Wellness Posts

The 6 Foods You Should Be Eating Now

support@wellness.com — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 08:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - The 6 Foods You Should Be Eating Now by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

It’s My Party-
Everyone hates when you cut onions and your eyes begin to tear, but did you know that the sulfur compounds that make your eyes water have a health benefit? - Onions, garlic, leeks, chives, shallots, and scallions are rich in cancer-fighting organosulfur compounds, which are produced when the cell walls of these vegetables are broken down by chopping, crushing, or chewing. So when you cut onions and your eyes begin to tear, you are creating these anti-cancer sulfur compounds. These compounds are thought to be mostly responsible for the cancer-protective effects of this family of vegetables. But to gain the most benefit from these tasty vegetables they must be eaten raw and chewed well or chopped finely before cooking to initiate the chemical reaction that form those guardian-angel sulfur compounds. Onions and the other vegetables of the -Allium- family can be added to any and every vegetable dish for great flavor and anti-cancer benefits. Just How Great Are the Benefits?
-In scientific studies, organosulfur compounds prevent the development of cancers by detoxifying carcinogens and halting cancer cell growth. Garlic and onion phytochemicals are also anti-angiogenic, which means that they canprevent tumors from obtaining a blood supply to fuel their growth. 1 - In studies of breast cancer cells, garlic and onion phytochemicals have caused cell death or halted cell division, preventing the cancer cells from multiplying. 2-4 - In addition, one large European study found striking risk reductions in participants who consumed the greatest quantities of onions or garlic for oral, esophageal, colorectal, laryngeal, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. We are talking about a 55- to 80-percent reduction of almost all major cancers. Amazing! - 5 - And That’s Not - All
-Onions, garlic, and their family members also contain flavonoids and phenols. White onions are not as rich in these antioxidant compounds as yellow and red, and shallots are especially high in polyphenol levels. Red onions are particularly rich in anthocyanins (also abundant in berries) and quercetin. 6 - Flavonoids such as quercetin can contribute to preventing damaged cells from advancing to cancer, and also have anti-inflammatory effects that may contribute to cancer prevention. 7-10 - Cook with these vegetables and you add flavor to your dishes -and- cancer-fighting power to your diet. How to cut an onion to maximize anti-cancer compounds and minimize eye irritation: - If your eyes are sensitive, make sure that the onion is cold before you cut it. Even putting the onion in the freezer for 5 minutes is sufficient. You can use a fan to blow the gaseous compounds away from you if you like. Cut the end of the root off with the root facing away from you, preserving as much of the onion adjacent to the root as possible. The root is the part of the onion with the highest concentration of these anti-cancer compounds. Make sure to then cut or chop the onion finely, slice thinly, or put it in a food processor before adding to your soup, salad, or vegetable dish to maximize the production of sulfur compounds. And, chew it very well, too.

- References-
1. Powolny A, Singh S. Multitargeted prevention and therapy of cancer by diallyl trisulfide and related Allium vegetable-derived organosulfur compounds. Cancer Lett -2008;-269:-305-314.
2. Modem S, Dicarlo SE, Reddy TR. Fresh Garlic Extract Induces Growth Arrest and Morphological Differentiation of MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells. Genes Cancer -2012;-3:-177-186.
3. Na HK, Kim EH, Choi MA, et al. Diallyl trisulfide induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells through ROS-mediated activation of JNK and AP-1. Biochem Pharmacol -2012.
4. Malki A, El-Saadani M, Sultan AS. Garlic constituent diallyl trisulfide induced apoptosis in MCF7 human breast cancer cells. Cancer Biol Ther -2009;-8:-2175-2185.
5. Galeone C, Pelucchi C, Levi F, et al. Onion and garlic use and human cancer. Am J Clin Nutr -2006;-84:-1027-1032.
6. Slimestad R, Fossen T, Vagen IM. Onions: a source of unique dietary flavonoids. J Agric Food Chem -2007;-55:-10067-10080.
7. Ravasco P, Aranha MM, Borralho PM, et al. Colorectal cancer: can nutrients modulate NF-kappaB and apoptosis? - Clin Nutr -2010;-29:-42-46.
8. Miyamoto S, Yasui Y, Ohigashi H, et al. Dietary flavonoids suppress azoxymethane-induced colonic preneoplastic lesions in male C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice. Chem Biol Interact -2010;-183:-276-283.
9. Shan BE, Wang MX, Li RQ. Quercetin inhibit human SW480 colon cancer growth in association with inhibition of cyclin D1 and survivin expression through Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. Cancer Invest -2009;-27:-604-612.
10. Pierini R, Gee JM, Belshaw NJ, et al. Flavonoids and intestinal cancers. Br J Nutr -2008;-99 E Suppl 1:-ES53-59.

Why New Year's Resolutions Fail

support@wellness.com — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 08:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - Why New Year's Resolutions Fail by Wellness Editor

New Year's resolutions are fairly popular with over 50 percent of Americans making the effort every year. However, research shows that approximately 88 percent of these good intentions fail. While resolutions formed around the new year may seem like a valid form of internal motivation, making resolutions around one specific point in the year just sets an individual up for failure. The Most Magical Day of the Year - While New Year's Day has a cultural significance because of its positioning on the calendar as the first day of a whole new year, the day itself holds no magical powers of wish fulfillment. Resolutions and goals are not more likely to succeed on January 1st as any other day of the year. While many people expect that things can change like turning a page on this date, this day holds no more power and influence over changing behavior than any other day. Without putting forth the willpower, effort and making changes yourself, things will not be any different, even if the promises are made at the start of the new year. The Cup that Runneth Over - It's wonderful when people wish to make changes to improve their lives. However, people often make multiple new year's resolutions. If you wish to drink a gallon of water and tried to pour it into a juice glass, most of the milk would spill out over the top of the glass. Like the glass, the human brain can only handle a small amount of change at a time in order to successfully hold these new changes. In addition to multiple goals, large goals can be problematic in the same manner. Large goals may need several smaller steps, or mini goals, in order to stick or be more effective. Just Winging It - Most New Year's resolutions are large, vague goals that really have no set plan to succeed or to measure results on the path to progress. While it's great to want to lose weight, eat healthier, or exercise more, these goals are not precise and are too large to handle at once. When results are not seen quickly, people tend to give up. It's hard to fly if you don't know how. In order for a vague or large resolution to succeed, it is important to set up smaller precise goals that can be easier to attain and measure the results. Choosing a realistic amount of weight to lose in a specific time frame is more likely to reach success, especially if there is a realistic plan of attack. The benefit is that is it more possible to reach smaller goals more quickly, further reinforcing behavior changes for positive results.

10 Best Dietary New Year's Resolutions

support@wellness.com — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 08:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - 10 Best Dietary New Year's Resolutions by Fred Fletcher

Many people think that New Year's resolutions are a waste of time. People who hold on to this perception, however, base their views on the many failures they have either experienced personally or watched others go through. Yes, too many people spend time coming up with resolutions which are eventually forgotten or only partially implemented. For these people, resolutions are indeed exercises in futility. On the other hand, there are some people out there who not only come up with great New Year's resolutions but they actually end up completing and benefitting from them. Subscribing to New Year's resolutions, then, is not the problem. Problems arise either because participants lack the stick-to-itiveness/discipline to complete their goals or they simply create or espouse poorly-constructed resolutions. For the record, a good New Year's resolution is: - Practical - Realistic - Measurable - Based on sound (scientific) reasoning - Compatible with one's lifestyle, resources and abilities - Beyond choosing the right type of resolution, it's also about having the right attitude, expectations and a workable plan. For example, do you realize that your dietary habits will greatly affect how you feel mentally/intellectually, what kinds of activities you can safely engage in, and, more importantly, how long you may live. With that in mind, here are 10 realistic and likely-to-be beneficial dietary New Year's resolutions: - 1. Eat fewer processed foods. Processed foods are heavily laced with all kinds of dangerous chemicals - most of them of a preservative, appetite-enhancement or appearance/taste amelioration type. Instead, go for natural foods; examples are raw fruits and vegetables, meats cut at your local butcher and nuts/grains obtained from local farms. 2. Eliminate or greatly reduce consumption of fast foods. There are very few nutrients in fast foods - most probably because they are often fried or processed. While you are on the road, these foods may be convenient but a viable alternative is to bring your own snacks and meals. 3. Be choosy as to how you quench your thirst. Most beverages out there are bad for your health, especially alcoholic beverages, carbonated drinks, and even otherwise-healthy drinks injected with artificial sweeteners. Your best bet is to drink filtered water (if drinking tap) or bottled water from a reputable dealer. 4. Stay well-read on the latest dietary development, trends and concerns. The best decisions regarding your diet need to come from the best-informed/updated sources - preferably those that base conclusions and theories on studies, tests and the opinions of well-respected experts. 5. Keep a close eye on condiment and seasoning consumption. The fact is that people in developed countries overdo it when comes to condiments and seasonings. This is especially true when it comes to salt and refined sugar. To put it more bluntly: we eat too much salt and refined sugar! - 6. Stay away from carb-rich foods, especially if they threaten to burden you with more calories than your body needs. As a general rule, baked goods (e.g., breads, cakes, muffins, cookies, etc.) contain exorbitant amounts of fat and cholesterol. Another thing to keep a close eye on is bleached flour. 7. Greatly increase your consumption of fiber. This substance (naturally found in fruits and vegetables) can help relieve constipation (which can contribute to many medical problems), reduce chances of getting colon cancer, and help your body more efficiently digest foods (thereby improving nutritional absorption). 8. Be exceedingly careful as to how you cook foods. For example, avoid microwaving foods whenever possible. While the jury is still out as to whether microwaved foods pose an immediate danger, there are still too many questions regarding it's long term safety. Also, avoid using Teflon-coated cooking surfaces, as well as painted pots and pans (since some of them may contain lead paints). 9. Avoid uncooked foods whenever possible. When eating out, for example, choose meals that have been cooked, as opposed to things like sandwiches, raw fruits/vegetables and partially-raw meats (especially seafood). Some cultures have traditionally favored raw seafood delicacies but the oceans today are much more heavily polluted than they were in the past. 10. Reject so-called high-technology processed/created foods (until their safety has been definitively proven). These include GMOs (genetically modified organisms), irradiated foods, animals for human consumption injected with hormones and antibiotics, lab-created foods (like sucralose or Splenda), etc. Instead, grow your own fruits and vegetables (when possible) or buy organic products. Conclusion - By all means, don't give up on New Year's resolutions just because they have not worked well for you in the past. If you take the time to come up with good resolutions, there is no reason why they may not ultimately be beneficial. This is especially true when it comes to dietary New Year's resolutions. If indeed we are what we eat, then we need to make sure that we eat the right things - more importantly, we need to develop the right attitude toward dietary habits. The first step is to avoid things and practices that have proven to be troublesome for others or about which there are simply too many questions/concerns. After that, it's a matter of sticking to initiatives and endeavors more likely to do us good than harm. Copyright, 2014. Fred Fletcher. All rights reserved. References & Resources - 1. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resolution.aspx - 2. http://postscript.com.au/features/health/keep-new-years-resolutions/ - 3. http://www.processedfreeamerica.org/resources/health-news/48 - 4. http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/teflon4.htm - 5. http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/how-eating-processed-food-made-the-world-sick-and-fat/

Resolutions You Can Keep

support@wellness.com — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 07:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - Resolutions You Can Keep by Wellness Editor

Resolving oneself to an action of self-improvement at the start of a new year has been around since the time of the ancient Babylonians, who made declarations of things like repaying their debt or returning items to their rightful owners. While we all start out with good intentions, studies show that year after year, though our confidence may be high, almost a full 90% of us fail at achieving our New Year's resolutions. Maybe rather than making a grocery list of the changes we should make in ourselves, we need to go about it in a different way. After all, many of us resolve to the same thing, year after year, never tasting the sweet smell of success. Why not look at resolutions differently this year for our first change? - Stop Thinking in Absolutes - It's easy to think of all of the things we should do, but what about the things we could do? I should lose weight, but I could resolve to start treating myself better instead. Stop viewing everything as “all" or “nothing," “good" or “bad." Instead of thinking of our favorite food deprivation and eventual waning commitment to exercise, why not think of how our body is a temple, a wonderland, and commit to wanting to care for ourselves? Some days will be better than others, but slow and steady wins the race. Email Yourself a Letter - Quietly reflect on the past year, the good times, the bad times, your highlights and your lows. So many things have happened that were outside of our control! But what we can control is how we choose to deal with it. What are your coping mechanisms? Are they healthy? Are they self-destructive? Do you stay in the same rut, year after year, because that's what you have always done or because your parents did it that way? - Nothing changes overnight, and maybe that explains our high failure rate. Where do you want to be a year from now? Answering that question will help define your goals. Write down what you want to see happen, send it to yourself, or print it and use it as a book mark, and strive to make the baby steps required to get there over the next 365 days. This Year Is A New Book - Put away the hurts and disappointments and failures of the past year. Put down the heavy baggage of bitterness, resentment and lack of forgiveness that has been bogging you down. Start a new book, a new chapter in your life. Resolve to change the voices in your head, telling you can't or you should or shouldn't. Write a new script. Step outside of yourself, and if necessary, fake it 'til you make it. Encourage Others - It is so easy to become consumed and self-absorbed with ourselves and our problems that it's all too easy to forget about others' struggles in life. Take your mind off your own by giving back to your community in some small way. Maybe your finances aren't what you'd like them to be, but helping at the soup kitchen will surely shift your perspective from one of “poor me," to one of gratitude for all of the things you do have. By shifting our attitude from a “should" position to a “could" position, we can condition ourselves into feeling like we are gaining something rather than giving up something. Whether it's a food addiction or alcohol, nicotine, or some other unhealthy habit, viewing it differently could mean the difference between success and failure this year.

Aaargh ... Time for New Year's Resolutions

support@wellness.com — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 22:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - Aaargh ... Time for New Year's Resolutions by Samantha Michaels

So, here we go again. What does- your- list consist of this year? If being interviewed by Barbara Walters, we may all weep openly and say we want nothing more than achieving a radiant state of pure zen enlightenment and world peace. Secretly, however, vowing to attend spin class three times a week and losing those pesky 15 pounds probably ranks a little higher on the list. So why are these same goals, so painstakingly created year after year, so invariably written in disappearing ink? Is there anything we can do to finally start making them a reality? - One of the keys to the Holy Grail quest of making a new year's resolution a lasting part of our lives is to really stop and think about the level of desire to do so. Is this genuinely something that's important to you? How would you feel about yourself if this became a habit, a part of your daily routine, or how you define yourself? Here are a few tips: - Keep it Simple, Take Easy Steps, Engage your family and friends for support, and be Mindful of how even a small change can start to make you feel better about yourself. Let's say you're not feeling connected as you'd like in your relationship, and decide to set aside a time for some much-needed meaningful, uninterrupted conversation with your partner. It's easier if you both commit to turning off all electronics at 10:00 p.m. then light a candle, play some soft background music, look into each other's eyes, and just speak from the heart. Believe me, you can take it from there - and you'd be surprised how the positive impact this can have on your togetherness will make this a habit you'll want to keep. And doesn't that help you see yourself as a more compassionate, communicative person? Watch how that shift in your self-image begins to affect your other relationships as well. And how about those unmovable 15 pounds? Again, parcel it out to do-able, incremental goals. Forget the scale, let's just call it going on a health kick, and begin by replacing those heavy comfort foods with nutrient-dense, delicious alternatives. Spend some time making sure that the new food choices sound appetizing and enticing - it's not about what you're giving up, it's about making your new way of living and eating filled with vitality and aliveness. Put photos of all things healthy everywhere you look during the day - and remember to be aware of how great you feel! Once your body starts to feel more energized, it will actually be nearly impossible to go back. In that ironic way the Universe has of messing with us, the more we pursue Enlightenment, the more it taunts and eludes us. So, now that we're cooking (in a healthy way) here, what then about Enlightenment and World Peace? Legend has it that the Indian monk originally bringing Buddhism to China achieved enlightenment only after remaining motionless in his cave for 9 years, cutting off his eyelids so he wouldn't fall asleep. As inspiring as this story is, I personally can't remain motionless for more than 3 minutes, am not entering a cave without my ipad, floodlights and bioidentical hormones, and I'm a teensy bit squeamish about cutting my eyelids. So I might need a different way to go here. In that ironic way the Universe has of messing with us, the more we pursue Enlightenment, the more it taunts and eludes us. Even here, incremental steps. Begin by setting a timer, and every few hours just stop for five minutes and be Mindful ... notice the contents of your thoughts and emotions, the way your body feels, become aware of yourself in time and space. Set aside a few minutes before retiring for Meditation ... Keep It Simple! Following your breath, focusing your mind, even listening to some gentle music or a guided imagery tape can help you become more relaxed and centered. As we become more Mindful, this also positively spills over into the many moments in our day, and it becomes harder to remain unconsciously driven by old habits. Once you're aware of it, it's not a habit, it's a -choice. And as trite as it sounds, Peace does begin Within. We may not be able to change violence on the world stage, but we can stop any violence or aggression in our own consciousness, family and community. The more we can move through our lives with mindful awareness, the less chaotic our thoughts and emotions, and the more peaceful we become. And that touches everyone we meet. Incorporating a few of these practices in every day can slowly begin to change ... well, everything. Happy 2016!

Making and Keeping New Year's Resolutions

support@wellness.com — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 22:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - Making and Keeping New Year's Resolutions by Andrew Pacholyk

The New Year brings the opportunity for a new beginning. Although, we are lucky enough to be able to start anew each day, some people need the turn of a New Year to find the motivation to do so.

-The Top 10 Most Common New Year Resolutions include:-
1. Lose weight
2. Stop smoking
3. Stick to a budget
4. Save or earn more money
5. Find a better job
6. Become more organized
7. Exercise more
8. Be more patient at work/with others
9. Eat better
10. Become a better person - Choosing a New Year's resolution is usually the easy part. Committing to your choice is another story. By the end of the second or third week, some of us even forget what our goal was! - Here are ten ways to see your resolution through and achieve your goal:-
1. Choose a resolution that is realistic.
2. Take your choice and follow it through on a day to day basis.
3. Reward yourself in two week or one month increments.
4. Keep a journal of your progress.
5. Get others involved or find like people working toward the same goal.
6. Keep motivated with a calendar, friends, diary, partner.
7. Be patient!
8. Be grateful that you have the opportunity to do this.
9. Find the fine line between motivation and obsession.
10. Make your goal a lifestyle change, not just a means to an end.

Making major changes in our lives is never easy. Especially when it is a habit or an addiction that we have had for many years. Use every resource available to achieve your goal. Laziness and complacency are the biggest culprits, when it comes to achieving a resolution or goal. Stay focused, Stay motivated, Stay happy.

What Is Your Toddler Really Thinking?

support@wellness.com — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 08:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - What Is Your Toddler Really Thinking? by Paul Hollinger

Kids may say the darndest things—but toddlers seem to have the market cornered on defiant expressions of opinion. Your once sweet—but inarticulate—baby turns into a fountain of “No!” Sometimes, it may sound as if your two-year-old doesn’t like you much anymore: “No.” “Go Away!” “Mine!” “Stop!” But toddlers aren’t looking to make you mad. They’re just not yet fully fluent—at 24 months they only have about 200 words to express all their complex feelings. And that turns into blunt-sounding expressions of their likes and dislikes. Remember, as toddlers start to talk and walk and explore the world around them, they’re developing a sense of self. That’s why you’ll notice that your two-year-old is beginning to separate from you, a bit at a time—sometimes defiantly, sometimes confidently,and sometimes fearfully. Toddlers’ new mobility (boy can they run!) feeds their natural curiosity and that’s the cornerstone of an active, intelligent mind. But as a parent, you’re forced to find a balance between supporting exuberant exploration and keeping your child safe. And you may even experience your own sense of loss as your growing child becomes able to come and go, attach and disappear at will. No wonder having a toddler in the house is a time of remarkable opportunities and challenges. But you can turn your time together into an exciting adventure that you both enjoy. The key is to realize that your toddler is far smarter—and much more able to understand things—than we used to think. And kids this age are a soup pot of feelings. If you know the ingredients that make up your child’s emotional life, you’ll be a lot better at managing his or her rambunctious and contrary expressions of self and nurturing positive personality traits. Infants’ and toddlers’ built-in emotions (we all have these hard-wired into our nervous system) are expressed through nine signals: interest, enjoyment, surprise, distress, anger, fear, shame, disgust, and dissmell. (That’s an aversion to smell; don’t ask why academics use that word!) And parents’ role is to act as a translator of their child’s actions and awkward expressions of feelings (raw surprise, blatant fear, sheer enjoyment), so that they really GET what the child is trying to tell them. Then they can help the child shape his/her feelings in ways that lay the foundation for a happy personality–a blossoming little person who can become socially adept, resist peer pressure, and control anger and frustration in ways that allow for a productive life. To do that, my mantras for parents are: - Put words to the feelings. When your child acts out, offer them the words to express what they are feeling; if you get it wrong they will let you know. If you get it right, it should help them calm down. Maximize positive feelings. No toddler was ever too happy or too self-satisfied; the world will dish out enough hardships later on. Now you want to make them feel confident, secure and brave. Minimize negative feelings. Their causes, not the child’s expression of them—a toddler has to vent and feel as though he/she has a right to feel those emotions. If you don’t want your child to vent like that, or have those negative feelings, then you have to identify the triggers and remove them. And at the same time you have to help your child learn alternative ways to express frustration and anger. That’s called tension regulation and it’s key to becoming a happy, successful adult. Whew! I know that’s a lot to think about! But it’s really important for your happiness –and for your child’s.

Learn How to Stop Dieting Forever

support@wellness.com — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 22:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - Learn How to Stop Dieting Forever by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Joel Fuhrman, M.D., is a family physician, the author of five New York Times best-selling books, and an internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing. He is a specialist in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. Through his books, television appearances, and popular lecture series, Dr. Fuhrman has shown that it is possible to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis and many other illnesses using smart nutrition. In his latest book, -The End of Dieting-, Dr. Fuhrman reveals how to achieve these goals while breaking free from dieting forever. Learn How to Stop Dieting Forever - Wouldn’t it be wonderful to never have to diet again? To find an effective strategy for living to 100 years old in good health, with a healthy weight while never feeling deprived? Countless people are trying to diet and fail. Very few dieters are successful, and the rest are fatter, sicker and hungrier than ever. Discouraging, but the fact is that trendy weight-loss schemes and ever-changing formulas for fat, carbs, and protein only offer temporary fixes at the cost of our overall, long-term health. The dizzying array of fad diets leaves us mostly confused about what we should be eating. All these unsustainable diets often lead to yo-yo dieting – a repeating pattern of weight loss and gain – that is dangerous to our health. The cycles of losing and regaining of weight increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Further, all the differences in the diet plans leads people on a continual and futile search for the one that will work for them, keeping them misinformed, unsuccessful, and trapped in a vicious cycle of food addiction, cravings, and weight gain. The Better Way - It doesn’t have to be this way. You can learn how to stop dieting once and for all. As I outlined in my book - The End of Dieting - , a micronutrient rich eating plan will help re-calibrate your tastes, enabling you to take a sensible approach to food, one that will assist you to develop new tastes and habits, and promote weight-loss in a manner that is sustainable. In other words, it offers a new way of thinking about food – not another diet. Low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, portion control – the debate is irrelevant. All of the weight loss diets out there miss the point, that if you eat very healthfully, you will automatically reach a healthy weight. Paying attention to the nutritional quality of your diet is the safest and most effective way to achieve a life-long, favorable weight. My dietary recommendations are based on a nutrient-dense, plant-rich style of eating that I call a Nutritarian diet. It is a way of eating that centers around high-nutrient, low-calorie foods which contain a great deal of fiber and take up a lot of room in the stomach. As you consume a larger quantity of nutrient-rich food with a smaller number of calories, it simultaneously satisfies your hunger and blunts your appetite. You are eating the foods that are known to protect against cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, and weight loss then happens as a side effect. The End of Dieting - The Nutritarian approach to eating is the last word on dieting. It can be adjusted to suit a variety of tastes and food preferences. My website offers thousands of delicious, nutritious recipes for every meal and occasion, even for those who have no time to cook or for those who want to eat some meat. Through this style of eating you will achieve a healthy weight and eliminate addictive cravings and emotional triggers which are behind many poor eating habits. The most important side effect is the protection against heart disease, strokes, dementia and cancer. If you are at a loss when it comes to your weight, and desire a proven, effective and sustainable approach to eating that can help lose fat and maintain a healthy weight, prevent and reverse disease, and reclaim your good health, this for you. The most effective formula for permanent weight control is to increase the nutritional quality of your food. Discover how to eliminate your cravings for the foods that sabotage your chance for weight loss and good health, such as cookies, pastries, burgers, and ice cream. Imagine the benefits if everyone learned about superior nutrition to reclaim their health, get off medications and live long. This longevity-promoting program is the most effective method to permanently control of your weight. Knowledge will give you the power to control your health destiny, order -The End of Dieting- to learn more.

How to Survive a (Family-Style) Holiday Vacation

support@wellness.com — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 08:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - How to Survive a (Family-Style) Holiday Vacation by Alyson Schafer

Grandma and Grandpa just called to say they would like everyone to spend the holidays with them at their Florida condo. Just imagine: all the cousins going to the beach and playing in the pool together, all the adults sipping gin and tonics and having long overdue visits. It sounds like heaven, right? Um, well, maybe. For some, family holidays mean one thing: run the other way! - If you think parenting issues create tension between you and your mate, just wait until your sister starts issuing timeouts during the turkey dinner. What was supposed to be an idyllic family gathering (champagne flutes clinking and children's laughter floating over the low murmur of waves crashing) can easily devolve into a toxic reawakening of unresolved family tensions. We just can't help it; each of us slides back into his/her familiar childhood role. (Big sister becomes the boss not just of her kids, but of you and your kids, too). Our parenting style feels showcased, judged and compared. And as those childhood inadequacies consume us, we begin to doubt our abilities. Here are some ideas that will help make holiday family time happy (not horrific): - An ounce of prevention:- On the first day of the trip, invite your siblings to a meeting to discuss some of the "business" items that might crop up. Ask: what would help make the group work together more smoothly? Do we have any group rules? All the children should partake, too. This is critical because the meeting helps to make inter-personal issues group issues. And, children are also more likely to live with rules they had a say in creating. That holds true for adults too. So, instead of trying to muster the courage to tell your brother he needs to get his kids to bed earlier, simply put "bedtime routines" on the meeting agenda. Other agenda items might include:
* Noise: When are quiet hours in the villa? Decide on bedtimes, naps and acceptable morning waking times;
* Routines: What do we need to get done at the condo before heading out to the beach or pool each morning?
* Clean up: Who is responsible for what? Assign jobs for such things as dishes, sand sweeping, table setting, meal preparation (and don't forget to involve the kids);
* Group entertainment: What's on everyone's wish list? Name the activities and post a calendar so everyone's needs get met;
*Conflicts: How will disputes be resolved? What are the consequence for not listening to the rules?

-2. Calm Your "Hot Thoughts": -When you start to feel emotional about how things are going, tune into your self-talk the little voice in your head that's providing a running commentary. "My kids always act so badly in public," or, "I am a terrible mother," and, "My sister is still treated like the golden child." And let's not forget this one: "They never listen!" That little gremlin in your head only sees the worst and it makes everything out to be a catastrophe. Pay attention. You can catch yourself "awful-izing." Instead of being a victim to negative self-talk, take charge. Choose different thoughts! Replace self-blaming thoughts with "cool thoughts" like: "I am a humble human who makes mistakes, just like everyone else," and, "I need to address my children's 'hearing problem' eventually, but for now I'm going to roll with it." And here's the biggie: "I am not at my best right now, but I am good enough." - You can work on "thought swapping" in advance; if you know your hot thoughts, write them down and then, in a time of calm, re-write your inner script. I try to remind myself that while I can't change the situation, I can always change my attitude about the situation. When things are not going well, I tell myself, "Hey, these are nice problems to have. I have a family that wants to be together and we are all alive and well." - 3. Eat. Sleep. Breathe:- With all situational stresses we do better when we are feeling good. Be sure to get a full night's sleep, eat well (as well as you can given that it's a vacation) and breathe. Vast quantities of research are proving just how powerful and important deep breathing is for stress and overall health. It just reinforces that old adage about breathing and counting to ten.

Alyson Schafer is a psychotherapist and one of Canada's leading parenting experts. Alyson is the best selling author of 3 parenting books; "Breaking The Good Mom Myth" and "Honey, I Wrecked The Kids" and her latest, "Ain't MIsbehavin. Alyson is the media's go-to person and speaks regularly on parenting issues involving kids of all ages. For tips on discipline, bullying, sibling rivalry and other daily parenting issues visit -www.alysonschafer.com.

5 Common “Healthy Habits” That Trigger Leaky Gut Syndrome

support@wellness.com — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 22:00:00 Z

Wellness.com - 5 Common “Healthy Habits” That Trigger Leaky Gut Syndrome by Steven Wright

What if today’s common “healthy habits” are actually hurting you? Because as history shows us it has happened many times before. Did you know in the 1920’s cigarettes were considered healthy? Lucky Strike was the biggest brand back then and their advertising campaigns featured doctors. If you did, I doubt you knew that throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s serious medical journals like “The New England Journal of Medicine” and “The Journal of the American Medical Association” were home to many tobacco advertisements. These subtle advertising moves didn’t really say that cigarettes were healthy, but they sure did make it seem like it was okay to smoke. It’s more common than you might think. Let’s say you’re putting in the effort every day to lead a healthy lifestyle. You eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet rounded out by a glass of heart-healthy red wine. You get plenty of exercise. And you check in with your doctor regularly for preventive care. Doing all the right things to be “healthy.” - And despite all this - you’re suffering with nagging issues like digestive pain, low-energy, stubborn weight, low sex drive, and acne. What you might not realize is that the “healthy” behaviors you’re engaging in to avoid getting sick can be triggers for a root cause that underpins the western disease epidemic that’s affecting our modern lives. And you’re not alone; the public has been misled. This root cause is called increased - intestinal permeability - (leaky gut) and it’s a contributor to chronic conditions throughout the body, including - autoimmune disease - , brain conditions, digestive problems, and skin disorders. The diseases linked to leaky gut are diverse and scary, including: - Multiple sclerosis - Hashimoto’s thyroiditis - Rheumatoid arthritis - Type 1 diabetes - Depression - Autism - Brain fog - Acne, rosacea, psoriasis, vitiligo - Inflammatory bowel disorders - Food intolerances - Joint pain - Inability to lose or gain weight - Heart disease - Narcolepsy - Anxiety - And severe PMS symptoms - The truth is hundreds of conditions are linked to leaky gut and more are being discovered every day. And that’s the big problem with leaky gut; it can masquerade as fatigue, anxiety, depression, weight problems, digestive pain and other serious conditions. These conditions and symptoms can all stem from a digestive tract that is leaking toxins, food particles and other substances right into the bloodstream. Once inside these foreign particles create an intense immune reaction. This reaction spreads inflammation throughout the body promoting damage in genetic weak areas and jumpstarting the development of chronic disease. Which is bad but not the worst part. The worst part is many people will never learn that there is an underlying problem in their gut that is contributing to their #1 health problem. What Causes Leaky Gut? - While experts are finally beginning to recognize the role leaky gut plays in chronic conditions, doctors are, for the most part, still failing to recognize and treat the condition in their patients. This makes it very important that you understand what it is and what causes it to protect yourself. There are actually 19 well-known leaky gut triggers that allow the gut lining to become more permeable and leaky gut to develop - and researchers are discovering new triggers all the time. (BONUS: - Click here - to watch a free presentation on those 19 leaky gut triggers and what to do about them.) - Some of the triggers are beyond your control - like being born by Cesarean section or having a history of traumatic head injuries. However, there are a lot of triggers of leaky gut that you can control - and you may even be contributing to leaky gut by trying to pursue a healthy diet and lifestyle. Here are 5 “Healthy Habits” that are secretly triggering leaky gut: - Your healthy diet: - When you sit down to your virtuous dinner of bell peppers stuffed with quinoa, corn and tofu you may actually be harming your gut. Commonly prescribed foods, like - grains - (even - gluten-free grains - ) and - soy - can cause inflammation in the gut that contribute to leaky gut. What’s more, if you’ve already got leaky gut, these foods will most likely make it worse. The issue is that “healthy” for someone else doesn’t mean it’s good for you. The research is clear, more specialized and personalized diets are the wave of the future. If you have any current health complaints, today’s common wisdom should not be applied to you. Your exercise regimen: - If you keep fit by running marathons or hitting your crossfit box every morning, you may be doing your gut (and overall health) more harm than good. While exercise does a body good, - intense, repetitive exercise compromises gut health - and can create a leaky gut. High intensity exercise - that which takes you above 70% of your maximum heart rate - is great when there’s plenty of time to allow the body to rest and rebuild. Doing it 5 days a week is just too much for most of us. The same goes with doing hour-long plus runs several times a week - the body needs time and resources to recover - and unless you're an olympic athlete who’s only job is to train it’s likely your body cannot maintain it’s health under this stress. Throw in health conditions and your ability to recover is even less. Your body will thank you if you do more long walks, restorative yoga and 2-3 medium workouts a week. Your preventive-care doctor: - Taking care of your health now, so little problems don’t become big problems is the best strategy for long-term health - unless those little fixes include prescription medications like PPIs for acid reflux. Use of PPIs is known to cause leaky gut. If you’re struggling with acid reflux or other digestive symptoms linked with leaky gut, prescription medications are not the answer. You need to find the root causes of acid reflux - not put a gut-harming PPI band-aid on top. Your evening glass of wine: - A glass of red wine at night might help you unwind your mind, but it’s also unwinding your gut lining. Alcohol has been proven to increase intestinal permeability. It’s not that moderate amounts of alcohol are always bad it’s just that if you already have a health condition it’s not the best time for you. If you are a regular drinker, even low to moderate intake of alcohol is damaging your gut. It’s toxic after all - that’s why we feel that warm buzz. Alcohol can eventually be part of a healthy-gut lifestyle - but you have to heal first. Your OTC pain reliever: - It’s so common to reach into the medicine cabinet when you get a headache, your PMS kicks up or the body is aching. What you haven’t been told is that these medicines are dangerous. For one, Tylenol (acetaminophen) sends - 78,000 Americans - to the hospital and kills 100s every year. And then there’s the common usage of Ibuprofen like Advil, Aleve and other NSAIDs. These have been shown to - harm the gut and cause it to leak. In general, it’s best to avoid using these drugs as much as possible. When you absolutely need to take them, don’t do it for days on end and be aware of the side-effects in case you begin to experience them. I honor your desire to create healthy habits and want to keep encouraging that. I just want you to be fully informed. One of the worst feelings is finding out months or years later that the choices you made only made you sicker. If you are struggling at all with any chronic health symptoms or western diseases, it could be coming from your gut. Those 19 leaky gut triggers can be found and eliminated. And when that happens, gut health begins to bounce back rather quickly. I want to invite you to a free presentation that goes into greater detail about the triggers, leaky gut syndrome and what to do if you do have it. Click here to learn more about leaky gut and what to do about it - And in the meantime, start to track the 5 habits I mentioned above to see if they are contributing to your #1 health problem right now.