Why You Need Your ZZZ's

Everyone should aim for 7.5 or 8.0 hours of sleep at night, but millions of us don't get enough--and chronic sleep deprivation is one of the worse things that can affect us, damaging everything from our immune systems to making us injure ourselves.

 

In fact, sleep deprivation can actually make us GAIN weight, because it affects ghrelin, leptin and cortisol--all hormones that regulate appetite.

March 3-10, 2013 is National Sleep Awareness Week, so it is a good time to look at the things that can keep us tossing and turning.  Once we know exactly what the problem is we can, hopefully, do something about it.

 

·         Stress: Things like mind-chatter, impending deadlines and other events can make us toss and turn. Here’s where it is a cause, though; we awaken tired, anxious, irritable, depressed and lacking mental clarity—which means decreased or non-existent--coping mechanisms, adding to our ever-increasing stress load.

·         Pain: “If we consistently do not get enough rest it opens us up to the daily aches and pains we feel, as well as more serious injury,” said Michael Gazeleh, DC.  Guess what?  That pain keeps us awake.

·         Illness: The constant stress of sleep deprivation can trigger chronic and degenerative illnesses, but you also want to explore reasons for  not being able to stay asleep: “That might be caused by something like pain or even hunger,” said Dr. Peter Bongiorno, ND, Lac. “Hunger might either mean that there’s a problem with the liver or simply that the patient needs to eat a little more before bed.”

·         “The bedroom isn’t dark enough. Melatonin is the body’s natural substance that’s produced at night, and a decreased level results in lower immunity, increased risk of infection. “Even the slightest light can cause a decrease in melatonin  levels,” says Dr. Bongiorno ND, Lac

·         Pets.  I’m not passing judgment; in fact, I freely admit that I love sleeping with pets; to me, they’re like warm furry pillows.  However, the Mayo Clinic conducted a study finding that more than half of its patients seeking consultations at their sleep clinic were pet owners complaining of nightly sleep disturbances, caused by things like cover-hogging, kicking, growling, meowing, or even scratching.

 

.

 

It's March--How Are You Doing With Your Wellness Goals?

We all do it, me included.  We make all these great promises:  To lose those last 5 pounds; learn to control our sugar cravings (By the way, I'll admit that I had a chocolate-dipped cookie today). We promise to exercise more, sleep better, spend time each day for meditation--the list goes on and on.

Then when it's just about this time of year, we forget about those resolutions--but we panic because Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer, is just around the corner and we need to lose our winter weight--and fast.

You can still make 2013 your healthiest year ever, though. It just takes a little knowledge and a few easy fixes.

Remember that everything feeds us, not just what's on our plates.  We're also fed by things like rest and recreation, career, relationships, and more.  Our lives need to be in balance or we'll always be, well, sick and hungry.
But here are 5 things that can derail your wellness goals that you can do something about right now:

NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP: A study by the Archives of Internal Medicine gave 153 people the rhino virus (common cold) by nose drop. It was found that those studied who got at least seven hours of sleep per night were 300% less likely to catch a cold. So here's the bottom-line: Sleep deprivation leads to exhaustion which can lead to chronic illnesses and injury. It also affects our weight, since sleep has a direct connection to 3 hormones that control appetite.
SKIPPING BREAKFAST: Breakfast breaks the overnight fast and will start your metabolism. If you skip breakfast, or any other meal, your body will think it is starving and will go into protection mode by lowering your metabolism. That means you could actually gain weight by not eating a meal and you’ll probably overeat at the next one, since your body will insist on making up those lost calories.
NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO THE TOXINS HIDDEN IN FOODS: For instance, those processed meats, like bacon, hot dogs, and sausage, have sodium nitrate, which have been linked to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Diet soda and artificial sweeteners can lead to prolonged exposure to aspartame, a neurotoxic chemical additive in these products that can result in nerve cell damage, dizziness, and headaches. Those mass-produced snacks, like crackers and cookies, usually use hydrogenated oils are used to lengthen the shelf life and are also associated with diabetes and heart disease.
TRYING TO FIGHT, RATHER THAN LEARN, ABOUT YOUR CRAVINGS: Cravings can give us brilliant information about our bodies. For instance, did you know that a sugar craving is often your body’s cry for energy? Deconstruct it—is that your body’s way of telling you to slow down, or engage in some stress reduction, or to relax and sleep a little more?? By the way, once you figure out what it’s telling you, the cravings will be eliminated—and the weight will start releasing.

***

Want to learn how to control your cravings?  Sign up for my class, "3 Secrets to Kicking Those Sugar Cravings to the Curb in 30 Days" at: http://www.irenefross.com/3-secrets-to-kicking-those-sugar-cravings-to-the-curb-in-30-day 

***

NOT EXERCISING ENOUGH: Anyone remember the episode of the television show "Everybody Loves Raymond" when Raymond becomes thrilled with the sudden, dramatic increase in his sex life--until he finds an exercise class flyer--featuring the photo of a very handsome instructor--on his wife's table. He thinks the instructor is the reason for her sudden interest but, when he confronts her, she says: "Has it ever occurred to you that I'm just feeling much better about myself these days?"

Exercise makes us feel better physically and mentally. It fights fatigue by carrying oxygen and nutrients to the cells and helps detoxify the body, by getting rid of toxins, accumulated wastes and poisons. It also improves our mood by releasing those natural, feel-good substances, endorphins which, in turn, also help us handle stress and sleep better.

ABOUT IRENE:

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP is an integrative nutrition and holistic health coach, speaker and writer. 

She is author of the e-book, Sugar’s Sour Story, and of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day:Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life.

Her website is: www.irenefross.com..

Pets and Pounds: Not All That Different from Humans!

I'm an integrative nutrition and holistic wellness coach. I'm also a speaker, writer/book author and avid animal lover.

As a nutrition/wellness coach, one of my specialties is getting people off that diet roller coaster--you know, the yo-yo dieting that's responsible for everything from spending extra money on wardrobes in different sizes to accommodate those weight fluctuations, to lack of energy, high stress, decreased immune system and more.

The obesity problem is far and wide; both our kids and pets are experiencing that, plus lifestyle-based diseases, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  In a segment on Letterman a few years back, Dr. Oz said he was performing quadruple bypass on 25-year-olds!. 

 And pets-- 54 percent of all dogs and cats in the U.S. are now classified as overweight or obese!

Many of my writing assignments have been on the topics of nutrition and holistic wellness--for humans but, more and more, for pets. You see, pet nutrition is a big industry--and the pet industry as a whole is over $51 billion.

In my travels as a writer, I've interviewed countless veterinarians, veterinary nutritionists and other pet experts--and you know what I've found? Animals aren't really all that different from humans! Their nutrition can be as complex as ours--commercial foods, premium brands, home-made meals, raw food or BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diets. Just like us, each one responds differently to foods; just because your neighbor's dog is thriving on a food doesn't mean yours will.

I've also discovered that pets suffer from many of the same lifestyle-based diseases that we do, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Their obesity rate is through the roof; right now, 54 percent of all cats and dogs are classified as overweight or obese by the veterinarian. Just three years ago that figure was 40 percent--still too high--but it also shows how fast it's rising. In fact, according to Healthy Pets at Mercola.Com, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VIP), Americans paid $25 million in 2010 in veterinary bills for obesity-related problems, such as asthma, disc diseases and ligament ruptures.

Pets also get arthritis, cancer, the common cold, sometimes even flu, chronic stress and sleep deprivation and more.

Baxter was a member of the family!  I looked after his weight and  overall health as much as I would anyone.

So it only made sense to me to combine them into a program I call "Transforming People and Pets."  I'll transform you both into vibrant, happy, healthy beings--no more unstable weight gain, no more yo-yo dieting! No humorless, rigid and deprivation-based programs.

Of course, if you also have kids (the 2-legged variety!), I'll include them in the program if you wish.

It'll sort of be like one of those reality weight-loss, transformation shows-- only with both humans and non-humans.

Want more information about this?  See: http://www.irenefross.com/transforming-people-and-pets.  And be sure to pass it on to your customers/clients/patients!

ABOUT IRENE

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP, is an integrative nutrition and holistic health coach, speaker and writer/book author. She helps both humans and their non-human children alter unhealthy habits so they live lives of health, happiness and vibrancy--and, in the case of humans, so they can balance their lives.

Author of the e-book, Sugar's Sour Story, and of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, her website is:  www.irenefross.com.

How Do You Push Back the Clock?

It doesn’t matter if you’re one of the 79 million baby boomers in this country–of if you’re in your 20s. We all want to find ways to prevent and reverse the signs of aging.
While scientists may have found a possible link to aging–the telomere (for more on this, go to: http://irenefross.com/blog/2012/07/telomeres-and-the-link-to-aging), there are five very critical points that everyone, without fail, should keep in mind when trying to reverse the aging process.

• Nutrition: Everyone should consume plenty of fruits and vegetables; they contain not only vitamins and minerals, but antioxidants—the substances that destroy free radicals.

The most important thing is to start your day off right with a healthy breakfast, to maintain your energy, regulate your blood sugars, and continue to make wiser choices throughout the day.
“I begin my day with a healthy, whole grain breakfast of oatmeal and fresh fruit,” says Faith Hope Consolo, renowned real estate broker and “Queen of Retail” who favors high-quality, fresh ingredients. “Thereafter, it’s pretty much vegetables and lean protein, including a lot of fish.” .
“I stay away from complex carbohydrates that are not whole grain, said Linda Alexander, president of Alexander Marketing, a full-service public relations firm. She explained that, although her diet is largely plant-based, she will sometimes eat organic meat and wild-caught fish.

• Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel better and can reduce stress. Everyone has their own particular favorite, whether Pilates or Zumba or Inten-Sati –and there’s been a lot of media attention lately about the anti-aging effects of yoga. Joschi Schwarz, Creative Director and Co-Owner of the Joschi Yoga Institute in New York City, says “Yoga keeps your muscles and joints flexible, and gives you a fit body and an active mind. A regular yoga practice, including breath work (Pranayama) , increases blood circulation and the amount of oxygen throughout your body and your brain, therefore helping to delay the signs of aging.

Schwartz continues: “Especially the inverted yoga postures have an anti-aging effect and reverse the effect of gravity, firming our facial muscles, giving you a natural face-lift and glowing skin.”

• Supplements: They should never be used as a substitute for good nutrition but, rather, to fill in the gap, since today’s soils are usually depleted and foods often contain hormones, chemicals and artificial ingredients, it’s vital to fill in the gaps with good supplementation. Make sure you look at delivery systems—some create easier absorption by the body than others—and be sure it’s approved by an independent, third-party auditor.
• Skin care: “The latest research shows that skin actually ages itself,” said anti-aging specialist Dr. SteveTsoutsouras. “All skin contains an enzyme called Arnox that produces free radicals; everyone has it. The skin aging process actually begins in our 20’s and, as we get older, cells don’t turnover as fast, elasticity and moisture lessens, and the skin takes longer to heal itself. So when we don’t take care of our skin—whether it’s smoking, drinking to excess, or being less-than-thoughtful about skin care products, it accelerates the aging process even more.

New York City Acupuncturist Sandy Root., Sandy Root, L.Ac., MSTOM, says her firm, Root-Acupuncture, specializes in facial rejuvenation—a natural, painless and effective way to eliminate fine lines and diminish larger wrinkles, reduce double chins and drooping eyelids and improve muscle tone.
“It’s not just superficial treatment, because it balances the internal body. In fact, studies have been done showing it increases collagen and skin elasticity,” Root says.

• Self-care: Research shows the positive effects of massage and meditation. Everything feeds us whether or not it’s on our plate; the connection between mind-body-spirit is undeniable.

Gladys Murphy is a NYC-area Resonance Repatterning™ Certified Practioner who says, “ Resonance Repatterning is a system that allows us to lose weight so to speak. We identify and transform unconscious patterns, limiting beliefs and old negative feelings that show up as the challenges that we experience in our daily lives. The patterns live in our cells, and in every aspect of our physical, mental, and emotional beings.” Murphy explains that the patterns hold energy and, once released, the person experiences a shift, feeling more energetic and calmer.
New York City real estate sales associate Sandra Manley, summed it up perfectly: “If I were talking to a co-worker, friend or whatever, what is the one piece of advice I’d give them to help turn back the clock? I would tell them to have fun, wherever and whenever possible – laugh, play, spend time with people who make you happy, travel, learn new things, and enjoy life at every opportunity.”
Want to hear a guided meditation from Deepak Chopra? Click here: http://irenefross.com/blog/2012/07/pushing-back-the-clock-five-pillars-of-anti-aging

***

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP is a certified nutrition and health coach who works with people to help them instantly double their energy so they avoid that mid-morning or afternoon slump, get more done in less time and balance their lives.
Author of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, she sees people on an individual or group basis. While she will see people on a face-to-face basis, she finds that most clients prefer phone or Skype because: 1) They can do it in the convenience of their own home, office or wherever–no commuting! 2) Sometimes it’s easier for them to be more open if they know there’s not a set of eyes on them.
To sign up for Irene’s FREE twice-monthly newsletter, click here.

Irene also designs employee wellness programs; have your HR executive e-mail Irene at irener@eating4achieving.com to schedule a complimentary 45-minute employee health workshop.

IT’S NOT JUST FLUFF: THE TALE OF THE MARSHMALLOW

From My E-Book, Sugar's Sour Story:

 

 

 Very often, a processed food will include ingredients that look just like the real thing--but really isn’t.  For example, a client recently told me she was shocked to read the label on her package of marshmallows. They had an extremely low protein count and she couldn’t understand why.  “Don’t you make marshmallow by whipping egg whites?  She insisted: "And aren’t egg whites pure protein?”

Yes, I explained, that’s how you’d make homemade marshmallow, but those mass-produced, highly processed little pillows aren’t really marshmallow. They only look like it and are really made with things like sugar, corn starch and gelatin. Corn starch, which is used as a thickener in a lot of sauces and gravies, is turned into sugar by the body. It’s also suggested that it might raise LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.  Depending on the type of gelatin used, it may contain high levels of sugar—so you’d really be getting a double or triple sugar whammy. 

 *******

.....Want to hear more?  Receive a free download of my mini e-book, Sugar's Sour Story.  Just enter your email address on the home page of my website: http://irenefross.com/ and you'll receive that, as well as a subscription to my twice-monthly newsletter, "Power Wellness"--full of tips, recipes and other 411 on healthy eating and lifestyle.  Next edition comes out tomorrow (Tues) and the featured story is on Ayurveda and the 3 doshas--and how they're a path to wellness.  It includes several interviews with Ayurvedic docs--it'll be a great one, hope to see you on the list!

Six Ways to STILL Get Into Summer Shape

It's almost July 4th.  If you're still despairing over those last few winter pounds that you can seem to lose no matter what, never fear. 

These few simple things should help you finally break free!

• Try to stay with natural foods as much as possible. Here’s the problem with those overly processed “convenience” foods—they can be very high in sodium, which can make you bloat.  They often have chemicals and hormones—which can wreak havoc on your system (i.e., metabolism.)

One of the great things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.  Fill up on them!  And, remember, the more colorful your plate the better, because each color includes a different set of phytonutrients--and those are the things that help keep us healthy.

• Never, ever skip a meal:  Here's what will happen if you do:  Your body will think it's starving and will try to protect you by lowering your metabolism.  You'll also probably overeat at your next week to make up for those lost calories.  The end result will be no weight loss--and possibly even a weight gain. 

You'll probably also become tired.  Let's face it--we don't exactly make the best food choices when we're tired and stressed.

• Cravings:  Every craving tells you something about your body, and a sugar craving is just it's way of asking for energy.  If you want to know more about sugar cravings, opt-in for my free mini e-book, Sugar's Sour Story.  You can find the opt-in box on the home page of my website, or you can click here.www.irenefross.com.
• Sleep:  Never underestimate the importance of this.  Experts say we should get about 7.5 hours a night.  Sleep has a direct effect on three hormones that regulate weight and appetite.  The first is that it increases cortisol, the "fight or flight" hormone that is often held responsible for expanding waistlines.  It's good in moderation--but too much creates unrelenting stress.  Ghrelin is an appetite increaser and you want to keep it low--but sleep deprivation causes an increase in this substance.  Leptin is something you want--it suppresses appetite and moderates energy--but lack of sleep lowers it.

Naturopathic physician Dr. Kathia Roberts explained the connection between sleep and that all-important exercising.

“It’s a negative cycle,” explains Dr. Kathia Roberts, Ph.D., ND, D.PHYT.  “Some of my patients tell me they can’t sleep without exercising but then, again, they’re too tired to exercise."

Other things to keep in mind:

• Superfoods: Some foods have very high nutrient values and they're called superfoods.  They include things like greens, berries and even chocolate--yes, you heard right, but just be sure it's dark and contains over 70 percent cacao.  Want a yummy, healthy snack?  Combine two superfoods--yogurt and pumpkin.  Both are superfoods--I like Greek yogurt because of its smooth, creamy texture--and make sure the pumpkin is 100 percent pure, not the pie filling!
• Water:  Our bodies are made up of about 65-70 percent water and, while we can survive a month without food, we can only go for a week without water.  It transports nutrients and removes toxins.  For more information on water, see: http://irenefross.com/blog/2012/06/10-great-reasons-to-drink-more-water
• Self-care:  Don't underestimate the importance of a good massage, relaxation or recreation.  You'll feel better, become less stressed and able to focus more intently--and you'll eat a lot better too!

.