AAHH: updates and questions answered

    T he Buck Stops Where?  Today I was talking with a reporter about our work at the office.  When he asked how we would sum up our mission, it came down to ownership:  Encouraging ourselves and others to fully own life and health....

  Briefly before we talk about allergies , this our last call for the Blue Zones dinner and discussion. We have two spaces available.    If you want to come next Tuesday or know more click below. If you find no tickets, call the office and we will see if we can still set a place for you!  Very excited for the time we will have together next week!  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/owning-life-fully-blue-zones-tickets-56932676167 Happy Spring! Decreasing the Spring Allergies! Welcome to warm breezes, green leaves, flowers blooming, and allergies!  While we love spring, sneezing, sniffling, and itchy eyes are definitely a downside. In Georgia, all the cars turn yellow for weeks of a pine pollen coating. So while we love to be outdoors when the temperature is moderate, for many the allergens take away from our full enjoyment.  What are a few things that can help without having to take medication. Here are a few ideas: Diet There is no fi...

  How is the year going so far?  How was the first month of the New Year?  We hope you are looking back on these past five weeks and feeling you are moving in the direction of your goals.  If you have not yet set a few goals, every day is new day.  We want to join together in progress toward owning our lives and health more completely.  So whether you are celebrating your  success thus far, getting yourself back on track after some distraction, or making the commitment to write down on paper a few goals for 2019, let’s move forward together. The first thing we want to say to you in 2019?  Eat healthier at home this year. Why? Cooking and eating at home results in better health (than eating out).  Most significantly, eating at home for most Americans means eating fewer calories, along with less sugar and processed foods. In a study completed in 2017, the University of Washington School of Public Health concluded that people who coo...

  Did you know that we have sent enough plastic trash into the ocean to create a floating plastic trash pile twice as big as Texas?  It’s between San Francisco and Hawaii.  Cleanup is starting, and it will take decades, but that’s not the only problem with all the plastics we use.  Plastics and chemicals used with plastic products are part of a large group of environmental chemical dangers called endocrine disruptors . Why should we be concerned? How can we avoid them as much a possible? What are some simple steps you can take to reduce your risk?  While you can learn more about these from resources such as the NRDC, the NIH and the WHO, today let’s simply focus on the one that seems most ubiquitous in our environment, plastic. A brief intro from the NIH will help:  “Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both ...

  Hidden Dangers- Hydrogenated Oils Wait! Keep reading, the story about trans-fats is not over! Even though labeling requirements have helped, these are still sneaking into our foods. The good news is that, according to a recent study published by the Journal of the American Heart Association, the amount of trans-fats we consume has dropped significantly in the last 30 years.  However, our goal must be NO trans-fats added to our foods.* During recent travel we noticed how easy it was for people to unknowingly make a dangerous health choice when they reached for “cream” for their tea or coffee. Sitting right next to the half and half and milk was a larger container of something labeled “creamer.” Without a strong magnifying glass, it was impossible to read what was in the package. The label of the “creamer” featured a tranquil picture of a cow and the name of the “dairy” corporation.  But the second ingredient (after water) was hydrogenated oils. Make no...

The prevalence of processed foods has created some landmines in our dietary choices.  If all of our foods came straight from nature most of these hazards would not exist. However, industrialization of food makes shelf life, convenience, and cost top priorities. My hope is we can all become quicker to spot these dangers.  Today I want to focus on fructose. “Wait”, you may be saying, “I thought sugar from fruit is good for you”. Fruit is a healthy option, however when we juice the fruits and concentrate the sugar, it is way too easy to get an overdose. High intake of fructose may be more dangerous than other sugars because of its effect on the liver.  The liver is forced into metabolizing excess fructose into fat, which then can be stored in the liver, possibly leading to long term damage. That excess fruit sugar can also be stored as fat in other places around the body, leading to unwanted weight gain. It’s easy for us to fall into this trap, because even a...

  Happy Spring! Spring is here. You have been thinking about improving your health but not sure you have the time. Simple works, and here are three simple things you can add to your day that will immediately improve your health!   Fiber Increase fiber in your diet by adding daily servings of whole grains, legumes, fresh vegetables and fruits.  Eat as seasonally as possible and explore high fiber choices like blackberries or raspberries (contain twice as much fiber as blueberries and strawberries), some good greens...