The incidence of obesity in Americans continues to rise. Several factors combined contribute to the growing obesity epidemic including overeating, emotional eating, living a sedentary lifestyle and consuming empty calories. Emotional eating is eating for reasons other than hunger. Emotional eating can actually stem from childhood. “Eat something, you’ll feel better” or “If you’re good, you will get dessert!” are examples of motivators that parents sometimes employ. These are unhealthy motivators and should be replaced with new thinking! Too often we turn to food as comfort or reward not realizing we have done so since childhood.  

Move It Or Lose It

The old saying is true “… if you don’t move it you lose it.” Modern conveniences such as the internet and cell phones have made our lives easier but have also added to our sedentary lifestyle. Too many hours a day are spent sitting- at a desk at work, in meetings, commuting and watching television at home. Your body must be stressed to work efficiently, exercise accomplishes this by strengthening both the cardiovascular and muscular and skeletal systems. Regular exercise increases your body’s percentage of lean muscle versus percentage of body fat- this in turn increases your metabolic rate. Side effects of exercise include increased self confidence, better quality of sleep and increased energy!

Snacking Sensibly

Americans are continuing to gain weight even though they are consuming diet soft drinks and low fat food products. Many products marketed as low fat are processed and high in refined sugars such as high fructose corn syrup. In fact, the average American consumption of refined sugar per year is 150 pounds per person!

High glycemic index foods are foods that produce high levels of blood sugar. The more refined the carbohydrate is, the faster it releases glucose into the bloodstream. This causes blood sugar levels to rise and fall very quickly, resulting in increased appetite and carbohydrate cravings. The more complex the carbohydrate is the longer it takes for the body to digest it — this provides a slower release of energy. Beans, lentils and steel cut oatmeal are examples of complex carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index.

A sensible approach is to eat from a base of unprocessed natural foods- whole grains and legumes, lean meats and dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruits. Remember to include more plant based foods- not foods made in a plant! By eating from this base you won’t have to worry about watching the chemical and preservatives in your food. Eat frequently throughout the day, a mini meal every 3-4 hours. This meal should contain a balance of fiber rich carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy monounsaturated fats. Be prepared, have healthy snacks on hand both at home and in the office to help stave of overeating when hunger strikes.

What This Means

At a period in history when obesity has skyrocketed fad diets aren’t the answer. People need to adopt a lifelong dietary plan that blends real foods and common sense portions. Following a low glycemic diet plan accomplishes this effectively. Besides weight loss, a feeling of well being and optimal health are assurances the plan is working.

Hello Janet,

No, Elations does not contain fish oil, fish products or fish allergens. Oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids however, such as Fish Oil, Chia Oil and Flax Oil, can be of benefit. These fatty acids, which include EPA (eicosapentaenoic), DHA (docosahexaenoic) and ALA (alpha linolenic acid) are essential since they cannot be synthesized by the body.

Love is in the air! Birds everywhere are looking for love! Male birds will shed their dreary muddy colored feathers to sport new, more brilliant colors for spring and summer with hopes to capture the attention of a female. Their brilliant color also warns other males, or suitors to keep their distance. Female birds are less colorful, by nature’s design. Their generally dull colors allow them to hide from predators and better protect their nests.

To get a front row seat of this love story, attract the lovers in by offering a smorgasbord of food.

• Variety is key to attracting a wide range of birds. Black-oil sunflower seed has the highest meat-to-shell ratio; it is high in fat and is easy to crack. Check with your local bird store for tips on cooking up the best menu for birds in your location.
• Birds are attracted to a variety of offerings. Your feeder “tree” should have at least four feeders with different foods. Make sure the feeders are at least eight feet below tree branches, or any other overhand and at least four to six feet above the ground. This will make it nearly impossible for squirrels to interrupt your feeding by leaping onto your feeding tree.
• Place feeders where you can see them, close to bushes and trees so birds can flee to safety. Separate feeders should be used for smaller birds like finches and warblers. They will dine in greater number, if not intimated by bigger birds. Water is another key element in attracting birds. If you don’t have water nearby, then a few birdbaths will do the trick. But you must freshen the water supply weekly.

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray

1-cup old-fashioned oats

1 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour

½ cup sugar free maple syrup

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1-teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup plain nonfat yogurt

½ cup non-fat milk

4 large egg whites

2 ripe bananas mashed

1-cup raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

Blend first 6 ingredients in medium bowl.  Whisk yogurt, milk, eggs, and vanilla in another medium bowl to blend.  Whisk dry ingredients into yogurt mixture just until blended.  Fold in mashed bananas, raisins and walnuts.

Spray non-stick griddle or skillet with non-stick cooking spray, heat over medium heat.  Pour batter by 1/3 cupful onto griddle.  Cook pancakes until bubbles form on top and bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Flip pancakes over and cook until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes

Makes 12 pancakes

Enbrel^® (Entanercept) is a type of protein called; Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blocker. TNF is synthesized by the body’s immune system. Individuals with conditions including but not limited to, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and, psoriatic arthritis produce too much TNF. Enbrel is used to lower TNF levels and help treat such conditions.

Elations is quite different. It is a dietary supplement. It contains four active ingredients; glucosamine HCl, chondroitin sulfate, calcium and boron. These ingredients are used by the body to nourish joints and bone. In doing so it provides the building blocks the body can utilize to repair cartilage and build bone.

Regarding compatibility with Enbrel^®, it is always important to check with your physician.

Ask a distant friend or family member to be your pen pal - either hand-written letter or via e-mail. Express your thoughts and feelings on paper. You’ll be amazed at how you can rekindle the relationship and learn a lot about yourself.

Dear Rebecca,
I have lilac bushes that haven’t bloomed the last few years. I noticed again this year that there are hardly any buds. What’s going on? We lightly prune them every year to keep in shape but nothing drastic.
-Lisa Martin, Milwaukee, WI

Lisa,
I’m afraid you keep cutting off the blooms! Sounds like you are pruning the wrong time. Spring blooming shrubs like lilacs, azaleas etc., set bloom during the growing season. So if you prune any later than 6 weeks after they bloom, you will cut off next year’s blooms.So this year DON’T prune. Let them bloom next spring and IF you must prune, do it right after the blossoms fade.

There is a revolution of sorts sweeping the country. It’s the “Green Revolution!” Gardeners and homeowners are looking for alternatives to a beautiful landscape within arming themselves with toxic chemicals. Many of these alternatives are just as effective – but definitely safer for the environment and those living in it. Here’s how you can join the revolution and make a difference.

In the Garden

• Every time you plant something, amend the soil by adding organic material such as peat moss, compost and rotted manure. These ingredients enrich the soil naturally and keep it alive. If you amend in the spring, you will not need to fertilize during the first four weeks of the growing season. A healthier soil means healthier plants that are less stressed and less attractive to pests, which eliminates the use for pesticides.

Weed Control

• Thirty minutes of weeding a day will keep weeds away.
• In flowerbeds, line the soil surface with four to six inches of newspaper. Wet them down and add mulch on top. The newspaper will smother germinating weeds and keep them away for a couple of years. And the beauty of the paper - it can be tilled into the soil when it’s time for a new “edition!”
• Look for natural herbicides. Many vinegar-based products are proving to be an excellent alternative to weed control.

Organic Fertilizers

• Purchase organic fertilizers or phosphorus-free fertilizers.
• Fish emulsion is great for tomatoes, berries, peppers and fruits, but be prepared - this stuff stinks.
• Compost is another great snack for any garden plant. Simply scratch it into the soil at the base of the plant.
• Compost tea is a water extract of compost that is actually brewed. It contains soluble nutrients and a diversity of bacteria; fungi, protozoa and nematodes are all necessary to keep your soil alive with microbes that help plants take in nutrients. But don’t overdo it!
• Compost tea should be used carefully as research has found overuse and runoff of compost teas could conceivably contribute to water pollution.
• Start a compost pile. It is nature’s gold for the garden.

Non-chemical Warfare for Chewing and Sucking Insects

• Insecticidal soap washes away the protective coating on insects and interrupts normal membrane functions inside. Insects must come into direct contact with soap. (Make your own by mixing one to two tablespoons of a dish washing liquid to one gallon of water.)
• Hose down aphid-infested plants with a sharp jet of water.
• Products containing BT will kill cabbage looper, cut worm and cabbageworm. BT is a bacterium that kills many unwanted pests without harming the stuff you want to stay.
• Horticultural oil, a refined oil that suffocates pests, can be used for appropriate plants.
• Diatomaceous earth: fossilized remains of diatoms.
• Slugs: New phosphate tablets i.e., “Sluggo”, will get rid of them without harming pets and children.

Beneficial Insects to conquer unwanted pests

• Lady beetles devour aphids and scale.
• Lacewings love mealy bugs, red mites, scale, caterpillars and coddling moths.Praying mantis preys on mosquitoes, scale and aphids.
• Beneficial nematodes tackle Japanese beetle larva, cucumber beetle, root maggots, sod webworms and grubs.

Lawns

• Consider a battery powered lawn mower. The EPA estimates a gas mower used for one-hour produces as much pollution as some cars driven for two straight days.
• It is not necessary to feed lawn in the summer.
• Leave grass clippings on the lawn. They won’t produce thatch and will actually feed the lawn naturally.
• Keep the lawn healthy to reduce pests, disease and weeds.
• Lose the lawn! Replace with a drought tolerant ground cover.

As a fitness professional, who travels constantly and meets new people all over the world, I frequently hear the same gripe: “If I was a movie star and could have a trainer and chef at my side all day, I would look amazing too!” Well let me just say, you CAN look amazing and you can do it all with just a little knowledge. Are there really any secrets? Is it any different? I am here to reveal the so-called “secrets from the stars.”

Movie Stars do just that….they star in movies. Certain roles require certain body types and producers will pay top dollar to get it. Actresses know that they are competing with younger females, who most of the time are just naturally thin. If you had the opportunity to receive thousands sometimes millions of dollars for getting in shape, of course it would be a huge motivator. One thing the celebrity trainers leave out is the fact that losing weight in such a quick time-frame is not healthy.

So here it is-the first fitness secret: Deadlines are not our friend. If you beat yourself up with deadlines, chances are you are going to get frustrated when you don’t see results and just give up. Workout at your own pace and with dedication, you CAN see results.

Another benefit movie stars have are their access to professionals. The stars have professional trainers and chefs who can cater to their every need. This grants them the luxury of complete and utter focus on their work. They do not have to think about what and when they are going to eat, or when they can squeeze in another workout. Secret number two: Don’t compare – get on a fitness schedule and nutrition plan that works best with your lifestyle.

Between spending time with our loved ones, keeping up with daily chores and doing the things we enjoy, it makes it a little tougher to always eat what’s best and get enough physical activity. Now that we’re on our way, I will let you in on a third secret: your body was designed to be mobile and active. It seems obvious but as we age, it is harder to believe. When our bodies start to lose agility and flexibility, it seems as though we should stop being active. Taking proper preventative measures can ensure an active lifestyle, without the pain. This includes stretching, before and after activities, plenty of hydration, proper nutrition and supplementation. Your body works like a well oiled machine IF it has the proper parts working together. So we need to get your machine moving!

One Final secret…People sometimes forget is that changing a lifetime of bad habits is not easy. The difference between those who change and those who don’t is one’s hunger. (No pun intended.) If you really have that desire to change your lifestyle, you will WANT to do something about it. We have all grown up in a fast-paced world that has become ever faster. We don’t have time to cook. We get hungry and our gut reaction is “I need food now.” We pick up the phone for delivery or even go to the local drive-thru. We put something in the microwave or in the oven from the freezer. Let’s face it. Your life will not be threatened if food is not ready to eat in 5 minutes. You have time to make something that can satisfy your hunger and health requirements. Falling into the fast-food traps might have you grabbing food that is not real food at all, loaded with sodium and enough artery-clogging fat for the whole day. You now have to stop and think, “What should I eat” instead of “what’s available right now”? You should also know that working out and eating right is not just about looking good. Living a healthy lifestyle is about being fit and strong, mentally and physically. It’s also about prevention, longevity, and health. When you are healthy, you will feel healthy and ultimately look healthy!

Some final words of advice:
Be consistent in everything you do. Whether it’s eating better or getting in that 30 minutes of daily activity, make sure it’s consistent. If you happen to fall off track, it’s OK. Just make sure to get back on it! Something is ALWAYS better than nothing. Be creative and NEVER underestimate the power of taking the stairs! Once you begin to see and feel the results, your enthusiasm will become contagious. Share your new found passion and knowledge with everyone around you and watch for the reactions. It’s contagious! Most of the time I spend with my clients is educating them about exercise and good healthy, eating habits. What they do with that information is up to them. As I always say, “Place this in the palm of your hand and embrace it!” If you do, it will change your life forever. It certainly changed mine.

I will be providing a series of brief articles with the intention of helping you better understand the workings of your body. I plan to discuss numerous topics, some of which include the process of digestion, the differences between delivering dietary supplements through pills, capsules and liquids, arthritis, and the dietary supplements used to offset its symptoms.  

So let’s start by talking about digestion. I’ll call it Digestion 101, a basic primer. You might be surprised to know that digestion encompasses more organs than just the stomach. In fact, the digestion system includes the olfactory senses (taste and smell), the oral cavity (mouth), teeth, saliva, esophagus (the tube to the stomach), stomach, small intestine (composed of 3 sections), liver, gallbladder, pancreas, large intestine and rectum. The chemical compounds that support or facilitate digestion include: salivary enzymes, gastric enzymes, hydrochloric acid, bile, pancreatic enzymes, intestinal enzymes, intestinal micro-flora (bacteria), gastric mucus and intestinal mucus.

Now let’s take a journey through the digestive system with the help of our host Bill. Bill just sat down to a breakfast of eggs, bacon, buttered toast, home fries, orange juice and coffee. At his local diner Bill announces, “Boy, am I hungry”! Just as his food arrives, Bill reaches for the toast and takes a bite. Immediately, his salivary glands respond by secreting an enzyme which begins to break down starch contained within the bread. This results in sugar formation. As Bill continues to chew he notices that the toast is getting sweeter and sweeter. Could this be the result of increased levels of sugar release? Absolutely. At the same time his salivary glands secret “lysozyme” which acts as an antibacterial to help kill off bacteria that may be present.

Next, Bill delights on the bacon, eggs, and home fries and follows with a large gulp of orange juice. As the breakfast components cascade down Bill’s esophagus and into his stomach, his stomach is already busy secreting hydrochloric acid and a host of gastric enzymes. These enzymes begin the process of digesting bacon fat, butter, egg protein, pork protein, and starch. The stomach also provides movement or mixing (peristalsis) to help uniformly blend the digesting components. As time goes on, the stomach contents begin to empty. Not all of the dietary mass however, releases from the stomach concurrently. Liquids usually begin to empty within minutes of ingestion. Solids, such as carbohydrates may take a couple of hours while fats can take 6 hours or more. Other compounds such as water, alcohol, aspirin, and caffeine can actually be absorbed directly through the stomach wall.

The semi-solid mass that does empty from the stomach is called “chyme”. Upon release, the chyme passes through the pyloric valve (sphincter) into the first section of the small intestine (duodenum). This causes the release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the gallbladder/liver. The duodenum is where the bile (emulsifier) enters along with enzymes and alkaline pancreatic juices which are needed to neutralize stomach acid and activate the pancreatic enzymes. From this point, the chyme or digestate, which is now very fluid, experiences numerous digestive reactions. The fat is broken down by lipase enzymes through a process called lipolysis. This results in the formation of fatty acids and monoglyceride which combines with bile components to form mixed micelles. These micelles carry fat soluble compounds such as vitamins A, D, E and K to the intestinal wall where absorption can occur. At the same time, carbohydrates and proteins are being digested by amylase and proteases enzymes respectively. Concurrently, the intestine releases enzymes not found in the pancreas including lactase (its absence causes lactose intolerance), surcease and intestinal lipase, to name a few. The dietary nutrients that release during digestion migrate to the intestinal wall (epithelia). The nutrients that assimilate through the epithelia are transported to the liver via the portal vein. Once within the liver, numerous reactions, including metabolic oxidation, occur and prepare the nutrients for bodily utilization.

Normal transport time through the small intestine ranges from 2 to 6 hours. During transport, the chyme contacts the intestinal micro-flora. This flora consists of several pounds of healthy bacteria and contains from 300 to 1000 different species. The function of this flora is extremely important. It protects the intestinal epithelia, breaks down undigested carbohydrates, produces vitamin K and biotin, and enhances immune response, among other things.

Once the chyme migrates into the colon it begins to lose water and concentrate. In a typical individual, this process can take several hours up to 2 days. The colon is also where the body desorbs or removes toxins and excess minerals. Without removal of such toxins, one may develop headache, experience acne, feel tired and lethargic or just feel bloated. The body also uses this desorption pathway to discard bile and bilirubin derived from dead red blood cells. These compounds are responsible for the feces characteristic color. Similarly, the odor associated with this waste product is the result of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur-containing compounds derived from the diet including protein and cruciferous vegetables. These odiferous compounds are the partial waste product of micro-flora.

So, the next time you sit down to a meal, eat a snack, drink a beverage or ingest a dietary supplement, just think about the processes that may be occurring in your body. If you experience dietary upset, it just might be time to go back and think about your diet. Be well!