Healthy Aging: Body, Mind & Spirit

What you eat and how you feel

What you eat does effect your mood.

Take just a moment now to think about what you eat and how it makes you feel.  Or better yet, do an experiment on yourself.  Spend a few days eating lots of high quality proteins, veggies and fruits, and see if you don’t feel more energetic and hopeful.  Cut the starch and sugar and replace them with good food, and you will soon begin losing pounds.  When you finally find the discipline to eat right, you will soon feel better!

Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, tryptophan, folate and other B vitamins, low glycemic foods, and chocolate have all been studied, and results show an association between these foods and improved mood.  Of course, these nutrients are all part of a healthy diet, and when you eat healthy, your body reaps the benefits!

When you eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains throughout the day you keep your body fueled and your blood sugar on an even keel.   You’re also getting the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients you need to function properly.  Combining carbohydrates and proteins also enhances the availability of serotonin to your brain, a neurotransmitter which has a calming effect and helps you have good sleep.

In addition, simply knowing you are taking care of yourself can boost your mood.   We’re all familiar with the power of comfort foods.   For example, drinking a glass of milk before bedtime can trigger a comforting memory of your childhood.

Eating healthy has improved my life is so many ways, and helped me lose 50 pounds in the past ten months!   I got on Slimgenics, which helped me to FINALLY begin to eat like I knew I should be: out with all of those mass quantities of starch like potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread, and in with 6-8 servings of veggies and fruits plus over 60 grams of PROTEIN each day.

Improve your diet and see if that doesn’t improve your mood!  Then go take a long walk in the springtime weather…now you’re starting to feel much better!

Why sugar is bad for your body

I liked the explanation offered by CBS News this morning.  It’s simple and straight forward.

Think of your blood as water and then imagine pouring sugar into it while stirring.  The water or your blood will thicken up much like syrup, making your heart work harder and your blood pressure to go up as you add more and more.

I also think the description by Dr. Oz is correct.   Too much sugar is like razor blades in your blood stream for your vascular system.

Why do I believe this?  Because I have suffered from the most direct disease created by too much sugar, Candida, which caused awful bubbles of staph infection on my skin a few years ago.  The simple solution?   I stopped eating most sugar for a while, especially sweet drinks.  Instead I used stevia, and consumed sugar only in the form of blueberries and apples, because they deliver so much fiber with their sugar.

Changing my diet improved my health DRAMATICALLY.  Candida on your skin is so itchy and every time I ate sugar I itched even more.  I knew when the Candida fungus was feeding!

It is true that sugar is VERY addictive to your brain, but stevia can help you cut back TODAY!

Sugar toxicity and YOU

From my own experiences in the past few years and what I have learned after suffering from a terrible case of Candida Albicans back in 2008, sugar is one of the worst toxins we consume everyday.

A handful of scientists have recently suggested that sugar is actually the worst thing in the American diet, on some levels even worse than trans fats.  Sugar can be blamed for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even some form of cancers.  According to research led by Robert Lustig of the University of California, sugar is toxic.  He will appear on CBS 60 Minutes this evening to explain his findings.

According to research, the average American person consumes roughly 130 pounds of added sugars, which includes sugar as well as high fructose corn syrup, every year.  While high fructose corn syrup is often vilified more often than sugar, Lustig says that, metabolically, there is no difference.

Taking the idea of the toxicity of sugar even further, Lustig, in an interview with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CBS 60 Minutes tonight, goes so far as to say that sugar should be treated no differently than alcohol or tobacco.

Ironic isn’t it, we try to limit alcohol and tobacco consumption to adults, but push sugar at our children every chance we get.  EASTER candy anyone?

Learn more at:

http://www.inquisitr.com/214109/is-sugar-toxic-dr-robert-lustig-thinks-so/#o2vIATARWfogXemK.99

Best teas for weight loss all day long

Dr. Oz covered a few interesting teas yesterday which may help with weight loss.

In the morning he suggested fermented Chinese Pu-erh Tea for a great burst of antioxidants plus many health benefits. There were even claims that this tea can shrink fat cells!

Chickweed Tea was also mentioned as a powerful diuretic.   Chickweed tea helps the body flush excess water or fat from the system, leading to regular urination and a cleansed, toned body.  It can also act as a mild laxative.  In addition, it may help increase your body’s metabolism for increased weight loss.

In the evening, Bilberry Tea was recommended.  Here are the benefits on drinking one cup a day:   It may inhibit eye and vision disorders by strengthening the walls of blood vessels in the eye and benefit the retina, help reduce inflammation, and help stabilize ligaments and tendons, help support cardiovascular health, help treat gastrointestinal problems, help ease varicose veins, and help lower blood sugar in diabetics.

Sounds good to me for just drinking tea!

Is sugar toxic?

Yes, in the gigantic amounts too many of us consume today!

I’m lucky.  My body tells me in no uncertain terms when I’ve had too much, Candida sets in!

Here’s the latest buzz on sugar toxicity.

Natural Treatment Options for Fungal Infections

A new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that an antifungal protein (Pr-2) in pumpkin rinds may hinder Candida albicans without harming cells. The study’s researchers believe it could be an effective way to treat yeast infections naturally.   Another option is olive leaf extract, a widely available supplement that has been shown to kill fungi, including Candida.

That said, depending on what type of fungal infection you are dealing with, a systemic approach often works best. The top steps to treat candida overgrowth on a whole-body level include:

1. Eat a healthier diet and avoid sugar. Your diet should focus on whole, unprocessed fresh foods, and should drastically limit, or even better eliminate, sugar and refined carbs. Remember, sugar is a favorite food for yeast, so the less you “feed” it the better.
2. Restore balance to your intestinal microflora. If your intestinal balance has been upset, as is typically the case if you have candida overgrowth, active compounds of garlic can be used as they have demonstrated strong antibacterail and antifungal activity against candida.

1. Repopulate your digestive tract with good bacteria. Choose a probiotic supplement of therapeutic dose, especially if you have been on antibiotic therapy.A high-quality probiotic supplement can provides clinical applications that support systemic health and wellness through immune-system protection, allergy reduction and effective, enhanced nutrient absorption making it necessary to restore balance to your gastrointestinal tract and ultimately will replace the candida with good bacteria.

1. Support your immune system. A weakened immune system puts you at a disadvantage when you are trying to fight a chronic yeast infection or yeast overgrowth.

1. Avoid exposure to chemicals. This includes not only chemicals in your food and home and personal care products (perfume, paints, household cleaners, etc.), but also in unnecessary medications.
2. Nurture your emotional health. Stress can be a major factor in candida overgrowth, so use these tips to start relaxing more and tending to your emotional needs.

What Can Help Soothe Itchy Yeast Infections, Jock Itch and Athlete’s Foot, Naturally?

Anti-fungal creams (prescription or over-the-counter) are often recommended to help relieve the itchy symptoms of yeast and fungal infections. The downside to this is that many proprietary creams used to relieve irritation and itch contain chemicals that can cause discomfort.

Remember, yeast multiply quickly so it’s very easy for them to quickly take a hold of your body. However, combining the tips above with the care of a knowledgeable health care practitioner (who specializes in candida overgrowth and other fungal infections) will allow you to fight against candida and ultimately restore balance to your body and your health.

Could you have a Candida infection?

Millions of people struggle with hard-to-treat fungal infections caused by Candida, a type of yeast that is the most common human fungal pathogen.  Candida albicans, the most common species of Candida, is the leading cause of vaginal and oral yeast infections, as well as the fourth most common hospital-acquired blood-borne pathogen.

About 30 to 50 percent of healthy adults have Candida in their mouth; and the single-cell fungi also lives, often harmlessly, on their skin and in their intestines (and, in women, in the vagina).

According to the National Candida Centers:

“The bacteria to yeast ratio in a healthy person is about 10:1, so in a normal bowel everything lives in a nice ecological balance. The problem comes when your “inner ecology” gets off balance through a variety of causes … The bowel becomes vulnerable to other opportunistic’ microorganisms seeking a new home. With no healthy probiotics [good bacteria] to keep it under control, the growth of yeast takes off, multiplies and causes Candida Overgrowth yeast infection resulting in a multitude of symptoms.”

What Causes Yeast to Take Over?

Your body is a veritable Petri dish of sorts, teeming with bacteria and fungus at this very moment. Candida typically live harmlessly on your skin and on certain parts of your body, but if your system becomes out of balance it can trigger an overgrowth of yeast.

Candida is so widespread and pervasive that anyone with a suppressed immune system, including the young, the elderly and people receiving corticosteroid or chemotherapy treatments, are at an increased risk.

Further, in a hospital setting receiving a catheter or central intravenous line increases your risk by allowing an entry point for fungi to enter your body. Because treatment options are very limited, and fungi are growing increasingly resistant to available drugs, systemic fungal infections in a hospital setting have a mortality rate of nearly 45 percent.

There are many other factors that can also throw your body off kilter and allow opportunistic yeast to take over. Among the most common factors are:

• Taking antibiotics, which kill both good and bad bacteria

• Eating lots of processed foods, especially sugar and refined carbs (which feed the yeast)

• Chronic stress and exposure to environmental toxins, both of which lower your immune system’s ability to control candida

• Certain medications, including antibiotics, birth control pills, antacids, anti-inflammatories and corticosteroids, that promote the growth of yeast

• Excess alcohol, which kills good bacteria and increases the toxic load on your liver, and allows candida overgrowth

• Pregnancy and certain illnesses, such as diabetes, can also promote yeast growth, as can drinking tap water that contains chlorine

Five Common Fungal Infections

Fungal infections can take on a variety of forms and cause symptoms ranging from irritable bowel syndrome and food allergies to PMS and asthma.   The most common manifestations are:

Candida Overgrowth: Also called candidiasis, candida overgrowth typically begins in the digestive system and then spreads to other areas of your body. Yeast overgrowth begins when the flora in your digestive tract become unbalanced. When this occurs, the “bad” bacteria overwhelm the good, and diseases, like candidiasis, develop. When your gut is overwhelmed by candida, the yeast can actually burrow into your intestinal wall, which creates gaps in the membrane lining. These gaps, in turn, allow partially digested food particles along with the 180 toxic byproducts of yeast, to be absorbed by your bloodstream, creating symptoms such as gas, bloating, food cravings and more.

Vaginal Yeast Infections: Vaginal yeast infections, which occur when there is an overgrowth of Candida yeast in the vagina, impact three out of four women during their lifetimes. Further, nearly half of women will have two or more yeast infections during their lives.

Athlete’s Foot: Athlete’s foot is one of the most common skin infections around, and usually attacks your feet in the dark, damp areas between your toes. Athlete’s foot is contagious and spreads easily from person to person.  You can catch it by skin-to-skin contact with an infected person (it’s possible to carry the fungus that causes athlete’s foot and not have any symptoms) or by touching an object that carries the fungus. It’s also possible to transmit athlete’s foot to other parts of your body, such as your groin or underarms.

Jock Itch: Jock itch is a fungal infection that causes a red itchy rash on your inner thighs, buttocks and groin area. Its name stems from the fact that it’s common in people who sweat a lot, such as athletes and “jocks,” but the name is deceiving as anyone can get jock itch — even women.  Fungi called dermatophytes causes jock itch (his is the same type of fungus that often causes athlete’s foot). It is highly contagious and can easily be spread from your feet to your groin area or vice versa.

Ringworm: Ringworm is a fungal infection closely related to athlete’s foot and jock itch and develops on the top layer of your skin or on your scalp (this latter form typically impacts children).  What sets ringworm apart is the circular red rash it forms on your skin, which typically has slightly raised, expanding rings that give it a worm-like appearance. Ringworm may also appear as a round, flat patch of itchy skin.  Like athlete’s foot and jock itch, ringworm is transmitted by contact with infected people and objects (clothing, towel, bedding, combs, brushes, etc.) and by contact with an animal with ringworm. In rare cases ringworm can also be transmitted through contact with highly infected soil.

Here’s a link to some natural treatment options for fungal infections!

Juices and arsenic levels

The big story this morning is whether the lead and arsenic levels are too high in the fruit juices we drink.

The big story should be how bad fruit juices are in general because of their unnaturally high levels of sugar.  The human body was not made to mainline concentrated sugar at that level.   Think of it as razor blades in your blood stream like Dr. Oz suggests.   Any form of high sugar content leads to obesity, and often additional problems with Candida!

I know, we were all taught that fruit juice is healthier than other sweetened drinks, but sugar is sugar, and concentrated sugar spikes your insulin levels leading to artificially increased hunger and childhood obesity.

A reality check on your “lifestyle choices”

30% of cancers in developed countries are related to issues of diet and nutrition

40% OF ALL CANCERS CAN BE PREVENTED

1 out of 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime

There were two things I never enjoyed doing before I started losing weight: weighing myself, and seeing myself in pictures.

Those two “phenomenon” came together for me this week when I happened to see my “before” picture at Slimgenics. I was astounded and horrified to finally fully acknowledge how out of control I had become back in June, when I started my weight loss journey.   This showed me how our brains can fool us into thinking things are “not THAT bad” just yet.   Well, things were VERY BAD and no, I won’t be sharing that photo with ANYONE!

Since mid-June I have reduced my intake of starches and fats by 75%, replacing them with much more water, protein, vegetables and fruit.   I didn’t think I would ever become one of those food measurers but, you know, it works!   And I am SO WORTH IT!

I have also studied why and when I tend to overeat and have replaced those behavior patterns with journaling, counseling and problem solving instead of stuffing my feelings.

Remember, it is NEVER too late to begin showing genuine concern for yourself.

Caring for your health is a GREAT place to start!

Source for statistics: World Health Organization

Weight loss is a fascinating psychological process!

As previous mentioned, I have been losing weight through Slimgenics for the past five weeks.   So far, so good!   I’m now 11 pounds lighter, 18 inches thinner, and feeling fantastic!

I’m new to diets and weight loss.   I was thin as a child and teenager, and basically menopause was the thing that did me in.   So I am learning new things all the time about how this works, you know, great tips like the fact that apple cider vinegar helps you lose more water weight, etc.   But the most amazing new reality for me now is how much less food I really need to feel satisfied.   I was eating all the wrong foods for all the wrong reasons before, and NOT because of actual hunger.

I’ve learned that food portions and plate size DO matter, and that probably the main reason most of us are now overweight if not obese is that everyone around us is growing just as fat if not fatter.   It’s so easy to find someone who is more overweight than you are to reassure yourself that you aren’t THAT bad yet.   Unfortunately most of us are literally killing ourselves with food!

I finally acknowledged that I was “that bad” and now I feel so much more optimistic since I changed my ways and took control over my situation.   Almost immediately I realized that I was unconsciously expecting far too much reinforcement from food, so I made a list of all of the things I really enjoy doing that I do rarely.   Things like listening to music, stretching, getting out in nature, etc.   Then I started doing those things instead of stuffing my face and my feelings.   What a gigantic relief!

One of the wisest things one of my twenty-eight-year-old counselors at Slimgenics told me is:

“Food is not your enemy or your friend, it’s just what we need to stay alive.”

It’s too bad that food has turned into one of the biggest psychological crutches of the century, and I’m speaking from personal experience here!