Indigestion, acid reflux, heart burn, GERD...COOL the Heat in your chest!

You just ate a big meal....maybe you started with an appetizer of fried jalapeno poppers... next you ordered a Margarita...maybe a Burger for dinner and Ice Cream for dessert. You were satisfied after the third popper and Margarita but "the food looked sooooo good" and you "deserved a great meal after a long hard working day." After the meal, you are quite full, but it was "so worth it." You plop on the couch as your great big meal tries to work it's way down to your stomach. All is well for a short window of time and then you start to feel it ... a bubble, a burp, a BURN. "Ouch, yuck, ugh. Why does this always happen to me?!"  hmm....maybe now you realize..."it was soo NOT worth it."

Even if you are thinking my example is extreme and you are only an occasional sufferer of acid indigestion, I am sure it would help to know WHY it is happening and WHAT the long term affects of even a slight burn can have on your body...

We are all aware that when we eat, food has got to make it's way from point A (consumption) to point B (elimination).  To do that, our bodies work hard to make sure we utilize nutrients from our food efficiently and effectively.  As our food works down our bodies, it is being pushed through by a process called Peristalsis. As peristalsis aids our food through canals to our stomachs, it must pass through 5 sphincters before final emission through our anus.  * A sphincter is comparable to a kink in a garden hose. Think of the consistent flow of water through a hose. Now imagine you block off five sections of that hose through separate kinks.  In order for water to continue it's flow from the main water supply through the opening, it must be unkinked. By relaxing the kink, water can continue to flow. Similarly, our food will travel down our bodies, breaking down and metabolizing along the way, until it reaches a sphincter or "kink." Once there, our bodies naturally know to relax that "kink," sphincter, valve-whatever you want to call it- and food can continue to be processed and broken down for absorption.

sphincter /sphinc·ter/ (sfingk´ter) [L.] a ringlike muscle which closes a natural orifice or passage.

             http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/sphincter

Our body has five sphincters...Specifically, after the first 'kink' (esophagus) relaxes to release food to the second area of digestion (stomach), the kink should re close automatically until it needs to release more food later on. HOWEVER- if you have an over surplus of food your body, or your sphincter is compromised due to other factors, you may may experience a BACK FLOW or "reflux."

 Observe above diagram ^^ and this brief clip>> GERD. 

If you frequently experience symptoms of acid reflux, do not panic and run off to the doctor. FIRST try to change a few dietary habits for a brief time and see if you notice any improvement. If you are continuing to suffer after a few months on your new alkalized diet, consult a physician.  But please LET surgery and medication be a last resort. They are both time consuming and costly in contrast to a slight dietary change.

Here are a few slight but significant changes to start with:

LIMIT these highly ACIDIC foods:

Alcohol

Black Pepper

Chocolate

Coffee

Fatty food

Fried food

Ketchup

Mustard

Orange juice

Peppermint

Soft drinks

Tomato sauce

Vinegar

Adopt these healthy habits and avoid pain!

Maintain a healthy weight. 

Extra weight is sure to add pressure on your abdomen, pushing up your stomach and causing acid to back up into your esophagus.

Avoid tight fitting clothing.

 Think tight jeans or tight undergarments pressing against your stomach so much that your stomach is pressing against your sphincter.

Avoid foods and drinks that trigger heartburn.

 Avoid the foods you know tend to trigger your heartburn.

Eat smaller meals.

 Too much food=too much acid= back flow...OUCH!

Delay lying down after a meal. 

Help gravity out! Stay upright for at least 2-3 hours. 

Stop smoking. 

Smoking disrupts normal function by over relaxing sphincters.  #1 cause of heart burn!

As ALWAYS... enjoy foods in moderation. 

You never have to completely eliminate any food or drink from you diet.

 It is usually never the poison, but the DOSE!

questions? comments? 

Send me an e-mail, FB message or Comment!

Stay Well

xo

NUTRITION IS SUBJECTIVE....

If you are wondering why nutrition and eating healthy is super confusing I can give you a hint.. it is because every body is different and therefore our dietary needs will differ as well. 


I am often approached about a variety of personal health issues and ailments. Diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, weight loss, muscle gain, etc. When I discuss nutrition with clients, I must ask an abundance of questions related to medical and family history, dietary habits, and lifestyle to gain perspective on that individuals personal needs. The answers are always very different from client to client and therefore it is not possible to create one magic universal formula that will solve everyone's concerns.  Diabetes intervention differs greatly from cholesterol issues, and high blood pressure, and weight gain, and weight loss, etc. Of course it is confusing to most people. "Should I eat gluten free?" "Is sugar free a wise choice?" "Should I have margarine or real butter?" The answers to those questions are specific to the type of dietary issue each person is addressing. Therefore- Nutrition is Subjective....


If you are serious about getting healthy TODAY and truly want to be healthy forever you need to know two things:

1.  YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN REACH ANY GOAL YOU WANT IF YOU ARE IN IT 100%! 
2. YOU, NOT ANYBODY ELSE, HAVE TO MAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD THAT GOAL. 

example...
Do not get frustrated if you have a friend who is very thin and seems to be able to eat whatever she wants and never gain a pound. Just because someone is thin does not mean that everything is working up to par inside her body.  You may be frustrated because you have weight to lose and you seem to be eating very healthy while your friends maintain their small frames and eat junk foods. Trust me, in the long run those who choose natural foods and eat with a healthy mind are WAY better off.  


That being said, as your journey into healthy living continues, be conscious of what nutrition topics may pertain to you.  Whether you are reading my blog,  a book, or an article in a magazine or medical journal- try to find the answers to specific questions that will help you progress and become successful on your path to feeling great.


Seek professional advice or start your own research about your own personal goal.We all need help at some point and WHERE THERE IS A WILL- THERE IS A WAY! You can become whatever you want to, you just have to believe in yourself. 


I promise to you- If you think you have reached your maximum potential, you may be surprised by what a little knowledge can do for you. 


I believe....
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER vs. WILL POWER.


You can have a will but if you do not know everything you need to know, that "will" can only take you so far!


Continue to educate yourself by reading up on healthy lifestyle through credible resources. Stay AWAY from quick fixes and products that claim to solve your problem in one week, or "60 seconds!" Our bodies need time to adapt to change but if you can become consistent and patient in your healthy modifications, you will reap the ULTIMATE BENEFIT of feeling great forever. 


I was once told- if you often find yourself wishing you could do something, find someone who is great  at that thing and ask them how to do it. Makes perfect sense, yes? 


I encourage you to ask questions. There are never any stupid questions. AND if you ask me a question, I guarantee you that I will incorporate it into a blog post! We ALL benefit from answers to others' questions. 

THERE IS NO DAY LIKE TODAY! 

GAIN CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH! 

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Stay Well

xo

Questions? Comments? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW or find me on FACEBOOK 

Does Milk do a Body GOOD?

Heavy Cream

Half & Half

Whole 

2%

1% 

Skim

Soy

Almond

Oat

Hemp

Rice

Coconut

Evaporated

Condensed

Nutrition is an ever changing field, and the lends no exception to the constant evolution of our food supply.  With all of the options in our grocery stores, how do we decide which options are best for our bodies?  The integrity of our dairy products has been a hot topic abundantly in the last decade. I've done the proper research and I'm here to clear some things up as well as offer my professional opinion. Here we go..

COW'S MILK

I am going to start by talking about Cow's Milk... (as we can see from the above list, milk is readily available from many animal and plant sources). 

So your Doctor and Milk ads tell you to drink lots of milk because "Milk will build strong bones!" Well this is not completely accurate.. The truth is that calcium and Vitamin D build strong bones. Are they both found in dairy? Yes. However, Calcium and Vitamin D are more abundant in most foods such as vegetables!

There may be 30% of your Calcium requirement in a dairy product but that means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING if your body is not absorbing the calcium and utilizing it to "build strong bones."

What I mean is, that the calcium found in dairy has been proven to actually cause bone loss. This is because as we digest that dairy product, our body is requiring a series of reactions that turn excess protein from milk into urea in the liver. The Urea creates a diuretic action in the kidney, which causes our body to leach minerals from our stores including calcium through the urine!!

Numerous studies have been done proving that the common American, high protein diet and calcium store losses are directly related.  There is also NO scientific evidence proving that consuming milk will increase bone density. We are being fooled by media and advertisements backed by the people who make the product-dairy farmers.

(DO NOT get me wrong.. I am 100% for agriculture and farmers worldwide..it is the farms that are subsidized by the government and who choose not to follow natural food production that get me goin...)

****FUN FACT****

On Pitcairn Island, in the Pacific, they tried unsuccessfully to introduce the dairy cow. 

The attempt failed because of the Island’s rough terrain. 

These people had lived their lives without dairy products, so it was no great loss.

Babies require milk from their mothers to build necessary enzymes and digestive properties. But just like every other animal on our planet, we are not meant to drink milk after infancy. Mother's milk is full of wonderful antibodies and proteins and it is not able to be reproduced by man! BREAST IS BEST! FORMULA IS NO WHERE NEAR THE NUTRIENT EQUIVALENCE OF MOTHER'S MILK.

ANYWAY- SHORT AND SWEET, PLAIN AND SIMPLE...

you want strong bones? Avoid Cow's Milk..You are better off getting it from these sources!

USDA nutrition references the calcium content in mg/ 8 oz (1 cup)

Specialty foods

Carrot juice, fresh- 57mg
Fish, canned salmon eaten with bones- 440mg
Fish, canned sardines or mackerel eaten with bones- 569mgMolasses, black strap- 2820mg (176.2 per tablespoon) !!!!!!
Molasses, unsulphured- 672mg, 42 per tablespoon
Sesame butter (unhulled sesame seeds)- 1022, (63.9 per tablespoon)
Sesame butter/ tahini from hulled or decorticated seeds- 315.2mg (19.7 per tablespoon)
Soy beverage, unfortified-9.8mg

Soy beverage, calcium-fortified variable, check nutrition information; approx 200mg
Tofu, firm, prepared with calcium- 1721mg
Tofu, regular, prepared with nigari- 260mg 

Dark green leafy vegetables 

cooked turnip greens- 450mg
cooked bok choy- 330mg
cooked collards- 300mg
cooked spinach- 250mg
cooked kale- 200mg (absorbed more readily than most sources)!
parsley- 200mg
cooked mustard greens- 180mg
dandelion greens- 150mg
romaine lettuce- 40mg
head lettuce- 10mg

Sprouts

soy- 50mg
mung- 35mg
alfalfa- 25mg

Sea vegetables (seaweed)(dried powdered form)

nori- 1,200mg (good news for you sushi eaters)!
kombu- 2,100mg
wakame- 3,500mg
agar-agar 1,000mg (62.5 per tablespoon)

Beans and Peas (cooked, ready to eat)

navy beans- 140mg
soybeans- 130mg
pinto beans- 100mg
garbanzo beans- 95mg
lima, black beans- 60mg
lentils- 50mg
split peas- 20mg

Grains

tapioca (dried)- 300mg
brown rice, cooked- 20mg
quinoa, cooked- 80mg
corn meal, whole grain- 50mg
rye flour, dark- 40mg
oats- 40mg
tortillas, corn, calcium fortified (2)- 120mg
tortillas, flour or unfortified (2)- 23mg
whole wheat flour- 50mg

Seafood

raw oysters- 240mg
shrimp- 300mg
salmon with bones- 490mg
mackerel with bones- 600mg
sardines with bones- 1,000mg

Seeds

almonds- 750mg
hazelnuts (filbert)- 450mg
walnuts- 280mg
sesame seeds (whole, unhulled) 2,200mg!!!
sunflower seeds- 260mg

HERBS containing calcium

borage, lamb's quarter, wild lettuce, nettles, burdock, yellow dock

1. Heaney RP, Weaver CM. Calcium absorption . Am J Clin Nutr 1990; 51:656-657. 2. http://www.ellenskitchen.com/faqs/calcium.html

USDA Daily calcium requirements:

Age	Male	Female	Pregnant	Lactating
Birth to 6 months	210 mg	210 mg
7-12 months	270 mg	270 mg
1-3 years	500 mg	500 mg
4-8 years	800 mg	800 mg
9-13 years	1,300 mg	1,300 mg
14-18 years	1,300 mg	1,300 mg	1,300 mg	1,300 mg
19-50 years	1,000 mg	1,000 mg	1,000 mg	1,000 mg
50+ years	1,200 mg	1,200 mg

*****FUN FACT: Sesame seeds contains 2,200 mg. of calcium 

compared w/  280 mg. of poorly absorbed calcium in 8 oz Milk.

As always, remember that if you LOVE dairy, enjoy it! Moderation is key so just monitor your intake of dairy products, and when possible buy organic low fat milks for optimal health.

Stay Well

xo

Sugar SHOCK

IS SUGAR KEEPING YOU FROM REACHING YOUR GOALS?

Sugar is a tricky, tricky thing.  As you may know from reading my past blog on Carbohydrates, all Carbs (good and bad) eventually are broken down into their simpler parts. These "parts" are actually different sugars. When we eat a whole grain, the fiber and other wonderful bits are digested slower into our blood streams. This is a major Thumb Up! When we eat simple carbohydrates (all the white stuff) we absorb the sugar so rapidly that it is dangerous to our hormone levels.. Thumbs wayyyy Down.  

This hormone reaction ( you may have heard of insulin spikes, or insulin resistance) can cause many ailments to our bodies including Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cancer!

********

Now.. I have also talked about fruits being a source of Natural Sugar.  Fructose is the sugar found in fruits and it is actually digested and absorbed in our bodies similarly to other refined (bad) carbs. 

So what gives?? "Why is fruit considered healthy and my pastry so terrible?"

Lets have a closer look...

Fruit grows in nature. Anything that grows from the ground, or has a Mother is considered Natural. Pretty simple, yes? The wonderful thing about foods provided in nature is that they have been grown in a natural package. FOR EXAMPLE...

An apple has it's outer skin which is rich in fiber and enzymes that aid in digestion, etc.  The apple itself is rich in vitamins and minerals. When the apple is eaten in it's Whole, natural form, it is digested slowly and your body will retain all of its nutritional benefits. 

But take a slice of apple pie for instance...Same fruit, yes, however, the apple's skin has most likely been peeled. The apple is cut up and covered in spices and of course... refined sugar. (I wont even get into the detrimental effects of eating it's crust)..  The point is, now that it's skin is removed and it is cooked at a high temperature for a long period of time, the nutrients have been virtually removed and you are left with a load of refined sugars.

(of course there are exceptions to every rule but try to remember...)
*Food in its natural state-good
*Food taken from nature and altered-not good

WHAT'S MORE: When your body consumes refined sugars, it still requires the same enzymes and vitamins, that are normally found in fruits and vegetables, for digestion. So where does your body attain these enzymes? ... Your body will actually leech those essential nutrients from storage in your cells. This causes immune system malfunctions and cause people to get sick.

***FUN FACT***
I often hear people say to me "but sugar is natural." Sugar grows on a sugar cane. The initial product is a natural sweetened plant. But that sugar is taken to a factory and refined and you are left with a refined white powder. BEAR IN MIND...COCAINE IS ALSO GROWN ON A PLANT. When refined- cocaine and sugar have similar white consistencies. Just because something grows on a plant, does not ALWAYS mean that is healthy for our bodies. 

(click picture for more info on sugar cane) 

You may think that you are not consuming a lot of sugar in your day, but I urge you to take a better look at what you consume.

With all of the processed foods we eat, we are literally consuming more sugar than our bodies can handle and it is causing people to get very ill.  

BE AWARE OF WHAT IS IN YOUR FOOD 

Below is a list of sugars that are hiding in your foods:

• barley malt
• molasses
• dehydrated cane juice
• beet sugar
• cane-juice crystals
• cane sugar
• caramel
• carob syrup
• corn syrup
• corn syrup solids
• Brown rice syrup
• Raw sugar
• Brown sugar
• Corn syrup
• Demerara Sugar
• Dextrose
• Free Flowing Brown Sugars
• Fructose
• Galactose
• Glucose
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Honey
• Invert Sugar
• Lactose
• Malt
• Maltodextrin
• Maltose
• Maple syrup
• Muscovado or Barbados Sugar
• Panocha
• Powdered or confectioner's sugar
• Rice Syrup
• Sucrose
• Sugar (granulated)
• Treacle
• Turbinado sugar
• Diastatic malt
• Diatase
• Ethyl maltol

The Recommended Daily Allowance for sugar does not exist due to it's lack of nutrients. Added sugars are not meant to be consumed on a regular basis.  Remember that anything in moderation is okay, but it is hard to gauge how much sugar is a moderate amount due to it being hidden in our everyday foods. As usual, I urge you to read your ingredients! Check those sugar levels and try to moderate your intake.

Try these tips to help you with your continual road to success!!

1. Nix the soda! (even diet sodas are filled with artificial chemical sweeteners that act as addictive drugs in our brain causing us to crave more sugary snacks throughout the day)
2. Try Stevia instead of your pink, blue, and yellow packets! Stevia is the only 0 calorie sweetener that is 100% from a plant called the stevia plant. (My favorite brand- Stevia in the raw! Try 1 packet  in your next cup of coffee or sprinkled over some plain yogurt..mmm)
3. Eat more fruit! Next time you crave something sweet grab some berries! The full package of enzymes and vitamins to build your health and immune system! 
4. Dilute your Juice.  If you are a juice drinker, try to cut your juice to half water and half juice. This virgin cocktail can be a real treat! (try sparkling water, splash of cranberry and a squeeze of lime for great summer virgin cocktail without all of the sugar/ calories!!)
5. Dark Chocolate!  If you just have to have candy, go dark (more than 70% dark) Dark chocolate is a great source of antioxidants for fueling your body and brain!

Stay Well

xo

****FUN FACT****
One teaspoon of granulated white sugar is equal to about 4.2 grams! Imagine a bottle of soda with 40 grams of sugar. Now imagine eating roughly 10 teaspoons of sugar...

Beware of Canola..despite what your Registered Dietitian says...

Almost 100% of rapeseed(Canola) in the US and Canada is chemically altered by a devil company called Monsanto. Although Canola Oil is said to have high levels of Omega-3 (healthy) fats..it is a highly modified food and it's risks outweigh it's benefits. Stick with Mediterranean Olive Oil despite it's slightly higher cost. For more info check out the link to the video below. No Farmers=No Food. Down with Monsanto!!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food?c=Health-and-Wellness

Size it up for GOOD measure

Now that you are getting the gist of what foods are good for your body, it is time to take control. Control of the PORTIONS of these foods. No matter what foods you are eating, too much of anything is NEVER a good thing. I often hear "but what about eating a lot of vegetables, or drinking a lot of water?" The answer is the same. When it comes to our bodies, it is usually not the "poison," rather the dose that does us in...

Think of broccoli for example. It is full of wonderful vitamins (especially C) and fiber. When we eat too much  broccoli however, that fiber expands in our stomach and can give us gas or a stomach ache. Is this as harmful as too much of an unhealthy snack? Of course not, but it is still proof that too much of a good thing can be bad as well and therefore, we need to learn how much food is suitable.

An easy way to gain control of your portions and calories is to MEASURE your food. For some, this may seem tedious and unenjoyable. I totally get it. However, once you start measuring your food, you can accurately gauge what you are eating and how much you need to eat to lose, maintain, or gain weight. To measure your food simply look at your food package and measure the amount of calories you want by following the serving size listed above the Nutrition Facts. For more accurate measurements, purchase a food scale, liquid and dry measuring cups, and measuring spoons. (all can be purchased at most supermarkets or chain superstores).  Remember once you purchase them, USE them! You will soon notice that you do not need to measure all of the time because you will have familiarized yourself with correct portion sizes!

Of course, there are other ways to gauge correct food amounts and eat less without measuring...

• USE SMALLER SERVING PLATES: When we serve food on smaller plates, we eat less! It is proven that people like to fill their plates. So if you get a smaller plate, you can make your meal look just as appealing.  Your brain wont know the difference and your body will thank you!
  
• SLOW DOWN: When you take your time eating, your brain receptors have more time to recognize your satiety level. Many people eat until they are full rather than satisfied and believe it or not it may NOT be a question of gluttony.  It takes about 20 minutes for our brain to recognize and send appropriate signals to the rest of our body when we are in fact, satisfied. So unless you slow down, your body will let you eat and eat until finally you have a stomach ache and decide, enough is enough. *TRY THIS*: The French are known for their rich foods, yet also known for their slim figures.  One habit they practice is to put down their fork in between every bite. Every bite of every meal is savored.  In turn, they enjoy food more, eat less, and don't stress about their diet. Now wouldn't that be nice?
  
• SIT DOWN: When you hover over a counter top or eat on the go, you are less likely to appreciate and enjoy your food.  When you sit down, you naturally slow down and enjoy your meal, hence, reducing the chance for feeling a need for more food.
  
• SOCIALIZE: Now this can be tricky...There are PROS and CONS to eating with company. The great part about eating with others is the social interaction. When we talk, we tend to slow down our meal time, which we now know is key to not over eating. However, eating with others can also be dangerous. If our friends or families enjoy unhealthy foods in surplus, we tend to feel comfortable indulging as well. After all were among friends, right? Not so much... Enjoy the company and the relaxing atmosphere but be mindful of what and how much you are eating. 

Below are 3 links that will help you on your way...

1)The Mayo Clinic has a very comprehensive article on portion sizes. I advise you to click on the link and bookmark it so that you have a point of reference.  

2)Free Online Food Journal with Portion Sizes!

3)The Portion Plate

Stay Well

xo

questions? Leave a Comment!