A whopping 22 million children under the age of 5 are obese. Professor Terry Wilken of the Peninsula Medical School tells us that by age 5, “the die is cast.” One million children are now showing signs of high blood pressure and heart disease, presenting a new era of extraordinary challenge to our nation’s pediatricians.
According to Dr. Tim Lobstein of the International Obesity Task Force, the scope of these numbers and their implication for mankind is unprecedented.
From smiling clowns at drive-up windows to a beckoning Chihuahua, and a kid whose bologna has a first name; the competition is fierce for market share of your child’s stomach. Drive-up counters have replaced the dinner bell and fast food is no longer fast enough. Not surprisingly, diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes has surged 90 percent, in the last decade alone.
Sugar races into your child’s bloodstream, signaling their pancreas to produce insulin. Trans fatty acids accelerate their risk for heart disease. Preservatives, artificial additives, man-made sugars, white carbohydrates and processed foods add fuel to this internal fire—the building blocks for cellular aberration, degeneration and stored body fat.
If we care about prevention… [click to continue reading…]
Carb cravings? Sugar cravings? Food cravings? Here’s a few things that you may not have thought of to help you control cravings:
Brush your teeth- Food just doesn’t taste good after a fresh spearmint brushing. You may not want to mess up your fresh breath.
Eat foods with fiber- Fiber will cause you to feel full. The majority of your fiber should come from fruits and vegetables, not grains, which are inflammatory. (Tip: I love asian pears. They’re one of the most fiber filled fruits in the world with a high water and fiber content.)
De-Stress- Many people will instinctively reach for ‘comfort foods’ when they are stressed. Take the time to identify and have in your arsenal a few instant de-stressors that work for you; a 3 minute iPod break, a minute of deep diaphragmatic breathing or a mini-meditation session perhaps.
Snack – Nuts and seeds can be a main staple of your snacking. Walnuts are a great snack with good fats and have a good n-3 to n-6 ratio. Grab 10-12 organic walnut halves, 6-8 organic almonds, or a handful of pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Here are some healthy snack recipes.
Eat mindfully- Smell, taste and chew your food as if it was your last meal. Savor it. It’s much harder to do this with unhealthy food.
Eat protein- Try making it a rule to have one out of every four bites be protein (and the other 75% veggies). It’s filling, nutrient dense, energy promoting and life giving.
Stop, think and thank- Before your car is magnetically lured through the drive thru-stop. Think about how that will serve you (or not). Be thankful and respectful of how miraculous your body is and what it needs to perform. Should you tax and poison it or give it some fuel for rejuvenation and repair?
Walk it off- We’ve all eaten too much at one sitting before. Instead of lying on the couch, go for a quick brisk walk. You will most likely feel more like lying on the couch, so use the walk not only as a way to get your metabolism up but also as a self discipline mechanism.
Create a checks and balances system- If you really have a hard time controlling cravings, take the time to set some boundaries. If you adhere to them, reward yourself (but not with cake and ice cream). Create a “Victory Journal.” Every time you have a victory-write it down, no matter how small you think it is. If you choose fresh berries as dessert instead of that cake and ice cream-write it down. Watch, you’ll begin to get addicted to doing things that take you toward your goals. This is a great way to gain momentum, self confidence and finally conquer yo-yo dieting. On the other hand, if you do slip, as we all do, have a system set up where you do something like pay a dollar into a jar. When the jar is filled don’t reward yourself with that money. Make a commitment to put the money into your savings.
Look to hormones- Many cravings aren’t just a lack of will power but hormonal signals. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells. One of it’s most powerful effects on the body is to regulate food intake by signalling the brain to stop eating. If you have what seem to be uncontrollable cravings, your body may not be responding properly. It’s known as leptin resistance. LepToThin ™ is a supplement that can help your body become more responsive to leptin’s satiety signaling.
Here are ten of my favorite healthy snack recipes.
When you know which categories of foods are healthy you can start getting creative with your healthy snack ideas. Contrary to popular belief, snacking is very beneficial. It helps to refuel your body, maintain blood sugar and energy levels and control your appetite.
Healthy snacking will help your body get the nutrients it needs and help you avoid overeating at meal times.
There are a huge variety of flavorful, healthy low-calorie snack options to help you achieve optimum weight loss and overall wellness. Indulge in these guilt-free snacks. Remember we encourage an anti-inflammatory, low-glycemic, paleo-style diet for weight loss and wellness. A body must get healthy before it can lose weight.
1. Romaine Lettuce Wrap With Organic Turkey and a Slice of Raw-Milk or Skim Mozzarella Cheese
Romaine lettuce contains the highest nutritional and fiber content of all lettuce. Turkey is 94% protein and protein helps you to lose weight by boosting your metabolism and decreasing hunger. Adding raw milk grass-fed cheese not only adds flavor but also adds calcium without any harmful hormones or preservatives. A great source for grass-fed wild meat, game and poultry is at U.S. Wellness Meats.
2. Veggie Sticks With Cottage Cheese Dip
Non-starchy vegetables contain almost eight times the amount of fiber found in whole grains. Fiber is essential for a healthy digestive system. Fat-free organic cottage cheese makes an excellent low calorie snack.
3. Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
Organic plain yogurt is best. Store bought flavored yogurts have a higher sugar content. Instead flavor your yogurt with fruit. Wild blueberries are an excellent choice as they have a lower glycemic content which will help balance blood glucose and insulin levels as well as provide phenomenal nourishment. [click to continue reading…]
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