Last year, I was the only one in my office who didn't get the flu vaccine and the only one who didn't get the flu. I was militant about making my 'green juice' every morning and washing my hands. I'm pretty sure the vigorous hand washing helped me, but I'm positive the green juice and attention to a healthy diet saved me.
What is the flu? The Influenza virus affects you by latching onto your normal cells and programming them with the flu virus RNA. The virus then replicates and affects other cells causing inflammation, mucus production, cough, congestion, headache, fever, fatigue, body aches. The virus that causes the flu is not the same as a cold, but produces similar symptoms. Usually the flu is accompanied by a fever. The most important treatment for the flu or cold is to stay hydrated, preferably with an isotonic solution (water with salt). If you're unable to keep fluids down, then you need to see your doctor.
Here is a recipe for making your own 'vitamin' water at home:
http://beverage-recipes.wonderhowto.com/how-to/dont-buy-vitamin-water-make-your-own-healthier-version-home-without-all-sugar-0148173/
It is also imperative you eat foods that help your body fight the virus as well as getting plenty of rest. If your symptoms stick around longer than a week or you have a persistent fever, see your doctor.
According to Sandra Brougher, HCC, AADP here are ten foods that can help you boost your immune system:
1. Bone Broth- full of absorbable minerals
2. Pumpkin seeds- high in zinc and omega-3, both essential for a healthy immune system
3. Cold water fish- good source of protein and omega- 3
4. Fresh fruits and vegetables - beets, carrots, sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene
5. Liver- a natural multi-vitamin
6. Ginger- anti-viral properties (drinking a few cups of ginger tea is key)
7. Garlic - has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties
8. Honey -raw - anti-viral
9. Green tea- the ultimate anti-oxidant with anti-viral properties
10. Mushrooms- elevate flu-fighting agents
Stress, as always, can be an invitation for viruses as well. Make sure you're minimizing your stress level as well as getting high-quality sleep. Sleep is underrated in our culture and it can be a life saver as well as a disease fighter.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Same Food, Killer Diseases
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to go back home for Thanksgiving and it was magnificent. My parents and I were sitting in the living room while I completed my Anti-Inflammatory Diet certification and my mom posed the question that I think so many people have.
"I've been eating the exact same food for the past 50 years, I haven't changed anything, why has my health changed so much?"
My mom was 110 pounds for the majority of her life, even after two daughters, her cholesterol and blood pressure were in the normal range, she had radiant skin, no signs of cancer and her bone density has stayed normal despite little weight bearing exercise. Then about 15 years ago, she started gaining weight, her blood pressure went up and now she is on a statin (a decision I vehemently oppose). She has integrated daily yoga, she eats less, but her health is so different. Age has a lot to do with it, plus the fact that she has been under intense stress from taking care of my father, but her diet remains the same.
"What could it be, I asked her?" She couldn't give me an answer.
"Have you ever thought that perhaps the food has changed?"
And from there I listed off all of the changes in our food system that are so drastically different from when she was a child and has caused the diseases that we have today, that rarely existed before last century. These lifestyle diseases and conditions- Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, evolved as the our foods did. (Plus the increase in stress levels)
The University of Colorado reported that "In the United States, chronic illnesses and health problems either wholly or partially attributable to diet respresent by far the most serious threat to public health." Our food has changed and it's killing us.
The actual food that we eat has also decreased in the amount of nutrients. Not only do we eat less nutritious food than our grandparents ate (less veggies and fruits), but when we eat the nutritious food, it has less of the good stuff than it did 50-60 years ago! It is estimated that our current vegetables and fruits have half the important vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and phytochemicals compared to those of the past.
We have to be more aware about what we put in our bodies and how it affects our health. We've allowed big dairy and big pharma and big fast food corporations to serve us a slow death. There are ways to change, little changes, that can drastically improve your health.
So there is your answer momma. You haven't changed, your food has. Now what are you going to do about it?
"I've been eating the exact same food for the past 50 years, I haven't changed anything, why has my health changed so much?"
My mom was 110 pounds for the majority of her life, even after two daughters, her cholesterol and blood pressure were in the normal range, she had radiant skin, no signs of cancer and her bone density has stayed normal despite little weight bearing exercise. Then about 15 years ago, she started gaining weight, her blood pressure went up and now she is on a statin (a decision I vehemently oppose). She has integrated daily yoga, she eats less, but her health is so different. Age has a lot to do with it, plus the fact that she has been under intense stress from taking care of my father, but her diet remains the same.
"What could it be, I asked her?" She couldn't give me an answer.
"Have you ever thought that perhaps the food has changed?"
And from there I listed off all of the changes in our food system that are so drastically different from when she was a child and has caused the diseases that we have today, that rarely existed before last century. These lifestyle diseases and conditions- Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, evolved as the our foods did. (Plus the increase in stress levels)
The University of Colorado reported that "In the United States, chronic illnesses and health problems either wholly or partially attributable to diet respresent by far the most serious threat to public health." Our food has changed and it's killing us.
The actual food that we eat has also decreased in the amount of nutrients. Not only do we eat less nutritious food than our grandparents ate (less veggies and fruits), but when we eat the nutritious food, it has less of the good stuff than it did 50-60 years ago! It is estimated that our current vegetables and fruits have half the important vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and phytochemicals compared to those of the past.
We have to be more aware about what we put in our bodies and how it affects our health. We've allowed big dairy and big pharma and big fast food corporations to serve us a slow death. There are ways to change, little changes, that can drastically improve your health.
So there is your answer momma. You haven't changed, your food has. Now what are you going to do about it?
Sunday, November 10, 2013
One Step At A Time
It's really easy for me to get carried away in a visit and overwhelm my patients with too much impassioned information. Lately, I've passed out a lot of Joe Cross 3, 5, 10 day reboots, my own personal smoothie recipes and one single kale chip recipe. I still find it hilarious to see 60-80 year olds make a face when I mention certain vegetables or say "eww I don't like insert some vegetable", like they are five years old again. I get it, it's hard to take action when you don't know where to start. So my challenge is to take one step at a time, then little by little you'll see changes and hopefully be motivated to take the next little step. Here we go! Let me know what you decide on and how it works for you:
1) Drink a cup of water when you first wake up
2) Try placing orange, lime, cucumber or mint in a bottle of water and refrigerate
3) Buy a really cool water bottle that you can make your 'comfort blanket', take it everywhere and attend (drink) to it constantly
4) Use olive oil over your current vegetable or canola oil
5) Add a handful or two of kale or spinach in your smoothie
6) Try to eat the majority of your calories for the day before 3 pm
7) Have kale chips for snacks (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe/index.html)
8) Cut down or completely cut soda intake (this one will completely change your weight in a week)
9) Go online and download a 7-day gluten-free menu plan or 7-day sugar-free menu plan and follow it
10) Keep a food journal - self awareness is key to transformation, try it, you'll be shocked at what you find, also keep a food and mood log, eat something and see how you feel 10, 15, 30 or an hour later
11) Get rid of all boxed or preserved food
12) Stop drinking milk
13) Don't eating in front of the TV
14) Add more color to your food (increase amount of veggies and fruits a day)
Good luck!
Lots of Love,
Erica
1) Drink a cup of water when you first wake up
2) Try placing orange, lime, cucumber or mint in a bottle of water and refrigerate
3) Buy a really cool water bottle that you can make your 'comfort blanket', take it everywhere and attend (drink) to it constantly
4) Use olive oil over your current vegetable or canola oil
5) Add a handful or two of kale or spinach in your smoothie
6) Try to eat the majority of your calories for the day before 3 pm
7) Have kale chips for snacks (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe/index.html)
8) Cut down or completely cut soda intake (this one will completely change your weight in a week)
9) Go online and download a 7-day gluten-free menu plan or 7-day sugar-free menu plan and follow it
10) Keep a food journal - self awareness is key to transformation, try it, you'll be shocked at what you find, also keep a food and mood log, eat something and see how you feel 10, 15, 30 or an hour later
11) Get rid of all boxed or preserved food
12) Stop drinking milk
13) Don't eating in front of the TV
14) Add more color to your food (increase amount of veggies and fruits a day)
Good luck!
Lots of Love,
Erica
Monday, September 9, 2013
Miracles Do Happen and People Can Change!
Hello Everyone! Long time, I know. My real job is getting in the way of my true purpose in life job, but I'm back today and wanting to help you transition into a space that is good and healthy and liberating! I have been very lucky in the past few weeks as I've gotten confirmation from everyone around me that we're on the right track. It's difficult to convince people that eating healthier can truly change their health especially when those people are doctors and health care workers who laugh and make fun of you for trying to help patients change their habits. But I forged through and last week a miracle happened. A patient of mine (who agreed to be highlighted for this piece) came in with swelling to his legs. He is over 300 pounds, has Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, what we call Syndrome X. My patient came in with his wife and as we were talking, he disclosed some really private information. One of the stories he told me involved a neighbor beekeeper. Both my patient and his wife had started taking two teaspoons of honey daily and how it helped significantly with his breathing and COPD and her with her allergies. I asked them if they were interested in any other 'natural' cures, knowing it would be my segue or detour to or away from my food soapbox and they agreed that they were open to anything that would help him get off of medications. I said "What if I told you that if you change your foods to primarily fruits and vegetables, you may be able to stop some of the medications you're on". His wife interrupted me and said "But he can't eat the good stuff, because he doesn't have any teeth." and I then asked if they had heard of juicing. Her response was unlike anything I could have ever imagined, it was like the holy spirit entered her body as she began to speak "I just bought a juicer and I'm going to change what we eat, the reason we're so sick is because all the food we eat has preservatives and additives and chemicals our body doesn't know how to process, natural fruits and vegetables are what we're supposed to eat and we're going to do it, it's healthier for you, for me, for everyone." I wanted to scream for joy and for a split second I thought I was on Candid Camera and someone had given her a script of what I preach every chance I get. I asked my patient where she got this information and she said she read a book long ago that told the story of a woman who healed her cancer through a whole foods plant based diet. She had adopted her plan but it was only short-term and now she was dedicated to making a lifestyle change.
So needless to say, this was a blaring confirmation from the universe that I am on the right track and I just have to keep on keeping on. Thanks to Mrs. Johnson, my faith was restored. The amazing epiphany about all of this was I didn't do anything except coach her into realizing what she already knew. This was way more rewarding than just adding another medication to the list. Empowering my patients, giving them the tools to pull out what they already know if they just asked a few more questions, is the way I wish to practice medicine. I believe modern medicine is incredible and effective with acute situations, trauma, surgery, but for chronic diseases, the system needs healing and a band-aid in the form of a chemical is not the way.
So when you're ready to come along this incredible ride of health and wellness. I'm here for you. It's a slow process and a difficult one, but once you're on track, how you feel, your increased energy, the weight loss to a healthy weight (though I don't like focusing on this), your youthful glow, your increased energy, the self-confidence, the authentic joy, will all be worth it. Did I mention the increased energy you'll have? A better life is possible, you just have to be ready and willing to take the first step and when you are, I'll be right there with you, cheering you on.
So needless to say, this was a blaring confirmation from the universe that I am on the right track and I just have to keep on keeping on. Thanks to Mrs. Johnson, my faith was restored. The amazing epiphany about all of this was I didn't do anything except coach her into realizing what she already knew. This was way more rewarding than just adding another medication to the list. Empowering my patients, giving them the tools to pull out what they already know if they just asked a few more questions, is the way I wish to practice medicine. I believe modern medicine is incredible and effective with acute situations, trauma, surgery, but for chronic diseases, the system needs healing and a band-aid in the form of a chemical is not the way.
So when you're ready to come along this incredible ride of health and wellness. I'm here for you. It's a slow process and a difficult one, but once you're on track, how you feel, your increased energy, the weight loss to a healthy weight (though I don't like focusing on this), your youthful glow, your increased energy, the self-confidence, the authentic joy, will all be worth it. Did I mention the increased energy you'll have? A better life is possible, you just have to be ready and willing to take the first step and when you are, I'll be right there with you, cheering you on.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Mr. 111 Year Old Is Our Hero!
This is a really inspirational story that came out last year. When I saw the diet he followed, I got really excited and wanted to share with the world. Read it and let me know your thoughts!
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/mesa/valley-man-celebrating-111th-birthday-reveals-his-secrets-to-longevity
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/mesa/valley-man-celebrating-111th-birthday-reveals-his-secrets-to-longevity
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Holy Shishito Peppers Batman!
I arrived to my new home after being away for two months and had major buyers remorse. I bought a total fixer upper and I have never fixed-up anything in my life. The only solace I found upon return was the fact that I live one house away from Springdale Farm and Chef Extraordinaire Sonya Cote's new restaurant Eden East. Last week, I walked happy Ellie Belle down to the farm for their weekly market. The place was replete with a rainbow of produce, even though this is a less productive time for the farms. There were cucumbers, onions, eggs, carrots, and few more goodies. Ellie May, the farm dog, welcomed us in and I felt like a little girl at a candy store. There were variety of peppers too and I decided to try my hand at Shishito Peppers since I love them so much at sushi restaurants. They're growing like crazy at all the local farms right now, so buy some and cook them up!
Shishito peppers are small, thin Japanese peppers. They look a bit like jalapenos, but a lot less rigid. They taste sweeter, not at all spicy and just plain delicious. Shishitos are full of Vitamin A, C, and K along with antioxidant properties, so this is a good, easy, and healthy recipe to place in your arsenal.
Here is a very simple method I used to cook them up:
Handfull of shishito peppers (I lost some while moving them around in pan)
1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil
1/2 lime
sea salt
Heat the olive oil under medium heat. Once the pan is hot, put the shishito peppers in and cook for about 10 minutes until the peppers get blistered and black. Remove from heat. Squeeze a bit of lime and sprinkle some salt on them and voila! Yep, it's that simple!
You can heat some soy sauce and honey to put on them for a tasty sauce.
Shishito peppers are small, thin Japanese peppers. They look a bit like jalapenos, but a lot less rigid. They taste sweeter, not at all spicy and just plain delicious. Shishitos are full of Vitamin A, C, and K along with antioxidant properties, so this is a good, easy, and healthy recipe to place in your arsenal.
Here is a very simple method I used to cook them up:
Handfull of shishito peppers (I lost some while moving them around in pan)
1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil
1/2 lime
sea salt
Heat the olive oil under medium heat. Once the pan is hot, put the shishito peppers in and cook for about 10 minutes until the peppers get blistered and black. Remove from heat. Squeeze a bit of lime and sprinkle some salt on them and voila! Yep, it's that simple!
You can heat some soy sauce and honey to put on them for a tasty sauce.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Multiple Sclerosis and Food
Shiny Healthy People is going to target optimal health in two ways. The first way is through food therapy or health cultivating, where we guide and coach each client through one to six months of counseling and treatment through food and recipes and lifestyle changes. The other aspect of our practice will focus on treating specific diseases with food. This is because there have been links with specific food items to disease. For example, Type 1 Diabetes has been found to be triggered by complex dietary proteins early in life, usually before age 3 months. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's are more common in areas where the Western diet is prevalent. Today I am going to talk about Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and the Terry Wahls diet. Dr. Wahls is an Internal Medicine doctor who was diagnosed with MS in 2000, a chronic, progressive nervous system disease that causes the body to attack the covering along your nerves. This is called demyelnation (myelin sheaths are wrapped around your nerves) thus damaging your nerves in your brain and spinal cord. Some of the symptoms that occur once the damage is done include:
- spaticity
- bladder problems
- bowel problems
- vision issues
- balance and dizziness
- speech and swallowing problems
- pain
As Dr. Wahl's disease progressed, she underwent chemo and ended up in a wheelchair three years after her diagnosis. Thanks to her training and tenacity, she discovered many supplements that could help treat her symptoms and help her disease. Dr. Wahls took it one step further and redesigned her diet to fit so that she could get the supplements in food. She adopted the Hunter-Gatherer diet and tailored it to her own. She is now able to walk on her own, rides a bike and spreads the word to anyone suffering from this disease. She is truly a pioneer and hero in the medical world and follows the words of Thomas Edison in her practice.
Here is her Ted Talk. Inspiring and profound to say the least:
Please contact us if need help navigating the steps involved in changing your diet to help treat your MS. We're here for you.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Eighty/Twenty x 3
Thank you so much for reading our blog. After a long hiatus, we are back and ready to build our program to be the best possible wellness resource out there. There are some basic principles we hope our clients will follow and today I am presenting my number one most important and significant tool. I call it the 80/20 plan. Now I realize that there are so many diets and rules already out there, but this is a lifestyle change that will change your life. Once you do something long enough and the benefit is evident, then it becomes a habit.
There are so many diets, rules, ideas and plans available to you, you probably feel overwhelmed. What's best for me? Nutritionists say one thing, Dr. Oz says another, the cavemen guys say eat meat, all the meat you can possibly consume, it's madness! We're here to make it easy for you. To weed out all the fads and give you the facts. Eventually once our program is up and running, we'll be able to literally walk you through step by step on how to make the changes.
My 80/20 plan has three tenets, that are easy to adopt and the rewards are endless, but mostly you'll feel better, you may be able to control some of your diseases without meds, and you'll lose weight. Plus you'll have a radiant glow to you, people may ask if you found the fountain of youth!
Here is how it's defined through Shiny Healthy People:
1) Eat by the SHP 80/20 rule. We're human, change is hard and most of us aren't super rich, so sticking to anything involving food 100% of the time is nearly impossible. When I say follow the 80/20 rule in eating, I mean 80% of the time you eat food that is whole food, plant based, unprocessed, and nutritious. Eat REAL food that is mostly vegetarian or vegan. Stay away from the fake chicken strips made from bones and pink goop, the $1.50 frozen pizza with tiny squares of who knows what pretending to be pepperoni or the diet anything, because that usually means full of chemicals the body doesn't know how to break down. Take three or four of your favorite veggies and type them into google with recipe at the end and see what pops up. Now this will require some time and you'll have to get in the kitchen and force yourself to read and follow a recipe. We will eventually have some really inexpensive, fast and easy recipes on this website as well, but for now we'll direct you to the internet.
How do I calculate the 80/20 rule in my diet?
So usually we eat 3 meals a day 7 days a week. That's 21 meals a week. If you multiply 21 x 0.80 = 16.8. Rounded up, you can have 17 meals that are WFPB (whole food plant based) and 4 that are whatever your heart desires. Many of you may have time swallowing this right away, so you can start with 50/50 or 60/40 and ease your way into it. I started with Meatless Mondays and worked from there. You can do anything, as long as you're ready for the change. Trust me, if you can make these changes now, before you have any of the food related diseases we're treating, you'll live longer and happier with all limbs and organs working like they're supposed to.
2) Eat 80% of your calories before 3 o'clock p.m. A recent study done this year showed that people who ate most of their food before 3 pm lost more weight compared to those who ate after. Published in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers followed 420 overweight dieters and tracked how much weight they lost over 20 weeks. The late eaters were also less likely to miss or eat a small breakfast and had lower insulin sensitivity, which could lead to diabetes. The participants who ate earlier lost an average of 5 lbs. more than the late eaters. So there you go, "Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at dinner".
3) Eat until you are 80% full. The Japanese have a practice called "Hara hachi bu" that translates to "eat until you are eight parts (out of 10) full" or 80% full. I've been talking about this practice for years and every time I say it to my friends they ask "how do you know what is 80%?" Well you just know. This is an essential trick to losing weight too, listening to your body and slowing down. If newborns can figure it out, so can we. Babies will eat for a bit, then look around, check out the environment, look at mommy, then go back to eating, then they stop when they're full.
Always, always drink a glass of water before you start to eat, then eat slowly. Chew your food, taste your food, but really chew and taste it. Take a few seconds to enjoy what you're consuming, because food is health, not just a filler. Try your best to eat with someone else or multiple someone else's, talk about your day, muse, laugh, sing. Don't ever eat standing up. It's not a race. Chill out and enjoy. One day you will know what 80% full is for you.
Now I get it, many of us do not have the luxury of a two hour lunch plus a siesta, but even if you have 30 minutes, take the time to actually eat and focus on the food not on the chaos that surrounds your everyday madness. Try it.
So there you go. Try one, try all. Try one a day or do a 7 day challenge following all three. I want you to get off your medications, I want you to feel better about your body and yourself. I want you to be happy. I want all of these things for all of our clients, but you have to be ready and willing and when you are we will be waiting.
There are so many diets, rules, ideas and plans available to you, you probably feel overwhelmed. What's best for me? Nutritionists say one thing, Dr. Oz says another, the cavemen guys say eat meat, all the meat you can possibly consume, it's madness! We're here to make it easy for you. To weed out all the fads and give you the facts. Eventually once our program is up and running, we'll be able to literally walk you through step by step on how to make the changes.
My 80/20 plan has three tenets, that are easy to adopt and the rewards are endless, but mostly you'll feel better, you may be able to control some of your diseases without meds, and you'll lose weight. Plus you'll have a radiant glow to you, people may ask if you found the fountain of youth!
Here is how it's defined through Shiny Healthy People:
1) Eat by the SHP 80/20 rule. We're human, change is hard and most of us aren't super rich, so sticking to anything involving food 100% of the time is nearly impossible. When I say follow the 80/20 rule in eating, I mean 80% of the time you eat food that is whole food, plant based, unprocessed, and nutritious. Eat REAL food that is mostly vegetarian or vegan. Stay away from the fake chicken strips made from bones and pink goop, the $1.50 frozen pizza with tiny squares of who knows what pretending to be pepperoni or the diet anything, because that usually means full of chemicals the body doesn't know how to break down. Take three or four of your favorite veggies and type them into google with recipe at the end and see what pops up. Now this will require some time and you'll have to get in the kitchen and force yourself to read and follow a recipe. We will eventually have some really inexpensive, fast and easy recipes on this website as well, but for now we'll direct you to the internet.
How do I calculate the 80/20 rule in my diet?
So usually we eat 3 meals a day 7 days a week. That's 21 meals a week. If you multiply 21 x 0.80 = 16.8. Rounded up, you can have 17 meals that are WFPB (whole food plant based) and 4 that are whatever your heart desires. Many of you may have time swallowing this right away, so you can start with 50/50 or 60/40 and ease your way into it. I started with Meatless Mondays and worked from there. You can do anything, as long as you're ready for the change. Trust me, if you can make these changes now, before you have any of the food related diseases we're treating, you'll live longer and happier with all limbs and organs working like they're supposed to.
2) Eat 80% of your calories before 3 o'clock p.m. A recent study done this year showed that people who ate most of their food before 3 pm lost more weight compared to those who ate after. Published in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers followed 420 overweight dieters and tracked how much weight they lost over 20 weeks. The late eaters were also less likely to miss or eat a small breakfast and had lower insulin sensitivity, which could lead to diabetes. The participants who ate earlier lost an average of 5 lbs. more than the late eaters. So there you go, "Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at dinner".
3) Eat until you are 80% full. The Japanese have a practice called "Hara hachi bu" that translates to "eat until you are eight parts (out of 10) full" or 80% full. I've been talking about this practice for years and every time I say it to my friends they ask "how do you know what is 80%?" Well you just know. This is an essential trick to losing weight too, listening to your body and slowing down. If newborns can figure it out, so can we. Babies will eat for a bit, then look around, check out the environment, look at mommy, then go back to eating, then they stop when they're full.
Always, always drink a glass of water before you start to eat, then eat slowly. Chew your food, taste your food, but really chew and taste it. Take a few seconds to enjoy what you're consuming, because food is health, not just a filler. Try your best to eat with someone else or multiple someone else's, talk about your day, muse, laugh, sing. Don't ever eat standing up. It's not a race. Chill out and enjoy. One day you will know what 80% full is for you.
Now I get it, many of us do not have the luxury of a two hour lunch plus a siesta, but even if you have 30 minutes, take the time to actually eat and focus on the food not on the chaos that surrounds your everyday madness. Try it.
So there you go. Try one, try all. Try one a day or do a 7 day challenge following all three. I want you to get off your medications, I want you to feel better about your body and yourself. I want you to be happy. I want all of these things for all of our clients, but you have to be ready and willing and when you are we will be waiting.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
What Are We Thinking?
Today Camille and I decided to go out of our comfort zone, again, and meet with a doctor who we felt aligned with our goals and vision as practitioners for Shiny Healthy People. This doctor has a very successful practice and a high rate of weight loss success with patients. We presented our ideas and our thoughts and though they were well received, we learned very quickly that we have a lot of challenges ahead of us.
There was a moment in our conversation where we mentioned behavioral modification and motivational interviewing, which is essential for any sustainable change. This doctor said 'oh like a health coach' and we just nodded our heads and went on our merry way, perplexed about the idea that this may be the perception people have of us. Totally knocked our ego.
But then something brilliant happened, the brains of this operation, my business partner- Camille, called me and had a rebuttal to this doctors comment. This is how it rolled out:
"No, not like health coaches, like medical professionals, like PA's providing medical knowledge and education in the way that we were trained". Knowing how the body works and reacts to foods on a micro level in the blood vessels and endothelium to the atherosclerosis, to insulin production and weight gain, free radicals and nitric acid, to food intolerances and allergies that keeps you from losing weight, because food isn't food like it used to be. We're trained medical professionals with a full arsenal of medical knowledge and training that allows us to prescribe medications on a regular basis, sometimes to 40 - 50 patients a day, but doesn't allow us time to sit and talk to patients and get a holistic picture of their lives and bodies and health.
Which leads us to the impetus for what we're doing and why we've dedicated our lives to developing a program, a true life change that will change your life. We're here when your doctor says "change your diet and lifestyle", we're the prescription. We're here to prove that food related diseases are sometimes reversible and that we already have a cure for Diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, obesity, and that we actually created these diseases with our food choices over the last 40 years. Yes, we'll counsel you. Yes, we'll motivate you in the same ways a coach would. Yes, we'll be there for you when you slip and eat the fast food happy meal and won't make you feel guilty. But we'll also be there when something isn't right, because we've been trained to identify that as well and we'll refer you back to your PCP to fix it and maybe it will be us, because we don't plan to quit practicing as PA's either.
So there you go. That's what we're thinking. As time goes on and the challenges continue we'll become more and more savvy on what to say about what we're doing and the shift will come and eventually, we'll become the norm. That's the hope.
DISCLAIMER: What we're promoting is not an alternative or substitute for traditional medical care, we're here to supplement the care that you're receiving from your doctor. You should never quit taking any medication prescribed by your PCP without his or her permission or advice.
There was a moment in our conversation where we mentioned behavioral modification and motivational interviewing, which is essential for any sustainable change. This doctor said 'oh like a health coach' and we just nodded our heads and went on our merry way, perplexed about the idea that this may be the perception people have of us. Totally knocked our ego.
But then something brilliant happened, the brains of this operation, my business partner- Camille, called me and had a rebuttal to this doctors comment. This is how it rolled out:
"No, not like health coaches, like medical professionals, like PA's providing medical knowledge and education in the way that we were trained". Knowing how the body works and reacts to foods on a micro level in the blood vessels and endothelium to the atherosclerosis, to insulin production and weight gain, free radicals and nitric acid, to food intolerances and allergies that keeps you from losing weight, because food isn't food like it used to be. We're trained medical professionals with a full arsenal of medical knowledge and training that allows us to prescribe medications on a regular basis, sometimes to 40 - 50 patients a day, but doesn't allow us time to sit and talk to patients and get a holistic picture of their lives and bodies and health.
Which leads us to the impetus for what we're doing and why we've dedicated our lives to developing a program, a true life change that will change your life. We're here when your doctor says "change your diet and lifestyle", we're the prescription. We're here to prove that food related diseases are sometimes reversible and that we already have a cure for Diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, obesity, and that we actually created these diseases with our food choices over the last 40 years. Yes, we'll counsel you. Yes, we'll motivate you in the same ways a coach would. Yes, we'll be there for you when you slip and eat the fast food happy meal and won't make you feel guilty. But we'll also be there when something isn't right, because we've been trained to identify that as well and we'll refer you back to your PCP to fix it and maybe it will be us, because we don't plan to quit practicing as PA's either.
So there you go. That's what we're thinking. As time goes on and the challenges continue we'll become more and more savvy on what to say about what we're doing and the shift will come and eventually, we'll become the norm. That's the hope.
DISCLAIMER: What we're promoting is not an alternative or substitute for traditional medical care, we're here to supplement the care that you're receiving from your doctor. You should never quit taking any medication prescribed by your PCP without his or her permission or advice.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Breaking Out of My Comfort Zone, So You Can Break Out Of Yours
It is time for me to get out of my comfort zone, and start blogging. I mean, it's only fair, I'm asking you to do one of the hardest most challenging things ever, change the way you eat! What?!
Let me start by introducing myself. I am Camille. I am a Physician Assistant who works in a rural community outside of Austin, Texas. I love my career, but I am looking for a greater connection with my patients. As Erica has mentioned, we have realized it is impossible to connect and really offer the proper guidance people need to make significant changes to their lives.
We are still in the preliminary stages of planning our new project, but we are so eager. We have both been incorporating our new passion and research into our current practice. It has been reaffirmed time and time again that there is just not enough time in an office visit to really delve in to diet and lifestyle. Yet our patients have so many questions, and really want to make changes. They are so overwhelmed by all the information on the internet, the misinformation they have received in the past and the layers and layers of guilt and failure from all the past diets tried. They are so confused with whether they should eat bread or only beef or just raw foods all day, everyday, or calorie count. Really what people are saying is, " how can I prevent myself from getting diabetes like my mom?", "how can I stop taking all these medications?", "how can I have more energy?". We want to help guide you through this process with a program that is specific to you.
We are not here to promote a specific diet. We don't want you to feel hungry and deprived. We just want to you to fully understand your attachment to food, and how food effects your mind, body, and soul. We want to walk you through 6 months of personal care and attention to break your dependence to food.
OK. I just mentioned we aren't here to promote a specific diet, but I might not be sharing the entire story. Through extensive research Erica and I have found most benefit with a primarily whole foods plant based diet. Now before you run away screaming "I will NOT become a vegetarian!", hold on, we're not asking you to do that. What we do want you to know is that studies show consuming MORE fruits and vegetables decreases obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, Alzheimer's disease, and certain types of cancer including kidney, colorectal and breast.
We understand most people don't want a purely vegetarian lifestyle. We want to show you ways to creatively introduce more vegetables in your diet, but most important teach you about the "history" of your current food choices. This will change your relationship with your health (body), the food you consume, the relationship you have with your family, the community, and the world. WOW! Big leap, huh? It can happen.
I am excited to share this experience of learning and growth with you.
Until next time.
SHP
Let me start by introducing myself. I am Camille. I am a Physician Assistant who works in a rural community outside of Austin, Texas. I love my career, but I am looking for a greater connection with my patients. As Erica has mentioned, we have realized it is impossible to connect and really offer the proper guidance people need to make significant changes to their lives.
We are still in the preliminary stages of planning our new project, but we are so eager. We have both been incorporating our new passion and research into our current practice. It has been reaffirmed time and time again that there is just not enough time in an office visit to really delve in to diet and lifestyle. Yet our patients have so many questions, and really want to make changes. They are so overwhelmed by all the information on the internet, the misinformation they have received in the past and the layers and layers of guilt and failure from all the past diets tried. They are so confused with whether they should eat bread or only beef or just raw foods all day, everyday, or calorie count. Really what people are saying is, " how can I prevent myself from getting diabetes like my mom?", "how can I stop taking all these medications?", "how can I have more energy?". We want to help guide you through this process with a program that is specific to you.
We are not here to promote a specific diet. We don't want you to feel hungry and deprived. We just want to you to fully understand your attachment to food, and how food effects your mind, body, and soul. We want to walk you through 6 months of personal care and attention to break your dependence to food.
OK. I just mentioned we aren't here to promote a specific diet, but I might not be sharing the entire story. Through extensive research Erica and I have found most benefit with a primarily whole foods plant based diet. Now before you run away screaming "I will NOT become a vegetarian!", hold on, we're not asking you to do that. What we do want you to know is that studies show consuming MORE fruits and vegetables decreases obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, Alzheimer's disease, and certain types of cancer including kidney, colorectal and breast.
We understand most people don't want a purely vegetarian lifestyle. We want to show you ways to creatively introduce more vegetables in your diet, but most important teach you about the "history" of your current food choices. This will change your relationship with your health (body), the food you consume, the relationship you have with your family, the community, and the world. WOW! Big leap, huh? It can happen.
I am excited to share this experience of learning and growth with you.
Until next time.
SHP
Monday, January 21, 2013
Eggplant, Cauliflower, Broccoli Over Gnocchi
Ingredients:
Eggplant peeled and cut into discs
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Egg
Bread crumbs
Olive oil
Gnocchi
Tomato sauce
First bake the broccoli and cauliflower at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. While they are baking, pour a plate of bread crumbs and beat an egg in a bowl. Turn the stove on with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. While the olive oil is heating, dip your eggplant in egg and then cover in bread crumbs. Do this with all of the eggplant. Take tongs and place the eggplant in the heated olive oil pan. Cook them about 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Take out and place on a paper toweled plate.
Remove the broccoli and cauliflower after 20 minutes and follow the same steps as you did with the eggplant.
Place the finished veggies over gnocchi or pasta and cover with warmed tomato sauce.
ENJOY!
This is what Shiny Healthy People look like after eating this delicious food!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Water You Drinking People?! Sad Realization #1
As the idea of Shiny Healthy People came to fruition, I saw myself practicing more holistically in my current rural health clinic. My patients came in with the Western food related diseases- Syndrome Xer's we'll call them and I started asking different questions. My most recent realization came with a diabetic, high cholesterol, obese, hypertensive, a pretty typical adult patient over the age of 60 in our modern practice. Mr. Smith wondered why he didn't have any improvement in his health with all the medicines he was taking. He was doing everything we told him to do: take the medicines. He couldn't exercise because he was too overweight and it hurts too much to move. Mr. Smith thought if he took his medicines he would feel better, his diseases would be controlled, he would be cured.
There were so many teaching points with my patient, but I took the path of least resistance, the one I thought would be the easiest to change, water intake. "How many glasses of water do you drink Mr. Smith?" "Water? I don't drink water. I don't like how it tastes." My jaw dropped, literally dropped to the floor. "I drink diet soda, about 5-6 a day". I didn't know where to begin. I started to examine him in silence and thought about how this was going to go. Upon finishing his exam, I took a deep breath and gave my spiel. "Our bodies are 60% water, we need water to allow our vital organs to function properly, we need to be properly hydrated so our kidneys work, our muscles work better, we can poop regularly, and most of all we can have radiant skin!" (A selling point that may have worked better if Mr. Smith was Mrs. Smith.
He smiled, a patronizing smile and said "but it's still gross". He wasn't sold.
Hence the sad realization #1 that we must help change in our practice. We need to educate our patients about why the drinking a soda, sweet tea, bottled juice, diet or not, is detrimental to their health. Fake sweeteners and their long-term effects on our bodies are for a whole other post. For now, I just want patients to drink water, to understand the health benefits of filling your bodies with water and the way that it can lead to weight-loss and some studies say increasing metabolism.
Below is some proof in form of an article from Web MD. Or you can try it for yourself, do a water challenge. If it doesn't change how you feel after a month of two, then go back to drinking sodas.
This is Shiny Healthy People's challenge to you:
- Try to drink a 10 oz. glass of water before each meal
- If water is 'gross' to you, try to place a slice or two of lemon, lime, cucumber, or orange in it to train your palate
- Purchase a cool, reusable water bottle and use it
- If you have to have juice, make a half juice, half water drink
- After going to the restroom, drink an 8 oz. glass of water to replenish
- Eat water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumbers, zucchini, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries in
their natural form.
- Have a 24 oz. bottle of water next to you while you're watching tv, drink at every commercial break.
- Drink sparkling water if you need something bubbly
- Track your water intake, make it a competition with yourself
- Write on a plastic bottle, the time of day and a line to how much water you should have
Water toxicity is a real thing. A general rule according to the Mayo Clinic is 2.2 liters for women and 3.0 for men. This will depend on your activity level, environment, illnesses, or pregnancy, breast-feeding. Drink until your urine is light yellow or colorless, that's the easiest way to track adequate intake.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water?page=2
There were so many teaching points with my patient, but I took the path of least resistance, the one I thought would be the easiest to change, water intake. "How many glasses of water do you drink Mr. Smith?" "Water? I don't drink water. I don't like how it tastes." My jaw dropped, literally dropped to the floor. "I drink diet soda, about 5-6 a day". I didn't know where to begin. I started to examine him in silence and thought about how this was going to go. Upon finishing his exam, I took a deep breath and gave my spiel. "Our bodies are 60% water, we need water to allow our vital organs to function properly, we need to be properly hydrated so our kidneys work, our muscles work better, we can poop regularly, and most of all we can have radiant skin!" (A selling point that may have worked better if Mr. Smith was Mrs. Smith.
He smiled, a patronizing smile and said "but it's still gross". He wasn't sold.
Hence the sad realization #1 that we must help change in our practice. We need to educate our patients about why the drinking a soda, sweet tea, bottled juice, diet or not, is detrimental to their health. Fake sweeteners and their long-term effects on our bodies are for a whole other post. For now, I just want patients to drink water, to understand the health benefits of filling your bodies with water and the way that it can lead to weight-loss and some studies say increasing metabolism.
Below is some proof in form of an article from Web MD. Or you can try it for yourself, do a water challenge. If it doesn't change how you feel after a month of two, then go back to drinking sodas.
This is Shiny Healthy People's challenge to you:
- Try to drink a 10 oz. glass of water before each meal
- If water is 'gross' to you, try to place a slice or two of lemon, lime, cucumber, or orange in it to train your palate
- Purchase a cool, reusable water bottle and use it
- If you have to have juice, make a half juice, half water drink
- After going to the restroom, drink an 8 oz. glass of water to replenish
- Eat water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumbers, zucchini, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries in
their natural form.
- Have a 24 oz. bottle of water next to you while you're watching tv, drink at every commercial break.
- Drink sparkling water if you need something bubbly
- Track your water intake, make it a competition with yourself
- Write on a plastic bottle, the time of day and a line to how much water you should have
Water toxicity is a real thing. A general rule according to the Mayo Clinic is 2.2 liters for women and 3.0 for men. This will depend on your activity level, environment, illnesses, or pregnancy, breast-feeding. Drink until your urine is light yellow or colorless, that's the easiest way to track adequate intake.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water?page=2
Shiny Healthy People Is Alive!
When we went into Physician Assistant school, Camille and I had the same goal, as do most people going into the healthcare field- to help patients with their diseases. We graduated and started practicing wide-eyed, pig-tailed and naive to the world of modern medicine. People trusted us to listen to them about their health, to examine their bodies, to diagnose them with life-changing diseases and write prescriptions to treat those newly- diagnosed diseases. As time went on and we saw minimal changes in people's health, their waste line grow and their medication list get longer and longer, something was triggered in us. Are we approaching this wrong? Why are we placing a band-aid on our patients, when we practice and believe in a holistic approach to our own health?
Oh yeah, because of time constraints. Because it's impossible to spend twenty or thirty minutes with your patient educating them on their diseases and ways to reverse them naturally with foods rather than medicines when we're seeing 30-40 patients a day. We're not allowed to listen to our patients anymore and make a living. We go in, get their symptoms in 3-4 minutes, review their history, listen to their heart and lungs and prescribe a medication. We often spend more time documenting their visit, then we do seeing the actual patient. This isn't medicine in the traditional sense at all. How can we go on prescribing statins for cholesterol, knowing the possible significant side effects, knowing that patients can reverse cholesterol with the right foods? Why did we go into medicine in the first place? Controversial? Maybe. Radical? Not at all.
Over the past year, the answer became clear to both of us, band-aids fall off. Prescribing medicines to treat diseases that are caused by stress, a Western diet, lifestyle and lack of movement is not the way we wanted to practice our life's work. We want to help patients, educate them, empower them to take control of their health.
Through this reflection and questioning came Shiny Healthy People, a health care enter that treats mind, body and soul with food and lifestyle choices instead of medicine. We have a strong background and experience in biochemistry, microbiology, organic chemistry of medicine and we're using this to build our program in an integrative fashion. We also understand that the Primary Care office is too fast paced of setting to initiate this conversation due to time constraints.We want to fill the gap, and spend time educating people about their illness or ultimate lifestyle goals. Through experience, we also know how hard is to make changes to health and lifestyle, so each adjustment will be individualized to suit each persons’ current lifestyle and needs.
As our program and practice evolves, we'll be writing narratives of patient experiences, suggestions and recipes, resources and research, so that you can follow along on our journey. We're here to shift the paradigm and put the power of changing your life and your health back into your hands.
Prescriptions to change your food, prescriptions to change your life.
Oh yeah, because of time constraints. Because it's impossible to spend twenty or thirty minutes with your patient educating them on their diseases and ways to reverse them naturally with foods rather than medicines when we're seeing 30-40 patients a day. We're not allowed to listen to our patients anymore and make a living. We go in, get their symptoms in 3-4 minutes, review their history, listen to their heart and lungs and prescribe a medication. We often spend more time documenting their visit, then we do seeing the actual patient. This isn't medicine in the traditional sense at all. How can we go on prescribing statins for cholesterol, knowing the possible significant side effects, knowing that patients can reverse cholesterol with the right foods? Why did we go into medicine in the first place? Controversial? Maybe. Radical? Not at all.
Over the past year, the answer became clear to both of us, band-aids fall off. Prescribing medicines to treat diseases that are caused by stress, a Western diet, lifestyle and lack of movement is not the way we wanted to practice our life's work. We want to help patients, educate them, empower them to take control of their health.
Through this reflection and questioning came Shiny Healthy People, a health care enter that treats mind, body and soul with food and lifestyle choices instead of medicine. We have a strong background and experience in biochemistry, microbiology, organic chemistry of medicine and we're using this to build our program in an integrative fashion. We also understand that the Primary Care office is too fast paced of setting to initiate this conversation due to time constraints.We want to fill the gap, and spend time educating people about their illness or ultimate lifestyle goals. Through experience, we also know how hard is to make changes to health and lifestyle, so each adjustment will be individualized to suit each persons’ current lifestyle and needs.
As our program and practice evolves, we'll be writing narratives of patient experiences, suggestions and recipes, resources and research, so that you can follow along on our journey. We're here to shift the paradigm and put the power of changing your life and your health back into your hands.
Prescriptions to change your food, prescriptions to change your life.
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