What am I reading now?

Mastering Leptin-Your guide to Permanent Weight loss & Optimum Health

- By Byron J. Richards, CCN with Mary Guignon Richards.

Byron J. Richards is a board certified Clinical Nutritionist with 25 years experience. How cool is that? He is also an expert on the hormone Leptin & it's amazing relationship to weight, thyroid, anti-aging, hormone balance, & disease. He wrote this book with his wife  Mary Gulgnon Richards, who herself has been a women's Health Educator for over the past 30 years.  

In doing my own research on another topic, Leptin kept coming up, so I took this as a sign it was time to turn my energy towards this hormone called Leptin. Leptin is the hormone secreted by fat cells contained in the white adipose tissue. Leptin is essential for survival. Leptin can function without other hormones, but most other hormones can not function properly without Leptin.

This book is divided in 3 parts 

Part one. The Scope of Leptin: What is Natural Balance? Fat & Leptin- The new reality. Why dieting does not work. Addiction, Alcohol & Candida. Drugs and Leptin.

Part Two. The Leptin Diet: A lifelong strategy. Leptin & Insulin-Birds of a feather. Space meals for Maximum benefits. Conquering Stress Eating. Ghrelin-The stomach's cry for food. 

Part Three. Preventing Disease: Timing, Inflammation & Aging. Increase Growth Hormone-Naturally. The Estrogen confusion. figromyalgia-Is your Metabolism worn out or Clogged? Leptin, NF Kappa B, and Breast Cancer.

There are many more topics discussed in this book, really interesting insights. I thoroughly enjoyed all the topics covered in this book. Trying to lose weight is more complex then just calories in VS. calories out, and I think the author does a good job at bringing that to the readers attention.  At the end of each chapter or section is a summary, I find these really helpful, with so many topics covered.  This book covers everything from how to be a health Asset Manager to Syndrome X, to Millions of borderline eating disorders and lots in between. 

This is a book to make you say, "Oh I never thought of it that way".

I'm giving this book 5 stars    

Mastering Leptin is well worth the read. Give it a try, love to hear what your favorite parts of the book were, email me. 

Regards


Sue Foster, RHN 

Everywhere I turn I am running into Diabetics. Its hard to find someone who doesn’t know someone who has diabetes.  Having said this, I myself am borderline diabetic, I control it with diet and exercise. Unlike my mother who does not control hers at all (don't get me started on her and her eating habits). As Holistic Nutritionists, Rachelle and I are constantly upgrading our knowledge base. On June the 12 Rachelle and I attained the CSNN Alumni workshop, Life Can BE Sweet. Rachelle was one of the facalliators actually, and sits as the CSNN Alumni Maritime Director. The day long event was very interesting, lots of things were discussed. I took a ton of notes my fingers hurt.  Here are a couple of the things that stood out for me:

 1. The importance of HBA1c levels (glycosylated/glycated hemoglobin-say that fast 10 times). You can lower your blood sugar all you want, but until your HBA1c level goes down, you will not get rid of all the side effects. It’s a good idea to ask your Doctor on you next blood test what your levels are.  

 2. Sleep, sleep, sleep, boy sleep is not given the attention it deserves. We think OH I don't need a lot of sleep 5-6 hours and I'm fine.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Poor quality or inadequate sleep is linked to hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes and the list could go on and on. There is no prize in the bottom of the crackerjack box, for only getting 5 hours of sleep. FYI 

 3. Cinnamon, yup cinnamon, not cinnamon/sugar on white toast ( you listening mom). Cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar, decreases the harmful effects of high glycemic carbs, and the chronic inflammation that promotes obesity.

There are so many more things that stood out for me. i.e. Diabetics will live with whatever their doctor tells them, if the doctor says for example you  have to take at least 3 medications for your diabetics, the diabetic stops at the drug store on the way home and gets their meds, then may stop at Tim's and grab a triple triple and a timbit and  carry on their way. Often it is not until one or more of the secondary conditions set in, (stroke, heart disease, blindness, loss of toes ECT.)  before the diabetic begins to rethink their lifestyle. Does this sound like anyone you know? 

There are so many resources out there now for Diabetics. www.diabetes.ca . Even the local library can be a great source. One of my favorite cookbooks is "Eating for Diabetes- Jane Frank" . Another good book about the topic is Diabetes/Hypoglycaemia

Also check with your local nutritionist, we love this stuff. At Rachelle Wood Nutrition and within our online program See Results, we offer dietary plans specially suited for diabetics.You really can change your life by changing what you put in your mouth. 

Susan Foster, RHN 

Read any good books lately? I was reading Lawrence Hill's Book of Negros. I loved this book, it reminded me of, one of my favorite books from many moon's ago. Alex Haley's Roots. My mom and I watched that movie "Roots" so many times, that my sister Amy, was nearly named Kizzie.

Now I am reading Jane Goodall's Harvest for Hope.I love this book as well. This book speaks to me on many levels. Jane Goodall ignited my interest in bowel movements, many years ago. Boy that is not a sentence you hear every day. I don't even recall which of her many books I was reading about 10-15 years ago. In whichever book it was, there was an exert where Jane was talking about one of the people who worked on her team, deep in the heart of Gorilla Country. This person's sole job consisted of sitting in hot/humid weather, deep in the jungle, analyzing Gorilla feces. Right away, I though, Jane why would you make this man, do that? Once she explained all that could be learned about the Gorilla, from looking at there bowel movements, I was hooked.

To this day, the Digestive System is my favorite system in the whole body.  I am telling you people, look at your poop. Seriously. What color is it; what shape, consistency, what's in it-any hidden treasures, is it covered in mucus?

I have found pieces of food, parasites, and just the other day, some odd "bright white" thing? Jane was right on the mark when she said we can tell a lot about a person, by what they leave behind.  

Jane's latest book, really will have you thinking of your food, in a whole new light. I'm giving this book a 5 star rating!

  5 Star Rating, Harvest for Hope

Do you have a book you would like Registered Holistic Nutritionists Susan Foster or Rachelle Wood to read? If so email us. Did you read this book? Please post your comments below. 

Have you ever thought of Ginger, other then just gingered beef. There are so many different uses for that odd looking tuber. My favorite part of the body is the digestive system. In my opinion everything evolves from the digestive system. If "she" ain't  happy, no body system is happy. Ginger stimulates the digestive enzyme activity and increases the production and secretion of bile from their liver and gall bladder. As Martha would say "This is a good thing".

If you have some issues with vomiting, be it pregnancy-induced nausea, chemotherapy-induced nausea, motion sickness/sea sickness, post -operative nausea and vomiting Then definitely reach for the ginger. 

It is even thought that rheumatic diseases ( Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, artralgais and muscle pain) can be helped with Arthritis. This is good news with the crazy high levels of Arthritis in the Maritimes here.              

Do not use Ginger if you have gall stones. Also good to know, is that some people may find that Ginger gives them heartburn. Heartburn, not fun. Ginger also may interfer with some medicines. Really? 

Some of the things that ginger is good as: Antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, as a circulatory aid, blood detoxifier and my favorite. Great as a tea. When I am cold and feeling under the weather,  cut up some ginger in a mug of hot water and sip away the cold. I put it in a baggie and freeze it, then just grade it when needed. 

Maybe you need to give that odd looking tuber a second thought? It's so yummy and so useful, not many things can we say that about.  

As always I'd like to hear your thoughts, email me at susan@rachellewood.ca

I tend to ignore things for a while, then I have to stop what I am doing and deal with it. Kind of like a disorganized closet. I can let it go for a while then look out. I have to stop what I am doing and go clean that closet before I do anything else. Well this has been the case for my "sugar addiction", enough is enough. I have to do something. So I have decided to do a detox/cleanse. Sometimes I have to laugh at myself. I couldn't just stop eating sugar. That would make sense. No way, but stick the word "detox" in my head then, sure, I can give up sugar.  

I am on day 2 of Joshi's Holistic Detox.

The basics are: 

· No wheat, gluten or yeast   

· No sugar, chocolate or sweets 

. No red meat 

· No fruits or fruit juices but bananas

· No dairy (except plain yogurt; goat’s milk and soy products are allowed)  

· No artificially produced flavourings like ketchup, vinegar, mustard

· No nightshade vegetables (aubergines, courgettes, mushrooms etc)

Although this begs the question “what can I eat?” there are a surprising amount of meals that can be made following the Detox and there is no severe limit as to portion size. 

What is allowed:

· Fresh leafy green vegetables and salads
· Eggs (3-4 a week)
· Vegetable juices
· Brown rice, lentils and pulses
· Olive Oil
· Soy products and tofu
· White meats and fish

The book contains various charts and guides in order to monitor cravings, test the body’s current pH levels, evaluate the tongue, calculate the individual’s Ayurvedic Profile and BMI (body mass index) rating. There are also charts of what foods to avoid and what to increase, shopping guides, recipes and a 3-week plan for the Detox. Joshi does stress that the first 48 hours can be the most difficult and this is when symptoms such as nausea, headaches and irritability an occur as the body begins to release toxins trapped in the blood stream.

Well on day 2 I have the headache and irritability. The irritability could be because it is my week before, my monthly irritability(out of fish oil). Also though I do have cold chills. Not sugar cravings, thus far. I am trying not to be overly fixated by the thoughts of the food I can't have. I did find the book not quite clear in some spots. i.e no dairy,  yogurt and cottage cheese are allowed.

Anyone considering a detox I do recommend that you have your pantry stocked prior to day one of the detox. I left shopping until the last minute. I was planning to shop for this detox the day before. Oh wait. I now live in PEI and there is no Sunday shopping this time of year. Well this certainly made this interesting as I wondered around the aisles of the Co-op late Sunday afternoon. Thank goodness there was not a lot of things I had to purchase for this detox.

Stay tuned to see if the sugar stays away...

Are you interested in following a detoxification meal plan or program? At Rachelle Wood Nutrition we can help! We design customized detoxification meal plans and recipes, and as Registered Holistic Nutritionists we're educated to recommend the right supplements to help.  Just call us in the office at 892-SLIM to book your time or email us.