Fitness VS Health – Sorry, Coke, Pepsi, but You Can’t Out-Exercise Junk Food

For most people, living a healthy lifestyle is no easy task. Being healthy involves a few hundred decisions every single day about what and where to eat, how to exercise, what medicines or vitamins are necessary, and so much more. Even talking about healthy eating isn’t easy. Food has so much associated context and culture that discussing a healthy diet can be as tricky as conversations about religion or politics.

Don’t think so? Put a vegan, paleo eater, and the average American in a room and watch them go to war over their food philosophies. It’s not that one person is right and the others are wrong; they each have a completely different belief about what constitutes a healthy diet.

In his book and recent documentary, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan goes into great detail explaining how different foods (processed and unprocessed) affect the body and how “nutritionism” (a focus on individual nutrients rather than the food itself) has derailed our understanding of food. The result has been decades of focusing on fat, cholesterol, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, or calories, which has left humans fatter, sicker, and more confused than ever.

The mantras “Eat less, exercise more,” “ Balance energy,” and “Everything in moderation,” have brainwashed generations of Americans into believing they can eat whatever they want as long as they exercise enough to “burn it off.” The problem is, this doesn’t work.

Last year, a conglomeration of beverage companies created a campaign called MyMixify to convince kids that they can “mixify” their lives by “balancing” some activity with a sports drink or sugary juice beverage. High-fructose corn syrup, the form of sugar found in most commercial sodas, sports drinks, and fruit drinks today, has been shown to have a detrimental effect on the liver and to increase insulin resistance and it is associated with type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Even zero calorie “diet” beverages have been shown to negatively affect the intestinal microbiome and raise blood sugar in the process.

By perpetuating the premise that a calorie equals a calorie, that a calorie from a nutritious vegetable is the equal of a calorie from high fructose corn syrup, processed food companies avoid any responsibility for the food they create, placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the consumers. It’s not the highly processed, incredibly addictive, preservative and sugar-filled, artificially colored and flavored substances that are the problem, it’s that you are not running 10 miles daily to burn it off! “Don’t blame us!” they say.

Sorry, Coke and Pepsi, but you can’t out exercise junk food.

Quality Matters

Most people who change their diets from a standard American diet to paleo, vegetarian, vegan or similar diets see significant changes to their health largely due to the removal of processed foods. (If they actually stick with it, of course.) Those who change their diets but continue to eat processed foods, generally do not see the same benefits. The reason is that the human body does not treat all foods the same. Everything gets digested and responded to by hormones differently, depending upon the type of food, quality of ingredient(s), and composition of nutrients.

In his book, The Dorito Effect, author Mark Schatzker dives into the world of flavor and its impact on nutrition and our health. Flavor isn’t just a bonus; it actually tells us what’s in the food we’re eating. The fruits, vegetables, and even animals we’re consuming today are being bred for speed to market and shelf stability, not flavor. The results are foods that have less nutritional value and less flavor than foods traditionally raised. Taste a fresh tomato fresh from the garden, then taste one “fresh” from the grocery store. The difference is like night and day. One has grown into full ripeness on the vine and is bursting with life and flavor, the other was picked while still green, trucked across the country and treated with ethylene gas to “ripen” before it is brought to the store. It  has a mealy, cardboard-like texture and flavor.

So Which Would You Rather Eat?

Eat food. Don’t eat too much. Eat mostly plants.

Conversely, quality helps moderate the amount we eat as well. When was the last time you overate a plate of salmon or broccoli or eggs? Can’t recall? What about a bag of chips? Or a bottle of soda? Foods that are created to be devoured mindlessly like chips or soda are incredibly easy to over consume. They are high in “flavor” (mostly from chemical additives) but low in nutrition, so your body wants to keep eating, thinking that some nutrition has to be in there somewhere. Sadly, it isn’t. But with real food that is full of flavor and nutritional value, you don’t need to eat as much to feel full and satisfied because your body is actually receiving both a nutritious and delicious meal.

To bring this philosophy back to health and the daily decisions consumers make, a movement toward real food is growing in America. Enlightened consumers don’t want the Monsanto bred corn grain or factory farmed meats from the slaughterhouse. To put it simply, they want quality not quantity.

Michael Pollan’s take away from In Defense of Food is to follow these simple rules:

  • Eat food.
  • Don’t eat too much.
  • Eat mostly plants.

Whatever your dietary preference, we couldn’t agree more. Whether you’re paleo, vegetarian, vegan, low carb or just want to be healthy, these are words to live by.

While tracking calories may be a part of your healthy lifestyle, focusing only on calorie counts will not create a healthier life. Obsessing over one aspect of a food isn’t healthy. Instead, focus on quality whole foods (non-processed foods) and enjoy. Your body will take care of the rest!

So What To Do Now?

When cooking at home, it’s quite easy to regulate what goes onto your plate. When dining out, however, do you really know what’s going on behind the curtain? In order to extend this real food philosophy to the dining world, Tasteful App (available on iOS and Google Play) ranks restaurants based on the quality of their ingredients and the benefits for certain types of diet. So no matter where or how you’re eating, you can make truly healthy decisions.

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The FDA Announces They Will Now Test For Glyphosates

Glyphosate, the extra secret ingredient in the majority of our food supply, will now have a harder time going incognito. After the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a criticism of the FDA and the USDA’s current herbicide monitoring practices, the FDA, the highest food safety administration in the land, announced they have finally developed a “streamlined method” designed for testing foods like corn and soy for glyphosate, the active ingredient in the world’s most popular herbicide, Roundup.

Roundup use has been on the rise since its introduction in 1974, and the amount of glyphosate residue considered “safe” has ballooned by a factor of 17. The EPA allows fifty times more glyphosate to be sprayed on corn now than they allowed in 1995. Continued claims that Roundup is safe, though it was recently labeled a possible human carcinogen by the World Health Organization, and claims that residue levels are of no concern, though the FDA wasn’t even testing glyphosate residue levels on crops, has further tarnished the reputations of the EPA, the USDA, and the FDA. 

Reasons or Excuses?

It’s kind of crazy that the FDA, the organization tasked with monitoring herbicides, has not been testing for the world’s most used herbicide. It’s like getting an STD test at a clinic and not testing for syphilis. The FDA cites the cost of testing as the reason for excluding glyphosate from their testing. Adding glyphosate testing to six of the FDA’s facilities has an estimated cost of 5 million. Monsanto makes 5 billion dollars a year in revenue from glyphosate while also supplying the FDA with some of the highest ranking individuals working there. Is it too far of a stretch to wonder if neglecting to test for Roundup residue was really an issue of cost?  Or was it an excuse to allow one of the largest corporations to keep selling massive amounts of a substance increasingly recognized as detrimental to human health?

Living in the Now

The study by the WHO that identified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic” has been a game changer. It’s possible we wouldn’t know about the lack of reliable glyphosate testing without that study, as the GAO report criticizing the FDA’s lax practices was actually released in 2014. While that timeline definitely fits, there are also other factors prompting this announcement from the FDA.

Independent testing companies like Abraxis and MIcrobe have seen an uptick in requests for glyphosate testing after the WHO study was published. Small companies, advocate groups, and doctors are among the customers asking for this information more than ever before. Test requests at some labs have increased from a few a year to a few a week, indicating that food transparency is a rising interest. Test results showed glyphosate residues in a variety of products from honey to soy sauce to infant formula.

Keep the Ball Rolling

Here’s the good news: public pressure can produce results. We still don’t know the extent to which herbicides like glyphosate can affect our health,  but we’ll never know without proper study of all available information. The push for food transparency is on its way to making a big difference in our health and our quality of life.

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CBD Hemp Oil Used at Children’s Hospital to Treat Epileptic Baby

At Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, Amylea Nunez, a 2-month-old old baby from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is making history.  “She has a rare form of epilepsy,”Amylea’s mother, Nicole Nunez said. “They don’t know exactly the type.” And her doctors don’t know the cause.

Amylea began having seizures a few days after her birth. “About a day after we went home from delivery. Her heart stopped twice on us, and that was probably the hardest part on us,” Amylea’s mother, Nicole Nunez, said.

Amylea was having 15 seizures a day or more. The medicine they prescribed for the seizures is known to damage the liver, so the family asked the hospital monitor Amylea while they gave her Charlotte’s Web CBD oil, an oil derived from hemp that has almost no THC, not nearly enough to get anyone high.

In addition to epilepsy, CBD oil is being researched for use to treat various types of pain, anxiety, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, nausea,  and as an antipsychotic.

Ernie and Nicole Nunez - credit CBSAmylea’s father Ernie Nunez said,

We’re trying to use something different that’s not so bad on her body. After researching and month after month reading on it, we’re hoping it works because it’s a natural way and it’ll help her out.”

The Nunezes say they are trying to wean Amylea off the conventional medicine while using hemp oil to treat the condition.

They say she’s better. “She is a lot more alert today; she is looking around today and following our faces when we talk to her and whereas before when we talked to her she did not react at all,” Nicole Nunez said.

Statement From Children’s Hospital Colorado

Children’s Hospital Colorado does NOT prescribe or recommend medical marijuana.

We don’t yet have the science to fully understand medical marijuana and how it impacts children, which is why Children’s Colorado supports research to determine the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana. Children’s Colorado has a CDPHE-funded medical marijuana study that is strictly observational to assess response rates, changes in behavior and side effects of artisanal marijuana products on children with severe epilepsy. Enrollment starts at one-month of age. This study is for families who choose to provide artisanal marijuana to their children for epilepsy, and Children’s Colorado providers do NOT administer the marijuana.

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Marijuana Suppositories Provide an Interesting Next Move for Medical Cannabis

Foria, a California company, has found a way to combine two of this today’s biggest issues -women’s rights and marijuana – into one tiny item: a suppository.

Oddly enough, the meeting of these issues has resulted in a treatment that’s better than ibuprofen for PMS and menstrual discomfort. The suppository, marketed under the name Relief, consists of organic and biodynamic THC and CBD (the active cannabinoids in the product) and organic cocoa butter. THC and CBD have been chosen for their ability to relax the nerve endings in the pelvis and surrounding areas while blocking out pain and soothing inflammation. The jury is out on whether Foria’s product is able to regulate hormones to the point that PMS is alleviated permanently, but women looking for an alternative to damaging ibuprofen, antidepressants, or synthetic hormones could do worse than use the THC and CBD in Foria’s suppositories for cramps, mood swings, and other menstruation issues.

Why You Can

Long-term use of antidepressants and pharmaceuticals with synthetic hormones impedes the body’s ability to produce its own hormones, and prolonged use of ibuprofen can cause kidney and liver damage. Herbal remedies like chaste tree berry, cohosh, dandelion root, and wild yam have been shown to relieve PMS symptoms.

Marijuana’s primary PMS relief comes from its status as an antispasmodic, muscle relaxant, and anti-anxiety substance. Foria’s Relief has found that these qualities result in a significant reduction in cramps and other menstruation issues. In contrast to conventional PMS relievers, the amount of cannabis used in Foria’s Relief is not enough to disrupt estrogen levels.

Why You Can’t

Sounds like it’s worth a try, doesn’t it? But here’s the bad news: you can’t get it unless you live in Colorado or California. There’s also the issue of price and it’s not clear how long the suppository works. At 11 dollars for each one, they have the potential to be rather expensive. There is also the issue of drug tests. While medical marijuana is legal is CA and all marijuana is legal in CO, people working jobs that require negative drug tests will have to be careful about their usage.

The Messy Details

Foria is in a unique position with this product – a new frontier, if you will, in marijuana medication. Inserting medications rather than ingesting them has the potential for its own problems, although the company is being transparent with their growing process and quality controls. Not everyone can afford or attain this product. But this is an interesting development in using marijuana as medicine, and with the current flux state of marijuana policy, it pays to be prepared.

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7 Practical Tips to Help You Avoid Being the Victim of Medical Malpractice

In an ideal world, every professional to whom we trusted our safety or wellbeing would be brilliant and infallible.  They’d never have a bad day, make a careless error, or put us at risk in any way. But in reality, even the most qualified and experienced medical professionals make mistakes. And unfortunately, some of these slip-ups can put lives in danger.

In fact, one study (link below) showed that each year, between 210,000 and 440,000 patient deaths occur due to preventable hospital or doctor errors.  This fact is not meant to alarm you or convince you to lose faith in doctors, but to help you understand that it’s important to do everything in your power to make sure that these dangerous mistakes don’t happen to you.

1.  Check Background

The first step to ensuring that you get the best possible medical care  is to do your homework on the hospitals and doctors you choose, particularly if surgery is involved. You can start online, but keep in mind that there isn’t one master database out there that lets you see everything about a given doctor’s background.

Visit your state’s medical board website to find information like medical license status, education, certifications, legal and disciplinary actions.  Next, head to the Federation of State Medical Boards’ Doc Info site, where you can pay $10 for the full profile of a doctor practicing in any state. Keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for doctors to be sued, so finding a record of legal action taken against your doctor isn’t necessarily a red flag since many are thrown out or won by the doctor.  If you see several records of legal action, however, you should do some more digging online to find news stories that can provide more information.

Keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for doctors to be sued, so finding a record of legal action taken against your doctor isn’t necessarily a red flag since many are thrown out or won by the doctor.  If you see several records of legal action, however, you should do some more digging online to find news stories that can provide more information.

It’s also important to research the hospital where you’ll be treated, as many grave mistakes are not the fault of one physician but a facility’s flawed system that doesn’t have enough checks in place to prevent wrongdoing.

2.  Tell Everyone Who You Are

You may feel silly doing so, but you should get in the habit of repeating your full name, birthdate and the procedure you’re having done to each and every technician, nurse and doctor with whom you interact.  Many errors are caused by a simple mix-up related to these critical details.

3.  Confirm Your Identity

According to the American Hospital Association, your hospital staff should always use at least 2 different ways to confirm your identity. So in addition to asking you to state your name and date of birth, request that they check your bracelet to be sure that you are the person who is supposed to be where you are before any action is taken. If there is a barcode on your bracelet, this should also be scanned electronically. On that note, the first thing to do when your bracelet is put on is to confirm that all information on it is correct.

4.  Request Chart Checks

A nurse, doctor, or technician confirming your procedure is not enough – just because they state the right procedure doesn’t mean that correct information is reflected in your chart. So, be sure to also ask that they confirm the procedure details in your chart every step of the way.

5.  Ask the Surgeon for Marking

Medical MalpracticePrior to a surgical procedure, it’s common for patients to be asked to mark the surgical site on their own bodies. But this doesn’t guarantee that the surgeon will know about that marking unless he or she is in the room with you when it occurs. So, don’t make any markings without your surgeon present.

All of this may sound like overkill or paranoid behavior, but the fact is that many major medical errors can be traced back to mistakes made during these processes. In 1995, for example, Willie King of Tampa woke from surgery to discover that the wrong leg had been amputated. What led to this horrific mistake was the fact that several documents cited the incorrect leg, which was also the one prepped for surgery. This may have been prevented had he been more involved in pre-operation procedures.

6.  Forget Politeness

One of the most important ways to reduce the likelihood of mistakes being made in your treatment is for you to stop worrying about being polite. If a hospital staff member gets your name almost right when they ask you to confirm your identity, correct them. If your name is Anna Smith and the nurse says, “Annie Smith,” it could be because there is another patient being treated named Annie Smith, and if you don’t speak up, you might end up undergoing the wrong procedure.

If there’s ever even the smallest indication that something is wrong, stop everything and refuse to go further until it’s sorted out. At worst, you might feel a little embarrassed for making a fuss, and at best, you avoid being the victim of a mix-up that could mean serious injury or your life.

7.  Bring Support

Finally, it’s always a good idea to have a friend or family member with you to be another set of eyes and ears making sure that everything is as it should be.  There are times when you may be unconscious, in pain, or disoriented and having an advocate there could mean all the difference.

We, as patients, cannot control everything that happens to us when we’re in a doctor’s or hospital’s care.  But the good news is that we’re not powerless in the process either. By being vigilant and attentive to everything that goes on, you can help prevent becoming the victim of medical malpractice.

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Sunburst Diffuser by Drops of Joy Jewelry – Product Review

I admit it; I love jewelry. My collection is pretty impressive. When Drops of Joy Jewelry asked me to do a product review, I didn’t warn them. They had no idea I was a hard- to-please, discerning collector who would tell it like it is with no hesitation. But there was no need. I loved the locket they sent to me.

The company is aptly named. Drops of Joy is a reference to their jewelry’s functionality. That’s right, this is jewelry with a purpose – aromatherapy diffusion. They brag by stating, “Our jewelry smells better than yours!” There is another way this company spreads joy. They donate $2.00 for every item sold to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude is the charity hospital that never charges families for travel, housing, food, or their child’s treatment.

The locket I received is called the Sunburst Diffuser. It is both beautiful and surprisingly sturdy. This is not the typical, delicate, silver-plated jewelry we’ve come to know with a finish that will flake off or hinges that will bend and break. This is a locket made of hefty, solid, stainless steel with a strong magnetic closure. I found myself playing with it – opening and closing it a dozen times because I liked the feel and weight of it.

The locket comes with three responsibly sourced leather dots. To use the locket as a diffuser, simply saturate the dot with your choice of oil or a combination of oils and insert it into the locket. If you are a vegan or for any reason you do not wish to use leather inserts, a substitution of felt inserts can be made upon request. You can also choose your length of chain (16, 18, 20, or 22 inches) for no extra charge. And shipping is free throughout the Unites States!

If you use essential oils, or even if you don’t, check out this lovely collection at Drops of Joy Jewelry. Stock up for gift giving, but don’t neglect yourself.



Hangovers – Facts, Remedies, and Protocols

There’s nothing like a good buzz, but add to it with another drink and tomorrow morning may be torture. Hangovers are terrible, horrible things, as many of us can attest. But ironically enough, while we’re all too familiar with the symptoms of too much drinking, a lot of us have no idea how alcohol actually causes hangovers.

Alcohol’s Effect

When we drink alcohol (ethanol, specifically), it makes it’s way through our digestive system. It is then absorbed into the bloodstream where it circulates until the liver is able to process it. Once it’s in the liver, the enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase, breaks it down into acetaldehyde – a toxin that’s far more toxic than ethanol itself. Luckily, the antioxidant glutathione is able to jump in with acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to break it down yet again, this time converting it into non-toxic acetate.

The metabolization of those Friday night cocktails is a pretty impressive process. However, as powerful an organ as the liver proves to be, there are limits to its detoxifying powers. The typical liver is able to process ½ oz of ethanol per hour (about one drink). When we tip back brews faster than we can metabolize them, our glutathione gets used up quicker than it can be replenished. There’s no other option but to put detoxification on hold while glutathione stores build back up. This leads to a build-up of the nasty toxin acetaldehyde, the culprit behind our hangover woes.

The Hangover

With alcohol in our system, our body stops producing the antidiuretic hormone ADH. Now all available water stores are tapped into — brain included — in order to flush the toxin out. This rise in fluid raises our blood volume, which leads to a spike in blood pressure. Luckily we’re able to offset this by sending fluids to the bladder, but every trip to the toilet deplenishes more of our water reserves, and precious electrolytes are being flushed as well.

With alcohol in our system, the body puts a halt on producing the stimulant glutamine — leaving us drowsy and ready to nap at a moment’s notice. This deep sleep won’t last though. Once our livers are able to process the last of the alcohol in our bloodstream, glutamine goes back into production and that booze-induced snooze is interrupted. Depending on the damage, waking up can be quite a doozy. All those lost water reserves leave us dehydrated, our brains shrunken, and our electrolyte levels low; a physiological recipe for disaster.

The “Cure”

We can try to prevent hangovers altogether by drinking plenty of water and giving our livers a much-needed break between drinks. However, there are bound to be nights that we get carried away. In that case, a dose of electrolytes, supplements, and eggs can be paired with a nice long Epsom soak.

The important minerals we call electrolytes play a crucial role in hydration, so they’re a must for Saturday mornings. Bone broth, potassium-packed bananas, and a dash of sea salt all offer a serving of these balancing minerals. Coconut water is especially popular thanks to its electrolyte content, so it’s a great thing to have in the fridge before you head out Friday. But if you want to step it up a notch, make it coconut kefir. A study through the American College of Gastroenterology showed that drinking one serving of alcohol per day (2 drinks for men and 1 for women) was connected to a higher count of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). This can leading to uncomfortable bowel problems like gas and  bloating, and it can even reduce our small intestine’s ability to absorb important nutrients.

After drinking some liquid remedies, consider supplements like n-acetylcysteine. It can be taken before ordering that first drink to help the body process acetaldehyde and reduce the after-effects. Milk thistle extract is another helpful supplement that contains liver-protecting antioxidants that can also boost production of glutathione. Combine this with Vitamin C and the liver will get an extra shot of power in metabolizing alcohol. However, if your cupboards are bare of any vitamins or supplements you can always turn to the fridge for some eggs. Fried in a skillet or baked up as a frittata, they offer a punch of cysteine for inexpensive damage control that will help break down acetaldehyde.

If your joints are aching, draw up a hot bath infused with Epsom salt (aka electrolyte-balancing Magnesium Sulfate). Magnesium has much to offer aches and pains thanks to its anti-inflammatory nature. Plus, a good soak in hot water offers an increase in circulation that will help blood flow through the liver quicker, thereby speeding up the process of detoxification. And for more hangover magic, consider adding aromatherapy to your weekend bath. Thanks to the highly volatile nature of quality essential oils, the beneficial compounds can be inhaled as well as absorbed by the skin. Lavender is particularly relaxing and therapeutic while rosemary works wonders with migraines. Should help be needed with easing nausea, soothing digestion, or taming headaches, peppermint makes an excellent ally.

Important Factors

We’re always reading about different drinking limits for men than for women. This has many of us ladies ready to wage a drinking competition, but there’s a reason drinking recommendations differ. Levels of ALDH and glutathione are generally lower in women, so we aren’t able to be metabolized alcohol as quickly. There are also differences in the body’s ability to process alcohol between races across the globe, with people of East Asian descent often getting a bigger impact per drink because of the how their alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase process alcohol.

dont alwaysHowever, male or female, the suggested remedies above have great potential with those haggard weekend mornings. But while they can do much to tame the pains of a night out, they’re meaningless when it comes to binges and regular drinking. High amounts of alcohol over a period of time can do serious damage to our bodies. It’s also a sign of a bigger problem like alcohol dependency. A healthy body takes a healthy liver, and that means taking a break from the stress of alcohol. So, every now and then, show your liver some love with a virgin margarita or Bloody Mary. No hangover – 100% guaranteed.

Editor’s Note:  A high-quality probiotic is essential for recovering quickly from a night of drinking. Alcohol kills our beneficial microflora, but it does not kill Candida or other fungal spores that take over right away. If you drink frequently and are ready to cut down and repair the gut, check out the further reading below.

My own personal protocol includes 15 FloraMend or Bio-K, goat milk Keifer (plain), a B vitamin complex, and I do my usual cranberry and salad routine which will flush the body and detox the liver.

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