Obesity and Food Inc

Can we reduce childhood obesity?

A new study reveals that we can. The study done by the Journal of Law and Economics said that we can reduce childhood obesity by as much as 18% if we ban fast food commercials during children’s programming. Adolescent obesity could be reduced by 14% too. Sweden, Norway and Finland have adopted this regulation. I don’t know if this will ever come about in the United States, but it sure would be great to be able to reduce childhood obesity. They mentioned in the article that there is an 80% chance that an overweight adolescent will become an obese adult. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119120149.htm


Did you know - 70% of Doctors Don’t Get the Flu Shot?

A prominent doctor has spoken out and recommends that people NOT get the flu shot.
“The CDC’s 15-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) makes recommendations each year on who should be vaccinated. Almost all the ACIP members who make these recommendations have financial ties to the vaccine industry.”

This site also lists some of the ingredients in flu shots that can be harmful to children like formaldehyde and aluminum, along with the fact that it is not effective for children. “A systematic review of 51 studies involving 260,000 children age 6 to 23 months found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo”
http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/11/18/doctor-recommends-avoiding-flu-shot-vitamin-d-instead/


Ways to increase your brain activity

Here’s a quick list from this site of how to “hack your brain.” You’ll have to read the whole page to get the details. Exercise, hydrate, find stimulation (music), think happy thoughts, play word or number games, watch quality TV, surf the net, eat brain food, load up on fish oil, eat gingko biloba and ginseng, learn something new, don’t waste your time, actively improve your memory, rest, and have sex. It’s worth the read but not the pictures. http://brainz.org/brain-hacks/


Watch Out! Food Inc is on the way…

I’m wondering if a major shift in our food industry is going to be coming soon. I just watched this interview on Good Morning America with the producers of the new movie Food Inc. They started the show saying, ”This movie will do to grocery stores what Jaws did to beaches.”
This video interview about the movie is well worth the 4 minutes or so it takes to watch. Basically, they talk about soy, high fructose corn syrup, obesity, diabetes, government subsidies, etc. You can bet I will watch this movie sometime soon. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=7789602&page=1

Cleansing Every Day

Instead of cleansing once a week (or once a year) Isa now has an every day cleanse program. If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Why do a 9 day cleanse once a year when you can cleanse a little bit at a time and feel good all the time. You can add a deep cleanse that lasts 24 or 48 hours at any time, otherwise it’s 2 ounces in the morning and 2 ounces at night with 1-2 shakes a day. This program can also be tailored to be one week out of the month instead of every day. It's a lot easier than keeping track of those cleanse days. Let me know if you want information on how to tailor a program like this to meet your needs along with wholesale pricing.

Sugar vs High Fructose Corn Syrup

Sugar vs. High Fructose Corn Syrup

Is one better or worse for you than another? According to many manufacturers, sugar must be better than high fructose corn syrup because they are making many products now with sugar instead. This article http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/dining/21sugar.html?_r=3&th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1237633956-lRXq/A2lceILmq7OCo5n+w explains what some food makers and scientists have to say about this new trend.

High fructose corn syrup was invented in the 1980s as a cheaper alternative than sugar (by 20%). Shortly after that, started the rise in obesity in the United States. Many people have been talking about this correlation for years. It seems that now the food companies are taking action.

Scientists and nutritionists, on the other hand, are saying that both are about equally as bad for you because they both raise your blood sugar. It seems to be that the moral of this story is to avoid high fructose corn syrup, but try to keep your sugar intake as low as possible too.

Certainly Baby Products are Safe - Aren’t They??

According to research done by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, more than ½ of the baby care products they tested contained 2 different chemicals that are known to cause cancer (1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde). Dioxane has been banned by the European Union for use in personal care products.

The product makers claim that these charges are overrated and that this group is unnecessarily alarming parents. I tend to agree with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics on this one - "The levels we've found are relatively low, and the industry often says there's just a little bit of carcinogen in my product," Malkan said. "The problem is, we're finding a little bit of carcinogen in many products. Many of these products are used every day, so we've got repeated and frequent exposure to these low levels of chemicals. They're not the safest and purest products, and parents ought to know that." Here’s the full article if you want to read it http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031202940.html?wprss=rss_health

I know I have mentioned this before, but if you want to see how your favorite personal care product rates, check out www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ and enter it there to find out your results.

Get in Shape and Lose Weight

I’ve found another option to help me exercise more regularly and thought I would share it with you. I have very little use for television, but I have found a nifty little channel on our satellite TV channels called FitTV. They have exercise shows on almost all day. You can turn on the TV at any time and exercise with whoever is on at that time. Even if I watch at the same time each day, the routines are always different. I turn it on at noon every day and get the same instructor, but have yet to do the same exercise routine. If I don’t like what they are doing, I will use some of the exercises I have seen on the Jillian Michels DVD (30 Day Shred) or her short videos on hulu.com .

The only thing you have to watch out for on FitTV are some new age shows and ideas. If I don’t like it, I don’t use that show. This is the most consistent I have ever been with exercising in my life! I don’t get sore with these routines. If I want to be sore and sweat I use any of Jillian Michels videos and then I feel those muscles the next day. FitTV has some good workouts too though.

What about “and weight loss“…. If I want to get in shape I use FitTV. If I want to lose weight, I use Isa. Nothing else works for me (even consistent exercise). I’ve been using it for 3 years now and have not found anything that comes anywhere close to the results I get with it - not to mention the health benefits - but that‘s a whole newsletter in itself.

Obesity and Your Tongue

Obesity Passes Through Your Tongue - A study has found that obese individuals have less sensitive taste buds, so they tend to eat more sugar to satisfy their taste buds. Leaner individuals have more sensitive taste buds and are able to eat less.

"If you sense sweetness less, you may be inclined to eat sweeter foods." Here is what one of the scientists concludes: “For instance, Hajnal points to an ever-increasing amount of fat and sugar in processed foods. The enhanced taste of these foods, he says, stimulates our taste and food reward neurons on a chronic basis, making them less sensitive over time. And what do we do when this happens?
"Instead of eating less, we seek out higher palatability," Hajnal explained. "We simply start putting an extra spoonful of sugar in our coffee."“

What causes these taste buds to get less sensitive? In my opinion (and many natural doctors too), hormones play a big role in this. If your hormones become adversely affected, then they can’t help us tell when we’re full and have a taste for healthy foods. Body cleansing can get hormones back in line, supported and working properly so that our bodies can function as they were intended. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126133409.htm


Accupuncture works without needles - I’ve never had the need to use acupuncture nor has anyone in my family, but if we ever do, this information will be helpful. In a study of over 200 cancer patients that were treated for nausea with acupuncture, half were treated with needles and half were treated with a blunt needle that just touched the skin. 95% of both groups said that their treatment worked to help relieve nausea. Even better - “67 percent had experienced other positive effects such as improved sleep, brighter mood, and less pain.” If you’re ever in need of acupuncture treatment, this is good information to keep in mind. Here’s the whole article - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201082353.htm

Want some Melamine for dinner? - Here’s a new one… Did you know that melamine has been added to some foods to give them artificially high protein readings? In China last fall, many babies were affected by melamine in baby formula (4 died and 54,000 were hospitalized).

Originally it was thought that melamine could not harm humans, but now many are rethinking that idea. I think the main threat from this is from food produced in China at this point. They also add melamine to meat, eggs and fish. Here’s the whole article if you want to read it http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=6157085

Fibromyalgia is Real - Doctors have now discovered through studies that “The imaging showed that women with the syndrome had "brain perfusion" -- or blood flow abnormalities -- compared to the healthy women. The researchers then found that these abnormalities were directly correlated with the severity of disease symptoms.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/03/AR2008110301698.html

Originally fibromyalgia was thought to have been linked to depression, but now doctors are finding that an abnormality can be found in blood flow in the brain that inhibits pain receptors.
Is the pain all in their heads? Well, now we know it starts there and affects how the brain discriminates pain….

Winning the War on Cancer - In his book Winning the War on Cancer, author Dr. Mark Sircus discusses how sodium bicarbonate can help return the body’s bicarbonate levels to normal. "Sodium bicarbonate cancer treatment focuses on delivering natural chemotherapy in a way that effectively kills cancer cells while dramatically reducing the brutal side effects and costs experienced with standard chemotherapy treatments." This is the cheapest and possibly most effective way to treat cancer, but no one is using it because it’s too cheap. Drug companies will not fund a study if they can’t eventually make some money from it. You can read more about the ebook that Dr. Sircus has written here http://www.winningcancer.com/sodium/about-the-book/ I haven’t read it and don’t know anyone that has used it, but I thought this information was interesting enough to pass along.

Another great book that I haven’t read much of yet is called Breakthrough by Suzanne Sommers. She interviewed 8 natural doctors and picked their brains about many ailments, treatments, and weight loss concerns. The few chapters I have read have been fascinating. Maybe I’ll be able to give you a complete review next month.

EZ Cleanse Program - Now you can cleanse overnight instead of during the day. This is great for those who don’t have time to fit in a 9 day or who want a simpler way to cleanse. Let me know if you’re interested and I can send you a file that gives you all the details.

Genetically Modified Fruits

Homeopathy - My Favorite

I can't tell you the number of times our family has been helped by using homeopathic products. There have been many times that doctors have not been able to help us. We then turn to homeopathic products and find relief. Their poison ivy remedy is my favorite. It works every time!

If you're not familiar with homeopathic remedies, basically Homeopathy is the second most widely used system of medicine in the world. It is very safe and natural to the point that even babies and pregnant women can take it. abchomeopathy.com is a great site to get more info.

Here's a great article that tells about a homeopathic pepper spray that has been effective in treating the symptoms of hay fever. I've never had it but I can sympathize with those that do.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE51G5GQ20090217?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Genetically Modified Fruits?

GM or GMO is the abbreviation for genetically modified foods. The practice started in the 1990s and has drawn national media attention. It's good for the growers but not necessarily good for the eaters :)

If you have heard of this and want to avoid them but don't know how, you can find out by reading this article - http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/supermarket-numbers-game - If you don't want to read the article, basically you just have to read those little stickers they put on your fruit.

If there is a 4 digit number on the sticker, then the fruit is conventionally grown. If there is a 5 digit number beginning with 9 on the sticker, then the fruit is organic. If there is a 6 digit number beginning with 8, that means that the fruit is GM or genetically modified.

How Big Are Your Plates?

Here's an idea I heard about that makes a lot of sense. Are your plates bigger than they used to be? Many of the holiday and seasonal plates that we usually get for special occasions are often bigger than our regular plates. Why is this? Maybe we need bigger plates because we eat more during the holiday season.

I think about the size of McDonald's meals when I was a kid. Many people tell me that a "large" soft drink back then is now called "medium". "Large" fries today were called "extra large" 20 years ago.

We all know that we probably eat more than we need to eat. Some propose that controlling your portions can be done with smaller plates. The key is to trick your brain.

Try eating using a big plate or platter. Put on the same amount of food you eat every day. See if you're not tempted to eat more because your plate is not filled. Then try using a smaller plate and see if you can feel full filling a smaller plate.

Help your brain communicate with your stomach by getting a smaller plate and getting satisfied on less. I'm amazed at how little my girls eat. When they are full, they stop eating. I notice that after I have done a couple of cleanse days I am much more able to tell when I am full. My body is more sensitive to what full feels like. It's just an easy idea that I thought I would pass on to you too.

New 14 Day EZ Cleanse Program

I've attached a pdf file with this email that explains a new way of cleansing. There are NO cleanse days. The cleansing is done overnight. This might also help those with stubborn weight loss issues too. You can read it over if you like and let me know if you have any questions.

Eat More Often - Engage Your Metabolism and Much More

I look over many diet, exercise and health books each month comparing them all to Isa. Although I don't usually find anything that works better than Isa, I have found a book that compliments it pretty well. The book is called The 3-Hour Diet written by Jorge Cruise.

The basic premise is to eat every 3 hours during the day to help your metabolism work the most efficiently to help you burn off fat and calories.

He talks about how bad low carb diets are for our metabolism and how they even make us gain weight. This book is a complete guide on how to use his system to the help you increase your basal metabolic rate, increase energy levels, lower cholesterol, reduce the hormone cortisol, and suppress your appetite naturally. There are plenty of testimonials, a 30 day guide, and some great motivational quotes.

If you can't do Isa as often as you like or want to use this between cleanses, I think this is a valid system - and I don't say that very often! You can get the book here - 3-Hour Diet.

Organic Food on the Rise

Organic Food On The Rise Around the World -

Did you know that the sale of organic food in Ireland has increased by 82 per cent in the last two years http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicveg/news/story.php?id=1591

Organic food could be cheaper than regular food in the next few years. Although this is a British article, it makes the point that with rising oil prices, the cost of producing food could be more expensive than organic. Organic growers require less energy. Even Prince Charles has an organic farm at one of his estates.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2668489/Organic-food-to-be-cheaper-than-other-produce.html

The number of organic producers in the country of Turkey have increased by nearly 500% in just 4 years. Turkey supplies many European countries with produce. http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicveg/news/story.php?id=1607

I wonder if this trend will move across the ocean?

Honey better than antibiotics?

Science Daily recently reported that there was a study done in Canada that "in eleven isolates of three separate biofilms honey was significantly more effective in killing both planktonic and biofilm-grown forms of the bacteria, compared with the rate of bactericide by antibiotics commonly used against the bacteria."

They were testing to help find relief for those suffering from chronic sinusitus. This disease plagues more than 31 million people each year.

Honey is used in other cultures to treat bad wound infections, so they were investigating the use of honey for this condition. Who knows. In the future we may be taking honey to treat infections instead of antibiotics....

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923091335.htm

Accupuncture more helpful than drugs?

In a recent study, accupuncture treatment was actually found to be "just as effective as Effexor, also called venlafaxine, in managing symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats, according to researchers led by Dr. Eleanor Walker of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

After 12 weeks of treatment, symptoms were reduced for 15 additional weeks for women who had undergone acupuncture, compared with two weeks for those who had taken Effexor, Walker said."

While accupuncture causes no side effects, the drug Effexor has quite a list of side affects as with many drugs.You also would only have to have a treatment 3-4 times a year instead of taking a pill every day.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN2228263220080922?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

How much chocolate should you eat?

As much as possible, right? Well, not exactly. This article mentions that people that eat 6.7 grams of dark chocolate per week (about 1/2 a bar) have these results: "Our results have been absolutely encouraging: people having moderate amounts of dark chocolate regularly have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood. In other words, their inflammatory state is considerably reduced. The 17% average reduction observed may appear quite small, but it is enough to decrease the risk of cardio-vascular disease for one third in women and one fourth in men. It is undoubtedly a remarkable outcome".

They go on to say that milk chocolate and white chocolate do not qualify. They do not have any of the health benefits of dark chocolate.

You know it works....

Almost anyone who has done either a 9 or 30 day Isa cleanse knows that it works. There are SO many programs out there that people use to try to lose weight. Cleansing gets to the source of the weight issue and provides the health benefit as an added bonus. Many people have more of a desire to eat healthy foods after a cleanse time because their bodies received the nutrients they needed and got back on track.

Is it time to jump start your health and weight loss goals? You can still eat well and exercise like you planned to do in your New Year's resolutions, but cleansing will make those goals even easier to achieve.

Concerned about the economy and don't think you can afford cleansing? You can just cleanse for 2 days if you like which would require just a bottle of cleanse drink and a bottle of snack wafers.

Let me know if you want to get the wholesale cost through my account. Otherwise you can order retail at this website www.greatfit.isagenix.com

20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributed to Being Overweight

Unfortunately this list is pretty depressing. More motivation for Americans to take charge of their weight and, in turn, take charge of their health.


http://www.food-intolerance.ca/14/20-diseases-and-conditions-directly-attributed-to-being-overweight/en/

More local produce at your grocery store....

Supermarkets are selling more local produce - Here's an encouraging article that talks about how many grocery store chains are switching to purchasing more local produce. I don't know if they gas prices have caused this or not, but I think it's certainly a great idea.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/dining/06local.html?_r=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin