We all need a little uplifting now and again. No matter our age, or which battle we are
facing I think we can all take a page out of this amazing lady’s book on how to
live life to it’s fullest as a healthy, happy person.
This is my little homage to 104-year-old Ida Hall.
*******************
I am not much of a morning person, so I take great comfort
in the simple rituals that start my days.
My most difficult maneuver is getting my feet planted on the floor and
putting one foot in front of the other to make it to the kitchen where I start
the coffee maker, feed the cats and then shuffle into the bathroom for my
shower. By the time I’m done there I am
a little wider awake and the coffee is ready to hopefully finish the job. After taking that first sip of coffee I make
my breakfast and sit down to watch City TV’s Breakfast Television.
City’s Breakfast Television is a “light” morning show
focusing on human-interest stories, entertainment news, traffic and
weather. If there is anything earth
shattering going on in the world there will be a few minutes coverage about it
at the top of the hour in the news segment.
That’s about all I can handle first thing in the morning.
“Roving reporter” Jennifer Valentyne, travels to various
locations across south-central Ontario to participate in events like charity
runs, to check out Wiarton Willy on Groundhog Day, participate in new openings
of stores, visit the Boat Show, the Car show, the Food Show, to welcome the new
Pandas to the Toronto Zoo … I am sure you get the idea. This past Monday her “Live Eye” segment was
an early morning report from St. Hilda’s Towers, a fairly upscale retirement
and assisted living facility.
I am not certain as to the number of seniors residing at the
residence, but amazingly 14 of them are celebrating birthdays of 100 years or
beyond in 2013.
WOW!
Obviously St. Hilda’s takes extremely good care of their
residents, but my mind does not travel in that direction early on a Monday
morning. Sadly, my first thought was “Geez,
when the time comes, don’t put me in there.
They don’t let you die!”
My bad.
Sipping my coffee I continued to watch as Jenn interviewed
those (mostly women !?!?!) celebrating the century+ milestone. I was astonished at how beautiful these
seniors were. They were all decked out
in their birthday celebration clothes enjoying a lovely breakfast with their
family and friends. (As I was
sitting there in my favorite, seen-better-days bathrobe)
My father was in assisted living facilities due to his
dementia/Alzheimer’s. He was a wanderer
so as his disease progressed so did the level of security in the residences in
which he lived. They were all lovely
homes staffed by extremely caring individuals.
I have nothing bad to say about any of them. But these ladies, they were a totally different story from any
perspective I have about aging gracefully.
They were sharp! No
signs of dementia or fading faculties in these ladies! They maintained their sense of humor, their
pride in appearance, their activity levels (each taking part in exercise
programs and social activities St. Hilda’s provides). Aside from age, there did not seem to be any particular
demographic represented. Accents could
be detected in some indicating Canada was not their country of origin. Some were shy in speaking in front of the
City TV camera and others were very comfortable. They listened intently and answered Jenn’s questions patiently
and thoroughly.
The ladies were sitting at individual tables surrounded by
their own families, friends and loved ones so could not compare answers to the
questions, but when asked the secret to their longevity they all agreed it was
living a life filled with purpose, fun and most importantly love. Most agreed that having good genes helped a
lot too! The part that completely made my morning and
sent me off to work with a smile was a comment made by 104-year-old Ida Hall
What a lovely affirmation of life to see on a Monday
morning.
One of Ida’s fellow residents, Eva Altay, a native of
Budapest, is by all outward appearances a feisty lady, full of gumption and
determination. She broke her hip
recently while doing Tai-Chi (of course) and absolutely vowed that she would
not be wheelchair bound. She has been
doing physio three-times weekly and credits that for keeping her mobile.
Quoting from the Toronto Sun newspaper interview “’I look after myself
completely,’ the petite former lawn bowler told me proudly. ‘I try to be as self-confident as I can
be.’”
Ida also takes part in the physio program three times a week
and credits that with keeping her independently mobile, albeit with the help of
a walker (cheerfully decked out with yellow roses). She also participates in exercise classes.
I can only hope to be as vibrant, active, sharp and happy as
Ida if I am fortunate enough to make it to some ripe old age. Personally, I think I am more apt to be the
crazy cat lady, sitting on her front porch in her purple hat, shaking her fist
and yelling at the kids to get off the lawn.
Unfortunately, the reason that Eva Altay and Ida Hall
were in the paper was not because of Ida’s upcoming 105th birthday, but because cutbacks in government
funding to the physio-therapy program at St. Hilda’s will keep her, Eva and
other residents from receiving the much needed care enabling them to remain
both mobile and non-dependent of full time care givers. That, however, is a topic for another time
and place.
Back to Jennifer Valentyne’s interviews that morning. I went off to work with that big smile I mentioned before because
when Jennifer walked over to Ida and showed her the paper, pointing out that
Ida herself had made the front page (pictured below) …
… rather than becoming flustered by her new-found notoriety,
neither embarrassed nor tickled to be on the front page of the paper, her only
comment was “Oh my! I look old.”
H.A.L.T. is an acronym that caught my attention. It is sound, reasonable and do-able
advice for anyone on a healthy eating or weight loss plan. There are no earth shattering secrets
revealed in the suggestions, and we’ve discussed every point somewhere along
the way. My thinking … it's put together in a very succinct and memorable fashion and it never hurts to have a
refresher!
So, with much thanks to Daniel G. Amen, MD here is his
H.A.L.T. plan to weight loss.
(website listed below)
Do you want to make it easier for you to stick with you
weight loss plan? You need to put a H.A.L.T. to the barriers threatening to
sabotage your progress.
The acronym H.A.L.T. is a term commonly used in addiction
treatment programs that can be very helpful in dealing with the daily obstacles
you face. I understand that you may not equate an addiction program with weight
loss, but in my opinion, chronic overeating is akin to substance abuse. And
H.A.L.T. has proven to be a very effective way to keep people on track when
they are trying to change their habits.
H.A.L.T. stands for:
Don't get tooHUNGRY.
Don't get tooANGRY.
Don't get tooLONELY.
Don't get tooTIRED.
DON'T GET TOO HUNGRY
Going too long without food lowers your blood sugar levels,
which can lead to a variety of emotional issues, including feelings of anxiety
and irritability. These may trigger your overeating.
Low blood sugar levels are also associated with lower
overall brain activity, which is linked to an increase in cravings and
impulsiveness. Heightened anxiety and irritability coupled with more intense
cravings and impulsiveness is a recipe for overeating. Keeping your blood sugar
levels even throughout the day is critical to keep you on track.
Tips to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels:
Eat a healthy breakfast—people who maintain weight loss eat
a nutritious breakfast.
Have smaller meals throughout the day. Eating big meals
spikes your blood sugar levels then causes them to crash later on.
You must stay away from simple sugars and refined
carbohydrates, such as candy, sodas, cookies, crackers, white rice, and white
bread. These also spike your blood sugar then cause it to crash later on.
MY DON'T GET TOO
HUNGRY PLAN
Write
down the things you plan to do to help prevent you from getting too hungry.
Keep this list with you at all times.
________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
DON'T GET TOO ANGRY
Uncontrolled anger can send you racing to the cookie jar to
calm your emotions.
When you feel mad, write down your thoughts and ask
yourself, "Is it true?"
Practice deep-breathing exercises to calm your mind and soothe
your emotions.
Count to 10. When you get angry try counting to 10 before
reaching for something to eat. Sometimes that short delay can be enough to calm
your temper and interrupt the urge to eat.
Get moving. If you feel anger bubbling up inside you, go for
a walk or a short burst of exercise. This releases brain chemicals that help
calm you down.
Express your feelings. After you have calmed down, express
your feelings in a non-confrontational way. Letting your anger fester can drive
you to overeat.
MY DON'T GET TOO
ANGRY PLAN
Write
down the things you plan to do to help prevent you from getting too angry. Keep
this list with you at all times.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
DON'T GET TOO LONELY
Social skills and a positive social network are critical to
your emotional well-being.
Working on your current social situation is important to
healing. Here are some tips to increase your social bonding.
Enlist a team of supporters and healthy role models.
Volunteer in your community.
Join a small group at Church, a recreational sporting team,
book group, or any other type of group that appeals to you.
Make it a priority to spend time with your friends and
family.
Make a list of people you can reach out to when you are
feeling sad, anxious, mad, or frustrated.
MY DON'T GET TOO
LONELY PLAN
Write
down the things you plan to do to help prevent you from getting too lonely.
Keep this list with you at all times.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
DON'T GET TOO TIRED
If you are tired your brain simply can't cope
as well with stressful situations, leading to worse moods, more anxiety,
greater irritability, increased anger, and more frustration. When your emotions
are running wild, you are more apt to run to the refrigerator for solace.
In addition, lack of sleep lowers overall brain function,
which leads to more bad decisions. Several studies have shown that lack of
sleep leads to higher calorie intake and higher consumption of refined
carbohydrates, which as you learned in the Don't Get Too Hungry section, causes
blood sugar levels to spike and then crash.
Make sleep a priority to boost brain function, moods, and
energy levels, and to improve judgment and self-control. Here are 10 ways to
make it easier to drift off to dreamland and get a good night's sleep. Remember
that we are all unique individuals and what works for one person may not work
for another. Keep trying new techniques until you find something that works.
The following are Dr. Amen's tips for getting a good night's sleep.
1. Maintain a
regular sleep schedule—going to bed at the same time each night and waking up
at the same time each day, including on weekends. Get up at the same time each
day regardless of sleep duration the previous night.
2. Create a soothing nighttime routine that encourages
sleep. A warm bath, meditation, or massage can help you relax.
3. Some people like to read themselves to sleep. If you are
reading, make sure it isn't an action-packed thriller or a horror story—they
aren't likely to help you drift off to sleep.
4. Don't take naps! This is one of the biggest mistakes you
can make if you have insomnia. Taking naps when you feel sleepy during the day
compounds the nighttime sleep cycle disruption.
5. Sound therapy can induce a very peaceful mood and lull
you to sleep. Consider soothing nature sounds, soft music, wind chimes, or even
a fan.
6. Drink a mixture of warm milk, a teaspoon of vanilla (the
real stuff, not imitation), and a few drops of stevia. This increases serotonin
in your brain and helps you sleep.
7. Take computers, video games, and cell phones out of the
bedroom and turn them off an hour or two before bedtime to allow time to
"unwind."
8. Don't eat for at least two to three hours before going to
bed.
9. Regular exercise is very beneficial for insomnia, but
don't do it within four hours of the time you hit the sack. Vigorous exercise
late in the evening may energize you and keep you awake.
10. Don't drink any caffeinated beverages in the late
afternoon or evening. Also avoid chocolate, nicotine, and alcohol—especially at
night. Although alcohol can initially make you feel sleepy, it interrupts
sleep.
MY DON'T GET TOO
TIRED PLAN
Write
down the things you plan to do to help prevent you from getting too tired. Keep
this list with you at all times.
Before our TOPS meeting officially began this week we were
talking about the abundance of fruit in the summer. I love the peaches, nectarines, berries, golden plums and melons
at this time of year. One of my members
mentioned that as much as she loves the summer fruits she is finding it
difficult to get her recommended intake of fruit every day because she is
getting tired of them.
That surprised me because I am of the opposite opinion. Come February and March I find myself
willing to pay the (out of season) premium price for a couple of
nectarines. They’re always a little on
the disappointing side as far as sweetness and juiciness, but what a taste
sensation after months of apples, pears and bananas.
Watermelons are in season right now as well. I love watermelon and seeing as I have
difficulty getting my 8 glasses of water in every day … I allow as eating
watermelon subsidizes at least some of my water intake deficiencies. The tough part about buying watermelons is
that you can’t see inside them. And
while I have cantaloupes and Honeydew pretty much figured out, I seem to get a
dud watermelon two out of three times. Any and all suggestions on how to
rectify this and pick a perfect watermelon every time are welcome! It’s either pale or mealy, just basically
looks too unappetizing to serve “as is”.
When I was traveling in Greece years ago the fruit vendors
had a little apparatus that looked very similar to an apple corer that they
would use to take a plug out of the melon you wanted to buy. That way you could see what the inside of
the melon looked like and even have a taste.
If it wasn't to your liking, you simply picked another one. Seemed like a good idea to me! However, I am fairly certain if I tried that
here my local grocery store manager would promptly throw me out of the store.
All that aside … really, what do you do with a watermelon
that is not quite up to snuff? It’s not
like you can throw it into a pie!
For some reason it had never occurred to me to throw
watermelon into a smoothie! So I was
quite excited when I came across the suggestion www.babble.com
under the heading “Sweet and Skinny Healthy Yogurt Dessert Ideas”. Not only can you make smoothies, but also
the site suggested freezing cubes of the watermelon (I also never thought to
freeze watermelon before … it was just a day of revelations for me) and use the
cubes to make a slushy type drink.
Not that anyone needs a recipe for a smoothie, it’s easy
enough to throw some berries, bananas ice and yogurt into a blender but here is
the suggestion from Babble.
CREAMY WATERMELON SMOOTHIE
1 small watermelon
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup strawberries (optional)
Fell free to add a handful of raspberries, blueberries or a
few sprigs of mint, if you like. The
mixture, by the way, would also make great Popsicles – just freeze in a pop
mold.
Now I know a lot of people throw dark leafy vegetables into
their smoothies. I can handle some
spinach but as far as kale and chard go – I just don’t like the taste that they
add to the smoothie. And, no matter
what everyone tells me, I can taste them in there. I have nothing against kale and chard if they are cooked. But just not in my smoothie. The article with the suggestion for the
watermelon smoothie also suggested adding parsley to a smoothie.
Everyone thinks of parsley as a garnish or a natural breath
freshener. Parsley has the same
nutrients as any of its dark green leafy cousins.
Apparently (and no I have not tried it yet) you can’t see it (taste it?) as long as you use dark blueberries or the frozen
strawberry-raspberry-blueberry fruit mix you can buy at the store (or make
yourself if you are more industrious than I am)
PURPLE PARSLEY SMOOTHIE
1 banana, peeled and broken into chunks
2 cups frozen mixed berries (such as blueberries,
raspberries and blackberries)
1 big handful (or a small bunch) or curly or flat leaf
parsley, stems removed
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup orange or other fruit juice
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
Put all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth,
adding more juice, water, yogurt or berries as necessary to achieve the right
consistency
My best friend 'M' is also a member of my TOPS group. She brought in this "Tip for TOPS" in the form of a quote ...
"If nothing changes then nothing changes"
It certainly makes sense in terms of weight loss, doesn't it? I wanted to credit the correct author of the quote and discovered the whole quote reads ...
"Nothing changes if nothing changes, and if I keep doing what I've always done, I'll keep getting what I've always got, and will keep feeling what I always felt."
“Breakfast is
the most important meal of the day!”
We’ve all heard those sayings at one time
or another. Old wives tales or truth?
Although skipping breakfast may seem a good
way to eliminate calories, breakfast skippers tend to weigh more than breakfast
eaters. And when people eat a larger-than-normal breakfast, they usually end up
eating almost 100 fewer calories by the end of the day. That is a significant number in a weigh loss
effort. Skipping breakfast in order to
lose weight is a big mistake and is counter productive because it actually
slows your metabolism and can lead to over eating.
Breakfast has been in the news the last few
weeks. I never thought I would be
saying (typing?) those words, but there has been a lot of coverage of a new
weight loss study at the Mayo Clinic which proves the importance of eating
breakfast. The 12-week study saw all
the participants lose some amount of weight, but the participants who regularly
ate a full breakfast lost significantly more weight than the others.
The Globe and Mail summarized the results
and reported, “Compared to the big dinner
eaters, women who ate a 700-calorie breakfast and 200-calorie dinner
experienced a 2.5-fold greater weight loss (19 pounds versus eight). As well,
waist circumference, blood glucose and insulin levels improved to a greater
extent in the high calorie breakfast group. Blood triglycerides levels fell 33
per cent in the big breakfast group, but increased in the big dinner group.”
The participants who consumed half their
daily calorie intake at breakfast reported being less hungry throughout the
course of the day, so they were most easily able to stick to their meal plan.
Remember Ghrelin, the hunger hormone talked about a few weeks ago? Blood tests
done on the participants in the study had lower levels of Grehlin after eating
the high-calorie breakfast. That
definitely explains no hunger pangs through the day.
Breakfast is exactly what the name suggests
– Break Fast. It’s breaking the fast your body had while you were asleep for 8
hours (or however long you normally do). It is the first meal of the day,
usually eaten in the morning (assuming you slept at night). If you’ve got a
twisted sleep cycle (perhaps due to working on shift, etc) and you sleep in the
afternoons, then your breakfast will be the first meal you have when you wake
up. Breakfast does not follow the time of the day, but your sleep cycle, and
helps kick-start your metabolism levels for the day, which is crucial to weight
loss.
After virtually starving your body for the
past 8 to 10 hours your goal should be to start the day with foods that give
your body what it needs: nutrients and energy. Eating a proper breakfast helps jumpstart
your metabolism, which is at its lowest levels after you have been
sleeping. Having your largest meal in
the morning ensures that the food energy will be used as you go through your
daily tasks. The alternative is that
you eat a large dinner and then do not use up all the food energy before
bed. The excess is then stored by the
body – as fat.
So eating a large breakfast can help
maintain the level of your metabolism, eliminate through-the-day cravings,
lower the levels of Grehlin, lower blood sugar, make the body more efficiently
use insulin and prevent belly-bloat, but is it always practical to have a big
breakfast? Personally, some mornings I
have enough trouble getting myself motivated enough to brush my teeth and get
dressed, much less cook myself a big breakfast.
Some people complain that they simply not
hungry in the morning. If this is true
for you, it could be because you are still full from the night before. If you begin a routine of eating less in the
evening you may find that you have more of an appetite when you get up in the
morning.
Some people simply do not enjoy breakfast-y
type foods. There is no rule that says
you have to have eggs, cereal and toast in the morning. Breakfast food can be anything. It can be a sandwich, leftovers from dinner
the night before, even vegetables or a salad.
The important thing is to eat something
within one hour of getting out of bed, plan on eating more food sometime during
they day. It does not have to be a set
“lunch”. Plan ahead and enjoy healthy
snacks that you can eat every couple of hours and then plan on eating less in
the evening.
According to registered dietician Leslie
Beck (www.Lesliebeck.com) planning is
essential and she recommends including the following in every breakfast.
Power
up with protein
Adding protein to breakfast slows digestion
and promotes a feeling of fullness throughout the morning. Studies suggest
protein-rich solid foods curb appetite better than protein-rich drinks.
Breakfast foods high in protein include egg whites, cottage cheese, Greek
yogurt, regular yogurt, low fat milk, turkey breast, smoked salmon and tofu.
Add
healthy carbohydrates
Eating carbohydrate-rich foods such as
whole grains and fruit at the morning meal fuels your brain and muscles. Research
also suggests that carbohydrate at breakfast is important to help guard against
abdominal obesity. Quickly digested carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic
index (GI) – e.g. white bread, refined cereals, and pastries – are less
effective at promoting weight loss because they spike blood sugar and insulin,
which can trigger hunger and inhibit the breakdown of body fat.
Foods with a low GI release sugar more
slowly into the bloodstream and don’t produce an outpouring of insulin. Low GI
breakfast foods include grainy breads, steel cut and large flake oats, 100 per
cent bran cereal, oat bran, apples, citrus fruit, grapes, pears, nuts, milk,
yogurt and soy beverages.
Focus
on fibre
Include 5 to 10 grams of fibre at
breakfast. Like protein, fibre slows digestion and helps keep you feeling full
longer after eating. Choose 100 per cent whole-grain breads, breakfast cereals
with at least five grams of fibre a serving, and eat whole fruit instead of
drinking juice.
Satisfy your sweet tooth
Adding something sweet at breakfast – a
square of dark chocolate, a cookie or candy – has been shown to cut sweet
cravings later in the day by preventing spikes in serotonin, a feel-good brain
chemical.
Keep
dinner small
To make dinner the lightest meal of the
day, include 3 to 4 ounces of low fat protein such as chicken or turkey breast,
lean meat, egg whites or firm tofu. Fill up on plenty of vegetables rather than
starchy foods.
This is a great make ahead breakfast you can keep in the fridge for five days. Breakfast is ready for each morning. I have tried this recipe and even served it to company once.
Yummy!
Blueberry
and Raspberry Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup (I used sugar free)
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 cup blueberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen, divided
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. In
a medium bowl, mix the oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and
salt. Stir to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the syrup, milk, egg,
butter, and vanilla.
3. Spread the sliced bananas in a single
layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries.
Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid
ingredients evenly over the oats.
4. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries
over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats
have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
It makes 6 servings. Nutritional values will change depending on
the fruit used.
This particular topic started out as a little piece of grit
under the tongue of my personal sensibilities.
Like the oyster I kept working at it and working at it trying to expel
the grit. Unlike the oyster, I did not
spit out a pearl but a rant instead.
Sometimes I just cannot help myself.
Anyone who has ever tried to lose a few pounds has probably
at one point or another muttered the words “I wish there was a magic pill for
this”.
We all know that there is no magic pill, but that does not
stop big companies from preying on our simple wish and making billions of dollars in
sales. Are we all that gullible? No – I think not. I don’t believe it’s gullibility that makes us go out (at least once … come on … admit it) and
buy a product that advertises itself to be the final solution to all your
weight loss problems. I’m sure that if
I put my mind to it I could think of a product for every letter of the
alphabet.
Some promise to cleanse the fat out of your body (which just
means you’ll spend your life in the bathroom).
Some promise you will never be hungry again (like the
warriors in Kilimanjaro).
Some promise to rev up your metabolism (lack of sleep and an
overdose of caffeine always being a good thing?)
Most of them claim that you have to change NOTHING! Don’t change your eating habits! Don’t do any exercise! The weight will just magically disappear!
Take the pill.
Sprinkle the powder. Mix the
juice. Drink the liquid. Blend the smoothie.
I remember back in the day, and I really am dating myself by
even mentioning this product, but you
could buy a box of “Aids”, horrendous
tasting chocolate or butterscotch flavored concoctions that looked like
candy. Even the box looked like a box
of chocolate and the squares were wrapped to look like individual
caramels. Eat two (bleccchhh) with a
cup of hot tea one half hour before eating your meal and it would curb your
appetite. Truthfully it fooled you into
thinking you were going to eat a candy and then tasted so disgusting that it killed
you taste buds. No wonder you lost
weight – nothing tasted good after that.
These days every time you flip through a magazine there is a
new miracle cure for obesity. It
changes weekly. We’ve watched them come
into vogue and then leave just as quickly … Hoodia, Acai Berry Concentrate,
Sensa, PGX, Bitter Melon Extract, Green Tea Extract, Raspberry Ketone and
lately it seems to be Green Coffee Bean Extract. Granted, most of these will probably not hurt you if you take
them (please note I said probably) but they are not going to be very
effective in lowering that number on the scale either. The only thing they will lower is the
numbers in your bank account.
Prepare yourself; the rant starts here …
What really bothers me about these products is not that the
companies manufacture them. It’s not that they are readily accessible at
reputable drug and health food stores or even that people buy them. The companies and the stores are in business
to make money. Manufacturers pay
employees. They need to ship the
product, which in turn keeps transport companies in business. Those transport companies make sure the
product is unloaded into stores, which also have their profit margin, and they
pay employees. All these people pay
their taxes (hopefully) and all these employees along the line go out and spend
their money and that keeps me employed (hopefully), which allows me to go and
spend my money. All of that stimulates
the economy. Economics 101. Supply and Demand. All this to the tune of billions
of dollars annually in North America.
I do get it!
The battle of the bulge does add significant fuel to the
spin of the North American economy.
I am not even grossly upset that people buy them. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of
psychological help to get things jump-started.
The mind is powerful and if you believe you are taking something that is
helping you then it may very well be doing just that. It’s a crutch, but sometimes we all need a little something to
lean on. Just make sure the product is
not so bogus as to be actually doing you real harm.
I get that too!
This whole post was brought on by a bored click onto a link
at the side of another webpage. The
picture caught my attention more than the by-line. My only thought was “Oh please, how is that even the same girl?”
Then, of course there was the picture of Kim Kardashian labeled Before and After. I don't know what they are claiming by including the following picture, but I have been on Kim's diet and it DEFINITELY works ... it's called ... having a baby! Really? How dare they?
So much for truth in advertising, yet I felt compelled to move my mouse over the
picture and left-click. The link took
me to a page for “Women’s Health News”.
It looked very similar to an established and reputable magazine. You would think that all the information
under a title like “Women’s Health News” would be fairly trustworthy. Alas, that was not the case.
This brings me to the point where I leave disbelief behind,
move past annoyance and travel well down the road to outrage.
People with titles (real or fabricated) in front of their
names, people in positions of authority (real or imagined), people with a wide
audience and the respect (earned or purchased) blatantly promote these
products.
There stood Dr. Oz explaining to an enraptured audience how
two test subjects lost weight by not changing anything in their daily routines
except to consume a couple of Green Coffee Bean Extract capsules before each
meal. In previous episodes he extolled
the virtues of Raspberry Ketones and prior to that the miraculous hunger-pang
suppressing Hoodia Extract. I don’t
mean to single out the good doctor as there are many organizations (Herbal
Magic), celebrities (Oprah, Cathy Smith and even weight loss gods Jillian
Michaels and Bob Harper) and media (Good Morning America) who do the same thing
with other supplements. However, I do
feel a little justified in picking on Dr. Oz because a year or so ago he made
it a point in a press release that he emphatically DOES NOT promote any of
these products. He said that unscrupulous
distributors Photoshop his face into product advertisements and unless viewers
see him standing there saying the words himself … do not believe that the ads
are directly quoting him or that he is endorsing the product. Well! In the case of the Green Coffee Extract, in the little video
clip from a segment of his show, I saw his lips move and heard the words come out of his mouth at the same
time. I can only assume he is actually
promoting this product.
I do not watch his program because it happens to be
televised during a time slot when I am at work. To the best of my knowledge he is a real
doctor. I know many people who watch
his show regularly and have told me that he very often gives very sound advice
on a variety of subjects. He is well
spoken, well liked and well respected by his viewers. I have no way of knowing this for a fact (nor is it any of my
business) but I can only assume that in light of the success of his daily
program he is not under any sort of financial stress. Why is he promoting a “magic pill”?
Again, I can in no way be certain and, yet again, nor is it
any of my business, but he must be getting compensation for promoting this
product. It was a specific brand name
that could only be ordered from a specific website. That fact made abundantly clear by the segment’s guest warning
potential buyers to spend their hard earned money only on that brand and
“beware of imitations containing fillers and cellulose”.
My TOPS members often come to meetings with questions about
advertisements or word of mouth from friends and relatives extolling the
virtues of one diet fad or another.
I’ve been asked about everything from the Cabbage Soup Diet (if you can
stomach eating cabbage soup for seven days, that one is not going to hurt you)
to Bitter Melon Extract and Sensa™. It
usually leads to a lively discussion, and no product is promoted. I am not a doctor and I do not play one on
television but I take my role as group leader pretty seriously so I always try
to look into it for them. I rely on
research.
Just in case you are curious –
Bitter Melon Extract is not sold as an aid
in weight loss but has been shown to help regulate blood sugar in
diabetics. Even blood sugar levels do
help in not having those mid-morning or mid-afternoon munchies. The health professional I spoke to informed
me it would not be significant enough to be counted as an aid to dieting.
Sensa™ is the product that you sprinkle on
ALL your food before you eat and it claims to suppress your appetite so you
feel full faster. No one in any
professional capacity had any opinions on this product so I resorted to on-line
comments from users. Hint: do not get independent reviews from the
product’s website – all the comments there are glowing. I did a general search and found that every
other comment was a complaint about having stomach cramps and/or irregular
bowel movements while taking the product.
No one substantiated the weight loss the product claims in advertisements. It’s a tempting one to want to try but there
is another word of warning. Many people
were complaining that they were having trouble cashing on their “Money Back
Guarantee”.
This Green Coffee Extract was a bee in my bonnet
though. So, in my official capacity as
a (currently badly backsliding) TOPS group leader – I undid the top button on
my too snug fitting jeans – and went on a little mission.
I questioned a doctor she said don’t bother with it, eat
healthy, moderate exercise and lay off the sugar and salt – same result. I thanked her and got out of there quickly,
before she could pull out my file, make me step on her scale and mention it was
time for my annual physical.
The homeopath I asked suggested some other more helpful
products. Not much help there, since he
was basically in the same business so I shrugged, thanked him and left.
Three different health food store managers stated that it
would not hurt you to take the product and it may help. Not much commitment there. I asked they had received any feedback on
the product and was told that no customers have come back raving about it, but
at the same time no one has come back to return the product demanding their
money back either.
I find when a thread like this is pulled more information
seems to materialize. Maybe it’s
because I am tuned in to the topic, or maybe it’s just the way my life works …
I really have no idea. I was walking
past a magazine rack and noticed a by-line that said “Diet Pills that really
work!” I spent the $2.29 for the
magazine and this is pretty much what I found out:
BLAST BELLY FAT WITH RASPBERRY KETONE
Doctors recently found out that the ketone that gives
raspberries their sweet aroma also burns fat, especially belly fat. Naturopathic physician Lindsey Duncan, N.D.
went so far as to call it “great fat liberator”.
How to make it work for you? Find the capsules at the drugstore or online, take 100 mg, 30
minutes before breakfast and again before lunch with a large glass of
water. Choose products labeled 100% pure
raspberry ketone.
Interesting side note here: Lindsey Duncan is the guest Dr. Oz interviews about the Green
Coffee Bean Extract in which he states “I don’t usually don’t recommend
weight loss supplements”. Yet here
he is quoted in a national magazine recommending yet another weight loss
supplement.
EXERCISE EFFORTLESSLY WITH CAYENNE PEPPER
Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D., author of Recipes for Health Bliss
says it’s a “natural fat burner that raises your metabolic rate as much as
25%”.
How to make it work for you? Stir a half-teaspoon of cayenne into a glass of water and chug
before each meal. Or take one cayenne
capsule, three times daily, with water at meals.
PREVENT FAT FROM FORMING WITH CARALLUYMA FIMBRIATA
This edible cactus from India has phytochemicals that help
block enzymes that convert carbohydrates and sugar into fat. “When these enzymes are blocked, the body
can’t form fat, so it has to use it’s own reserves for energy.” says Duncan.
How to make it work for you? Take one capsule 30 minutes before breakfast and again before
lunch with a large glass of water.
Yep – there’s Duncan again promoting another supplements
even though he “doesn't usually recommend weight loss supplements”.
CURB CRAVINGS WITH KONJAC ROOT
This root is rich in a soluble fiber that swells to 17 times
its size in the digestive tract, staving off hunger pangs, slowing food
absorption and reducing insulin production after meals.
How to make it work for you? Take two to four Konjac Root capsule with water 30 minutes before
eating with a large glass of water.
I could go on and on but seriously – is it just me or do all
the “How to make it work for you?’ instructions have something in common? I’ll come back to that question.
I made it my business to look at some of these products on
the shelf of my favorite drug store and if the outside packaging was not sealed
with one of those annoying little circles of tape I even surreptitiously opened
the box to peek inside. Without fail,
everyone I looked at included detailed instructions, warnings about getting a
physicians approval before starting to take any supplements, a healthy eating
guide and a moderate exercise recommendation.
Yes, even if they stated on the outside of the package that the consumer
needed to make NO LIFESTYLE CHANGES they were still strongly recommending
HEALTHY EATING AND MODERATE EXERCISE.
Hmmm?
Now back to the question I posed one paragraph ago. Is there something that these products all
have in common in their instructions? I
noticed most, if not all of them directed the capsules to be taken 20 to 30
minutes before one, two or all three meals with a LARGE GLASS OF WATER.
Hmmm?
It seems to me that if you drink a LARGE GLASS OF WATER
before each meal that is going to fill up your tummy. This would more than likely cause you to eat less. Plus, it has the added benefit of good
hydration, better digestion and aids in absorption. Add to that the strong suggestion of a HEALTHY EATING PLAN AND
MODERATE EXERCISE and you may accidentally find that you are losing weight
anyway! Save your money and drink your water.
You don’t even need a doctor’s approval to do that. It’s just a thought.
So, bringing this too long rant to an end, my highly
unscientific research conclusions …
The TOPS groups in my area have been given a challenge this summer ... each week one group member had the responsibility of bringing in and exercise that (1) the group can do together at the beginning of the meeting, (2) is "do-able" by all group members and, (3) can easily be done at home throughout the remainder of the week.
My members have been great about bringing in ideas ranging from yoga stretches to exercises you can do at your desk to relieve stress. I came across this one in my treasure trove of things I have "filed to use at a future date". That's kind of my junk drawer of ideas. I thought it would be perfect for our challenge. It's called "The Breath of Fire" and it is considered an invisible exercise, meaning one can do it without others being aware ... so its perfect for that afternoon tension release or taking advantage of being stuck in a traffic jam during rush hour.
From Molly Fox's Yoga Weight Loss Program Clear your mind and tone your abs with this yoga move. Take a slow, deep breath - inhaling and exhaling through your nose - followed by a smaller half breath. Now pull your lower (transverse) abdominal muscles up and in. They're your deepest abdominal muscles, Fox says, and they help "contain" your organs. Start pumping little breathes in and out through your nose, focusing on the exhalation. This move strengthens abs and relaxes the normally tense diaphragm muscle. Try for three rounds of ten breaths several times a day.
It takes a little practice!
This is some vintage advice from a 1917 U.S. Food Administration poster.
I find it interesting that the advice is exactly the
same as what we are telling people today.
Does that mean we have come full circle? Or do we just have to be reminded over, and over, and over, and
over again?
On the heels of my post about the stress balls and how
massaging certain parts of the hand can impact other body parts I came across
a small article explaining that researchers have found a simple secret to boosting
your willpower.
If you’re on a diet and find it difficult to avoid the
dessert table at the buffet, impossible to not buy a pastry with your coffee, or desperately want a second helping at dinner? Take
heart – there is an easy solution to your lack of willpower.
Keep a coin in your pocket!
Whenever temptation whispers in your ear (or makes your
tummy rumble) squeeze the coin. In this study, dieters who squeezed a coin when seeing cakes, cookies and other
mouthwatering food found it far easier to say “No, Thank you”.
Now if you are anything like me you are shaking your head
right now wondering who funds this research and how can get some their obviously excess coins to fund some research of my own?
Why does this supposedly work? Apparently squeezing an object gives a big boost to areas of the
brain that regulate willpower!
Hmm – Now, I cannot vouch for the validity of the
information, but combined with what was said about the stress ball – it sure
couldn't hurt anything.
