Why You Shouldn’t Exercise

Imagine a health practitioner telling you not to exercise!  I cannot count the number of patients who tell me that they know they should be exercising more, but they just don’t make the time, don’t like it or have a health concern about the exertion. So, exercise becomes another stressor in their lives. They know they should exercise, and they may feel guilty because they don’t.

About half of adult Americans over age 18 exercise three or more times per week. http://www.statisticbrain.com/percent-of-americans-who-exercise-regularly/  In cold weather locations that statistic may drop lower as the temperature drops.  60% of Americans have jobs that require them to sit most of the day.

Some good news is that many people in sedentary jobs are getting more exercise. http://www.askmen.com/news/sports/people-with-sedentary-jobs-get-more-exercise-says-study.html  But if you are hitting the gym after work, you may not be helping your self as much as you think.

Working out, by weight lifting, cardio, biking or other specific types of exercise is only part of the picture. Men, in particular, may be able to lose weight by increasing exercise. But women and older men will find their weight climbing if they rely on exercise alone. Considering the amount of obesity these days, more exercise is not the answer.

Instead of trying to carve out time to fit in a trip to the gym, consider just getting more movement throughout the day. There are a number of movements you can incorporate at your desk. Check these out http://greatist.com/fitness/deskercise-33-ways-exercise-work The point is to get your body moving.

Good health is about blood and nutrients moving through the systems and reaching every cell. Then waste products need to be transferred through the detoxification channels for elimination. Think of your body like a city. Food has to reach distribution locations and garbage must be picked up and disposed of. Stop or inhibit either inflow or outflow channel and protest, riots, revolutions, and deaths will occur.

Symptoms in the body that you may be ignoring daily are protests from your internal “citizens”. Ignore them and they become riots, which is the first line of illness or disability. Revolution occurs when serious disease sets in and will lead to cellular deaths, and eventually may bring down an entire organ, system or the body itself.

So, next time you grab a coffee and head to the gym, stop for fast food, or have a few drinks with friends, think about the needs of your citizen cells. Exercise does provide much-needed training of muscles and improves circulation of blood and lymph (the white blood cell/immune protection system). But if you are not eating enough healthy nutrients, you are placing a greater demand on the body, which may deepen deficiencies. Every single thing your body inhales, digests, or absorbs through the skin is either beneficial, neutral or toxic.

Life is a marathon event, and training for it does involve keeping muscles strong and keeping joints flexible. But concentrate on your daily food first, get up and get moving throughout the day second. Add specific exercises third. Achieve an ideal weight for your body, but don’t make the mistake of thinking you can do that by working out alone. The number of calories burned with exercise is usually not enough to cause significant burning of excess body fat.

What is your ideal weight? The goal to reach for is not numbers on a scale, but a waistline smaller than your hips. If you are holding excess weight at your waist, consider a blood sugar stabilizing program, and adrenal/hormone supplements. The Japanese government has imposed new laws that penalize people who do not meet the guidelines for waist to hip ratio determined to minimize risk for Diabetes Type 2. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html?_r=0  Sugar dis-metabolism in diabetics is also a risk factor for cancer and heart disease and is the real cause of obesity

My dad was often asked what kind of exercise he did to maintain his trim figure throughout his elderly years. His answer, “I push myself away from the table.” Great training advice for all of us. 

Hugs for Health

Last weekend I spent the Memorial Day Holiday in the heartland of America. Far from LA, we drove through golden fields and green forests to arrive at a beautiful lakeside community where families have gathered since the beginning of last century. 

Canoeing through an inlet, we saw fuzzy cygnets being shepherded by Mama Swan while Papa swan swam guard, his feathers ruffling as we glided closer to his family.

The teenagers kayaking or fishing gave courteous nods when we passed. Toddlers frolicked in the shallows at the edge of the lake. Families relaxed on docks or terraces and waved a greeting to passers-by. 

It was a holiday out of my childhood, when good manners and family gatherings seemed to go hand-in-hand. 

Studies show clearly that people with strong families, warm friendships, and community ties, are healthier and live longer. The relationship between our social health and our bodily health is so strong, that close social ties may trump obesity and sedentary lifestyle. http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20100727/social-ties-can-add-years-your-life

The pleasure and enjoyment of family life was expressed unreservedly at Klinger Lake. What could be finer than plenty of fresh air, Spring scented woods, and outdoor sports creating shared experiences that span generations? Sprinkle liberally with love and laughter, and this is a recipe for solid families and good health.

So, when you assess your life, count how many happy, warm relationships you share with others around you. Even if you don’t enjoy exercise, consider if you are having good times with friends and loved ones and if you feel cared for and connected. Good health may cost you some money, in terms of quality food and natural medicine. But good relationships may only cost you the time it takes to help someone, let someone know you care, or share a good laugh out loud. We are truly social creatures and that is a muscle that cannot be over-flexed, reaping many benefits that are good for the body and food for the soul. 

Wishing you lots of warm friends and daily doses of hugs.

Memorial Day Special!

Summer is almost here and it is time for family gatherings, graduations, school letting out, summer camps, vacations and getting swimsuit ready. Even wonderful events and changes can bring stress and time constraints.

To celebrate summer and help you be at your best, Well Body Clinic is offering a Memorial Day special. Mention this email and receive 10% off any supplement order, Saliva Hormone Testing, Food Sensitivity Testing, Toxic Metals Testing, and $15 off consultation fees. If you can't make it into the office, call Lucas and place a phone order at 818-562-1400. 

Kids don't always eat well, and they have their own stresses, so this is also a great time to bring the kids in to get checked. Building their immune systems over the summer is the best way to ensure strong immunity during the school year. If you don't live in the LA area, call for a phone consultation. We have helped hundreds of people long distance.

At Well Body Clinic we love making people healthy and we want you to have the best summer ever. Happy Memorial Day and hope to see you soon!

Are You Coffee Conflicted?

 Procaffinator-someone who has a tendency not start anything without a cup of coffee.

Devil or Angel-coffee is one of the most controversial beverages for health-minded people. Hard core purists scoff that coffee could have any benefits, citing the fact it dehydrates the body and is loaded with caffeine. But there is a tendency for a few to contend any food that is pleasurable cannot be good for you.

As a Nutritionist/Naturopath who comes from the “Real food is yummy food and the more organic butter the better” school of food science (note the strong French influence!) I like to look at the facts. All foods from natural sources have to be evaluated on an individual basis.

Coffee can be considered a herb. It is hot water extracted from the berries of the Cofea plant. All plants that are not poisonous to humans have medicinal benefits because that is just how Nature rolls. Coffee contains small amounts of potassium, Riboflavin (B2), pantothenic acid (B5) and manganese. Manganese is vital for pituitary health, for example. And potassium helps to hydrate the body, so Nature may have provided a degree of balance to the dehydration issue.

How much caffeine is in coffee? The average for an 8 oz. cup is 95 mg, unless you got your cup at Starbucks, which logs in at twice the average amount. Green tea contains about 44 mg caffeine, and espresso has about 60 mg.

On average most people can benefit from a couple of cups of coffee a day. Pregnant women should keep caffeine levels below 200 mg. What are the benefits?

Coffee contains powerful antioxidants, which help the body to combat oxidative stress. Think of oxidative stress as too much of a good thing. While we need oxygen for cellular activity, too much is damaging to cells. Anti-oxidants balance out the damage of the potentially corrosive actions of high amounts of oxygen, otherwise known as free-radical damage. Some free-radical damage is normal, and merely stimulates repair by the immune system. But too much overwhelms the body, and may be a pre-condition that allows cancer and other metabolic diseases to develop. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400537/Stumped-by-Oxidative-Stress.html

Coffee is associated with lower mortality from all heart-related issues, such as stroke or heart-failure. It is also associated with lowered risk for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and dementia, and mice studies show that coffee is helpful against memory impairment. Research indicates that it is the caffeine in coffee that has the brain benefits, so decaf does not help. http://draxe.com/coffee-nutrition-facts/

Coffee seems to improve athletic performance, test performance and alertness. However, coffee is not as effective for test performance and alertness as certain wave-lengths of light from the blue band spectrum.

Coffee appears to be protective against fatty liver disease and promote healthy liver function. A study showed that coffee plus exercise helped prevent skin cancer in mice. (Now you will know what to think if you see a couple of mice with their little laptops at Starbucks.)

And coffee can help with a weight loss program by boosting your metabolism.

Who shouldn’t drink coffee? If you are caffeine sensitive, suffer from stomach issues, have insomnia, heart palpitations or anxiety coffee and black or green teas may not be good choices for you. Insomnia, digestive discomfort, anxiety and palpitations can be addressed with natural and nutritional medicine, so you don’t have to suffer or worry about these conditions. Call us for help.

Don’t medicate with coffee. If you are burning your candle at both ends, get some sleep and exercise and increase your nutrition. Too much coffee will only put more stress on your adrenals and immune system.

Why do some people get a headache when they are deprived of coffee? As expected, the more coffee consumed daily the more likely you are to experience a headache during coffee withdrawal. Scientists have measured the changes in blood flow to the brain, and deprivation of coffee seems to increase cerebral blood flow, triggering the classic withdrawal headache. http://draxe.com/coffee-nutrition-facts/

The remedy may be to cut back a bit at a time if you are consuming so much coffee that it makes you jittery or interferes with sleep. Try using a herbal coffee like Teecino to mix with your coffee, to cut back, but still enjoy a rich coffee drink.

Bottom line is that coffee in moderation appears to have health benefits for most people. Note that this article is about natural coffee, not caffeine. I will blog about synthetic caffeine in another article.

So, if you tolerate coffee well, don’t feel guilty about the indulgence. Try using Stevia to sweeten and flavored Stevia can help you skip those Frappuccino’s, which are loaded with chemicals and artificial flavors. I carry Peppermint and Toffee Stevia in my purse. Try bullet-proof coffee, made with organic butter or raw coconut oil, instead of milk, if you are avoiding dairy and trying to increase healthy fats.

A little coffee humor: Latte is French for “You just paid too much for your coffee”.

“Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee.”  “Deja Brew-the feeling you’ve had this coffee before.”
Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/coffee_quotes/

Lastly, “May your cup runneth over with Joy, love and really fabulous coffee!”