Live Long Naturally ©2012

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!

Susan G. Komen and KFC have joined forces in raising money to “find a cure.” Enough with the “cure!”  - how about prevention and/or showing us where the billions of dollars are going?

Buy a breast and save a breast? I don’t think so… it’s more like… buy a bucket of chicken and kick the bucket! More than a billion dollars have been raised via Susan G. Komen and the various manufacturers and/or food companies. A marketing match made in heaven – a win-win money making venture? A “cure” should involve health, not WEALTH!

As if these “opposites attract” joint ventures weren’t enough, many continue to “Race for the Cure” and/or give to what they feel is a worthy cause. It can be worthy, however… doing your homework as to where the money is going or when a ” cure” will be found ought be done. Somewhere somehow the pink ribbon marketing gurus have succeeded in brainwashing millions of people into buying and giving more.

Please know… I am not against helping any one person or organization, but it shouldn’t solely be for the sheer pleasure of helping. I believe in helping people who help themselves. Fried chicken among other fund raising products, is not a step toward a cure. Many people are already digging their graves with their teeth – they don’t need anymore enticing! Consideration must be given to prevention firstly and secondly to real cures, not some mere pink bucket of chicken.

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!