nutrition

Ever drank out of a plastic water bottle? 
Ever heated your food in a plastic container? 

It is not breaking news that plastic has become an environmental hazard.  Plastics are filling our oceans, rivers, backing up landfill areas and contaminating wildlife. It is no secret that plastics have become ever present in modern times.  It is more than obvious that plastics pose a monumental threat to our environment from land, air to sea.  Not to get even more depressing, but to be honest they are also impacting YOU!

However, this is not your fault.  We were not warned when the plastic craze came about:  First with storing our food, then body products, then with the plastic bottled water craze to avoid chemicals in our tap water.  It is a sad affair how detrimental plastics have become to our environment and the continued excessive dependence on plastic.  However, less obvious has been the impact of plastics on human health.  In the last few years research has been emerging and is gaining momentum.  It is undeniable that phthalates have a detrimental impact on human health.

What are phthalates

Phthalates are in plastic. Phthalates are a chemical that help to make plastic pliable, bendable.  Ever squeezed in a water bottle and felt it give and take.  Well, phthalates are making that possible. 

Phthalates are also hidden in body products (makeup, moisturizers, hair products, etc.) and most things with a scent (perfumes, Glade Plug Ins).  They are what the scent binds to for staying power.

Unfortanately, phthalates don’t just stay  put.  They seep into the water you are drinking from plastic bottles, leach into food when even slightly heated, get absorbed into your skin, and respiratory system.  The result?  They end up in you and stay in you!

Why the worry?

1. Well, phthalates don’t just go into your body and then leave.  They are “lipid soluble”.  That means they love fat.  So they hang around for waaay too long – in your fat.  While they are hanging around for lord knows how many years they trigger your body to make more fat.  They can degrade something called your insulin receptors, this can lead to insulin resistance.  Insulin resistance is marked by abdominal weight and is a precursor to prediabetes, cardiovascular disease and various cancers.
2. They create “oxidative stress” in your cell’s mitochondria.  Oxidative stress is toxic so your body has to use it’s own antioxidants the fight the oxidative stress.  The mitochondria is where we produce energy.  The mitochondria is then unable to produce adequate energy.  The result, your energy cycle is decreased.
   
3. Our brain is one of the most mitochondria intense environments in our body.  When our brain’s mitochondria are fighting oxidative stress, the mitchondria get very tired, lose their vitality and can die. 
   
4. They are xenoestrogens.  This means that they replicate the action of estrogen and can trigger excess weight gain and estrogen sensitive breast cancers.
5. Phthalates get passed on with reproduction.  Babies are being born with high phthalates from their parents exposure preconception.  This is setting their stage for endocrine and obesity issues. Scary.  What a wake up call for preconception.  
6. Additionally, they decrease testosterone, steroids and impact the production of your happy hormone, serotonin.
   

So, that is just a snapshot of how phthalates could be making you feel fat, foggy and fatigued.  Have no fear, there IS something you can do about it.

Tips for Phthalate Reduction in your life

1. Don't let phthalates seep into what you eat!  Store food in glass containers NOT plastic.  Check out this site for durable glassware for storing food.  http://www.anchorhocking.com
2. Avoid plastic water bottles.  Get a Klean Kantine or glass bottle to store your filtered water. http://www.kleankanteen.com
3. Don't lather yourself in phthalates. Check your body products to make sure they don’t contain phthalates and other harmful chemicals.   http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
   

Find out if you are Phthalate toxic

If you are concerned that phthalates could be making you feel fat, foggy and fatigued don’t be alarmed.  You can do something about it.   You can get tested.  In my practice I run the gold standard test for assessing phthalates.   It is a very simple urine test that you do at home.  It will show you if you have high phthalates, and how you are detoxifying them and how those phthalates are impacting your ability to burn fat and create energy.  In my practice I  create a detoxification and nutrition program tailored to your unique test results and needs to help you get rid of the toxins and repair your metabolism. If you would like to learn more about this, please write me at www.getnourished.tv to set up a consult time. 


May you be well and thrive!
Sarah

While thinking about sweets for my sweetie this Valentines Day I began looking at what kind of sweetener I was going to use in my straight from the heart, homemade, yummy chocolate treats.    I want the best for my sweetie.  He loves chocolate but there will be NO "refined" sugar or "natural and raw" sugar for this man.  "Refined" and yes, "natural and raw"  sugar are toxic to the body for 2 reasons.

(Side step and FYI - I won't even go into the artificial camp of sweeteners here (ie. Aspartame, Equal, NutraSweet, Splenda.  Bottom line they are neuro-toxic....this means they damage your brain neurons - NOT good!)

Ok, on with the prelude.  First, sugar lowers the ability of our immune system to fight disease.  After consuming sugar your white blood cells (the warriors of your immune system that quench pathogens) are literally crippled for about 6 hours after consuming sugar containing beverages and foods. This leaves you vulnerable to infection......lord knows we need all the support we can get these days to fight sneaky bugs.  Secondly, it results in a damaging sequence that stresses your pancreas, brain, adrenals, not to mention waistline.

So, now on with my dramatic discovery....actually not MY discovery, this is actually well documented, known by many healthy practitioners, written up in scientific journals AND it has been bugging me for a long time! 

So, in my pursuit of "healthy" chocolate recipes, they all contained Agave Syrup.  Annoying.  Agave is everywhere! It is being touted as the lone star to save the day as a healthy sweetener, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Agave Syrup - the High Fructose Cactus Syrup

I may be bursting your bubble here but Agave Syrup is NOT all it is cracked up to be.  Yes, it is hailed as the super ultra healthy, low glycemic, safe for everyone, especially Diabetics, kind of sweetener......but this stuff is really just High Fructose Cactus Syrup.

 Blood Sugar Buster

Speaking personally as a very "glycemically sensitive person" this stuff can really land me on my face.  In my gut (not to mention pancreas) I know there is a serious glycemic response.  This symptom of feeling like I’ve just downed a bunch of sugar after eating (or drinking) Agave led me to look behind the scenes at why this stuff has been given the low glycemic vote of approval. To my surprise it is not the sweet savior to refined sugar we have been led to believe.

 The Process Busted

Yes, it is true – Agave is low glycemic.  But we must understand WHY it is given that title.  It is due to the fact that it has 90% fructose compared to the small amount of glucose (10%).  This ratio of fructose to glucose does not occur  naturally anywhere else in nature.  So, why does it occur with Agave?   Well…. the sap of the Agave plant is collected and then heated to concentrate the liquid into a syrup AND to develop the sweetness.  When the Agave sap is heated, it becomes FRUCTOSE. The fructose-rich solution is then filtered to obtain the desired products that range from dark syrup with a characteristic vanilla aroma, to a light amber liquid with more neutral characteristics.  So basically, Agave is just hydrolyzed fructose.  Yuck.  Why yuck? Well, liken it to High Fructose Corn Syrup where they have manipulated the molecules to create a dangerous, artificial substance.

Harboring High Fructose

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a HUGE nightmare in the current food industry dilemma and accounts for much of the increase in obesity over the last 10 years.  It lurks silently in numerous products such as sauces, juices, enhanced waters, breads, crackers, cereals, protein bars, etc.   (HFCS) in soda contains an even less concentration of glucose to fructose ratio at 55% (HFCS) than compared to Agave at 90%.  Even though fructose is low on the glycemic index, there are numerous problems associated with the consumption of fructose in such high concentrations as found in concentrated sweeteners.  Here are some examples:

• Fructose makes you age faster!.  Research indicates that fructose induces oxidative stress.  Scientists found that rats given fructose had more cross-linking changes in the collagen of their skin than other groups fed glucose.

• Fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose. This is because glucose is metabolized by every cell in the body but fructose must be metabolized by the liver.  This makes fructose convert to fat and  increases triglycerides (blood fats) significantly as well as the potential for a fatty liver.

•  Fructose may make diabetic conditions even worse.  It reduces the sensitivity of insulin receptors which are essential for glucose to enter the cell and be burned for energy.  This can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes.

So, the moral of this story is to beware of any substitute sweetener, read between the lines and be a conscious consumer, even if it does claim to be all natural and low glycemic.  Get the facts!  If you want to add sweetness to something try using Xylitol or Stevia.  Xylitol is antibacterial and actually helps you burn fat.  Stevia is derived from an herb and is NON-glycemic AND it helps to regulate blood sugar.  One of my favorites is Stevia Sweet Leaf.  It even comes in little pouches you can carry with you and have on hand.  They also have drops in a variety of flavors. 

Here's a simple recipe to help you on your way...

Chocolate Pudding to Knock Your Valentine’s Socks Off!

Gluten Free, Sugar Free……and full of nutrition & LOVE!

This nutrient dense treat contains super stars such as:

• Coconut milk – antimicrobial , healthy fats that don’t make you fat
• Avocado – loaded with vitamin E and more healthy fats that don’t make you fat
• Raw Organic Chocolate – high in Magnesium and powerful antioxidants
• Stevia – a natural sweetener that is non-glycemic and will help keep your blood sugar balanced.
• Whey Protein Powder – The most bio-available form of protein which enhances energy, immune function and detoxification.
• Walnuts – heart healthy fats
• Raspberries - a tasty low glycemic fruit that contains fiber, manganese, Vitamin C, flavonoids, B vitamins & ellagic acid.

Directions

• ½ Cup of Coconut Milk (canned)
• 2 TBS filtered water
• ¼ Avocado
• 2 TBS water
• 1-2 TBS of raw Cocoa Powder
• 2 drops of liquid Stevia
• 1 scoop of Whey Protein Powder
• 1 TBS of chopped Walnuts
• 1/4 Cup Raspberries

In a blender add coconut milk, avocado, water, cocoa and stevia.  Blend until smooth.  Then add protein powder and blend to desired consistently.  Top with chopped walnuts and raspberries. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or eat ASAP!

Enjoy, be well & thrive!

Sarah

That’s what I called it last night.  I was so nervous.  Heart pounding.  What would they think?  I was attending a class where the week before I was sitting under Compact Fluorescent Lights for 3 hours.  My body burned the whole time and I wanted to crawl out of my skin.  I went home with a brutal headache, and my bones and flesh felt like they were on fire.  I had to complete this course, but I didn’t know how to remedy this situation.   I had to tell the instructor that I couldn’t do the class in that building with the Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL’s).   My first thoughts were, "Oh God, what is she going to think?  What will the whole program think?"  So she asked me to tell the students my circumstance in the next class and ask if we could turn most of those lights off so we still had enough light. 

So, fastforward to last night.  Prior to class I was nauseated and I was scared.  What would they think?  What would I say?  So I told them.  “I have Electrical Sensitivity and I am very sensitive to the light from Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs.  It makes my body burn and gives me a brutal headache.”  The response? Looks of shock and amazement - wide eyed shock.  No looks of doubt, just incredible empathetic open hearts - and willingness to turn off the CFL’s.

I was touched with their sensitivity to my issue. This has often times not been my experience in the past, so I have learned (in a sad way) to be quiet about this condition.  Many people have judged me, calling me paranoid and psychosomatic.  That is not the case.  Silently, I have kept quiet about this issue as though I am the only one.  I know I am not the only one.   I know I am not.  I know you are out there…….those of you that  experience your body burning, headaches, fatigue, anxiety or joint and muscle soreness after being under CFL’s. Maybe at this point you have not connected the dots between source and symptoms when you are at work, school or home.  Or maybe you have, but still think, naaaah, that couldn’t be possible.  Well, it is possible.  The world’s premier researcher on this very issue, Magda Hava has identified and proven – YES proven  there is a scientifically validated link between CFL’s and adverse symptoms.

Yes, I know CFL’s  are touted as being the “ecological choice”.  However they come with a hefty backlash of an implication.  The visually obvious is they are filled with Mercury, that hello, if one breaks, that is a disaster in itself and they are difficult to recycle.   The not so obvious is that they produce a type of frequency, also known as “dirty electricity”.  These of dirty electricity frequencies are biologically active and produce symptoms of inflammation as well as blood sugar dysregulation.   Give Mada Havas and CFL’s a Google, and you’ll see what I mean.   In fact, check out this YouTube video for a quick over view…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3YrEMlmE9E.  It is well worth the 3 minutes.

To learn more about this issue and how I work with people through Holistic Nutrition to help them mediate the unpleasant symptoms’ of Electrical Sensitivity contact me at: www.getnourished.tv

Until next time, thrive and be well,

Sarah at Get Nourished.TV

The Los Angeles Wildfires of Southern California have been blazing now for days, thus resulting in a dark blanket of smoke over an already pollution challenged region.   This results in not only increased toxins from the fires, but also trapping in and increasing the level of existing pollution, as well as  decreasing the amount of oxygen in the air.   Smoke absorbs oxygen.

So the result – 1) more toxins 2) Less oxygen

This may increase your level of feeling tired, stressed and toxic.  This is a CRUCIAL time to Get Nourished! 

Add: 

WATER!!!

Drink at least TEN  8oz glasses of filtered water with a squeeze of lemon a day. This will gently help your body  carry nutrients to your cells, carry waste out and help your system clear debris.

 ANTIOXIDANTS

Antioxidants help fight free radicals.  Free radicals are damaging to our cells cause premature aging on a cellular level and instigate disease.  Antioxidants in fruits and veggies are crucial.  Examples of veggie preparations are raw salads, or lightly steamed veggies.   As for fruits, some of the highest amounts are found in foods such, as berries like the blue berry and the greatest of all, the acai berry. 

LEAFY GREENS!!!

Greens contain Chlorophyll which helps carry oxygen to your cells.  Getting them in the liquid form would be best for quickest absorption.  A great way to do that is with cooling soups, juiced greens and salads.  Organic is always recommended! 

Soups