Fitness And Health

Archive for December, 2008

Vitamin D: Can You Get Enough?

By James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN

Looking back at 2008, I vote for vitamin D as the biggest nutrition news of the year. We all knew vitamin D was needed for optimal bone formation and maintenance, but I don’t think anyone really appreciated its full importance for our health. From cancer to heart disease prevention to protection against autoimmunity¹, vitamin D may very well be the most important nutrient to get enough of.

With all the new information on its disease-preventing benefits, many researchers suggest that the Daily Recommended Intake (DRI) for vitamin D should be raised from 400 IUs to a minimum of 1000 IUs.² And further studies have found that toxicity is really a non-issue.7 So, no longer are we disputing that the DRI is far too low. Instead, the focus has turned to making sure you are getting enough.

Most of us know that vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the body. Sun exposure is the catalyst that makes this happen. When sun hits the body, cholesterol in the skin is converted to vitamin D. To get enough vitamin D, we are told that we need from 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 AM and 3 PM at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back — without sunscreen.³ But that’s only if you live below the 42° latitude marker. (In the US, that line runs from Northern California to Boston.)

But even that may not be enough. In my practice I have noticed that many of our patients, even those who live in sunny climates like Florida and get plenty of sun, still have low serum vitamin D levels when we test them. A new study out of the University of Wisconsin found similar results; when they tested young adults who live in Hawaii and were getting plenty of sun exposure, 51% came back with low serum levels.⁴

If you don’t have accessibility to sunlight year-round or even if you do, what should you do?

Those living in Japan may have one answer. Even though they have limited exposure to sunlight, their cancer incidence is quite low due to a diet high in fatty fish — a good source of vitamin D.⁵ Individuals living in Sweden may have an even better solution. A study of middle-aged and elderly Swedish women found that those who took vitamin D supplements and ate 2 to 3 servings of fatty fish per week increased their vitamin D stores by 45%! ⁶

Cod liver oil is the best source of vitamin D, but other oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines are good options too.³ (Fortified dairy is also a source, but would not be acceptable for those of you who have chosen to remove dairy from your diet.)

(Source: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp#h3).

Of course anytime fish consumption is recommended, there is always the mercury concern. Although that is a concern, studies still show that a couple of servings of fish per week seem to have more benefits than risks.

In the end, I believe we will find that we need both sunlight and dietary sources to hit every nuance of optimal vitamin D intake, because that’s the cycle found in nature — sun in combination with fish. So when it comes to having optimal vitamin D stores, get some sunlight when you can. However, monitor blood levels and if they are not at least 25 ng/mL or above, eat fatty fish or cod liver oil in combination with vitamin D3 supplements to keep your levels high enough. If you don’t like fish, use supplements alone. Just be sure you are getting enough!

References

1. Hayes CE, et al. Cellular and Molecular Biology. 2003; 49(2): 277-300.
2. Grant WB and Holick MF. Altern Med Rev. 2005 Jun;10(2):94-111.
3. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp#h3
4. Binkley N, et al. J Clin Endocrin and Metab. 92(6): 2130-2135.
5. Nakamura K. Nutrition. 18(5):415-16.
6. Burgaz A, et al. Am of Clin Nutr. 2007 Nov 86(5):1399-404.
7. Vieth R. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69:842-856.

[Ed. Note: James LaValle is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country. Dr. LaValle is the author of The Metabolic Code Diet: Unleashing the Power of Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss and Vitality and the Executive Editor of THB's The Healing Prescription. Let 2009 be the year to unleash the power of your metabolism. To sign up for "free" access to this exclusive, insider teleconference with Dr. LaValle, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com

Technorati Tags: autoimmunity, vitamin d

We’ve had several posts on affirmations and subliminals:

Subliminals

Affirmations

The topic is an important one, it’s time for another dose:

“I am, therefore I exist,” is a phrase affirming one’s existence as a being. It may be a simple phrase, but it says everything about the being saying them. It indicates a confidence not commonly found among other beings.

But why do people need affirmation? Why do beings need to be affirmed? Is existence relative to one’s affirmation?

Affirmation is a very powerful technique to empower one’s subconscious. Once the subconscious is disciplined to believe one’s affirmation, the latter is converted into a positive action for the conscious mind. Through affirmation, beings are empowered to do, to work, and to strive for more things. Affirmation allows people to believe in themselves and to put their thoughts into action.

Affirmation is a combination of verbal and visual techniques of a preferred state of mind of a person. Strong affirmations can be very powerful, and can be used by almost anyone to achieve his goals and fulfill his desires. However, the power of an affirmation depends on how strong or weak an affirmation is.

Affirmation is merely an assertion made by a person, about something or about a state of being. A person can affirm those that he chooses to attain, like “I now have a good life.” Being healthy in mind, body, and spirit can also be made possible through affirmation.

A strong affirmation should be stated in the present tense to be more effective. An affirmation of “I am now a happy being” is more effective than an affirmation saying, “I am going to become a happy being.” Affirmation should always be in positive terms because it is supposed to work for you and not against you. Instead of saying, “I am not sad,” why not make an affirmation saying, “I am happy.”

An affirmation should be made up of simple but concise words, and it should be short to be more effective. A very long affirmation can work the other way around, instead of creating a positive mindset for a person. A short affirmation can be easily spoken and repeated by a person. It can serve as a mantra that can be repeated over and over again.

To be effective, an affirmation must be repeated. Repetition works and influences the subconscious, which in turn motivates the person into acting out his affirmation. A person who creates the affirmation should be deeply involved with the words he will be using, so he will be able to actualize his affirmation. Writing words that one believes in can be very powerful, and this can be put to good use when creating an affirmation.

However, creating an affirmation alone and repeating them a million times would not make the affirmation a state of mind. The important thing is to live one’s affirmation and to be open-minded enough to do the things that would help the affirmation become a reality. Feeling the affirmation and applying it in one’s life will help in making the affirmation a reality.

While affirmation is generally used to make an individual better, it can also be used to boost or confirm another person’s value. By affirming another person‘s existence, you are helping him improve his self-worth.

Affirmation is a very simple thing that can make a very big difference in a person‘s life. It can be a great motivator and can make things happen.

We’ve had several posts on affirmations and related topics like subliminals:

Subliminals

Affirmations

Technorati Tags: Add new tag, affirmation, Positive Thinking

By James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN

Did it ever occur to you that the reason you can’t lose weight may be due to the fact that you are eating foods that you’re allergic to? This is a revelation to many people who have struggled unsuccessfully for years to get rid of unwanted pounds.

The prevalence of food allergies is on the rise in both children and adults.^1-2 Allergies can be responsible for a number of health issues including irritable bowel type symptoms³ and migraines.⁴ Very few people are aware however, that immune responses to foods can go on to create a number of metabolic disruptions that can contribute to weight gain.

At LMI where we counsel people to lose weight using our Metabolic Code Diet (MCD) eating program, we see this all the time. We had one patient in our diet group who had tried a very low carb diet in the past, and lost no weight. The reason? She was sensitive to dairy and didn’t know it. On her previous diet, she was eating a lot of cheese. On the MCD, which is a lower carb, low allergen eating plan, she cut out the cow’s milk cheeses and dairy products, ate according to our meal recommendations, and the weight started coming off.

There are several ways common dietary allergens can keep weight on you. When the body is having an immune reactivity to food, it can cause increased stress hormone production. Increased cortisol in particular can contribute to insulin resistance — and that reduces your body’s ability to process the glucose from foods high in carbs. And the increased insulin keeps you from being able to burn fat.

Increased cortisol can also go on to inhibit the body’s ability to convert your primary thyroid hormone, T4, to the active form, T3. Without enough active T3, it is very difficult to lose weight. If you have developed an immune response (an allergy) to certain foods, it can also go on to cause autoimmune antibodies which can attack any tissue in the body, including thyroid tissue. Autoimmune attacks on the thyroid cause one of the most common forms of low thyroid, called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

So, in a roundabout way, food sensitivities can slow metabolism and cause weight gain. By decreasing your consumption of any foods to which you might be sensitive, you may potentially improve insulin sensitivity, lower glucose, and promote better thyroid hormone production.

There are seven foods responsible for almost all food allergies — peanuts, other tree nuts like walnuts, fish/shellfish, soybeans, eggs, wheat and cow’s milk. The only two foods we limit initially on the MCD eating program are wheat and cow’s milk dairy. Why? Through years of clinical practice, we have found that wheat and dairy are usually the most problematic. So, we eliminate cow’s milk products and wheat, and anything made from them.

This part of the MCD eating plan can be a challenge at first for many people. Western diets are so centered around wheat and dairy there is almost no red-blooded American who doesn’t eat at least some wheat and dairy every day. But you would be surprised at the variety of breads, crackers, and chips that are available wheat-free. (You just need to be careful to eat them within your limited carbohydrate portions.) You can even find a wide array of goat and sheep’s milk dairy products in most supermarkets and health food stores. What most people find is that they may miss a few of the eliminated foods at first, but their quality of life improves so much, that eventually they don’t miss them at all.

We estimate that food allergies contribute to weight gain in at least 30% of our patients who come to us for weight loss. Of those, the vast majority doesn’t have to go any further than eliminating wheat and dairy to jump start their weight loss.

The Metabolic Code Diet is a sensible eating plan that you can follow for the rest of your life and never feel deprived or hungry. But most importantly, since it addresses all the potential causes of metabolic disruption, it’s an eating plan you can count on to get at the root causes of your weight gain, making it a better long-term solution for healthy weight loss and management.

References

1. http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/545808/
2. Kagan RS (February 2003). Environ. Health Perspect. 111; (2): 223–5.
3. Zar S, et al. (July 2005). Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 40 (7): 800–7.
4. Arroyave-Hernandez CM, et al. Rev Alerg Mex. 2007 Sept-Oct; 54(4):162-8.

[Ed. Note: James LaValle is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country. Dr. LaValle is the author of The Metabolic Code Diet: Unleashing the Power of Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss and Vitality and the Executive Editor of THB's The Healing Prescription. Let 2009 be the year to unleash the power of your metabolism. To sign up for "free" access to this exclusive, insider teleconference with Dr. LaValle, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Technorati Tags: autoimmune, food allergy, food sensitivities, low thyroid, slow metabolism, weight gain

By Craig Ballantyne

There are seven common “facts” about boosting metabolism, burning calories and losing weight. Some are true. Some are not. Today, I will tell you which to believe and which to avoid—and where to save your money.

Your metabolism is the engine that runs your fat-burning machine. More specifically, it’s the rate at which you burn calories every day. Children have a much faster metabolism while they grow, but a person’s metabolic rate declines with age, and even more so in sedentary individuals. If your metabolism has slowed with age, you’ll find it much more difficult to burn body fat with your workouts and diet.

There has recently become a large, lucrative industry in boosting your metabolism. All sorts of powders, potions, pills, drinks and secret techniques have been promoted to raise your metabolic rate and help you burn fat. The trouble is, very few of these metabolism boosters actually work.

The good news is that you can increase your metabolism through exercise and fat-burning nutrition. Of course, that shouldn’t surprise you. Staying active, building muscle and eating the right foods in the right amounts help you keep your metabolism stoked.

I’ve examined the claims about seven popular metabolism boosters, from exercise to nutrition, to show you which ones work and which ones aren’t worth trying.

1. Strength training.

Claim: Boosts metabolism up to 10 percent after a training program.

Is it true? Yes.

And a recent study from the prestigious Journal of Applied Physiology showed strength training also doubled post-exercise fat burning. Any “expert” who says strength training doesn’t burn fat is living in the 1970’s. Strength training MUST be a part of your fat-blasting workout routine.

Focus on multi-muscle exercises, such as squats, pushups, rowing and standing single-leg exercises such as lunges. Strength-train three days per week, taking a day off between workouts. Do total body workouts each day, picking one lower body exercise, one upper body pushing exercise and one upper body pulling exercise to complete your workout.

2. Eating breakfast.

Claim: Breakfast boosts metabolism because it breaks your overnight fast.

Is it true? This is a tough one to prove.

However, research clearly shows that eating breakfast is associated with successful weight loss. So make it a habit to consume some protein, fiber and fruit (and even vegetables) at this time. This will keep your appetite in check till your next meal.

An omelet made of omega-3-enriched eggs, along with broccoli, mushrooms and peppers, is a high-fiber, high-protein breakfast that helps you get a lot closer to your recommended intake of vegetables for the day.

3. Green tea.

Claim: Burns an extra 80 calories per day

Is it true? Yes and no.

It has been shown to burn 80 calories per day in young men on the first day of supplementation. But will this effect last once your body gets used to it? I don’t think so.

After all, take a look at caffeine. You can find studies that show it increases metabolism as well. But really, is anyone losing fat with caffeine? The revolving doors at Starbucks say “No!”

Coffee is okay in moderate doses, and I recommend green tea to everyone for health reasons. But don’t expect rapid fat loss from green tea or green tea supplements. The only way you will lose fat with green tea is if you replace a 300-calorie Frappucino with an iced, unsweetened green tea.

4. Fat-burner pills.

Claim: Boost your metabolism big time!

Is it true? See the above comments on caffeine and green tea.

Most fat burners are simply caffeine pills with a few other ingredients thrown in. You’ll get an increase in mental energy, but that doesn’t mean it will boost metabolism or burn fat. So it doesn’t matter if the pills contain green tea extract, caffeine, CLA, Hoodia or any other “miracle ingredient.” Research hasn’t proven the effectiveness of these pills. Avoid them, and avoid the potential crash and burn from high caffeine pills.

5. Ice-cold water with lemon juice.

Claim: The body will burn calories warming up the water and the lemon juice also burns more fat.

Is it true? Nice in theory, short in practice.

Nobody is losing fat with ice-cold water. If it sounds too good to be true … you know the rest of the story.

6. Eating six small meals per day.

Claim: Boosts metabolism and can help control cholesterol.

Is it true? Yes.

And it’s simple and effective. Try to split your meals up into smaller meals that can be eaten over the course of the day. Start the day with breakfast and then snack every three to four hours until your day is done. Avoid buffets or gorging at any specific meal. You’ll have a steady state of mental alertness and your body will be a fat-burning machine.

7. Interval training.

Claim: Interval training causes a greater increase in post-exercise metabolism than regular cardio.

Is it true? Yes.

Interval training is simply a short bout of hard exercise followed by a short bout of easy exercise. This process is repeated about six times per workout (following a warm-up and preceding a cool-down). For example, you might speed walk (or run) for one minute and then walk at a slow pace for one minute.

A recent study from Australia found that an interval program led to more weight loss than a long, slow cardio training program. Other research has shown interval training results in greater fat burning during recovery from exercise. So while long, slow cardio training stops burning calories as soon as you step off the treadmill, interval training keeps your metabolism going and going and going.

Bottom line: Hard work and proper nutrition burn more calories and help you lose fat. On the other hand, magic pills and potions just don’t work.

But that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

[Ed. Note: Craig Ballantyne is an expert consultant for Men's Health magazine. If you're looking to burn fat, build muscle and quickly step into the body you have always wanted with just three workouts each week, check out Craig's fat-loss system, Turbulence Training for Fat Loss.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Technorati Tags: boost your metabolism, build muscle, burn body fat, burn calories, burn fat, loose weight

By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

Raise your champagne flute, and clink, Cheers! It is the time of year to celebrate, and most likely your holiday festivities will include alcohol. The holidays are the time for gaiety and celebration. So enjoy!

However, once the holidays are over and we are all settling back into our routine, it’s important to remember — when it comes to alcohol, moderation is the key. For men, consuming alcohol in moderation can aid in relaxation and seems to lower heart disease risk without raising other risks. As you read in Jim’s article though, women need to be much more careful and drink no more than 1 drink per day to avoid any health risks.

We aren’t exactly sure why women may be at more risk from alcohol, but it may have something to do with the nutritional demands put on our bodies by childbirth and the nutrient-depleting effects of birth control. You see, in men or women, alcohol depletes several nutrients including vitamins A, B3 (niacin), B1 (thiamine), and folate along with the minerals iron, magnesium, and zinc. Alcohol also affects our processing of essential fatty acids, needed for healthy cellular metabolism.¹

In fact, nutrient depletions are responsible for many of the side effects of drinking in alcoholics. Vitamin B1 deficiency leads to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which is characterized by confusion and impaired memory. Magnesium deficiency is one of the causes of tremors seen in alcoholics in need of a drink.

So, saluting too often with too many drinks can have a negative impact on your nutritional status by depleting essential vitamins and minerals. But this is especially true for anyone who may have compromised nutritional status to begin with, like women who are on birth control and may already be deficient in B vitamins including folate, vitamin C, selenium, zinc, CoQ10, and tyrosine, due to the nutrient depleting effects of taking female horomones.²

Because we have so many other factors today that increase our need for nutrients such as chronic stress, nutritionally depleted foods in our food supply, and toxicity of our environment, even moderate drinkers are well advised to eat plenty of nutrient dense, high antioxidant foods like organic vegetables and healthy lean proteins to make sure they are taking in all the nutrients affected by alcohol.

In fact, just to be sure, it’s probably a good idea to take a multivitamin and mineral as well, and this is especially important advice for women who use birth control pills.

References

1. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/drugs-deplete-000711.htm
2. Pelton, R and LaValle, JB, The Nutritional Cost of Prescription Drugs, Morton Publishing, 2006.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention. To learn more, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Technorati Tags: alcoholic, multi-vitamin, side effects of drinking

By James LaValle, R.Ph, ND, CCN

It’s always encouraging to hear that something you enjoy, such as a food or beverage, has exceptional nutritional value or prevents a disease.

Recently, red wine and even alcohol, in general, have been headlines because moderate amounts of alcohol seem to be protective against heart disease.  Alcohol decreases the stickiness of blood cells so they’re less likely to form a clot, and it prevents constriction of coronary arteries; both are scenarios that may lead to a heart attack.¹

Researchers are trying sort out whether the benefits come from the alcohol itself or from other substances – like resveratrol in red wine.  To me it’s pretty clear that flavonoids like resveratrol have tremendous benefits.

But the point is, the research clearly shows moderate drinkers have less risk of death from heart disease than people who don’t drink at all.  The research has been so strong that some experts think the leap should be made to recommend moderate drinking to everyone as a way to reduce heart disease risk.²

This is great news for those of us who enjoy our glass of red wine with dinner, but remember, when you see these types of headlines, there’s almost always more to the story.  For instance, heavy drinkers have an increased risk of death from heart disease.^3-4

So, in regards to alcohol actually being “good for you” – some researchers are saying, “Not so fast.”  Aside from concerns about who might go on to develop drinking problems (since alcohol can be highly addictive for some people), there are other concerns.

One concern is that alcohol may increase cancer risk. Alcohol is most strongly linked to cancers of the esophagus, the mouth, the pharynx, and the larynx, though admittedly this is with heavier consumption.¹ However, alcohol consumption has also been linked to increased colon and breast cancer risk.^1,5,6

Another caution – women are more vulnerable to the negative effects of alcohol.  A brand new study showed that alcohol, even in the moderate intakes that reduce risk of mortality from heart disease, shrinks the brain. You heard right!  We all lose some brains cells as we age, to the tune of about 2% of our brain volume per decade, but women who drink even lightly or moderately lose more than non-drinkers. For men, only heavy drinking contributed to higher brain shrinkage.⁷ So women need to be especially cautious with their alcohol intake, but men can be affected if their intake gets too high.

If the average person knew more about the byproducts of alcohol metabolism, I think they would agree that we should “proceed with caution” when we drink.

Remember, alcohol, also known as “ethanol,” is a drug that must be metabolized by enzymes in our liver.  It puts a big burden on the body and depletes several nutrients in the process. The breakdown byproducts of alcohol are acetaldehyde and methanol.

Methanol breaks down to formaldehyde.  Acetaldehyde and formaldehyde are both known carcinogens.  Formaldehyde damages DNA.  Acetaldehyde binds to thiamin, inactivating it and destroying folate.  It also lowers cellular energy production and interferes with neurotransmitters. And it is known that alcohol enhances the effects of other carcinogens in the body.

I find it’s a person’s base level of health that may make them more prone to the negative effects of alcohol. For example, acetaldehyde can be formed internally by yeast organisms in the gut.  So anyone who has known yeast infection problems (fungal nails, chronic sinus infections, or vaginal yeast infections) will be more prone to the negative effects of alcohol because their body already has a lot of acetaldehyde to deal with, without giving it more from drinking.

Remarkably, the body still has a tremendous capacity to handle alcohol, especially if you have good base health and good nutritional intake.

Since most (though not all) of the negative effects of alcohol occur with heavier drinking, what is the bottom line?  Make sure you keep your drinking at the moderate level and you have good overall health and nutrition habits to support efficient alcohol metabolism.

Men generally can easily handle two drinks per day.  Women however need to be careful, and make sure not to exceed one drink per day to avoid all negative effects. (One drink = 5 oz wine, 12 oz beer, or 1 1/2 oz hard liquor.)

References

1. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa45.htm
2. Goldberg DM, et al. Clin Biochem. 32(7): 505-518.
3. Archives of Internal Medicine.  24th July 2006 Volume 166 pages 1490-1497.
4. Elsevier Health Sciences (2008, March 10). Moderate Alcohol Consumption In Middle Age Can Lower Cardiac Risk, Study Shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 8, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com- /releases/2008/03/080307073045.htm
5. http://www.dslrf.org/breastcancer/content.asp?CATID=60&L2=2&L3=
   8&L4=0&PID=&sid=132&cid=596
6. Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ, et al.  AJCH 83 (4) 895-904.
7. Arch Neurol. 2008;65(10):1278-1280.

[Ed. Note: James LaValle is the founding Director of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, one of the largest integrative medicine practices in the country.  Dr. LaValle is the author of the bestselling book Cracking the Metabolic Code: 9 Keys to Optimal Health and is the Executive Editor of THB's The Healing Prescription.  To learn more, click here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Technorati Tags: flavonoids, heart disease risk, moderate drinking, red wine, resveratrol

By Craig Ballantyne

One of the biggest mistakes folks make with a weight-loss program is not recording their diet, their workouts, and their progress.

I absolutely demand that my clients record (1) their daily meals and calories, (2) their sets, reps, and weights from each workout, and (3) their weight and other body measurements.

If you do those three things, you will succeed. And for maximum success, you should be making yourself accountable to others by sharing this information with them.

I know that sounds painful, but if you want improvement, you have to lay it on the line. Soliciting social support, both online and offline in the “real world,” is a proven way to get help with your weight-loss efforts.

Just be careful who you share your progress with. You must share it only with people who are going to support you in a positive way.

[Ed. Note: Online support can be very helpful when it comes to reaching your weight-loss goals. Share your weight-loss struggles, diet and exercise techniques, and encouragement for free right here.

And for a topnotch fitness program that can help you burn fat and build muscle, check out Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training program right here.]

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Technorati Tags: weight loss

Technorati Tags: belly fat, cardiometabolic disease, Diabetes, heart disease, triglycerides

Dr. Andrew Weil is a leading proponent of alternative medicine for prevention and health maintenance while using traditional medicine for crisis conditions. Weil calls this integrative medicine. He was interviewed by Charlie Rose in March of 2000.

Weil believes that the focus on healing should be on the body’s own internal healing mechanisms and system. Nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction are emphasized in almost all of Weil’s health works.

Technorati Tags: alternative medicine, Andrew Weil, dr. weil, integrative medicine

Quick Description

Great Taste No Pain was made to make life better.  With more than 1 out of 3 adults in the US (70 million) taking OTC or prescription pills for digestive disorders and the pain associated with them, as a nation, we have serious health problems. And we’re spreading our problems around the world.

What most people are frustrated with is that even if they eat how most health professionals consider to be healthy, a large percentage of people STILL experience digestive problems. And so most people resort to drugs, surgery or eating bland foods. Or they just continue to suffer.

That’s why the Great Taste No Pain System was developed — to help slash some of the $42 billion dollars spent on those pills in the US alone.

This simple eating system is designed to dramatically reduce the acid pH measure in a person’s entire body — not just in the stomach. It does so by increasing the ratio of alkaline forming foods eaten and by showing you how to combine foods in a way that radically decreases the amount of acid digestive juices in the stomach and small intestines required to break down foods. With me so far? Hope so, because this is important stuff.

One of the primary components of the Great Taste No Pain System is the science of food combining, which was first introduced into the US in 1911 by Dr. William Hay, a New York surgeon who used it to cure his Bright’s Disease, a kidney disease which was often fatal at that time. In fact, among the many thousands of lives it claimed was Teddy Roosevelt’s first wife, who died of Bright’s Disease at just 22 years of age.

A basic knowledge of Junior High chemistry is all it takes to see the logic behind this science: Mixing foods that require alkaline digestive enzymes with foods that require acid digestive enzymes slows and can even stop the digestive process. It can and does delay digestion by as much as 10 hours and more. This is incredibly bad for the body. The Great Taste No Pain system alleviates this problem, speeding food through your body, allowing it to absorb nutrients from foods at a much higher level.

In addition, one of the manuals in the Great Taste No Pain system, ‘Foods That Create Acid, Foods That Take It Away,’ is as clear as I’ve ever seen this data presented. Follow this simple guide and your body will use a minimum of energy in the digestion process, which leaves more energy for healing and other daily functions your body carries out.

This is a timely set of guides, because with our society’s addiction to the convenience of processed foods, in many respects our health challenges are far worse than they were in 1911.

Great Taste No Pain author, Sherry Brescia, was a former Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) sufferer herself. In fact, in 1991, she spent 7 days in the hospital with bacterial colitis.

As a health insurance researcher and Chief Underwriter, she was able to research the benefits of an alkaline- balanced body and over the next 15 years perfected the system she now calls Great Taste No Pain.

She meshed a number of philosophies proven to help alkalize the body to create this simple system that anyone can follow regardless of where they are or what food choices they have available to them.

What I Like:

Taste: Unlike most restrictive diets, Great Taste No Pain cannot actually be called a diet, because it allows you to eat even great volumes of luscious, delicious food as long as you combine it according to a few simple guidelines. It truly requires very little willpower. Perhaps the greatest news for people who love to eat is that the 176 page recipe book in the system is stuffed with breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks that are unbelievably tasty. No rabbit food. Gourmet all the way, yet the meals (if you like to cook) only take between 15 and 30 minutes of prep time and make tons of yummy leftovers. So you can throw away the belief that you can’t eat healthy on a super-busy schedule.

Speed: I love that you don’t have to read 300+ pages before learning what to do. In the first guide, ‘How To End Stomach Pain Forever, Even If Your MD says, “No Way,”‘ it provides a brief background on the science and then quickly moves onto the step-by-step ‘how to.’ I really love that.

Simplicity: The second Guide in the GTNP System is ‘What To Eat With What.’ This is a massive compilation. Every kind of food that you could possibly put in your mouth is listed, along with the corresponding foods that combine with it for easy comfortable digestion, and those foods that don’t. This guide is so complete and so easy to follow, if you screw this up, it’s back to pre-school for you.

More Simplicity: Traveling is the one thing that can ruin even the healthiest eaters. But in Great Taste No Pain, Sherry gives you a ‘Pocket Guide For Pain-Free Dining Out.’ This tool is phenomenal. You can store this little baby with your credit cards and, until you understand what combines with what, all you have to do is pull out your pocket guide and quickly note the rule, so you can eat and
enjoy the rest of your day, pain-free.

Would you believe that you could eat McDonald’s food and not suffer gassiness and reflux? Now you can!

Meat: While meat is not something people with digestive issues usually tolerate well on a daily basis (hence the daily pain), the problem isn’t so much the meat as it is what you eat with the meat.

That is why each of the Guides in the Great Taste No Pain system, including the recipe book, lists every possible food you can combine with meats without suffering. Most people will suddenly be able to eat beef, chicken, fish, pork, turkey, venison and any other type of meat they want. As long as you combine it right… no pain at all! And broccoli, lettuce, cucumbers and other veggies that can create havoc suddenly will not. That I love.

Fruit: Ask anyone that suffers stomach problems about fruit and you’ll hear horror stories. So sadly, the most perfect food on the planet is shunned by a huge part of our world’s population. No longer. Because you will soon learn why fruit causes you trouble and how to easily change that. You CAN eat fruit again, even if it now makes you turn blue! It’s true!

While each Guide in the system is detailed and complete, they are “dumbed down” in the clearest language possible. So I don’t doubt Sherry’s claim that any 11 year old could teach it. This I really love.

Things To Watch For:

The one thing you want to be careful of is that once you start eating as prescribed in Great Taste No Pain, you could quickly begin to feel all powerful. You might start to think you are “cured” of your digestive problems since they went away so fast and since you have so much extra energy.

That would be a mistake.

Because technically there is no “cure” for most digestive problem, because technically they are not diseases at all. They are maladies brought on by eating the wrong foods and by eating them in the wrong combinations. So the principles in Great Taste No Pain is not a “cure,” since people with sensitive stomachs will always be sensitive. GTNP is merely a way to make all symptoms go away forever and give you a lot more energy.

For example, let’s say you’ve got it bad and have Diverticulitis or Crohn’s. Great Taste No Pain can help you get rid of your symptoms very quickly.

But a year later, if you start eating like you used to, guess what? Yep, the symptoms will come back. You see, the principles that Great Taste No Pain is based on are sound. They work for everyone. But if you think that because you’ve been symptom-free for a long time, you’ve been “cured,” think again. Go against these principles of easy digestion, and the problem can come back with a vengeance. Remember, good health comes from living a healthy lifestyle, not a”do it once and you’re fixed” approach.

Another thing you might want to be prepared for is that since Great Taste No Pain cleanses your digestive tract, initially you could get a little diarrhea. If you experience constipation on a fairly regular basis, you might get a little “looseness” at first, but it will end soon.

Also, due to the detoxing going on, you might get a runny nose or get some other cold-like symptoms at first. It’s nothing to worry about. If you do, while it might not be fun, it does mean it’s working. It means your body is becoming purer and the toxins are leaving. And that is a very good thing.

Conclusion:

Anyone who wants more energy, sounder and longer sleep, migraine headaches to stop almost immediately, pain from gastritis and acid reflux to stop almost instantly, and the pain of digestive problems to stop or be reduced dramatically, get over to Great Taste now and get the whole system. You will be thrilled.

And frankly, it won’t take a full day for most people to feel a major difference in their bodies. Often it just takes one meal. After you have been following it for a week or more, feel free to let me know how you like it. I personally believe that anyone who adopts this simple, enjoyable food combining method will reap gigantic health benefits. So if that is what you are looking for, get over to Great Taste and get started today.

Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate

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