Why 7 out of 10 women fail their diets.
It’s strange but true. Seven out of ten women fail their diets not because of a lack of willpower but because of a lack of support.
A caring support system empowers all of us to cope with the emotional, social and spiritual issues associated with foods. You see this everyday on the Biggest Loser television show.
Throughout my 35 years of research and professional observation, I have seen the power of support in action. On my own online forum (www.annlouiseforum.com), which has been in existence for almost a decade, this point was really driven home when one of my online members posted, “I would have never in my wildest imagination conceived that I could be so fed, so fortified, so supported, so connected to an online community.”
It seems that women, in particular, benefit from the support of others in achieving not only their weight loss goals but in being able to handle all aspects of life. Continue reading →
Can a diet, detox & nutritional makeover make the case for total recovery?
From the experience I’ve gained over the last 30 years of research and writing about health and healing, I truly believe that there is an answer to every disease — we simply have to look in the right place. The body is an incredible system with an infinite capacity to heal, provided that we lessen our toxic load and provide the right nourishment and environment for regeneration to occur.
A progressively crippling autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) afflicts about 500,000 people in the U.S. and three million worldwide with rates continuing to rise. It is an inflammatory condition that destroys the myelin, white fatty tissue that insulates the nerves, and prevents the conduction of nerve impulses. While many believe MS is unbeatable, there are inspiring stories of triumph like that of my colleague Ann Boroch, author of Healing Multiple Sclerosis, whose four-year journey of reversing MS taught her firsthand to examine the layers that the body and mind take on to create disease.
I find Ann’s experience and knowledge so compelling that I asked her to share it with all of you here on my blog–here’s what Ann has to say about healing MS and the steps you can take to turn this condition around:
The epidemic that can trigger weight gain, hinder digestion and zap energy.
Over 20 years ago, the Chief of Pathobiology at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Peter Weina, PhD, FACP, told me, “we have a tremendous parasite problem right here in the United States—it’s just not being identified.”
And that assertion couldn’t be truer today. A focus of my work since my book Guess What Came to Dinner? Parasites and Your Health came out in 1991, most people still dismiss parasites as a third-world concern. But, a study in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene found that 32% of a nationally representative sample of 2,896 people tested positive for parasitic infections, and at least 48 states have fought measurable outbreaks.
It’s time that this epidemic finally be brought into focus. Increased international travel and immigration, polluted soil and water, exotic foods from all over the world, inadequate hygiene (particularly in daycare and senior centers), as well as far-flung deployments for our armed forces all contribute to the spread of parasites. And this increased exposure just may be making us fat. Continue reading →
I couldn’t have made it through perimenopause without natural progesterone.
If there was ever such a thing as a single natural remedy for the widest number of conditions, natural progesterone would lead the pack. It is by far the most deficient hormone found in salivary hormone testing—whether the issue is PMS or postpartum depression—or perimenopause, menopause or beyond.
I have always wondered why progesterone levels seem to be so universally low. As I discovered in Before the Change, progesterone – not estrogen – is the first hormone to decline during the perimenopausal years (often beginning at 38 years of age and lasting until 50 in some women). Perhaps it is the lack of precursors like zinc in the diet or not enough B-6 or too many antidepressants—all of which take their toll on healthy progesterone levels.
But whatever the reason, the signs of progesterone deficiency can’t be ignored. They include:
Celebrate the women you love with a menu special enough for Mother’s Day!
Your mother deserves the very best! For Mother’s Day, I’ve assembled a truly delectable meal with fresh berries, spring garden veggies, a rainbow colored salad, savory sides, tender flaky fish, and a cooling and refreshing dessert.
Whether you are serving or being served, these deliciously healthy Mother’s Day recipes are a treat! Add a couple of beautiful napkins, place-settings and—of course—the guest of honor’s favorite flowers and you have a simply scrumptious brunch!
Sun care protection from the inside out/outside in.
In Dr. Plourde’s groundbreaking book, Sunscreens Biohazard: Treat as Hazardous Waste, she suggests that antioxidants are Mother Nature’s protective sunscreens. The antioxidants with the highest proven sunscreen protection are anthocyanins, beta-carotene, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, stilbenes, tocopherols, and tocotrienols.
Superfoods like cranberries, pomegranates, wild blueberries, avocadoes, broccoli sprouts, and goji berry juice as well as a plethora of spices like ground cloves, dried oregano, dried rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, turmeric, sage, and dried Szechwan peppers are especially high in the antioxidants that have skin protection power.
The carotenoids lycopene and astaxanthin are the antioxidants of choice which seem to hold special promise as natural sunscreens. Lycopene is an antioxidant found in tomatoes, pink grapefruit, and watermelon (as well as supplements) that protect against damaging UV radiation. In addition to consuming lycopene rich foods, I would consider a supplement that contains at least 6 mg of lycopene daily. Continue reading →
What you don’t know about sunscreen may be hurting you.
After reading study after study reporting the alarming increase in skin cancer cases over the last several years, I’ve started to wonder what sunscreen might have to do with it. I recently came across the research of Dr. Elizabeth Plourde, the author of Sunscreens Biohazard – Treat as Hazardous Waste. Dr. Plourde is a hormone specialist with 25 years of extensive medical research and writing to her credit who has recently focused her attention on the hormonally-disruptive chemicals utilized in sunscreens. I had the opportunity to speak with her recently and here are the most disturbing conclusions of her research:
1. Sunscreens are now in 97% of Americans’ blood streams and in 85% of breast milk samples.
2. The rapid increase in melanoma cases demonstrates sunscreen is NOT the answer. Sunscreens contribute to its cause because they leave the skin open to deeper penetrating radiation! The FDA only requires UV filtering, but UV rays only make up 4% of the solar radiation spectrum. Sunscreen use exposes the skin longer to near infrared (NIR) rays that account up 47% of solar radiation and penetrate deeper than UV rays.
Turbo charge weight loss to increase longevity.
Research following close to 5,000 adults—mostly in their 40s—finds that obesity cuts 12 years off the human lifespan. Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, this study also underscores the importance of eating your veggies and fruits, exercising regularly, moderate alcohol use, and not smoking.
While this is not exactly surprising, research in an issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology is. According to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for a healthy weight, between half and two-thirds of all women in their reproductive years are obese!
How can this be? WHO guidelines use body fat to determine obesity—rather than body-mass index (BMI), a measure of whether height and weight are proportional—favored in this country. Continue reading →
Rebounding moves sluggish lymph.
While the circulatory system carries nutrients, oxygen, and hormones to our cells, the lymphatic system is the body’s garbage disposal.
Its mesh-like network of tiny vessels transports lymph (fluid) from around the cells through the lymph nodes, where waste products are filtered out, unhealthy cells are trapped, and bacteria are destroyed. As it moves through the body, lymph also pulls fat out for transport to the liver. Protein and carbohydrates are left behind to travel via the bloodstream to nourish the body. To keep lymph moving, your body depends on the movement of your arms and legs—along with massage and deep breathing—since the lymphatic system has no pump (like the heart) of its own. Continue reading →
Earth Day 2013 is only days away!
Monday is Earth Day. First organized in 1970, the concept of Earth Day marked the advent of the modern day environmental movement. It’s a time to rededicate our efforts in being more proactive about going “green” and preserving the “mother” we all share.
While the outdoor environment and matters of sustainability are still major themes today, what concerns me most is the quality and purity of the indoor environment. As a matter of fact, indoor air pollution is one of the leading health risks in the environment. In fact, some chemicals may be nearly 100 times more concentrated indoors than outdoors. Since many Americans spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors, we need to readjust our viewpoint of environmental degradation as just an outdoor concern. Continue reading →
