One-Track-Mind vs The Juggler

OK, I know I’m going to get flack for this one, but I’m going out on a limb to see if I can talk some sense into some of my clients and friends who are getting frustrated with what feels like one of their partners’ most intractable behavioral flaws. Let’s look at genes for a moment. If you think about the mechanisms involved in the way genes get passed on to future generations, it makes sense that there is a division in a species into one half that generally is the most involved in child rearing and one half that is the most involved in food gathering and protective behaviors. Stating the obvious, in humans, women are the ones capable of carrying and birthing a child and then feeding it directly through breast milk through the first few years of life. Men are needed to create the child and have been charged with providing for and protecting the mother and child during their vulnerable years. Without both of these roles the future genetic potential of the species is in jeopardy. This is not to say that men can’t be nurturers and women can’t be providers and protectors, it’s just an observation of the majority of the species. That said, the roles that have generally developed in most tribes of humans over the millennia take advantage of the strengths of each gender. I hear extraordinarily often how frustrated men are with women, and women are with men, for not being more like each other. Frankly I’m thrilled that we have different strengths!

One of the things that comes up repeatedly in sessions is that men have a one-track-mind and can’t do more than one thing at a time, and women are multi-tasking mavens who expect everyone to do six things at once. This makes perfect sense to me from the standpoint of genes making sure they get passed along. In the not too distant past, those in charge of food acquisition were perpetually in harm’s way. Think about it, the game hunter with a spear or the berry gatherer in grizzly territory had to risk death daily to be sure their families had a regular supply of food. More often than not, this person was male. It was vital that they remained singularly focused on their life threatening task or their genes would be removed from the gene pool when they became saber-toothed tiger lunch. The nurturer of the family was most often back at camp or in the village preparing food, preserving food, making and repairing clothing, and watching the children. The only way all of these things could be accomplished in order to secure their genes for future generations was if this person could split their concentration among many tasks in order to adequately care for the family. The nurturer, most often, was female.

Both roles were and are essential. Genetically, those that followed these models survived more often than those who didn’t and the pattern got set at a biochemical level. In our modern, Western, world we have shown that these roles can be reversed and even shared with success. Yes, there are always genetic variations. Yes, there is a certain amount of training that can overcome genetic tendencies. But, it is my belief that these tendencies developed in humans for very good biological reasons.

I encourage my juggler/nurturer clients to find the good qualities of of their more singularly-focused partners. These people can take a task from start to finish without getting distracted. When their attention is completely focused on their partners, there is no doubt about their loyalties. I encourage my hunter/warrior clients to find the joy in being enveloped in an environment that nurtures so many aspects of their lives. The support of a multi-tasker is invaluable for the hunter/warrior’s ability to step into single-minded focus. It is the balance between the two that creates the safest and most secure environment for our genes to move forward to future generations. Again, this is NOT saying that women can’t be warriors or huntresses and men can’t be nurturers, or that we can't each be a mish-mash of both, I’m just saying that a balance of single-focus and multi-tasking is beneficial for us all as a species. Can you find a way to love that side of your partner rather than being disappointed that they aren’t more like you? Viv la difference!

Get Connected. Get Healthy. Get REAL.

Being Vegan or Vegetarian Still Can Be Unhealthy!

Rant Alert: Ok, so I have a bone to pick here (pun intended). We need to talk about what it means to be a Healthy Vegetarian or Vegan, and the importance of understanding that just because you don't partake of animal offerings, doesn't mean you get to eat junk food all day long. Why is it that the vegetarian aisles of most of our grocery stores consist mainly of highly processed snack foods? And sadly, why is it that so many of my "vegetarian" clients think that a diet almost entirely of boxed mac and cheese, diet soda and Twizzlers qualifies as healthy? Psst: the word Vegetable is the basis for the word Vegetarian. If you want to be Healthy, whether vegan, vegetarian, pesca-lacto-ovotarian, or omnivorous, you need to eat Real Food. Don't preach to me about animal cruelty while wearing leather shoes, a down jacket and driving a car that runs on gasoline. Don't talk to me about how healthy your lifestyle is as you struggle with your constant post-nasal drip, weight gain, huge dark circles under your eyes, flaking nails and hair loss from nutrient deficiencies.

The Cold Hard Hairy Eyeball of Truth: to be a Healthy vegetarian or vegan you must eat a combination of Vegetables, Fruits, Whole Grains, Legumes, Nuts/Seeds. The only difference between a Healthy vegetarian and a Healthy omnivore is in the choice of some proteins and some fats. The thing is, if you rely on convenience foods, the vegetarian products can be even more dangerous than the omnivorous options. You can actually set yourself up to consume some of the most highly processed foods available on the market today. Yes, you read that correctly. Here is just one in a whole laundry list of problems: the standard vegetarian offerings at most grocery stores rely heavily on products made using TVP or texturized vegetable protein. TVP is usually made from soy but also from cottonseed (which contains a natural spermicide), wheat and oats. Please read the description found at Wikipedia for the utterly delicious sounding way this "food" is made complete with carcinogenic hexane solvent residues. TVP is loaded with damaged proteins, damaged fats, toxic processing residues, and neuro-toxins such as high amounts of MSG.

Soy itself has a really controversial history in the field of human nutrition which is far too big to tackle here. Technically yes, it contains all the essential amino acids to qualify as a complete protein on strictly a chemical basis, BUT the human body doesn't digest and absorb it in the same way as an animal protein so it is still considered low quality by many researchers, scientists and nutritionists (myself included). Most soy products are highly processed, high in phytates (enzyme inhibitors that block mineral absorption), goitrogens (that damage your thyroid), phytoestrogens (which can feminize male children raised on high amounts of soy), and trypsin inhibitors (essential for proper digestion). Fermented soy products are slightly better because some of these anti-nutrients are broken down by fermentation, but soy can still be extremely hard on your thyroid and can push the human system into fat storage mode thereby contributing to body fat gain rather than lean tissue balance. In addition, soy is one of the most highly sprayed crops in the world, as well as nearly all of it is now genetically modified thanks to Monsanto.

Fats are essential for human health, including saturated fats. Vegetarians and vegans often have the highest intake of omega 6 fatty acids due to the ingestion of higher percentages of plant based liquid oils. Safflower, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, grape seed and peanut oils are pro-inflammatory and chronic consumption can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimers and cancers. It is important to consume a combination of types of fats to be a healthy vegetarian or vegan. Consider coconut oil which has a broad range of fatty acids, is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. Omega 3 fatty acids are harder to come by in the plant world and are not as easily assimilated as those found in fish or krill. Consider algal forms over seed sources. Reduce or eliminate all high omega 6 oils. Remember that a damaged healthy oil is just as unhealthy as a bad oil. Don't overheat or reuse oils after cooking. Keep oils away from light, heat and air while storing.

Please, if you choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, learn how to be Healthy. It's not as simple as believing the big food product manufacturers and subsisting on boxed, bagged or instant food products. Read labels. Learn about amino acids and how to combine foods to get complete proteins. Get Smart. Get Healthy. Get REAL.

Vanquishing the Dragons: Migraines and Chronic Headaches

So many people I know (myself included) are plagued by migraines or by chronic debilitating headaches. I have found that in many cases once the detective work has been done effectively, we can eradicate the causes of these inner fire breathing dragons that hold so many of us hostage.

Quick Definitions:
A migraine is not just a really bad headache. Migraines involve a whole host of other systems and symptoms that can range from visual disturbances such as the illusion of flickering lights or auras, to severe light induced nausea, to hemi-facial (“half the face”) pain, numbness or nerve dysfunction. Often pain is actually less of a problem than the other symptoms which can drive some sufferers into dark silent rooms for days. Most people who are susceptible will experience their first migraine right around puberty.

Chronic daily headaches (CDH) are defined by their frequency (15 or more days out of each month for more than 3 months) and the primacy of blinding pain as the key symptom. Chronic tension-induced headaches typically hurt on both sides of the head and evolve from tension of the muscular structures of the head, neck and/or shoulders.

Common Causes:
Medication misuse or overuse; allergies and toxic exposures; stress; sleep issues; caffeine withdrawal or overindulgence; illness; infection; skipping meals; chronic dehydration; and obesity. Often there is a hormonal influence that comes into play (especially for women). Testing is an important part of the detective work to get to the root cause.

My Own Story:
As a child and then teen I began noticing that I had worsening headaches every time I ate conventionally raised beef. In college I decided to try vegetarianism and took a few years off of all meats and the headaches disappeared. I then was traveling and opted to try a hamburger with a couple of glasses of cabernet right after a week of high stress, little sleep and food poisoning. Needless to say my body went into conniptions. I gave myself my first classic migraine and ended up in the hospital for five days while a multitude of tests were run to determine that I wasn’t having a brain hemorrhage. My symptoms: flickering visual aura in my right eye, extreme light sensitivity, nausea, numbness and tingling on the right side of my face, and a strange “far away” feeling headache. Once I eliminated conventionally grown beef from my life and took a break from the red wine, chocolate, aged cheeses and coffee, and learned how to manage my stress, I have only experienced a handful of migraines since.

3 Things to Try Now:

1. ALWAYS start with a big glass of water. We are a chronically dehydrated culture. See what 16 ounces of cool water (not iced) does before diving into medications.
2. Test for food allergies. Typical foods that drive the headache/migraine response include all those on my list above: red wines, aged cheeses, chocolate, caffeine, and cured meats as well as preservatives, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, and the toxins in conventionally raised foods (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and hormone residues).
3. Breathe. We forget to simply breathe in our rush rush rush way of living. Take time to just focus on the breath taking clean life-giving oxygen in deeply and exhaling equally deeply for a few minutes each day. If you don’t have any other stress-reduction technique, at least incorporate this one! You can do it anywhere!

Chronic Inflammation: the smoldering fire within

As the research rolls in, we keep finding that the point of intersection in the genesis of nearly all chronic disease is low-level, systemic, long-term inflammation. This means that the inflammation system that is supposed to be our ally in times of trouble has been left stuck on like a dripping faucet. The chemicals our bodies create to help us close and heal a wound and activate the next stages of our immune system are not kind to other tissues of the body. In acute situations, these chemicals are produced for to quickly seal “holes” and act as the sirens that bring the rest of the immune system components to the scene. In a healthy system, they are then cleared quickly by anti-inflammatory systems to prevent additional damage. When the faucet for the fire hose of inflammation isn’t shut off entirely, damage occurs to healthy tissues.

Diseases directly related to chronic inflammation include asthma, Alzheimer’s, anemia, arthritis, cancers, fibromyalgia, kidney failure, lupus, psoriasis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, heart disease, congestive heart failure, IBS, Crohn’s, obesity, pancreatitis, stroke, and ulcerative colitis. One of the interesting things is that obesity is both a cause and a product of chronic inflammation, and we have a lot of control over it’s development.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few aspects of modern Western life that cause the inflammation faucet to drip. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is one of the biggest culprits. With it’s high sugar content, damaged fats and contaminated proteins, the metabolites from this sort of fueling are constantly activating the inflammation cascade by acting as irritants, toxins and circulating waste products. The immune system then attacks healthy cells in artery walls (atherosclerosis), joints (arthritis), the gut mucosa (as in lactose intolerance or gluten intolerance), as well as organ tissues such as the pancreas (diabetes).

It is thought now that the main reason that low-dose aspirin and statin medications help reduce heart disease is due to their anti-inflammatory actions rather than the original beliefs that blood needed to be thinner or cholesterol needed to be lower. These medications have some serious downsides, however, and you should be extremely careful even with that children’s aspirin. More information on this and other medication side-effects will be discussed here at a later date.

Barry Sears MD has been researching inflammation for years and has developed this list of questions to help you determine if you have a leaking inflammation faucet. If you answer yes to 3 or more, your faucet is on a constant drip:

Are you overweight?
Are you taking cholesterol lowering drugs, beta blockers or diuretics?
Are you groggy upon waking most mornings?
Do you crave refined grains or sugars throughout the day?
Do you feel fatigued more often than not?
Are your fingernails brittle?

If you would like more information on how to fix that leaky faucet, please sign up to attend my free presentation at Gathering Thyme in San Anselmo CA on February 16th at 7pm.
http://www.gatheringthyme.com/events.html#eating

Get Healthy. Get Informed. Get REAL.

Re - Solutions

OK. You made it though the holidaze. Congratulations. Now what? Now comes that nagging feeling that you've overindulged and have to repent. This usually centers on creating some sort of austere diet and exercise plan that your "Super Self" will coerce your "Evil Twin" into following for "your own good".  Aahh... and here is where it all goes down the drain before you even get started.

DIET is a Four Letter Word. Back when I was a kid, a "four letter word" was a "bad word". The word "diet" has all the negative connotations that are associated with punishment and deprivation. It is based on willpower and internal motivational strength. It is a period of time that is book-ended and taken out of a person's "normal" life during which they force themselves into a very tight small box of behaviors and usually without any internal or external support. Put simply: IF YOU DIET YOU ARE DESTINED TO FAIL unless you happen to have the will of an automaton, the emotional range of a barbell, and live in a bunker with no temptations to stray from the tight-rope thin path to your goal weight.

The reality is that we humans are complicated, have stressful lives that overlap and interact with other complicated and stressful lives. We are continuously bombarded with advertisements for weight loss miracle pills/shakes/frozen meals/supplements/medications/surgeries at the same time we are assaulted with advertising for the "return of the McRib", "I-dare-you-to-eat-just-one" chips, 2-for-1 large so-there's-no-need-to-share pizzas, and super-sized fries for the same price as regular. Mixed messages? Yup. One set appeals to your inner parent and the other to the inner child. You are being set up. Who benefits? The pharmaceutical industry, the food industry and the diet industry. You read that right. The Diet Industry. There are huge amounts of money to be made on you. This industry is there to help your wallet lose weight, not you.

Don't count calories. Count blessings. Get REAL. Take back your power and live your life with the passion, verve and vitality you were meant to have! How, you ask? Simple really. Focus on these five things with gentleness towards yourself and gratitude:
1 - Eat REAL foods. Give up processed foods, anything that you only have to microwave and serve, excess sugars (not all sugars!), damaged fats and poisoned proteins. Eat a rainbow of veggies, fruits, healthy meats/fish/poultry (if you aren't vegetarian of course), organic whole dairy products, whole grains and healthy fats. YES FATS. Fats are what triggers the sense of satiety and tells your body you can stop eating. Without fat in your meal you will be hungry again very quickly. And yes, the occasional dessert! But eat it right up next to your meal. And by the way, occasional means just that, not after (or instead of) every meal as we've been told by the marketing agencies we can do...
2 - Move. It's what you were built to do. You weren't built to run marathons weekly or to swim the English Channel. You were built to trudge. You were built to move all day every day. You were not built to sit. Move your body through space under your own power for at least 60 minutes per day at a pace that suggests you might have just been hung up on AGAIN by AT&T after being on hold for 45 minutes. Grrr!
3 - Drink water. Just water. Clean water. Cool, not iced, water. Drink one ounce for every half-pound of you. If you weigh 200 pounds, your daily intake should be 100 ounces. If you must, have herbal tea or a squeeze of lemon in your water. If you have caffeine or alcohol, remember it sets you back and you have to drink that much more to get back to square one.
4 - Eliminate as much added sugar as possible. Naturally occurring sweetness in fruits and veggies are fine. Artificial sweeteners offer you nothing but health problems and a continuing addiction to extreme sweetness. Cut it back. Use sugar if you must but do so knowing that's what you're using and be sensible. No agave is not the answer. This is another case of "natural" does not equal "healthy".
5 - Breathe. Yup, you read that right. Breathe. We forget that one of THE most important things we can do is change the air. Clear your head. Oxygenate your brain. Wake up your muscles. Crank up your metabolism. Expel toxins that are released in the breath. Consciously taking a few breaths reduces your stress levels instantly. Try it. It's something you can literally do any time. Important times to implement taking a few conscious breaths are: before beginning a meal, before a potentially stressful meeting, while sitting in traffic, before going to bed at night, and before engaging in your day in the morning.

You can do these things! If you focus on these 5 things rather than trying to make unsustainable and doomed resolutions, you can change the course of your history from this day forward. I dare you to try it. Take pictures, take measurements, then put the scale in the garage, keep a journal and let me know how you feel this time next year. Thumb your nose at the expensive diet plans and gym memberships. Laugh at the ridiculous advertising that makes no rational sense. Take your power and money back from Big Pharma and Big Agra. Get Sensible. Get Healthy. Get REAL.

Overweight, Obesity and Diabetes: the other rising tide

Global warming has been in the news a lot lately and yes, the potential of the rising oceans is a major concern for our generation and beyond. However, the bigger threat to our immediate health and that of our healthcare system is the dramatic increase in health issues related to overweight and obesity in developed and developing countries alike. At current rates, the healthcare costs associated with the sequelae related to dysfunctional metabolism will stress to bursting our current systems of heath insurance and health care.

Pharmaceutical companies are already finding their supplies of insulin in demand at a greater rate than they can supply it and, of course, costs are increasing (to the thrill of shareholders, but not those who are insulin dependent). Drugs used to treat diabetes, including insulin and metformin, have become a $34 billion annual business (up 12% since only last year). Huge companies such as Novo Nordisk are making half of their profits on insulin alone. For Novo Nordisk that amounts to half of their $11.1 billion in sales. There are 366 million diabetes sufferers worldwide of which 1 dies every 7 seconds from issues that develop from the disease. The total health care costs related to diabetes is $465 billing according to the International Diabetes Federation.*

The maddening thing is that nearly all of these cases could have been avoided, and those that got started could have been reversed if people had only been given adequate information on how to take care of themselves. Probably THE most damaging information perpetuated in the last 40 years has been the nearly ubiquitous advice to ditch dietary fats in favor of high-glycemic carbohydrates. By dramatically increasing highly processed grains and sugars and taking out the traditional healthy fats that the body needs to maintain the endocrine system, brain, nervous system, and immunity, we have stomped on the accelerator driving our collective pancreases to the brink of destruction by forcing our bodies to process far more sugars than ever before in the history of the human food supply. Time and time again I have seen people struggle with weight, blood lipids, and blood sugar who are trying valiantly to follow low-fat diets and still seeing no positive change in their health or weight.

Finally, we are beginning to hear the voices of reason from scientists and biochemists and even journalists like Gary Taubes (see his new book "Why We Get Fat") and Nina Planck (check out her book "Real Food") who point out that we have been on the wrong track for decades. We MUST turn this ship around before our healthcare system is flooded. The incidence of type 2 diabetes has been increasing dramatically in younger and younger patients. What used to be considered "adult-onset" diabetes, is now showing up in children as young as 8 and 10 years old. To me this is even more ominous and immediately threatening than the polar ice caps melting...

Wake Up. Take Charge. Get Healthy. Get REAL.



(*as referenced in Bloomburg Business Week Oct 3-9/11 p. 30-31)

Reinventing Box Lunches

In case you hadn’t noticed all the back-to-school sales, getting the kids out the door in time for school is just around the corner. One of questions (and exasperations) I hear about a lot is “I want my kids to eat healthy at school, but I don’t know what to give them and it’s easier to send them off with lunch money for the cafeteria.” Part of the conundrum revolves around a child’s age. When they are younger parents have more influence over their food choices. I always suggest that parents avail themselves of the opportunity to expose their kids to lots of different flavors while they are young and get them used to eating healthy nourishing foods early. This sets the stage for good habits later in life. The tricky part is getting through the tweens and teens when peers have more influence over food choices. 

I highly recommend making time in the morning to make your children box lunches. While you’re at it, make one for yourself if you’re headed out the door too. In the long run you will save money and promote good habits for them (and for yourself). It is very important for kids to see you take care of yourself so they have a good role model. If it takes getting yourself (and your kids) up 15 minutes earlier, it’s worth it. Teens can certainly be making their own lunches after some simple training.

Make it Fun:

One really fun way to keep lunches interesting for kids (and adults!) is to use Japanese style bento boxes (check out www.laptoplunches.com or www.lunchinabox.net) or Indian style tiffin boxes (www.lunchboxes.com/indian.html or www.amazon.com/Eco-Lunch-Box-three-in-one-set/dp/B0040MH642/ref=pd_sim_k_6). This concept falls in line with another recommendation I make with regards to grocery shopping: rather than getting home with all the bags and just stuffing everything away, take a little time to “pre-process” some of the veggies and fruits into slices or chunks that can be easily added to salads, stir-fries, or used for dipping. If you have done some of this work beforehand, it makes it easy to simply fill some of the bento boxes with fresh healthy foods quickly on a busy morning.

Contents:

1. Great things for younger children and for adult mid-day snacks are bean dips and spreads with veggies and/or whole grain crackers. Try the curried hummus recipe below for a vibrant golden tasty option. You can make bean dips from any bean.
2. Leftovers are a great option too. When cooking dinner the night before, think about cooking twice as much as you need for that meal so everyone has leftovers for their lunch boxes the next day. You can even put the leftovers away in lunch box containers so all you have to do is grab and go in the morning.
3. Soups, stews and chili are good choices as well. Again, simply make more than you need for a dinner meal and store in lunch sized (spill proof) containers that you can pack in an insulated lunch box. You can even get soup style thermoses with wide mouth tops
4. Salads: keep in mind that salads don’t have to begin with lettuce! There are thousands of ways to put together a combination of ingredients that can be called “salad”. You can create a grain and legume salad such as quinoa and lentils with a bunch of other delicious veggies diced small and marinated overnight in a simple dressing of olive oil and lime juice with a little salt and pepper. There are also delicious tuna salads, egg salads and chicken salads that you can create to you children’s taste. If you make some of these things in advance, it’s easy to scoop some into a lunch container and blast out the door in the morning. 

It takes a little pre-planning, but home made lunches made from real food ingredients are guaranteed to be more nutritious than most of the offerings at the cafeteria (particularly the options your children will likely choose when left to their own devices), and it is far less expensive in the long run for both you and your children to eat a lunch brought from home.

Quick Curried Hummus

all organic ingredients if you can

by Kia Sanford MS CN

1 large can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3 scallions with greens, chopped

juice of 1 lemon (you can add a little grated rind as well, I use Meyer lemons when available)

a generous ¼ cup tahini

2 Tbsp tamari

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp turmeric

½ tsp Kosher salt

Put all ingredients in food processor and let it run until the consistency is what you want. Adjust spices to your taste (may want to add a little more salt). To make it more creamy, add olive oil to your taste. Serve with veggies or whole grain crackers for dipping, or use as a sandwich spread.