A Win/Win/Win Fundraiser

Bear with me as I meander down the cyber pathway and reflect. It is amazing how life has changed over the past 20 years. When I look back, I can't even recall what life was like before the era of cell phones, and the shrinking of the world. Actually, I do remember hauling around a big, heavy black bag with a "car phone" in it! Today not only is our technology "smaller" where we can carry both our computer and our phone in the palm of our hand, but our world has shrunk too. Think about it – how many friends do you have as a result of cyber connections, and irrelevant to distance? Not only is it a quick jaunt by plane to visit our long distance friends IRL (in real life), but we can also connect and share their lives in a very real way through social media such as facebook, and the wonderful world of skype. As I ponder the shrinking of the world, I also muse about how we can expand our world through the same outlets.

It was through facebook that I met my friend Heidi, and from a link in my newsfeed that I learned of her desire to adopt a special needs child. As I read through her blog I tried to think of what I could do to help. With 13 children, and nine still living at home, I often joke that all my assets are breathing. As I mulled over different fund raising options I came up with the idea to not only help Heidi, and ultimately the little boy they are adopting, but also the folks who want to help them.

 

Now bear with me again, as I do some "mind wondering". Cut me some slack. I am not ADD… just overwhelmed with compassion, and a little overtired. As a wellness consultant and weight loss coach, I am always looking for ways I can help people. How can I marry my desire to assist with the fundraising efforts, and my concern to help people with their health? What if I open up my doors to all those who are already, to some degree, attached to the idea of helping add a brother to the McFarland clan? I get to help more people and Heidi at the same time.

My heart is heavy for the people who are caught up in the pharmaceutical web, entrapped by the side effects of symptom masking drugs. Once in the trap most are forced to add more to counteract the side effects of the first prescription that is designed to be a maintenance drug instead of correct the problem. The challenge becomes balancing helping people with not overstepping my bounds and making recommendations that would be considered "treating" a condition. Trust me when I say that most health challenges are a combination of nutritional deficiencies and toxic overload. It isn't that difficult to address nutritional deficiencies, and it is amazing how the body comes into balance, and health is restored when you do!

As a weight management coach, my job in one sense is easier, but challenging all the same. Ultimately the only people I can help, are the ones that not only WANT help, but the ones that are READY for help. If you find yourself at your "tipping point" and are looking for alternatives, I would like to volunteer my coaching services… and will donate 100% of the proceeds to the McFarland fund. In addition to that, any orders placed from here will have all the proceeds directed to the McFarlands. If you want to learn more about some of the benefits you can expect read this, even if you don't read anything else. This is truly a win/win/win situation. AND I win too because I am helping my friend Heidi, helping bring their little boy home, and helping you to get your life back. I know what it is like to have debilitating health challenges, and I know what it is like to wish there were no mirrors in the house. If you want to love the way you feel and love the way you look, I can help you. In fact, I guarantee it! If you aren't satisfied with my coaching services, or with the improvements you experience when you get started on the best nutrition on the planet…you get your money back (keep in mind that Heidi will also have to give up the proceeds) – no questions asked!

Water, Just How Important Is It?

Recently a friend asked me my opinion about a water filtration system. As a wellness consultant, the topic of water comes up quite often. Since the second half of the radio show this week was concerning oral hygiene I chose water as the topic this week.

Without oxygen, we can only live for a few minutes. Without water, life is only sustainable for a few days. Food, on the other hand, is something we can live without for a few weeks. In that context, water is the second most important component to life, and yet we often neglect to focus on our need to stay properly hydrated. For many, it is simply ignorance. We don't know what we don't know. Most people think they know based on what they have been told. Sadly, we have been taught incorrect information in many areas for the past 30-40 years. Water consumption happens to be one of those misconceptions.

Everybody knows we should be drinking eight 8 oz glasses of water a day, right? What if I told you that was way off base for most people? Somehow, it was determined that we could arbitrarily drink a standard amount, regardless of our weight or body composition. Somehow, we've been led to believe that a person weighing 50 pounds needs to consume the same amount of water as a person weighing 300 pounds. Let's bring common sense into the picture for a moment before I share with you the "formula" for determining how much water you need.

Our bodies are at least 75% water. Is 75% of 50 even remotely close to 75% of 300? Would it stand to reason that maybe our generic rule isn't really applicable in the real world? The simple formula to use is to drink .5 ounces for every pound of body weight. For example, a 200lb person should drink 100 ounces of water per day. It is important to understand that we are talking about WATER here, and not liquids. Drinks containing caffeine will actually dehydrate instead of rehydrate, so if you are a caffeine consumer, you will need to add to your calculations. I suggest that you not only drink half your body weight (times ounces) but also match your other liquid consumption ounce for ounce. In other words, if you drink 12 ounces of coffee per day, and another 20 ounces of tea, you need to add another 32 ounces of water to the formula above. For our hypothetical person above, that would mean 132 ounces, or just a little over a gallon per day.

Most people say, "Wow, that's a lot of water! How can I ever drink that much?!" Amazingly, it really isn't that difficult! It helps to have a way to pre-measure, or measure as you go. Get yourself a BPA free water bottle and calculate how many you'll have to drink to meet your quota for the day. Some people like to pre-measure their water into a pitcher and keep it in the refrigerator. Another way to be sure you get your water in is to play games with yourself. Make yourself drink so much before each meal, and pour up a glass every time you think you are hungry. Interestingly, most people will find that they weren't really hungry at all. Our signals have gotten so mixed up that we often mistake thirst for hunger. Keep your water bottle with you at all times, and sip on water throughout the day.

It is important to note that the KIND of water you consume is just as important as consuming it. Not all water is safe. Not all water bottles are good for you. As you begin to transition to healthier living, you need to transition away from mindlessly making choices without considering whether or not those choices will affect your health. We have been using plastics for years without questioning their safety. It has only been recently that there have been studies conducted to see if plastics are a part of the overlying problem with chronic conditions and illnesses. If you visit plastics.org you will be sure to find numerous articles claiming that safety has been established. However, you can also find research that indicates otherwise. BPA has become a buzz word in health circles. Marketing trends are following by labeling plastic containers as BPA free. Don't be fooled into thinking that "BPA free" is synonymous with "safe" though. When you move away from the hard plastics containing BPA you enter the realm of soft plastics that are laden with other alarming chemicals that have been linked to a myriad of problems, including estrogen imbalance, and hormone linked cancers. My container of choice would be glass, with stainless steel coming in second. If you have to use a plastic bottle, purchase a BPA free hard plastic bottle that you can fill from the tap and reuse. If you want some reference articles to consider you can read about BPA here, and what Consumer Reports has to say in this article. For more info on the softer plastics check this out.

Other reasons not to use bottled water would be cost (conservatively $7 per gallon) and pollution. Think of how many millions of water bottles litter the landfills! A simple way to do our part would be to use the money we would spend on bottle water and invest in a good water filtration system that will remove the chlorine and the fluoride from our drinking water. Even if you don't have a lot of money to put towards a filter, you could at the very least by a faucet filter that will remove some of the toxins. Most all of them remove chlorine. If you want to spend a little money for a top of the line filtration system you can buy a carafe from here that is inexpensive, and yet produces some of the purest water available. Reverse osmosis systems are good at removing a high percentage of contaminants from water, but they also deplete the minerals. Water filtration systems that create Hunza, clustered, ionized water are best, but also the most expensive. Distilled water should not be used regularly because there is evidence that it is so stripped of minerals that will actually cause the minerals to be depleted from your body. It is safe to use during a fast or cleanse, but not recommended as a constant water supply. Again, remember – do the best with what you have. Doing something is better than doing nothing!

Is Your Sweet Tooth Killing You?

I have heard it said that "we are digging our graves with our teeth," and I think that is a fairly accurate statement. I would add to that and say, "we are drinking ourselves to death," as well. After watching a medical lecture called "Sugar The Bitter Truth" I feel even more compelled to educate on just how evil sweeteners are. The presentation is a full hour and a half and is filled with statistics and diagrams that would bore most folks to tears; but for me, it was riveting. If you are able to sit through it, and actually grasp what is being said, you will never look at fructose the same again. For those who don't have an hour and a half to spare, I am going to summarize some of what I learned. You can also read this article published in the New York Times, "Is Sugar Toxic", by Gary Taubes who, like me, is convinced that Dr. Lustig is onto something.

But before I delve into the dangers of sugar, humor me and allow me to go off on a rabbit trail for a minute. I need to first address what NOT to do in response to what you are about to learn about fructose. Even though artificial sweeteners weren't addressed in the lecture, I think it is important to draw your attention to some of the side effects that come from using Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Amino Sweet) and Sucralose (Splenda). I find it disturbing that so many people in the health and weight management industry encourage the use of artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and Sucralose. Not only are there numerous reports and studies that suggest they are dangerous, there is little evidence they help with weight loss. In fact, according to Consumers' Research Magazine, "There is no clear-cut evidence that sugar substitutes are useful in weight reduction. On the contrary, there is some evidence that these substances may stimulate appetite."

If you want to check a list of 92 different documented side effects of Aspartame you can see them here. Another good reference, if you want to know more about the history of Sucralose and its safety, can be found here. There are a few sites that will defend the use of artificial sweeteners, but you'll notice they have a vested interest. I have never found a true health advocate encouraging the use of artificial sweeteners. So my suggestion for those who use artificial sweeteners is: do your due diligence. Research for yourself the many side effects, and then ask yourself is the risk worth the benefit. With research suggesting that there IS no benefit, making a decision to remove them from your diet should be easy. Actually following through may prove more difficult than you think though because they are addictive just like caffeine. If artificial sweeteners are a part of your daily life, prepare yourself for withdrawals when you make the decision to quit!

Now, with that off my conscience, let's get back to fructose and the bitter truth about sugar. Fructose is a fruit sugar right? And if you believe the ads that are being run, there is no difference between high fructose corn syrup and sugar. If you will to take the time to listen to Dr. Lustig, you'll learn what makes both of them detrimental, and why high fructose corn syrup is the greater of the two evils. In 2009 he participated in the UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public and his lecture was posted on youtube titled: Sugar The Bitter Truth (with over a million viewers to date.) In the hour and half presentation he helps the audience see how America has been hoodwinked. As the amount of sugar consumed has skyrocketed (now an estimated average of 141 pounds per person yearly) we have seen a similar rise in obesity. The statistical graphs he presents are astounding. As we reduced our fat intake as per recommendations beginning in the early 80's, our sugar intake has increased. Interestingly there has been an almost identical rise in obesity. Coincidental? I don't think so! I can't do his research justice here, so if I have piqued your interest click on the title above to watch it yourself.

He goes on to demonstrate that it is actually fructose that is causing the rise in heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. What if he is right? These are all conditions that are occurring at epidemic rates. And they are all preventable, and reversible…contrary to what the drug companies want you to think! An easy way to determine if Dr. Lustig is on to something would be to add the healthy fats back into the diet, and get the fructose out. It is doubtful that we'll see a nationwide campaign to make that happen, but it can certainly happen on an individual level.

If you are a person who is already plagued with one of the above conditions, or if you'd just rather not get to that point, a good place to start would be to make pure filtered water your drink of choice.
Eliminate sodas and juices (even the 100% fruit juices) completely. When the fiber is stripped from the fruit, the fructose laden juice that is left over becomes almost as unhealthy as soda. "Don't drink your calories" is a good motto to have, but don't fool yourself into believing that "diet low calorie" drinks are okay either. They are toxic, addictive, and have too many side effects for me to even list on this forum.

If water is too bland for your taste buds, squeeze some fresh lemon into it. You don't have to give up your Java, but limit yourself to one cup. I'll even give you permission to sweeten it as long as you only use a teaspoon of sugar. If you are hung up on low calorie, choose stevia. Be careful of the brand you pick though. Pick one that is naturally processed. "Stevia in the Raw" is a good choice. "Truvia", on the other hand, is manufactured by Coca Cola. Need I say more? Wine, in moderation, is actually good for you, and would be an exception to the rule about drinking your calories. Red wine is better for you than white, and a glass per day is even recommended by some doctors. Milk will have to be the topic for another blog; but unless it is raw, it should be avoided. If your only options are the grocery store, the best choice would be almond milk, with rice coming in second, and soy being among the list of "never consume" foods. Changing your drinking habits should only be the beginning. Ideally, you should eliminate all high fructose corn syrup from your diet, and reserve indulging in sugary confections for special occasions.

If you have been inspired to make changes, great! If you haven't… watch the video! My short blog post only offers a taste of the bitter truth that Dr. Lustig so eloquently serves up.

Sugar, The Bitter Truth

It has been awhile since I watched this, but it is the most thorough presentation I have ever encountered when it comes to explaining the correlation between the health issues we are having and the sweeteners we are using. Since I will be blogging next week on sweeteners, I thought this would be a good video to post. It is lengthy, but worth taking the time to watch, even if you do it in segments. You will never look at sugar, or other sweeteners, the same again!

Sugar The Bitter Truth

Is Our Food Really Food?

Good nutrition is vital to health, no if, ands, or buts about it. Remember the old adage, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? We NEED good nutrition for our bodies to function properly. Unfortunately for us, eating our fruits and vegetables like grandma told us to just isn't enough anymore. Considering our food supply it is no wonder that we, as a nation, are suffering from so many chronic conditions. Our immune systems have been disarmed. It would be like sending a soldier into battle with no ammo, and no method of communication. That would be considered homicide, and yet we are doing this to our own bodies on a daily basis. Our food has become ammo against us, instead of the tools our bodies need to stay healthy.

But wait, how can this be if we are one of the most obese nations in the world? Obviously there is no lack of food, right? Wrong! There is no lack of calories, no lack of things to put in our mouths, and no lack of dishes that delight the taste buds. We are overweight, but we are also woefully undernourished. The answer the government has given us is to eat more. A quick look at the latest info at www.mypyramid.gov will just confuse the average reader. But the bottom line is: eating more is not the answer!

First we need to establish the problem. It is really very simple. There is a lack of real foods with real nutrition. Not too many years ago 90% of the purchases made in groceries stores were non-processed. We bought fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh cuts of meat, fresh milk, dairy products, and eggs. Today, only a few decades later, 90% of what we spend our money on comes in a box, bag, or can and the majority of the ingredients are words we can't pronounce. These provide us with calories, and are "fortified" with vitamins and minerals (in an attempt to replace what has been processed out) but they really don't provide us with absorbable nutrition.

It might seem that the answer is simple too: just buy unprocessed foods. Follow grandma's suggestions, eat more fruits and vegetables, and everything will be fine, right? Unfortunately, it isn't as easy as it seems. Even the non-processed foods in our stores have problems because of the nature of our society. Produce purchased from the grocery store is shipped from hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles away. Why is this a problem? They have to be picked long before they ripen so they don't have the nutrients that we expect them to have. Some of the statistics are staggering. Broccoli, for instance, has lost 80% of the calcium just since the 1940's. It takes 53 peaches today to provide the same amount of vitamin A you could get in just 2 peaches back when the baby boomers were growing up. These are just a couple of examples. The depletion percentages vary, but suffice it to say that we are not eating what our grandparents ate.

It isn't just about green harvesting either. The soils are used for mass production which strips the soil of all the nutrients. Chemicals are added back in to "fertilize", but those chemicals are only resupplying the three nutrients needed to make the produce LOOK pretty. The other seventy+ nutrients are ignored, and hence even the real food has less nutritional value than it used to. Many of us are turning to organic to avoid the harmful chemicals used to fertilize and make farming easier. Organic is definitely better. Chemicals used to kill bugs and weeds can't be healthy. Organic doesn't really provide a total answer either though because organics are also green harvested and are now being mass produced. They are just as nutrient depleted as their pesticide, herbicide, chemically fed cousins. If you are going to spend your buying dollars on organic, at least take the time to find a local organic farm, and get your money's worth.

Our simplest answer up until recently has been to supplement, but there is still a problem. The issue with supplements, especially vitamins and minerals, is that most of them are synthetic and your body doesn't recognize them as food. With some supplements we are doing more harm than good. Since our bodies don't recognize the synthetic versions, our filter organs (like the kidneys and liver) are just bombarded with more things to filter out. Calcium based kidney stones are most likely from supplemental calcium, and the calcium that is added into foods to "fortify" them. Many savvy shoppers have turned to the natural, whole-food, supplements which are definitely a better choice. Even those are only 80-85% absorbable though, and the cost can be prohibitive. At one time I was spending more than $300 per month on supplements just for myself.

Personally, I have found what I consider to be the best answer available. In 2009 I found the super food of super foods – Moringa. The glitch I ran into is that it doesn't grow near where I live. There are many different varieties of Moringa and it grows in many different countries, but the most nutrient dense variety is the Moringa Oliefera, and it grows up to 5 times more nutrient dense in southern India. As I continued to research, I realized that you need to ingest all the different parts of the tree to get the full benefit. I later stumbled upon a source of Moringa Oliefera that grows in Southern India, contains all the beneficial parts of the tree, is 100% bioavailable, still enzymatically alive, hasn't been heated or denatured in any way, and processed according to UK organic regulations. Now, regardless of what I am consuming, I know that my body is getting the proper nutrition to be armed and ready for the daily battle to remain healthy in a world where the food we eat isn't really food anymore.

Real People With Real Results – Wellness and Weight Management Tips

Beginning this week you will see this blog transition to include wellness and weight management tips that will correlate with a blogtalk radio show at www.blogtalkradio.com/elevate-the-soul I have teamed up with Emilio at www.lifetreestation.wordpress.com to spread the word to the blogtalk world. In radio land I am also now being featured on Cumulus Radio station every Tuesday morning as their Health Expert, and this blog will serve as a forum to expound on the health tips being shared on Z93.7 Lite Rock. In addition, you could also hear some ads running on the Clear channel radio stations. We will be auctioning off several combo packages with www.clearchannel.com in May.

Since this is the inaugural blog post for www.realpeoplewithrealresults.com I want to start out by congratulating you for seeking answers, and looking for ways to be more healthy and attain your weight management goals. After spending the last decade speaking, coaching and encouraging people just like you, I decided it was time to expand my borders. In a country where the majority of people are overweight, and a staggering number find themselves in the obese category, finding a way to reach more people has compelled me to transfer my coaching to an online setting, and blogging is just one more way to expand the education process.

Each week I will address a particular health or weight related issue that I touch on via Cumulus Radio stations. I am also co-hosting a blogtalk radio show every Monday at 2pm with Emilio at www.lifetreestation.com If you want to join us visit www.blogtalkradio.com/elevate-the-soul or dial in to ask questions or share your experiences 347-215-7828

The topic this week will address the three major reasons that people have health challenges: Malnutrition, toxins, and dehydration.

Convincing everyone to agree that we are bombarded with toxins isn't difficult. They are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Toxins are used to preserve, toxins are used to sweeten, toxins are used to flavor. They are the end result of the machines we use, and every breath we take is laden with tiny molecules that cause oxidative stress in our bodies. Not only does oxidative stress cause us to age faster, it puts us at risk for disease because it lowers our body's defense system. It is no wonder that cancer is occurring at epidemic rates.

With proper nutrition, oxidative stress damage is minimal, and outwardly just looks like the normal aging process. However, if our cells aren't "armed" with good nutrition, they are unable to ward off the attacks. Sometimes the result is recurring illnesses. Other times we find ourselves facing chronic problems. Auto-immune conditions are a result of an immune system that can not communicate properly. Contrary to what many think, it is not an "over active" immune system that causes auto-immune conditions. Proper nutrition can restore the communication so that the body no longer attacks itself. Watch for another blog devoted just to this topic. In the mean time, realize that we can't get our nutrition from our current food supply anymore. We green harvest even the organic foods you buy at the store. Picking green means that the fruit or vegetable is still nutritionally deficient. So how do we increase our nutrition if we can't get it from the grocery store? Start buying your fruits and vegetables from someone who grows locally; or even better – grow them yourself. Even if you live in the city container gardens are extremely efficient. Zija's Smart Mix has the most concentrated absorbable nutrition you can obtain and should be a part of everyone's diet.

And lastly, one of the easiest things you can do to improve your health is to drink purified water. As a nation, we are just as dehydrated as we are malnourished and overweight. The old adage that 8 eight ounce glasses of water is all you need has deceived everyone into thinking they are drinking adequate amounts of water. Only if you weigh 128 pounds or less does that rule apply. In order to stay hydrated you must drink .5 ounces of water for every pound you weigh. Using that formula a person weighing 200lbs would need 100 ounces of water. Just as important is the source of your water. Bottled water should not even be considered unless it is in glass or a hard plastic that is BPA free. According to Dr. Russ Bianchi, the soft collapsible bottles are "blown" like glass, and cooled by filling them with water. Heating plastic causes toxins to be released, and it leaches into the water. Save yourself hundreds of dollars per year by getting a decent filter to put on your faucet, and drink out of glass or BPA free plastic. Other reasons not to drink bottled water would include the enormous amount of waste that we are creating, and the astronomical cost. The cost of bottled water is somewhere between six and eight dollars per gallon!

If you are concerned about your health, these are some of the simplest things you can do to live longer, and improve your quality of life.

Welcome 2010! Ressurecting the Blog....

So, as I look at the date on my last post I cringe. Obviously blogging wasn't a high priority in 2009! 2010 will be different. How many of us that that at the beginning of a year? So many things have happened in the Shaw house since I last blogged I don't even know where to start... so I won't. We'll just leave the last eleven months in a vacuum. It doesn't mean anything horrible happened, it just means I am looking ahead, and not behind.
What I AM going to do is use this blog as a platform to address some issues that are near and dear to my heart. What better to talk about at the beginning of the year than goals? Stay tuned because I will begin posting about the ABC's of better health, and will not only revive the blog, but give it new life. Last year I toyed with different methods of reaching more people. This year, I am going to worry less about the method, and more about taking action. Systems are great, but for some of us they immobilize us and we never move past trying to develop the best, most effective program. So without further adieu:

What do you intend to do in 2010? Did you achieve your goals in 2009? If not, why not? What can you do differently in the coming year to make your dreams become a reality? There comes a time when commitment has to give way to action, else it remains a never fulfilled intention. It may just be a southern colloquialism, but I grew up hearing. “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” After having spent the past several years immersed in personal development books I have come to the conclusion that our generation has redefined “intention.” According to Brian Klemmer, if we intend to do something, we make it happen. If for any reason, it doesn't come to fruition, it is because we lacked intent. I have discussed this with friends and family, and they don't agree. We always look for excuses, don't we? Part of it might have to do with the context in which Klemmer explains it, but we do have choices. When we say we “can't” do something, it really means we won't make that choice because of the consequences. It isn't that we failed at our intentions, it just wasn't worth the cost... we didn't really intend for it to happen. We might have hoped that everything would fall into place so that it happened without much effort, but we weren't really ready to achieve our goals regardless of the cost. Like many others words, “intend” has lost its potency. When our words lose meaning, our ability to live them out does too. So, if we want to empower ourselves, we have to return to the unwatered down definitions of the words we choose. Rethink your resolutions, your goals... Are you living life intentionally, or just letting what happens, happen?

Words, once filled with energy and power, are becoming more and more anemic as we allow ourselves to expect less and less. We live in a society where we struggle to express ourselves because so many words have lost their meaning. We've crippled ourselves in so many ways by attenuating our words to the point that many are meaningless. I belabor this point simply because we can set goals all day long, and make declarations about our intentions, but only when we embrace them fully will we get the results we are seeking.

So again, I ask... what are your goals? What is your track record for actually achieving what you set out to do? Do you desire to improve your success rate? Would you like to know how to have bullseye AIM when it comes to reaching your target? What are your challenges? What is holding you back? I ask these questions with sincerity, not rhetorically. I'd love to hear from you!