Saturday, November 13, 2010

I love Coke, but I said Goodbye

From: Michael Murray ND and Joseph Pizzorno ND
Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition
"It appears that increased soft drink consumption is a major factor that contributes to osteoporosis. A deficiency of vitamin K leads to impaired mineralization of bone. Boron deficiency may contribute greatly to osteoporosis as well as to menopausal symptoms....Soft drinks have long been suspected of leading to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, calcium is pulled out of the bones. The phosphate content of soft drinks like Coca -Cola and Pepsi is very high, and they contain virtually no calcium."

From: Dr Howard Liebowitz MD/ ER doctor and weight management specialist
"I consider diet soda a poison. There is nothing nutritionally sound in it....it's completely non-nutritious and it stresses the body, especially if you're consuming large volumes, because you're overwhelming your body's detoxification mechanism to get all these toxins out of your body. Eventually it's just going to burn out your adrenal glands and your immune system."

Sherry here: So...maybe as a special drink for my birthday or New Year's toast Hey, I'm Mormon, that's my version of a hard drink! :) But other than that, folks I'm done with my brown liquid elixir love. I'll have some water, please.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Smoothies

I have a smoothie-making passion. And I'm pretty good at it. I keep packages of frozen fruit in my freezer, juice on hand, whey protein powder, some yogurt. And I come up with some fun combos. My son Tyson loves my smoothies. It was his birthday yesterday so I made him one.

It had strawberries, mangoes, tang, pineapple juice, protein powder, some ice.

I never measure, ever, so sorry that I can't tell you what proportions I used, but it was super delicious. And healthy!

I think I'll name it Tangy Straw-mango!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Bloodwork test results & new supplements

Since last post I got my bloodwork done then promptly got strep-throat. I waited over a week of feeling sick to finally go in and get some medicine, so it took a while to start feeling better. Then I got my test results back and it showed low DHEA, low pregnalone, low estrogen, high cholesterol, and low levels of vitamin D. I was advised a basic program of a multi-vitamin plus an omega supplement and CoQ10- 100 mg. I was already taking the multi-vitamin and 1 gram of Lovaza (an omega supplement) but was told I should be taking 4 grams. And I was already taking a sub-lingual B-complex that I was told I should continue and 1000 mg of vitamin C. (Advisor was a doctor through Life Extension www.lef.org) In addition and in order to balance out the hormones to optimal levels it was advised that I should take an Estrogen cream called Pro-fem- various amounts of cream depending on phase of cycle, 100 mg of Pregnalone, 15 mg of the DHEA, 3000 IU of the Vitamin D3 supplement, and 250 mg of Nettle. I'm on Day 3 of all of that now and no big differences in the way I feel yet.

As a side note.... Several days into my antibiotic coincided with me having the phone call about what amounts of these supplements to take. I didn't have the other supplements yet, but since I did have the omegas I decided to increase those. I hadn't been taking them in a while. So that night (about 5 days ago I took my antibiotic at night and my Lovaza and woke up the next morning with my eye swollen and dry flaky patches...I had felt it coming on over the last few days. It is the same phenomenon that happened to me probably 2 months prior when I was on an antibiotic, but since it was with the Lovaza I was unsure as to whether it was an allergic reaction to the fish oil or the anti-biotic. The inflammation and condition was so bad that I knew I needed to stop both to be sure. Now...5 days later it is almost gone, but not quite. I'm going to wait another couple of days and take the Lovaza again and see what happens. I really hope my reaction was to the antibiotic and not the fish oil.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Blah...

I have done such a good job with my eating habits this week and my exercise and find myself not feeling well tonight. Eat right, exercise and get sick. That's just not fair is it?

125 though. Sleeping well. I started a contest with my husband this week, to see who can lose the most weight (percentage) before my high school reunion. Ok, so it's early, but I'm winning! :) He already looks fantastic though, so I'm sure he's just trying to motivate me. And boy do I need motivating!

I just finished reading this month's LifeExtension magazine. A lot of the material is over my head, but I am so intrigued by it that I just keep reading. I figure that one day it will sink in and I will health-smart. I would love to go back to school for a Master's in Health and Nutrition. First things first though, get my own health back on track. I'm having my blood panels done this Saturday. Hopefully it won't take too long to get the results.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Article- Crave Man in The Washington Post

My brother-in-law has a link to this article on his Facebook profile. It's a a good read. I have cut and pasted what I thought were the most critical insights...


Crave Man
David Kessler Knew That Some Foods Are Hard to Resist; Now He Knows Why
By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 27, 2009
His resulting theory, described in his new book, "The End of Overeating," is startling. Foods high in fat, salt and sugar alter the brain's chemistry in ways that compel people to overeat. "Much of the scientific research around overeating has been physiology -- what's going on in our body," he said. "The real question is what's going on in our brain."... Instead of satisfying hunger, the salt-fat-sugar combination will stimulate that diner's brain to crave more, Kessler said. ...And the food industry manipulates this neurological response, designing foods to induce people to eat more than they should or even want, Kessler found. ...His theory, born out in a growing body of scientific research, has implications not just for the increasing number of Americans struggling with obesity but for health providers and policymakers. ..."The challenge is how do we explain to America what's going on -- how do we break through and help people understand how their brains have been captured?" he said. ...Now I know, we have the science that shows, we're eating to stimulate ourselves...."Highly palatable" foods -- those containing fat, sugar and salt -- stimulate the brain to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with the pleasure center, he found. In time, the brain gets wired so that dopamine pathways light up at the mere suggestion of the food, such as driving past a fast-food restaurant, and the urge to eat the food grows insistent. Once the food is eaten, the brain releases opioids, which bring emotional relief. Together, dopamine and opioids create a pathway that can activate every time a person is reminded about the particular food. This happens regardless of whether the person is hungry....Not everyone is vulnerable to "conditioned overeating" -- Kessler estimates that about 15 percent of the population is not affected and says more research is needed to understand what makes them immune..Deprivation only heightens the way the brain values the food, which is why dieting doesn't work, he said. ..

Kessler is best remembered for his investigation of the tobacco industry and attempts to place it under federal regulation while he was FDA commissioner from 1990 to 1997. David Kessler researched part of "The End of Overeating" by diving into dumpsters behind restaurants to look for the nutritional labels of menu items high in fat, salt and sugar. (By Eric Risberg -- Associated Press) "My weight was yo-yoing all the time," said Kessler, who estimates that 70 million Americans struggle with conditioned hyper-eating. "And I never understood why."

Monday, April 27, 2009

Better to go slow, than not to go at all...right?

125.6 this morning. So in keeping with my Monday goal I set out to do 2 of 3: run faster, longer, farther.

I did none. Sigh. But at least I went. Not including warm-up, stretching and cool down. I did a run/walk interval of 5 mins run/ 2 mins walk and went 2 miles in 25 mins and 46 seconds. Awful, nearly 13 mins to each mile. Turtle power.

Slept 7.5 hrs, not great eating today. Waited til nearly 11:30 to eat anything, but had a 'Health Nut' smoothie from TSC (mango, blueberry, banana, almonds, and whey). Nothing else to eat, went on the run about 3pm.

Read about HGH (Human Growth Hormone) today in 'Ageless' by Suzanne. "...a protein hormone released by the pituitary gland in the brain. It is responsible for telling our bodies to grow cells, bones, organs, and muscles and is beneficial to the brain, cardiovascular system, the immune system, aerobic capacity, body composition...enters our bloodstream in bursts during sleep, particularly after midnight...heads to liver where it is converted into insulin growth factor...primarily responsible for the growth and regeneration of every cell in our bodies...symptoms of deficiency include: thinning , sagging wrinkling skin, thinning bones, loss of muscle strength, accumulation of fat tissue, decreased heart function, lowered immunity, thinning hair, loss of libido, decreased stamina and vigor, depression, anxiety, fatigue..

blankety-blank hormones@#%!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

From Real Age~ The Camera Phone Diet

Could your camera phone help you lose weight? One study seems to suggest so.

When people in a small study snapped a picture of everything they ate for 1 week, something interesting happened. They took better stock of their meals -- and ate less or ate more healthfully because of it.

Snap Your Way to Slimmer Hips
Just think of it as a digital version of a food diary -- but better -- because it forces you to think about what you’re eating before you put it in your mouth, instead of after. With written food diaries, it’s too late -- people log their choices after the fact.


oooh, should I try it?