Make Time For Wellness

Top 10 Super-nutrients that Increase Your Energy: Super-nutrient #4 - Wheatgrass & Other Super-green foods

July 23rd, 2008

Introduction:
Not every calorie is created equal when it comes to energizing your body! Make sure to choose phytonutrient quality over caloric content when looking for foods to increase your energy. Phytonutrients are naturally occurring enzymes and nutrients found in fruits and vegetables that bring the body to life, naturally stimulate master glands, invigorate organs and tissues, revitalize nerves, and recharge brain batteries.

Super-nutrient #4 - Wheatgrass & Other Super-green Foods
Wheatgrass is young sprouted wheat of 1 to 2 weeks of age, prior to undergoing the reproductive cycle that produces the grains. Wheatgrass is referred to as a “super-green” because of its high chlorophyll content. Chlorohyll’s molecular structure closely resembles that of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein found in red blood cells, and has cleansing and purification benefits on the cells and tissues. Dr. Ann Wigmore, the renowned nutritionist and naturopath, popularized the use of wheat grass to rejuvenate the immune system and treat cancer. Rich in enzymes, bioflavanoids, and vitamin C, it provides a natural boost to the immune system. Other super-green foods include chlorella, spirulina, and blue-green algae, all of which are super-alkaline and protect against arthritis and other acid-forming conditions.

Tip of the Week:
Try a shot of wheatgrass to energize your day and boost your immune system. Wheatgrass shots can typically be found at your local smoothie shop or health-food store.

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Master Your Eating Habits: Learn to Distinguish between Your Appetite and Hunger

July 23rd, 2008

Introduction: Master Your Eating Habits
Mastering your eating habits is fundamental to losing weight permanently. It entails learning how to eat and how to avoid the most common dysfunctional eating habits, or “food swings.” You can look forward to using these tips to overcome food swings such as emotional overeating, cravings, and food addictions.

Strategy #1: Learn to Distinguish Between Appetite and Hunger
Learning how to distinguish between appetite and hunger is key to avoiding dysfunctional food swings that lead to weight gain and obesity. So what is the difference and why does it matter? Let’s make a clear distinction. Your appetite is your desire for food. It is your emotional hunger. Your appetite is susceptible to innumerable factors that have nothing to do with your physiological hunger. Your mood, job stress, financial stress and emotional stress can all play havoc with your appetite. Appetite is your emotional desire for food while Hunger is your need for food. Appetite is a state of mind whereas Hunger is a state of body. A clear mind and relaxed body will enable you to distinguish between your appetite and hunger.

Tip of the Week:
Take a couple of minutes to relax before each meal (take a series of deep breathes, go for a quick walk, have a cup of tea, change your setting, etc.). Then take note of your level of hunger prior starting your meal. This will help alleviate your appetite and honor your true level of hunger.

Stay tuned for our tips on pre-meal eating strategies that will help you achieve a clear mind and body before every meal, and help you establish positive eating habits.

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Top 10 Super-nutrients that Increase Your Energy: Super-nutrient #3 - Mangosteen

June 26th, 2008

Introduction:
Not every calorie is created equal when it comes to energizing your body! Make sure to choose phytonutrient quality over caloric content when looking for foods to increase your energy. Phytonutrients are naturally occurring enzymes and nutrients found in fruits and vegetables that bring the body to life, naturally stimulate master glands, invigorate organs and tissues, revitalize nerves, and recharge brain batteries.

Super-nutrient #3 - Mangosteen
Mangosteen is a nutrient-rich, tropical fruit that grows in the wild forests of Malaysia and Thailand, and has been heralded as the “Queen of Fruits”. It has been used for centuries by Asian health practitioners for its health benefits. Its unique concentration of phytonutrients and antioxidants makes it a powerful super-nutrient and one of nature’s super-fruits. Mangosteen is the ultimate in phytonutrition. The Mangosteen rind may be the single greatest supply of xanthones, a potent antioxidant, found in any fruit. Other powerful phytonutrients include proanthocyanidin, EGCG, catechins and rutins.

Tip of the Week:
Incorporate mangosteen into your daily routine for improved energy and overall health. I recommend taking mangosteen in the form of the liquid supplement Vemma. Vemma provides 12 full-spectrum vitamins in a powerful antioxidant base of whole fruit mangosteen and glycol-nutrient rich aloe vera. Vemma also contains over 65 major, trace and ultra-trace ionic, life-giving plant sourced minerals. It is truly a complete liquid nutritional supplement.

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Naturally Accelerate Your Metabolism: Develop an Efficient Carbohydrate Metabolism - Part 3 of 4

June 26th, 2008

Introduction: Naturally Accelerating Your Metabolism
Accelerating your metabolism and achieving metabolic efficiency is essential in establishing permanent weight loss. Most diets and weight loss programs fail because they do not address the primary cause of weight gain and obesity: Metabolic Dysfunction. This column will be devoted to giving you tangible tips to Light Your Metabolic Fire and naturally accelerate your metabolism.

Strategy #1: Develop an Efficient Carbohydrate Metabolism and Accelerate Your Metabolic Rate (Part 3 of 4)
Developing an efficient carbohydrate metabolism is key to accelerating your overall metabolic rate. In our previous newsletter we highlighted the first two of four factors that impact your blood sugar level and thereby influence your carbohydrate metabolism. The third factor that impacts your blood sugar is your insulin sensitivity, or the rate of entry of glucose (blood sugar) into your cells, muscles and organs. After eating a meal your blood sugar rises. In a person with a normal metabolism, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin into the bloodstream which enables tissues in the body to absorb the glucose and convert it into energy. As the glucose is absorbed by cells and muscles, blood glucose levels return back to normal. If your body becomes less sensitive to insulin, blood sugar levels can stay elevated for longer periods of time, ultimately resulting in the accelerated conversion of blood sugar into body fat.

Tip of the Week:
Promote insulin sensitivity to defend against the accelerated conversion of food you eat into body fat.

There are two primary ways to promote insulin sensitivity. First, choose low glycemic carbohydrates over high glycemic carbohydrates (see previous newsletter) to develop insulin sensitivity. Low glycemic carbohydrates include vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, whereas high glycemic carbohydrates include refined carbohydrates and foods with added sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup.

Second, make sure to exercise regularly to improve your body’s insulin sensitivity and therefore improve your body’s ability to turn carbohydrates into energy versus turning them into body fat.

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Ask Dr. Meltzer - Q&A: Dealing with Hunger when Losing Weight

June 6th, 2008

Ask Dr. Meltzer: Question
During the weight loss process, what’s the best way to deal with feeling hungry (I always feel very hungry when the pounds start to come off)?

Response:
Thanks for the question. Feeling hungry during the weight loss process can be a common concern for many people.

The topic of appetite and hunger as it relates to successful weight loss could be the subject of an entire book, and in fact, was a primary concept that I wrote about in my book Food Swings. The bigger picture involves being able to distinguish between your appetite, or your emotional desire for food, and you hunger, your physiological need for food. For the purpose of this article, however, I will focus specifically on ways you can deal with hunger as you start to lose weight.

Super-Nutrients Can Curb Hunger
I have found that using specific low-calorie, high energy, nutrient dense Super-nutrients are extremely effective in curbing hunger during the weight loss phase. When losing weight, your body is not only sensitive to the number of calories that your are consuming, but the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your are consuming as well. Using Super-nutrients between meals when you are feeling hungry is a great way to curb your hunger, increase your energy, and provide your body with the nutrition it is looking for.

Try mixing Re-vita (a liquid based spirulina supplement) with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and a tablespoon of brewer’s yeast. This should take away your hunger between meals, keep you energized and keep your weight loss efforts on track.

Herbal Tea Can Alleviate Your Appetite
Often times when you think you are hungry it is really your appetite, or your emotional desire for food, that is influencing your hunger. Having a cup of herbal tea will warm you up, help you relax, and ease your appetite.

In Summary
I often suggest to my weight loss patients to change their physical space when they are feeling hungry. Sometimes going for a quick walk and changing your physical environment is all you need to do to alleviate your appetite. If you are still hungry, I would encourage you to take some Super-nutrients, as highlighted above, followed by a cup of herbal tea if the hunger persists. This is a powerful way to satisfy both your hunger (your physiological need for food) and your appetite (your emotional desire for food).

It is important to remember that all medications and supplements, even homeopathic and natural ones, may be associated with adverse effects. Because of this, as well as the fact that each individual’s medical status is unique, the alternative treatment approaches outlined above, should be discussed with your physician or healthcare provider.