Live Long Naturally ©2012

PHARMACEUTICALS… and so the vicious cycle go!

In May 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that overweight and obese individuals are at an increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, some include:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
• Dyslipidemia (examples: high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gall bladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon)

A colored pill can kill! Our food can be our pharmacy and an ongoing source to weight loss and vibrant health. Saying farewell to fast, processed fake foods and hello to real food and balanced meals is a start! Don’t allow the vicious cycle of obesity, disease, and pharmaceuticals to literally stop you dead in your tracks. Obesity as we know, has not yet been labeled a disease, but IT CAN LEAD TO ONE of many.

Medicine cures 3/10, diet cures 7/10  ~Chinese Proverb~

Seasonale is a birth control pill that results in women having only 4 periods per year. On the surface, it sounds great! I have to admit, I took the pill for 10 years myself – it came in real handy for the ease and control of being able to postpone a month of bleeding, especially for special occasions or when traveling. Little did my brain know it would take it’s toll on my body, it’s natural cycles, my liver, and my intuition among other things.

Being blessed with a premenstrual phase and a monthly cycle is a sign of good health. It can be a reason for celebration, reflection, rest and renewal. It is during the premenstrual phase that our intuition and creativity peak… if we allow it. Allowing ourselves a tear (or two) and a period of sensitivity is not only insightful, it can empower us. Some women have come to expect and accept a less than desired “premenstrual” phase. For some this includes painful periods and heavy bleeding, while other women experience fits of rage. This is not the norm! Young or old… diet, exercise and lifestyle can make or break each and every phase we journey through. Whether we are reaching the age of menstruation, are “premenstrual,” or coming to the menopause phase… we can in fact lighten the emotions, mood swings, hot flashes, bloating, and more by feeding our body and not merely our emotions or taste buds.

I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to read the book, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Christiane Northrup, M.D. – a New York Times Bestselling author. Her book goes into fascinating easy to read detail on learning how to embrace every stage of life and be healthy in the process. It goes beyond the doctors office, drugs and surgery. It teaches us how to prevent and heal physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual problems on a deep long lasting once-and-for-all level!

A few tips to get you started include:

• Eliminate (or cut back on) dairy foods, especially ice cream, cottage cheese, and yogurt. If dairy is eaten, eat organic!
• Eliminate (or cut back on) refined carbohydrates such as cookies, cake, chips, crackers, etc.
• Take essential fatty acids in the form of fish oil with Vitamin E, or sardines packed in oil or olive oil 3 x’s/week.
• Eliminate trans-fatty acids, those foods containing partially hydrogenated oils, such as margarine and solid vegetable shortening.

Exercise, sunlight, and journaling are also beneficial to the health of our body, mind, spirit… and as the author states… our magnificent hormones!

It will sooner or later! Preparing your own meals from scratch, will not only help you live long… the chances of dying a slow suicide are drastically less! Eating from the dollar menu may help stretch the dollar now, but you will pay later with pharmaceuticals, hospital bills and your life. A dollar menu “treat” once in a blue moon won’t do a whole lot of damage, however… be careful! The cheap ingredients and chemicals are addicting and fattening!

It is what we do most hours of the day and days of the week that count. Far too many people are digging their graves with their teeth and not giving it a second thought. Not only that… we are entering a time where parents are outliving their children. A woman I met earlier this year told me about a study that was done on a family of 4 generations. Believe it or not the oldest of the 4 generation family was the healthiest of the bunch! Reason for this? The food they ate growing up was real – there wasn’t a fast food place on practically every corner, meals were not microwaved, food was grown, not sprayed and shipped in for miles.

It is possible to eat tasty healthy food for less – simply shop the outer walls of the grocery store and buy in bulk when possible. Community Sustained Agriculture (CSA’s), CoOp’s, Produce Swapping are other options as well. Localharvest.org has a list of places in your area. Some families do what’s called “cow-pooling.” Buy your beef straight from farmer and divvy up!

Before you eat, ask yourself how a certain food or drink will make you look and feel. And remember what you do on your birthday and special occasion can and should be a treat!

Are you left scratching your head on why puffy eyes and/or under eye bags linger? If so, you’re not alone! I recently consulted with a man who wore sunglasses indoors at night because of the puffiness under his eyes. He had been to two specialist who, surprise SURPRISE, offered no help whatsoever. If the root cause is not discovered, the problem will exist. The external problem is the lesser of the evils. Your body is trying to tell you something!

In just a short amount of time, I discovered this young man was a teetotaler, which is a great thing. However… it could have detrimental effects if the tea bag is left to brew. Tea brewing/steeping varies in time, though 3 to 4 minutes is plenty! Another culprit I discovered was that he ate far too much soy sauce. I for one have had to cancel portraits for this very reason. I was puffed up from head to toe, that I was practically unrecognizable!

There can be a variety of reasons why we get puffy eyes… sugar and late night eating are a few other culprit!s One thing I have learned with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is… the skin below the eyes corresponds to the kidneys, so it would be wise to enlighten your doctor (or under eye bag/circle “specialist”) on this. Brace yourself and bite your tongue on their response and know… it’s better to be happy than right!

Know what lurks in your neighborhood? Health issues got you down and can’t seem to find any improvement with diet, detox or pharmaceuticals? Are colds, flu, aches and pains a constant problem? Are you sick and tired of looking and feeling sick and tired?

Cell towers, cell reception, hidden antennas and more could very well be the culprit of many health conditions, disease and overall sense of blah. A plethora of information can be found on existing towers, future towers, and antennas – a free online source of detailed information on millions of towers and antennas here in the U.S. Includes Google Maps and detailed data downloads for your neighborhood and beyond.

If improving your health is not of importance, it can be used to check cell phone coverage before signing up for service.