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 

My taste buds are on overdrive, and we’re in 4th gear. Driving towards the homestretch I take another gulp. Succulent and surprisingly tart, I just may need another cup.  This new healthy beverage has got me hooked.  I’m talking about Tetley Tea Infusions.

If you’re tired of drinking just water, and aren’t a fan of artificial sweeteners….this product is for you.  Tetley tea infusions are concentrates of brewed teas, fruit juices and cane sugar.  Sold in single serving sizes, this tea is the perfect choice for any healthy lifestyle. With several flavors to choose from these teas infusions contain no sweeteners, preservatives, flavors or colors. Sounds fantastic, but how do they taste?

This week I sampled the white tea+ cherry + orange blossom flavor. I followed the directions correctly by adding 1 packet to 500 ml of filtered water, and then mixed well. Success, this drink is fantastic but perhaps a little too sweet.  Check out some lovely free Tetley tea recipes here.

One thing I didn’t like about this product is the nutritional label. Although this product is sold in liquid packets, the serving size states ½ packet or 15 ml. So really you must multiply by 2 if you’re drinking it according to the directions. Pretty sneaky with 100 calories per serving on average.

Prior to trying this product, I enjoyed my own version of infused tea. Here’s my recipe 

1.    Brew 2 of your favorite tea bags in 4 cups water.
2.    Let it brew for 1 hour.
3.    Pour tea into a glass container, fill with filtered water.
4.    Sweeten if desired ( coconut sap, cane sugar, setvia, honey )
5.    Place fresh lemon/lime/orange on top or fresh mint
6.    Serve in a glass with plenty of ice and enjoy.

I’m giving this new product 3 stars,

Do you have a healthy product for Rachelle to review? Email your suggestions..

I’m feeling tired, sluggish and a little irritable. Its day 3 of my 7 day Recleanse and as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and experienced cleanser I already know what to expect. Detoxification is kind of like having the flu, your symptoms progress until eventually your immune system overpowers it. Then you feel radient, youthful and re-energized. Trust me, it's worth it!

 I was asked by Prairie Naturals via twitter to review this cleanse with 20 fellow Canadians. Our start date was June 22. Testers were asked to “tweet” daily using the tag #Recleanse and share with others their experiences.  I’m having so much fun tweeting new people and offering my detoxification tips and expertise to other testers.  You can follow the twitter feed here, or the facebook group here.

The Recleanse is simple to use and what I consider a mild detox. This 7 day system works by taking supplements with breakfast and supper, as well as following the provided detoxification meal plan. The kit contains 2 supplements with over 25 powerful herbal ingredients like: dandelion root, red clover, parsley, triphala, rhubarb and slippery elm. The combination works to improve internal organ function while emptying out the bowel.

The Recleanse diet emphasizes eating more low density carbohydrates and a moderate amount of good quality protein/fat/high density carbohydrates and consists of a high volume of food.  I’ve tweaked my program a bit to suit my dietary needs and lifestyle. Here’s what I ate on Day 2.

Morning Drink: 1 c warm water + ½ lemon + 2 TBSP Bragg’s apple cider vinegar + pinch coconut sweetener

Breakfast:  1 c almond milk + 1 scoop hemp protein powder + ½ banana + ½ cup berries

Snack:  1 kiwi + 10 natural almonds + small freshly pressed carrot/apple/ginger juice

Lunch: 3 ½ ounces cooked salmon + 3 cup garden salad + ½ cup brown rice

Snack: 1 c water + Recleanse Refigure Lemon Mango smoothie mix (sample provided)

Supper: 4 ½ ounces halibut + 2 c cooked broccoli + 1 c cooked asparagus + ½ c brown rice

Snack:  1 serving Greens+ powder + 1 c water + 10 natural almonds

Beverages: plenty of good quality water, 1 cup of organic black coffee, unsweetened homemade green ice-tea.

The instructions suggest avoiding: pre-packaged foods, alcohol, most dairy, mushrooms, peanuts, farmed fish, yeast, frying and hydrogenated oils. Limit caffeine to 1 cup of coffee per day. I took my Recleanse diet a few extra steps by choosing to eat organic food as much as possible. Recently I decided to eliminate all corn/soy/canola from my diet, as I’ve been reading a researching the harmful effects of GMO foods. As a Holistic Nutritionist I believe GMO foods produce negative side effects and should be avoided. 

I think this cleanse is a great “beginner” tool for the inexperienced cleanser. It is simple to use and produces very mild symptoms. I caution you to seek medical/nutritional advice if you’re thinking about cleansing. At Rachelle Wood Nutrition we create customized detoxification programs for our clients after reviewing any medical complications and lifestyle factors prior to making recommendations.

To all my “Recleanse” friends I wish you good health, and look forward to tweeting with you online at our celebration chat party June 29th! Stay tuned for my Recleanse completion post early next week. If you're Recleansing too, I'd like to know how your doing. Please post any comments below.

Yours in Recleansed health,

Rachelle Wood, RHN
CEO Rachelle Wood Nutrition Inc. 

http://seeresults.rachellewood.ca 

I’ve always been in love with Souris PEI, and developed these heartfelt feelings while working as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist in the area.  I ran an office in the town for almost 3 years and I’ve got to say it feels good to be “home” again.

Last week I launched a 4 week community Weight Loss Challenge in Souris and after 1 week the group’s results have already amazed me! This evening 32 group participants lined up in the hospital classroom to be weighed by yours truly.  All week group challengers avoided tempting treats, moved their bodies more, got off the pop and vowed to make April 2010 their healthiest month yet. To no surprise this group delivered impressive results, with a total of 138 pounds lost in 1 week!

I’ve been teaching community weight loss challenges for 4 years, and have NEVER seen results this impressive. True all members are veterans of the Rachelle Wood Nutrition Holistic Weight Loss program, and I’m happy to add to the knowledge I’ve already taught them. It’s my pleasure to travel the distance to inspire and motivate you all on the road to better health. Nothing like a little friendly community weight loss challenge to bring out the best in all of us! Our class Biggest Loser also wins a prize, a 1 month subscription to See Results.

Not only does losing weight make you feel good and look good, it also decreases your risk for developing disease. After class this evening I had a great chat with the nurse on duty who explained to me the positive impact that my practice has had on the health of the entire community. She’s seen my clients literally shrink right before her eyes.  The doctors in the small community hospital have recommended my  services over the years  because I have education and experience in the field of  nutrition and am considered the "local nutrition expert".

Our lecture this evening consisted of a group discussion about the movie, “FoodInc.”, which aired on CBCNNs the Passionate Eye last night. Group members noted that the movie made them think twice about the food they put into their bodies and most importantly where it comes from. We mentioned the names of some local farmers (livestock and produce) that service the community’s nutritional needs and why it is so important to buy our food from them.

I think Canadians can learn a lot from Souris PEI when it comes to supporting local.  The grocery stores and restaurants buy from local farmers in the area in season, and care about the health of the community. Last year I trained the Save Easy (former IGA) staff about healthy eating and worked with department managers first hand to improve the quality of goods sold from a nutritional and community sustainability point of view. As per my request the store bakery makes my weight loss morning glory muffins ( AND STILL STOCKS THEM TODAY). The stores focus, buy local first and to prepare/deliver fresh healthy meals for the good of the community.

Each summer Souris hosts the Village Feast, a celebration of local food, culinary talent and entertainment.  They have a local “fish peddler” who’s been selling seafood in the area since before I was born.  And in the Fall you can buy apples from a local farmer who sits in the mall parking lot with a dodge ram truck full of local goods. Yes indeed, Souris is full of community spirit year round.

My heartfelt thanks go out to the community of Souris for supporting my nutritional career over the past 4 years. Although I no longer have an office in the community I do plan on hosting 2 annual community weight loss challenges in spring and fall.  Yes Souris residents I may have, “big city dreams” but I promise that I will never forget where I came from, and that's Eastern PEI.

Are you interested in hosting a 4 week community or workplace Weight Loss Challenge? If so email us to find out more.

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.