Too Much Sitting May Increase Your Risk of Chronic Disease … and Premature Death

As we all know. "A body in motion, stays in motion" hence getting the juices flowing in the morning will help your body "stay in motion" the whole day.  A great site that has a ton of stretching and other exercises is here  and the following article was taken from  www.SixWise.com

These days you likely hear a lot about sedentary lifestyles, and how this inactivity can lead to obesity and all of its related problems. But what you may not realize is that the word “sedentary” comes from the Latin word “sedere,” which means “to sit.”

Sitting too much can interfere with your metabolism and weight, and may contribute to heart disease.

Being sedentary could actually be described as any behavior during which energy expenditure is low, which always applies to prolonged periods of sitting at home, at work, during your commute and even during your leisure time.

Now, as with all sedentary activities, the evidence is increasing that shows sitting is, in fact, a risk factor for not only chronic disease but also premature death … a worrying finding considering how long the average American spends sitting each day.

Just how long is it?

Well, American adults spend an average of more than eight hours each day in front of screens, including televisions, computer monitors, cell phones and others, according to a Video Consumer Mapping study.

During this time, most Americans are also likely to be sitting, but that’s not all. Americans also sit at their desks and in their cars, which could easily push the average number of hours spent sitting even higher.

Find this poster at the following Site
http://www.healthyforlifeclinic.com/images/SpinalStretches.jpg

For years health officials have urged us to make sure we get in our 30-60 minutes of exercise daily, but in any given day adults have about 15.5 "non-exercise" waking hours. For many adults, a great portion of this time is spent sitting.

Now, researchers say, it’s important not only to exercise, but also to make sure you are breaking up prolonged periods of sitting time with other activities. In other words, even if you exercise every day, it may not be enough to overcome the negative effects of 8+ hours spent sitting.

What’s necessary to be optimally healthy is a combination of both exercise and reducing your sitting time each and every day.

What’s So Bad About Sitting?

Sitting is perfectly healthy and natural, assuming it is not done in excess. Your body is meant to move, flex and stretch, so anytime it becomes sedentary for extended periods negative changes begin to happen.

Numerous studies show rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity are doubled and even tripled in people who sit a lot. Part of the problem is sitting stops the circulation of lipase, an enzyme that absorbs fats. So instead of being absorbed by your muscles, when you’re sitting fat recirculates in your bloodstream where it may end up stored as body fat, clogging arteries or contributing to disease.

In fact, simply standing up as opposed to sitting engages muscles and helps your body process fat and cholesterol in a positive way, regardless of the amount of exercise you do.

Further:

• A recent study found sitting time was a predictor of weight gain in Australian women, even after adjustments were made for diet and exercise.

• Observational studies have showed that not only is total sedentary time important for blood glucose control but also that a larger number of breaks in sedentary time are associated with more favorable metabolic profiles, according to an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Sitting Increase Your Risk of Premature Death

One of the most revealing new studies, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, linked sitting time with a greater risk of death in more than 17,000 Canadians.

Don’t Sit … Stretch! Stretching is an excellent alternative to sitting, and Stretching It presents 15 stretches that stretch all the key muscles groups throughout your entire body. It only takes about 15-20 minutes per day total to do the complete stretching. In addition to stretching nearly 100% of the muscles in your body. Choose 15 stretches that you'll find actually feel good and are easy to do.

Even after accounting for physical activity levels outside of work, body mass index, age, sex, drinking alcohol and smoking, the mortality risk was 1.54 times higher among those who spent almost all of the day sitting compared with those who spent almost no time sitting, the researchers found.

Those who were considered active (at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week) had a lower risk of mortality over the 12 years of follow up as well.

Surprisingly, however, only 5 percent of participants compensated for the time they spent sitting at work through exercise. And even among those who did, the risk of premature death increased depending on how much sedentary time they had in their day.

"I don't think it's a very rosy future," Claude Bouchard, the study’s lead author and executive director at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. told CBC News. "If we combine that [time spent sitting at work] with the growing prevalence of obesity, it's going to mean that just about every developed society is going to be faced with a health care cost bill that has the potential to bankrupt the finances of all of these developed countries."

"The findings of the study also support that physicians should counsel patients to not only increase their level of physical activity and maintain a normal body weight but to reduce the amount of time they spend being sedentary in general and sitting in particular,” Bouchard continued.

Want to Sit Less?

There’s good news. You’ve already accomplished the first step to sitting less, which is realizing that you probably should. Next, take the opportunity to stand rather than sit as often as you can. Stand while watching your kids play at the park, stand while you talk on the phone or watch TV, and definitely take time to move around while you’re at work.

Your body can only tolerate being in one position for about 20 minutes before it starts to feel uncomfortable, according to the Mayo Clinic. About every 15 minutes, stand, walk around or change your position for at least 30 seconds.

You can also incorporate some simple yet highly beneficial stretches into your daily routine. In 15-20 minutes you can even complete Jacques Gauthier’s wonderful Stretching Toward a Healthier Life DVD, which helps you to keep your body out of a sedentary position and moving instead.

The bottom line is this: exercise is a necessary tool to stay healthy -- but it is not enough. You’ve got to spend less time sitting as well. So just as you set goals to fit in your exercise routine everyday, make a commitment to sit less as well. The more you get into the habit of standing, walking, stretching or simply moving instead of sitting, the better you’ll feel and the easier it will be.

And if you need a bit of motivation just remember this: the average person can burn 60 extra calories each hour just by standing instead of sitting!

FREE SPEECH ATTACKED !! Health Blogger could be jailed for sharing his Success Story to overcome diabetes

So evidently sharing your successfull healthy weight loss story is a criminal offense and not classified as "Free Speech". This is scary!!! 

 Now as a blogger you can be thrown in jail for advocating a healthy eating plan. One such blogger who wrote about using the Paleo diet rid himself of diabetes is now being threatened with jail.  That's right in the state of North Caroline the state Board of Dietetics / Nutrition  now claims that this bloggers "nutritional advocacy" is equivalent to the crime of "practicing nutrition without a license."

The bloggers name is Steve Coksey and his website is http://www.diabetes-warrior.net and you can sign up for his weekly newsletter here http://diabetes-warrior.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f32ac537f68abadd4ab6747de&id=8847f5aeaf

We can only assume who is behind all of this, the biggest lobbyist in America, the pharmaceutical industry -- Yes, and industry that lives and breaths total and complete nutritional ignorance and is finance by one of the biggest drug companies in the world, Merck, Merck has recently been fined a whopping $321 for their very deceptive marketing of its toxic drug Vioxx to the uninformed public.

More on that at http://www.naturalnews.com/035690_Merck_Vioxx_marketing.html. 

You can read the full article of the atrocity of this attack on Free Speech at Natural News
and if you want to tell the North Carolina Board Dietetics / Nutrition to leave bloggers alone.....
Here's how
http://www.ncbdn.org/contact_ncbdn/

North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition
1000 Centre Green Way
Suite 200
Cary, NC 27513

Phone: (919) 228-6391
Toll Free: (800) 849-2936
Fax: (919) 882-1776

Email: info@ncbdn.org

Foods That Detox the Body

Detoxing does not have to be painful , it can actually be very satisfying and energizing if done correctly. And believe it or not you DON'T have to starve yourself to do it and there's also a great eating plan at the website www.naturalfooddetox.com.
Additionally, if you need help with your daily "Lifestyle Planning" you can get that at FitToDo.com. There you can plug in your food and exercise and best of all its FREE and for your eyes only!!

The following is a list of foods that detox the body.

Items listed below are most beneficial when eaten in their least altered states: fresh/raw or lightly steamed. If you have the option, vine-ripened and organically grown are pluses.

• Broccoli Sprouts - look for them at your health food store. They have up to 50 times more cancer-fighting power than the full-grown stalks.



• Cabbage - this incredible vegetable increases the activity of both of the 2 main detoxifying enzymes in the liver. Raw or lightly steamed packs the biggest punch.



• Fiber - any kind is beneficial - (also listed below as psyllium). Fiber expands in the digestive tract absorbing toxins along the way. This is probably one of the most important foods that detox the body.

Fruits - loaded with vitamin C, fiber, fluids and antioxidants, to name a few benefits.



• Garlic - the more, the better! The Italians know what they're doing! You can add it to salads, sauces, juices, take capsules. It activates the liver enzymes that help filter out junk.



• Green Tea - this tea is rich in antioxidants; try to find a naturally decaf version. It contains catechins, which increase liver activity.



• Juices - fresh fruit or vegetable juice keep you hydrated and the fluids moving throughout your system.



• Lemons - lemon juice is perfect for cleansing your system. It's also full of vitamin C, and grabs onto toxins that are then flushed out.



• Psyllium - rich in soluble fiber, like oat bran. It absorbs toxins and cholesterol. You can mix powdered psyllium into juice or sprinkle on food. Or you can have psyllium-fortified breakfast cereals, breads, muffins.



• Sesame seeds - did you know this: They are known for protecting liver cells from the damaging effects of alcohol and other chemicals. Tahini paste is the concentrated form of pureed sesame seeds.



• Vegetables - green, leafy is best. Eat them raw, salads, added to soup broth. Chlorophyll helps flush out environmental toxins such as heavy metals, pollutants and pesticides.



• Water - this is THE ultimate body cleanser. Purified or filtered water is even better. Watch 'vitamin waters' so that they don't contain high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Plain, room-temperature drinking water is best.



• Watercress - this can be added to salads, soups. Has a diuretic effect that detoxifies your system.

Avocados Naturally Conquer Aging and Disease

Contrary to many anti-aging pills and creams, avocados are extremely inexpensive and also quite a delicious addition to any seasonal meal. The best part, however, is that they are actually effective in fighting both again and bolstering your immune system to fight off disease — no expensive medical interventions required. The powerful yet 100% natural effect has to do with how the oil from the fruit can combat free radicals, which have been linked to countless conditions including cancer and heart disease (as well as aging, and in many cases accelerated aging).

What’s most amazing about the antioxidants found in avocados is their ability to ‘deeply’ penetrate inside the body and actually enter the mitochondria, a tiny ‘powerhouse’ which actually turns food into energy inside your body. Your mitochondria are actually teeming with free radicals, which are assaulting the tiny energy assimilators on a daily basis. While other fruits and vegetables — powerful in many ways as well — offer beneficial antioxidants, avocados possess the unique ability to actually make their way inside mitochondria. This is an effect that has scientists raving over the usage of avocados in the prevention of disease and aging.Researcher Christian Cortes-Rojo summarized the findings, explaining:

The problem is that the antioxidants in [other] substances are unable to enter mitochondria. So free radicals go on damaging mitochondria, causing energy production to stop and the cell to collapse and die.

It is these free radicals, brought upon by toxins that enter the body, which are causing serious damage to public health. Breeding disease through the destruction of DNA and cell membranes, free radicals are unwanted invaders of the body. Avocados present themselves as an excellent way to fend off the issue, and researchers say that avocado oil can even allow certain cells to survive in the presence of high iron concentrations — an element that produces a particularly ‘huge’ amount of free radicals. It is also interesting to note that avocado oil is similar to olive oil in terms of composition. Not only has olive oil been found to benefit your overall health, but the consumption of olive oil has been linked to unusually low levels of serious disease in some Mediterranean countries.

Toxic Hormone-Mimicking BPA Now Linked to Diabetes

It seems evident that the effects of bisphenol A have been made known to a large contingent of health conscious individuals. This chemical pervades nearly every plastic container, is used as lining for metal cans marketed towards children, and can even be found on receipts and U.S. dollars. Now, a new study has linked this hormone-mimicker to diabetes.

BPA is present in many plastic food containers, the majority of which often go through wear and tear as well as heat which can increase the rates of BPA exposure. These containers leach the chemical toxin into the liquid that will eventually end up in your body. Should you microwave a TV dinner for example, the chemical content of the plastic container would find its way into the food you are preparing to eat. Likewise,when bottled water is manufactured and shelved, BPA will effectively contaminate the water. This is especially true for water bottles that are oftentimes stored in hot warehouses that can exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Its extensive usage in manufacturing has given rise to an ongoing investigative evaluation of its effects on the general health of those who interact with it, and chances are you are somehow introducing this chemical into your body on a daily basis due to its widespread use. Many other countries have already declared BPA a toxin and prohibited its usage in a number of products.

In the recent study tying BPA to diabetes, researchers examined 4,000 U.S. adults with varying levels of BPA exposure. The researchers found that those with the highest urinary BPA levels were most likely to have diabetes. Just under 12% of participants suffered from diabetes, based on blood sugar tests. The odds of having the disease rose in correspondence with urinary BPA levels.

The negative effects of BPA go beyond diabetes

It is also recognized that BPA is an endocrine disruptor. This means that it mimics the natural hormones produced by your body, and when your body interacts with BPA, it is creating a hormonal imbalance, leading to a host of health problems. These problems include infertility,breast cancer, weight gain and a host of other diseases. It’s arguable as well that this hormonal imbalance has produced the effect of accelerating and altering the growth of our children, sending them into premature puberty and hormone confusion.

Unfortunately, the negative effects do not stop there. Many additional studies suggest a widespread range of additional effects, including altered immune function, neurological and behavior problems, heart disease, and now diabetes - even from low levels of exposure. It has been stated that 95 percent of all paper money has been found to contain BPA, which means that an equally large fraction of Americans have at some point been exposed to this chemical at least from touching it on a regular basis.

Undoubtedly, once this toxin is removed from our daily occurrences, we can expect the associated slew of health risks to also be conspicuously dwindle. Thankfully, there are natural ways to combat BPA.

Do You Eat a Lot of Cooked Food? Why Adding More Raw Foods to Your Diet is a Smart Move

 

by Bolick Clinic Weekly Newsletter

Asking most people whether they eat a lot of cooked food may sound like a silly question. After all, we’re conditioned to cook all of our meat thoroughly to avoid bacteria and parasites, and even our dairy products and juices are pasteurized.

When food is cooked valuable enzymes are destroyed.

For many, raw food in their diet consists of an occasional salad or piece of fruit, as even most veggies on Americans’ dinner plates are of the cooked variety.

So what’s the problem, you may now be wondering?

Raw plant and animal foods (such as raw milk) are loaded with beneficial enzymes for your body. (Enzymes are actually special proteins that act as catalysts for the chemical reactions that occur to keep your body functioning.) However, enzymes begin to be destroyed at temperatures above 110-115 degrees. So if your food is cooked, pasteurized or processed, it will contain no enzymes whatsoever.

"When you cook something, you destroy the enzymes," said Karyn Calabrese, a well-known raw foodist in the Chicago-area in an NBC5 article. "You need enzymes for every metabolic purpose in your body. When you lose enzymes, that's when you die."

Even though your body produces some enzymes on its own, if you’ve been eating only cooked foods for a long time, your body must divert extra energy to producing more and more enzymes to break down this food.

This puts a strain on your digestive organs, including your pancreas, and some say may cause premature damage to these organs that can impact your overall health.

On the other hand, if you eat raw foods that contain their own living enzymes, you’re giving your body a break, and allowing it to digest efficiently with very little effort. This is actually one of the key benefits that raw foodists often give to advocate a raw food diet.

Why Getting Enzymes From Your Food is Important

Your body contains 2,500 or more different enzymes. Enzymes in your saliva, for instance, help break apart starches, while those in your stomach help break down protein. Enzymes in your intestines, meanwhile, are responsible for breaking apart all of your food, whether fat, protein or carb. These digestive enzymes are what allow your food to be broken down, and the nutrients absorbed by your bloodstream.

There are other types of enzymes as well, namely metabolic enzymes and food enzymes, which are responsible for initiating, speeding up, slowing down, or otherwise altering about 4,000 different biochemical reactions. Millions of these reactions take place in your body each day, helping you to not only digest food but also to:

Food Inc., How Much Do You Really Know About the Food You Eat? Next week watch for our featured article on “Food Inc.,” a documentary that “lifts the veil on our nation's food industry (watch the movie’s official trailer now), exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA.” Get a shocking inside look at the U.S. food system -- for instance did you know it’s controlled by a handful of corporations that put profit ahead of consumer health? -- and find out how and why the food you eat is making you, and your family, sick!

• Assimilate and digest nutrients
• Breathe
• Detox certain organs
• Purify your blood
• Move your muscles
• Produce and regulate hormones
• Renew and repair your cells

While your body does produce enzymes on its own, an important source is the enzymes you get from raw food. If you eat primarily cooked food, however, there’s a chance your body may be deficient in these important catalysts to your digestion.

Other Problems With Cooked Foods

Aside from depleting the enzyme content, certain cooking methods, namely those that use high temperatures, actually create harmful compounds in your food. These include:

• Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs): Heterocyclic amines form when food is cooked at a high temperature, either by grilling, broiling, frying or searing. The longer you cook your meat, and the higher the temperature, the more HCAs that are formed. The worst part of the meat, from an HCA perspective, is any blackened section.

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Barbecue grill smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. When the smoke surrounds your food -- particularly when fat drips onto the heat source and causes excess smoke -- it transfers PAHs to your food.

By adding more raw foods to your diet you may be able to digest more efficiently with less effort.

• Avanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): Advanced glycation end products are also produced when meats are cooked at high temperatures, such as while grilling, frying or broiling (they're also produced when foods are pasteurized or sterilized).

AGEs, according to researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, build up in your body over time leading to oxidative stress, inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.

When you do cook your food it is always preferable to cook foods at lower temperatures than higher temperatures, not only because the nutrients are better preserved and chances of creating harmful compounds are minimized, but also because the oils that you cook your food with -- particularly vegetable oils like soybean, corn and canola -- are easily damaged (oxidized) by the heat, posing further health risks.

Tips for Adding Raw Foods and Enzymes to Your Diet

The ideal way to add enzymes to your diet is simply by eating more raw foods. Be generous with consuming raw fruits and vegetables, and also consider adding other sources of raw food to your diet, such as raw milk and raw-milk cheese.

Maintaining a Healthy Thyroid

Thyroid gland controls many important body functions. Symptoms of thyroid dysfunction are easily confused with other conditions or explained away as signs of “just getting older.”

Foundation for Wellness/Get Healthy Orlando is hosting a workshop Tonight on Natural Solutions to Thyroid Issues, Get Relief not Side Effects. Click here to register or call us @ 407-278-8115.

If you think you have symptoms of a thyroid problem or other hormonal imbalance. There are two main things you can do that can help maintain healthy thyroid function: Eat well. A healthy, well balanced diet is your first line of defense in supporting a healthy thyroid. All adults need iodine to support the thyroid. If you have a good diet, you are almost certainly getting your needed amount of iodine.

Other things like avoiding excess sugar in the form of simple carbohydrates and reducing your intake of high saturated fats also helps as these foods put stress on the thyroid. Also increasing physical activity and staying active helps prevent you from becoming overweight. Being overweight also creates additional stress on the thyroid. Learn more at our Workshop Tonight ,  Click here to register or call us @ 407-278-8115. 

How To Eat Like a Naturally Thin Person

From: EatWithoutGuilt.com

The other weekend I was at a friend’s house for a party, when all of a sudden a woman came up to me and said “You’re having a piece of cake?”

“Yes,” I said, “and I’m enjoying every single bite.”  The woman then replied, “Oh, you must be one of those naturally thin people…I can’t even look at a piece of cake and not put on 5 pounds!”

Little did this woman know that for at least half of my life I dealt with overeating, emotional eating, binge eating, and yo-yo dieting.

Quite often people see me eating a guilty food, see that I’m at a normal weight — so they just assume I’m a “naturally thin person.”

What people don’t realize is that now, I have a relaxed relationship with food.  And that was the turning point for me.  Changing my relationship with food.  So much of what I learned about food, and my relationship to it, really came to light when I lived in France.

But it took time and it didn’t happen overnight.  It was the small steps that I took that overtime became part of my lifestyle.  It’s so much a part of my lifestyle now that I don’t even stop and think about it.  I don’t think about doing or eating this, versus doing or eating that.  It just comes naturally.

Here are just some guidelines that YOU can start implementing into your lifestyle:

1)  Eat until satisfied, not stuffed.  On a fullness scale of 1 to 10, I stop eating at around a 6 or 7.  But I find many overeaters keep going until 8 or 10.  Why?  For some, they’re part of the “clean plate club.”   As kids they might have been told about the starving children in the word, or look at not finishing their food as a waste.  But it doesn’t have to be.  Whatever I don’t finish I save for another time.


2)  Use small portions.  You know the phrase one’s eyes are bigger than one’s stomach?  I find that often happens when I’mreally hungry.  So instead of serving what I think I’ll need, I serve myself a little less.  If I’m still hungry after that, I’ll take a bit more.  But I always wait a few minutes before that second serving.  You just might find you don’t need that second serving.

3)  Don’t fear hunger.  All too often we look at hunger as a condition that needs to be cured, meaning we’re so afraid of being hungry that we eat too often.  It’s not the hunger that makes one overeat, often it’s the level of hunger.  There’s a difference between a little growling in the stomach and being lightheaded because you haven’t eaten in 10 hours.  It’s okay and it’s good to feel hunger.  You should be hungry before you eat.  Just like the level of fullness, you need to gauge your level of hunger.  You want to feel a bit hungry before eating your meal, just not to the point that you’re ravenous, as that’s what often cases overeating.

4) Don’t use food to cure the blues.  Sure, we all eat for emotional reasons from time to time, the difference is to recognize when you’re doing it and stop.  I always tell my clients that awareness if the first step to changing a behavior.  You have to be aware you’re eating for an emotional reason, and then take the steps to change it.

5)  Eat more fruits and vegetables.  Okay, I know you were secretly wishing this wasn’t true but it is.   But I try get my servings of fruits and vegetables most days.  And it’s easier than you think.  Add fruit to yogurt, on top of cereal, in a smoothie, or even on top of some whole wheat pancakes. You can even have fruit as dessert.  And don’t forget your veggies! I have at least one vegetable with lunch and dinner.

6)  Get moving.  And it doesn’t have to mean strenuous hours at the gym.  I only exercise a few days a week for 30-45 minutes each.  But I also do little things that add up.  I take the stairs when possible and don’t spend 10 minutes looking for the parking spot nearest the entrance.  I just park and then walk if need be.  You’d be surprise how just moving your body a bit extra makes a big difference.

So follow these simple guidelines, slowly incorporate them into your lifestyle, and then one day you’ll overhear someone saying that you must be a naturally thin person!

Americans are killing themselves with sugar

Image from SetYouFreeNews.com

Sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are not just in soft drinks, pastries, and candies. They are hidden in most processed foods, condiments and sauces. Sometimes the sweetening ingredients in those foods and condiments are disguised as dextrose or corn syrup (which is most likely genetically modified) instead of sugar or HFCS.

So sugar is ubiquitous in the standard American diet (SAD). The food like substances from convenience stores, fast food stops, and even upscale restaurants are usually loaded with either sugar or HFCS.

High fructose corn syrup has become the sweetener of choice because it's cheaper and sweeter than sugar. Many say it's worse for you as well. Much of HFCS goes directly to the liver before it is metabolized anywhere else. What isn't used for energy from HFCS is stored as fat. Excess sugar also gets stored as fat.

Even some infant formulas contain sugar or HFCS amounts equivalent to a can of soda. They're getting hooked on sugar early. Sugar and HFCS tend to be addictive.

Since sugar became a household commodity in the 18th Century, sugar consumption has increased from four pounds per person annually to 180 pounds annually for half the American population. HFCS use has increased over ten thousand percent since its introduction into processed foods and beverages in the 1970s.

Health issues with sugar and HFCS

Obesity is obvious. Obesity levels are higher now than ever before. One-third of Americans are obese and another third are overweight. Eating a low fat diet only hurts your health. Our bodies need natural, good fats 

Obesity and overweight conditions usually lead to pre-diabetes and diabetes type 2, which can also cause kidney disease. If dietary habits remain the same, high blood pressure and artherosclerosis (clogged and hardened arteries) can occur, leading to heart attacks and strokes.

Coinciding with increased HFCS use is a sharp rise in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is a precursor to sclerosis of the liver.

Many tend to make a couple of bad mistakes upon realizing they need to cut down or completely eliminate sugar and high fructose corn syrup from their diet. The first is to use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and Splenda (sucralose). That's just trading physical problems for neurological issues, while still getting fatter in the meantime 

However, you can use naturally plant based Stevia as a healthy sugar replacement.

Another mistake is to cut out obvious sweets and sodas while continuing to frequent fast food places and eat processed food meals at home. The gradual transition from the standard American diet should be toward cutting out processed and fast food meals completely, since most are laced with sugar or HFCS.

Studies are beginning to determine that consuming lots of sugar or HFCS leads to cancer. Anaerobic cancer cells do thrive on sugar. They depend on fermenting glucose (sugar) for their energy because they've lost the ability to metabolize with oxygen (http://www.naturalnews.com/024827_cancer_sugar_women.html).

That's why alternative cancer treatments strictly forbid sugar consumption. Of course, mainstream oncology does not even discourage sugar. It's widely understood that we all contain some free floating cancer cells that have not developed into tumors.

Natural fructose in fruit is okay. Buthigh added sugar/HFCS consumptionwill only encourage cancer cells and cause the other health issues mentioned in this article.

Is the Junk-Food Gene Making You Crave Fattening Foods? Plus, How to Overcome It

by www.SixWise.com

Junk food, fast food, we know it’s unhealthy, yet we still order takeout and frequent drive-throughs, sometimes several times a week. The top five reasons Americans eat junk food are convenience, availability, no time to cook, it’s quick and affordable -- but at what cost to their health?

Kids with the so-called “junk-food gene” are more likely to eat junk food -- and more of it -- than kids who don’t.

A study conducted by the American Institute for Cancer Research showed that a quarter of the calories Americans consume come from nutrient-dense choices, otherwise known as “junk food.”

Soft drinks accounted for 7.1 percent of the calories consumed by the 4,700 people surveyed. Altogether, soft drinks, sweets, desserts and alcoholic beverages made up nearly one-quarter (23.8 percent) of the total calorie intake!

Junk Food Cravings -- A Genetic Link

Could it be that genes are responsible for this overload of junk food in our diets?

Well, a study released by the New England Journal of Medicine reported that children with a specific gene variant were more likely to eat more energy-dense food, meaning fattening unhealthy foods.

The study however did not reveal a difference in metabolism between the kids with the genes and those without it, meaning the gene influenced the way they ate, but not necessarily the way their body digested and used the calories.

“The way the genes influence obesity is through behavior, rather than metabolism,” said Dr. Goutham Rao, clinical director of the weight management and wellness center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, on MedicineNet.com. “That means this is something you can work on. And, the good news is that a lot of kids who had the gene weren’t overweight.”

These findings are “hopeful” because the researchers didn’t find a difference in metabolism, he said. In other words … just because you have the gene it doesn’t mean you’re destined to be fat … although you may tend to want to eat a bit extra.

Upon studying the eating habits of 97 children, the researchers found children with the variant gene consumed around 100 calories more per meal -- this translates to an extra pound of weight about every 12 days!

Dr. Rao stressed the importance of practicing prevention of obesity when raising children.

“The important message from this study is that prevention is key,” said Rao on MedicineNet.com. “If you have a child whether they’re overweight or not, if they have a predilection for seeking junk food, you need to intervene. The emphasis should be on portion control. If you restrict a food completely, the message children get is that there’s something special about that food, and then they’re going to overindulge when they do get it.”

Obesity Rates in America are Skyrocketing

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity in adults has increased by 60 percent within the past 20 years and obesity in children has tripled in the past 30 years and 90% of them have not been properly diagnosed.

This increase of obesity raises concern because of its dangerous repercussions upon the health of Americans. Obesity has been linked to the risk of many diseases and health conditions including:

• Coronary heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Stroke
• Liver and Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility

Five Ways to Overcome Your Junk Food Addiction

Does the thought of cheese puffs, buttery popcorn, ice cream, candy and other “forbidden foods” make you salivate? Remember it’s OK to indulge on occasion, as completely depriving yourself of your favorite junk food will only make you want it more.

Even if you or your kids have the “junk-food gene,” you can still adhere to a healthy diet. Often this involves reprogramming the way you think about food.

As you eat, think about the food, give thanks for it, and really taste each bite. When you savor your food in this way, you will feel full and satisfied on much less food. If you have trouble feeling calm and focused when you eat, or tend to eat in a hurry (in front of the TV, while driving, standing at the kitchen counter, etc.) or for emotional reasons, try reprogramming these unhealthy habits with guided meditations. Some other practical ways to take back control over your eating habits include:

• Go to your local supermarket and stock up on healthy foods and snacks such as fruits, granola, yogurt, nuts, raisins and veggies.
• Reduce your intake of carbonated beverages like soda and drink more water.
• Journal your eating habits and replace calorie-dense foods with healthy alternatives.
• Stay active and keep yourself busy. Focusing on something else such as a hobby or other activity will reduce the likelihood of becoming bored and reaching for a bag of chips.
• Cook meals at home using fresh ingredients. This will give you a greater appreciation of what you’re eating and the ability to experience the true flavor of the foods.

Do you have a tendency to default to junk foods simply because you don’t have time to cook? With these quick dinner ideas you can create delicious meals in no time:Resist the Drive-Through With These Quick Dinner Ideas

Simple Side Dishes and Snacks: Keep your icebox stocked with frozen, canned, or fresh veggies to accompany a healthy meal. Some good fresh vegetables and fruits to have on hand are celery, carrots, and tomatoes and oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and grapes.

Easy Baked Potato: You can have this with your meal or even as a meal by itself and in less than 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the potato, then microwave on high for about 4 minutes. Rinse it again so it's wet. Finish baking in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Make this potato a meal by adding steamed broccoli, chopped pimentos, salsa, plain yogurt, sautéed mushrooms, tuna or sweet corn. This also works great with sweet potatoes!

Create Your Own Pasta: Put any of these toppings or a combination of these for a delicious pasta dinner. Ideally, choose whole-grain pasta rather than regular pastafor more nutrition and health benefits:

• Mushrooms                                      
• Spinach                                            
• Fresh basil and white beans                    
• Roasted red pepper
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Zucchini

Colorful Salads: Salads are a great source of vitamin C and with a few ingredients act as a great meal in themselves. You can dress up your salad with several tasty healthy options. Some ideas are grilled chicken, raw almonds, raw sunflower seeds, cranberries, vegetables (choose different colored vegetables such as carrots, purple cabbage, green and red pepper for variety), feta cheese, olive oil and olives.

Creative Omelets: All you need is a few fixings such as green, yellow or red peppers, mushrooms and onions for a quick dinner.

Cook Meals for the Week and Freeze: Cook up some large-volume food -- a hearty batch of soup, a pan of lasagna, turkey chili and lots of whole-wheat pasta or brown rice. Freeze the meals in small containers and take out as needed.

4 Health Foods with More Sugar than a Twinkie

Anthony Gucciardi  - Natural Society - April 11, 2012

Is sugar the last ingredient that has not been slammed by health conscious activists? Numerous crusades have been waged against GMOs (genetically modified organisms), aspartame, high-fructose corn syrup and trans fat, but where does sugar reside in the equation? Excess sugar consumption, which has now become an ‘average’ amount of sugar consumption for many families, has been linked to everything from DNA damage to excessive cancer growth — so where is the anti-sugar movement?

Some scientists and health experts are certainly declaring a health crisis over a large-scale ‘sugar epidemic’, but are you truly aware of how much sugar you intake on a daily basis? Even if you are consuming many health foods that are really free of other toxic offenders, chances are they may be containing a whopping amount of sugar — or at least enough ‘small’ amounts to set you over the edge throughout your daily nutritional intake. It is recommended you eat less than 16 grams of sugar per day (from natural sources) — even less if you are suffering from a serious health condition. A Twinkie has 18 grams of sugar in the processed form, and exceeds the daily sugar maximum in one health-threatening serving.

But what about health foods? Many contain just about as much or more than 18 grams, and it’s important to know which. Here are 4 health foods with more sugar than a Twinkie:

1. Yogurt

You may be consuming yogurt in order to take in some beneficial probiotics, but the truth of the matter is that yogurt is oftentimes loaded with sugar — it can even be added  in larger amounts by the manufacturer. The natural amount of sugar is about 12 grams of sugar per 6-ounce serving, which is below the daily allotment. One 6-ounce container of fruit-flavored yogurt, however, can contain 32 grams of sugar, which is way more than the daily recommended amount.

In order to avoid a high sugar content, look for high quality organic Greek yogurt (or avoid dairy altogether).

2. Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce can be used for a number of different food items, but the amount in which it is used often exceeds the designated serving size. While the intended serving size is about half of a cup, many individuals use the entire cup for pasta or other meals. Many brands contain 11 or 12 grams per serving, which means a full cup can exceed 22 grams of sugar on average — more than a Twinkie.

3. Granola Bars

Granola bars can be loaded with sugar. Granted, it may sometimes be in the form of evaporated cane sugar. More often than not, however, it will be white sugar. I’ve personally witnessed many health-conscious individuals integrate at least one granola bar into their daily life without even thinking about how much sugar they’re taking in. In one instance, the sugar from the granola bars alone totaled around 50 grams! That’s way more than a Twinkie, and that’s from just one source.

Some products like Clif Bar contain around 22 grams per bar, which surpasses the daily intake level.

4. Pre-Made Smoothies

As with juice, you simply should not be buying pre-made smoothies from the grocery store or restaurants. Make your own instead; the nutrients will actually reach your body instead of degrading over time, which ultimately makes the juice nothing but a tasty load of sugar. Smoothies from places like Jamba Juice can exceed 77 grams of sugar, while Smoothie King has options that top 117 grams. These are certainly way beyond the healthy levels. 

Lack of sleep takes years off your life! Workshop Tonite - Maitland Public Library

FREE Public Workshop:
Natural Sleep Solutions,
Wednesday, April 11th,
501 S. Maitland Ave,
Maitland Public Library,
6:30 PM RSVP 407-278-8115
or at www.GetHealthyOrlando.com and
click on Big Green "RSVP Here" Button

Are you one of at least 40 million Americans who suffer from some type of sleep disturbance? If you are, then we may have good news to you. 

Do you have difficulty getting to sleep? Do you sleep fitfully and wake up often during the night? Do you have a hard time getting back to sleep once awakened? Do you have difficulty getting up once its time to get up in the morning? 

Chronic lack of sleep can also accelerate the aging process. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain doesn’t make the normal amounts of hormones, producing hormone levels similar to those of a much older person. However, subsequently getting a full night’s sleep reverses this aging effect, returning hormone levels to normal. 

How does this affect your life and the lives of those around you? How frequently does this occur? Are you frustrated by having tried a lot of different things and not gotten a result?

When the adrenal glands are weak, it affects your sleep due to abnormal cortisol levels. However, other adrenal hormones can also be affected.  There are several non-invasive physical exam tests that can been done to screen for weak adrenal glands.  Weak adrenals can be one of the reasons contributing to disturbed sleep. 

(My Note:)

Did you know that your body has a built in clock to know what time it is. It uses cues like daylight and your own activity to figure out if it is day or night. Travel, night shifts and poor sleep habits can confuse your body’s clock and make good quality sleep difficult. You see there's a little structure with the brain that does this and it also controls all you body functions associated with sleep, including your body's temperature , urination, blood pressure etc. This little structure also controls you body's natural melatonin so if its not working right you sleep is interrupted.  So if you would like to be rid of your sleep problem ONCE AND FOR ALL??.... Come to our Workshop tonite at Maitland Public Library, 501 S. Maitland Ave. 32751, Call to RSVP 407-278-8115 or go to www.GetHealthyOrlando.com