Editorial Comments on Statins

January 30, 2010

Wow! Can you believe it? The Pharmaceutical companies and our physicians know about the side effects that Statins cause, but prescribe them because the drugs “…lower cholesterol,” a necessary substance in our body. According to the information we receive from pharmacists when we pick up our prescriptions, the physician or practitioner feels that the action of the drug far outweighs the side effects caused by which ever drug we take to lower our cholesterol.

According to the authors of the article, cholesterol is produced by our body and is a necessary part of daily lives. Our society has changed our lives to the point that we depend on fast food, over-processed convenience from the frozen food section of our supermarkets, and microwavable food that is packed with preservatives. No wonder our bodies are rebelling! So many of our children have allergies. Children want fast food. They don’t want healthy food.  Our children are overweight and have high blood pressure in middle school and high school. Some of us have stopped cooking like our grandmothers used to. No one is cooking or baking from scratch anymore.

Our lifestyles have evolved but people have become overweight and unhealthy. We need to stop and think about our health. If we don’t take responsibility for our own good health, the only thing we will face is illness, pills-maybe even Statins, a VERY LOW quality of life, and death. Is that what you want? Are you willing to give up your health and your life to Pharmaceutical companies and the physicians who prescribe these medicines? If you are, I can’t help you. But if you are not willing to take medicine that can hurt you neurologically for life, then start changing your lifestyle, as well as your eating habits.

First of all, stop eating unhealthy fast food and deep fried foods, and cook and eat at home. Use whole grains when possible with breads, pastas, crackers, etc. Don’t be afraid to eat fresh fruits. They are wonderful for you! Besides, they are naturally sweet. Speaking of sweet, if you like potatoes, eat back sweet potatoes. They are so good for you. There is nothing wrong with eating a freshly baked potato and eating the skin. All the nutrients are in the skin of many vegetables.

Green leafy vegetables are the greatest because of the vitamins and iron in them. Steam them for a short time on your stove or even in your microwave. Yes, I said microwaves. They have their place in healthy cooking as long as you don’t over cook your food. Carrots, celery, radishes, cucumbers, etc., can be eaten without cooking or you can steam them on the stove or with a little water in the microwave. You don’t want to cook anything too long because you cook the vitamins and nutrients right out of them. Keep your vegetables crunchy. They are over-cooked if they melt in your mouth or their color is very dull.

Snacks…you can eat snacks, as long as they are whole grain or natural like apples, bananas, grapes, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, etc., you know, things that are healthy like pretzels, Chex Cereals, Cheerios, whole grain Wheat Thins, Rice Cakes, Yogurt, applesauce, low-fat cottage cheese, cheese strings, cheese curd, raisins, craisins (cranberries), baked Lays, Sun Chips, etc.

If you are unsure what to do or how to do it, go to a nutritionist. Get help to lose weight. Then, cook nutritious foods with real ingredients for your family. Get rid of as many preservatives as you can. I didn’t say get rid of your spices. Flavor your fish, chicken, turkey, pork chops, and yes, even beef roasts with garlic-cloves or powder, or whatever makes it taste best for you and your family. Deep fried foods are not good for you, so don’t make them a daily habit. That doesn’t mean you can’t have Kentucky Fried Chicken and french fries once in a while.

Give your body a chance to heal itself!  God created a body that can cure itself. All you have to do is give it a chance. If you need help, go to a nutritionist. a homeopathic physician, or an Osteopathic physician. These professionals will help you focus on natural alternatives rather than pharmaceuticals. Then, come to the Health & Energy Center of WI at 11931 W. Bluemound Rd, in Wauwatosa here in Wisconsin. Here you will find an extremely knowledgeable person, Nadine Retzlaff, who will help you lose weight, clear your liver and kidneys of blocks by detoxifying your feet, and she will suggest some natural vitamins and nutrients to get you back on your feet. She will also help you de-stress and detoxify your body on the Migun Infra-Red Therapeutic Massage bed. Clara and her son Joe will provide a foot reflexology treatment that will make you feel terrific.  By the time you get ready to leave the Center, you will feel so energized and alive, you will tell everyone you know about your terrific experience, and want to come back as often as possible. By all means, go to the Center and take advantage of the reasonable prices. You WILL feel better.

The time has come for us to stop putting “poisons” in our bodies and get back to basics i.e., cooking meat, vegetables, and potatoes. Forget about the processed stuff, the preservatives will live on in your bodies forever.  Experiment with the foods  you enjoy. Make baked chips with your potatoes and vegetables. You can even cut up fruits like apples, pears, bananas and make chips with them. Just don’t add sugar.

What do you think? Is it worth a try? Losing weight will help you lower your blood pressure and save your life in the process. Exercise will help as well. Let’s let our doctors know that the side effects of Statins do NOT outweigh the good that these drugs do. There are other causes of heart attacks, not just high cholesterol. Taking medicine with ir-reverseable neurological side effects is unacceptable

By Diane | Posted in High Cholesterol | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

New Year’s Resolutions

December 28, 2009

Are you going to be making New Year’s resolutions this year? Everyone makes resolutions like “I’m going to lose 10 pounds by Valentine’s Day,” or “I’m going to quit smoking this year,” or “I’m going to do more reading instead of watching TV,” etc. I could go on, but the idea here is, “Resolutions don’t matter because people never keep them.” If resolutions are not kept, why are they made?

That’s a good question! My opinion on New Year’s Resolutions is they are a tradition. Every year since I was a child, I remember everyone I knew made resolutions on New Year’s Eve in preparation for the New Year. Apparently, 75 percent of all resolutions made are broken. Can you believe that? I’m sure it is true.

Every year since I was about 10 years old I made New Year’s resolutions. One year, when I was 15, I decided to make the resolution (at the beginning of the school year and at New Years) to have a boyfriend. I went to a Catholic high school and wore a green plaid pleated skirt, a white shirt, and a black blazer uniform. At 15, I was as round as I was tall. None of the boys in my class or any of the other classes liked me, but I didn’t lose hope. I was so determined to have a boyfriend that year that I started exercising and dieting. In October, I turned 16. Still no boyfriend. I lost 10 pounds and my little round belly. My girl friends were very happy I had lost weight. They thought for sure I would have a boyfriend in a few months. Christmas came and went. Valentines Day came and went. By the time school was out for the summer, I still didn’t have a boyfriend. Actually, when I finally got a boyfriend, I was 18 years old and in nursing school. So much for that year’s resolution.

The media hype acclaiming the new year encourages people to change something about themselves to make life better. There are so many people trying to lose weight, stop smoking, do more exercise, be less lonely, start new businesses, etc. Those who usually make a resolution to change themselves or their lives may start out strong, but after a few weeks they lose steam and quit. For those folks trying to change their image or quit smoking, they work hard at it for awhile, but because our society is used to having what we want right away, when we don’t lose weight or we can’t quit smoking we quit trying. There is no willpower anywhere or our resolutions are not serious.

I’ve come to realize that New Year’s resolutions are a game. When we are with friends, we make resolutions to keep up with them. When we are alone, we have no intention of keeping resolutions. If everyone who made a resolution was accountable to someone other than a family member or co-worker, I bet more people would keep their resolutions. That is the reason I don’t make resolutions any more at New Years or at any other time. Saying a resolution out loud is tantamount to being accountable and I would have to go through with it.

You will have to do what you think is best when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. If you feel like you can go through with it, go ahead and make as many resolutions as you can keep.

By Diane | Posted in Breaking Bad Habits, Exercise is Important For Everyone! | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

If You Want a Long Life, Focus on Fitness

December 9, 2009

As the title of this article suggests, it is very important to focus on fitness if you want to live a long “active” life. The emphasis is on active. Coming home from work and lying or sitting on the couch until bedtime will weaken every muscle in your body. Even if your work is very active, you still need to do some form of exercise to keep your body fit and your muscles toned.

The human body is a complex machine. As food is taken in, the body converts it to energy in order to power all of the processes that keep it alive and functioning. This energy is also used to create or repair tissues including muscle, bone and organs. That body you have is your body for life. You need to take care of it with a combination of healthy eating and exercise.

When someone engages in hard physical work every day for a living, exercising is rarely a concern. Farming, hunting and other manual labor will keep most people in good shape. But in today’s world of information technology, a large percentage of the population works in sedentary office jobs where their bodies store calories and their joints and muscles become weak from lack of exercise.

This means that Western societies have seen a movement toward fitness centers, gyms and physical fitness programs, all to provide the human body with the physical challenges it was built to meet. In combination with exercise, it’s important to eat a healthy and varied diet that meets your caloric, vitamin and mineral needs, without supplying unnecessary amounts of fat, salt or additives.

Maintaining a good level of health and fitness translates into a number of benefits. Not only does staying fit mean that the body is better equipped to handle the various challenges it faces every day, but also improves physical appearance, psychological state of mind, and can improve a number of health concerns including stress, insomnia, anxiety, depression and high blood pressure.

Health and fitness can be measured in a number of ways. Body fat percentage is the measurement of the amount of body mass that is composed of fat tissue. What is considered a healthy body fat percentage depends on the sex of the individual. Women have a higher recommended body fat percentage than men.

Another scale that defines an individual’s ideal or healthy weight is the body mass index (BMI). Individuals are placed in weight categories on the index given their height and weight. For example, the average male (at a height of 5 feet, 9 inches) would be considered underweight at 124 pounds or less, normal weight from 125 to 168 points, overweight at 169 to 202 pounds and obese at 203 pounds or more. You can find body mass index charts and calculators online.

Some individuals have taken fitness and physique to the next level, making it a full time job or at least a significant part of their life. These body builders carefully manage their diet, exercise and body building supplement intake to maximize muscle growth and definition. Information on body building is available on a number of websites, and many famous body builders, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, have also written books on the subject.

While some choose the body building route, that does not mean that the rest of us need to be ripped to be healthy. Practicing good food nutrition and engaging in moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes a day is a great place to start. You may even want to consider finding a job that keeps you active. A healthy body is a happy body!

The information above was taken from an article written for http://www.onehealthylifestyle.com. There is a lot of information on this website about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you have medical problems, you can look up almost any disease or pain process on this site. Don’t be afraid to research any problems you may have because it is better to know as much as possible about your body. However, be very careful about believing everything you read. Go to trusted sites like http://www.WebMD.com or http://www.mayoclinic.com or any other site you know of that provides appropriate medical information.

If you have any comments or questions, please identify them in a comment. I answer all of my comments immediately as they are received.

By Diane | Posted in Exercise is Important For Everyone!, Keeping Fit Will Keep You Happy | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

How Many Pounds Does The Scale Say I Weigh?

December 8, 2009

I want to create a scenario for you. You started a diet last week, seven days ago. During the week, you ate very little. You were following your friend’s fad diet, eating granola bars for breakfast and lunch and a salad for supper. By 8:00 pm every night, you had to have a snack because your stomach was empty and growling. The first few days of the diet, you lost a lot of water weight. You could feel it. Now, getting on the scale, it looks as if you have lost 3 pounds. You thought maybe you had lost more, but 3 pounds is an excellent start. So, now it is Monday or Tuesday, and you are ready for the second week of granola bars and salad.

With a 3 pound loss, you begin to feel empowered. This week, when you begin feeling hungry at 8:00 pm, you reach for an apple, pear, or a banana. By Sunday morning, you hop on the scale, and you are 1 pound lighter than you were last week at the same time. One pound! All that work (and suffering) for 1 pound. You are now feeling the pangs of discouragement. No one is around to tell you that losing that pound is very normal. If the body loses weight slowly but surely, you will keep it off. Also, there is no one around to encourage you to continue the good work.

The one pound loss is not enough to keep you empowered, so you fall off the diet wagon. Why is it that everyone that is overweight wants to lose the pounds sooner rather than one or two pounds a week until the extra weight is gone? For one thing, our society is used to having things happen instantly or sooner rather than later. Another reason is we do not want to diet for a long time without seeing the pounds come off quickly.

People that are more than twenty pounds overweight, may see the first 30 pounds come off quickly. For example, the first week, many obese people may lose from 5 to 8 pounds of water weight. For those individuals with less weight to lose, 2 to 5 pounds may be the maximum weight loss the first week. This is very normal for both groups. As a matter of fact, those people with 10 pounds or less to lose, their weight loss will be 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds the first week.

People who want to lose weight need a realistic approach to dieting and weight loss. A realistic view would be to lose 1-2 pounds per week until you get to your goal. I realize you would like to lose the weight faster than 1-2 pounds per week; however, your body will not cooperate and keep the weight off  when you stop dieting. That’s why it is so important to use a diet program i.e., Weight Watchers or a 1000 calorie diet, that will be easy to maintain when you have reached your goal weight.

Don’t get me wrong! I’m not advertising for Weight Watchers or any other diet program, although, my advice is to research as many diet programs as you can before you start following one. There are quite a few programs that are very good i.e., Jenny Craig (food is separate and expensive), Nutrisystem (food is expensive, but less than Jenny Craig), Melaleuca (requires membership and a 35 point minimum delivery of products every month), Medicenters (an expense involved), etc. Weight Watchers program also involves a membership expense, however, the diet has two alternatives. The Point System requires an expense to buy the ready-made products. The regular program can be incorporated into regular meal planning for your family with less of an expense and with some modifications.

If you are overweight, don’t wait until January, the New Year, to start losing weight. I know it is difficult to start a diet around Christmas time with all the tempting sweets, parties,  and Christmas dinner. You may surprise yourself by being able to control yourself at the office Christmas party, only having one glass of wine instead of three or four at a friend’s party, or eating a very balanced Christmas dinner with only one dessert instead of two.

Whether you are obese or only 5-10-20 pounds overweight, the best time to start taking care of yourself is right now. Take the time to decide on the diet and establish a goal weight. Decide on a date to start your diet. Also, decide on the type of exercise you will do 4 to 5 times per week, because exercise is a very important part of your weight loss program. You will also need to build in a splurge day into your week. If you know you can splurge, you won’t have guilt feelings. After awhile, you won’t need to splurge every week.

The really important aspect of dieting is you will be assisting your heart, muscles, joints, and bones. Your heart won’t have to work as hard to send the blood to a less heavy body. The muscles in your legs will not have to work as hard to support you. Your ankles, knees, and hips will thank you for eliminating the extra pressure. Lastly, your bones will definitely be happy because you will be exercising your muscles and joints, making them stronger and less stressed. In other words, you will live longer and be happier with less weight. So, get on the diet wagon as soon as possible.

If you need assistance choosing a diet plan or just need someone to talk to, please write me a comment with your contact information. I will respond to every comment and provide personal assistance to anyone who needs it.

By Diane | Posted in Alternatives to Obesity, Feel Great!, Lose Weight | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Diabetes Support and Resources

November 24, 2009

The last five articles provided an education for those readers with type 2 diabetes. What follows are some resources you can go to for additional information and support, and if you have questions that the articles did not give to you. Please go to the various websites or call the numbers provided to get your questions answered. I hope that the resources are in this article will be useful to you.

Weight Loss and Control
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Web Address: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases maintains this section of its Web site to provide reliable information on eating disorders, nutrition, obesity, and treatment for obesity. It includes a section on helping an overweight child.

Organizations

American Association of Diabetes Educators
100 West Monroe Street
Suite 400
Chicago, IL  60603
Phone: 1-800-338-3633
Fax: (312) 424-2427
E-mail: aade@aadenet.org
Web Address: http://www.aadenet.org
The American Association of Diabetes Educators is made up of doctors, nurses, dietitians, and other health professionals with special interest and training in diabetes care. It can supply the names of these types of health professionals in your local area.

American Diabetes Association (ADA)
1701 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA  22311
Phone: 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383)
E-mail: AskADA@diabetes.org
Web Address: http://www.diabetes.org/
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a national organization for health professionals and consumers. Almost every state has a local office. ADA sets the standards for the care of people with diabetes. Its focus is on research for the prevention and treatment of all types of diabetes. ADA provides patient and professional education mainly through its publications, which include the monthly magazine Diabetes Forecast, books, brochures, cookbooks and meal planning guides, and pamphlets. It provides information for parents about caring for a child with diabetes.

National Diabetes Education Program (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health)
1 Diabetes Way
Bethesda, MD  20814-9692
Phone: (301) 496-3583

1-800-438-5383 to order materials
E-mail: ndep@info.nih.gov
Web Address: http://www.ndep.nih.gov/
The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) is sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The program’s goal is to improve the treatment of people with diabetes, to promote early diagnosis, and to prevent the development of diabetes. Information about the program can be found on two new Web sites: one managed by NIH (http://ndep.nih.gov) and the other by CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/team-ndep).

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse/National Institutes of Health (NIH)
1 Information Way
Bethesda, MD  20892-3560
Phone: (301) 654-3327

1-800-860-8747
Fax: (703) 738-4929
E-mail: ndic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Web Address: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov
This clearinghouse provides information about research and clinical trials supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This service is provided by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Diabetes: Resources – Organizations

American Diabetes Association

This national organization provides diabetes research, information, and advocacy. This link will take you to its web site.

Related Web Site: American Diabetes Association

National Diabetes Education Program

This web site has the goal of increasing awareness of diabetes and improving understanding of the disease. This helps promote better care of people with diabetes. This link will take you to the web site.

Related Web Site: National Diabetes Education Program

CDC Diabetes Public Health Resources

This CDC web site is dedicated to diabetes; it helps take information from trials and incorporates it into health practices. This link will take you to the web site.

Related Web Site: CDC Diabetes Public Health Resources

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

As part of the National Institutes of Health, the NIDDK helps disseminate health information to improve the lives of patients, their families, and those at risk for these diseases.This link will take you to its web site.

Related Web Site: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

National Federation of the Blind — Diabetes Action Network

This group is a support and information network for all diabetes patients, especially those who are blind or losing vision. This link will take you to its web site.

Diabetes: Finding Help

Type 1 Diabetes Support Group

Visit WebMD’s support group for people with type 1 diabetes.

Message Board: Type 1 Diabetes Support Group

Type 2 Diabetes Support Group

Visit WebMD’s support group for people with type 2 diabetes.

Message Board: Type 2 Diabetes Support Group

Youth & Diabetes

Check out the American Diabetes Association’s “Youth Zone.” This link will take you to its web site.

Related Web Site: Youth & Diabetes

Joslin Diabetes Center

Read about the pregnancy program at the Joslin Diabetes Center. This link will take you to its web site.

Related Web Site: Joslin Diabetes Center

(WebMD Online Article, September 18, 2008)

This is the last article in the Diabetes series. There is a lot of great information from the WebMD article. These resources and online sources can help you with any problem or concern you might have. Please don’t hesitate to use these resources. Check out the online support group. You may find some great friends there. Take care!
By Diane | Posted in Diabetes Resources | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Counting Calories, Sugar & Fat Grams Too!

November 9, 2009

Quite a few people in our society today are overweight. They don’t just have to lose 5 or 10 pounds. Suffice it to say that there are thousands of obese adults and children out there. According to Wikipedia,

“Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, although a few cases are caused solely by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Evidence to support the view that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on average obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.

Treatment for obesity is to diet, that is, the individual must decrease the amount of calories he or she takes in every day and physical  exercise is important as well. To supplement this, or in case of failure, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery is performed or an intragastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food. Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. Obesity is stigmatized in the modern Western world, though it has been perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in many parts of Africa.”

This is a lot of information to understand. It is vital for everyone to realize that being obese can shorten one’s life. Obese individuals are more likely to get Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease. Both of these diseases are preventable. Type 2 Diabetes can cause blindness, kidney problems, decreased circulation, and nerve degeneration in the lower extremities. So many people have had toe, foot, and even leg amputations due to Type 2 Diabetes.

Blindness is caused by degeneration of the optic nerve. Surely, obese individuals would rather do anything than risk becoming blind. Even though doctors explain these conditions to their obese patients, many find it difficult if not impossible to lose weight by dieting and exercise. That is why many people are opting for bariatric surgical procedures, like the ones described above, plus gastric bypass, stapling, balloon procedures, etc.

There are quite a few effective diet programs that obese people can take advantage of that can assist them in losing weight. For example, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and many others. Weight Watchers diet programs have been around for quite a few years. The food programs have changed from measuring, weighing, and eating as many green vegetables as you can handle to the new and improved number system. If the diet is followed to the letter, a person can lose weight; and, with the maintenance program, keep it off.

Jenny Craig’s system is another effective way to lose weight. With this program, a person has to purchase the food, which could cost over $500.00 every 2 weeks. For people with extra cash flow, $500.00 every 2 weeks is not that expensive; however, for the majority of people this is a lot of money, and many cannot afford to use this diet. Even though this is an expensive diet, those that use it rave about the support they receive from their individual counselor. The counselor stays with the dieter until his/her goal is achieved. Valerie Bertinelli does a tremendous job praising  the Jenny Craig program. She too identifies the personal counselor as the best part of this diet.

Nutrisystem is another diet program that comes with pre-packaged food. Many people really like this diet program because of the food. Celebrities like Marie Osmond praise this program on local and cable TV channels daily, putting Nutrisystem in front of millions of viewers.

These diet programs are based on good eating habits which is why they are so effective. Diets that incorporate proteins, carbohydrates, and fats in appropriate proportions, in combination with an exercise program 3 or 4 times a week are generally effective in helping people lose weight. The first week, dieters usually lose from 5 to 10 pounds of water weight. After the first week, weight loss should be gradual, e.g., 1 to 3 pounds per week. This is a very healthy way to lose weight.

If a person cannot afford to use programs like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem, the best alternative is to buy a Weight Watchers diet book. The book provides meal exchanges and menus for every economic class. There are alternatives for proteins that vegetarians can substitute, and there are foods available for even the most discriminating eater.

These diets may not help everyone but they can work if the person has a positive attitude. Heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes can kill people. These diseases hang over each obese person’s head if the individual does not at least try to lose weight. If diets don’t work, the alternatives mentioned above are available to people. Surgery should be utilized as a last resort. Good health and a long life are distinctively better goals than Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes. Think about it and choose life.

By Diane | Posted in Alternatives to Obesity | Tagged | Comments (0)