Tuesday, April 1, 2014

April 2014 Newsletter - No April Fool's - Give Your Body Its Spring Break



Spring Break for Your Body – The Purification Program or The Gut Balancing Program

As March Madness peaks along with it is Spring Break.  Ever wonder what exactly are we breaking from?  For many it is a time of partying – probably the exact opposite of a “break” for the body.  Perhaps this year you should consider a real Spring Break for your body.  Give it a break from processing the everyday load of toxins and treat it to three weeks of healthy eating and living.  We’ll all be doing cleaning of the house, cleaning of the yard; so why not add the all important cleaning of the body. 

For this year I would have you consider either the traditional 21 day purification program or the new gut balancing program. The gut balancing program is a ten week program to rejuvenate your biome (read below what your biome is and why you may want to consider this). It does not have the food restrictions of the cleanse – so you don’t have to give up any of your favorites.  Of course the healthier you eat, the better you will feel.

Or, my more adventurous friends may want to do them in combination!!


The Surprising Truth about Vitamin Studies

Among the most common questions I receive in my nutrition consulting practice are those relating to vitamins and supplements.  “If vitamins are supposed to be good for us, why do I read in the paper and hear on television reports they are not?” 

Earlier this year there was a new study that looked at several prior research studies and concluded that vitamin supplementation was not helpful (and in fact some suggested it could be harmful).  There were no significant differences in positive outcomes between people taking vitamins and those not taking them.  A study released last year found similar findings specific to Vitamin E and “antioxidant” supplementation. It went one step further saying that those taking the supplements experienced worse outcomes (more heart disease and cancer) than those not taking the supplements. 

For years we have been told by alternative health practitioners and the vitamin and supplement industry that Vitamin E and “antioxidants” are supposed to protect against heart disease and cancer. This appears to be counter-intuitive. Can they both be right?



The Purification Program a.k.a. “The Cleanse”

You’ve heard me talk about it many times in the past.  You’ve heard me say I am about to do it and invite you to join me.  Yes, it is that time of the year again: Spring (really – it is Spring despite the cold weather many of us are still having!).  It is the perfect time for the Purification Program, also known as “the Cleanse.” There are many cleanses on the market but I say with all confidence this is definitely the best. Why do I say that? Because I am repeatedly told this by clients who did other cleanses previously.  

As I mentioned last month the 21 day Purification Program from Standard Process keeps getting better!  For those of you who have done it in the best there are some new refinements.  They finally mention quinoa as a key food and call it a “pseudo” grain.  It has replaced brown rice as an allowable food.  For the new and revised guide book click here: https://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process-Document-Library/Guides/purificationguideL2605.pdf

And as a special incentive for you to join me in the cleanse in April for each full purification kit you order you will receive a free copy of the new book that guides you through the purification process called 1° of Change.  It has lots of great information including day by day recipes with each day featuring a specific food.  It is a great guide to insure you are getting variety during the program.  It also contains many new and flavorful shake recipes.  


The Biome: Yes, It Is All About the Gut

In a quick summary the gut balancing program is designed to improve digestive and overall health by removing the harmful microbes from your gut while paving the way for the growth of beneficial bacteria via feeding and populating. This is not a “quick fix” project, but needs to take place over time, thus the ten week program. It does not require you to make dramatic dietary changes. In fact you don’t have to change anything.  However, we all know the better our diet the better we will feel in general.

Among the latest and greatest breakthroughs of modern medicine is the mapping of the human genome with its vast potential for gene based therapies. I find this work extremely interesting although I’m not exactly sure where it will lead.  What’s even more interesting is the work being done to explore the genome of what is living in our gut that is not human.  This is referred to as our microbiome. It is the trillions of bacteria and other microscopic living organisms that are an integral part of us. They are found on our skin, in our mouth, throughout the inside of our body, and most famously in our gut (our stomach, small intestines, and large intestines).

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