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

I'm reposting this blog from last August because I think it's a good reminder how we shouldn't take what we're eating for granted. Just being more aware of what exactly we're putting in our bodies is the first step to a healthier life.
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One of the biggest contributors to our poor state of health these days is sugar. That’s not to say our bodies don’t need sugar – they do, just as we need salt, fats, carbs, proteins, minerals and vitamins. The key is to get all of this in a BALANCE that is best for how our body functions.
Studies show that the average North American intake of refined sugar is somewhere between 15 tsps (60 g) and 25 tsps (100 g) a DAY or 120 lbs a year! Keep in mind that is only sugar we get from processed and fast foods. It doesn’t include naturally-occurring sugars from wholesome foods . To maintain good health we should try and stay under about 40 grams of refined sugar intake per day. Less than that is even better. And don't make the mistake that many people do by thinking that artificial sweetners are better for you because they absolutely ARE NOT unless they are from a naturally-occurring source like stevia, xylitol or agave.
Too much sugar in our bloodstream or sugar overload can cause sinus congestion, frequent colds, migraines, asthma, backaches, hypoglycemia, sleepiness, bloating, immune system dysfunction, indigestion, loss of short-term memory, water retention and yeast infections, to name a few. And if that isn’t enough, sugar is empty calories meaning it has absolutely no nutrient value. None of us would knowingly eat 120 lbs of extra sugar a year, would we? I don't think so. The problem is we don’t realize that a lot of what we’re eating has high amounts of sugar. It’s time we found out.
I bring up this topic because since I’ve learned this I’ve started reading food labels to keep track of how much extra sugar I’m getting each day and it has astounded me! I’m not one who craves sweets and I’m trying to eat healthier these days but I am blown away by how much sugar I’m getting from foods I never would have suspected. Let me give you some examples:
- Honey Nut Cheerios: 9 g/serving
- Flavored yogurt: approx 10 g/100 grams *depending on brand and flavor
- Whole kernel corn, canned,: 5 g/ 1/3 cup
- Tomato soup: 13 g/1/2 cup
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal: 13 g/1 packet
- Ketchup: 4 g/tbsp
- Wheat Thin crackers: 4 g/serving


See how fast seemingly “healthy” food adds up? Now let’s look at an example of what a teenager might eat for, say, breakfast and lunch:


- 1 bowl of Frosted Flakes: 13 g
- ½ c. 1% milk: 6 g.
- Big Mac: 9 g
- Medium Coke: 56 g !!


This kid is already at 84 grams of sugar and it's only lunch time! Is it any wonder today’s kids are overweight, diabetic and being diagnosed with ADHD? As adults let’s set good examples and try to provide children with healthier choices just by being “informed consumers”. Teach kids to read labels and make a game of keeping track of the sugar (and fat and sodium) they might be getting by making certain choices. If we make them more aware at a young age they will, at least, be armed with knowledge to make that choice. As it is now, they assume (as I did) that what we’re feeding them or what they’re choosing to eat must be good for them because, after all, it’s “food”.
Just for the heck of it, track how much sugar you’re eating on an average day. I think you will be surprised. Read the labels of everything, even things that aren’t sweet just to see how many empty calories you might be getting. And if you have some of the symptoms of the health problems previously listed, maybe try to cut back on your sugar intake or ever quit sugar completely for a day or 2 and see if you feel any better. If you notice a difference that might be the clue you need to get on the road to improving your health.

 Mary-Lou
www.seawellness.myforevergreen.org/CAN_Products.html
www.seawellness.versativa.org

Let Food Do the Work

Ron Williams, President of ForeverGreen said something recently that resonated with me. He said "Let the proper food do the work in your body instead of making your body do the work on the food". He was talking about how when we put dead, processed and man-made foods into our body, our body doesn't know what to do with it and has to work harder than it normally would to try and extract any kind of useable nutrition from such "food". If, on the other hand, we put natural, pure, raw foods into our body it can easily take that nutrition and nourish us as we were meant to be nourished and that results in a body that works better, has less disease and is balanced. Makes sense.

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I'm very happy that I made the choice to "open" my own ForeverGreen store almost 2 years ago. Now, instead of having to run to the pharmacy for cold medicines or prescriptions (which I don't need anymore thanks to "Immunize") or even toothpaste, I shop in my own store. I purchase my nutritional supplements, my organic chocolate, my skin care and my organic, whole food products from my own store where I know what I'm getting and I can vouch for the effectiveness of the products and my health has never been better.

If you're someone who's becoming more interested in natural wellness products or are curious about how such products could positively affect your health I invite you to try any of the ForeverGreen products. I personally haven't been disappointed with any of those I've tried. Visit http://www.seawellness.myforevergreen.org/CAN_Tree.html or contact me for more information - I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.