If any of you would like to volunteer for that job, please let me know. I will contact you when the book is finally put together.
It's a wonderful time of year and I wish you a wonderful season and great wellness!!!
Ellie
Monday, December 1, 2014
It's December Again!
And the farm has quieted and I'm back in research and writing mode. Several years ago, I began a writing project. It began as a new book about aging and health--things I though were not being addressed adequately anywhere else. It morphed into several e-books with more to come. It has morphed again into a book project. Most of it is written. I will be spending the next month or two writing and editing and formatting. But then I'm going to need two or three beta readers to critique, provide suggestions, tell me what's too much or too little or what concerns have not been included.
If any of you would like to volunteer for that job, please let me know. I will contact you when the book is finally put together.
It's a wonderful time of year and I wish you a wonderful season and great wellness!!!
If any of you would like to volunteer for that job, please let me know. I will contact you when the book is finally put together.
It's a wonderful time of year and I wish you a wonderful season and great wellness!!!
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Not a New Direction For Me, but...
...a more formalized one. I've been working with people to improve their health issues for along time. I am more than a Nutritionist--I am a transmitter of information that most have not the time, education nor interest to pursue. It's readily available if you want to dig. I've done it for you. In addition, I am an empirical sort, suggesting experiments for individuals based on the science I know of how your body really works and your personal realities.
How it works: I ask that you fill out a questionnaire about yourself and what commitment and willingness you will bring to the project and if you're willing to make an investment in yourself and feeling good again.
All those ugly, painful, low energy things you thought were just
part of aging—they’re not! They are what
happens when the delicate balance you were designed for gets out of whack. And that includes the biggies like cancer,
heart disease, arthritis and weight gain!
The good news is it’s a self-healing body—if you give it what it needs
and quit giving it what it doesn’t.
Let me mentor you to feeling good, to aging well. A few simple changes in diet and activities
will make a huge difference. Not that it’s
easy—in fact we will set your ideas of nutrition on their heads! But my clients see results in as little as one
or two weeks. I promise! Simple
interventions that are little or no cost, have no side effects and might do you
a world of good. Email me for help.
Then I will provide intense email or phone mentoring for the first week, slightly less the second week and then coaching and questions answered for as long as you need! Email me at winslowellie@yahoo.com
Don't forget to check out the free information at http://mindingthemiddleagedmiddle.com
Saturday, March 1, 2014
The Relative Value of Wellness Strategies
Usually I report facts and research here rather than give you my opinion. Some of today's info is going to be my opinion--based on a lot I read, my experience and based, too, on the experience of others. And I will identify the parts that are opinion. But let's start with some facts.
It's not quite mainstream, but there are more and more peripheral experts and researchers who are talking about inflammation -- that chronic, 24/7, never-shut-off inflammatory response that is at the root of all disease processes. Even those in the more mainstream camp will acknowledge an inflammatory component of most diseases.
It follows from that information that if you stop the chronic inflammation, you stop the disease process. Some would also agree (and it's also my opinion) that stopping chronic inflammation can heal the damage already done.
For anyone with less than optimal aging and wellness it's an interesting experiment to try stopping the things that cause inflammation and see for themselves if they can heal what's gone wrong. I know I did, and I know many others who also have done this work.
Do we know what causes chronic inflammation? You bet!!! There are lots of things about modern life that are inflammatory, most of them being the things you put in your mouth (or do not, like vital nutrients). Also in that list of causes are things like lifestyle choices (not enough sleep, constant worry, isolation, not enough exercise) and the myriad toxins, irritants, and chemicals found in our environment.
If you want the Reader's Digest Condensed version of the facts about inflammation, check out my booklet, "Inflammation Run Amok: You don't wear out, you flame out" found here:
http://mindingthemiddleagedmiddle.com/e-books.shtml
That booklet and much of the information available about inflammation tends to weight all the anti-inflammatory things equally. So today, you get my opinion on how they should be weighted more realistically. In other words, what are the biggies that give the most bang for the effort?
Number one inflammatory thing for modern humans is the two sides of the coin--blood sugar and insulin. Anything that raises blood sugar, also increases insulin and both are HUGELY inflammatory. Actually, this goes beyond my opinion--the research is pretty clear that the higher the blood sugar (and therefore insulin) the higher the incidence of all disease, especially the big ones of modern life--cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and dementia. I will come back to this in a minute.
Number two biggies is the Omega 3-Omega 6 balance out of whack. They work as antagonists to each other, doing exactly the opposite things. Omega 3 is anti-inflammation, Omega 6 is pro inflammation. Right in the middle is exactly right--a balance. Omega 3's are mostly found in animal products, Omega 6 is found in mostly plant sources. Your human ancestors got some of both. In modern life you've been brainwashed into the mainstream idea that grains are good, vegetable oil is healthy and animal products are bad/evil/suspect. The result is up to 20 or 40 times more omega 6 oils than omega 3 oils and inflammation run amok.
I think these are the most impactful factors in chronic inflammation and therefore the things that when changed can have the most impact on healing. In fact that is what I see in my own healing journey and that of my friends, family and clients.
How do you get blood sugar (and therefore insulin) down to healthy levels? All carbohydrates convert to sugar with digestion. Protein does not. Fat does not. So carbohydrates are the only macronutrient where you can make the any difference. Sugar itself and other sweeteners are hugely inflammatory. If you are very healthy, you probably can stand a little sugar once in a great while, but very much or very often is doing damage. Remember, too--in spite of the mainstream hype to the contrary--grass seeds (grains) are just very compact bundles of sugar and they raise blood sugar dramatically. Whole or otherwise. The nutrient content is low, the sugar content is high and most grass seeds contain anti-nutrients that are fairly toxic besides. Just in: New Kindle book is free today titled "Whole Grains, Empty Promises: The Surprising Truth About the World's Most Overrated 'Health' Food"
Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates and digest to blood sugar, too. BUT, they don't have very much sugar and unlike grains, they are nutrient dense and the sugar convers much more slowly during digestion. More vegetables, a little fruit, and no grains and sugar is going to go a long way to getting blood sugar down--not just down, either, but down low.
Animals protein and animal fat are critical foods for humans for a variety of reasons. 1) they do not raise blood sugar. 2) protein builds and repairs tissue, muscles and organs. 3) animal products contain omega 3 oils that counteract inflammation. 4) animal products are the best or only sources of some important vitamins and minerals.
Think about how our long ago ancestors lived. Do you suppose they cut all the fat off or out of the animals they hunted? Did they press the oil out of grass seeds? Did they live on bread or cocopuffs? Chances are very good they ate all parts of the animals they hunted--including the fatty brain and organs. They gathered eggs, small animals, bugs and whatever leaves and fruits and roots they could. That is our genetic heritage, what we are biologically suited to eat, not pepsi and ice cream and bagels and cereal. We are adapted to that sort of ancestral diet with seasonal and geographic variations.
And just as an aside, if your metabolism got out of whack from an inflammatory diet and you gained a middle aged middle, those full fat cells become part of the problem. They start producing their own array of inflammatory compounds. A downward spiral if there ever was one. So even as you work on reducing an inflammatory diet, you might need a bunch of extra anti-inflammatory help from Omega 3 oils till you can get the fat cells emptied out. Fish oil (a good brand with no soy, please) can help tremendously.
Most of the people I know and work with start seeing noticeable results within days to a couple weeks. Individuals differ, of course. The older you are, it's likely you have accumulated more inflammatory damage and it takes more anti-inflammatory steps and time.
And here's my opinion that I've come to by experience and have seen no one talk about--I think when you get blood sugar low and Omega 3's high, (the macronutrients optimized) the body can handle a lot of the smaller insults of modern life. Not that I advocate smaller insults and I'm trying to eliminate all...but, things like a short sleep night, or smog in a city, or the crappy chemicals in water and food, or being a little short of Vitamin C, or stressing...I think the body can handle a few of those things when the biggies are already handled.
But if you did nothing more for your health than the above two steps, you will probably add many years to your life span. Far more important than the years added, is the quality of those years and they'll be a lot more fun!
Please email me if you'd like some help on any of this. I am actively working with clients on these ideas now and promise you can see results!
It's not quite mainstream, but there are more and more peripheral experts and researchers who are talking about inflammation -- that chronic, 24/7, never-shut-off inflammatory response that is at the root of all disease processes. Even those in the more mainstream camp will acknowledge an inflammatory component of most diseases.
It follows from that information that if you stop the chronic inflammation, you stop the disease process. Some would also agree (and it's also my opinion) that stopping chronic inflammation can heal the damage already done.
For anyone with less than optimal aging and wellness it's an interesting experiment to try stopping the things that cause inflammation and see for themselves if they can heal what's gone wrong. I know I did, and I know many others who also have done this work.
Do we know what causes chronic inflammation? You bet!!! There are lots of things about modern life that are inflammatory, most of them being the things you put in your mouth (or do not, like vital nutrients). Also in that list of causes are things like lifestyle choices (not enough sleep, constant worry, isolation, not enough exercise) and the myriad toxins, irritants, and chemicals found in our environment.
If you want the Reader's Digest Condensed version of the facts about inflammation, check out my booklet, "Inflammation Run Amok: You don't wear out, you flame out" found here:
http://mindingthemiddleagedmiddle.com/e-books.shtml
That booklet and much of the information available about inflammation tends to weight all the anti-inflammatory things equally. So today, you get my opinion on how they should be weighted more realistically. In other words, what are the biggies that give the most bang for the effort?
Number one inflammatory thing for modern humans is the two sides of the coin--blood sugar and insulin. Anything that raises blood sugar, also increases insulin and both are HUGELY inflammatory. Actually, this goes beyond my opinion--the research is pretty clear that the higher the blood sugar (and therefore insulin) the higher the incidence of all disease, especially the big ones of modern life--cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and dementia. I will come back to this in a minute.
Number two biggies is the Omega 3-Omega 6 balance out of whack. They work as antagonists to each other, doing exactly the opposite things. Omega 3 is anti-inflammation, Omega 6 is pro inflammation. Right in the middle is exactly right--a balance. Omega 3's are mostly found in animal products, Omega 6 is found in mostly plant sources. Your human ancestors got some of both. In modern life you've been brainwashed into the mainstream idea that grains are good, vegetable oil is healthy and animal products are bad/evil/suspect. The result is up to 20 or 40 times more omega 6 oils than omega 3 oils and inflammation run amok.
I think these are the most impactful factors in chronic inflammation and therefore the things that when changed can have the most impact on healing. In fact that is what I see in my own healing journey and that of my friends, family and clients.
How do you get blood sugar (and therefore insulin) down to healthy levels? All carbohydrates convert to sugar with digestion. Protein does not. Fat does not. So carbohydrates are the only macronutrient where you can make the any difference. Sugar itself and other sweeteners are hugely inflammatory. If you are very healthy, you probably can stand a little sugar once in a great while, but very much or very often is doing damage. Remember, too--in spite of the mainstream hype to the contrary--grass seeds (grains) are just very compact bundles of sugar and they raise blood sugar dramatically. Whole or otherwise. The nutrient content is low, the sugar content is high and most grass seeds contain anti-nutrients that are fairly toxic besides. Just in: New Kindle book is free today titled "Whole Grains, Empty Promises: The Surprising Truth About the World's Most Overrated 'Health' Food"
Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates and digest to blood sugar, too. BUT, they don't have very much sugar and unlike grains, they are nutrient dense and the sugar convers much more slowly during digestion. More vegetables, a little fruit, and no grains and sugar is going to go a long way to getting blood sugar down--not just down, either, but down low.
Animals protein and animal fat are critical foods for humans for a variety of reasons. 1) they do not raise blood sugar. 2) protein builds and repairs tissue, muscles and organs. 3) animal products contain omega 3 oils that counteract inflammation. 4) animal products are the best or only sources of some important vitamins and minerals.
Think about how our long ago ancestors lived. Do you suppose they cut all the fat off or out of the animals they hunted? Did they press the oil out of grass seeds? Did they live on bread or cocopuffs? Chances are very good they ate all parts of the animals they hunted--including the fatty brain and organs. They gathered eggs, small animals, bugs and whatever leaves and fruits and roots they could. That is our genetic heritage, what we are biologically suited to eat, not pepsi and ice cream and bagels and cereal. We are adapted to that sort of ancestral diet with seasonal and geographic variations.
And just as an aside, if your metabolism got out of whack from an inflammatory diet and you gained a middle aged middle, those full fat cells become part of the problem. They start producing their own array of inflammatory compounds. A downward spiral if there ever was one. So even as you work on reducing an inflammatory diet, you might need a bunch of extra anti-inflammatory help from Omega 3 oils till you can get the fat cells emptied out. Fish oil (a good brand with no soy, please) can help tremendously.
Most of the people I know and work with start seeing noticeable results within days to a couple weeks. Individuals differ, of course. The older you are, it's likely you have accumulated more inflammatory damage and it takes more anti-inflammatory steps and time.
And here's my opinion that I've come to by experience and have seen no one talk about--I think when you get blood sugar low and Omega 3's high, (the macronutrients optimized) the body can handle a lot of the smaller insults of modern life. Not that I advocate smaller insults and I'm trying to eliminate all...but, things like a short sleep night, or smog in a city, or the crappy chemicals in water and food, or being a little short of Vitamin C, or stressing...I think the body can handle a few of those things when the biggies are already handled.
But if you did nothing more for your health than the above two steps, you will probably add many years to your life span. Far more important than the years added, is the quality of those years and they'll be a lot more fun!
Please email me if you'd like some help on any of this. I am actively working with clients on these ideas now and promise you can see results!
Saturday, February 22, 2014
'Anti-Conventional-Wisdom' Doctor's post
I first read Dr. Malcolm Kendrick's book, "The Great Cholesterol Con" several years ago and was impressed. He was one of (if not) the first debunking the whole cholesterol theory (follow the money). I now get his posts weekly and am impressed anew. He is a Scottish doctor and so focuses mostly on the British health care system. Ours may be even worse in terms of the things he talks about, so his posts are very timely.
Have you heard of the term, polypharmacy? Well that is his subject today and it bears a lot more scrutiny. May I recommend you take a look.
http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2014/02/22/a-ghost-in-the-machine/
Some of the ideas in this blog post by Dr. Kendrick, are the same ones that I discuss in excruciatingly bright light in my short e-book, "How to Be a Smarter Health Care Consumer" found on my website here: http://mindingthemiddleagedmiddle.com/e-books.shtml
An important fact to remember is that all pharmaceuticals are toxic. Some side effects of the toxic substances are theoretically positive for something, but they are ALL toxic systematically.
Should you want or know someone who wants/needs this information, you can buy it by emailing me, and it can be paid for with paypal. No cart set up on that page for now.
Have you heard of the term, polypharmacy? Well that is his subject today and it bears a lot more scrutiny. May I recommend you take a look.
http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2014/02/22/a-ghost-in-the-machine/
Some of the ideas in this blog post by Dr. Kendrick, are the same ones that I discuss in excruciatingly bright light in my short e-book, "How to Be a Smarter Health Care Consumer" found on my website here: http://mindingthemiddleagedmiddle.com/e-books.shtml
An important fact to remember is that all pharmaceuticals are toxic. Some side effects of the toxic substances are theoretically positive for something, but they are ALL toxic systematically.
Should you want or know someone who wants/needs this information, you can buy it by emailing me, and it can be paid for with paypal. No cart set up on that page for now.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Exercise Improves the Aging Process...
...No surprise. Muscle only does two things; build up or tear down. It does not stay static. So if you are not doing anything that puts stress on a muscle to make it grow, it will be getting flabby. Flabby muscles are not attractive and they are not functional. And that does not even account for the metabolic benefits of exercise.
If you are like me, there is no gym anywhere near where I live (out in the country 12 miles from a small town). And while I work hard at tending animals, a garden and a household, it's not always muscle building sorts of work. Below is a link to a great chart with body weight exercises for each group of muscles that need attention for overall fitness. Click on any little picture for a short youtube of how to do it correctly! They are in groupings of easy to hard to accommodate any fitness level and take no equipment! Enjoy!
http://strength.stack52.com/periodic-table-of-bodyweight-exercises/
If you are like me, there is no gym anywhere near where I live (out in the country 12 miles from a small town). And while I work hard at tending animals, a garden and a household, it's not always muscle building sorts of work. Below is a link to a great chart with body weight exercises for each group of muscles that need attention for overall fitness. Click on any little picture for a short youtube of how to do it correctly! They are in groupings of easy to hard to accommodate any fitness level and take no equipment! Enjoy!
http://strength.stack52.com/periodic-table-of-bodyweight-exercises/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)