Exercise For The Workaholic

Are you always at work?

Can't exercise, can you?  Can't seem to ever drag yourself out from that chair behind a desk. Then by the time you do get out of that office, pure fatigue and exhaustion is all you feel so who in their right mind wants to do exercise?

Reality Check Time

Now stop and think about your entire day. What exactly did you really do?

• answered phone calls
• made phone calls
• shuffled paper
• attend meetings
• plan or execute presentations
• visit the lunch room, water cooler or rest rooms

See my point. What exactly did you really do? Nothing strenuous, was it? It's all just mental pressure and fatigue. Your body is craving some release from the stress.

How To Stay Fit While You Sit

Would you like to go home everyday feeling a little more in-tune with your surroundings? Here is a few simple movements you can add to each day which will actually let you leave the job feeling a little more relaxed, less stressed out, none of those tension headaches and wound up tense muscles in your back, neck and shoulders.

Repeat each exercise for about 3-5 minutes as you fit a few repetitions into your daily schedule each day!

1. Find some tunes, whether they are from the PA system, a radio or just in your own head. Sit on the front edge of your chair and start swinging your legs, one at a time back and forth, right and left and touching your toes to the floor on each pass. Add some arm movements to coordinate with your legs and use the beat of the music to keep your little "dance" going for a few minutes to lighten and lessen the mood of the moment. This one is especially easy if you happen to have a swivel chair.
2. Do the "Clapper". Hold up your left leg directly in front parallel to the floor as you raise your arms to shoulder height and clap those hands. Return the leg to the floor and repeat with the right leg and clap. Continue with this adding a little speed until you get nice smooth even movements.
3. Sit on the front edge of your chair again and with knees bent, toes on the floor  and start rhythmically opening and closing your legs. As you open your legs use your right hand and touch your left knee. On the next pass, use your left hand and touch your right knee. Keep alternating back and forth.

So, yes these may make you look a little silly and may sound a lot sillier but the advantages to your health and wellness by the end of each day is worth its weight in gold, so just relax and enjoy yourself for those few silly moments each day!

Finally We Get Safer Automotive Products

Anyone who has pets, especially when they are considered members of the family, are aware of the dangers of leaving pools or containers of automotive engine coolants and antifreeze out in the open. A leaky, faulty continuous drip from a car can spell trouble, even death to any animal looking for a convenient source of water when thirsty.

Up to now, the sweet-smelling odor and flavor of these two products was an immediate enticement to any animal because, to an animal, their smell and flavor was an instant treat.

But finally, after years and years of pressure, the manufacturers have agreed to place a bitterant agent inside their formula before packaging to dissuade any animal from trying to take a drink. This is in hopes of trying to prevent many of the close to one million deaths each year which has been attributed to automotive agents being ingested by pets, animals and even some children.

Thank you from all of us. This one simple change in a formula can hopefully help prevent a senseless tragedy from ever occurring even one more time.

** Information and action was acquired predominantly through combined efforts of the Consumer Specialty Products Association and the Humane Society Legislative Fund. Currently 17 states in the USA have passed a law requiring this bitterant to be mandatory before the product hits the store shelves. Hopefully, with time and attention, the rest of the country will realize its importance and follow through also and require this action to be taken.

Diabetes And Fresh Fruits

I'm a type 2 diabetic.

Quite a few people in my lifetime have told me it's all my own fault. If I would have ate differently, stop being so lazy (they put it nicer but it means the same thing), controlled my weight, exercised more often... on and on. We've all heard the same comments.

Now I'm not going to say this is true for everyone of us, but with me, my feelings do get hurt easily. Especially when someone who doesn't even know me makes blanket statements like the above which just flat out is not true.

 I'm constantly in motion. I enjoy working. I'm an avid outdoors-person (mainly with the dog, the garden and flower beds or just the landscaping). I'm great at DIY projects. I've built my own garage (with help from my husband), stripped off and re-roofed my house by myself when I was laid off from my job, stoned my sun porch (during the same lay-off), added insulation, new drywall, wallpaper, paint and all the trimmings to my kitchen and dining room plus all kinds of projects just because I think it will look nice when I'm finished. So, keeping myself busy is just, well a hobby of mine.

So, all I'm saying is lazy, no way!

 Exercise, well you've already figured out I can't do all my little projects sitting in the recliner in front of my TV or something.

But through all the years - I'm a diabetic anyway. So I have spent a lot of time and energy trying to find out why and what I can do about it. And one of the first very important things I have researched is fresh fruit because I just flat out love it. But as with most diabetics, we all assume we can't have it. After all, everyone says it's so high in natural sugars.

To me, that is a reason to become depressed.

The Truth About Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit, all that sugar really isn't as bad for you as you believe. Why? There is actually several reasons fresh fruit is a boost to a diabetic's general health. Some of the ways it can help us:

• the natural sugars in fresh fruit is actually counter-balanced by the fiber which is inherent in the fruit itself. This is not true with processed fruits (forget the cans, boxes of juices and bagged varieties. Processing eliminates much of the fiber in fruits). So yes they are higher in sugars, but the fiber actually helps to stabilize your blood sugars thus reducing a high spike as long as you control your portions sizes.
• fresh fruits are an important addition to aid in reducing inflammation in your body. Fruits are high in flavonoids and carotenoids which are both antioxidants. Most type 2 diabetics are always fighting inflammation within the body, one of the reasons we have so many problems with maintaining normal sugar levels.
• fresh fruits actually help you control your desire for sweet foods. Total elimination of everything sweet in your diet leads to cravings. Allowing yourself an occasional serving of fresh fruit gives your body this sought after taste and flavor.

So, yes you are going to have to check with your doctor or dietitian but the normal recommendation by many physicians is an average of 2-3 servings of fresh fruit per day (remember, control those portions). Some of the most healthiest choices include the following:

• the berry families (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries)
• peaches and nectarines
• citrus fruits like pink grapefruit, lemons, limes and an orange
• cherries, apples, pears and plums

Each of these above are much lower on the glycemic scale than the tropical varieties which also is a huge aid in your desire to control those numbers on the meter.

The Family Tree

The last couple of weeks I have been thinking about something that never really seemed to matter to me before. I guess somewhere in the back of my mind it just seemed like, "Oh someday I'll take the time and figure some of it out."

You see, I'm from one of those displaced families. By that I mean, my family unit itself, we happened to move away from the area that the majority of my relatives all lived in when I was very young. My younger brother and myself, we were both much to young for any of those people to be memorable to us. So I have grown up my whole life never really knowing any of my relatives. Some of them, I might know a name, but I could cross by them on a street and have no idea I'm related to them.

So, now I'm reaching that age in my life when I have been helping my mother to be sure her final affairs are all in order. And doing this, we have come across many names, pictures, documents etc. which all of them I can't seem to relate to in any way. It's as if they are all perfect strangers (which to be honest they are).

So yesterday I read something which made me think that's an excellent idea for many families to help them feel more connected to their family if they also are "transplants" away from the main family unit. It's so simple but so very effective at giving every child a feeling of having roots. And doing it on Christmas morning helps the kids learn more about themselves, their siblings, parents, grandparents etc.. Therefore, we all learn we do have roots.

This year, and every year, attach a tag to the outside of every Christmas gift under the tree. It's just a simple little question about another family member, or a cherished childhood memory you have for one of your own children. Then let everyone take their turn guessing the answer. Everyone this way learns interesting little facts about their own parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins etc..

Many of these memories are going to be the ones you cherish as you yourself grow older and start realizing you missed out on all the inter-relationships from having an extended family.

Popcorn Treats

By now, most of us have even heard that popcorn should be off-limits if you commonly prepare it in the microwave. This unfortunate malady can also be lain at the doorstep of the food processing/packaging industry. It seems the interior lining of those popcorn bags are also full of chemical additives which do leach into your popcorn. So if you happen to be a great fan of popcorn, it's either find a new way to cook it - safer, that is - or just do without!

Now, that second choice my husband doesn't even consider it to be an option. He just absolutely L-O-V-E-S popcorn. So, since we sold the air-popper at a yard sale a few years ago (he always used the microwave), we now found a safer alternative for the microwave.

Brown Lunch Bag Popcorn

Remember those old brown lunch bags many of us used to carry to school or work everyday?

 If you're one of us older generational individuals, after the lunch box craze came (and went), the brown paper lunch bags came onto the scene next. It seems, they are still around to some degree, usually in your grocery store in the aisle with the aluminum foil, plastic wraps, trash bags etc.. Well that little brown paper bag makes excellent popcorn.

Recipe For Success

Place 3 tablespoons of popping corn into a paper bag and fold the top over twice. Place this bag into your microwave, standing upright, and microwave about one and a half to two and a half minutes on high (if you have the popcorn setting, use that).

The first few times you prepare it (or if you buy a new brand),  listen very carefully because every microwave is different. Your popping time is going to vary depending on your unit itself. Listen very closely and when you only hear one or two pops about one second apart, your bag is ready. Remove it from the oven, open carefully because it will be very hot! Season to your taste.

Retaining The Healthy Version For The Diabetic

Now the first thing on everyone's mind, is where's the butter? But the saturated fats in a stick of butter is one big health mistake for anyone, not just the diabetic. Those artificial butter flavorings are no substitute either because many are not allergen or diabetic friendly. So just what can you put on fresh-popped popcorn which tastes great and doesn't wreck the waistline (or the heart clogging arteries)?

• use a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and spray lightly then add some garlic powder or onion powder
• make a tex-mex version by sprinkling with chili powder or cayenne pepper
• a fine sprinkling of all-natural Himalayan or Celtic sea salt gives you a boost of important salts plus all the necessary minerals our body needs for efficient operation
• like an Italian version? Give it a sprinkling of oregano, basil and garlic.
• for the dessert variety, mix in a few raw nuts (cashews, almonds, or walnuts) and seeds (pumpkin, sunflower or sesame)  then melt a small amount of 70% (or greater) dark chocolate and drizzle the popcorn and nuts/seeds with your glaze. Be a little more careful with your serving size here because you did add a measurable amount of extra calories with the chocolate.

You can keep going like this and making and mixing together any of your favorites to personalize your bag to match any list of your favorite flavors.

Holiday Tips For Pet Safety

In a couple more days, here in the United States, the whirlwind season between Thanksgiving and Christmas will fall upon us whether you are ready for it or not. For some of us, it is a joyous season. For others... life can become a little more hazardous without the utmost caution.

Friends, family and office gatherings are a norm everywhere. But one of those common scenarios many people do not think about is the family pet.

Safety Tips For The Family Pet

One of the biggest concerns for any individual with food allergies or even diabetes is all the special foods which circulate around us everywhere during the holiday season. But while for you these are temptation, for the family pet, they might as well have their name plastered all over them. At least we have the conscious mind to tell ourselves, "we should know better". The pet's safety though, they are reliant on us. Some good examples include:

• greasy, spicy and hot foods all can lead to extreme gastrointestinal distress for the common dog or cat. Too much leads to a shutdown of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis.
• chocolates, especially milk and dark varieties can be fatal to a dog because they lack the protein to metabolize its compounds unlike the human body
• cats especially love to nibble on plants. Many people believe poinsettias are toxic to a cat. The actual truth though, while a poinsettia may cause some digestive disturbances, ivy, holly and mistletoe are all poisonous, thus fatal if too much is ingested.**
• the leftover turkey bone or ham bone might be tempting to your dog but if a sliver of bone chips off and gets stuck anywhere in their digestive system, far more serious complications are usually the final result.
• some fruits, notably the grape and raisins are toxic to a dog. Keep them away at all times for their own safety.

Food is not the only complication that can come up though. Some other areas of concern include:

• scented candles, although they smell wonderful, it is a lighted wick. Unless the candle is enclosed in some type of glass enclosure, as a cat walks by their tail can easily catch on fire.
• any animal, as it runs or walks through the house, a lighted candle can easily be tipped over thus leading to the danger of surrounding furnishings catching on fire. Never leave a candle unattended in any room.
• playing with the Christmas tree (and or decorations) can be tempting for the indoor cat or dog. Always be sure it is anchored well to prevent tipover.
• decorations close to the bottom of the tree, if they are glass, run the risk of being broken. Glass shards lead to rips or tears in the paws or legs or swallowed pieces of glass.
• all the pretty tinsel, garland, balls and icicles are very tempting to a pet, especially a cat, who loves the sparkling colors. All of these though when swallowed can lead to bowel obstructions, thus pet surgery.
• too many people and too much commotion is a major disruption to your pet's normal routine also. Sometimes a pet's temper can get "frayed" also leading to doggie nips and kitty scratches from a disturbed pet. Pay as much attention to their feelings and surroundings as you would your children to ward off any accidents before they happen.

Although the holidays can be a wonderful time for many, the chance is there that every day little stressors are  capable of building up into even larger problems is quite possible without a little bit of advance planning and concern,  even for the four-legged members of the family.

**In the event of a suspected poisoning, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435 for immediate assistance.

Finding Hidden Dairy Products

Milk sounds so very easy to find, doesn't it? Of course, we all know milk is the stuff you drink. Then there's cheese and ice cream products also.

But what many people do not realize, the food industry has a lot of other words they also use to "describe" the use of milk in the manufacturing industry. So being diagnosed with a milk allergy, even a lactose intolerance, means you now have to learn all of these names also for yours (or a family members') protection.

So some other common food sources to find milk products also includes:

• butter and margarines
• creamed soups or sauces
• canned entrees like, spaghetti, ravioli etc.
• macaroni and cheese boxes
• many dessert selections
• almost all chocolate selections
• milk shakes, malts, powdered drink mixes, cocoa mixes
• pre-packaged salad dressing bottles and mixes
• pre-packaged whipped topping mixes and coffee creamers (even the ones which say Non-Dairy)
• plus many others

Many of the surprising ones, like the non-dairy coffee creamer for example, you must become accustomed to reading the ingredient label. Although they may not have added milk, they did use one of the milk-based proteins within the ingredients. This addition therefore means you now have a type of milk product within that jar. Many of the truly dairy allergic can and will have an adverse reaction.

So, get yourself accustomed to reading that label and look for some of these words also. If you ever see any of them, that means that product does contain milk.

• milk solids, low fat or nonfat milk
• cow, goat, sheep and camel milk may all be a problem for some
• cream, sour cream, whipped cream, half & half and cream cheese
• yogurt and kefir
• lactose or lactalbumin
• any words with casein, caseinate or sodium caseinate
• artificial butter flavorings
• buttermilk or buttermilk solids
• whey or whey protein
• rennet
• ghee or clarified butter
• hydrolysates

There is also many other ways milk can be an added ingredient in pre-processed or pre-packaged foods. Until you become accustomed to finding them all, actually the easiest, and actually the cheapest way to guarantee your safety is just by cooking and preparing your meals for the family right from your own home. After all, if you cooked it, you know what went in it.

What about any of you... what's the most unusual item you found when you first started? What you had difficulty with believing can become a life-saver for someone else just starting out. If you can remember what your stumbling blocks were, let the rest of us know. Thanks for the help!

Gluten Free: Easy As 1-2-3

When a gluten free diet gets mentioned as a course of treatment by the doctor's office, so many people all of a sudden feel like everything they eat is now off-limits. After all, no bread, no pasta, waffles and pancakes, cakes and cookies, donuts and pies..., almost all of these are part of their normal every day diet.

But then somebody mentions pre-packaged salad dressings, sausage and deli meats, canned/jarred sauces and gravies are also off limits. When is this list ever going to end?

With time and education though, you will find many of these things aren't truly off-limits because every single  one of these items can actually be prepared (or often bought) entirely free of the gluten protein. The difference here is just some simple changes needed to be made in the list of ingredients. By changing up the list, almost any recipe can end up with very close if not better final results with experience.

Another Way To Go Gluten Free

Being unfamiliar with all the terminology, a newly diagnosed individual also has no reason to realize many of the normal every day foods have no gluten in them at all anyway. If you stick to purchasing organic fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds plus fresh grass-fed beef and poultry (plus their eggs), the advantages you will reap in your health can and will far outweigh the inconvenience you might feel now from abstaining from a few simple ingredients. So to begin your new lifestyle, choose from some of these common sources instead:

• dairy products like cheese chunks or cheese sticks, yogurt and cottage cheese all make excellent snack time choices
• fresh eggs or egg substitutes
• peanut, almond, cashew or pecan butters. All nut butters you make yourself are gluten free but if purchased yours, check the ingredient label to be sure there was no additives or fillers used in their recipe also.
• raw seeds are also an excellent source. Choose from pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds or butters.
• all fresh fruits and vegetables are safe.
• combine dried fruits, nuts, seeds and coconut to make your own trail mixes.
• quinoa, millet, almond and rice are all gluten free flours along with many other varieties. These can be used to replace almost any of the normal flour-based items you commonly are used to preparing. Combination flours often must be used to get the best final results but a good quality gluten free cookbook can be used to quickly and simply guide you into transitioning to gluten free cooking and baking.

Even though you might be trying to avoid your allergens or just any diagnosed intolerance, for your own better health, get in the habit of worrying just as much about the quality of your selections. With time, you are going to find going gluten free was actually a breeze after all and the best part is you actually do feel better through it all!

The Best Quote I Have Ever Heard!

 An article in the recent Pittsburg gazette quoted a farmer (who refuses to grow genetically-engineered crops) as saying that his seed catalogs tell him do not feed any GE corn husks, corn products or any other parts of the finished crop to his cattle because of adverse health effects. But, per the farmer, I can't grow it for my cattle but I can grow it for me to eat! Doesn't anyone but me see the problem here?

 Tuesday November 6th is rapidly approaching. It's election day! Sure we are supposed to pick another president that day in this country, but if you ask me something far more important is going down that day.

What is it?

The ballot vote in the state of California for or against the labeling of genetically modified ingredients in our foods in the entire food system.

Believe me, I'm guessing but probably better than 95% of the food industry itself is hoping and praying this doesn't happen. Why, other than it is inconvenient? Because they all know once the people actually do start questioning what that label is and what it means, they won't buy it anymore. People do not want to know there is herbicides, pesticides, and altered DNA in their foods. Other than it sounds horrible, how in the world can it be good for our health?

Oh, you think this stuff was all safety-tested, do you? Well, sure it is. It has been all along. Every single time you buy some corn on the cob, you're safety testing it. Buy anything with sugar, with corn, with soy, with beef (if they were fed the leading feed crop for cattle). Do you wear cotton T-shirts? Or how about sleep under a cotton blanket or some cotton sheets? The list can go on and on and on how you are daily safety-testing all of these altered products. GE (genetically modified) products are all over our food systems, our personal possessions - actually we are inundated with them daily and we don't even know it.

But that's OK - after all, we are safety testing the stuff for them!  Each and every single day!

Why? Because there was no long-term safety tests ever done. That's what we're here for. Heck, after all, we all go to the store every day, every week, every month etc.. We eat out at restaurants, we go to self-pick farms or to farmer's markets. We all purchase food all the time for them to safety test their latest invention in GE foods.

Advertising is all over the place, especially in the state of California, trying to lull the population into believing the guaranteed safety, reliability, cost effectiveness etc. of these goods. But this is big business. Corporate America has loads of money to spend on advertising, all of it to try to hide the facts from the everyday people.

Another group, just us ordinary people - we don't have loads of money, but we are trying just as hard trying to convince Californians the dangers here. And trying to get them to realize the dangers which they don't know about. But we don't have an unlimited bank account. We don't have ANY of the advantages corporate America has. We just have the people. Your friends, your neighbors, the farmer who is trying to raise your crops safely. The rancher who is worried about the safety of the feed he has to feed his animals. The mother, or father who  hopes and prays he is not making a mistake giving his child a bowl of cereal for breakfast tomorrow.

Tuesday is a deciding day in the USA. The decision is going to be made whether we can basically feel a little safer when we actually sit down to feed ourselves or any family member. So much of the rest of the world "gets this" dream and has kicked GE ingredients out of their stores, their country, their life.

Let's just hope millions and millions of dollars of twisted truths, outright lies and false accusations don't scare the people in California into voting for the wrong side this coming Tuesday.

Classic Food Favorites Made Healthier

What's the number one comment most people always exclaim about a makeover recipe?

Ugh! What did you do, it doesn't taste right!

Many times, a "re-do" is just not as popular as the full fat, full sugar, full flavor version, or so they say. But every once in a while, if you know the right little kitchen tricks, you can get more compliments on the re-worked version than you ever did on the original.

The important part of this trick though, absolutely never tell anyone ahead of time you have changed the recipe to make it healthier. Their subconscious mind alone will mutiny and, as my husband always says, "it doesn't taste right"... but that's before he even takes a bite.

 Just play it safe, serve tonight's dinner and sit back and reap the compliments without ever stopping to say a word to anyone. With time, all of your slimmed down versions of the family favorites will lead to a normal part of your family's healthier diet.

Five Easy Re-Do's For Classic Favorites

Your final objective is to reduce the calories, lower the saturated fats and trans fats,  reduce the sodium and the sugars, especially in high carbohydrate selections.  So slowly try incorporating a few of these into your daily cooking to help ease your family's diet into better, healthier food selections.

reduce the whole milk used to 2%, then 1% and eventually to skim milk. This reduces both the high fats and the sugar concentrations. Alternatively, change from regular milk to alternative milks like almond milk, coconut milk or hemp milk, unsweetened . Each of these alternative milks add quality fats to your diet while reducing the amount of sugars which are common in regular milk products.

never salt the cooking water before you cook any type of pasta. Many people always do this because they say it prevents the pasta from clumping. Just stir the pot a few times while the pasta is cooking and you don't need the extra salt to prevent clumping.

stop using the mild types of cheese high in saturated fats (like American cheese or Velveeta) and use a smaller quantity of sharp cheddar. Because the flavor is much stronger, you don't need as much cheese. Sprinkle about a 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan then on the top of the casserole for an added flavor twist.

as a thickener for their casserole, remove the white flour products and use arrowroot instead. You reduce the tendency for spikes in your blood sugars and eliminate all gluten for the gluten sensitive. Some people even like to use 100% whole grain oatmeal to absorb the extra liquids which adds some vital extra special nutrients.

for all those people who refuse to eat fruits and vegetables, start small. Don't serve a dish of carrots for tonight's dinner. Grate them instead and put them in the meat loaf or the spaghetti sauce. Add onion, sweet peppers, garlic and celery to almost anything. Having a side salad can become even more special with a chopped apple, some raisins or a few slices of ripe pear. Add a few raw nuts also and enjoy a slightly different type of salad tonight.

These are some of the easiest ways to get your whole family to transition to a healthier diet. Do this every day with each meal for one or two dishes and it is easy to see how the advantages can start to stack up.

I'm Back!

Many people weren't as lucky as the area I live in so I do sympathize with them. I know exactly what they are going through.

But this time, in my location, we got off a whole lot easier than other times.

Still some water damage and a lot of wind damage. My front and back yard both look like a demolition area from the high winds. Downed and splitting trees, shrubs literally stripped of their vegetation. Our separate garage and storage shed didn't withstand much of the abuse so they need to come down now also.

But all in all, we made it out of this round very lucky. I have been through so much worse.

Now, just wait for the conveniences like electric, water, cable and telephone to all make it back and life can resume as normal.

Thanks to everyone who cared enough to write and wish me well.

"Vacation" For Awhile, Anyone?

I'm probably going to be off for a while, at the very least the weather reports seem to think so.

I happen to be one of those people which live and work right in the path of Hurricane Sandy, which is supposed to hit the East coast today. It's already starting outside now - nothing major but lots of wind and rain kicking up.

The temperatures though is what is so surprising. You can never figure out how to dress for the last 24 hours. It was so warm yesterday morning when I left to go to my store. Felt like a tropical storm coming outside. Last night, left from work and it was more like a winter storm coming. Nothing happening, understand, it's just the "feel of the air".

This morning early, while coming in, you can feel the cold air swirling all around you but it's still so humid like the tropics. It's kind of weird how you get the feel of a blast of cold air continuously but you still are sweating because of the high humidity levels.

But we will all take what we get and find a way to make it through it all.

Take care everybody and stay safe!

Make Your Own Nut Butter

Many of the children and adults which have a nut allergy don't also have difficulty with peanuts (remember, peanuts actually are not a member of the nut family at all).  This also works vice versa. Many people with a peanut allergy can actually enjoy many kinds of nuts.

But often the problem arises that many places that process nuts also process peanuts and vice versa. Because of the cross-contamination concerns, many families just avoid them all.

But if you have found a quality source of the whole nuts (or peanuts) themselves, it's actually very quick and easy to make your own nut butters. And the advantage, you know exactly what's in your final product.

So, it doesn't really matter what kind you are striving for. They all start with the same basic recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups nuts of your choice (cashews, pecans, almonds all work well) or 2 cups peanuts
few tablespoons of grapeseed oil, avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil (coconut oil can also be used but it will alter the flavor just a little)      
pinch of good quality sea salt,  optional

If you prefer roasted nut butter, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the nuts out on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Stir at least twice to prevent burning the nuts. Cool slightly before placing into a food processor.

Directions

Pour the nuts into a food processor and start it running. The nuts will pulverize into a dust. Stop the blades occasionally and scrape down the sides.

Continue letting the unit run and the nuts will eventually go to the consistency of wet clumps. Scrape again every few minutes. Sprinkle the salt in if you desire to use it. Replace the lid and run some more. The consistency eventually will start to get creamy and smoother. Start slowly adding a tablespoon or more of oil until you get the consistency you enjoy.

This whole process from start to finish usually takes about 12 to 15 minutes for your food processor running, sometimes more.

** For an interesting flavor variation, add about 1/4 cup of melted dark chocolate ( 70% cacao or more) and let the food processor blend it in for a wonderful chocolate nut butter spread.

Scoop the nut butter into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for best quality. Enjoy!

High Energy Snacks

One of the worst things you can ever do to yourself is train your body NOT to beg for foods at regular intervals.

Sounds pretty dumb, huh?

But hunger is a defense mechanism for your body. It is your body's way of telling you it is not receiving the nutrition it requires.

 Now remember, in that last statement, I did not say it is not getting enough food. I said it is not getting the  nutrition it desires. You can fill up your entire body on a continuous basis with tons of junk foods but that still means you are lacking in nutrients. Your body is trying to tell you that in its only way.

So eating three consecutive meals plus a few mini snacks may sound like just so much food to many people, but when you plan your daily foodstuffs around good solid nutrition, the act of feeding your body on a 4-6 hours daily schedule, this maintains a smooth and continuous flow of energy for both you and all of your major organ systems. Otherwise, many people get so tired and cranky. The continuous headaches, fluctuating blood sugar levels, and the muscles and joints get so tired and sore. All of this discomfort just because you couldn't take a few extra minutes to give your body the necessary fuel it so desires.

Popular Approximate 100 Calorie Snacks

Most people's concept of a snack is to hit the vending machine, a bag of chips or pretzels, cookies, crackers or pastries. But none of this is what your body is searching for. Snacks themselves can be just as good for you as the main meal with just a little bit of advance planning. What that means, pick up a few things from the house or store and bring your little doggie bag to work with you. So, some excellent ideas for a quick mid-day or mid-morning snack could include:

1. two graham cracker squares spread with peanut or almond butter
2. a piece of sliced turkey breast wrapped in lettuce with some mustard, sliced tomato and a slice of onion.
3. one cup of homemade broth-based soup like vegetable or chicken w/ brown rice
4. one oatmeal cookie with unsweetened tea and a spritz of lemon (as your sweetener)
5. cottage cheese (1/2 cup) and pear (whole pear) salad served on a bed of lettuce
6. one slice of whole wheat bread, one slice of cheese and a slice of tomato. Place in a toaster oven for several minutes till cheese is melted
7. small side salad - choose from any variety of greens (except iceberg lettuce - it has next to no nutritional value) and add an assortment of toppings from radishes, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, mushrooms etc.. For the dressing use 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp. plain rice vinegar, 1/4 tsp dijon mustard and then sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley flakes with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Stir it up and enjoy.
8. 1/2 whole wheat english muffin with marinara sauce, lowfat shredded mozzarella and a few peppers, onions or mushrooms for garnish. Broil till cheese melted and browned.
9. 1/2 frozen banana (sliced lengthwise) and smeared with almond or peanut butter
10. toothpick skewers are great. Place a turkey breast cube, a chunk of lowfat cheese with a watermelon cube on a toothpick and enjoy
11. a quick and easy fruit smoothie just needs some fresh fruit chunks, a container of yogurt plus two ice cubes. Blend until smooth. For some extra nutrition, throw in a few fresh spinach leaves. Once it's blended no one is ever going to guess it is in there.
12. homemade trail mix is so easy. Choose your favorites from a variety of raw nuts and seeds, add some unsweetened shredded coconut, a few mini chocolate chips and a few pieces of your favorite dried fruit. Mix it up and enjoy.

So coming up with some high energy snacks really isn't at all difficult. The best part, feed your body some nutrient dense selections and you are going to find you don't have those constant hunger pangs and then sleepy, groggy daytime hangovers at all anymore.

What Do I Eat?

One of the first things I realized after the diagnosis was, OK I know what I've got, I kind of know why I have it and maybe I understand what I'm supposed to strive for (the correct range of numbers on that meter) ... but when is anybody going to tell me how to accomplish all of that?

Yes, I did get a visit with a nutritionist. There was 31 of us people sitting in the room that day. We were told in the very first sentence out of her mouth, "gotta cut this meeting a little short today, we have to give up the conference room by 10AM" (which was 42 minutes away).

So, let me tell you we didn't learn a whole lot, none of us in that room did actually.

And here I was sitting there the whole time just wondering, just what is it I'm supposed to be doing. I already eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I changed over to whole wheat a long time ago. I do try to control my portion sizes. But I'm still here anyway. None of what anyone has told me seems to be working right so far anyway.

Just What Should I Eat

I guess, sitting in that room that day I was hoping for a list. Tell me what you want me to eat...what you want me to stay away from. Sounds too simple to them, I guess. But to a diagnosed diabetic which has already been struggling with this disease for a decade, I wanted simple. They weren't offering it, by the way.

So, I started researching on my own. If they won't give me the answers, no matter how many times I ask and how many people I ask, I'll just get my own answers. And so I did.

Now, you must understand, this list below is no where near complete but it is a good starting point.
Also you must remember, combination foods can become tricky because often you can take a dish with a whole list of good things in it but you add just one bad thing and it can throw the whole dish off balance (a good example is a vegetable stew but then you thicken it with the gravy. Unless the gravy is done correctly also, the whole stew is now a No-No!)

So, initially it is much easier and much safer to start out eating and preparing all fast and simple, safe recipes. I promise with practice you will become very good at learning what and how you can combine foods later to prepare some more exciting but still blood sugar safe meals.

A few basic ground rules if you can adhere to them:

• try to purchase all organics as much as possible (if you lessen the ingestion of all the chemicals, herbicides and pesticides your body will thank you for it in so many other ways)
• try to purchase all cage-free and omega 3 fortified fresh eggs (and do not listen to all of those doctors still telling you  - No eggs! Purchasing eggs from a clean, reputable source (that's not usually the grocery store) is one of the best quality sources of nutrition we have access to in our daily diet. Just don't go overboard with ingestion.)
• free range, grass fed and antibiotic free meat and dairy sources are also a winner for your health. You must remember, whatever the animal was given (as medications) or was eating, these compounds are now in your system also

Foods That Raise Blood Sugars Quickly

wheat or white bread, many varieties of pasta, white potatoes, bagels, french fries, honey, molasses, maple syrup, croissants, raisins and grapes, dates, ice cream, hamburger and hot dog buns, quick-cooking oatmeal, homemade or purchased macaroni and cheese, candy, cookies, pies and pastries etc.

Foods That Raise Blood Sugars Moderately

some varieties of pasta, 70% or greater dark chocolate, green sweet peas, baked beans, yams and sweet potatoes, corn, oatmeal (not instant), kiwi, orange juice, blueberries, bran and pizza, 100% whole wheat products, kidney beans, chickpeas, dried peas and beans, tortillas (whole wheat), eggplant, winter squash, papaya, pineapple, mango

All of these, the blood sugar spurts can be blunted by adding an excellent source of protein and a quality fat to the same meal or snack. The combination of foods actually helps to keep your blood sugars down lower.

Foods That Raise Blood Sugars Slowly

unsweetened plain yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese, apple, pear, plum, apricot, orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, green or wax beans, barley, soybeans, lentils, skim milk, tomatoes, all varieties of lettuce, cucumbers, radishes,  summer squash(spaghetti squash), celery, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet peppers, onions, garlic, sugar snap peas or snow peas plus most every other fresh vegetable

Just remember, since fresh fruits are higher in natural sugars, always eat them moderately each day, plus if possible, combine them each time with a good source of fats and protein also to help stunt the rise in your blood sugars.

Diabetes And Fresh Fruits

This is one often mistaken subject by almost every diabetic, especially by the newly diagnosed. Almost every one of us, to some degree depending how much you like fresh fruits, are dejected when we hear that diagnosis.

Why?

Because one of the first things in your mind is there goes the fresh fruit. It's so high in natural sugars so it must now be gone off my daily diet.

But the reality, this assumption is so far from being right it's actually drastically wrong. What do I mean by that?

I mean, simply put, do not ever give up fresh fruit in your daily diet just because you are a diabetic. What you must do though is learn how to incorporate it into the foods you eat every day so it doesn't give you runaway blood sugars.

Sound stupid? If you know it might give me runaway blood sugars, why don't I just drop it?

Because fresh fruits give our body So Many other important vitamins, minerals, nutrients and a whole bunch of other long sounding, complicated saying and even harder spelling compounds, that dismissing them from your diet is a one-way ticket to far more complicated future health complications.

How Do I Fit Them In Then

Now remember, the sugar content of a fruit is just another way of explaining its carbohydrate content. We all know carbohydrates break down into our digestive system into sugars so the object is to get a combination of 2 or more low sugar (or no sugar) selections to one with higher sugars.  (Put simply don't even pretend you are going to have a bowl of fresh pineapple, a whole mango and a dish of strawberries for lunch today)

Pick and choose your assorted foods by getting a source of lean protein, any unlimited amount of good-quality carbohydrates plus your one fruit and the combination of foods together will actually stabilize your blood sugars to prevent you from driving your blood sugar sky high.

Pick and choose all your meals and snacks like this and you have just learned the value of eating all of your foods carb smart.

Another option some people prefer is to rely on portion control instead of carbohydrate control. This is another testing procedure, with the aid of that glucose meter your doctor gave you.

Start by checking your blood sugar every single time you eat something (or any combinations of foods) and log a before sugar reading, an after sugar reading and a one hour later reading. Log exactly what you ate with each of these numbers. Continue doing this every day, every meal, every snack etc..

Before long you are going to start noticing trends. An example, when you eat mashed potatoes, gravy and a dish of corn - your blood sugars will go sky high. But if you take away the corn and make that green beans, reduce the serving size of the mashed potatoes (which automatically reduces the amount of gravy since there is less potatoes), and enjoy a small side salad instead, you are going to find out your blood sugar hardly changed at all.

The portion control method is just a learning tool of finding which foods you can combine in what quantities in which combinations ... all with the ultimate goal and finding what happens to your blood sugars when you eat certain combinations together.

This method eats up a lot more time during your investigation phase. It also means you and that glucose meter will enjoy a love/hate relationship because you must use it so often. But after your investigation phase is over and you are comfortable knowing which foods your body will accept and what it has a problem with, many people get to the point, as long as they stick with their pre-learned food combinations, testing only once or twice a week is entirely possible.

So, fresh fruits do a body good (frozen or canned are not as good for you by the way. The processing deletes many of the quality available nutrients).

Another little tip mistaken by many is always eat the fresh fruit itself... not the juiced version of that fruit. A whole orange is far better for you than a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. The reason is two-fold. Number one - fiber. When eating the whole fruit you are also eating all the fiber which is contained in that fruit. Juicing that orange means you have got the juice but you are throwing all the fiber away. There is as many healthy qualities in that fruit pulp as in the juice itself.

The second reason, fruits when juiced start oxidizing immediately when in contact with air. The act of juicing, whether by hand or machine, means you are "tearing apart" the make-up of that piece of fruit. Breaking down its components, when in contact with air initiates a chemical process known as oxidation. An equivalent, it means you are watching your fresh orange "rust" right in front of your eyes. Obviously if you are breaking down your orange into "rust" compounds, the juice you are ingesting is no where near as healthy for your body.

So, being a diabetic takes a lot more time and attention to the foods you now eat, but once you learn the rules that work for your body, diabetes is no more difficult to live with than many other nuisance conditions we may have during our lifetime.

Peanut Allergy

Do you know anyone with a peanut allergy?

It could be a family member, yourself, maybe a friend at work or just an acquaintance living somewhere there in town. Every single day this person, when in the general public, usually feels ostracized, especially when it becomes common knowledge about their allergy.

So very many people are angry with any individual with an allergy to peanut butter because of the recent push to get many areas designated as peanut free zones. Whether this is at a baseball park, on an airplane, in a school or classroom, at the local amusement park or zoo... the list is almost endless where the subject does arise, should we require a peanut free zone within these boundaries?

The debate is fueled mainly because of tradition. Tradition has always been an important part of furnishing peanuts or peanut butter as a snack, as an ingredient, as a food source for the animals at the local zoo etc.. Now, the administration of each has approached the viability of removing peanuts in any of its various forms.

The common cry "Why? Why do we the majority have to suffer for only about 1 or 2% of the population which has a problem. Make the problem theirs, not ours."

But that slim 1 or 2%, translated into numbers, means approximately a million people are striving every day to stay safe from the proximity of a peanut!

People unfamiliar with this allergen have no clue what the peanut allergic must do to just navigate through a typical day - safely. For a person with a severe allergy, just the act of going from sunup to sunset is cause for celebration. They actually have managed to navigate through one more day safely.

Does that sound like an exaggeration to many of you?

Unfortunately, with a severe peanut allergy and a case of accidental exposure, without the proper medications being in close proximity AND a good samaritan being there to inject that medication, this individual could be dead in under 5 minutes.

Therefore, to all of you unfamiliar with a peanut allergy, this individual is not asking for special treatment - they are just asking for the right to stay alive. Some common troublesome areas for them could be:

• getting a kiss from anyone who had some types of peanuts earlier in the day can become a life or death situation. The allergen can still be on their lips, tongue, teeth, hands, clothing and on and on.
• cross contamination is a major concern. Touching a handle, a doorknob, a knife, fork or spoon, a shopping cart, a taxi cab door, the bathroom faucet, the toilet flusher and anywhere else peanut allergens could be are a danger zone for the peanut allergic individual
• many prepared food products contain peanuts and you do not realize it. Common to bouillon cubes, worcestershire sauce, chili soup, salad dressings, cookies and crackers plus a whole host of other varieties, any of these items can be a danger for this allergy
• airborne particulants are a problem with this allergen. When you shake cereal from a box which happened to be manufactured in  a factory which also used peanuts, this can actually lead to an allergy attack. Sounds impossible? Well, it's not. Tiny dust particles can actually lead to a deadly attack.
• did you know your french fries are probably full of peanut dust? Sounds dumb to you, huh? Many fast food and regular restaurants cook the majority of their foods in peanut oil. Flavorings in the boxed groceries you pick up at the store - yes, they all contain peanuts. So that beef and noodle dinner you just ate, it contains the peanut allergen. The store, thus your home, thus your hands are full of this allergen. Peanuts are commonly found in many products if the ingredient label states "natural flavorings".

So, yes, there is going to be times you could just "die" for that Snickers bar right about now. But to the person beside you, or behind you etc., please take the time to ask anyone around you if your ripping open and enjoying that Snickers bar could mean the actual death of them because of a peanut allergy.

Peer Pressure

The teenage years have notoriously always been known for their ability to throw a child's life into turmoil. But now, unfortunately comes the double whammy. Your child has just been diagnosed with a food allergy.

It's getting better, but many people still have the attitude a food allergy is all a bunch of fluff. So what if you can't eat bread, or drink milk or have an omelet or any of the other numerous food restrictions. The general population has no experience reading or understanding any food label, so it is really no concern of theirs why your child can no longer eat a sandwich.

If they only knew!

So, here your child has just reached their teenage years. They are starting to assert their independence away from the parental/adult community and now they feel totally ostracized from their own peer group also. A food allergy gives no visual reminders there is a problem (until there is a reaction), so often the other kids themselves can't figure out what the fuss is about.

This is the time when it is so very important, the lines of communication must be kept open between the child, their doctor and parents, and even a local support group if possible.

The Road To Recovery For The Teen

As stated, your child has slowly and steadily been pulling away, asserting their own independence and trying to make their own independent decisions.

The parent though, first reactions are to smother the child with care and concern. The result of this is only going to lead to rebellion and anger though. The child is scared, unbelieving, trying to "cut corners" to fit in with their normal crowd and angered by the new restrictions and limitations being handed down by all these adults.

A genuine concern shown through love, patience and encouragement though is the only formula for success to make your child understand the importance of the new rules for their own future health.

Some new methods are now needed which may help all parties to adjust so try implementing these into both your child's and for the adults routines on a daily basis.

• right now your child needs their own support group. As the parent, figure out who is your child's #1 go-to person in times of stress or joy. Usually at this age, your child will have one or two true best friends. Talk to this person(s) and explain the situation. See if you can recruit them to be your child's confidante, second pair of eyes, ears, learn the ropes of the allergy and all it entails. As you and your child learn the ropes of what is and what is not safe, allow the best friend the opportunity to learn right along with. The chances for safety is always better with numbers.
• have a short course in the Epipen and make sure everyone knows how to use it, when to use it and when it's necessary to repeat it again.
• explain your desire to prepare foods (or collect safe selections locally) for any kind of party, school function, a night at the friend's house etc. as long as you know in advance. Make sure your child realizes, many foods can be duplicated with just a few substitutions as long as you have advance notice.
• a very important rite of passage for the child,  start taking the time to work with your child and the friend(s) and make sure they become adept in the kitchen. Managing an allergy is so much easier if you prepare your own foods. It gives you the advantage you know exactly what is in them.
• let your child help plan and choose vacation destinations. Traveling with a food allergic child takes a lot of pre-planning and preparation. The last thing you want is to go somewhere and find out your child has no options for food for the entire time you are away.
• a local support group or summer camp is often a highlight in a teens life if you can get them to go. Relaxing and talking with an entire group of people with the same problem as them is not only educational, it is therapeutic.

So yes, peer pressure is going to rear its head, there's is no doubt about that. But by teaching your child the basic skills they need, giving them a personal confidante which can be at their side in times of trouble and joy, your child will find their way to learn to accept their restrictions and still lead a happy and healthier life.

Sugar Free Foods = Weight Loss?

Today I wish to explain a common mistake many people make daily. It seems like common sense when you hear about it, but boy, does this whole thing backfire on you. So, what is it?

Sugar Free foods are the easiest way to consistently lose weight!

Wrong!!

But how can that be? Take the sugar out, it reduces the calories so I'm not going to gain, or maybe I'll even lose some of this stubborn weight. The whole process sounds so simple.

The Troubling Paradox With Sugar Free Foods

There's several different scenarios going on here in this situation but the two most common are:

• remove the sugar  but then some companies replace it with other types of natural sweeteners like honey, high fructose corn syrup or molasses etc.
• artificial or chemical sweeteners become the new sweetener of choice.

Now, yes we've all heard raw processed honey (all the original vitamins, minerals and enzymes are still intact) is better for us than pasteurized honey ( heat processing kills off the beneficial nutrients present in honey), but this doesn't do anything to reduce the calories. Any of these types of sweetener being used as a replacement are still full of calories.

As for the chemical/artificial alternatives, they really have people confused. Zero calorie sodas or popsicles, low-calorie ice cream, candy, cookies and cakes. Sounds like a junk food addict's dream come true. Reduce all those calories to almost negligible amounts and then you get to eat all you want, right?

The answer to this puzzle is simple. Artificial and chemical sweeteners are just that - artificial!. Their original design has always been to "trick the mind" into believing you are eating something sweet. This in turn is supposed to satisfy your mind and body for its intensive need for sweets. Some people crave sweets like it is a "I've got to have it" feeling. Others, an occasional treat is all I am asking for.

But what these chemical concoctions do actually do is stimulate the brain into believing you are enjoying this current offering. Your body and mind want more. The pleasure center of your brain has been activated and demands more, usually within hours of ingestion. The problem escalates because your pleasure center never gets turned off. It always just keeps demanding more...and more.

Our body, thus the mind has triggers which flood our system with hormones to allow us to enjoy what we eat but when it has had enough, a trigger is pulled to turn this pleasure center off. Natural sugars and sweeteners allow this operation as a built-in mechanism of digestion.

Chemical sweeteners though do not switch off our pleasure center. With each bite, each drink, you are just telling the brain I want more. Your brain is never given the message you have had enough. Thus over-eating of food and drink becomes a normal routine because you are always being asked by your brain, "I need more".

Therefore, no matter how many artificially sweetened foods and drinks you consume, your mind is still always going to be begging for more within a few short hours anyway. This is the main reason most people who over-indulge say they can'r figure out why they are always hungry, always thirsty.

Yes, upfront, sugar free foods and bottles of drink seem like a packaged gift from the food Gods. But their effect on the human body, and good digestion is nothing but an eternal battle with foods upcoming in your near immediate future.

Next time: How can you stop/even prevent this battle being waged within your system.

Whole Wheat Mania

Media attention the last couple of decades has steadily built up the fixation in our minds to avoid white breads, pasta and white rice etc., especially the diabetic. All of these items, over-processed during production, lead to a rapid breakdown of glucose (sugar) in our system during digestion, thus it leads to a spike in blood sugar levels and insulin levels.

So what's always been the recommendation - switch to whole wheat products instead for a slower more steady increase in your sugar levels.

Now The Bad News

If you are over 50 years of age, when the term good "ole days comes up, you're now right. The problem here is quite simple. Even whole wheat products today are using genetically modified ingredients so much within the last half century that our bodies can no longer recognize these items as food anymore. This means the carbohydrate content of whole grains now converts to glucose so rapidly during digestion they are almost as bad as the white products have always been reported to be.

Need proof? You don't have to look any further than the glycemic index to find the scores of whole wheat products and you will notice it's not a whole lot better than the white products. A few examples are:

• one sering of lentils has a GI of 29
• one serving of unsweetened orange juice has a GI of 50
• one serving of Coca Cola has a GI of 63
• one serving of whole wheat bread has a GI of 71
• one serving of a white bagel has a GI of 95

Now considering the GI scale is based on a high of 100 points, from looking at these numbers, actually sitting down and drinking a glass of orange juice (which we are always told is very high in natural sugars) or drinking a Coke (which is nothing but lots of calories and totally devoid of any kind of nutrition), this chart shows these two are actually going to be better for you than eating those 2 slices of whole wheat bread.

The point here is you must remember, yes whole wheat bread is better for you than white breads (a 71 vs a 95 score rating), but that still doesn't make it good for your daily food choices. Sure you can have some occasionally as a treat, because the whole wheat will spike your sugars a little slower. But to consider it a good choice, no the lentils on the scale at 29 are a much better selection to prevent any rise in your blood sugars. Many of the alternative grains, like coconut flour, almond flour, buckwheat, rye or barley flours are all lower on the GI scale and also make excellent bread flours for your own personal use in the kitchen. If you would use many of these instead, with repeated use you will notice your blood sugars are barely budging at all!

Problems Associated With Red #40

There is actually seven man-made food dyes used predominantly in the food manufacturing industry the most but the Red #40 has the distinction of being the most troublesome for adults and children alike. Reported adverse reactions like hyperactive behavior, allergic reactions or brain and sensory disorders are normal reports to many licensed practitioners.

Surprising Places To Find Red #40

Don't ever make the mistake with any of the food dyes, just because a food does not look red, blue, orange etc., this is not any indication there is no dyes in it. Many people are tricked by this situation.

 Also, it is not unusual that some foods actually add dye to an already existing product to make it look redder, more yellow etc.. This brightens up the colors which actually just makes it look more visually appealing. Manufacturers have already determined the buying public is easily swayed by their positive response to color. Because of this, manufacturing uses this to their greatest advantage.

So for some common "trick" foods that you need to check the ingredient label closely before purchasing, these include some of the following:

• vanilla cake frostings, pre-mixed
• Twinkies cupcakes
• Doritos (or many other snack-like chips and crackers)
• Marshmallows and marshmallow creme
• Some varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, apples and oranges are standard dyed)
• Fresh cuts of meat from the butcher and grocer

This is just a short list of easily recognizable selections to most people. When you read the ingredient label on any of these, most people are amazed how and why are all those food dyes in there. This is just one easy example how Red #40 can easily be sliding into you or your child's diet even without your knowledge. Never assume just from color the item in question is safe. You must always read that food label.

Especially important now, many individual's with a diagnosis of ADD, ADHD or Autism have noticed remarkable improvements in symptoms just by eliminating ALL traces of Red #40 for three to six months from their diet. Children and adults both seem to get quieter and calmer, more in control of their life and surroundings in every day situations. Even family interactions are benefited, many times the uncontrollable outbursts are reduced or eliminated altogether.

This type of program is not a Do-It-Yourself at home testing project. You must have a doctor's supervision. Ask around and find an experienced practitioner that is willing to work with you.

Do not become overly expectant here though. It is warned, do not expect a 100% cure rate. For the largest percentage of families, many remark the improvements are so marked that life has become so much easier for both the afflicted child/adult and the other family members themselves.

A Simple Explanation Of Type 2 Diabetes

Predominantly, diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas. The pancreas is responsible for the production and excretion of the hormone insulin. Insulin is vital to the efficient operation of many of the organs within our entire system.

Some people do not produce enough insulin within the body for their everyday use. Others, they produce enough, it is just their body has lost its capability of utilizing that insulin which is there. Either way, your cells themselves are starving for an influx of insulin within their boundaries.

How Does Food Factor Into The Equation

Although the pancreas is responsible for the production and excretion of insulin, none of this is possible without the presence of food. Our digestive system takes the foods which we eat and breaks them down into its component parts. Then each of our body's cells, organs etc. pulls the "parts" they need for efficient operation.

Actually the whole process is like one big machine. If any part in the cycle fails, it throws off the balance of the whole machine. Diabetes therefore is like a "failed part" in the operation of our machine - the human body.

What Should I Put On My Plate

Many factors go into the health of our system. Reversing diabetes though  (type 2 or gestational diabetes predominantly) is often possible by just staging the correct building blocks going into our mouth which sets the correct principles in motion. All of this can easily be accomplished though by filling your plate and feeding your body the foods which stage efficient digestion.

Most of the foods you need on your plate you are probably already using. The problem the majority of the time though is the excessive quantities of poor food choices, the frequency of poor food choices and the incorrect cooking methods leading to poor nutritional benefits in our system.

So diagram your plate out in your head each and every meal into a final picture which looks like this.

One half of your dinner plate should always be fruits and vegetables. At least 1/2 of those need to be raw and organic, if at all possible (to receive the maximum allottment of vitamins, minerals and nutrients which are the highest in fresh produce). Next fill 1/4 of the plate with a good quality source of lean protein and the second quarter with a good source of beans, legumes and some whole grains. Always include a small serving of good quality fats (extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, extra virgin coconut oil, raw nuts and or seeds etc) with every single meal also for efficient digestion. Add a side of fresh water for hydration and you now have the ideal formula for good digestion.

Mix and match all of the different selections, add a couple of good quality daily snacks for variety and soon you will find lower numbers at your next doctor's appointment on your blood pressure levels, cholesterol, triglycerides, A1C hemoglobin test and best of all those scales will start going down without you even trying to lose weight.

The ultimate advantage to all this, a reduction in your medications is the next step you and your doctor will be able to talk about for your benefit only though with their guidance.

Personal Day - Part 2

As I stated in my first post, motivation I had plenty of (I felt, looked, acted and was just downright miserable).

 Being a type 2 diabetic on a continuous downward spiral even when I did follow all of the doctor's orders was not only disheartening, it was so very depressing. I spent over a decade going from doctor to doctor, trying each for a year to 4 years, trying to find something new which could help me find a way out of this trap.

And all I ever heard, as the complications stacked up, the disease progressed, and my medications and dosages increased higher and higher, was the continuous refrain, "You're just not trying hard enough!" To be honest, it made me want to get up and slap them! These people had no idea just how hard I was trying!

But the years went by and I kept searching anyway. It was obvious it was either find someone who could help or I was going to be a "basket case" before I made it to 60 years of age anyway. One day, at one of those new doctors, I was given a name with the message I doubt he can see you anyway.

This gentleman was a Holistic physician with training in Functional Medicine also.  For me, it turned out to be the answers I sought, but yes, the referring physician was right, I couldn't get in. But thank God the referring physician convinced this other doctor to accept me as his patient anyway.

Functional medicine, many people have never heard of it, was the start of a new life, one where I was shown that promise is available if I am willing to apply the principles of this program to my diagnosis. But after one doctor's appointment which lasted me over 4 hours of nothing but conversation, I knew I had found my way, hope was springing in my mind as the hours went by. This doctor had no idea at that time but he had a new patient which was so determined this may as well have been day one of my life. I was going to make this work, I did not care how often he mentioned many people find it difficult since it is a complete lifestyle change. Hope had sprung and I could see a way!

Now, it's 16 months later. During this time we have isolated food allergies (often common to a diabetic but you never knew it) plus environmental and chemical allergies and intolerances my body has been fighting. All of these combined were helping to feed my difficulties with my blood sugars.
After the answers were found, with this new lifestyle plan my body dropped weight as if by magic. Pound after pound dropped and I was eating more food than I had been for so many decades. Blood pressure stabilized, cholesterol and triglycerides plummeted, medications continuously kept disappearing. My body was healing and along with it my attitude towards life.

Life was once again worth getting up for every day. I now had the energy and drive to actually do it.

Functional medicine is a new way of living your life. That means it's new to us but guess what, your grandparents and their parents and their parents ... they all lived this way every single day. Therefore it's not a new program, it's an old program which has been thrown away in the hustle and bustle of today. Getting back to your ancestors daily habits is the road out of the troubles this disease contributes to our society today.

The best news of all, this basic program is available to everyone, right from your own home. How can I say that, because in the last 16 months I have actually only had 2 doctor's appointments. My initial visit and one more for follow-up testing. Although it is a new program for most, it is not difficult. All it needs is taking the time to learn how your grandparents used to spend their days.

I personally am one, if they could do it, so can I!

 For your sake, if diabetes is your current nemesis, please take the time, look up Functional medicine, read about it and start making your own dreams come true. You do not have to get up and live your life miserable every single day. Follow along with me also, read the information on my website, add it to your daily life. Little baby steps do add up also. It is not necessary to throw your entire lifestyle away today if you are more comfortable with walking your way up the "rungs of the ladder" to achieve better health.

If you need help, a friend, some support in your quest, I am here. Never be to shy to reach out and let someone else help you through the struggle. You will soon find, the struggle turns into a new way. The burden falls away and the enjoyment in life once again can be new and tangible in your daily life also.

David vs Goliath

Today I am going to take a small break in my routine... continue my blog the next time... because I have some information I wish every single person in this world could hear and know.

It is no secret to anyone which follows me where my feelings stand on this issue. But I believe in being fair. I do give a report on both sides of the issue on my websites. If you need and want more information, it is there. But for today, I posted this on my current events blog for today. I also wish to post it here. It needs the visibility because it is every Americans right to know.

Therefore please take the time to read it, understand it, or if you need to know more you can ask me or follow along on the website address I give you at the bottom of this article. There is several very large, very dependable organizations, many call them grassroots organizations, which are researching and advising us the consumer of the information.  We do have a right to know, but this information  has been and they still are trying to require it  not be made public to the general consumer.

September 17,2012

Information Source: Natural News, online resource for news and important information relevant to the actual consumer AND site owner's opinion.

The Skeletons Coming Out Of The Closet?

The actual voting on Prop 37 this Fall in the state of California is heating up as the corporate giant Monsanto is seemingly showing their true colors.

Monsanto is the largest corporation in the world with a vested interest in the US never having GMO on a food label. You see, Monsanto has no desire to let the general public know we are actually eating "doctored and engineered food". There's very little actual real food in the supply chain anymore. Corporate America has figured out ways to change it to bring them a monetary advantage.

So, if you purchase your food from any grocery store, from many farmer's markets, from a lot of those farmers on their own personal property and even if you now get it online... the chances you are getting some of "Monsanto's Specials" are greater than you are getting the old and real versions your grandparents used to eat.

You may not live in California and figure this whole debate has nothing to do with you, let them worry about it. But, this is one of those cases of David (us general consumers) versus Goliath
(the majority of corporate America) where without solidarity now, we are going to continually be served up tainted food on an even larger and grander scale in the upcoming future.

It's no secret to anyone familiar with my websites, I gave up that food entirely 15 months ago. I research every piece of food which goes into my mouth to confirm to myself I am not getting any of the "Frankenfoods" as they are called. That might sound like a pain but healthwise, since that stuff is out of my life, I am healthier now than I have been in the last 58 years of my life.

So, if you are unfamiliar with the current events surrounding this story, please take the time and do familiarize yourself for your sake, your children's sake and your grandchildren's sake. I am not a corporate America guinea pig and if you actually realized what is going on, I don't think you want to be one either.

Check here for some more information important to you and your family, get informed and when the time comes that your advice and vote is needed, please let the whole world know we are not a test subject for corporate America while they line their pockets with our health and our gold.


Monsanto supported GMO labeling in Europe, but not in US

Personal Day

Today I want to tell you a little bit about me. After reading it, I think you will understand a little better why this quest has become one of my missions in life.

Yes, it's a personal tale - all true. Many of the things I will tell you, 99% of the females, and many males would never admit. But I want everyone to realize where and why I do what I do. If I can help even one more person to find a way to get out of the rut they are stuck in with either of these conditions (allergies or diabetes), then I know I have finally gave them hope. Because last year, someone gave me that hope. I am still using it to try to finish my quest.

Yes, I am a female. Thirty plus years ago I had emergency back surgery. While still in recovery, the physician kept repeatedly asking me a question. I didn't understand a word he said. I could just tell he seemed to be so Urgent with the question, I thought there was a problem but I was still too sleepy to care.

Turns out, the hospital I was at was a teaching hospital also. The normal routine after surgery, the "parts" removed, if possible, were always packed up and returned to the patient as a souvenir. Well, this physician, being the head of his department, wanted to keep my parts. It was necessary to get my permission though so they could be taken away and prepared correctly to prevent deterioration. He kept them anyway, hoping I would agree later to allow the hospital to keep them.

Why the urgency? I am a big girl - put mildly. My body, according to this physician, is bigger than anybody's he's ever seen in over 40 years of surgery. Why is that an advantage - to him at least. Because as I stated, this is a teaching hospital. They can teach and train all the new students the inner and out workings of the spine without even using a microscope. My frame is so large, the details so well-defined, a microscope is not needed. He was praying therefore I would turn down the offer of the souvenir!

Why is this so important? A large frame means extra body weight. I have always been about 100 lbs heavier than most people would guess. My entire life I have had people mention the scales must be broke. They are always so embarrassed when reading the weight because they were sure that number couldn't possibly be right. It always was!

So, being overweight to start because of bone size and then with the advancing years, tacking on more weight because of health problems, put mildly, I did rival the Good Year blimp.

Now, no I did not like this. I actually figured out at a very young age there was something wrong with all the members of my family. At this young of an age, everyone called it Diabetes. I was too young though to figure out what that meant, I just knew I wasn't going to get it. Oh the dreams and ambitions of preschoolers.

But, I was determined, my parents saw that. I was not going to get this disease which was ravaging my family, my extended family and even the people who lived in our apartment when we were kids. Yes, it is a lifestyle disease (type 2). But to a kid stuck in a poor environment, limited funds and only certain foods available to eat, I actually had no idea all my determination was for nothing because unless something major changed, I was going to get it anyway. I did, with a vengence.

Over a decade came and went. I now had it and it just kept getting worse. Doctor after doctor told me how, what and why I was to do certain things and it would help to slow the progression and help alleviate the symptoms. I became a one-man working machine to get rid of diabetes. Where did that end up?

Last spring, I was now on 580 units of insulin every single day, close to 150 lbs overweight (plus that extra hundred because of my large body frame, remember), I had no energy, my muscles and joints were in constant pain ( neuropathy), failing eyesight... there was just one long list of  one symptom after another. And all I could think is I have spent over 50 years of my life now preventing this from ever happening. What a joke that was.

Check back next time and I'll explain how and where I did find my hope, my help!

Emotional Eating - Breaking The Ties

Have you ever noticed, we as a people seem to believe food is a reward system?

When you were a baby and you cried, you got a bottle. As a toddler, create a fuss, you get juice. As you grew up, the little zip lock bag full of Cheerios or animal crackers was always along for the ride.

We again, as a people seem to think food solves all the ills of our everyday world!

But did you ever stop to think just what are we teaching that child?

You are teaching them within the very first days of their life that comfort food will solve every problem you have as you grow up. Is that really what you intended?

How To Curb The Urge

Emotional eating is a means to an end. Granted it is a positive response and don't we all appreciate the positive more than the negative? But those lessons we were taught as a child, now that you are all grown up, have left you with a lifetime of bad habits and poor nutrition. Our emotional triggers are what defines our daily health. Bad habits learned and carried through the years have now left you sitting in a doctor's office with the diagnosis you dread more than anything else - Diabetes.

But breaking those bad habits now are going to mean the difference between you living out the rest of your life in the constant presence of one more medical doctor or you enabling your body to learn how to control those urges and desires to afford you a better future health.

Here is a list of enablers. That means these suggestions, if followed religiously, will help you achieve a positive response without the use of food as your defense mechanism.

• To start, we all have that picture of ourselves we hate more than anything else. Place it in a dominant area, right on the front door of your refrigerator so every time you open that door, you are also staring at that picture. Yes, it may be nasty, but yes, guilt is a fantastic motivator.
• Next, get constructive/get busy. Pre-plan right now what you are going to do with your hands EVERY single time you get the urge to have just that one bite. For some, it may be pick up the telephone, for others, grab your knitting needles and knit a sweater. Whether you will shovel dirt to work in your garden, grab papers and make copys from the copier at work, type up the next chapter of your own biography; grab a book and read to your child, go take a bath, take the dog for another walk, whatever your desire is, have that motivation in your mind BEFORE the mood strikes. When it does, you already know what you will be doing with your time, and fingers.
• Utilize the buddy system. Talk to a friend or another family member. When the urge strikes so hard even your pre-planned project isn't going to stop you from eating, call this person and talk for at least 10 minutes. The human brain is wired, any kind of temptation will usually pass within 10 minutes. If you can hold out for that long, the urge to splurge will no longer seem as important after those few minutes have gone by.
•  Stop starving yourself all day long so you can be famished by nighttime. So many people believe if they skip breakfast and lunch, just eat dinner, they can avoid a whole host of extra calories. Your body is not wired that way and all of your rationalizations aren't going to change that.

        Starting today, every 2-3 hours you will be eating something high in good quality protein and excellent fats. Grab a piece of oven roasted chicken or turkey (no skin preferably), a 1/2 cup of lowfat cottage cheese, some raw vegetables with a side of hummus or fresh salsa, some celery, cucumber or apple slices with almond butter, a handful of raw seeds and nuts, a hard-boiled egg. Solutions for quality protein and excellent fats are limitless. Then at your mealtimes, include the same types of foods with good quality carbohydrates. These are needed to give your body an unlimited source of energy to get through your days. You can actually feed your body constantly with the right type of foods and the pounds will just melt off all on their own anyway. Your problem has never been you eat too much, you just eat all the wrong kinds of food.

And finally, have a drink - 6-8 times a day at least. And no, that's not alcohol. Plain old-fashioned water is your destination. If you want flavors, add a squirt of fresh lemons or limes. Or you could throw in a few pieces of smashed fresh berries for flavor, without the extra calories, sugars and chemical additives common to every other kind of man-made drink there is on the market.

The trick here is to isolate your triggers. Know in advance just what is your downfall and then you can plan for it by having a healthier alternative already available. That diagnosis of diabetes does not have to be a beginning to a lifetime of poor health, future medical complications and a bottomless pit of money constantly being shelled out for doctors, drugs and supplies, it can be a new awakening to a different type of life. Aren't you interested enough in letting you control your foods, not the foods you eat controlling you?

New To The Diagnosis?

The world is full of type 2 diabetics and the numbers are growing more and more. We all know that - we've heard it in the news all the time. And yet, now your doctor has said it to you, now it affects you. You're sitting there thinking about all the horror stories you've heard in your life about diabetes and all of a sudden you feel so alone and so terribly scared!

First thing, guilt isn't going to get you anywhere, forget it. I'm not saying you personally did not contribute to this diagnosis, but a guilty conscience isn't going to help any now. Use this guilt though as a building block towards your future treatment and recovery plan.

Your New Basics

Next, forget all the horror stories about you can never have pizza and ice cream, a piece of cake or a cookie. Other than the fact it's not true, it's scare tactics. You don't need scare tactics right now, you need facts.

And personally, I believe the number one fact you have got to realize, and change - we all do it after all - we use food as a means of entertainment.

 Food is Fuel For Our Body, nothing more, nothing less.

 But no, we use it when we're depressed, when we are bored, when we are happy, when we are at a business luncheon or a party. See, all some kind or form of entertainment.

The problem though, the right foods give you good health, the wrong foods, well you just got the diagnosis. The wrong foods can actually lead to a lifetime of illness and disease. So from here on out your responsibility to yourself is just to figure out what are the right foods and use them a whole lot more often than you do the wrong foods.

Now that basic plan of action sounds good for the diabetic, doesn't it? And yes, it sounds relatively simple in words. But execution, so much "stuff" gets in the way of good intentions.

• our emotions (happy, sad, bored)
• our eyes (boy, doesn't that look good)
• our lack of knowledge about the basics of nutrition
• our location (stand inside of a working bakery and the sights, the sounds and the smells - see what your mind wants to do then)

You get the idea here, our daily life is full of triggers which make us accept the opposite of what we know to be the ideal. And so, for most people, the worst part of this diagnosis means you have got to learn to trust your mind and control your instincts.

Yes, it's not easy. And yes, it is possible. For now, just remember those words.  If you take nothing else away with you today -  just remember, It Is Possible!

The Transition To A Whole Foods Diet

Are you thinking about changing to a whole foods, plant-based diet? For the best results, for most people, take it slow and make a few small changes over time. This not only allows you and the other family members time to become adjusted to the change of selections, it also usually resolves the mutiny from your digestive system itself.

But remember this, with each step you take, this is absolutely a 2 step process you must adhere to. Don't forget to make your transition by:

1. Eliminating the harmful foods now in your current diet
2. Always choose a healthy alternative to replace it with

Following these two stages will result in a markedly improved healthier and more energetic body in your near distant future.

Harmful Foods To Eliminate

How do you know what is harmful when you are in the grocery store?

The easiest way, ask yourself these three questions. If your selection passes all three tests, go ahead and place it in your cart. You are probably safe to consider that item as a part of your new whole foods lifestyle.

• Check the ingredient label of every package you pick up. If there is a list of food dyes or colorings, additives and preservatives (most of these are all those names you don't recognize), artificial sweeteners or any added flavorings, put the item back on the shelf.
• Over-processed food ingredients which our digestive system no longer recognizes as food includes white flours, white rice, white pastas, alternative sugars or artificial sweeteners etc.. Avoid them all.
• Comfort foods for most people all fall into the same category. These include "crutch foods" we use to make us feel better, happier, wake us up, give us energy, reduce our stress, provide relaxation or any type of product used as a mood-enhancing agent. Coffee, teas, artificial sweeteners, ice creams, cookies, cakes and pies, candy or low quality chocolate selections... this list can just keep going on and on. These are all nothing but a wrapper full of calories with very little to no nutrition. Coffee and tea varieties must be handled carefully because these are a form of diuretics in the body. Over-consumption can lead to a whole host of other health complications.

Although every one of these types of food products do solve an immediate need in your body, none of them are doing anything to prolong your dream of better health.

Your Choice Of Healthy Alternatives

Now you know what to eliminate, here is what you add back. Remember though, each day as you remove one avoidance food (group), add back a healthier alternative which your digestive system accepts as a true food.

• alternative grains such as buckwheat, quinoa, millet, oats, almond flour or coconut flour or if you are not gluten sensitive look for all 100% whole grains
• raw nuts and seeds
• fresh organic fruits and vegetables
• fresh legumes and beans
• good quality lean sources of protein
• good quality monounsaturated fats or saturated fats (such as extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil) which are sourced directly from nature (no man-made processing was utilized to change any of its characteristics)

While this process may seem so slow and labor-intensive, with time and patience the day will come when you and your entire family realize you are now more energetic with fewer aches and pains, you are actually losing weight (without even trying) and you have fewer doctor's appointments or trips to the pharmacy for minor illnesses and inconveniences.

So, initially, following a whole foods diet plan is going to take some time and effort on every member of the family.
But once you learn this style of offering your body what your ancestors used to thrive on, you will soon realize all the common everyday inconveniences you used to be so tired of, none of these are any longer a part of your life.

Easy & Cheap: Good Health In A Snap

Well, no this might not work for everybody, not quite that quick and easy. But if you happen to be having problems with muscle fatigue, weakness in the limbs, seemingly high occurrences of nuisance medical conditions, you're more depressed than usual or you just feel like it's a case of slowly deteriorating health, then this may be the answer for you. And the best part, yes, it's so super easy to fix!

How To Start On The Right Road

Small local downtowner's and city dwellers, by the numbers get hit the worst from this condition.

What is it? Nothing more strenuous than a lack of mother nature. Quite often this translates into a shortage of vitamin D within your body.

The sunlight itself plus a nice crop of good clean grass is the only prescription which is needed. After all, when you are accustomed to the bright sunny days and it just seems to be raining all the time for a few days to a week, stop and think back to how depressed you get. Our body's thrive on sunlight to aid in lifting our mood, relieve the aches and pains from normal tired muscles and simple arthritis, reduce infection plus it can help to reduce the symptoms of diabetes or heart disease.

Grounding, or the simple act of walking across the grass in your bare feet, is a process where the human body has access to the electrical charge ever-present in the earth's core. Our body is full of electricity same as the earth's core. The two in contact actually generate a friendly healing environment as our cells get help to regenerate themselves all with the compliments of mother nature.

Therefore, a simple walk outdoors on a bright and sunny day, maybe with a short break of laying in the grass and watching the clouds float by during your lunch break, often this is enough to soak up enough sunshine and electricity to charge your cells onward to better health.

No longer should working through lunch to gain those few minutes advantage to be considered a viable step towards winding your way through a day.