I am at the check out line noticing the woman in front of me. She has the classic American apparel of grey, baggy sweats and an oversized shirt. Her energy seems to be negative and I feel sad for her because it looks like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. As she approaches the conveyer she proceeds to give the checker and bagger the specifics on how she would like her transaction to be handled. I was enthralled at this woman’s demeanor and wondered how she got to this place in her life. Then as she started to remove her groceries from her cart she literally threw them on the check out stand. One time after another with no consideration as to how they were landing or what they hit. When the yogurt containers hit the cellophane chicken bending it out of it’s original shape I was awstruck by how callously she was handling her food. That the respect, or lack there of, she was showing to the food was representative of how she felt about life was obvious to me. I wondered how she got to a point in her life that she no longer cared about the quality of her food or maybe when she stopped valuing herself enough to think that she was unworthy of consideration and kindness. I thought that if she treated her food this way, she would also prepare the food with negative energy and she would then ingest this negative energy and the cycle would continue.My wish for all of you out there would be to realize that the respect we show our food, our environment and each other is important for our individual well being. That the collective is only as strong as the individuals. When you are kind to a stranger you are being kind to yourself. When you consider the positive nature of how your food is processed and the humanity in which it is provided is representative of your humanity to yourself. That if you manage your family and friends with love, that you deserve the same love back! Start to see the connection between our attitudes and our bodies and you will finally realize there is a mind-body connection. Start to apply this everyday to your life and you have health beyond your wildest dreams!!
Archive for May, 2010
So I’m At The Grocery Store…
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010Gluten-Free? Diet Craze or Epidemic?
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010More and more products are now advertising that they are gluten-free. What does “gluten free” mean anyway? Good question! Gluten is the protein found in wheat. Any wheat containing product will also have gluten in it. As a nutritionist, I am noticing many people are confused with the emphasis on the recent gluten-free craze. Because we have seen the Atkins Diet, and low-fat diets, and many other diet plans, it is easy to dismiss the gluten-free acronym as just another diet. The truth is, gluten sensitivity is becoming epidemic in the world. Symptoms are often seen within 20 minutes of eating wheat containing foods, but may take up to 6 hours. These symptoms can include: headache, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, anemia, congestion, itchy ears, phlegm, malabsorption of nutrients, moodiness, and the list goes on and on. HOWEVER – gluten sensitivity may be asymptomatic (no symptoms at all!). But prolonged exposure can lead to serious health consequences. Gluten sensitivity at its extreme is diagnosed as celiac disease. But can also show up as colitis, crohns disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. Long term exposure to wheat in sensitive individuals is directly linked to elevated liver enzymes and/or cirrhosis, faulty thyroid function, and alzheimer’s disease.
So how come so many of us are having problems with wheat nowadays?
The underlying reason, in my opinion, is genetically modified wheat. When we genetically modify a food, we change its chemical structure. This new structure is unfamiliar to our bodies and our bodies react to it. This causes autoimmune responses. Wheat was the first genetically modified food, thus we are now seeing reactions to this food. Next, we will most likely see allergic responses to corn and soy – two other foods that are genetically modified.
The big problem I see with these modified foods is that once you eat them, your body sends signals against that particular food. Meaning, if you eat a genetically modified wheat product, your body now will react to ALL wheat that you consume – regardless if it is modified. Your body views it as an intruder.
Unlike normal food allergies, a person can’t eat gluten in moderation. Any bite or sip of a gluten containing product will cause harm to a sensitive person’s body regardless how long they have avoided gluten. This is very scary considering that wheat is in so many of our foods, cosmetics, lotions and shampoos. If you are gluten sensitive, I would advise you to google gluten-containing foods because it will freak you out just how many products have gluten in it. For example: soy sauce, ketchup, artificial maple syrup, chips, breaded items, frozen entrees, pasta, and salad dressing may contain gluten.
So how do you know if you have a sensitivity if you don’t have any symptoms? There are two ways to find out. One is a blood test by your doctor. The other is by doing a non-invasive (no needles!) sensitivity screening at my office.
What Are You Doing To Lose Weight That Is Actually Working Against You?
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010By Wilma Young
Do you find yourself saying, “It’s a new beginning. I will conquer IT this time. I will eat only minuscule
amounts, deprive myself of the things I love and drink diet soda until the cows
come home to quench my hunger. I will be a diet martyr even if my family hates me in the meantime.
Besides, they will LOVE me more when I am thinner. I will MAKE this weight get
off of me even if it kills me”!!!…Well believe me honey, it will!!
How many times have you decided that, by brute force, you will make your body acquiesce to
your ideals and finally have the body you have always wanted? Then you end up not
only NOT thinner but grumpier and unhappier?
First, you must eat to release weight. If you starve the muscle you will reduce your metabolism and your body will hold onto the fat because it goes into starvation mode. It doesn’t know
when it will get it’s next meal and especially in the case of women, the body will hold onto the
fat for survival. Then when you sacrifice to the point that you feel totally
deprived, your body feels annoyed and you hold onto resentment. This negative energy
stays stored in your cells. It will have a major impact on how your
body holds onto toxins and that inevitably will hinder your progress.
Then, the dreaded diet soda. You think that having zero calories and plenty of chemicals
floating in your system will trick your body into weight loss but think again. The
chemicals are sending out signals that tell your body it is getting sugar, but
it really ISN’T getting sugar. Now your body is releasing insulin to manage the
sugar that can’t be found and then you will store all of this in your tummy area. You feel
bloated and you start holding onto to water weight. This is NOT the formula for a happy, healthy
life.
May I suggest that the slow steady pace, the one that allows for meals
every 2-3 hours, a little variance when it comes to your favorite item (in
moderation of course) and a ZERO TOLERANCE for diet soda is the key to long term
health and weightloss success! I prefer you do not consume any soda at all in your diet but
if you absolutely must, make it a regular. Granted, it is 10+ teaspoons of sugar -
but at least your body recognizes it as sugar and not the chemical composition
that even a chemistry student would have a hard time deciphering. Remember, your
body is a miracle. It can take a lot and keep on going but let’s get serious. Do
you want to live on this rollercoaster? Do you want to hate not being able to
indulge every once in a while? Do you want to send the signals to your body that
you will force it into submission? Anyone who has dealt with small children and tried to force them into submission can tell you this is a short term solution that will make the next blow-out bigger. Be kind to
yourself. Give your body the foods it really wants so it can perform at optimal
levels. And PLEASE let the soda go. Your body will react by achieving an ideal weight and your cells and your soul will thank you!
P.S. If you want more tips on weight loss just sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter on our homepage
When It’s One of Those Days
Thursday, May 13th, 2010>by Wilma Young
> Too many obligations, late nights, chores to do and not enough “me”
> time. Sound familiar? Well what do you do when you know that being
> healthy is the right choice but frankly all you want to do is crawl up
> to a pint of Haagen- Dazs and cry yourself to sleep. The battle that
> ensues between the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other
> can be draining. Most days I do make the right choice but on those
> days I feel overwhelmed and underappreciated and mostly by me and not
> those around me, I go weak in the knees. I want to return to the days
> of reckless abandon, delve into the cookies and ice cre am and forget
> what discipline and hard work has done for me. If I do n’t pull myself
> out within a short time, I could slip down that rabbit hole and
> eventually wake up more miserable and more over whelmed then when I
> started. This is the time to BREATHE! This is the time t o take stock
> of the little choices that are made each and every day that have
> brought you to a healthier life and happier body. I person ally find a
> way to make myself a healthy dessert (try Greek yogurt with Chocolate
> protein powder, a little glutamine and shredded coconu
> t…yummy!!) , sit in a comfy chair with a great book and enjoy a sile
> nt moment. You could take a bath, get a pedicure or sit outside in t
> he sun and soak up some vitmain D for five minutes! I know life has a
> way of interfering with your plans to be the perfect spouse, a good
> friend and a contributing citizen but sometimes you have to check out
> for a while to recharge your batteries and we have to be okay with
> that. We need to forgive ourselves the fact that there may be days
> that you are not at 100% and that the world will not end because i t.
> Take a moment for yourself, sit for a minute and remember that going
> down that rabbit hole won’t make you feel any better.
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How to Show Appreciation
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010By Wilma Young
We recently had a client who has the admirable job of being a teacher. She is also a wife and a Mom with the responsibility of taking care of a family including a special needs daughter. She is a terrific person and with all that she has to do she is also trying to manage her own health with good nutrition and exercise. She came in this week feeling a bit down because it had been “Teacher Appreciation Week” and with very good intentions the gifts of treats and sweets added up. Not just in her classroom but in the break room and with all her fellow teachers. She tried hard to resist most of the time but caved on a few occasions and was beating herself up. Come to find out one of the administrators, with perfectly good intentions, sent out a note to parents about showing “appreciation”. Unfortunately, in our current state, we think of appreciation as a sweet food or sugaring coffee drink which only brings on the high of a quick boost and the sudden drop of blood sugar. Add to that grumpiness and tiredness and we don’t feel like being appreciated, we just feel like being left alone. I would like to suggest something better. How about if we show our appreciation with flowers, or how about some paper, sticky notes or pencils that are needed in the classroom but yet so many teachers , with our failing budgets, tend to buy out of their own pocket. Maybe a gift card to Michaels or Target where that can load up on supplies or maybe a well thought out note of thanks. Just putting into words that you acknowledge a teacher’s hard work and sacrifice will go a very long way with someone who normally only hears a parent’s complaints and not their praises. Teachers mold all of our futures when they mold young minds. Can we recognize that just like kids, too much of a good things leaves them burned out and unable to perform at their best. PLEASE, we want our teachers to feel appreciated but let’s change our mindset on how to do this. Let’s not associate feeling good with cupcakes and brownies. Let’ start with the abc’s of appreciation…Show them Affection, wish them Blessings and offer Compassion!