Enjoy your Journey

So many times when I’m talking to people about nutrition the first thing most of them want is to lose weight. I would say 80% of them have tried every diet there is, had some success and then gained all of their weight back again. How discouraging is that? After a while, they either give up altogether or are so consumed by counting calories, staying away from fats and trying to stick to their “newest” diet that they’re miserable most of the time. No wonder the diet industry is one of the largest in the modern world! I want people to try and start looking at losing weight in a whole new way and hopefully it will help them be happier, healthier AND, as a bonus, they WILL lose weight but because their bodies are functioning properly and NOT because they've managed to "survive" yet another diet.

When I look at nutrition, I NOW see it as what my body “needs” on a daily basis as fuel for all of its metabolic processes. (I didn't always think like that, trust me!) We have become victims of the food processing industry that is always coming out with the newest, the most convenient, eye-catching products to entice us (and, worse, our kids) and they seem to be able to make it cheaper than we can buy “real” food and, sadly, they have contributed to many, many of the health issues that are taking over our lives and costing us in both dollars and quality of life. Of course, I want to enjoy what I eat but when I gave myself the chance to experience eating “real” food it became very easy to enjoy the flavors, the colors and textures of food as it was meant to be.

The “modified”, processed food started to taste and feel like poison to my body – and, really, that’s what it is. When people don’t eat “real” food it’s like putting a foreign object into the body that it doesn’t recognize and therefore it tries to get rid of it – because that’s what the body is designed to do – get rid of invaders. Because we ignore the symptoms we get(like bloating, headaches, aching joints and muscles, fatigue and more)
from eating non-foods and keep eating these chemical-laden, genetically-altered products that are marketed to us as “food”, our poor body eventually gives up trying and starts to fall apart. “Falling apart” may manifest itself in the form of excess weight gain, diabetes, allergies, auto-immune diseases, cancer, heart-disease, depression – the list goes on and on and on. Is it any wonder that we have more new diseases popping up than ever before when we look at what we’ve all been eating for the last several decades?

In Holistic Nutrition we recognize that the “whole” person is involved in becoming and being healthy. Often when someone gets fixated on what they perceive as their “problem” (to lose weight) they do so at the cost of other areas of their life because they are stressed and stuck on that one aspect that hangs over their head. It becomes a vicious cycle. They crave the things they aren’t “allowed” to have; they don’t enjoy eating because it makes them feel guilty; and, eventually their whole life has become this “dark cloud” attached to eating/weight loss.

My first suggestion to people is "eat REAL, LIVE food" and eat it in a balanced way - our bodies LOVE balance! Don't eat lots of breads, pastas, meats or gravies but try to make about 50-60% of what you eat be enzyme-rich foods with vitamins and minerals (fruits and vegetables) but please make sure they're NOT canned or processed in any way.(And avoid microwaving as that kills the enzymes and nutrients.) 30-40% should be proteins for rebuilding and about 10% healthy fats such as coconut oil, flaxseed oil, oil fish like salmon, REAL butter (never margarine). If you concentrate on this kind of eating rather than counting calories or "points" or weighing your food portions you may find yourself having more success without the pressure. Also, I always suggest giving your pantry a good purging - get rid of any processed/boxed foods so they're not there to tempt you. If they're around you WILL eat them, trust me.

A “whole person” approach recognizes that one should enjoy food as the Earth’s bounty but should also appreciate the other “gifts” we have been given such as a mind with which to think and make choices, the ability to interact with others and touch their lives with simple kindnesses. We need to enjoy the journey of this life we’ve been gifted while honoring who and what we are that makes us unique on a planet of 7 billion other people. In the simplest terms, I believe true health will occur when we learn to honor our body by feeding it the very best of what it needs; when we honor our mind by nurturing it, not only with nutrition, but with imagination, music and art; when we honor our world and environment by keeping it clean and healthy for the next generation and by breathing in deeply of its air and soaking up the rays of the sunshine and finally, when we honour our “humanity” by treating others with kindness, respect and tolerance.

I hope this gives you some "Food for Thought". Until next time....

Mary-Lou

The end of the World

If we believe the Mayan calendar, the end of the world is supposed to happen on December 21, 2012 – 5 days from now. I don’t get caught up in doomsday theories and hadn’t really thought much about it but, lately, I’ve been noticing a definite shift in the way people are behaving and in what they’re saying. The latest heartbreaking tragedy in Newtown, Conn yesterday (Dec 14, 2012) where 20 innocent 6 and 7 year old kids were gunned down along with 6 of their teachers has shaken all of us, collectively, to our core but, perhaps more significantly, has made us say “enough”.

I believe December 21, 2012 may NOT be the end of the physical world but, rather, the end of the world “as we know it”. As we enter the Age of Aquarius a new global consciousness is emerging – one of hope instead of fear, of peace not war, a feeling of being connected with our fellow man instead of being separated and a feeling of contentment rather than always wanting more. The world we have known for the last generation – a world of “ME” – is coming to an end because it HAS to. With all of the new technology we use everyday, many of us are becoming more aware of how little we interact with REAL people anymore. “We have all become masters of observation. It is easier to watch Friends on TV than it is to have a friend or be a friend….It’s easier to be a big loser by sitting on your butt watching The Biggest Loser than it is to get off your butt and lose weight yourself.” (“It’s Called Work for a Reason” Larry Winget)
It’s easier to hide behind social media where you can say what you want and attack who you want without having to witness firsthand how your actions may be hurting that person you’re attacking. Throw out a comment that can’t be taken back and that the whole world can see and then walk away while that person’s world may be crashing and burning around them.

Look around at any given time in places like restaurants, sporting events, shopping malls, libraries – anywhere there are people – and you will surely notice that virtually ALL of them are busy on their cell phones whether texting or watching videos or reading their mail. Very few of them are talking to each other or noticing others around them. It’s like they’re encased in individual little bubbles that float around each other but never allow interaction. As a society we don’t really SEE people or LISTEN to people or EMPATHIZE with people anymore. But it IS changing….I can see and feel subtle changes everyday.

We are waking up from the technology “drunk” we’ve been on for the last several decades and starting to realize that what makes us human is NOT how much technology we can invent or own or use but, rather, how we connect, heart to heart, with others in our world. What sets us apart from other species is our ability to feel sympathy and empathy, joy and sorrow. We feel better when we GIVE to others because it connects us to something bigger than ourselves.

I look forward to the end of the world as we know it. I, for one, have had ENOUGH of the old world order and eagerly await the Age of Aquarius.

Honor your Body

Don’t you think it’s sort of strange that we “live” in our body but have no idea how it works? We depend on what our parents have taught us about eating, hygiene and sleeping, among other things, but generally we just take it for granted that the good old body will function no matter what we throw at it.

When people get a cold or the flu or other illnesses and they go to the doctor thinking he will “fix” them they’re under-estimating the body’s innate ability to take make itself “right” again. But if they’ve only eaten fast or processed food all their life or never seem to get a “good” night’s sleep or are so stressed out by work that they have indigestion all the time they are making the job of the body so much harder. People just want to take a pill to make them feel better and they want it now! So it becomes a vicious cycle with the pills masking the symptoms and the “silenced” symptoms then leading to other, perhaps worse, illnesses.

Don’t get me wrong….I think Doctors are essential for emergencies but I also think they should help us/teach us HOW to look after ourselves better. If we understood how the body worked we’d realize that those symptoms are the body’s way of telling us something has to change. It needs help if it’s going to heal itself and it CAN heal itself because that’s what it’s designed to do. Even when we already have symptoms, there are ways to support the body so it can rebuild and get back its vitality.

Take a headache, for example. When people get a headache, most will reach for the Pain relievers without taking a minute to figure out WHY they have a headache. Are they dehydrated? Stressed? Are the muscles in their neck so tight they feel like boulders? Was it something they ate that they might be sensitive to? They could try to drink a big glass of water and see if that helps. They could massage peppermint oil along the back of their neck and on their temples to see if that eases things – including those tight muscles. They could try some deep breathing to take more oxygen in. I think pain relievers should be used as a last resort if possible (and I know it’s not always possible). I still rely on some of my Mom’s and Grandma’s remedies. When I get a sore throat I still gargle with warm salt water and vinegar. When I have a chest cold, I still grab the good old Vapour Rub (Vicks) AND YES I will take a swig of Buckleys if things get real bad (and, touch wood, I haven’t had to do that in a long time). The important thing to remember is that our body CAN fight off most viruses and other illnesses IF we keep our immune system strong and we LET the body do the fighting. A fever is a sign that the body is fighting the virus so don’t take meds to get rid of the fever – take a cool shower or bath instead, drink plenty of water and REST – unless the fever gets alarmingly high at which time a doctor should be consulted. A cough is the body trying to expel the build up of mucous – so don’t take a cough suppressant. Get the idea?

Did anybody watch CNN’s special the other night, “Deadly Dose” about the over prescribing of pain meds in America (and, trust me, Canada too)? The U.S. consumes 80% of the world’s pain medications yet they have only 20% of the world’s population!! Scary! We are a generation of pill poppers and quick fixes and we do so at a tremendous cost to our health. Is it any wonder that with all of our technology and advances in medicine there has actually been an INCREASE in many diseases. I truly believe it’s because we don’t ever let our body do what it’s supposed to do. That, combined with the intense stress most people are under, poor diets and not enough sleep/ relaxing or physical activity are all factors that we DO have control over.

I think people are starting to “get it”. When we honor the body and “listen” to what it’s trying to tell us we have a much better chance of avoiding illness or dealing with illnesses in a way that won’t ultimately do more harm.

A Long and Happy Life

As I come to the end of 3 years of my Holistic Nutrition studies I understand clearly how this kind of "wellness-care" will become the 21st century’s answer to solving our escalating health issues. “Holistic” care encompasses our entire being – our Body, our Mind and our Spirit. It recognizes that each individual is unique but also that our state of mind and our spirituality are intrinsically tied to HOW our bodies function and, therefore, to our overall health.
I see this in every person I meet but really recognize it in people like me who are middle-aged or older, have raised their families and are, perhaps, uncertain about what the future holds for them. When I turned 50 I was about 20 lbs overweight, had various aches and pains, migraine headaches and absolutely no energy. I chalked it up to “getting old”. I believed from what others said and what society accepted that getting old “allowed” us to feel tired and drained; to carry extra weight; to have no sense of excitement; to simply get older and, eventually, die. What?? No way!! It was at that point that I realized, “50 isn’t OLD” and took steps to change my health but, maybe more importantly, my outlook.

Almost everyone I talk to and see around me are stressed, overweight, exhausted and NOT smiling. If anything their faces have a pinched look, they’re yelling at their kids or spouse, they are gulping down an energy drink or another “double-double” coffee just to make it through the afternoon. Their health is suffering, their relationships are suffering and they’re on their way to getting old before their time.
Our bodies are designed to live for well over a hundred years. Let’s consider what happens after we’re born. Babies are not always breast-fed anymore and are introduced to refined and processed foods at a very young age leading to various ailments including allergies, ADHD, ear infections (which leads to antibiotic overuse) and more. They are not encouraged to be active. The first “babysitter” is often the television to keep them occupied. They spend a lot of time indoors rather than outside breathing in fresh air and absorbing beneficial sunshine. This trend continues throughout their childhood and into their school-aged years. They see their parents stressed and working long hours to try and stay ahead and they become like them. As adults, we feel the pressure to succeed at any cost and give up things we may have enjoyed in the past. We no longer have time to pursue things that make us feel good. We no longer have time to cook a good meal so we use the drive-thru. Family time becomes an hour or so squeezed into every day. We fall onto the sofa in the evening, exhausted, and fall asleep watching the next “reality” show. Unfortunately, this has become society's new reality and, I believe, it’s what is a huge contributor to our current health crisis.

Stress is the beginning of our downward health spiral. When we are stressed physically or psychologically the body suddenly shifts its energy resources to fighting off the perceived threat. In what is known as "fight or flight response", the sympathetic nervous system signals the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones make the heart beat faster, raise blood pressure, change the digestive process and boost glucose levels in the bloodstream. Once the crisis passes the systems usually return to normal. But what happens when we are constantly stressed? Our systems never have the chance to return to normal.
When cortisol and epinerphine are released, the liver produces more glucose, a blood sugar that would give you the necessary energy to fight or flight in an emergency. So, not surprisingly, constant stress leads to too much blood sugar which can lead to weight gain and Type II diabetes not to mention an overworked liver, heart and every other system in our body. Our immune system becomes suppressed because our body is using all of its energy to handle the stress.

So, in a holistic approach to improving health, we must not only support the body’s systems nutritionally but we must learn how to relieve stress and have a good mental outlook. We need to find balance in every aspect of our life. We need to nurture ourselves and find what makes US happy and content. In my opinion, there is nothing worse than finding yourself middle-aged, unhappy, unfulfilled AND unhealthy. If that’s where you find yourself ask this simple question – “What is something I’ve always wanted to do but have never done?” then go and DO it! You may recognize this  as a “bucket list” but whatever we call it, it is really the first step to improving every aspect of your life, including your health.
50 is NOT old! It is the beginning of some of the best years of our lives. We finally have the time to do the things we didn’t have time for before. We are interesting, we are knowledgeable and we have a lot to share with the younger generation. It is OUR time to be true to WHO we are, not who others think we SHOULD be. We need to find what we are passionate about and DO it!

If you are only in your 20’s or 30’s and think this doesn’t apply to you, think again! Most adults your age who I meet look and feel middle-aged already! If you can implement changes now, while you’re still young, you’ll be able to greet aging with enthusiasm and good health. We are only given ONE life to live and as we reach middle age we realize the clock is ticking. But it’s never too late to embrace life, experience it and enjoy every minute with calm, peace, joy and abundance rather than wasting it being stressed about things that don’t mean much in the big picture. 

Note:  No matter what your age or your current health condition I invite you to consider looking at FGX PowerStrips™ as an all-natural way to regain your health, relieve your pain AND your stress.  Ask me for more details:  seawellness@hotmail.com  www.seawellness.fgxpress.com

Enzymes - Did you know...?

The things I've learned while taking my Holistic Nutritionist course have made me realize how much we take for granted the miracle of how our bodies work. What I've recently discovered about enzymes really opened my eyes. Did you know that without enzymes our cells can die? That's because enzymes are responsible for every chemical reaction in our body.

"The healing power of enzymes is absolute and proven. Almost every regulatory system in out body depends on enzymes and suffers by their depletion: coagulation, inflammation, wound healing, and tissue regeneration, to name just a few."

The enzymes throughout our body is replenished by the living foods we eat.


Enzymes are ONLY found in living foods like vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, RAW meat and RAW fish which is why it's so important to eat as many raw, whole foods as you can. Now, I'm not a fan of eating raw meat or fish so I depend on raw plant-based food to replenish my enzymes daily.

When you eat food that is processed or full of preservatives the enzymes are destroyed by those preservatives and therefore the food cannot be broken down in your stomach. If your daily diet is mostly those types of food you are seriously compromising your health. The body has to work itself to exhaustion just to try and digest the non-foods you've eaten. When the body is malnourished like this it results in health problems like a lowered immune system, fatigue, higher cholesterol and blood pressure, toxin build-up and an overabundance of yeast and molds in your body.


When people get chronic conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, candida, allergies and just feel poorly in general they should take a very close look at their diet. Sadly, most go to the doctor who will prescribe a number of prescriptions that will mask the problem but will never address the CAUSE of the problem. And the medications will often make the problem worse over the long-term.

The new ForeverGreen "Raw Promise Program" is based on eating "real" food. www.seawellness.rawpromise.com  By doing so for just 14 days, your health will improve dramatically and you will start to lose weight, have increased energy, better sleep, clearer skin....the list goes on and on.

I've attached a very easy-to-read reference about enzymes that I know you'll find interesting. www.jigsawhealth.com/pdf/how_do_enzymes_work_in_your_body_langford.pdf

Education is the key that is going to help us solve the new health crisis being caused by foodless foods or, as I like to refer to them...."Frankenfoods". Keep learning and being aware of everything you put into your body - the results will amaze you.

The Spice of Life

The little things in life really are the "spice" of our lives, the things that bring a smile to our face or enrich our experiences on an otherwise regular day.  Things like a beautiful sunrise, someone opening a door for you, a smile from a stranger or the giggle of a child.  Activities like dancing, yoga, working out, hobbies or reading a good book.  These are the things we tend to take for granted but they can make a big difference in how we enjoy our life.

The same is true of spices in the nutritional world.  I've been on a kick lately to try new spices like cummin, tumeric and, my favorite, cinnamon.  The health benefits of spices have been known for centuries and cultures who use spices all the time like the Indian and Mexican people tend to be very healthy.  I did a bit of research and it's fascinating stuff. 

Chili and Cayenne:  relieves pain, heart health, stops ulcers

Cinnamon:  antimicrobial, stops bacteria and yeast, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar

Tumeric:  arthritis relief, powerful anti-inflammatory for Chron's disease, cancer and Alzheimers

Oregano:  powerful antibacterial agent, has 4x the antioxidants of blueberries
(ForeverGreen's "Immuneyes" has both Oil of Oregano and Virgin Coconut Oil and is one of the best products I've ever used for preventing colds/flu or stopping them once you have them)   https://www.poweredbyforevergreen.org/content/library/IMMUNEYESBrochure.pdf

Garlic:  anti-fungal, antiviral, heart health

Ginger:  helps ease nausea, cancer fighter, relaxes blood vessels

Parsley:  fights cancer, neutralizes carcinogens

We depend so much on pharmaceuticals these days and it amazes me that the relief we're seeking could just as easily be found in nature and we'd get the extra benefit of enjoying our food more too.  So I invite you to try out new recipes or just add some new spices to your food.  For example, I often add cinnamon to my morning smoothie.  It's so good and so very easy.  Even something as simple as Ginger Tea has such great health benefits.

Let me know of any recipes you may have that use spices we don't normally think of like cummin or tumeric. 

Also be sure to answer my question on the right of this page :)

Yours in Health,

Mary-Lou

Choices

We are faced with, and make, choices everyday.  What to wear?  Which movie to watch?  What to do today?  What to eat?  And we make those choices based on something - how we're feeling at the time or if we need something like warm clothes because it's cold outside or if we need to go to work because we need a paycheque or food because we're hungry.
When it comes to our health I think we make choices based on a variety of things but one of the the most important things we should have to help make those choices is good information.  We are constantly bombarded with conflicting information from various sources. 
To make the best decision when it comes to our health one should, first of all, list to our intuition.  Most of us intuitively know when something about our health has changed.  Maybe we've gained extra weight; we're getting headaches when we never did before; we wake up feeling "puffy" or not rested.  These are all indicators that something is going on that is affecting our overall health.
For many of us, the first thing we do is look for relief at the drugstore - that "quick fix" - but this is where it's most important to take a step back and learn a bit more. 

What I've found while studying for my Holistic nutrition course is that one should pay close attention to what you're eating on a daily and weekly basis.  A good way to do this is with a Food Diary/Journal where you write down every single thing you put in your mouth (food AND drink) on a daily basis and do it for a minimum of 7 days.  This is such a good way to see what kind of nutrition you're putting into your body and to determine if you're getting all of the nutritional tools your body needs to function or if, on the other hand, you're eating a lot of "non-food" items that could actually be putting your overall health at risk and, perhaps, that is what's giving you symptoms.   Once you've identified potential problems in how you're eating you can start to omit those things and, quite often, your "symptoms" will go away without you having to go to the drugstore at all! 

Once we're educated about what we're putting into our bodies it's much easier to make good choices.  At times we will still choose to eat the wrong things but at least we know what the results might be and the next time we might not make the same choice.   
Here are a couple of things you can add to your "knowledge file" that might help you make good choices:  Soft drinks of any kind are NOT food and they have NO nutritional value not to mention the overdose of sugar in them that could cause you to become diabetic.  Diet soft drinks are WORSE because they contain aspartame - don't be fooled into thinking that "diet" soft drinks are doing you ANY good - they're actually poisoning you.  "Refined" foods really have no nutritional value ie.  refined sugar and flour.  So steer clear of them.  One more thing - when grocery shopping try and stay away from the "middle" aisles or, if you do make a lot of your purchases there, make note of what kinds of "food" is actually there.  Pretty much all processed and packaged food is found in the middle aisles.  The fresh produce and meats are normally found around the perimeter of the store.  Try to make 80-90% of your shopping choices there and stay away from the middle!  Your health will be better off.

If anyone wants more information about doing a Food Diary or help analyzing what a Food Diary is indicating, let me know.  I also have to complete several Case Studies for my course and would gladly to an overall Health Assessment on you if you're interested.

Until next time, stay healthy and make good choices :)

Mary-Lou