know thy are sensitive to chemicals, gluten and excess sugar but have fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort, migraine headaches, chrohns disease, poor quality sleep , irritability and so on and so on and so on. Add to this the chemical confusion of all the dyes and unorthodox ingredients and the brain and the body are going to short circuit and be set up for a major crash. After multiple assaults of this nature the body will eventually be unable to re-boot itself and will start to degenerate at a pace that none of us would want. . The body is an incredible machine. Feed it the right fuel and it will take you for miles and miles. Put too much sugar or chemical into it and you’ll be pulling over at every service station (aka, dr’s office or health practitioner) to get a diagnosis! I am asking you to really keep your radar on high gear, scrutinize these little poison packages disguise d in your Easter basket and realize that your body will pay the price of being a toxic dumping ground. A treat once in a while is definitely okay but choose 70% dark chocolate or at least a dessert made with REAL ingredients that you can pronounce. So when the Easter Bunny shows up at your house this year makes sure he has read the label and has your heart and health in mind. You never know, maybe he’ll smarten up and get you movie tickets or a massage instead!!
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March 5th, 2010 by Wilma Young CPT
By Wilma Young
Every morning I make my first shake of the day. I use Ultrameal protein and add a few ingredients to make the recipe more delicious (like cinnamon) and nutritious (Wholesome Fast Food, a good fats and flax blend) and the “mama” of all additions for me is glutamine. This powerful amino acid is vital to your health. I have used it for years for muscle repair and brain support but when it started to help with sugar cravings, I was a “lifer” as they say! Glutamine is a free form amino acid found in the muscles of the body. Glutamine optimizes nitrogen balance, speeds recovery, and helps maintain cell volume and hydration too.
It also helps prevent muscle wasting and is essential for mental activity and cerebral function. These two things alone should make us all believers but it also supports the treatment of arthritis, auto immune diseases, intestinal disorders, peptic ulcers and connective tissue diseases. It can also be used to help developmental disabilities, epilepsy, fatigue, impotence, depression, schizophrenia and senility. We can all relate to one of these disorders (and maybe a few of us can relate to MANY of them). And yes, many plant and animal substances have glutamine in them but cooking easily destroys them so a supplement is key. It will also help when recovering from any trauma sustained by the body like surgeries, car accidents and after intense work outs, which let’s be honest, can be traumatic to the body if you’re pushing yourself. When I am having an extra hard time with cravings I will increase my protein intake and take an extra dose of glutamine after dinner. Remember that cravings of sugar (or alcohol or simple carbohydrates) can represent the need for a quick energy fix which means we didn’t get ENOUGH of the right foods prior to the energy crash. Glutamine is a terrific addition to your shake or supplement routine especially if you work out, but please take heed. The cravings are your body’s signal that you need to ADD more food, the RIGHT food and at a CONSISTENT level. if you invest in supplying your body with sustainable energy from whole foods, fresh produce and lean meats you will have the energy to accomplish your day, the emotional balance to manage stress and the well being to sleep restfully at night! Now that is better than any craving could ever promise!
Tags: Nutrition, Supplements
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March 2nd, 2010 by Wilma Young CPT
By Angie Lustrick
As the second month of 2010 comes to a close, where do you stand with your resolutions?
Have you made progress or did your motivation sizzle out?
Most people wait around for motivation to strike them like a lightning bolt. Well, I’ve got news: motivation isn’t something that happens to you - it’s something that you create for yourself.
If you don’t feel motivated to achieve your goals, it is likely due to mental roadblocks that hold you hostage. Read the following 21 Mindset Tips and prepare your mind for success.
1)Success comes first in the mind, so visualize yourself accomplishing your goals.
2)Remember, you are the only person who can hold you back.
3)Forgive yourself and love yourself despite past failures.
4)Decide what is important in your life, and focus on that.
5)Conquer each negative thought the moment it enters your mind, when it is weakest.
6)Give up the idea that things won’t go right unless you worry about them.
7)If you bring the body of your dreams to the point of resolve, then you’ll soon be living in it.
8)Look towards your future, if you believe the best is yet to come then it will be.
9)You become what you think about most.
10)The margin between success and failure is very small and easily bridged by determination.
11)Start your day by accomplishing your hardest task first.
12)Set small attainable goals, rather than one monumental goal.
13)Convince yourself that exercise is fun, and it will be.
14)Know your big reason why.
15)Create a motivating play list of songs to use as the sound track to your workout sessions.
16)Every decision you make leads you either closer toward achieving your goal, or farther from it.
17)If you think you’re a fat person, then you’ll stay fat. If you think you’re fit, then you soon will be.
18)Once you’ve set your goal, your attitude either pushes you toward accomplishment or failure.
19)If you don’t know exactly where you want to go, you will likely end up someplace else.
20)You can have the body of your dreams, but first you must give up the belief that you can’t.
21)You can only have two things in life: excuses or results.
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February 27th, 2010 by Wilma Young CPT
By Wilma Young
I want you to start thinking of your food differently. Everything you put in your body can take one of two pathways. That is, it can create an ANTI-inflammatory response or an inflammatory response. There are really no neutral foods except maybe water but that is also debatable. Studies show that the majority of diseases are related to inflammation in the body. Diabetes is inflammation based on the bombardment of sugar that the body cannot handle. High Blood Pressure is inflammation in the cardiovascular system and extra weight and obesity is inflammation of the fat. The fat LITERALLY comes alive. These responses of inflammation lead to a host of ailments and the body feels it is under attack so it goes on the defensive. This does not lead to a healthy body and the body gets significantly unbalanced, tired, grumpy and broken and cannot find optimal health. At this point your body is just trying to put out the “fires” that are raging through it. When we choose food, we can either put the fires out or add gasoline to them! When we choose anti inflammatory foods we are investing in our health, quieting the extreme responses and giving our body the armor it needs to thrive not just survive. Anti-Inflammatory foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, healthy fats and lean meats. Inflammatory foods are processed, full of sugar and usually stripped of all nutrition. These include soda, chips, bottled dressings and sauces, sugary snacks and fast food. This also includes red meat, alcohol and gluten. As an individual, it is important to understand your own body and find your particular triggers that can lead to inflammatory responses like aching joints, indigestion, poor sleep , moodiness, depression, lack of energy, etc. etc. etc.!!. Gluten is in almost everything these days and is responsible for an increasing intolerance in the systems of many people. (If you would like to get some specifics on your body we do have an incredible test that is from Biomeridian. It can test food sensitivities in all food categories. It can also test for parasites and hormone imbalances which can also lead to inflammation). The key is to build your health on a strong foundation and reduce the inflammation response in the body. When you choose healthy foods 80% of the time you can quiet the fires and invest in less disease, less weight, and better emotional happiness, I’m not saying that you will never eat a piece of cake at a birthday party but when your body is in balance it can stave off small “attacks” and move on to continue building health. If it is ALWAYS under attack and resources are depleted , it is going to get weak and then be susceptible to an all out war! Make the choice for yourself. Every time you put something in your mouth ask yourself “which pathway is the fuel going to go, the inflammatory way or the supportive ANTI- inflammatory way?” You make the call every single day!
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February 5th, 2010 by Wilma Young CPT
By Wilma Young
It’s the beginning of the year. You have applied yourself to a healthy lifestyle and have made some positive strides towards this goal. Your pants aren’t quite as tight and the holiday fatigue seems to be waning. Then it appears, in the horizon, you can see the fat laden 7 layer dip with a side of corn chips nestled between a case of beer and a hot dog the size of the Goodyear blimp and you go weak in the knees. This is the first big “food-fest” of the year and it is a time that you can be tested. I have seen the ads for the football shaped cupcakes and the touchdown brownies but you will NOT score with these foods. Even if you make it to the end zone you will ultimately lose the Big Game! I want to encourage during this weekend to be strong. Have a protein shake or a small meal before you go to a party so that you will be less tempted to partake in these sidelining foods. Choose the veggie tray with salsa as your snack instead of the chips and cheese. Choose the BBQ chicken instead of the hot dogs and hamburgers and if necessary keep an “emergency” protein bar in your purse so that you don’t become the Big Bad Wolf when you see the little red flags of pseudo-food. If you can make it through Sunday by making better food choices 80% of the time you will be well on your way to the best year of your life. You will have proven to yourself that you can go to parties and eat well, be with friends and family and not salivate over the fatty foods and you can improve your body, mind and spirit. You will win big at the game of life and isn’t that really what winning is all about?
Tags: Nutrition
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January 30th, 2010 by Wilma Young CPT
By Wilma Young
Recently I was shopping for personal health insurance. Many of you have experienced this unpleasant activity. The first offense I experienced were the dreaded pre-existing condition questions…”Are you currently taking any prescription medications? Are you diabetic? Being treated for cancer?” And the list goes on and on. I am fortunate to be able to answer NO to these questions so I assumed my pricing would be a manageable monthly expense and similar to the HMO plan I currently have. To my economic horror I had the sticker shock of walking into a Mercedes Benz dealership with a Honda checkbook. Thinking that pricing the HMO plans would be the smartest direction turned out to be wrong. Getting a PPO with a HUGE deductible was the best choice as I rarely go to the doctor except for my annual exam and of course in case of an emergency. How lucky I am to be confident in my health. To work out, and create wellness in my life not only adds to the quality I value but also puts me in control of my healthcare. Being at the mercy of an insurance company who sadly only gives a doctor approximately 7 minutes with you in an exam room to evaluate and uncover your obstacles is absurd for both you and the doctor. Both of your hands are tied. In this economic time of upheaval and uncertainty your health is more valuable than most everything in your life. You can’t afford to get sick, so spend your time making yourself WELL!!
Tags: health, Insurance
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January 27th, 2010 by Wilma Young CPT
By Wilma Young
Why is it that we can encourage our children, cheer on our best friends, console our spouses but leave ourselves in a tailspin over the slightest of indiscretions? I recently had a conversation with a client regarding her “failures”. She was feeling like a week of “bad behavior” had negated months of hard work. I have most certainly walked in her shoes! The roller coaster of changing your health and improving your body is not always easy. We start with the best of intentions. We shop and prepare, work out and plan only to find a sick child or an extra project at work provides a temporary derailment. This is usually the time we give up! If this were to happen to our loved one, we would hug them and encourage them but for ourselves, we berate and get disgusted with the fact that we are not perfect. We ultimately feel like a failure. I am suggesting that we turn this around once and for all. The definition of failure is never to try. The definition of success is making to the gym, making a healthy choice for lunch and providing a nurturing environment for our own personal growth. The definition of success is trying despite the fact that we do not accomplish perfectionism. Beside, perfectionism is an unrealistic goal and even to get close is setting ourselves up for a rigid regime that leaves us bankrupt and depressed. Let’s pride ourselves in the journey, pat ourselves on the back every time we make the healthy choice, hug ourselves for loving our own bodies and investing in them. To care for ourselves in even the tiniest of ways is truly a success. It is the small changes every day that make lasting results. Remember, failure is never trying, success is taking ACTION!
Tags: Mindset, Success
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January 19th, 2010 by Wilma Young CPT
By Wilma Young
I had a pregnant client in the store today to get her fish oil supplements. She proceeded to tell me how tired she is (of course, who wouldn’t be when you are 2 weeks away from delivering) and her eyesight has been blurry. She asked her doctor about the blurry vision and he said “it was because of the baby taking all of the vitamins and nutrients from her body for it’s own growth”. I agree that this is what the baby needs right now but not at the expense of Mom’s eyesight. I asked if she was taking her prenatal vitamins and she said yes but she was using a drug store vitamin. Hearing this made me concerned for her and for the baby knowing that the cheap vitamin will not break down well, provide inferior nutrients and basically become “bedpan bullets”. This is not the foundation to a healthy and happy baby! In my usual mischievous tone I asked her why she would be using such poor quality vitamins and a high quality fish oil supplement. “I need to save money right now and thought the fish oil was more important to spend the money on”. “I completely empathize with your economic ordeal but the drug store vitamin isn’t giving you what you and the baby need. You HAVE to invest in the health of your baby AND you and skimping on vitamins right now is not the way to go. Spending the money now to help your baby develop his brain and body is like saving for his college fund. Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The only time you will have 100% control over what he ingests is right now while he is inside of you, Let’s look at the cost!” We then went to the Prenatal Vitamin packs from Metagenics to calculate the dollars. The packets have the fish oil (which she was already going to buy), the multi vitamin and the added bonuses of choline, calcium/magnesium and added DHA, critical to brain development. Taking into consideration the drug store vitamin cost and the fish oil she was already going to buy the difference came out to @ $5.00. This didn’t take in to account the extra nutrition she was getting in the packets with the added DHA etc. “Isn’t it imperative for your own mental and physical health during this phenomenal and monumental time to invest the extra $5.00? You and your baby’s body and mind are worth it! Cutting cost now will only make you pay dearly in the future”.
Isn’t our next generation worth the investment.? Can we change our world by bringing healthier children into it? I say Yes!! What do you say?
P.S. She did start on the Metagenics Prenatal vitamins…who wouldn’t after a badgering like that!
Tags: multivitamin, Nutrition, pregnancy, Supplements
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January 12th, 2010 by Angie Lustrick, CN, CPT
By Wilma Young, CPT
I got home today and what was my mailbox FULL of? Fast Food ads! A bucket of “this” and a biscuit stuffed “that” served with a huge side of heart disease and high cholesterol. I came home a bit tired and not wanting to cook so I can understand how hard it can be to resist these easy fast meals but I urge you…NO I beg you not to do it. The sodium, hydrogenated fats and useless “filler” of a food may be cheap today but our body’s will pay dearly in the future. Yes, this economy makes us think that the $2.99 special is the way to keep us going but please, think this through. You will pay for that meal with a slowing digestive tract, a weaker immune system, less nutrition in the body, poorer sleep and eventually a waistline that will bring in chronic disease and dare I say, jeans that will know longer have a home because you will have out grown them. I did not have an exciting dinner. No, I must say it was bland but I didn’t have the creative strength to whip up a Julia Child entree. So what did i eat? I had an easy omelette. 10 minutes from prep to plate…and it only cost me $3.01 (and no sales tax:)!. This was using only the best ingredients, a high Omega egg ($.36) , egg whites from a high quality source (@ $.75), organic steamed broccoli (@ $1.00) and some low fat cottage cheese ($.90). Not the dinner that I had in mind but I have added good nutrition, better sleep, lower blood pressure, a good mood and lots of “positive brain and body food” to my life. I can do this because I shop smartly and keep the best staples in my fridge and pantry, Julia Child may not be impressed but I will guarantee that you will thank yourself for a meal well prepared and a waistline that will fit in to your future the way you have always dreamed it would!
Tags: fast food, healthy eating, junk food
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January 10th, 2010 by Angie Lustrick, CN, CPT
By Wilma Young, CPT
You know the drill. It’s Thanksgiving, then Christmas and then of course a Happy New Year, right? But when we let ourselves have a little too much “celebration” and too little activity we feel a bit sluggish and in some need of a fast fix. My advice to you is RESIST!!! Resist the urge to go the “quick fix” route. The only way you can lose weight quickly is in an unhealthy way…starvation, too little protein, and skipping breakfast. Doing these things leads to unhealthful weight loss and irritability and then our family and friends pay the price of a grumpier “you”! This route will not bring you to a healthy body weight that can be sustained for a long period and then next year you could be right back in the same boat with even more to lose. Let’s get off this roller coaster once and for all. I am going to suggest that THIS year you do it differently, that THIS year you will make the consistent healthy choices that will prolong your life, that THIS year you will give yourself more energy and a stronger body and set yourself up for a happier you all year long. If you just commit to one change per week and stick with it you will impact your life not only physically but you will empower yourself spiritually. This year will be the year that you invest in yourself! Besides, aren’t you worth it?
Tags: diet, health, New Years, Resolutions, weight loss
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