McDonald’s

February 25, 2011 – 11:54 am

Recently, I have been reading articles about McDonald’s foods. Below are two of them. Please be aware that there is a bigger picture here.

Many of our foods, including meats have chemicals in them. Some of our meats come from animals that have been given growth hormones and antibiotics.  The conditions chickens are raised in can be deplorable. Therefore, after reading the article about South American meat and American meat, be aware that American raised meat has it’s issues as well. However, buying meat from other countries will increase price and we will have less choice in what we eat. It will also affect our farmers.

The key here is to be an informed consumer. Verify the information you are reading. To eat any food that is available will not always be good or healthy for you, especially if you are struggling with health issues or unable to lose weight. Writing down what you eat for a full day in a Food Journal is a great way to see what you eat and determine what you want to modify. Doing this for a week is even better, though difficult.

Many fast foods are fried or have additives. MSG can be on the salads. Milk Shakes are not usually from true dairy products. Soda is mostly sugar along with chemicals that leach the calcium from your bones.

Restaurant foods are high in salt. Many foods are processed which could have several additives or chemicals in them.

So it is our responsibility to decide what we want to put into our bodies. It can be daunting but we live in a society where we have many choices. With choice comes responsibility. It is imperative that we educate ourselves as to what we are eating and feeding our families.

MUST READ ABOUT MCDONALD’S

I’m sure those of you who aren’t in the cattle business don’t understand the issues here. But to those of us whose living depends on the cattle market, selling cattle, raising the best beef possible… This is frustrating. This will keep us from ever stopping there again, even for a drink. The original message is from the Texas Cattle Feeders Association American cattle producers are very passionate about this.

McDonald’s claims that there is not enough beef in the USA to support their restaurants. Well, we know that is not so. Our opinion is they are looking to save money at our expense. The sad thing of it is that the people of the USA are the ones who made McDonald’s successful in the first place, but we are not good enough to provide beef.

We personally are no longer eating at McDonald’s, which I am sure does not make an impact, but if we pass this around maybe there will be an impact felt.

All Americans that sell cows at a livestock auction barn had to sign a paper stating that we do NOT EVER feed our cows any part of another cow.. South Americans are not required to do this as of yet.

McDonald’s has announced that they are going to start importing much of their beef from South America . The problem is that South Americans aren’t under the same regulations as American beef producers, and the regulations they have are loosely controlled.

They can spray numerous pesticides on their pastures that have been banned here at home because of residues found in the beef. They can also use various hormones and growth regulators that we can’t. The American public needs to be aware of this problem and that they may be putting themselves at risk from now on by eating at good old McDonald’s..

American ranchers raise the highest quality beef in the world and this is what Americans deserve to eat. Not beef from countries where quality is loosely controlled. Therefore, I am proposing a boycott of McDonald’s until they see the light.

I’m sorry but everything is not always about the bottom line, and when it comes to jeopardizing my family’s health, that is where I draw the line.

I am sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) …and those 300 send it to at l east ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) … And so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers!

I’ll bet you didn’t think you and I had that much potential, did you? Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on..David W. Forrest, Ph.D ., PAS, Dipl.

ACAP Department of Animal Science

Texas A&M University

Phone (979) 845-3560

Fax (979) 862-3399

2471 TAMU College Station , TX 77843-2471

Here is another article by Dr. Mercola about McDonalds.

Do you put dimethylpolysiloxane, an anti-foaming agent made of silicone, in your chicken dishes?

How about tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a chemical preservative so deadly that just five grams can kill you?

These are just two of the ingredients in a McDonalds Chicken McNugget. Only 50 percent of a McNugget is actually chicken. The other 50 percent includes corn derivatives, sugars, leavening agents and completely synthetic ingredients.

Organic Authority helpfully transcribed the full ingredients list provided by McDonalds:

“White boneless chicken, water, food starch-modified, salt, seasoning (autolyzed yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (botanical source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary), sodium phosphates, seasoning (canola oil, mono- and diglycerides, extractives of rosemary).

Battered and breaded with: water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, food starch-modified, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, whey, corn starch.

Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent.”

Sources:

Organic Authority

Check out Dr. Mercola’s website to read more about the dangers of eating Chicken Nuggets

Reading labels can be time consuming and frustrating but you owe it to your family to be INFORMED!


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New Year Resolutions

January 9, 2011 – 5:42 pm

It is that time or year when we try to implement New Year Resolutions.

So the most important resolution one can make is:

To Be Kind To Your Self!

As you start each day, thank yourself for something you have done or said.

Do At Least One Thing for You each day. Take time to relax, get a hair cut, talk to a friend, or meditate. Do something that makes you feel good.

Exercise even if it is for 5 min. Try to increase it each day but be sure to get those muscles working. Walk or do simple strength exercises if you don’t have the time to do more.

Eat something nutritious. We know that fruits and vegetables are important for good health. Antioxidants and fiber are two benefits. Have a fruit for a snack and be sure to have vegetables with a meal each day. Then slowly increase the amounts as it becomes a part of your diet and lessen the sugars.

Get Your Sleep. Go to bed about the same time each night and try to get up to 8 hours of sleep a day. Sleep helps your body repair and build your immune system.

Laugh. Research shows that laughter can help you overcome disease and illness. Read or watch something funny. Tell jokes.

Taking care of yourself will help you deal with the stress in you life. You are the most important person in your life so be sure to address your needs. You need to be in good mental and physical health if you plan to care for others.

Let’s make this a Happy and Health New Year!


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DECEMBER STRESSORS

December 30, 2010 – 2:16 pm

December can be a very stressful month…if we let it. Yes, we have a choice.

Ask yourself, “How do I react to a specific situation?”, “What do I have control over and what don’t I have control of?” Perception is the key element that we need to address during this demanding time.

Many of us try to do it ALL. Remember that the world will not end. We will still be loved. If our goal is to enjoy the process or time during this season, we will have a healthier focus.

Another important factor to remember is to get the sleep we need to function and to stay healthy. Sleep will help our immune system deal with the change in our schedules and the winter weather.

Eating healthy is one of the most difficult tasks during this time. Be sure to eat beautiful colors: red, green, orange and purple are foods that have a lot of antioxidants. Protein is needed to keep up your stamina.

When you don’t have the time to snack between meals, try the Dense Foods by Wholefoods Farmacy www.susanlifecoach.wholefoodfarmacy.com They have great snacks with nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables.

Lastly, this is a time when we expect more from family and friends. If we are alone we tend to feel sorry for ourselves. Focusing on how we can help others is a great way to overcome feelings of loneliness. Visiting a shelter or helping out at a soup kitchen helps us see that others might be struggling more than us. If you are with family or friends, try to enjoy the present and not read into comments or looks. When with family or friends it is very easy to try to please them or want to do what we “think” they want us to do. Set your goals and expectations for yourself. Others will adjust if they see that you are pleased with yourself.

Focus on the things you have accomplished and are doing. Overlook the negatives. We all make mistakes and no one is perfect! And remember to express your gratitude each morning and evening for what you have. This can be the best month of the year….if we see the good we are sharing.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

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A Guardian Angel

November 18, 2010 – 6:58 pm

Do you know what you want to do with your life? Do you know what direction your life should be going? Do you understand why you aren’t accomplishing your dreams or goals? But you seem to lose focus or you face obstacles that you just can’t seem to get over?

Are you aware that you could be sabotaging yourself? Since you have been born, you have been told more negative things about yourself than positive things, so you believe those negative comments. You manage to work toward a goal and some how you just don’t reach it because you might tell yourself that it is unattainable, it is too hard to reach it, you can’t invest the time, etc.

What you need is a Guardian Angel, someone to be there for you to keep you focused and motivated. You need someone who will help you overcome your obstacles and track your progress.

There is such a thing as your own Guardian Angel! I am called a Life Coach. I am available to help you identify what you really want, in every important area of your life. I can show you how to change your negative thinking into positive self-talk.

Just think what it would be like to actually have a plan and to confidently pursue your dreams and find contentment and confidence in challenging life each and every day.

It lies in your choice. It is time to take control of what happens to you! Does this sound too good to be true?  Remember that research has shown that for any self-improvement idea to be successful, it has to be simple. Setting goals and learning positive self-talk is just that…simple and effective. Dr. Shad Helmsetter, a behavioral researcher and founder of the Life Coach Institute has tested and proven over the last 40 years that these steps in fact, do help people achieve. I

I can attest to the effectiveness as I continue to reach my goals and have amazing experiences, as well as, I see clients reaching their goals and dreams that they never thought were possible.

Still skeptical? I invite you to a free consultation. You get to see how I can guide you, decide if this is something you are ready to commit to and. Determine if I am the Guardian Angel who you want to have supporting and encouraging you along your journey of being all that you want to be and achieve.

If you are ready to move your life forward, email me (susanlifecoach@gmail.com) or call me(585-346-7334) to begin this exciting new chapter in your life.

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THE LITTLE THINGS

September 14, 2010 – 2:48 pm

Ask yourself, “What two or three little things can I do today that will move me forward? BJ Gallagher

The little things add up. As we struggle along on our journey of life, we face times that seem to stop us from moving forward. We lose our focus. There are so many choices or diversions.

It is so important to write down each day what we want to accomplish. Take the time to focus on what we want from our day, our life. We need to remember that our goal is to make progress, not strive for perfection. Each step gets us closer to our destination. Inch by inch, we travel miles.

When our lives seem overwhelming, remember to put the big picture in the background and take a look at what little things you can do right now. Maybe you have a health issue or you’ve lost your job. Write down what you want in the end and when but then brainstorm all the things that you could do to get to that end or goal. List every possibility, no matter how ridiculous  it may sound.

Use that list to start moving forward, step by step each day. Pick one action and work to accomplish it. Celebrate each step that you make, no matter how little it is. Continue doing the things on your list till you reach your goal.

Remember that it is you who moves yourself forward. There are influences in your life but you are still deciding what you want and need.  Start right now!

Each day ask yourself, “What two or three little things can I do today that will move me forward? BJ Gallagher


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More on High Fructose Corn Syrup

August 14, 2010 – 1:27 pm

Dr. David Williams, an Alternative Health doctor for 25 yrs., has been researching health issues. This is an article from his News Letter, Alternatives.

  • High Fructose Corn Syrup Isn’t So Sweet
  • But What About Fruit?
  • No Room for Dessert?
  • Unhealthy “AGEing”
  • How Sweet It Isn’t
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If you like the information in this Health Dispatch, be sure to subscribe to Dr. Williams’ monthly newsletter for more valuable information on your health.

High Fructose Corn Syrup Isn’t So Sweet

As Americans (and the rest of the world’s people) keep getting heavier and heavier, the health care industry continually looks for ways to turn around the current trend of obesity. However, one of the big changes to modern diets that has remained largely unaddressed is the addition of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Starting as a cost-saving measure in the early 1970s, manufacturers begin to substitute this fructose for sugar in processed foods such as soda and candy, but they didn’t stop there. Nowadays, it’s even plentiful in foods labeled as “natural” and “healthy”-including many types of bread, whole-grain cereals, fruit juices, energy bars, spaghetti sauces, and an endless variety of snacks. If you eat any processed foods-and we all do-it’s practically impossible to avoid all HFCS-sweetened products.

BUT WHAT ABOUT FRUIT?

At one time, fructose was thought to be a healthy sugar substitute, since it’s the same type of sugar found in fruits and some vegetables, and doesn’t seem to raise blood sugar levels or insulin secretion following ingestion.

What makes this unfortunate is that the manufacturers’ claims about fructose are only half-right. It’s true that fructose consumed in fresh, whole fruits doesn’t cause spikes in blood sugar. While the sweetness in fruits is from fructose, this sugar is present in only very small amounts and nature binds it with complex plant fibers and other nutrients and minerals. As such, fructose-containing fruits (and vegetables) help prevent cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

But research has revealed that when fructose is extracted from the fruit and used in processed foods, it acts just like sucrose…if not worse! When you ingest fructose, rather than staying in the bloodstream like sugar, it gets shuttled directly to your liver. In the liver, it becomes one of the building blocks of triglycerides, which are fat-storage molecules. Triglycerides are released into the bloodstream, carried by LDL cholesterol, and deposited in fat cells. Research has shown that one of the quickest ways to raise triglyceride levels in animals is to feed them a diet high in fructose. (It’s important to note that the amount of fructose given to animals in the experiment was comparable to that now found in the diet of many Americans).

Although HFCS is less-than-ideal nutrition for humans and animals, to say the least, it apparently is the substance of choice for pancreatic cancer cells, according to new research. Cancer cells fed both glucose and fructose consumed both kinds of sugar, but “can readily metabolize fructose to increase proliferation,” scientists from the University of California Los Angeles said in the August issue of the journal Cancer Research. On the upside, the researchers assert that cancer growth could be disrupted by cancer patients reducing their fructose intake. I recommend everyone take that advice.

NO ROOM FOR DESSERT?

Another adverse effect of HFCS is that it impairs your body’s ability to recognize when it is full, significantly contributing to the risk of being overweight or obese. Studies from the University of Pennsylvania demonstrate this idea beyond just a theory and unveil the exact mechanism of how this process takes place.

As I mentioned before, fructose doesn’t stimulate an increase in insulin the way most sugars do-a side effect HFCS producers would like to market as a benefit. However, it also does not cause an increase in the hormone leptin that plays a key role in regulating appetite and metabolism. The problem is that increases in these substances signal the body’s central nervous system to stop eating. In addition to fructose not stimulating these natural body cues induced by insulin and leptin, fructose boosts the level of another related hormone, ghrelin, which enhances the desire to eat more. In simple terms, fructose completely disrupts your body’s natural ability to tell when you’re satisfied and should stop eating-which ultimately leads to weight gain and obesity.

UNHEALTHY “AGEing”

Consuming HFCS has another serious downside. A couple of years ago, I wrote about the process called glycation, where sugar combines with various amino acids in your body to create what are referred to as advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

AGEs are thought to be permanent, and they accumulate throughout the body, accelerating the aging process and causing all kinds of problems. AGEs result in cataracts, blockages in blood vessels, kidney problems, and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease. Given what you’ve read up till now, it probably doesn’t surprise you that high levels of HFCS contribute to increased levels of glycation in the body.

HOW SWEET IT ISN’T

Thankfully, it appears as if the general public is starting to see the light when it comes to what high fructose intake is doing to their bodies. The best evidence of this is that the manufacturers of HFCS appear to be running scared, to the point that the Corn Refiners Association launched a nationally aired TV advertising campaign to try and convince the public that HFCS is “fine in moderation.”

Luckily, many people aren’t buying it, and some are even making their own parodies of the ads. Check out these two videos below to see for yourself. The first video is one of the actual commercials produced by the Corn Refiners Association. The second one is a clever parody, and one that I think more accurately describes the health effects of HFCS.

“Two Bites”-Corn Refiners Association

“Two Bites”-Parody

Do yourself a favor by not listening to the HFCS spin and eliminating the sweets now.

Until next time,
dwsig
Dr. David Williams

Check out the YOU TUBE videos. Be Informed!!


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Epigenomes?

August 11, 2010 – 7:41 pm

 

Life is about choices we make. According to the Journal of American Medical Association (2002: 287:177) 90% of illness is affected by YOU! Only 10% of your health is affected by a physician or hospital.

How can this be? Researchers are learning that we have ‘markers’ or epigenomes that turn our genes on and off. This means that our

Lifestyle, Environment, and Stress can turn our genes on and off. Epigenomes seem to be more important than genes.

Therefore, we need to take responsibility for our own health!

LIFESTYLE: choose to eat a healthy diet, don’t smoke

STRESS: reduce the amount by finding ways to deal with it, such as exercise, meditation and pray.

ENVIRONMENT: limit or rid your surrounds of chemicals

Daily Ideas are:

Think GREEN foods, lessen the acidic foods you eat

Eat raw fruits and vegetables

Juicing

Clean your liver and colon through simple cleanses or fasting

Take supplements/herbs

Be aware of what your body is saying to you

Resolve any anger or emotional issues

We are learning that we have the ability to keep ourselves healthy or if we have illnesses we can reverse them by making different choices. This is an exciting time to live in. However, change can be scary and difficult. Medications are quick ‘fixes’ though the cause is not fixed. The symptoms are just covered up. So it is time to take a look at your health and decide what changes do you need and want to make so you can live a healthy life?

“May you never know the disease you prevent” by Jay Vanden Heuvel, PhD

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High Fructose Corn Syrup- SAFE?

June 20, 2010 – 7:06 pm

 

Do you know the facts about High Fructose Corn Syrup? There are new ads on TV by the Corn Refiner Association that makes you believe that it is perfectly safe. Check out their website: http://www.sweetsurprise.com/

But be sure to BE INFORMED. Look up at least three sites to verify information! Another site to check out is: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=high%20fructose%20corn%20syrup .

Here is an article from pubmed.gov related to High Fructose Corn Syrup and Soft Drinks.

World J Gastroenterol. 2010 Jun 7;16(21):2579-88.

Soft drinks consumption and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nseir W, Nassar F, Assy N.

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common clinical condition which is associated with metabolic syndrome in 70% of cases. Inappropriate dietary fat intake, excessive intake of soft drinks, insulin resistance and increased oxidative stress combine to increase free fatty acid delivery to the liver, and increased hepatic triglyceride accumulation contributes to fatty liver. Regular soft drinks have high fructose corn syrup which contains basic sugar building blocks, fructose 55% and glucose 45%. Soft drinks are the leading source of added sugar worldwide, and have been linked to obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The consumption of soft drinks can increase the prevalence of NAFLD independently of metabolic syndrome. During regular soft drinks consumption, fat accumulates in the liver by the primary effect of fructose which increases lipogenesis, and in the case of diet soft drinks, by the additional contribution of aspartame sweetener and caramel colorant which are rich in advanced glycation end products that potentially increase insulin resistance and inflammation. This review emphasizes some hard facts about soft drinks, reviews fructose metabolism, and explains how fructose contributes to the development of obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and NAFLD.

PMCID: PMC2880768 Free PMC Article PMID: 20518077 [PubMed - in process]Click here to read Click here to read

If you have weight issues, I strongly encourage you to learn what you can about HFCS. You might want to try to lessen the foods you eat that contain HFCS and see for yourself if it makes a difference.

Taking charge of your own health will help you have good health. We have so many foods to choose from that we now live in a world where we need to be informed. We no longer can assume that all foods available to us are healthy for us. The media is there to sell a product and many of the marketing practices do not tell the Whole Truth. You can make educated decisions that will give you Good Health.

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Build Your Self Confidence

April 30, 2010 – 8:05 am

There seems to be a direct correlation between our self-confidence and our attitude and degree of success. The better our self-confidence the more positive is our attitude and in turn, the higher our degree of success in anything we do.

So why don’t we put our energy into building our self-confidence? We have a habit in our society to try to get rid of the symptom not the cause, so many times we feel frustrated or defeated as we try to make changes in our lives. When we get sick, we usually try to get rid of the symptoms, only to have new problems because we don’t understand that the cause needs to be addressed if we want to get rid of the illness for good. Knowing the cause is a big step to making positive change.

So how do we build our self-confidence?

It doesn’t improve overnight and we need to work on it everyday!

A pleasurable experience does the body and mind more good than stressful experiences does harm so create pleasurable experiences, which in turn helps you feel good about yourself. You will be more willing to do those things each day as well.

*Make a list of 10 things that are physically pleasurable to you. Do one thing on that list every day.

*Focus on what you do have and what you can do. It is easy to forget just how blessed we are. Be sure to express gratitude often for your talents and what you do have. Remember that what you focus on multiplies.

*Each day do something that challenges your abilities. It may be simple, like calling someone you need to call but don’t really want to. Or do something difficult like learning a new skill. Keep pushing your limits. It can be stressful but very rewarding when you have gotten through it and see that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

*Practice positive self-talk at least once a day. Three times a day is best but at least once a day will help you see yourself in a positive view. You are talented and special. You need to keep reminding yourself as you go through a day that might not have the positive energy that you are looking for.

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Tend To Your Secret Garden…

March 12, 2010 – 5:34 pm

Weed out disappointments, frustrations, diminished ambitions, unfulfilled expectations and anger about what has gone before or what has not yet come.

To take control of your health, you need to first activate your emotional and mental well being. Yes, we can eat healthy foods, drink more water each day, add fiber to our diet, take vitamins and even exercise. However, all these will be little steps and will not be as beneficial, if we do not find peace within.

Stress and inner conflicts such as disappointments, frustrations, anger, etc. affect our physical health. These things become chronic stressors on our system. Cortisol increases which in turn forces our adrenal glands to over work. We lose energy. We then don’t sleep well. Chronic fatigue sets in. It becomes a vicious cycle that taxes more of our organs and our physical health slowly deteriorates.

Therefore, addressing physical needs does not take care of the root cause. Our emotional well being is where it all begins. By letting go of the past and being in control of the present, you will look forward to the future. Your physical health will be so much stronger. You will be productive and like who you are.

The best way to tend to your emotional and mental well being is to strengthen you self-image. And of course, to do that you use Positive Self-Talk every day! Make it a part of your day. Remind yourself that you are special and you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

Set those goals and listen to the Positive Self-Talk CD’s. Get direction, support and encouragement from me, a certified Life Coach. I can keep you focused and motivated as you work toward nurturing your well being.

Remember: Tend To Your Secret Garden first to start the Natural Healing of your whole body.


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