So the question is, what about microwaves?
I will be honest, we have a microwave in our home but you may be surprised by its main use. We use it as our clock, a timer and we use it to kill bacteria on the sponge we use in our kitchen. That’s it! Hopefully you are not using this for cooking.
Sure, the microwave is convenient; what other device allows you to heat your food up in a matter of seconds? And they‘re so widely used that you‘d be hard-pressed to find a gas station or office building without one.
When working with my clients or in workshops, I do make it a point to discuss the dangers of microwave cooking. The Harvard School of Nutrition did some research years ago to understand the best way to cook your vegetables. Now mind you, they had no agenda in regard to what was best, they simply wanted to understand that if you cooked via steaming, boiling or microwaving; what held the highest nutritional value?
What they did was measure the nutritional level of vegetables, cooked the vegetables in these three ways mentioned above and then measured the nutritional levels after cooking. Well, the results showed that the best way to maintain nutrition was in order of best to worst; steaming, boiling and lastly microwaving. The most shocking aspect of this research was showing that when you cooked your food in the microwave, you lost up to 95% of the nutritional value. So basically, you can be very confident that what ever you put in the microwave, it will come out with very little nutritional value.
The challenge then is that this creates a void. You see, to break down and digest your food, your body utilizes energy. When you use energy to break down something that does not put any energy back in, this creates the void I have mentioned. By the way, this is whether you cook the entire meal or simply reheat a high quality meal from the night before. Either way, it is a void.
Other concerns to consider with microwave ovens:
• Carcinogenic toxins could be leached from plastic or paper plates or covers and mix with your food.
• The food temperature may become extremely hot, at temperatures high enough to cause burns or steam buildup that could explode--this is especially problematic for baby bottles, and is one of the reasons why baby bottles should never be heated in the microwave (microwaving can also break down the disease-fighting ability of breast milk).
• The chemical structure of foods changes when microwaved, with potentionally severe consequences.
Consider the 1991 lawsuit involving a woman who had hip surgery and died because the blood used in her blood transfusion was warmed in a microwave. Blood is routinely warmed before transfusions, but not by microwave. The microwave altered the blood and it killed the woman.
Microwave cooking vibrates the molecules in your food to levels they were never designed to experience. This tends to damage the highly perishable nutrients so they are unable to nourish you the way they were designed to.
A study published in the November 2003 issue of The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli "zapped" in the microwave with a little water lost up to 97 percent of the beneficial antioxidant chemicals it contains. By comparison, steamed broccoli lost 11 percent or fewer of its antioxidants.
Besides the loss of nutrients, microwaving forms new compounds (radiolytic compounds) that are unknown to humans and nature. It‘s not yet known exactly what these compounds do in the human body but I would not suggest that this will be positive.
Perhaps the most concrete evidence of the dangers of microwaves comes from Dr. Hans Hertel, a Swiss food scientist, who carried out a small but high-quality study on the effects of microwaved food on humans. His conclusions were clear and alarming: microwave cooking significantly altered the food‘s nutrients enough so that changes occurred in the participants’ blood--changes that suggested deterioration. The changes included:
• Increased cholesterol levels
• More leukocytes, or white blood cells, which can suggest poisoning
• Decreased numbers of red blood cells
• Production of radiolytic compounds (compounds unknown in nature)
• Decreased hemoglobin levels, which could indicate anemic tendencies
Dr. Hertel and his team published the results in 1992, but a Swiss trade organization, the Swiss Association of Dealers for Electro-apparatuses for Households and Industry, had a gag order issued, which prohibited Dr. Hertel from declaring that microwaves were dangerous to health. The gag order was later removed in 1998, after the Swiss court ruled that the gag order violated the right to freedom of expression. Switzerland was ordered to pay Dr. Hertel compensation as well.
You may notice that taking more time to prepare your food will transcend to other aspects of your life as well, and you‘ll enjoy a slower, more relaxed lifestyle than the majority of those around you.
I do understand that convenience is difficult to give up but you do not have to give this up. In our home we use an appliance called a Turbo Oven. The Turbo Oven gives us the availability to reheat foods quickly without the damaging effects. We also use the Turbo Oven to create healthy low temperature cooked meals which contain an even higher level of nutritional integrity and taste great. To learn more about the Turbo Oven as used in our kitchen, feel free to click on the link provided.
http://products.mercola.com/turbo-oven/?aid=CD219
Even if you are not going to introduce the Turbo Oven into your household, please stop the use of microwave cooking. Use your oven, toaster oven, or a frying pan on the stove top…anything but the microwave. Of course unless you want to kill the bacteria on your sponge.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
February 2010 Express Track to Health & Wellness
Welcome to the Express Track to Health & Wellness Program. I would first like to commend you for making the time and financial commitment to change your health and change your life. With the commitment to follow the program as designed, I am very confident you will enjoy a noticeable improved state of health and wellness, by the end of February. This is a step by step process that is designed to create success, one day at a time and continually build on this success.
This program is built on real life successes with thousands of clients over the years and it works. You've taken the first step by signing up, so now follow my lead and together, we will reach our goals.
Feel free to post any question or concern that arises for you. You are my first priority.
FYI...this particular blog post is reserved for those that have signed up for the Express Track to Health and Wellness Program. I thank you for honoring this.
This program is built on real life successes with thousands of clients over the years and it works. You've taken the first step by signing up, so now follow my lead and together, we will reach our goals.
Feel free to post any question or concern that arises for you. You are my first priority.
FYI...this particular blog post is reserved for those that have signed up for the Express Track to Health and Wellness Program. I thank you for honoring this.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Probiotics
To get your overall health and wellness on track is always a good idea to start with your digestive system. Obviously there is a high level of importance in breaking down, absorbing and assimilating the nutrients from your food properly. The other factor is the approximately 80% of your immune system function actually originates within the gastro intestinal tract.
So where is a good place to start? I suggest addressing the billions of tiny micro flora (beneficial bacteria) into your digestive system through the use of high quality probiotics.
These beneficial bacteria will aid in keeping your entire GI tract in optimal function while also assisting in improving immune function.
Recent studies also suggest that the use of a quality probiotic may also assist with fat loss in the body...just an added bonus.
In the history of any indigenous culture, we would have consumed naturally fermented food on a regular basis but this is simply no longer the case. Due to this lack of consumption of raw naturally fermented food, the need for taking a probiotic supplement is essential in my opinion.
I will share that not only do I recommend taking a daily probiotic to all of my clients but myself and my wife take them personally.
Some individuals have told me in the past that they do not need probiotics because they eat yogurt of kefir regularly. The big challenge with this is the understanding that our conventional dairy products are pasteurized which will destroy the beneficial bacteria. Dead bacteria does not provide any benefit; the bacteria needs to be alive and active. If you are consuming the yogurt or kefir raw, you would enjoy the bacterium benefit but unfortunately there is a low percentage of people enjoying raw dairy. As a side note, there is a raw dairy subject also on this blog.
If you are not already taking a quality probiotic or consuming raw naturally fermented foods regularly, it is time to start.
So where is a good place to start? I suggest addressing the billions of tiny micro flora (beneficial bacteria) into your digestive system through the use of high quality probiotics.
These beneficial bacteria will aid in keeping your entire GI tract in optimal function while also assisting in improving immune function.
Recent studies also suggest that the use of a quality probiotic may also assist with fat loss in the body...just an added bonus.
In the history of any indigenous culture, we would have consumed naturally fermented food on a regular basis but this is simply no longer the case. Due to this lack of consumption of raw naturally fermented food, the need for taking a probiotic supplement is essential in my opinion.
I will share that not only do I recommend taking a daily probiotic to all of my clients but myself and my wife take them personally.
Some individuals have told me in the past that they do not need probiotics because they eat yogurt of kefir regularly. The big challenge with this is the understanding that our conventional dairy products are pasteurized which will destroy the beneficial bacteria. Dead bacteria does not provide any benefit; the bacteria needs to be alive and active. If you are consuming the yogurt or kefir raw, you would enjoy the bacterium benefit but unfortunately there is a low percentage of people enjoying raw dairy. As a side note, there is a raw dairy subject also on this blog.
If you are not already taking a quality probiotic or consuming raw naturally fermented foods regularly, it is time to start.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Raw Dairy
While the thought of consuming unpasteurized dairy in inconceivable to many, I will share that raw dairy is an incredible way to improve the health and wellness for most. I know that we have been led to believe that raw unpasteurized dairy will make us sick but we will address this with some facts.
Let’s start with the differences in how the cows are raised. Conventional dairy cows typically are never exposed to natural sunlight, they are stuck in pens with lack of movement, they consume grain rather than grass, they are pumped with hormones and anti-biotics, their food source is chemically toxic and they typically live to an average of somewhere around 44 months.
Now a cow that you would enjoy raw dairy from, is out to pasture walking under the natural sunlight, eating grass and hay, and is not fed hormones or antibiotics. The average age of this cow is about 10-12 years. Now looking at the difference of the average ages of these cows tells us quite a bit about the health of the animal, which in turn will tell us about the health of the product coming from that same animal. Which cow would you rather get your milk from?
Another factor that I hear often is, “I am lactose intolerant, or I simply do not do well with milk”. I will share that personally, I am lactose intolerant but I do fine when my milk is raw. You may ask, “What is the difference?” The difference is the enzyme activity. Milk in a natural state contains 7 enzymes to assist with the breakdown, absorption and assimilation. When the milk is pasteurized all 7 of these enzymes are destroyed. Funny how man has decided that we can do better that nature in this regard.
As far as the safety is concerned, I will share that to my knowledge, there are no recorded deaths of anyone dyeing from the consumption of raw dairy, yet there are many recorded deaths from consuming pasteurized dairy. I believe that back in the 70’s there were 200 or so deaths in California and 20 plus deaths in Illinois alone.
It is also interesting that different states have different laws in regard to raw milk. I live in California currently and I can share that all I have to do to get raw dairy is go to the local grocery store. My previous years living in Illinois, I had to belong to a food coop to get my raw dairy. With the coop, I would pay to be a part owner of “Elsie” the cow and this would give me the right to get milk from my cow. Other states will not even allow coops. To find out about the availability of raw milk in your area visit www.realmilk.com and search the locations tab.
Go enjoy some raw milk today...it really does a body good.
To get some incredible information on dairy, I recommend reading “The Untold Story of Milk” by Ron Schmid, ND.
*As a special note, some individuals that are challenged with pasteurized dairy still do not do well with raw. For some this is due to the size of the protein molecule in cow’s milk. Some individuals simply cannot break this down very well. Unless you have extreme reactions to milk, it is generally worth the experiment.
Let’s start with the differences in how the cows are raised. Conventional dairy cows typically are never exposed to natural sunlight, they are stuck in pens with lack of movement, they consume grain rather than grass, they are pumped with hormones and anti-biotics, their food source is chemically toxic and they typically live to an average of somewhere around 44 months.
Now a cow that you would enjoy raw dairy from, is out to pasture walking under the natural sunlight, eating grass and hay, and is not fed hormones or antibiotics. The average age of this cow is about 10-12 years. Now looking at the difference of the average ages of these cows tells us quite a bit about the health of the animal, which in turn will tell us about the health of the product coming from that same animal. Which cow would you rather get your milk from?
Another factor that I hear often is, “I am lactose intolerant, or I simply do not do well with milk”. I will share that personally, I am lactose intolerant but I do fine when my milk is raw. You may ask, “What is the difference?” The difference is the enzyme activity. Milk in a natural state contains 7 enzymes to assist with the breakdown, absorption and assimilation. When the milk is pasteurized all 7 of these enzymes are destroyed. Funny how man has decided that we can do better that nature in this regard.
As far as the safety is concerned, I will share that to my knowledge, there are no recorded deaths of anyone dyeing from the consumption of raw dairy, yet there are many recorded deaths from consuming pasteurized dairy. I believe that back in the 70’s there were 200 or so deaths in California and 20 plus deaths in Illinois alone.
It is also interesting that different states have different laws in regard to raw milk. I live in California currently and I can share that all I have to do to get raw dairy is go to the local grocery store. My previous years living in Illinois, I had to belong to a food coop to get my raw dairy. With the coop, I would pay to be a part owner of “Elsie” the cow and this would give me the right to get milk from my cow. Other states will not even allow coops. To find out about the availability of raw milk in your area visit www.realmilk.com and search the locations tab.
Go enjoy some raw milk today...it really does a body good.
To get some incredible information on dairy, I recommend reading “The Untold Story of Milk” by Ron Schmid, ND.
*As a special note, some individuals that are challenged with pasteurized dairy still do not do well with raw. For some this is due to the size of the protein molecule in cow’s milk. Some individuals simply cannot break this down very well. Unless you have extreme reactions to milk, it is generally worth the experiment.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Is Salt Really Bad for Us?
So how many of you have heard for years that you need to cut back or cut out your consumption of salt? How many have heard that there are actually benefits to salt or that this is essential for your health? It is difficult in these times to truly understand what is good or bad for us.
Many years ago our U.S. government issued warnings to the entire population that salt increases blood pressure and salt became known as the “silent killer”. This warning was based on studies of primitive cultures that had very low dietary salt intake and also did not have a prevalence o high blood pressure. The research concluded that salt must be the cause of hypertension in people living in modern cultures.
It now appears that the salt-hypertension link was over-exaggerated. The fact is, strict salt restriction is only necessary for about 10-15% of the population that is actually salt sensitive. For this group, restricting salt may help to keep their blood pressure from going higher but this does not mean that eating salt raises your blood pressure.
Looking closer at sodium it is important to understand that our need for sodium is regulated by many factors including behavior, physiological, psychological, neurological and hormonal. I even recognize with my clients over the years, that based on their individual bio-chemical needs, or Nutritional ID, sodium needs are much higher in what I refer to as a Protein Type and much lower in those referred to as a Veggie Type.
I feel that one of the biggest challenges with salt is the form of salt that is so readily available. Common table salt is basically sodium chloride with chemicals such as moisture absorbents and iodine that is dried at over 1,200 degrees, which alters the natural chemical structure of salt.
A pure form of Himalayan or Celtic Salt contains over 80 naturally occurring minerals that has a synergy to aid in the necessary balance in minerals. When we consume high amounts of sodium chloride without this synergy, this creates a mineral robbing effect within the body that may lead to functional imbalances.
Another factor that is so completely overlooked is your own taste buds. This is one of the most significant factors to create awareness within to understand exactly what your body is telling you. Many would suggest that they never crave salt but they regularly crave potato chips, tortilla chips or one of the many other deliveries for salt. I recommend paying attention to your salt cravings and adding salt; but please be sure to add a quality salt product to your daily nutritional routine.
To see the salt that we have in our pantry at home visit http://products.mercola.com/himalayan-salt/?aid=CD219
Many years ago our U.S. government issued warnings to the entire population that salt increases blood pressure and salt became known as the “silent killer”. This warning was based on studies of primitive cultures that had very low dietary salt intake and also did not have a prevalence o high blood pressure. The research concluded that salt must be the cause of hypertension in people living in modern cultures.
It now appears that the salt-hypertension link was over-exaggerated. The fact is, strict salt restriction is only necessary for about 10-15% of the population that is actually salt sensitive. For this group, restricting salt may help to keep their blood pressure from going higher but this does not mean that eating salt raises your blood pressure.
Looking closer at sodium it is important to understand that our need for sodium is regulated by many factors including behavior, physiological, psychological, neurological and hormonal. I even recognize with my clients over the years, that based on their individual bio-chemical needs, or Nutritional ID, sodium needs are much higher in what I refer to as a Protein Type and much lower in those referred to as a Veggie Type.
I feel that one of the biggest challenges with salt is the form of salt that is so readily available. Common table salt is basically sodium chloride with chemicals such as moisture absorbents and iodine that is dried at over 1,200 degrees, which alters the natural chemical structure of salt.
A pure form of Himalayan or Celtic Salt contains over 80 naturally occurring minerals that has a synergy to aid in the necessary balance in minerals. When we consume high amounts of sodium chloride without this synergy, this creates a mineral robbing effect within the body that may lead to functional imbalances.
Another factor that is so completely overlooked is your own taste buds. This is one of the most significant factors to create awareness within to understand exactly what your body is telling you. Many would suggest that they never crave salt but they regularly crave potato chips, tortilla chips or one of the many other deliveries for salt. I recommend paying attention to your salt cravings and adding salt; but please be sure to add a quality salt product to your daily nutritional routine.
To see the salt that we have in our pantry at home visit http://products.mercola.com/himalayan-salt/?aid=CD219
Monday, January 18, 2010
Gluten Intolerance
Do you find your health challenged, yet have not been able to get to the core of your challenges? Do you find yourself challenged within your digestion, immune system function or adrenal function? Have you had enough of symptom care and would like to get address one of your fundamental challenges?
With these questions in mind I must share that one of the most common food intolerances that I have seen in clients across the board is tied into the consumption of gluten. When being “gluten free” first began some years ago it appeared to be just another one of those fads diets but this challenge is truly factually based. Consuming gluten within your foods can create some serious health complaints and a variety of symptoms. If you are intolerant, this can lead directly into challenges with your digestive system, immune system function as well as the adrenal glands and honestly, this can lead into functional secondary challenges anywhere within your body.
Although not everyone is gluten intolerant, this does affect a large percentage of our population. I also want to be very clear that gluten intolerance does not necessarily suggest that you have Celiac disease as you may be gluten intolerant without being assessed as Celiac.
Eating gluten free means avoiding all foods containing gluten; including wheat, rye, spelt, bulgar, semolina, couscous, triticale, and durum flour. Gluten can also be hidden in so many of the foods we eat so you also have to be very careful with reading labels. Be wary of modified food starch, dextrin, flavorings and extracts, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, imitation seafood, and creamed products such as soups, stews and sauces.
Some grains and starchy foods that are gluten free would include amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn, millet, potato, quinoa and rice. Oats are tolerated by most gluten sensitive individuals but not by all so you may have to experiment with oats.
I will share that I have seen many significant positive shifts in client’s health through the years solely by eliminating gluten from their diet. You could be the next success story!
To help assess your likelihood of gluten intolerance I have provided a link below for you to print out a simple, yet effective, tool to assess this challenge. If you are somewhat to very likely gluten intolerant according to this questionnaire I would first suggest making a commitment to a minimum of 60 days completely gluten free. I have also provided a list of foods for you that contain gluten as well as gluten free to aid in creating this shift for yourself.
To get your complimentary gluten assessment and food list visit http://www.depkewellness.com/GlutenIntolerance.html and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
With these questions in mind I must share that one of the most common food intolerances that I have seen in clients across the board is tied into the consumption of gluten. When being “gluten free” first began some years ago it appeared to be just another one of those fads diets but this challenge is truly factually based. Consuming gluten within your foods can create some serious health complaints and a variety of symptoms. If you are intolerant, this can lead directly into challenges with your digestive system, immune system function as well as the adrenal glands and honestly, this can lead into functional secondary challenges anywhere within your body.
Although not everyone is gluten intolerant, this does affect a large percentage of our population. I also want to be very clear that gluten intolerance does not necessarily suggest that you have Celiac disease as you may be gluten intolerant without being assessed as Celiac.
Eating gluten free means avoiding all foods containing gluten; including wheat, rye, spelt, bulgar, semolina, couscous, triticale, and durum flour. Gluten can also be hidden in so many of the foods we eat so you also have to be very careful with reading labels. Be wary of modified food starch, dextrin, flavorings and extracts, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, imitation seafood, and creamed products such as soups, stews and sauces.
Some grains and starchy foods that are gluten free would include amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn, millet, potato, quinoa and rice. Oats are tolerated by most gluten sensitive individuals but not by all so you may have to experiment with oats.
I will share that I have seen many significant positive shifts in client’s health through the years solely by eliminating gluten from their diet. You could be the next success story!
To help assess your likelihood of gluten intolerance I have provided a link below for you to print out a simple, yet effective, tool to assess this challenge. If you are somewhat to very likely gluten intolerant according to this questionnaire I would first suggest making a commitment to a minimum of 60 days completely gluten free. I have also provided a list of foods for you that contain gluten as well as gluten free to aid in creating this shift for yourself.
To get your complimentary gluten assessment and food list visit http://www.depkewellness.com/GlutenIntolerance.html and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Insulin Resistance/ Type II Diabetes
I have chosen to specifically address insulin resistance and type II diabetes due to the impact this is having on our culture. I am not addressing this as a means to treat these symptoms but rather to educate you on the areas of focus to bring balance to your body and allow your own innate healing ability to ensue.
Statistically speaking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that about on in four U.S. adults aged 20 or older – or 57 million people – had pre-diabetes in 2007. Pre-diabetes is measured by a fasting blood sugar of between 100mg/dL and 125mg/dL on two blood tests and diabetes is measured by a fasting blood sugar above 126mg/dL on two blood tests. Please recognize that if you have been assessed as insulin resistanct, pre-diabetic, or diabetic; it is imperative that you make the necessary lifestyle changes right now. Not tomorrow…right now!
Some of the common warning signs and risk factors for diabetes are as listed.
• Extreme thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Frequent urination
• Weight loss without trying
• Unusual fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Irritability
• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
• Frequent skin, bladder, or gum infections
• Slow healing of cuts and bruises
• Physical inactivity
• Family history
• Current hypertension
• History of cardiovascular disease
• Low HDL or “good” cholesterol
If you are experiencing many of these symptoms regularly I would recommend seeking medical attention to assess your state of balance.
Let’s first take a quick look at the typical stages recognized with this ongoing imbalance. Often weight gain is a starting point since it is recognized that as we put on the pounds this typically leads to insulin resistance. Science does not know the true cause of this but it is speculated that this may be tied into inflammation. I also want you to recognize that not everyone that is insulin resistant or type II diabetic is overweight. From this point the stages typically follow this pattern.
• Insulin resistance of cells
• Insulin resistance with hyperinsulinism (the production of large amounts of insulin)
• Insulin resistance with hyperinsulinism and reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Insulin resistance with hyperinsulinism with impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes)
• Type II diabetes with insulin resistance and high insulin production
• Type II diabetes with low or virtually no insulin production
I want you to understand that based on my years of working with clients in all of these stages; there is hope for you. Often individuals are told that once a diabetic, always a diabetic. To share first hand I can say that this is not true in all cases when you can get a focus on your health on every level. I would recommend purchasing the complete set of DVDs to address all levels of health and wellness but until you are ready for this I will give you some of the basic starting points to create balance.
The basis starting points to create balance in your body if you suspect, have been diagnosed, or have a strong family history of insulin resistance or diabetes are listed below.
• Deep belly breathe 3-5 times every hour through your day.
• Drink approximately one quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight per day up to one gallon
• Eliminate gluten from your diet
• Eliminate high glycemic foods from your diet
• Always combine protein, fat and low glycemic carbs at every meal
• Focus on getting a quality 8 hours of sleep per night while getting to bed by 10:00PM at the latest
• Start moving; even if you only go for a walk once per day it is important that you start somewhere
• Focus on releasing emotion stress in your life and particularly sadness which has been shown to have a significant impact on diabetes
• Use a quality probiotic and digestive enzyme with your foods
• Recognizing the zinc deficiency plays a significant role I recommend taking a liquid ionized form of zinc to insure the best possible absorption and assimilation
Please take the necessary steps to address this imbalance if this is a challenge for you or help any loved ones understand the importance of lifestyle changes that can help them get there life back. Insulin resistance and type II diabetes can lead to many other challenges in your body such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides, poor concentration, depression, challenges with the eyesight, nerves and arteries, increased abdominal fat, accelerated aging, and male impotence.
Statistically speaking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that about on in four U.S. adults aged 20 or older – or 57 million people – had pre-diabetes in 2007. Pre-diabetes is measured by a fasting blood sugar of between 100mg/dL and 125mg/dL on two blood tests and diabetes is measured by a fasting blood sugar above 126mg/dL on two blood tests. Please recognize that if you have been assessed as insulin resistanct, pre-diabetic, or diabetic; it is imperative that you make the necessary lifestyle changes right now. Not tomorrow…right now!
Some of the common warning signs and risk factors for diabetes are as listed.
• Extreme thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Frequent urination
• Weight loss without trying
• Unusual fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Irritability
• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
• Frequent skin, bladder, or gum infections
• Slow healing of cuts and bruises
• Physical inactivity
• Family history
• Current hypertension
• History of cardiovascular disease
• Low HDL or “good” cholesterol
If you are experiencing many of these symptoms regularly I would recommend seeking medical attention to assess your state of balance.
Let’s first take a quick look at the typical stages recognized with this ongoing imbalance. Often weight gain is a starting point since it is recognized that as we put on the pounds this typically leads to insulin resistance. Science does not know the true cause of this but it is speculated that this may be tied into inflammation. I also want you to recognize that not everyone that is insulin resistant or type II diabetic is overweight. From this point the stages typically follow this pattern.
• Insulin resistance of cells
• Insulin resistance with hyperinsulinism (the production of large amounts of insulin)
• Insulin resistance with hyperinsulinism and reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Insulin resistance with hyperinsulinism with impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes)
• Type II diabetes with insulin resistance and high insulin production
• Type II diabetes with low or virtually no insulin production
I want you to understand that based on my years of working with clients in all of these stages; there is hope for you. Often individuals are told that once a diabetic, always a diabetic. To share first hand I can say that this is not true in all cases when you can get a focus on your health on every level. I would recommend purchasing the complete set of DVDs to address all levels of health and wellness but until you are ready for this I will give you some of the basic starting points to create balance.
The basis starting points to create balance in your body if you suspect, have been diagnosed, or have a strong family history of insulin resistance or diabetes are listed below.
• Deep belly breathe 3-5 times every hour through your day.
• Drink approximately one quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight per day up to one gallon
• Eliminate gluten from your diet
• Eliminate high glycemic foods from your diet
• Always combine protein, fat and low glycemic carbs at every meal
• Focus on getting a quality 8 hours of sleep per night while getting to bed by 10:00PM at the latest
• Start moving; even if you only go for a walk once per day it is important that you start somewhere
• Focus on releasing emotion stress in your life and particularly sadness which has been shown to have a significant impact on diabetes
• Use a quality probiotic and digestive enzyme with your foods
• Recognizing the zinc deficiency plays a significant role I recommend taking a liquid ionized form of zinc to insure the best possible absorption and assimilation
Please take the necessary steps to address this imbalance if this is a challenge for you or help any loved ones understand the importance of lifestyle changes that can help them get there life back. Insulin resistance and type II diabetes can lead to many other challenges in your body such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, elevated cholesterol or triglycerides, poor concentration, depression, challenges with the eyesight, nerves and arteries, increased abdominal fat, accelerated aging, and male impotence.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Adrenal Insufficiency
Do you have challenges with sleep, low sexual desire, weight gain in the midsection, digestive challenges, endocrine challenges, poor immune function, low energy, poor muscular/skeletal health, poor mental clarity, inflammatory challenges, poor detoxification and/or blood sugar challenges?
If you answered yes to any of these, then this very well could have a significant tie into adrenal insufficiency.
It is amazing the benefit that these two glands just above our kidneys provide for the body and the amount of challenges that can be created when they are not functioning optimally. The secondary challenges affected by adrenal insufficiency are as listed; thyroid, pancreas and ovary function, metabolism of fat and protein, regulation of body weight, mucosal tissue integrity, detoxification processes, immune system function, pro and anti-inflammatory states, cellular energy, glucose balance, bone and connective tissue turnover, muscular integrity, quality of sleep and mood, ability to memorize and learn and overall neural connectivity. Wow…that is quite a bit of focus for these two tiny little glands! I will also share that it is equally as amazing how often the adrenals are completely challenged due to our cultural lifestyles.
It can be shared that this is one of the major imbalances I see with clients consistently and is this a surprise? I would say that it is not a surprise, due to our current mental and emotional states that are tied into the way we deal with, or not deal with, our general life challenges. Add onto this our current economic state and the challenges that arise through these events and what is the result? If you answered adrenal imbalance you are right on.
Here at Depke Wellness we do not treat the adrenals; we simply recognize adrenal imbalances and provide the necessary recommendations that will allow the body to balance and heal from within. As I have mentioned many times in the past; your body has the innate ability to heal itself when we provide balance and get out of the way.
If you answered yes to any of these, then this very well could have a significant tie into adrenal insufficiency.
It is amazing the benefit that these two glands just above our kidneys provide for the body and the amount of challenges that can be created when they are not functioning optimally. The secondary challenges affected by adrenal insufficiency are as listed; thyroid, pancreas and ovary function, metabolism of fat and protein, regulation of body weight, mucosal tissue integrity, detoxification processes, immune system function, pro and anti-inflammatory states, cellular energy, glucose balance, bone and connective tissue turnover, muscular integrity, quality of sleep and mood, ability to memorize and learn and overall neural connectivity. Wow…that is quite a bit of focus for these two tiny little glands! I will also share that it is equally as amazing how often the adrenals are completely challenged due to our cultural lifestyles.
It can be shared that this is one of the major imbalances I see with clients consistently and is this a surprise? I would say that it is not a surprise, due to our current mental and emotional states that are tied into the way we deal with, or not deal with, our general life challenges. Add onto this our current economic state and the challenges that arise through these events and what is the result? If you answered adrenal imbalance you are right on.
Here at Depke Wellness we do not treat the adrenals; we simply recognize adrenal imbalances and provide the necessary recommendations that will allow the body to balance and heal from within. As I have mentioned many times in the past; your body has the innate ability to heal itself when we provide balance and get out of the way.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Foundation of Health
We have already addressed all the fundamentals of health so today we will discuss the foundation of your health and wellness. The word I place on the foundation is simply energy. Some will categorize this as vibrational, some as spiritual, while others will express that it is a combination of both. I have heard many names attached to the energetic body such as; chi, qi, prana, vital force, life force, God, Buddha, Allah, Jesus Christ, Mother Nature or the universe. To me, it is not my job to judge what others categorize or call this energy, but it is my job to help you understand that to reach optimal health and wellness, this energy needs to be moving through you in every moment of every day.
The most significant challenge that I have seen in my practice over the years, in regard to energy, is tied into suppressed emotions. The way I explain this is that suppressed emotions block energy. When energy is physically blocked in the body, this will lead to disharmony. Long standing disharmony leads to dysfunction and finally dysfunction leads to a recognized dis-ease state.
With this in mind it is important to understand that even if you have a strong focus on your fundamentals of health, a weak foundation will hinder your progress. My analogy for this is comparing building a house to building your health. When building a house you have fundamentals such as bricks, lumber, roofing and such. To understand, if you build a great big beautiful house on top of a cracked, crumbled foundation, the house still falls down.
Let us help you put all of this together so you can allow your body to reach your health and wellness goals.
Feel free to share any comments or questions on this subject.
The most significant challenge that I have seen in my practice over the years, in regard to energy, is tied into suppressed emotions. The way I explain this is that suppressed emotions block energy. When energy is physically blocked in the body, this will lead to disharmony. Long standing disharmony leads to dysfunction and finally dysfunction leads to a recognized dis-ease state.
With this in mind it is important to understand that even if you have a strong focus on your fundamentals of health, a weak foundation will hinder your progress. My analogy for this is comparing building a house to building your health. When building a house you have fundamentals such as bricks, lumber, roofing and such. To understand, if you build a great big beautiful house on top of a cracked, crumbled foundation, the house still falls down.
Let us help you put all of this together so you can allow your body to reach your health and wellness goals.
Feel free to share any comments or questions on this subject.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Six Steps to True Healing
The first step to true healing is to understand that we all make choices and the choices we make are made out of some level of falseness. So what do I mean by falseness?
Nobody knows absolutely everything about anything so we all have some level of potential non-truth. Let me give you an example.
Let’s say that an individual has a low level of understanding in regard to nutrition, and they are eating the standard American diet of fast food. This choice would be due to the fact that this person may only understand about 5% of nutritional truth. If they educated themselves further to the point of 20% of nutritional truth, they may still eat fast food but they may skip the fries and get a diet soda. If they increase their nutritional knowledge to 35% truth, they may realize that the diet soda is actually worse than the regular and switch to water. So even if you hold 95% truth in regard to nutrition, there is still a 5% chance that you are off on some level.
So step one is simply recognition that you make choices and there is a possibility that these choices may be creating ease or challenges.
Step two to come tomorrow.
Nobody knows absolutely everything about anything so we all have some level of potential non-truth. Let me give you an example.
Let’s say that an individual has a low level of understanding in regard to nutrition, and they are eating the standard American diet of fast food. This choice would be due to the fact that this person may only understand about 5% of nutritional truth. If they educated themselves further to the point of 20% of nutritional truth, they may still eat fast food but they may skip the fries and get a diet soda. If they increase their nutritional knowledge to 35% truth, they may realize that the diet soda is actually worse than the regular and switch to water. So even if you hold 95% truth in regard to nutrition, there is still a 5% chance that you are off on some level.
So step one is simply recognition that you make choices and there is a possibility that these choices may be creating ease or challenges.
Step two to come tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Sun Exposure
Now for the last fundamental of health in our series; exposure to the sun. Yes I know, we have been told for about 30 years now to stay out of the sun, cover up, use sunscreen because of course the sun is damaging to us. Well the reality is, sun exposure is a necessary nutrient to the body and we all must have this to be in our optimal health and wellness.
The best time of the day to achieve this needed exposure is unprotected exposure to the largest area of bare skin accessible and unprotected. This in no way means to stay out in the sun until you are beet red, swollen, and blistering though. It is also very important to pay attention to your individual needs for sun exposure based on your skin tone. If you have very fair skin, you may only need about 10 minutes per day for all the benefits needed but if your skin tone is very dark, you many need hours to achieve the same benefits the lighter toned individual enjoys in a very short time period. Just be sure to not overdo this exposure as the over exposure can create damage. The other aspect to recognize is that as your skin darkens you will need to increase your exposure time.
So get out outside on a regular basis and enjoy the benefits of natural sun exposure…it is fundamental.
The best time of the day to achieve this needed exposure is unprotected exposure to the largest area of bare skin accessible and unprotected. This in no way means to stay out in the sun until you are beet red, swollen, and blistering though. It is also very important to pay attention to your individual needs for sun exposure based on your skin tone. If you have very fair skin, you may only need about 10 minutes per day for all the benefits needed but if your skin tone is very dark, you many need hours to achieve the same benefits the lighter toned individual enjoys in a very short time period. Just be sure to not overdo this exposure as the over exposure can create damage. The other aspect to recognize is that as your skin darkens you will need to increase your exposure time.
So get out outside on a regular basis and enjoy the benefits of natural sun exposure…it is fundamental.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Movement
Movement is always one of the interesting fundamentals of health. Most feel that I am only talking about exercise, and while this is a part of it, this is not exclusive to exercise. One comment that I will make early about exercise, is that I recognize exercise generally lies within one of two extremes for most; either we do not get enough or we get too much. Both of these are challenges to our fundamentals.
Understand that the body is designed to move and if your daily job or activity does not include moving your body consistently, it will be important for you to move through exercise or with other daily routines. This does not have to be a one hour spin class, followed by thirty minutes of weight training and finished off with a two mile run. This could be gardening, housework, enjoying an outdoor walk, a fun bike ride with a friend of loved one. Simply put...find what you enjoy that involves movement and do this every day.
I am also talking about movement in other aspect of you body. As examples, you want proper movement of your colon, movement within your circulatory system and movement of every vertebrae of your spine. Movement is such a key fundamental of every aspect of who we are so make it a big part of your life.
Understand that the body is designed to move and if your daily job or activity does not include moving your body consistently, it will be important for you to move through exercise or with other daily routines. This does not have to be a one hour spin class, followed by thirty minutes of weight training and finished off with a two mile run. This could be gardening, housework, enjoying an outdoor walk, a fun bike ride with a friend of loved one. Simply put...find what you enjoy that involves movement and do this every day.
I am also talking about movement in other aspect of you body. As examples, you want proper movement of your colon, movement within your circulatory system and movement of every vertebrae of your spine. Movement is such a key fundamental of every aspect of who we are so make it a big part of your life.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sleep
Our sleep is a very important fundamental of health. Do you know that during hours of sleep is when your body initiates most of its repair and maintenance?
While most do understand that we need approximately 8 hours of sleep nightly, many do not understand that there is also a best time to accomplish this sleep goal. The best time to get to bed is a few hours after the sun sets and to wake in the morning when the sun rises. With this in mind you will also understand that your actual sleep patterns will vary depending on the seasons. Did you ever wonder why you seem to need much more sleep in the winter months rather than summer? This is actually tied into natural hormone production based on your exposure to natural sunlight. You see…when the sun comes up in the morning even on an overcast day with just a small opening in your drapery, this will still initiate the highest cortisol response of the day. The job of this high cortisol response is to get the body up and going to start your day.
For the select few clients that say to me, “I am a night person, so I go to bed at about 2:00AM but I sleep until 10:00AM, so that is OK…right?” My answer to that is; there is no such thing as a night person and being a night person is simply a learned behavior. For this person that has trained their body to get to bed later and sleep through the high cortisol response, there is one very important aspect to know. The sleep after the cortisol is raised based on natural sunlight is no longer the same level of rest and repair.
Please be sure to get to bed early enough to accomplish your health goals.
While most do understand that we need approximately 8 hours of sleep nightly, many do not understand that there is also a best time to accomplish this sleep goal. The best time to get to bed is a few hours after the sun sets and to wake in the morning when the sun rises. With this in mind you will also understand that your actual sleep patterns will vary depending on the seasons. Did you ever wonder why you seem to need much more sleep in the winter months rather than summer? This is actually tied into natural hormone production based on your exposure to natural sunlight. You see…when the sun comes up in the morning even on an overcast day with just a small opening in your drapery, this will still initiate the highest cortisol response of the day. The job of this high cortisol response is to get the body up and going to start your day.
For the select few clients that say to me, “I am a night person, so I go to bed at about 2:00AM but I sleep until 10:00AM, so that is OK…right?” My answer to that is; there is no such thing as a night person and being a night person is simply a learned behavior. For this person that has trained their body to get to bed later and sleep through the high cortisol response, there is one very important aspect to know. The sleep after the cortisol is raised based on natural sunlight is no longer the same level of rest and repair.
Please be sure to get to bed early enough to accomplish your health goals.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Food We Eat
In regard to the food we eat, I share the understanding first brought to our attention by Hippocrates some 2600 years ago. "One man's food is another man's poison". I address nutrition with my clients with this saying in mind, while using a system called Nutritional ID.
It is always very important to understand that we are all bio-chemically different and while one person may thrive on a particular diet; this same diet may be detrimental to another. This will be tied into our genetics as well as any functional challenges that we may be experiencing.
From a genetic factor it is important to understand that it takes our bodies many generations to create a shift for nutritional needs. Many cultures have survived with outstanding health based on the foods that were available to them on a regular basis. A traditional Eskimo survived very well in a very challenging climate with their main dietary intake being fat and protein. The Aborigines consumed much more vegetation, insects, kangaroo and wallaby yet had the strength and fitness of Olympic athletes. The Swiss consumed large amounts of high fat cheese, raw milk, small amounts of protein, whole rye and some wine yet survived very well even through glacier winters. The African Masai consumed raw milk, meat and blood from cattle yet enjoyed superb mental and physical development. I am not necessarily recommending these particular diets but hopefully this will help you understand the importance of moving toward your true genetic needs.
The functional factor ties into life’s situations such as stress, current health challenges, environment challenges and such. When we are going through challenges your body may require a nutritional shift, which needs to be addressed accordingly, until you reach a state of balance where your body can evolve to your true genetic nutritional needs.
It is always very important to understand that we are all bio-chemically different and while one person may thrive on a particular diet; this same diet may be detrimental to another. This will be tied into our genetics as well as any functional challenges that we may be experiencing.
From a genetic factor it is important to understand that it takes our bodies many generations to create a shift for nutritional needs. Many cultures have survived with outstanding health based on the foods that were available to them on a regular basis. A traditional Eskimo survived very well in a very challenging climate with their main dietary intake being fat and protein. The Aborigines consumed much more vegetation, insects, kangaroo and wallaby yet had the strength and fitness of Olympic athletes. The Swiss consumed large amounts of high fat cheese, raw milk, small amounts of protein, whole rye and some wine yet survived very well even through glacier winters. The African Masai consumed raw milk, meat and blood from cattle yet enjoyed superb mental and physical development. I am not necessarily recommending these particular diets but hopefully this will help you understand the importance of moving toward your true genetic needs.
The functional factor ties into life’s situations such as stress, current health challenges, environment challenges and such. When we are going through challenges your body may require a nutritional shift, which needs to be addressed accordingly, until you reach a state of balance where your body can evolve to your true genetic nutritional needs.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Water We Drink
While most of us understand the importance of drinking enough good clean water, it is a fact that many still do not have adequate water intake to stay hydrated at a healthy level. Due to the fact that we eat mostly cooked food and this is void of hydration, there is a heightened importance on the water we drink. A general rule of thumb is to drink approximately one quart of water for every fifty pounds of body weight but unfortunately most are not drinking even half this quantity.
To fine tune your water consumption even further it is best to pay attention to the color of your urine. Try to maintain a very slight yellow color to be sure you are properly hydrated. If your urine is clear you may be over hydrated, yet if it is more than a slight yellow there is a good chance you are dehydrated.
To fine tune your water consumption even further it is best to pay attention to the color of your urine. Try to maintain a very slight yellow color to be sure you are properly hydrated. If your urine is clear you may be over hydrated, yet if it is more than a slight yellow there is a good chance you are dehydrated.
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Air We Breathe
Let’s start the New Year with addressing our number one fundamental of health which is the air we breathe. While most feel that I would be talking about the quality of our air, my focus is going to by on the functional process and need for proper intake of oxygen. Most do not understand, but when we take a breath of air, approximately one quart of our blood is exposed to the oxygen in that breath. It then only takes a few moments for that quart of blood to circulate throughout the body to oxygenate the cells in our body. This is the number one fundamental of health, so why then do most of us restrict our breathing by taking short shallow breaths in our daily lives. I cannot present with enough conviction the importance of taking deep belly breaths throughout your day. Simply take a very deep breath through your nose all the way down below the belly button while extending your stomach, hold that breath for a few moments and forcefully blow that breath out through the mouth while contracting your stomach muscles. Do this 3-5 times every hour throughout your day to start creating the habit of proper breathing. I cannot tell you how many people feel significantly better simply by incorporating this new healthy habit. The other bonus is that physiologically, taking a deep breath also releases stress.
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Health Coaches, Orange, CA