The Quintessential Guide to Keeping your Bowels Healthy

A healthy digestive system is essential for a healthy body and optimal weight loss. The following are some simple tips to keep your bowels in tip top shape

1.    Ground flaxseed - Enjoy 1-2 heaping tbsp of ground flax or chia seeds daily – both are gentle sources of fiber that can help promote bowel movements. If you have been taking 1 tbsp try increasing to two.

2.    Psyllium fiber - Adding 1 tsp of psyllium powder to your smoothie can be helpful. Or try adding ¼ cup of Bran Bud’s to your morning yogurt and berries. Bran bud’s is one of the few cereals on the market that contains psyllium fiber.

3.    WATER! WATER! WATER! Bowels need to be hydrated to pass stools. If you are experiencing hard stools that are difficult to pass it can often be lack of water as the culprit. Ensure you are drinking at least 2 litres of water per day.

4.    Drink fresh lemon juice and warm water in the morning. Lemon juice is great for the liver stimulating bile flow, which gets the rest of the digestive system moving. No lemons? No problem. You can use Lemon essential oils from HERE.

5.    Magnesium –Magnesium is the 2^nd most abundant mineral in the body next to calcium. Magnesium stimulates peristalsis, which is the rhythmic contraction of your digestive system, moving things along the digestive tract. Great sources of magnesium include; dark leafy green veggies, whole grains, pumpkin seeds and black beans. Talk to your health care provider or me about supplementing with magnesium.

6.    Probiotics – healthy bacteria in our gut is essential for the proper breakdown and absorption of nutrients from our food as well as proper elimination. Plain yogurt with probiotics is a good place to start. Other food sources of probiotics include naturally fermented sauerkraut, kefir, miso and tempeh. For many, supplementation is needed for a more therapeutic amount of these healthy bugs. Click HERE for a good source of probiotics.

Want to know more? Set up a complimentary 30-minute discovery session. Click HERE.

Why Nutrition Research for Cancer Prevention?

According to the National Cancer Institute, as much as 80 percent of all cancers are due to lifestyle factors that you can change. That means up to 80 percent of all cancers are potentially preventable. Within that 80 percent of potentially preventable cancers, cancer researchers estimated that 35 to 50 are due to foods we consume in our daily diet. That’s an incredible number! No wonder there’s so much research about diet and cancer.

However, before we look at the latest research, we need a basic understanding of why diet plays a role in cancer development.

Cancer begins as a single abnormal cell that begins to multiply out of control. Groups of these rapidly multiplying cells form tumors that invade healthy tissue. Carcinogens from foods, the air, and even substances made in our own bodies promote the development of tumors.

It takes years for a noticeable tumor to develop. During this time, compounds known as inhibitors can keep the tumor cells from growing. Some vitamins and phytochemicals in plant foods are known to be inhibitors. Dietary fat, particularly saturated fat, is known to be a promoter that encourages the tumor cells multiple quickly.

The latest research is pointing to overall eating patterns – not specific nutrients or foods – as the more important way to view diet and cancer prevention. However, everyday scientists are still seeking to understand the beneficial biological processes specific nutrients or foods seem to promote in the fight against cancer.

Cancer is one of the most feared medical diagnoses, and many people who’ve been given this unfortunate news seek out new research and new alternative therapies that may help the fight their tumors. In research, unfortunately, not one study ever provides the last word on the subject.  Brief reports in the daily news often put too much emphasis on new findings - findings that may contradict previous studies.

It is with this disclaimer that this posting is not meant to diagnose or treat cancer and note of caution for you to do further research that I present some recent research on diet, nutrients, and four major cancers (breast, prostate, colorectal and liver). 

Overview: Phytochemicals and Foods linked to cancer prevention

Phytochemical	Foods with the highest content (from highest to lowest)
Glucosinolates (converted to sulforaphane when food is chewed or minimally cooked)	Brussels sprouts Collard greens Kale Watercress Turnip White or red cabbage Broccoli Bok Choy Cauliflower
Sulfur compounds (alliin converted to allicin when food is crushed, allicin converted to diallyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide)	Garlic Onions
Isoflavones (flavonoids)	Soy flour Dry roasted soybeans Edamame Miso Tofu Soy milk Tofu hot dog Soy sauce Chickpeas Soybean oil
Ellagic acid (antioxidant)	Raspberries and blackberries Nuts Pecans Strawberries Cranberries Blueberries Citrus fruits
Proanthcyanidins (polyphenol)	Cinnamon Cocoa powder Red beans Hazelnuts Cranberries Wild blueberries Strawberries Red Delicious Apples (with peel) Grapes Red Wine
Alpha-linolenic acid (plant omega-3)	Fresh Walnuts Ground Flaxseeds Walnut Oil Canola Oil Soybeans Tofu
EPA and DHA (animal omega-3)	Sardines Herring Mackerel Altantic Salmon Rainbow Trout

Cruciferous vegetables are a good source of glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products, including

indoles and isothiocyanates. A high intake of cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a lower

risk of lung and colorectal cancer in some epidemiological studies. Glucosinolate hydrolysis products

alter the metabolism or activity of sex hormones in ways that could inhibit the development of hormone-

sensitive cancers, but evidence of an inverse association between cruciferous vegetable intake and breast

or prostate cancer in humans is limited and inconsistent. Organizations such as the National Cancer

Institute recommend the consumption of 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but separate re-

commendation for cruciferous vegetables have not been established.

Isothiocyanates and indoles derived from the hydrolysis of glucosinolates, such as sulforaphane and 

indole-3-carbonol (I3C), have been implicated in a variety of anti-carcinogenic mechanisms, but de-

leterous effects have also been reported in some experimental protocols, including tumor promotion 

over prolonged periods of exposure. (1) Epidemiological studies indicate that human exposure to 

isothiocyanates and indoles through cruciferous vegetable consumption may decrease cancer risk, but 

the protective effects may be influenced by individual genetic variation (polymorphisms) in the 

metabolism and the elimination of isothiocyanates from the body.

Cooking procedures also affect the bioavailability and intake of glucosinolates and their derivatives. Supplementation with I3C or the related dimer 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) alters urinary estrogen metabolite profiles in women, but the effects of I3C and DIM on breast cancer risk are not known. Small preliminary trials in humans suggest that I3C supplementation may be beneficial in treating conditions related to human papilloma virus infection, such as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, but larger randomized controlled trials are needed.¹

Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University have found that sulforaphane – a compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy and brussels sprouts – has strong anti-cancer properties.

Even more promising results have been found in broccoli sprouts. The tiny, thread-like broccoli sprouts sold at stores next to alfalfa sprouts have more than 50 times the amount of sulforaphane than found in mature broccoli.

Emily Ho, a researcher with the Linus Pauling Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences at OSU, described these dietary inhibitors for cancer prevention at the conference on “Diet and Optimum Health,” organized by the Linus Pauling Institute.

Ho’s main area of research is on the dietary prevention of prostate cancer. The Asian diet could be a key in this prevention. White males born in the United States have dramatically higher rates of prostate cancer than Asian men. But when Asian men live in the U.S. for five years or more, their rates of prostate cancer rise significantly, Ho says.²

Past studies in Ho’s lab have focused on dietary elements in cancer prevention such as green tea and soy. In her new study, which was published in the Journal of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine, Ho and her colleagues at Linus Pauling Institute looked at cruciferous vegetables. While many cruciferous vegetables have sulforaphane, broccoli and broccoli sprouts have the highest amount and thus could be a major player in the prevention of prostate and colon cancer.

Ho said drugs classified as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are being looked at as potentially preventing cancer. She said their research shows that these same effects of inhibiting HDAC might be obtained by consumption of cruciferous vegetables. “I would say if you’re at all worried about cancer or at high risk of cancer, especially of prostate or colon cancer, then increasing your dietary intake of broccoli and other vegetables could be a good idea,” Ho said. “It certainly can’t hurt. And drugs can have negative side effects and be difficult to administer.”²

While Ho said the research is not at the point where she can make a specific recommendation on how much broccoli or bok choy to eat, she personally tries to have two servings of cruciferous vegetables a day. In human subjects, just eating some broccoli sprouts on top of a bagel with cream cheese resulted in HDAC inhibition. “The compound in broccoli may be one of the strongest anti-cancer fighters we have,” Ho said.²

1. Higdon JV. Cruciferous vegetables and human cancer risk: epidemiologic evidence and mechanistic basis. 

Pharmacol Res. 2007 Mar;55(3):224-36. Epub 2007 Jan 25.

2. Oregon State University. "Eat Your Broccoli: Study Finds Strong Anti-Cancer Properties In Cruciferous Veggies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 May 2007. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070517100315.htm

Kitchen Secrets to Beautiful Skin

The skin is the largest organ in the body, functioning as a protective barrier, our primary organ of sense, and a very important organ of elimination and detoxification. Through perspiration, the skin can clear all kinds of toxins from our bodies to help keep us healthy and clean on the inside.

However, this essential task of removing toxins means that impurities from inside our body often show up on the outside as imperfections in the skin. This is why the secrets to beautiful skin involve ridding our insides of impurities through ample water intake, eating detoxifying foods and nourishing the skin from the inside out.

Nourishing the skin means nourishing the dermal cells and connective tissue that make up skin layers. Collagen makes up a large proportion of the skin's interior matrix and is literally behind the structure and shape of our face, our hands, our legs and everything else!

To maintain a youthful appearance, it’s important to protect the skin from premature aging and help it build and repair its collagen matrix. Collagen needs antioxidant vitamin C, estradiol hormone, and the amino acid L-lysine to stay firm and strong.

These nutrients may sound like a tall order but many of the foods that are rich in antioxidants, plant estrogens, and amino acids also contain water and detoxifying elements. Here are the foods you can eat to hydrate, detoxify, and nourish your skin:

Watermelon. Summer is the season to show off our skin so isn't it fitting that the quintessential fruit of summer helps us get beautiful skin? Watermelon obviously provides water to hydrate our skin, but it also contains antioxidants vitamin C and lycopene. These two nutrients will help build collagen and undo the damage done by harmful UV rays.

Soybeans. You've probably heard that soy contains phytoestrogens. These plant estrogens mimic the activity of estrogen made in our body by promoting synthesis of new collagen cells. Soybeans are also a great source of L-lysine, an essential amino acid that must be obtained from the diet to help collagen and cartilage grow. Go for organic, non-GMO soybeans whenever possible.

Flaxseed. Another source of phytoestrogens, flaxseed is a great detoxifying food because of its high fiber content. It also contains omega-3 ALA, which is converted to anti-inflammatory compounds in the body. That translates into clear skin that's clean from the inside out! Remember to always grind flaxseeds before eating them. 

Like what you've read or have any other food suggestions for healthy, glowing skin? Comment below.

Looking for more? Click here to book your free 30-minute nutritional consultation.

References

Beautifying Skin by Shelly Lynn Nellis. Vista Magazine, Volume 66, page 44.

Why the Hot Flashes?

This post is for those of us who have to deal with this wonderful side effect of growing up. And, yes, hot flashes happen to women in their 40s (and sometimes 30s). Hot flashes are a nuisance, to put it mildly.

Hot flashes are the most common complaint amongst menopausal women as between 60 to 85 percent of North American women experience one at some point in their menopausal years. It's rare that hot flashes interfere with daily life; however, turning bright red and sweating for no particular reason can be very embarassing in certain situations. Hot flashes can also disrupt sleep and be accompanied by headaches or nausea. But what exactly is a hot flash?

Surprise, surprise. Like many other female-only issues, hormones are at the root of hot flashes. During menopause your brain and body are trying to adjust to lower estrogen levels that impact the balance and function of other hormones like follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). This is a really big adjustment that throws the thermostat of the body, the hypothamalus, for a loop.

In fertile women, low estrogen and progesterone levels signal the hypthamalus to send a message to the pituitary gland to start stimulating the ovaries with FSH and LH because its time to ovulate. But, in women who are ceasing to menstrate, the ovaries cannot respond to the FSH and LH as well.  At first, the hypothamalus doesn't understand this and thinks the pituitary gland isn't getting the message. So it gets a little distracted sending more messages to raise FSH and LH and get the ovaries to release an egg.

Distracted and confused, the hypothalamus sometimes makes mistakes in the thermoregulation of the body – and a hot flash results.

While a drop in estrogen is completely natural in the later years of a woman's life, the associated problems can be prevented or diminished. (Case in point, hot flashes are so rare in some Asian cultures that there is no word for “hot flash” in Japanese.) The Traditional Asian diet is high in soy foods and their isoflavones and low in saturated fat from animal foods.

Researchers and nutritionists agree that this is the main reason why hot flashes, and breast cancer, occur at much lower rates in these countries. The Standard American Diet (SAD), on the other hand, promotes dramatic hormonal changes with high amounts of animal fats, trans fats, sugar, alcohol and stimulants like caffeine. All of these foods make hot flashes worse. 

Are you looking to sail through the "big change"? Check out one of my programs or contact me for an appointment. I would be happy to skype or sit down with you to discuss diet and lifestyle to come up with a plan of action to grow with grace.

Source:

Leslie Beck's Nutrition Guide to Menopause by Leslie Beck, RD. (2003)

Weekend dining hinders healthy weight management

With the 3-day holiday weekend upon us, I thought it would be interesting to explore the cause of weekend weight gain. Did you realize you weigh more on Sunday evening than you did on Friday morning? This is true even for those who are actively trying to lose weight.
Weekend indulgences can slow weight loss efforts and cause people to gain weight, say researchers from Washington University in St. Louis.
In the study, 48 healthy men and women tracked their diets for one year using food diaries. To determine the effects of their weekend eating habits on weight loss efforts, they were assigned to one of three groups.
The first group decreased their caloric intake by 20 percent; the second increased their physical activity by 20 percent; the third group made no changes their diet or exercise habits.
Prior to starting their assigned regimes, researchers noticed that people often gain weight on the weekend – and lose some, but not all, of it during the week. The accumulated effect of weekend weight gain translated into an increase of nine pounds per year.
While attempting weight loss, people would continue to overeat on the weekend.
Researchers found that those who were trying to lose weight by cutting calories would stop losing weight on weekends. On average, people who were exercising more in an attempt to slim down actually gained a small amount of weight (0.17 pounds) on the weekend.
People who were not trying to lose weight experienced no loss or gain after a weekend of indulgence.
These findings, published online in the July 24, 2008 issue of Obesity, may explain why many dieters may not experience their desired rate of weight loss.
So, what can you do? Nutrition experts advise dieters to remain conscious of portion control and healthy food choices on the weekend in order to keep small indulgences from turning into large setbacks.
When faced with a weekend full of celebrations, try eating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables for breakfast, or as a mid-morning snack, to reduce the impulse to overeat at lavish meals later in the day.

Adrenal Exhaustion (Chronic Fatigue)

We've all been there. In times of stress, our bodies go on high alert and suddenly the simply things that create balance in our lives – like getting enough sleep – seem impossible. We “hit a wall” and crash into depression, or worse, because our bodies are spent and completely exhausted. This is called adrenal fatigue and is the results of our primal “fight or flight” stress response never letting down.

Our adrenal glands kick all systems into high gear when we're stressed. As their name implies, the adrenal glands secrete adrenaline among other potent hormones. Located just above the kidneys, it is the basic task of the adrenal glands to respond to stress by rushing your whole body into “fight or flight” mode.

This means our adrenal gland either signal our body to rage against whatever illness or irritant is causing the stress or to flee to a safe place where the stress can be avoided. For instance, to fight, our adrenal glands signal the heart to work harder, increasing the heart rate and elevating blood pressure. Energy use increases immediately as demands on the body's stores increase under the influence of the adrenal hormones. Then, when the crisis is abated, the adrenal glands restore themselves and replenish energy supplies for the next emergency.

If we are constantly over-worked, undernourished and chronically exposed to toxins with no sign of a break, then there's no let-up for the adrenal glands. Eventually, they will bottom out and plummet into adrenal exhaustion.  Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal glands are not longer able to adapt to any amount of stress.

When this happens, the effects can be widespread and long-lasting, causing suppression of the immune system, hormonal imbalance, skin flare-ups, autoimmune diseases and mood disorders. Adrenal fatigue is, indeed, the underlying factor in many stress-related conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease, to colitis, chronic fatigue to Alzheimer's.

People with adrenal exhaustion or chronic fatigue can appear quite normal, but inside they live with a feeling of always having to push themselves too far. To keep themselves going, these exhausted people rely on stimulants such as caffeine or sugar.

Often, people with worn out adrenal glands seem lazy or unmotivated but quite the opposite is true – they tend to be high-achiever or workaholics. In their state of adrenal exhaustion, unfortunately, they have to push themselves harder to merely accomplish the basic tasks.

Does this sound like someone you know? If so, find out more about ways to heal adrenal exhaustion and restore relaxation and vitality.

References

The SuperStress Solution by Roberta Lee. Random House, New York, 2010.

Email list building gift tomorrow, March 13

I just wanted to let you know about the F.R.E.E. training webinar happening tomorrow. If you want to build your business you need to turn strangers into clients, browsers into buyers and subscribers into customers.

When people look to build their business, they either:

a) struggle with building their email list.

b) struggle with "closing the sale."

c) are confused by "scaling the whole system."

And I get it.

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Clickhere to register for the live webinar.

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Lori is going to talk about:

·The #1 secret to turning complete strangers into raving fans who automatically grow your business for you (and you’ll never have to canvas, cold call, or hassle gyms and chiropractic offices for referrals...)

·Why you need to define your dream client right down to his or her hair color and favorite magazine, how to find them, and how to use “Language-Pattern Marketing” to draw them onto your email list...

·The P.O.W. 11-step email follow-up sequence that will turn subscribers into paying clients without objection.

Lori is proud to share her client’s success: Sam ran her first group with 48 clients, Roseanne ran her first group with 17 clients and Melanie sells at 7-9 detox’s per month without even trying... they all use the P.O.W 11step email follow up sequence.

So if you are struggling to grow your email list and turn those subscribers into paying clients then you cannot afford (literally) to miss this LIVE webinar. A replay will be given only to action-takers who register below.

REGISTER:Build An Email List A Pro

PLUS: Rumor has it that there is going to be a $350 graphic design bonus announced for the people who show up to the webinar (you’ll have to show up to see if it’s true or not...)

If you forgot to sign up for the webinar, or needed a quick reminder of when it is, here’s all the info you need:

Date: Friday March 13 (tomorrow)

Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm EST

Topic: Build An Email List Like A Pro

I’ll be on the webinar tomorrow. ‘See’ you then!

To your success,

Victoria

P.S. If you’ve already watched Lori’s first video in her training series, you are already registered for the webinar tomorrow. And if you’ve subscribed but haven’t watched The 5 Q’s To Clarity Formula go and watch it now before tomorrow’s webinar.

P.P.S. I highly recommend you make a point to watch

Lori’s webinars– either LIVE or catch the replays...even if you already have a thriving business or for some reason don’t think you need to learn how to strategically put together email marketing campaigns.

There is always something you can learn from everyone, even if it’s unrelated to what you are working on right now.