Mind Over Platter

20 reasons to lose weight

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:00:26 GMT

Here is a good resource to read to help motivate you to make health your highest priority. This was sent by the creators of FORM a weight loss product I have been testing: http://1553054.myo3world.com./

20 Diseases and Conditions Directly Attributable to Being Overweight<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Obesity is a growing concern in the United States; overweight rates have doubled among children and tripled among adolescents. This increases the number of years that they are exposing themselves to dangerous health risks associated with obesity.

Here are 20 diseases or conditions that can be attributed to obesity:

1. Diabetes, a disorder where the pancreas is not producing enough or sometimes not any insulin. Diabetes can lead to a whole host of other medical issues and obesity is one of the main causes.

2. Cancer has many different forms and types; many of them could be prevented with more attention to eating healthily and avoiding obesity.

3. Congestive heart failure is a condition in which your heart can’t pump enough blood to your body’s other organs.

4. Enlarged heart is another heart condition where the muscle of your heart becomes larger due to being overworked, which naturally happens if you are overweight.

5. Pulmonary embolism is a sometimes fatal blockage of an artery. Being overweight causes most people to reduce activity, and after time lack of activity can result in an embolism.

6. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition in which cysts develop in your ovaries. These can burst, causing even further problems.

7. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease happens when stomach acid and juices flow from your stomach back up into your esophagus. It is common in overweight people.

8. Fatty liver disease is a reversible condition in which large pockets of fat accumulate in liver cells.

9. A hernia is caused when the hole in the diaphragm weakens and enlarges.

10. Erectile dysfunction is the inability to develop or maintain an erection, which can be caused by a medical problem due to obesity.

11. Urinary incontinence is the inability to control urination. It is frequently associated with obesity, weak bladder and pelvic floor muscles

12. Chronic renal failure, meaning your kidneys fail to work, is a much greater risk to those who are overweight or obese.

13. Lymph edema is a condition that occurs from a damaged or dysfunctional lymphatic system, sometimes caused by people suffering from obesity actually crushing their own lymphatics.

14. Cellulitis is a spreading infection, involving both the dermis and subcutaneous skin tissues, resulting from poor lymph flow caused by obesity.

15. Stroke is caused by a lack of blood supply to your brain.

16. Pickwickian syndrome is characterized by sleep apnea resulting from obesity placing an excessive load on your pulmonary system.

17. Depression is a condition where a person feels miserable constantly, even to the point of being suicidal. It can be worse for someone who also has a weight problem.

18. Osteoarthritis is a clinical syndrome in which low-grade inflammation results in pain in your joints. It is caused by abnormal wearing of the cartilage, oftentimes due to obesity.

19. Gout occurs when uric acid accumulates in your blood. Nerve endings then become irritated, causing extreme pain, which is made worse by carrying extra weight.

20. Gallbladder disease commonly affects overweight people as a result of high blood cholesterol levels, which cause gall stones.

According to a Surgeon General report, obesity is responsible for 300,000 deaths every year in the United States.

Sources:

Scientific Laboratory for Food Intolerance

Tags: weight loss, diet, obesity

What are you looking for in a leader?

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:37:34 GMT

Putting aside what you think about the candidates, I am excited and energized by the events of this week. As my friend Paula and I were driving into work we discussed if our children, (ages ranging from 12-28), really understand what a historical week this has been?

It's easy to say, but they have not seen the progress that has been made, they only hear about it. I remember in grade school everyone stopping what they were doing to watch the first man to land on the moon and didn't understand why my teacher was so excited.

When I was in middle school, I was part of an urban-suburban program that forced integration of equal percentages of black and white students. My single mother raised us in a diverse neighborhood in the city and I had a lot of friends growing up, so I didn't know what the big deal was, we were all kids who needed to go to school?

It wasn't until I became an adult and saw how hard people struggled to be treated fairly and how resilient they had to be to overcome the limits that had been in place on them, did I truly appreciate and admire what their accomplishment really meant.

This is a great week in history for all of us, I was touched when Hillary Clinton said her mother was not able to vote and now her daughter voted for her own mother for president. I was moved when Obama accepted his nomination to run for president. His family beaming with pride, their story is incredible. I was touched when I saw Sarah Palin, proudly standing with her family as the vice president candidate. The last time this happened a lot of talk took place discussing if our nation was ready for a woman to have that type of leadership role. Now the talk is about accomplishments of our candidates, which is what I want to know about. Our country has come a long way in just a few decades. Maybe we are ready to admit that the best leaders for our country can be selected by expanding beyond the white male group.

I do not know who I am voting for, I have many questions and need more facts before I can make that decision. What I do know is that this week is a great week in history. I believe God is blessing America. I am hoping that our experienced leaders can work with our visionary leaders to create something amazing.

I am looking for a leader, who is in touch with people like me. A leader that will pick strong leaders to work with to build a rock solid team. A leader with a back bone and wisdom, who will bring back hope in the American dream. It feels like it is slipping away at times. A leader that knows that it is slipping away and cares enough to do what it takes to turn that around. We need a leader who cares about us more than their career and will not let the power feed their ego. I know it is a lot to ask for, but that is what I am looking for in our nation's leader. What are you looking for in our nation's leader?

A Colorful Fat Burning Meal

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:03:39 GMT

When you think of a food that contains fat: olive oil, cheese, nuts, butter, mayonnaise, think of the color orange. The preferred fats are essential fatty acids and most of the ones I listed have protein in then as well.

Do the same thing when you see or think of an impact carb: pasta, potatoes, fruit, desserts, rice, bread, all sweets, peas, corn, beets, etc think of the color blue.

When you see, smell or taste a vegetable think green!

Condition the colors to the food group every chance you get, then when it is time to eat pick one from each group:

Protein (Red) +Fat (Orange) + Impact Carbs (Blue) + Vegetables (Green) = a fat burning meal

Color Coding Meal Planning

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:25:52 GMT

Color Coded MEAL Planning

Think of food in color blocks and only pick one from each category:

Red = Protein: 6 oz of protein based product such as poultry, seafood, beef, pork, eggs, tofu, soy and whey are all examples of protein.

Green = Vegetables: one cup of any vegetable that is not sugar or starch based, (potato, beets, corn and peas have a high sugar content).

Orange = Fat: a moderate serving of fat such as olive oil, butter, mayonnaise, peanut butter, cream cheese, dairy products are all considered sources of fat. I would add cheese and nuts to this category, even though cheese and nuts have protein, if you eat them with something from the Red group, count as fat as well.

Blue = Impact Carbs: one small serving from this group. This is any sugar based food, sucrose (straight sugar like candy and desserts), fructose (fruit, juice and dried fruit), lactose (milk, sweetened yogurt, ice cream , etc) and glucose (flour based products, grains, such as pasta, potatoes, rice, corn, peas, rice, beans, etc)

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Danger of midsection weight gain

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:41:58 GMT

The article was written by my friend, mentor and nutritionist, Valerie Greguire she is a Natural Health Consultant and the owner of Answers for Health. She has given me permission to share this valuable report in it's entirety with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Dangers of Midsection Weight Gain

Special Report

The Danger of Midsection Weight Gain
When we think in terms of being healthy, one of the areas we gauge ourselves on is whether or not we have any diagnosed medical conditions. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and arthritis are all indicators in our mind of our overall health. Another factor in our minds is our overall symptoms; whether or not we have good energy, are able to sleep through the night or get frequent headaches all indicate to us a sense of how healthy we feel. Symptoms are a sign that something is wrong in the body, an indicator that the body is having trouble with a particular function they are not the underlying problem.
As a Natural Health Consultant, I work with my clients to discover the underlying causes for their symptoms and help to assist their body in correcting them. There is one area that is gaining a lot of attention in regard to health; it is the symptom of being overweight. For years people have fought the scales, battled the bulge and gotten frustrated with extra pounds. All in all, it has only been recently that people have begun to truly recognize that these extra pounds are a symptom of much bigger health problems on the rise. It is time to look at the fat building up on your waistline for what it is, dangerous unhealthy fat, and a precursor to disease.
An often overlooked culprit in heart disease and diabetes is the connection between the growing fat stores around your abdomen and these diseases
When your waist circumference reaches over 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men, there is a very good likelihood that you are climbing the path towards diabetes. According to the national health and nutrition examination survey in 1999-2002, one-third of the adults with diabetes didn't know they had it. That's over 6 million people. This increased fat in your midsection is tied to a condition that carries many names called: Insulin Resistance Syndrome, Syndrome X, Metabolic Syndrome, Impaired Glucose Tolerance, or Pre-Diabetes. It is marked by:

Abdominal obesity

Elevated levels of triglycerides

Low levels of HDL "good" cholesterol

High blood pressure

High blood sugar levels

Waist circumference of over 35 inches for women and over 40 inches for men

Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is the precursor to diabetes and heart disease. It puts you at a three-fold greater risk for heart attack, and a greater risk for stroke and diabetes. It can be the trigger that causes arterial plaque to build up on the arteries. What surprises me is that so many of my clients have been diagnosed with HBP, high cholesterol and triglycerides but have never been told by their doctor any thing about insulin resistance and the importance of doing something about it immediately. I think this may be because so many doctors do not stay up with current scientific research and are not themselves that familiar with the connection or with the proper ways to test and diagnose the condition.
If you have insulin resistance, your muscle, fat, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. The pancreas tries to keep up with the demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas cannot keep up with the body's need for insulin, and excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream. People with insulin resistance have high levels of blood glucose and high levels of insulin circulating in their blood at the same time. Too much insulin floating aroundin your bloodstream creates inflammation in the body.

Inflammation

* Damages the walls of the arteries triggering plaque to be deposited on them.
* Damages the eyes and kidneys for those who suffer from diabetes
* Impairs normal filtering of the kidneys so that uric acid crystals can develop into kidney stones
* Causes the blood-brain barrier to become "leaky" and allow toxins to enter the brain easier. This has been tied into neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease
* Accelerates aging and age-related diseases
* Excess insulin in your blood due to insulin resistance causes many other problems for the cells in the body.
Some of these are:
The formation of cysts on the ovaries in PCOS syndrome
Overall hormonal imbalances like those of the adrenal glands which help control inflammation, and prolactin from the pituitary gland that governs menstruation and is tied into infertility.
An increase in insulin resistance when men go through andropause (the equivalent to menopause in women). It is tied into both erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels.
Increased problems and symptoms associated with menopause
Additional inflammation of the joints
Thyroid dysfunction which is a serious consequence of insulin resistance. It causes the cells in the body to become resistant and non-responding to the thyroid hormone.
More difficulty in losing weight and slowing the metabolism
An increase of the synthesis of triglycerides and cholesterol
Hopefully you are opening your eyes to why this excess weight in the midsection is dangerous. Now what do we do about it?
In order to increase the sensitivity of your cells to insulin (which will lower the excess sugar in your blood that causes inflammation) you need to make some lifestyle changes and in most cases add in some nutritional supplements as well.

Nutritional Supplements

Lifestyle Changes

Insulin sensitivity is improved when people exercise or partake in physical activity for at least 30 minutes and preferably 60 minutes each day
Adding in 20 minutes of strength training twice weekly can greatly accelerate your results
Weight loss will yield dramatic results in improving insulin resistance and reducing inflammation - it's time to take weight loss seriously!

Learn to eat a truly healthy diet. This will take some work, some self-education and some major adjustments to diet, but keep it up! High fiber foods, raw nuts and seeds, lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains are good examples of healthy foods. I suggest you do some homework on the Mediterranean diet which has been found to be very effective in lowering insulin resistance. There are lots of cook books on the subject and articles on the Internet to help guide you. I also suggest you visit a great website for a magazine I found called Clean Eating. You can visit their site at http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/
In addition to healthy foods, pay close attention to increasing your fiber consumption. Soluble fiber is known to increase insulin response and lower inflammation. Loclo is a high fiber supplement that you can take daily to supplement your dietary intake. It was designed to also help lower cholesterol (stock # 1348-4)
Lower your stress levels and nutritionally support high stress that cannot be avoided. Excessive stress increases insulin resistance. My favorite stress- fighting formula is Nutri-Calm (Stock #1617-3)
Get a good night's sleep. Chronic lack of a good night's sleep impairs insulin function and raises cortisol levels. My favorite sleep-enhancing formula is Herbal Sleep (Stock # 940-8)
Caffeine and tobacco worsen insulin resistance so discontinue or drastically cut back on these. Green tea, which is low in caffeine, is a good alternative to coffee.

Clean Eating Magazine

Nutritional Supplements

If you are already insulin resistant, have high stress and have had a less then perfect diet, it only makes sense that you would be deficient in nutrients that help your body to balance blood sugar levels. The following are my favorite supplements for assisting the body in correcting insulin resistance:

Magnesium is necessary for the action of insulin and manufacture of insulin. When you raise your insulin, you lose magnesium, and the cells become even more insulin resistant. When you lose magnesium, your blood vessels constrict. This causes an increase in blood pressure and a reduction in energy since intracellular magnesium is required for all energy producing reactions that take place in the cell. The blood vessels constrict, and glucose and insulin can't get to the tissue, which makes them more insulin resistant, so the insulin levels go up and you lose more magnesium. Chocolate is high in magnesium, therefore, the lack of magnesium is a very common reason for this craving. Magnesium is needed to relax nerves and muscles. When someone is low in magnesium they often suffer from several of the following symptoms: muscle cramps, nervous irritability, menstrual cramps, tension headaches, constipation, muscle tightness, and feeling uncomfortable around big crowds of people. (Stock # 1786-6, a total of 500-750 mg. per day is recommended, make sure to include what you already take in your multiple vitamin daily)

SugarReg - This combination is excellent for helping to reverse insulin resistance in the body. The herbs help to increase insulin sensitivity in the cells, reduce cravings for sugar and carbohydrates, and keep blood sugar stable which reduces cravings between meals. This formula contains both chromium and vanadium, key minerals in regulating insulin function. The herb banaba is added to this formula as it contains an anti- diabetic agent that has been shown to exert insulin like properties. Another herb, gymnena sylvestre helps regulate fluctuating blood sugar levels, and fenugreek is added to help bring down high sugar levels. If you are on the borderline between low blood sugar and insulin resistance you can still use this formula. (Stock # 927-1)

Ultimate GreenZone - A diet that causes weight gain and insulin resistance also causes the body to become more acidic. We need more alkalizing foods and foods high in potassium to bring the body back into balance. It takes a while to incorporate new eating habits and we don't always have the best choices available, so I recommend Ultimate GreenZone to supplement your diet with life-giving alkalizing green foods. The foods in this product are also high in inflammation-fighting antioxidants, and health promoting fiber. (Stock # 1099-1)

Vitamin D3 - In addition to all the great benefits this vitamin offers, a deficiency in it also contributes to insulin resistance. It is also gaining recognition for controlling inflammation in the body. We all need to add D3 to our daily vitamin protocol. (#Stock #1155- 1)

Zinc - Often overlooked in blood sugar balancing, zinc plays a very important role. Zinc is a component of over 200 enzymes in the body. It is necessary for the proper function of hormones including insulin and thyroid hormone, both of which are involved in weight loss. A deficiency in zinc will create cravings for carbohydrates and particularly wheat. Understanding that a chromium deficiency can also contribute to similar cravings, we need to be aware of other symptoms that a zinc deficiency can cause. Most common are: skin problems such as acne, eczema, dermatitis, rashes, and hives, slow to heal wounds, white spots on the finger nails, weak immunity, frequent cold sores, and loss of the ability to taste or smell. Take 30-50 mg. daily; check your multiple vitamin to see how much is in there before supplementing. (Stock # 1657-9)

Carbo-Grabbers - This contains a starch-blocking enzyme inhibitor from the white kidney bean. This dietary supplement blocks the absorption of carbohydrates such as those from breads, pasta, rice or cereals by up to 66%. Carbo-grabbers can be taken before meals when you do not have the ability to avoid excess starches, or to help during transition times in your diet. Carbo Grabbers can help assist in weight loss and balancing insulin levels. (Stock #2954-6) Note: do not take with any protease containing enzymes like Proactazyme Plus as it will inactivate the starch blocking enzyme inhibitor.

Identifying the Risk factors: Lab Tests for insulin levels and what they show:

Fasting glucose: Your blood glucose level should be lower after several hours without eating. After an overnight fast, the normal level is below 100 mg/dL. If it is in the 100 to 125 mg/dL range, you have impaired fasting glucose or pre-diabetes. A result of 126 or higher, if confirmed on a repeat test, indicates diabetes. This test alone is not sufficient to tell the whole story. In early insulin resistance, the body overcompensates by producing excessive amounts of insulin in order to bring the blood sugar level down to normal (see insulin test below).

The 2-hour glucose tolerance is 3.5 times more sensitive than the fasting glucose level. Your blood is drawn to check the sugar level and then you drink a sugar solution and the blood is redrawn 2 hours later. Your blood glucose level will be higher after drinking a sugar solution, but it should still be below 140 mg/dL 2 hours after the drink. If it is higher than normal (in the 140 to 199 mg/dL range) 2 hours after drinking the solution, you have insulin resistance. A level of 200 or higher, if confirmed, means diabetes is already present.

Insulin Level testing is an additional step that can be done to really get a clear picture of the problem. By measuring the ratio of insulin to glucose, this test shows how much insulin your body is putting out to bring the blood sugar level to normal. For example, someone with a fasting blood sugar level of 100 may look normal, but not if it required the body to produce 50 units of insulin to bring that level to normal, compared to someone else who needed to produce only 20 units.

C-reactive protein test (CRP) measures the levels of inflammation in the body. Hidden inflammation is a factor in insulin resistance and a strong marker for the likelihood of heart attacks and diabetes.

In conclusion, I hope I have opened your eyes to the fact that the weight gain around your mid-section is not just an annoying aggravation, but more importantly a sign that your body is out of balance and desperately needs to become healthier. I encourage you to make a commitment today towards health, wellness and a life free of disease.

For fact sheets on products recommended http://www.mynsp.com/smith25/Products/Search.aspx

Valerie Greguire, Natural Health Consultant, CH, Herbal Answers for Health

Tags: belly fat, midsection weight gain

Unique way to lose weight

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:50:51 GMT

Unique Weight Loss Product:

I have NEVER done this before. I am going to share a product with you before it officially launches. I normally test things out first and I use them for an extended period of time before I even think of exposing my readers, members and clients to it. I consider it part of my duty to look into it first then if it is a decent product I will share it with you. This product is being launched in August and I was sent a limited sample to test it. I found it to do what they said it would do. The reason I am sharing it with you is that it is free to enroll prior to the launch and if it takes off and I never told you about it, I would feel badly. How many times have you thought "if only I would have..." I have so many clients who earn a substantial amount of money because they aligned with a product when it was new to the area.

There are two products, one is FORM and the other is FIXX they are patent pending products made by a military doctor who has hundreds of patents to his name. The FORM product actually is a capsule that you take with water prior to a meal and is a safe non toxic gastric bulking agent that swells in the stomach, signaling the brain that it is full and plain and simply you eat less. So people don't necessarily restrict their food choices, they are consuming smaller portions. I sampled it and have to admit, it does work. According to the doctor's media message I viewed, the bulking agent he uses is also used in medical devices and has been tested extensively and has no major side effects.

FIXX is a delicious organic chocolate shake that you can have for an energy boost, I have tested this too and enjoy the taste and have been drinking it in the morning.

They are a ground floor product and no one seems to be in the Rochester area, so it could be good timing plus until July 30, there is no fee to become a distributor then you can order sample packs five for only $25.00 ($5.00 each) and see if it is a good match for you. All you need to do is enter my enroller number: 1553054

Free enrollment code: 1553054 or http://www.myo3world.com/

Tags: rapid weight loss, o3, biggest loser

drop bad habits

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:47:00 GMT

I am not one to classify food as good or bad. But habits are another story, all repetitive behavior can be considered a habit. Eating ice cream once in awhile is fine, eating ice cream before bed every night is a bad habit. I would take it a step further to say when do go out for that frozen treat, asking for a kid size cone is a good habit.

Summer seems to bring about some bad habits, like eating at night, drinking more soda, juice or beer, going out for ice cream, not working out as routinely and snacking on chips, fries, pasta salads, etc. I love going out in the summer with my family. I am fortunate that my husband likes to go out on dates with me, we look forward it. I have to be careful because I tend to eat more than I would if I just stayed home. To keep my weight under control and still enjoy my date nights I have found some tricks that might be helpful to you as well.

First, pay attention to how your clothes fit, try on jeans every once in awhile, they donâ€™t lie. If they get too tight, time to make changes.
Second, communicate what your plan is. I tell my family that I am not overdoing carbs, which means less bagels, pasta or potatoes.
Third, make time to exercise, add walking, biking, the gym, etc. Find a way to include them if possible.
Forth, focus on an upcoming event that you are looking forward to attending and pick something to wear, put it where you can see it.
The big one, donâ€™t eat late at night, do your best to eat your main meal by 7:00 or 8:00 at the latest.
Two meals for the price of one, eat half of what is served to you and take the other half home for lunch the next day.

I have been doing this for years, it requires some will power at first, but will quickly become a habit. Good habits will generate good results.

Tags: diet, weight loss, low carb, lose weight

Don't get discouraged, get back on track

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:10:36 GMT

The Monday after a holiday weekend can be disappointing when you are trying to lose weight. If you indulged even a tiny bit you body reacts. You become bloated and your clothes feel too tight. One mind game I play is to decide that the bloat is only water retention. When you treat the discomfort as temporary you become proactive rather than reactive.

Proactive means watching any further indulges, drinking more water,reducing simple carbs and working out. In only a few days the extra two or three pounds are gone and you are feeling encouraged that you really can lose weight and keep it off.

I posted a video for you on MindOverPlatter.com elaborating on this topic: http://www.mindoverplatter.com/freedomFromFood.php

Let me know what you think, I am curious what mind game works for you to get back on track?

Tags: weight loss, dieting

Would you attend a virtual seminar

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:07:20 GMT

Tags: seminar, weight loss

Make time for your Count down to summer

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:45:19 GMT

Four days until summer begins, how have you been preparing for it's arrival? Life is busy, if have to carve out time for you. No one will come along and do it for you. If you step back and look at your life, how you schedule your day, ask yourself "do I have the space in my life for what I <em>SAY</em> I want?" Even if you are not working out right now, block out 30 minutes a day for it and start giving your subconscious mind permission as well as opportunity to make exercise a priority.

I did this with my business, when I used to complain that I needed more clients, I would look at my appointment book and ask "when would I have time for them?" I was that busy living my daily life. Then I would block out 9:00 am to 3:00 pm three days per week for clients and the funny thing is that the time always would be filled up, either with clients, speaking engagements, a lunch and learn, etc.

Create time now for you to focus on your health this summer, schedule the time today.

Tags: weight loss, dieting, exercise