January 2013 Newsletter - Happy New Year - Best of 2012 and New Good Stuff for 2013

Happy New Year!  My best wishes to all for the happiest and healthiest of New Years!!

Now that we’ve survived the end of the Mayan calendar and the Fiscal Cliff (at least for the time being) it is time again to turn attention to our health.  The costs of health care and health insurance continue to rise.  To keep both under control having good overall health is critical.  You can be certain your insurance rates will rise if you get sick or are diagnosed with something and we all know visiting the doctor(s), getting tested, and/or staying in the hospital adds up quickly.

What can you do?  Eat healthy, exercise wisely, watch your weight, get your sleep, reduce your stress and avoid unhealthy lifestyle choices.  One of the best ways I know to get the year off to a good start is the 21 day Purification Program (or better known to my clients as “the cleanse”).  To encourage your participation I will be offering $15 off if you order a kit by January 18 and pick up by the 25th.  All you need to do is mention this offer.

$15 OFF CLEANSE – ORDER BY JANUARY 18

Since it is January it is time for my annual strategies for weight loss article.  You can find it here:  http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2013/01/strategies-for-successful-weight-loss.html

The Best of 2012

One of my goals is to educate my readers on how their body works and what it is telling them.  As I like to say, “We did not come with an Owner’s Manual.”  

This past year there was a series of articles on digestion.  If our digestion is off our body has a way of telling us so – gas, constipation, diarrhea, and bloating – are a few of the most common digestive complaints.  You learned about the importance of hydrochloric acid, enzymes, and probiotics.  And you learned that digestion is a north to south process and what is supposed to happen at each stage of the digestive process.  I encourage you to go to my blog and review these articles.   

Click here for the blog: http://brwellness.blogspot.com/

In 2012 I also updated my articles on protein, carbohydrates, and fat – the macronutrients.  These too are well worth a re-read:

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-purpose-of-protein.html

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2012/11/cut-carbs.html

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2012/12/fabulous-fats.html

What Are Those Red Spots on My Body?

I also began a series of articles with the theme of “what your body is telling you.”  Last November and December we looked at the finger nails.  You can find those articles here:

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2012/11/learn-from-your-nails.html

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2012/12/learn-from-your-nails-part-2.html

We begin 2013 with a look at the red dots that may appear on your skin, better known as "cherry hemangiomas."  

This information is important for both women and men!!

Now you can read on the Internet that these are common and nothing to worry about, that they are not really sure why they occur, and that they are common as we age.  A lot of the usual mumbo-jumbo we get from the main stream press.

Now let’s enter the alternative world.  I recently attended a two day seminar called The Seven Pillars of Health presented by Dr. Stuart White.  His take is quite different.  They are a sign.   

Something is happening in the body that is causing this to occur.  His answer – estrogen dominance. 

You may or may not be familiar with the term yet it is something you should be aware of and know that it impacts both females and males. To continue reading the article click here:

http://brwellness.blogspot.com/2013/01/what-are-those-red-spots-on-my-body.html

What Are Those Red Spots on My Body?

This information is important for both women and men!!

Do you have red dots on your skin?  These are known "cherry hemangiomas." You can see pictures and read on the Internet that these are common and nothing to worry about, that they are not really sure why they occur, and that they are common as we age.  A lot of the usual mumbo-jumbo we get from the main stream press.  Perhaps there is more to the story.

Now let’s enter the complementary medicine world.  I recently attended a two day seminar called The Seven Pillars of Health presented by Dr. Stuart White.  His take is quite different.  They are a sign.  Something is happening in the body that is causing this to occur.  His answer – estrogen dominance. 

You may or may not be familiar with the term yet it is something you should be aware of and know that it impacts both females and males (yes, this is where man boobs come from).  In both men and women estrogen and progesterone work in relationship to one another and there is a specific ratio of the two hormones that is most optimal. Estrogen dominance occurs when there are deficient, normal, or excessive levels of estrogen with too little progesterone to balance the estrogen.  It is common in both cycling and menopausal women and in andropausal men (better known as the “grumpy old man”).

There are a variety of contributing factors including high stress, the use of birth control pills, adrenal fatigue, low thyroid function, high sugar/carbohydrate diet, trans-fats, xenoestrogens (chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body and impact cell receptors), and obesity (as excess estrogen is made in fat cells).

Symptoms may include: anxiety, anger, agitation, mood swings, depression, water retention, breast tenderness, migraines, sugar or other food cravings, acne, mid-body fat gain, cold hands and feet, loss of sex drive, infertility, insomnia, PCOS, and uterine fibroids.  

Estrogen dominance has been linked to increased rates of breast cancer, uterine cancer, and prostate cancer.

For your information another sign of estrogen dominance in women is facial “peach fuzz.”  And also note that red spots on the tongue may be similar to cherry hemangiomas. 

It just so happens that one of the best ways to work with estrogen dominance is to start with the 21 day purification program or a liver cleanse.  This helps to remove excess estrogens out of the body and to bring the ratio back to balance.  As this occurs you can watch the red dots fade away.

If you’d like more information please contact me.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

Strategies for Successful Weight Loss

We’ve all been there - the New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight and adapt a healthier lifestyle.  Each year we tell ourselves “this is the year I’ll do it.”  The health clubs are jammed with others making the same resolution.  You see all your friends and co-workers.  Everybody is talking about the latest diet to lose the pounds quickly.  They are all basically the same – eat less and exercise more – burn those calories. Like most things in life, there is a lot more to it!

Most people will start with some success.  They’ll lose a few pounds and feel a bit better.  If they are lucky, someone will even notice!  They have cut back on alcohol consumption, ate salads at lunch, skipped a meal here and there, swore off desserts, and worked out hard at the gym.  But soon comes the dreaded “plateau” and the pounds are no longer flying off.  This is happening for a variety of reasons which I’ll discuss later.  

However, along with the plateau comes discouragement.  And these thoughts creep in, “I’m working so hard and nothing is happening.  I deserve some of those foods I used to love” and the old habits start to creep back in.  You have a beer or wine, cheat a little bit at lunch, have a dessert, skip a workout, and before you know it, all the weight you worked so hard to lose is back on and perhaps a few more bonus pounds.  Unfortunately you are not alone.  This is how over 95% of all diets end.  However, there is another outcome.  If you read on you’ll learn how you can get lasting results.

Here’s the secret.  There is no such thing as a “diet” – there is only a “way of eating.”  By that I mean how you eat needs to be sustainable.  It needs to be your norm, not the exception that you do every now and then to lose the pounds that your previous splurge put on.  Here’s what to do.  First and foremost, eat nutrient dense foods.  We are told the equation is simple – eat fewer calories and exercise more and we will lose weight.   

Truth be told, the formula is much more complex – all calories are not created equal.  A calorie is a potential for energy.  How and when your body uses that calorie can yield completely different outcomes.  I can guarantee you that 75 calories from a hard-boiled egg and 75 calories from a glazed donut will behave completely different in your body.  Look back at previous columns I’ve written or go to my blog for a refresher on these healthy foods.

Second, it is not only about weight, but also size! We need to measure body fat, not just weight.  I’ve written in the past about the importance of protein.  It is protein that builds muscle.  Muscle burns fat and weighs more than fat.  If we are working out too hard and not providing our body with enough nutrients, in order to keep up with the exercise our body will actually break down muscle.  In a surprising number of people, a high percentage of their weight loss is coming from muscle loss disproportionate to fat loss.  I always get a chuckle when a client is upset because they have not lost any weight, but they are down two dress sizes!

Third, exercise wisely.  Improper exercise will raise cortisol levels.  This puts sugar in the blood stream, and promotes fat storage which increases the likelihood of insulin resistance; and lowers DHEA (an anti-aging, libido stimulating, and fat burning hormone).  Insulin resistance blocks the burning of fat, causes fat storage around the abdomen, and causes inflammation.

Fourth, be aware of hormone imbalances.  Imbalances of estrogen and progesterone in women promote fat storing.  Low DHEA and testosterone in men and women reduce the ability to burn fat and build muscle.  High estrogen in men promotes fat storage.  High progesterone in women promotes insulin resistance.  With low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) muscle building is slowed, metabolism is slowed, sex hormones are not produced sufficiently and are out of balance, and general low energy and fatigue is experienced. How do our hormones get out of balance?  Too much stress and poor food choices are the major culprits.

The best program for long term health and vitality will be one that addresses your individual needs.  Working with a qualified nutrition consultant you can determine what foods you need to add to your diet, what exercise is right for you, and whether or not your hormones are in balance.  As these areas are brought back into balance your metabolism will improve, enabling you to lose weight in a healthy manner.  It may take some time to get the body back on track.  The body has built-in healing mechanisms and with proper nutrition and healthy behaviors the body will heal.  As the body heals you will lose fat and weight. 

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.