Live Long Naturally ©2012

A study done at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center found that U.S. girls continue to reach puberty at an earlier age. They also state they haven’t a clue why, but state obesity may be a culprit. They’re calling it a trend. What they may consider doing is comparing girls who eat non-organic foods to those who eat only organic. They may be surprised to find that the hormones and steroids used to “pump up” the animals larger and faster may very well be doing the same thing to young girls. Not only will they reach puberty sooner, menstruation, perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause equally be affected not as nature intended.

I’ve seen young loved ones go from being optimal weight on an organic diet to becoming obese and developing breasts practically overnight, with that comes the onset of menstruation. Where is the childhood in that? It doesn’t end with girls or women in general, men and boys are growing breasts and prostrate cancer is on the rise. What hormones and steroids do to animals, they do to humans with an even more  detrimental health effect. The amount of money saved in buying non-organic can cost you your life. Why age faster and die sooner when we can live long strong naturally healthy lives?

A higher body mass can be a culprit, but the real culprit lies in the food causing the obesity and the early onset of puberty.

Not sure what constitutes a serving size? Super sized servings have practically become the norm these days. However, when real food is eaten, it takes a lot less real food to feel satisfied than it does processed food. The later leaves you wanting more – the chemicals in them were designed to not only make you fat, but get you addicted.

Ann Louise Gittleman, author of best selling Fat Flush Plan, has a clever way of eyeballing serving sizes. These are given to her clients as a way to recognize average sized portions. A deck of cards is the example she uses to approximate chicken, beef, or fish. The size of a tennis ball is used to imagine serving size for vegetables and starchy foods, such as corn, potatoes, or pasta. A three to one ratio is suggested for vegetables to starchy foods. Oil used in cooking can be seen as the size of a quarter being equal to one teaspoon. These visual estimates become second nature in helping a person eat a balanced meal.

And whatever you do when planning/serving your meals, aim to balance them with complex carbohydrates (the healthy grains), fat, and protein. A good rule of thumb and overall average based on several sources is 40-30-30 ratio to carbs, fats, and protein.

Bon Apetit!

Ann Louise Gittleman, author of bestselling Fat Flush Plan refers to yo-yo dieting as a schizophrenic eating habit – Scientists have referred to it as the yo-yo syndrome. Syndrome or schizophrenia, it is not healthy and can actually make a person fat. Many people, some of my clients included, weight themselves e-v-e-r-y single day. I’ve seen it drive them absolutely crazy, despite their clothes fitting perfectly well.

When a person makes a habit of dieting, the body cannot distinguish between dieting and famine, it reacts to protect the individual by slowing down their metabolism and becoming more efficient at storing fat. Another end result of yo-yo dieting is that it increases the risk for heart disease. Heart disease, by the way, is the #1 killer among women. And who are the ones that diet more often than not? Women.

Our best bet is to simply strive to eat healthy most hours of the day and days of the week. When we eat healthy, weight will never be an issue!

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~