Why can't we eat red meat?

I can't tell you how many times I hear about people eating a "healthy" diet of fish and chicken because their doctor told them to stay away from red meat. Perhaps you've heard that red meat clogs your arteries and causes heart disease. I am here to tell you that none of those things are true. Saturated fat does not cause heart disease and in fact is good for you. Cholesterol is also good for you and doesn't cause heart disease. Heard of Omega 3 fatty acids? Many of you probably take fish oil everyday well did you know that you can get Omega 3 from red meat?

The science of nutrition is one of the most wildly misunderstood sciences. The reason for this is that not many people can agree on some common ground to build a philosophy. Anthropology helps us to do that by looking at the dietary habits of hominids(human ancestors) throughout our evolution. They do this by studying the fossil record which consists of fossilized bones (jaw, teeth, hips, legs, feet, skull, etc.), and ancient tools, even fossilized food particles of plants and anything else that we may have eaten. So when you ask the question "where did this paleo diet come from" remember that it comes from the fossil record. Anyway I can revisit that some more in a later blog.

Lets talk about red meat...one of my favorites. Why has red meat been demonized so much? It is because of the myth that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease. I encourage everyone to read up on this subject at www.thincs.org The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics. Saturated fat is an ancient food. Hunter gatherer societies relied heavily on animal fat and protein as a food source along with what they could gather from local plant life. Plant life would have been seasonal and would have varied depending on where these people lived. Saturated fat is a denser fat that is why it's solid at room temperature versus unsaturated fat which is liquid at room temperature. Saturated fat contains stored vitamins such as vitamin D and vitamin A. These are called fat soluble vitamins. Healthy animals can be a great source of these vitamins. Saturated fat has a higher energy yield than vegetables or even unsaturated fat. Native Americans used to make an "energy" bar if you will called pemmican out of bits of meat and fat. It helps provide energy for longer periods of time. Nowadays sugar has become the staple energy source for most people, and I'm talking about grains. When you eat sugar your body's energy fluctuates a lot more. You get high peaks and low valleys and you get high spikes in insulin. This causes fat storage. Did you know that fat can't be stored directly as fat but sugar can? When you rely on a low sugar diet and high protein and fat your body can "switch" over to utilizing fat more for energy because our bodies become more efficient when we eat less sugar. Our insulin levels are lower and we will be leaner.

I still haven't really answered my own question about red meat. Grain-fed cattle are incredibly unhealthy. They live in unsanitary conditions which can spread to you. They are fed mostly corn and soy which causes high acidity in their gut. This leaves them susceptible to infection (this is why you always here about antibiotics). Anytime antibiotics are over used bacteria can develop resistance to them. Imagine that...over use of antibiotics in cows causing a problem in humans. Those unsanitary conditions and higher rate of bacterial growth leads to guess what? E. Coli which is what you hear about on the news when they do a recall. Ever heard of a recall from an organic farm? I never have. Those Grain-fed cattle spend their short lives pent up in close quarters which means no sunlight for them which means very low vitamin D and A. So kiss those fat soluble vitamins good bye. You're eating their sickness...can you imagine if a mother breastfed her child after drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, or even taking a prescription drug? She would be passing those toxins to her baby. Well it is similar when you eat a sick animal you take in their sickness. That causes inflammation and that is our problem.

Inflammation can be linked to many diseases. Inflammation means your body is attacking something. From a visual sense it means you are red and swollen. Over long periods of time this does a lot of damage to the body including contributing to heart disease. Did you know that many meat eating animals develop arterial hardening as well but don't have heart attacks? This has never been studied it would be an interesting study. Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD discusses this in his book "Ignore the Awkward! How the Cholesterol Myths are Kept Alive".

Lets talk about the good stuff Grass-fed Beef. One of my favorite foods. I have a client who's cholesterol was at around 220 when he came to me. I told him to eat more fat and more red meat from Grass-fed animals. The result? In just a few weeks his cholesterol was down in the 180's. Eating healthy saturated fat actually makes you lose weight and drives down inflammation. Another anti-inflammatory is Omega 3 fatty acid which you also get from Grass-fed beef. Omega 3, 6, and 9 are meant to be present within a certain ratio in the human body. A high grain diet consists mostly of Omega 6 and 9 which is why you hear about supplementing with Omega 3's. What you don't hear is that Grass-fed beef has as much if not more Omega 3 than Salmon. What's even better is that Omega 3 to Omega 6 in grass-fed cows is almost 1:1 ratio...this is a healthy ratio! I have another client who wasn't fat necessarily but he had gained about 20 pounds from November up until January. He began an elimination diet consisting of only grass-fed beef and other game along with organic vegetables. Nothing else at all...He dropped 21 pounds in 6 weeks. Let me tell you he was shredded and didn't lose any of his strength. He was amazed at how great he felt!

Lastly, I'll touch on cholesterol. First off let me just note that LDL and HDL which mean "Low Density Lipoprotein" and "High Density Lipoprotein" are not cholesterol. They help to transport cholesterol and other fats in the blood. The commonly accepted idea is that high levels of LDL are bad for you. Why would the body make something that is bad for it? That's the obvious question before even looking at the function. Cholesterol has a wide range of uses in the body. It is very important in brain function and in hormone production. It is made in every cell in the body because it is necessary for proper cell membrane health. Cholesterol is vital in sex hormone production and some studies have shown it has anti-inflammatory abilities. It is an important precursor for synthesis of vitamin D. In the liver cholesterol is converted to bile which helps break down fats and in the absorption of those fat soluble vitamins I mentioned earlier (vitamin D, A, E, and K). About 20-25% of your cholesterol is produced in the liver. Dietary cholesterol does not affect the level of cholesterol in your body! If you eat a lot of it then your body makes less. If you don't eat a lot then your body makes more. Your body will make what it needs! So you see lowering cholesterol inhibits all of these functions which is why you see people that have taken statins for long periods of time losing their minds, losing muscle function, losing libido (enter viagra) and eliminating a powerful antioxidant that can help protect against heart disease! Anyway back to the red meat.

Eating Grass-fed beef, wild game, and free range organic chicken actually helps lower inflammation in the body. Eating the healthy fat helps you feel terrific because you are getting important vitamins and the fat that we need. So I say eat up on the Grass-fed red meat it tastes delicious and you'll feel better than you can imagine. Eating healthy doesn't mean you have to eat fish all of the time.

Protein

It has been a while since I last updated this blog. Quite frankly I like to write when I have something important to say, but I think its a good time to revisit some topics that I haven't talked about in a while. As most of you know, when I am starting with new clients nutrition is amongst the many things I must address in order to help my client start on a path to wellness and fitness. A few common things that have caught my attention:

1) People eat WAY TOO MANY grains! (this isn't really a new realization, but always deserves to be reiterated.)

2)Protein intake is very very low! I am almost shocked that many people eat 1 quality protein source a day if that! Protein is derived from the greek word proteios which means "primary" or "standing in front" - There is a reason for this protein is essential

3) Many people rarely eat any vegetables if they eat any at all! (I know I'm using a lot of exclamation points, but come on how can so many people eat so terribly and have no clue as to why they don't feel well and why they are sick)

4) This probably should be higher on the list even though the list isn't really numbered by priority they are all of equal importance - but - DRINK MORE WATER...wow this one is unbelievable. If you are reading this and you can't remember when the last time you drank water was (I have met people that can't remember!) then this is a major issue for you.

Ok, those are basic principles of a healthy diet (diet meaning the food you take in, not a temporary weight loss regiment). Water consumption should be YOUR weight divided in half in ounces. Lets take me for example - I weigh 182 lbs right now which means my water intake should be AT LEAST 91 ounces a day and since I get a lot of exercise it should be even more. Secondly, grains...I love this line...essential amino acids (check), essential fatty acids (check), essential sugars (???) there is no such thing. Grains are sugar which we just don't need we can get all the carbohydrates we need from vegetables. On top of that there are other health concerns with grains. Which brings me right to vegetables...Eat more vegetables! Vitamins, minerals, and a source of carbohydrates. No reason to be avoiding them...variety is key here too there are lots and lots of veggies so don't limit yourself to carrots and broccoli (its always funny to me that when "eat more vegetables" comes up people automatically go right to broccoli as the all encompassing vegetable). I love broccoli by the way.

Finally we get to the meat and....well just meat. Protein is a vital nutrient. Like it or not human beings need protein and the best place to get it is animal meat. More specifically, organic animal meat. Grass-fed beef, wild game like bison, wild boar, elk, rabbit, etc...you get the picture. These animals are meant to live outside, to graze on grass and be happy. When they are kept pent up in feed lots and fed grains like corn and soy they don't react well. Just like when humans don't eat right and get sick so too do animals. Grass-fed beef for instance is a very good source of omega-3 fats. Its also a good source of conjugated linoleic acid. Grass-fed beef (and wild game) are also better sources of vitamin D and vitamin A because guess what? They have more because of their healthy diet which in turn passes onto you when you eat it. This is a great example of the old saying "You are what you eat". When you eat a healthy animal...health is the result. When you eat a sick animal...sickness and disease is the result. Many of our diseases are related to improper diet. Cows get sick and require antibiotics to overcome inflammatory diseases from eating corn and soy. Sounds kind of familiar doesn't it? Humans are the same way. We rely on drugs now more than ever. Heart disease certainly isn't going away even though almost every man over 50 is on statin drugs. Diabetes and cancer are through the roof. As sad as it is to say I have heard so many cancer stories in the last few years from the people in my life. Eat healthy to be healthy.

Protein powder can be a useful post workout supplement and occasional drink when you are on the go. I don't recommend using protein powders as meal replacements though. It is always best to eat real food. When you do use a protein powder you should choose carefully. First, if you shop at GNC or Vitamin Shop throw them away you won't find a good protein powder at any of those stores. In fact I wager to say that 90% of protein powders are junk. Lets start with whey protein. Whey is derived from milk which they make from cows milk. Here lies one of the major problems...the majority of cows in the US are kept on feedlots, being fed grains (corn, soy), being given antibiotics and hormones...think of it like a mother breastfeeding her child. The mother passes on to her baby whatever it is she takes into herself (drugs and anything else). Secondly, many protein powders use corn products for sweeteners and emulsifiers. If your protein powder has corn in it in any form it isn't helping you but destroying you. Sugar in other forms like fructose should be kept to a minimum if at all. You don't need all of these sugars that are in everything! Stevia can be used as an acceptable substitue. Soy lecithin is used as an emulsifier with whey. Look for non-GMO soy lecithin. Look for grass-fed on the label. If it says grass-fed than it is truly organic. The FDA labeling organic just means that the cows could have been fed organic corn and soy, but this doesn't matter because corn and soy are NOT healthy so unless it says grass-fed it isn't truly organic. Make sure that the label says No RBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) as well because if it doesn't you can't assume it wasn't used. All of that being said you will have your work cut out for you because it is hard to find these. In California the grocery chain Sprouts carries a brand called bluebonnet that makes an organic grass-fed protein powder (the powder is fed grass...JUST KIDDING...it comes from grass-fed cows just to reiterate). US Wellness Meats carries a brand called Vital Whey that is from grass-fed cows. Both of these mix well with raw unpasteurized milk (not to be confused with regular milk!).

Salad Dressing: Low Calorie, Low Fat what's the Deal?

I was at the grocery store the other day picking up a few things. There wasn't much of a line...only 2 people in front of me. The woman checking out was buying low calorie and non-fat salad dressing along with her other things. As soon as I walked up I heard the cashier (who was fat) saying that its good there are no calories in this dressing because that means its ok to eat. You can imagine I had to restrain myself from jumping in and causing a scene (which I've done only to find out that sometimes people don't respond so well to that). Since I talked about energy drinks I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to talk about more marketing and product BS.

Is salad dressing ok? The answer is...it depends (I love this answer because so many questions are not specific enough for a direct answer). The "low calorie" or "low sugar" or "low fat" that this woman was buying is NOT ok. This will make you fat. Just because it says "no sugar" or "low calories" doesn't mean it doesn't contain something to make up the difference. So before I even talk about making your own dressings. Lets talk about this whole low calorie or no calorie idea. It starts with the sugar industry...they want to sell more of their products. Diet soda is a great example of this because a very large proportion of people choose to drink diet soda instead of regular soda in the hopes that they can enjoy sweet soda without the damage to their daily caloric intake. The problem is that your body doesn't always know the difference. When you taste something sweet your body assumes it needs to prepare for sugar so this triggers an insulin response. Insulin reacts with the sugar to create fatty acids to be delivered to the cells. This includes fat cells. When you have a high sugar diet you will get fat. When you eat or drink something that is sweet but doesn't have actual sugar this process can still occur because of the insulin response.

Another problem with any pre-made store product is that they are pre-made store products. They tend to have preservatives which are compounds that prevent decay. This means bacteria cannot grow on your food and therefore cannot start to break it down. If a compound kills another living organism no matter how small that compound probably shouldn't be eaten by humans either. So while the amount is so small you won't die or get sick, but on a smaller scale you are causing damage and affecting the way your body functions. When you add up the cumulative affect of this over years you have some real damage. Add to that any dies or additives I haven't mentioned and there is nothing healthy about that dressing that you just bought.

I suggest keeping it simple. If you like oil on your salad whether its olive oil or not use the real stuff. Pour some olive oil over your salad and add your favorite ingredients from there. Vinegars can be a good salad dressing as well and can be combined with olive oil, but again buy a quality organic vinegar. Apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar are two of my favorites. Try adding some spices as well. Simple pepper goes a long way, but experiment and maybe you will find your own special dressing that no one else has ever tasted. It is always best to prepare your food rather than buying it out of a bottle, out of a box, or a can. You should know what makes up all of your ingredients.

Thirst for Energy

Americans live a fast paced lifestyle especially here in Los Angeles. It seems like there can never be enough hours in the day and there are always things to do. Nowadays the advances in technology make everyone accessible at all times of the day. It used to be that when you went home you put your work aside and enjoyed your own time with your family or with friends. It used to be that when you weren't at home no one could get a hold of you until you were home because cell phones didn't exist. We live in a world that keeps getting faster and faster and the result is a society of fat, sick, and completely unhealthy people. People that don't sleep enough, don't eat right, and are stressed out of their minds. With this increase in responsibilities, both professional and personal, people are relying more and more on coffee and energy drinks to get them through their day. Everywhere I look I see "new and improved" energy drinks and supplements. I see on TV all of the advertisements geared towards this lifestyle and it astounds me. You can walk into almost any convenience store and they sell energy drinks 2 or 3 at a time for a discounted price. Why would you drink that many!? Recently I attended a luncheon for business professionals that is designed to help each other to network and branch out. One of the persons there heard that I was a trainer and that I do nutritional advice as well. She wanted me to contact a supplement shop because they had really helped her with her low energy. They had recommended some ultra energy supplement that really gave her a kick in the butt.

First let me say that energy drinks are NOT a nutritional supplement. At least not from my vantage point. I think that a nutritional supplement is something that you would use to optimize your health such as vitamin D or minerals like Zinc and Magnesium. Energy drinks don't optimize your health. Much like drugs energy drinks do perk you up but they aren't correcting the underlying problem only giving you a temporary band aid and often times making the problem worse.

Sleep...I have written about it before and how vital sleep is to our health, but I can tell you right now that I think as high as 90% of people don't get enough sleep, or they don't get healthy sleep. Humans really do need 8-9 hours of sleep a night, and from a health standpoint we should be in bed by 10pm. I realize this can be very difficult especially because of the length of our work days. When you are working till 7pm or later who wants to go right to sleep when they get home? When I worked an office job I really looked forward to that ME time after work. When I first became a trainer I went to sleep at 9:30 so that I could get my 8 hours before waking up at 5:30 but it was hard because that meant I had very little time that was truly my own. Social time cuts into our sleep as well. Who wants to always go home and to bed and never have any fun? And if you're going to bed at 10 or so you're probably not all that social. I understand all of these things so lets just say its important to economize your time so that you can put a priority on your health. Increasing your sleep time can be hugely beneficial. Your body needs sleep for physical repair as well as mental repair. When you are constantly sleep deprived brain function is changed. We become erratic and overly emotional when we don't sleep which means we don't think clearly not to mention the havoc it wreaks on your hormones.

The adrenal glands play a big role in the hormonal profile. When I say hormonal profile I mean the ratios of hormones present in the body. We need our hormones to govern how our body functions. When they get out of whack we have big problems. Fluctuations in energy throughout the day are a sign that something is wrong. I use the example of a car that starts making noises. It might still run but those noises are an indication that something WILL happen if they are ignored. We need our adrenal glands not just for energy but also for other hormones like testosterone and estrogen which are also very important.

The other harmful component of many energy drinks is the sugar. Nowadays all we hear is the danger of fats...well I've got news for you if you subscribe to that philosophy...sugar is the demon at work here. The modern diet consists of heaping amounts of sugar from grains, high fructose corn syrup and plain sugar. This massive amount of sugar is the root of disease. When it comes to energy levels it packs a wallop. With your sugar levels constantly fluctuating with massive rush after massive rush its no wonder your energy levels suffer. Imagine when you are driving your car if you floored the pedal for 10 seconds then let it off for 5 seconds and repeated this as you drove around all day everyday. Your car's engine would suffer and our bodies are no different. When you introduce stimulants like caffeine along with it you are creating a double wammy.

It can be very hard to kick caffeine and other energy supplements because we become dependent on them. Without them we wouldn't be able to perform that massive amount of activities that many people do in one day. I would say if that is the case then maybe you should consider downsizing what's on your plate. With the new year its time to put YOUR health first. Life should be an enjoyable experience and without health its simply not. So next time when you're tired at 2:30 just remember that being tired like that is a sign that there are bigger issues that need resolution not just a need for an energy drink.

Why have we all gotten so lazy?

As a trainer providing guidance on health and fitness to clients can sometimes be frustrating. I have always considered it my job to motivate my clients and help them to see why it is important to make healthy choices and not give in to the pressures that surround them. When I tell my clients that they have to cut grains from their diet, the response isn't always enthusiastic. That is because it has been drilled into our heads over and over again that grains ARE breakfast, that if you don't eat cheerios then you won't have a healthy heart because your cholesterol will be too high. Another one is that a glass of orange juice or other juice beverage is a great way to start the day. Now we have the soy milk, almond milk, and rice milk crap to add to the pile. I often get responses like "There is nothing left to eat!" or "I don't know what to eat for breakfast?" or "I'm still hungry all the time"...or "I don't usually eat breakfast." I agree we have all been taught to live one way through advertising and marketing, and now here I am telling them to completely forget everything and start over again...I can understand why this is tough...I get it. The solution is easy the problem is that nobody wants to work hard for anything anymore. Our society has become one of instant gratification which is why all of these quick fix diet pills make so much money. Everyone wants everything they can have, and if something they like is bad for them many people want a pill to fix it. That doesn't fix it though that only disguises it, tucks it away in a corner for a while so that it can grow into something larger like a heart attack or stroke later in life. So I understand that sometimes choices are not easy to follow, but prioritize a little bit. Do you invest money for your retirement? Of course because if you don't how will you live? Do you invest in your health for the future? You should because how will you live long and healthy if you don't? I often times will ask a client "If a doctor told you that you absolutely needed to take a medication you would do it right away" and they all agree that they would. Well if I tell you that eating right and taking care of yourself helps you to sleep better, feel better, have less and maybe no pain, and will help you to live healthier and longer you wouldn't want to do whatever it takes? I have always believed that if your enjoyment in life is so tied to food that you cannot give up the foods that make you sick and unhealthy than you are missing out on life. Maybe there are other issues that you need to deal with. Stress is a big one, and if you're not happy you're just not happy. Ok with that being said I did want to write about some food tips too so lets get to that.

First, Juice what is the deal? Nowadays the weight loss market is capitalizing on juices. You see new "healthy" juices cropping up all the time. They come from rare and exotic roots and plants, to regular fruits and veggies, but should you be drinking them? Do they really help that much? This goes back to my band aid analogy. A healthy diet is remarkably simple its the massive amount of unhealthy products available that make it seem complicated. If you maintain a healthy diet of organic meats, vegetables, and some fruits here and there you will be just fine. There is no one drink that will solve all of your problems. The problem with juices is you get a massive amount of sugar in that one bottle. How many oranges does it take to make one glass of orange juice? I'm gonna say about 8 maybe more? The point is its a lot! Its a lot more sugar than you should be getting, and as far as vitamins and minerals...you will get plenty from your vegetables and mineral supplementation. What about soy milk? almond milk? rice milk? Each one of these needs to be addressed on its own. First, soy milk...its soy so that makes it very unhealthy to begin with. Don't eat soy unless you want cancer...the effect soy has on the endocrine system is drastic. Not only that but it will increase your body's need for B12 and Vitamin D. The protein quality is very low which is true of most plant protein and is destroyed through soy processing. Finally, most soybeans are GMO which means they are engineered to be roundup ready. (Roundup is that weed killer we've all seen in the commercials) Do you want to eat a plant that has been sprayed with insecticides and didn't die? (plants can absorb those insecticides which means you're eating them too) and now I get to my point. Soy is a bean it doesn't make milk! Neither do almonds nor rice. The amount of soy, almonds, and rice that would go into making that so called milk means you're getting massive and I do mean massive amounts...way more than if you had just eaten some to begin with. So next time put down the soymilk, put down the almond milk, and put down the rice milk, Breakfast doesn't have to be cereal and juice you can eat anything you want. Try fixing a steak or chicken next time you'll be surprised at how you feel. As always feel free to ask questions.

Why to say NO on Grains

I was going to write about how the cost of packaged food goes towards the packaging and that with organic you get less of that, but grains always seem to be the biggest topic of debate so I figured its time to touch upon grains for another round.

When I start a program with any new client nutrition is always a huge focus for us, and their success depends largely on how well they can maintain dietary changes. I typically start as simple as I can in order to keep things from becoming overwhelming. Drink more water is always the first, buy organic grass fed meat, and eliminate ALL grains, ALL dairy, and SOY from your diet. The response to eliminating grains is normally that of confusion because of how much press is given to eating whole grains. Soy creates a whole range of responses that tend to get a little more personal and aggressive towards me, at least from those that don't talk to me directly so that I can explain it to them. In most cases the clients I see are well on their way to unhealthy. Many of them having been there for years. When I give them these simple changes sometimes people can feel belittled. I understand this because people want to be healthy its just that consumers are fighting an uphill battle. You need to be educated as a consumer in order to buy what it is you want to buy otherwise you end up with a lot of byproducts and toxins to go along with your food. Whether it be what your animals are fed, what seeps into your drinking water or food from plastics, or the barrage of daily chemicals and other toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis...but lets get back to the grains.

Humans are omnivores we all know this. We eat a variety of foods, some meats, some vegetables, and some fruits. Our digestive system is built like a carnivore, but with a few add-ons to help with the sugars. The human diet throughout time has consisted largely of proteins and fats with whatever plant life we found to go along with it. At times we would have found some nuts and fruits (i.e. berries, or apples) for a little added sweetness. The majority would have been protein and fat from the animals we hunted along with the vegetation growing around us. This is typically where some of the debate arises. Grains have been part of the human diet for thousands of years, but humans have existed for millions (at least some form of modern humans anyway). To be more accurate modern humans have been around for 70 thousand odd years give or take a few thousand years. This means during our evolution we have been eating grains for less than 0.1% of our existence which isn't long enough to create any change in our genetic code. Ok now that the boring anthropology is out of the way...here's the good stuff.

Grains contain more than a few things that cause a problem when we eat them. Two of the biggies are Phytic Acid and Lectins. Phytic acid is what has been labeled an anti-nutrient. Phytic acid binds to mineral compounds like magnesium and zinc (two important minerals in your health). As you can imagine this creates a problem if you are eating a lot of grain. In fact there is an easy way to test if you have enough zinc and its called a Zinc Tally test. You can buy it at nutrition shops. If you test positive it will taste absolutely horrible to you, but if you are deficient you won't taste it. Make sure you don't have mercury fillings left in your mouth before you do the test.

Whole grains contain higher contents of minerals, but also contain the phytic acid to act against that. Processed grains have less vitamins and minerals than the whole grains. The processed grains are enriched which means vitamins and minerals are added, although less than were originally found in the unprocessed grain. Once again however, the phytic acid creates an absorption problem. Lectins also act as an anti-nutrient, but lectins have other things to worry about. Lectins can induce an inflammatory response in the body. Inflammation can be linked to many diseases we see today. Lectins can disrupt the natural intestinal flora present in the digestive system which can leave you more vulnerable to viruses and other pathogens. Those two alone are cause for concern, but I'm not done just yet. Protease inhibitors and amylase inhibitors in grains can interfere with protein metabolism, prevent starch absorption, and has been shown as an allergen. So you can see that there are many reasons to stay away from grains. Does this mean eating grain will kill you? Of course not, but your body's health will suffer and that damage accumulates over time. I am talking about optimal health. The term carbohydrate is not synonymous with grain. A carbohydrate by definition is either starchy or fibrous, and both types can be found in vegetables so instead of eating grain take the time to try some new vegetables. Make sure to eat a large variety and see how you feel. Everyone has the freedom to make their own choices. I invite you to dedicate yourself to grain free for 6 weeks and then you make the decision. Pay attention to labels and learn what goes into your food. You might be surprised that grain has been added to almost everything that comes in a package (corn is a grain) and as always observe your surroundings...what are all the fat, unhealthy, and sick people buying at the grocery store? See for yourself

Better Health by improving these 3 things

What are these 3 things? Sleep, stress, and nutrition! It's as simple as that. I want to stress simple because it really isn't complicated. The hard part for most people is putting it into action. This is mostly psychology because I think we can all understand the reasons we should get enough sleep, the reasons why too much stress is a bad thing, and why proper nutrition is important. So why is it that when it comes time to do we all find it so hard to incorporate into our daily habit? I think laziness could be a reason (sorry I need to be blunt on this one). I'll use one of my common examples to my clients. If a doctor told you that you absolutely needed to take a drug in order to live would you do it? No matter how expensive you would figure it out wouldn't you? Well I'm telling you now that you have the power to make healthy changes to your lifestyle and to your habits, but its a matter of urgency. Unfortunately a lot of the symptoms that tell us something isn't quite right appear less than life threatening. We tend to ignore them and chalk it up to a bad day and let it go. I'm here to tell you that you should absolutely take those symptoms as a serious indication that 5 maybe even 10 years from now you will have much bigger concerns.

When I start with a new client I always do an assessment to determine what stresses they are under, what their nutrition is like, and how much sleep they are getting. One of those assessments is a questionnaire that addresses each bodily system. When a symptom is present they receive points. The total number of points for each system tells me how much of a priority that system has become. Here are some examples of indications that you are not quite as healthy as you want to be.

Digestion: this is a big one!
Frequent gas, bloating, diarrhea ( I now its gross sorry!), heartburn, ulcers, constipation, etc.

Other signs of problems are frequent middle and lower back pain, hemorrhoids, chronic fatigue, depression, frequent headaches, frequent muscle cramps, cuts heal slowly, dry flaky skin, joint pain, difficult sleeping, hearing your heartbeat in your head when you lay down, nervousness, frequent anxiety, heart races, memory problems, excessive bodyfat in certain areas, decreased sexual function, coughing at night, acne, itchy skin, etc etc

Those are only a few but chances are many people have those symptoms on a regular basis and belive its all normal, but its not. If you address the 3 main areas those symptoms will start to fade and eventually disappear. With a client I would do a more in depth nutritional plan and possibly supplementation, but the core idea remains the same.

Get 8-9 hours of sleep every night. Its best if you establish a habit. Our bodies don't function well when we change our bed time every night, or if we get up at a different time everyday. Try to go to sleep at the same time every night. Ideally if you are sleeping enough you won't need an alarm clock, but that will be a little tough for now. Make sure your room is very dark this will help you to fall asleep unnatural light is not a good thing. Take time to wind down at night. This means don't have a TV in your room. Let your body calm down and relax and fall asleep. Try to take clocks out of your room or if you need an alarm clock turn it around so that you don't see it. This causes distraction and can conflict with your sleep. Our body needs adequate sleep for physical repair and neurological recharge. Without adequate sleep you can become irritable and overly emotional as well as more vulnerable to getting sick among other things. Try to get off caffeine so that your adrenal glands can do their job properly.

Stess is a huge factor in our health. Just because you think you're not stressed doesn't mean you're right. Modern life has produced many luxuries and technologies that have made life more enjoyable, but we've introduced a whole bunch of new stresses that our bodies just aren't accustomed to. Believe it or not multitasking is a huge stress on the brain. Take time to do one thing at a time and don't rush. Take time for yourself don't always let your job dictate what you do over your health. Take time to relax we don't always have to rush its ok if we go slowly sometimes. Try some mental excercises for dealing with stress. When you feel overwhelmed try to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Most things are not as significant as they seem. Stress management is very important. Stretching and myofascial release are great stress relievers. They force to you to calm down and relax as well as forcing you to let go. This can be a very useful tool in dealing with the stress of our lives.

Nutrition will help to bring our bodies back into that optimum health. Give your body what it needs and it knows what to do with it. Avoid processed food at all costs! Limit your sugar intake! STOP EATING GRAINS! I mean all grains. All grains whether whole or refined are inflammatory and cause an autoimmune response in the body which adds stress and leaves us prone to disease. On top of that they can interfere with proper nutrient absorption in the stomach. Do yourself a big favor and eliminate all grain from your diet. Vegetables should be your primary source of carbohydrates! Eliminate Dairy from your diet. Not only is lactose hard for humans to break down, but most of the cows that give you that milk have been eating grain and soy and now they are passing unhealthy qualities of grains to you through their milk as well as unwanted hormones and drugs. Its the same as a pregnant mother taking drugs and eating unhealthy. All of those unwanted consequences of her actions are passed through her milk to her child. Finally, avoid Soy at all costs. Eating soy regularly is like taking 5 birth control pills per day! Soy has toxic metals like aluminum and has the same nutrient blocking compounds as grains. Make your diet easy. Fill it with lots of grass fed organic meats, organic vegetables, and some organic fruits and you will feel much better with 6 weeks I guarantee!

Its as simple as a few small lifestyle changes and you're on your way. Take it seriously and you will get everything you want out of it.