GO RAW NOW

January 29, 2009August 25, 20141 Comment

Sick, tired, overweight, obese, taking aspirin, taking medication, unhappy, lethargic?

You have limitless potential.

Raw foods give the gift of life. If you plant a fruit, nut, or seed in the ground, you will grow a tree or plant. If you plant a burger and fries or a slice of bread, you will get mold.

On our coaching call for the Total Wellness Cleanse the other night, we talked exclusively about allergies and how they come about. After the call, I was thinking – no wonder people develop allergies to even raw foods – in my case it’s pineapple and eggplant that give me extreme problems. Over years of abuse from cooked and processed foods, not to mention loads of sugar to feed the eager beaver yeastie eaters (Candidiasis), my digestive system was in such turmoil that my immune system responded unfavourably toward undigested raw foods as well.

Once the intestines have been irritated so much, undigested food particles obtain access to the blood stream, and the body launches all out war against the alien particles. Antibiotics, sugar, wheat, processed foods, etc. open the door for disbiosis, altered balance of the gut microflora, and consequently a yeast problem in the gut. Once this happens, allergies present themselves. And I’m not talking about just the life or death allergies, but food intolerances that make you feel slow, tired, brain foggy, and simply tired all over. And you may not even know about them!

All you can do at this point is continue to feel lethargic, or you can turn your life around and GO RAW NOW!

Everyone agrees that we should eat more fruits and vegetables. But they think I’m some weird granola child when I tell them that I don’t cook my food! What gives? Maybe they are jealous. Maybe they think they could never live this life. Maybe they are too bogged down by cooked, processed food to open up their minds to the idea. Or maybe, just maybe, they are sick and tired enough to see the light. You can feel healthy and vibrant. If you think you can’t, you can’t. If you think you can, you can. Every single person has it in them to feel their best ever. And the best thing is – it’s your choice. You can change your life right this second. What’s it going to be?

Obesity: Genetics or Environment?

January 28, 2009August 25, 2014Leave a comment

overweight

Does it matter? No. Of course genetics play a role, but since you cannot control them, let’s focus on the environmental factors of obesity! Genetics haven’t changed much in the last few decades, but our diets have changed markedly. So I’m going to venture a guess that environment plays a HUGE role. Get your environment under control, and you’ll get your weight under control too.

No one ever got fat eating vegetables. Eat your vegetables, cut down on the crap, and lose weight. The problem is that you never see advertisements for vegetables. All day, every day, you and your children are bombarded with commercials and advertisements for ice cream, dairy products, colas, pre-made pot roasts, chips, candy, cereals, etc. But how many do you see for fresh fruits and vegetables?

In the last century alone we have seen the rise and proliferation of so many diseases. It’s terrifying to think what will happen to the human race in the next 100 years. It has been said that our generation will see their children live shorter lives than their parents, and I agree completely. Poor diets and sedentary lifestyles are affecting our health and happiness at alarming rates. We used to live in a world where malnutrition was the biggest problem – in North America and spreading elsewhere, it’s malnutrition coupled with obesity! Yes, you can be fat and malnourished, and it’s more common than you think.

Obesity is very difficult to treat when the diet stays the same. People go on diet after diet, trying – sometimes successfully losing weight, but dieting is not enough. Until you realize that dieting is not the answer, you will remain fat and unhealthy. A lifestyle change incorporating good quality whole foods and a consistent exercise schedule is the only way to get trim and fit – and stay there. For some people, this may mean strict avoidance of processed foods, while others may be able to incorporate some of their favourite foods back into their healthy diet once they’ve gotten their cravings under control – but for everyone, it means a diet high in fresh vegetables and some fruits – for life.

If you are a sugarholic, as many people are, you may find strict avoidance of sweets the only thing that keeps you dedicated to your healthy lifestyle. Those who are addicted to sugar are the most likely to suffer from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and are also the people who should avoid sugar altogether. Research has shown that people who eat sugar go through withdrawal symptoms, similar to drug abusers. When you eat sugar, your blood sugar levels spike and insulin is released to store the sugar into your cells. Some will be used as energy, some will be stored in the muscles, but the excess will be stored as fat. Once the circulating sugar is stored, your blood sugar levels will be low, and you will crave another sugar fix. As long as sugar is in your diet, the cycle will continue.

There is not one person that would not benefit from the avoidance of refined foods and the resulting blood sugar stability that comes with a wholesome, sugarless diet. And while you may never be able to completely escape the advertisements and the bombardment of useless CRAP (Coffee, Refined Foods, Alcohol/Acidic foods, Preservatives…etc.), you can keep some awareness as to what you and your children are seeing on a daily basis. The best advice I can give you is to keep CRAP out of the house. You cannot eat what you don’t buy!

If you blame genetics for your problems, stop right there. Genetics may give you the ability to become overweight, but it is your environment that causes it to occur. Don’t give up like Oprah did either – when she started blaming her thyroid for her weight problems. She had a thyroid problem because of her poor diet! If you give up, you’ll never change your circumstances. Whether it’s your weight or any other disease condition – they can all be improved – and often completely eradicated – by a healthy lifestyle. You can blame food companies for your troubles all you want, because they are for sure part of the problem, but that too will not solve your problem.

What you simply cannot do is keep avoiding your dis-ease any longer. After all, how many overweight seniors do you see on a daily basis? My guess is not many. So take control, get the help of a nutritionist if you need the support, and get healthy starting this second! It’s never too late to change your diet – you’ll notice the effects of a healthy diet within days, and a huge difference within weeks! The changes will be so evident that you’ll never want to go back!

What’s for Breakfast?

January 23, 2009August 25, 2014Leave a comment

istock_berries Have you ever seen the Nutella commercial where a woman tells us about how Nutella provides the energy her kids need? That may be true, but the so-called energy they are getting via high amounts of sugar is really just sending their blood sugar through the roof and setting them up for some attention disorder symptoms in their first period class.

And its not only Nutella that sets you and your kids up for failure during the day. Any commercial breakfast that contains wheat and high amounts of sugar will do the same thing – this means breakfast cereals, toast, porridge, toaster strudels, coffee, etc.

Coffee, even if it doesn’t contain any sugar at all, is one of the biggest culprits that sabotages your efforts to stay alert during the day – causing you to hit the wall.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant which stimulates the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline, the flight or fight hormone. Though we rarely encounter lions and other predators in the daily grind, we have not yet lost this primal instinct. When caffeine is consumed, it causes increased blood pressure, heart rate, perspiration, muscular tension, nervousness, and irritability. The adrenals become fatigued and hypoglycemia results, causing the body to crave sugars and get blood sugar back up.

If you drink coffee daily, your adrenals will become exhausted and unable to respond to stress. Stress does not include outer stresses like job stress or issues with family members, but overall stress on your body which includes dietary stressors as well. I would go as far to say that dietary stress trumps all other stress on your body as the most detrimental type of stress.

If you can drink coffee and go straight to sleep after, you have likely exhausted your adrenals for so long that they simply don’t respond anymore! Your days are likely long and fatigued as well if this is the case.

This is why it is important to start your day with whole foods – nutrients that will nourish the body and the cells rather than throw the body out of balance. If your body is out of balance, it’s likely working far below its operating potential! If you’re not operating at your full potential, it’s time to look at what fuel you are putting into your engine!

Opt for fresh, raw fruits and vegetables for breakfast. Have a salad or a bowl of fruit. Make your own almond milk with soaked almonds, sesame seeds, and sweeten it with a banana and pour it over some cut up apples and pears. Make a smoothie or have a green juice. In our house we start the day with barley greens, go for a workout, and then come home for something more substantial. I usually opt for an avocado, but lately it’s been 3 apples. Yum!