aging » Beyond Prescriptions

National Women’s Health Week ~ May 12 to May 18

Aging, Heart Disease, Nutrition No Responses »

May 162013

In honor of of all women, I want to share with you a few tips I have learned even recently about women and their health. (These tips can apply to men as well).

Did you know that 80% of the healthcare decisions made in the home are made by women? I definitely knew that from my own experience in raising a family. And their needs always came before mine, something that we know will eventually catch up with us!

Although I have always been interested in nutrition and healthy living, it was not until I faced my own health issues that I began to realize that in order to keep myself in optimal health and to avoid the common debilitating diseases, I would have to design my own plan for a healthier lifestyle and keep to it.

Fortunately, at that time I was introduced to natural supplements. This provided a preventative maintenance program which I am on to this day and at 70 I find myself full of energy and prescription free. I would have to add to that program exercise. (I also believe exercise reduces stress, a factor that can often lead to heart disease because of high blood pressure).

Dr. Weil states in his book Why Our Health Matters the toll of preventable disease ~

Chronic diseases cause 70% of deaths in America and are responsible for 3/4 of health-care spending
Half of all American men and 1/3 of all American women will develop cancer
One in twelve Americans will have asthma
One in fourteen Americans will have diabetes
One in seven Americans will develop Alzheimer’s disease

Weil does not feel that these chronic diseases are inevitable consquences of growing older and that to maintain health and vigor into the late nineties and beyond, environment and lifestyle factors can actually modify genetic expression and influence risk for age-related diseases.

Regarding the environment I have chosen to use only non-toxic products in my home. If the air outside is bad, at least I can do whatever I can to keep the air inside my home as clean as possible since it increases the risk of respiratory diseases of all sorts, weakens our immune system and even makes us more susceptible to cancer And we are not even yet discussing the threat to the health and welfare of the whole planet by affecting the earth’s protective ozone layer. I also try to buy organic when I can. A great list of 10 foods to definitely buy organic can be found here ~ rmdy.hm/kam

In the June 2013 issue of Oprah, Dr. Oz shared some interesting healthy tips, one of which included checking your pulse. Before you get out of bed, press your index and middle fingers against the inside of your wrist below your thumb; count the beats for 30 seconds. Then double that number. A 2010 study found that compared with a resting rate of less than 60 beats per minute, a rate of more than 90 triples a woman’s risk of dying from heart disease. If your heart rate is high, consider adding more omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. Adding omega-3 fatty acids from sources like olive oil and nuts and fish may help improve lipid levels as well.

Another tip he included was making sure to get enough magnesium (about 265 mg for women). Apparently nearly half of Americans do not get this. Magnesium helps to relax blood vessels and may lower blood pressure by as much as 5 points in people with mild hypertension. (Try cooked spinach and pumpkin seeds).

With the high price of health care than any other people in the world, we need to educate ourselves on more safe and effective alternatives to drugs. Shifting our health care efforts from disease intervention to disease prevention and health promotion is a mission we all need to have.

One of the tips on the National Women’s Health Week website included the following infographic which I found very informative: NWHW-Infographic-508

I would love to hear what you are doing in creating a more preventative approach to your own health,

What’s Your Eating Style?

Aging, Nutrition, Vegetarian Diet No Responses »

Mar 112013

It seems that every time our family sit down to eat a meal (particularly our extended family), we all come to the table with a different agenda ~ some don’t eat meat, some love meat, some are trying to eliminate sugar, some want to cut out dairy, others cannot digest wheat ~ it can get challenging for meal planning!

I found it very interesting that the theme for National Nutrition Month March 2013 is “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day,” encouraging personalized healthy eating styles, recognizing that food preferences, lifestyle, cultural and ethnic traditions and health concerns all impact individual food choices.

I think the important message here is that each person is on his or her own path to not only enjoying the meal but feeling good about (and when) eating it. With the wide variety of frozen dinners, dairy-free ice creams, soy meats, etc., it seems that our modern technology has literally taken a lot of us out of the kitchen. Unfortunately, this often means taking away fiber, adding fats, sugar, sodium, fake flavorings ~ the list can go on and on. With our modern emphasis on nutritionally empty, highly processed, and additive-rich foods, it is no wonder that we have epidemics of heart disease, cancer, and degenerative disorders.

No matter what the preference is in one’s eating style, choosing simple real foods such as whole grains, beans, fresh veggies, grass-fed beef, wild salmon and free-range chicken, are definitely better choices for a healthier diet.

I have just recently acquired a wonderful book, The Chopra Center Cookbook, Nourishing Body and Soul by Deepak Chopra, M.D. (“poet-prophet of alternative medicine”), David Simon, M.D. (Medical Director and cofounder of the Chopra Center), and Leanne Backer (Executive Chef of the Chopra Center).

Considered a nutritional guide to renewal, this book features recipes that are served at the world-famous Chopra Center for Well Being, a healing place where people come from all over the world to learn how to nurture and transform their bodies, minds, and souls through nutrition, meditation, and mind-body practice.

It features the world’s most ancient health system, Ayurveda, which recommends that we all partake of the six tastes of life ~ sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent ~ and the recipes in this book are balanced to appeal to all six tastes for the optimal digestion and enjoyment. Although the recipes are vegetarian, quite low-fat yet rich with marvelous spices and herbs to add amazing flavor, the option of adding fresh fish and chicken is available.

Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health that is designed to help people live long, healthy, and well balanced lives. The term Ayurveda is taken from the Sanskrit words ayus, meaning life or lifespan, and veda, meaning knowledge. It has been practiced in India for at least 5,000 years and has recently become popular in Western cultures. The basic principle of Ayurveda is to prevent and treat illness by maintaining balance in the body, mind, and consciousness through proper drinking, diet, and lifestyle, as well as herbal remedies.

I am excited to try these easy-to-make recipes for entrees, soups, stews, quick meals, breakfast dishes, snacks and desserts and learn how to eat in healthy ways so the need for nutrition and the need for enjoyment are both satisfied. I love Ayurveda’s emphasis on helping people live longer, healthier lives. And, yes, I will continue to satisfy all of those special needs that are brought to the table! (minus, of course, fast food, chemicals, food additives, etc.)

March Nutrition Month is a great time to reflect on all of this and perhaps introduce some new dishes to the family!

What about you? Do you eat differently than the rest of your family?

My Seven Steps Of Prevention That Have Led To Better Health

Aging, Nutrition, Positive Thinking, Toxic Chemicals, Vegetarian Diet, weight loss No Responses »

Feb 262013

I turned 70 today. It is a real milestone for me, especially since when I look back to turning 50 (which was a big milestone as well) I was facing some real serious health issues. Fortunately I took responsibility for my own health and began reversing some unhealthy habits and taking steps that made the difference. Today I feel younger than I did at 50, am prescription-free and full of energy! So I feel empowered to enter the next decade prepared and full of excitement, feeling much stronger and healthier than I ever have felt before.

So what are these seven “steps” that made the difference? Here goes…….

(1) I replaced all household toxins from my home ~ no more bleach, ammonia, formaldehyde, phthalates, butyl cellosolve… any household cleaners that were “outgassing” toxic odors and fumes into the home (including laundry products) with nontoxic, concentrated biodegradable cleaners and fragrance-free laundry concentrate. This really helped my husband who is highly allergic to dust and strong chemicals.

(2) I replaced all of my personal care products with nutrient based, pH balanced, hypoallergenic (never animal tested) healthy beauty products, formulated without parabens, FD&C or D&C dyes, propylene glycol, animal products or by-products, mineral oils or petroleum, sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate and phthalates. Basically my skin care products include only antioxidants and nutrients my skin craves (nutrition therapy skin care system). My soaps are “soap-free” – containing soothing oatmeal, vitamin E and wheat germ oil that softens my skin. It is also biodegradable and pH balanced.

(3) I eliminated all meat from my diet and concentrated on lots of vegetables and fruits, preferably organic and legumes such as lentils and black beans. I still occasionally eat wild salmon. Avoiding highly processed and refined foods and concentrating on more nutrient-dense foods has become my mission. This, of course, leads me to purchase primarily perishable food rather than prepackaged food. I start each morning with a nutritious shake with 24 grams of protein, 6 grams of dietary fiber, lactose free, low glycemic index, gluten-free, with 35% of the DV of 21 vitamins and minerals. It also contains Leucine which helps me retain muscle, not fat. This has enabled me to drop almost 25 pounds this past year. This program is helping me to be at a more healthy weight and body mass index.

(4) I avoid cans and plastic as much as possible because of the BPA (bisphenol A) which is a hormone-disrupting chemical that mimics estrogen, a cancer causer in lab animals, and possible source of hyperactivity and other behavioral disorders in children. The plastic containers marked with a number 7 on the bottom can leach BPA, making them a no-no. If I use plastics in the kitchen I look for those marked number 1, 2, 4 or 5. These are the safest ones. A good resource to use to learn more is the Green Guide, the Web site run by National Geographic Magazine (thegreenguide.com). Just click on the section called “Buying Guides” and then click on “Plastic Containers” under “Kitchen.” I have found my choice is to use glass containers in the kitchen.

(5) The water I drink is always filtered with a water system that uses a refillable carbon-block filter system, (filtering 80 gallons of water per filter). It saves me money and gets rid of the chemicals such as pesticides, heavy metals and industrial pollutants that can be in our drinking water. Since the body is made up of about 70% water, water is linked to all the body’s functions. In the colon, it is essential to flushing out waste matter and toxins.

(6) I literally replenish my cells each day with nutrient-dense foods such as broccoli, kale, dark leafy greens, cabbage, tomatoes, etc. Unfortunately food is not as nutritious as it once was (According to data collected by government agencies in the U.S. and U.K., modern harvests are lower in many nutrients than those in the 1940s and 1950s because of poor soils and synthetic fertilizers) so I have chosen to supplement with products that are tested for harmful contaminants resulting in products of the greatest purity and potency possible. I supplement daily with multivitamins (that support overall nutrition and may help prevent chronic illness by simply providing the basic micronutrients often missing from modern diets), Omega-3 fish oil which help reduce inflammatory conditions and protect against heart disease, cancer and other chronic illness, and calcium, vitamin D and magnesium which helps to protect my bones (with vitamin D helping to decrease the risk of some cancers. I also take a liquid dietary supplement that contains the power of both resveratrol and a proprietary phytonutrient blend that improves cell defense, increases cell energy, promotes cell repair and optimizes cell performance.

(7) I have incorporated exercise into my daily routine. Most studies do agree that for optimal health it is important to exert yourself aerobically for 30 to 45 minutes at least 3 to 4 times a week. Even dividing this into several smaller increments has shown to be beneficial. I have joined the YMCA and love the water aerobics program they offer. I actually lift weights and “kick-box” in the water 3 days a week. This has really helped me with my weight loss as well.

So there you have it! It is interesting that Time Magazine, just this week, (Vol. 181, No. 8, 2013) published an article called Bitter Pill ~ Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us by Steven Brill, which is a powerful examination of America’s health care costs. It is actually frightening to read and I am so happy that I chose, 20 years ago, to take charge of my health and practice prevention. It has enabled me to lead a much healthier and more robust life and I look forward to reaching my 80′s and 90′s with the same vigor!

Can We Slow Down The Aging Process?

Aging, Dangers of Sugar, weight loss No Responses »

Dec 112012

As 2012 winds down, it is hard to believe another year has almost passed. They say time flies! And of course we are all another year older ~ let’s face it ~ we all age. Our cells are bombarded every day by stress, poor diet, and environmental conditions. Can we really slow down that clock?

In the Nutrition Report, Eating Well, June 2011, Karen Ansel, M.S. R.D. reported that the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) update the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every 5 years. Last January the results were released and the information they shared includes 6 easy rules that can help us all live a longer, healthier life. They include:

Stop Eating Too much ~ Losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight can lead to better blood pressure, a decreased risk of diabetes and improved lipid levels. (According to the International Food Information Council, only 12% of Americans know how many calories they need in a day). Ansel reminds us that by taking our current weight (in pounds) x 12 you will know how many calories you need to maintain your weight. If you subtract 500 calories per day from this number, you will shed about a pound a week; trim 1,000 calories and you will lose 2 pounds a week. Anything more than that will deprive you of important nutrients. One thing that has helped in our family is by using smaller plates. Smaller plates…..smaller portions! Another suggestion ~ when you eat out, order the appetizer and salad rather than an entree.

GO For More Fruits and Vegetables ~ Eating Well Advisor Rachel Johnson recommends following the Guidelines in making literally half of the plate fruits and vegetables. Since only 1 in 4 Americans are even getting the recommended servings of these per day, this is good advice. The most nutrient-rich ones are dark green,, red and orange. I love to pile my plate with salad. Adding red peppers, grape tomatoes, carrots, dried cherries, peaches, apples or red grapes add a lot of nutrients without a lot of calories.

STOP Eating Junk ~ The top source of calories (35%) are starchy desserts (cookies, cakes, pastries). These contain artery-clogging saturated fats contributing to heart disease (now affecting 37% of Americans). Added sugars include table sugar, honey, molasses, agave and high-fructose corn syrup. Eating naturally sweet foods (fresh and dried fruit) will give you less calories, and vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber. There are also plant-based fats found in nuts, nut butters, seeds, and avocados. Did you know Americans on average take in 3,400 millgrams of sodium each day? (a third more than the recommended daily limit which is only 1 teaspoon salt) High salt intake leads to high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Our family avoids processed foods (which are loaded with salt) and stick with fresh foods. Also, when we purchase canned beans, we make sure to rinse them first to get all of the salt out.

MAKE WAY for leaner meats and poultry and vegetable protein ~ The usual staples in Americans” diets include cheese, whole milk, butter, and certain cuts of meat and poultry. These make our diets 1 and one half times as much saturated fat as we should be having. Ansel cited a study done in a 2009 Journal of Nutrition with 350,000 American men and women. They were following their diets and found that the death rate was 20% lower in the 10 years of the study of those who consumed lean meat, low-fat dairy and a few added solid fats. I found it interesting that vegetable protein is mentioned as a great “lean choice.” I gave up all meat except fish 2 years ago and concentrate on beans, peas and nuts and some soy.

GO for more whole grains ~ Unfortunately we consume a lot of refined grains rather than choose brown rice, oats and 100% of whole-grain cereal, bread and pasta. (Half of Americans are eating less than half an ounce of whole grains a day). The Archives of Internal Medicine Study attributes a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular, infectious and respiratory diseases because of the fiber from whole grains and as result state that upping your whole-grains intake could lengthen your life.

GO fish ~ Fish is low in calories and packed with protein and a source of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA (shown to improve heart health and reduce risk of dying from a heart attack according to Dariush Mozaffarian, Dr.P.H.M.D. at Harvard School of Public Health). Ansel reports that a 2009 Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease study found that people who ate a 5-ounce serving of seafood 5 times a week for 8 weeks lost nearly 4 pounds more than people who ate the same number of calories but no seafood. Worried about mercury? Avoid swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark and limit albacore tuna to 6 ounces a week. My husband and I love to put our wild salmon into a “light” alfredo sauce mixed with steamed broccoli, and red and yellow peppers.

An additional thing my husband and I do each day is take a liquid dietary supplement that contains the power of both resveratrol and a proprietary phytonutrient blend, clinically shown to slow aging at the cellular level by improving cell defense, increasing cell energy, promoting cell repair, and optimizing cell performance. Ask me about it.

Going back to the first rule of eating recommended, Eating Less, I have found a plan that has really helped me to satisfy my cravings and get the nutrients and protein I need without adding extra calories. If you are close to Chapel Hill, I am having a tasting party at my home on January 5th from 10 am until Noon and would love to share these products with you. If you can’t make it, contact me and I will send you a sample.

Meanwhile, enjoy the holidays! Perhaps by following some of the guidelines here, you will not fall into the usual weight gain that this season often brings.

Sugar Blues

Dangers of Sugar, Nutrition No Responses »

Jul 192012

What is it about summertime and ice cream? They seem to go together like bread and butter. Even though I am aware of the calories, the fat, the lack of nutrition ~ I still am drawn to it.

We all know that sugar is well hidden in packaged foods, even our pasta sauces. Eating on the run, consuming sweets when we are stressed or sad, driving to the store late at night to satisfy a craving. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, chronic sugar indulgence can lead to serious health complications as we all know.

Watching the video below, CNN: Is Sugar Toxic?, really made me think about my own relationship with sugar. It definitely made me want to break the sugar habit.

One fact which has greatly influenced my decision to eat less sugar is the fact that to burn off the average number of sugar-related calories consumed in a month, I would have to walk 52 miles! Hmmmm ~ just realizing that is NOT a possibility for me is spurring me on to stop the madness! A past post I wrote about the health problems (including AGING!!) created by too much sugar also reinforced this.

I have found that by beginning my day with a shake that has at least 24 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber is a great way for me to keep me from getting those “sugar blues” and “blahs”! In the afternoon when I am feeling less energetic, I drink an energy tea made from white, red and Matcha green tea sweetened with pomegrante. It really satisfies my sweet tooth as well, without added sugar. I have also found fruit to be extremely more satisfying when I have not consumed sugary foods. Instead of the added sugars overwhelming my taste buds, the naturally sweet flavor of the fruit comes alive.

I do hope you take the time to watch the video. It really does make one sit up and think more about the dangers and pitfalls of too much sugar in our lives today.

Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, claims that what’s at stake in our eating choices is not only our own and our children’s health, but the health of the environment that sustains life on earth. He calls the things disguised as food in our supermarkets and fast-food restaurants as “edible food-like substances (EFLS for short) and warns us:

not to eat anything our great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food
not to eat anything with more than five ingredients or better yet, with ingredients you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce, and
not to eat anything containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS ).

Following those 3 rules will certainly keep me away from sugar and maybe even that ice cream!

Will Aging Occur Faster If I Do Not Eat My Veggies?

Aging No Responses »

Mar 262012

Have you ever noticed what happens to the inside of an apple when it is cut? It is turning brown because of the iron-containing chemicals inside the apple’s cells are reacting to the oxygen in the air.

What happens to an apple is also what happens inside of our body. Just as after one hour, a cut apple shows noticeable cell damage from being exposed to oxygen, our bodies have harmful chemical substances called free radicals which are the result of oxidation in our cells and may reduce our body’s ability to make healthy cells. Many scientists characterize this process as “aging.”

Free radicals can be generated by polluted air, cigarette smoke, alcohol and medications, or they can come from the body’s own natural processes. If an apple is treated with an antioxidant (vitamin C) it will stay fresh and undamaged. How many of us remember our mothers or grandmothers putting lemon juice on cut fruit? Just as an apple can be restored, antioxidants which include Vitamin C, E, and A (one safe form is beta carotene) and the mineral selenium – all nutrients that absorb free radicals and help make them harmless, can make a difference for us.

These antioxidants literally “sacrifice” themselves to break the oxidation chain and that is why we constantly need to replenish the body’s antioxidant supply through our diet. Food sources include citrus fruits (vitamin C), yellow and green vegetables (beta carotene), and soybean oil (Vitamin E) As a team, the antioxidants help maximize cell defense.

Dr. Lester Packer, Ph.D., Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, states that overwhelming evidence now indicates that antioxidants play a critical role in wellness, health maintenance, and the prevention of chronic and degenerative diseases. It is as simple as eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, yet only 10%
population takes even this simple step. Dr Packer further states, “Preserving wellness and preventing disease is far less costly than treating diseases once they have developed.”

Eight out of ten doctors, according to Medical Tribune Poll, supplement their diets with antioxidants…..should you?

A Plug for “Anti-Retirement” Living

Uncategorized No Responses »

Mar 222011

A very dear friend of mine passed this short clip along to me about an amazing 88 year old woman, “Hurricane Hazel” (Hazel McCallion) who is a mayor of a city in Canada. It is delightful to watch how this little lady thoroughly enjoys and experiences life. I was intrigued by the fact that age has nothing to do with her…she simply lives her life by following her dreams It made me want to look further into what all of us can do to literally live our lives without the fear and fact of aging.

In the book, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind by Deepak Chopra, M.D., Chopra addresses the connection between the mind and body connection, giving the reader tools to create new perceptions of aging, techniques for harnessing the power of awareness, and practical steps to experiencing timelessness. He actually states that by intervening at the level where belief becomes biology, the effects of aging are largely preventable and we can indeed achieve our unbounded potential. Wow! To learn strategies for aging and literally “stop the clock” sounds pretty amazing.

One of the wonderful aspects of Hazel’s life that I was drawn to is her ability to still exercise. Just seeing her with that helmet on, getting ready to ice skate, was inspiring. In Spontaneous Healing by Andrew Weil, M.D. he speaks about how he is always struck by the oddity of our habits of exercise whenever he visits nonindustrial societies. Just the demands of daily life give bodies all the work they need. Muscles have good tone because people lift and carry burdens, and they walk constantly. They walk to gather water and wood, they walk to their fields, they walk to markets, they walk to visit friends and relatives. When I think of how often I walk, it is very little, unless I have chosen particularly on that day to jump on my treadmill or walk in my neighborhood. Quite a difference! Weil states, “Of all the technological inventions that have changed our patterns of activity for the worse, the automobile gets the prize.” Weil considers walking to have the greatest capacity to keep the healing system in good working order and increase the likelihood of spontaneous healing in case of illness.

As I watched the video of this 88 year old woman, I was struck by how much she lives life to the fullest. She was full of enthusiasm for each day, each new challenge, always reaching for a positive vision for her community. In the book, Full Catastrophe Living……Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., states, “If your beliefs and attitudes, your thoughts and feelings are always producing reasons for not taking on new challenges, for not taking risks, for not exploring what might be possible for you at the limits of your understanding and your beliefs, for not looking at what the entire scope of a problem might be and at your relationship to it, then you may be severely and unnecessarily limiting your own learning, your own growth, and your ability to make changes in your life.” He further states that we need to acknowledge all the ways in which we are extraordinary and miraculous, without losing sight of the ways in which we are simultaneously nothing special, just part of a larger whole unfolding, waves on the sea, rising up and falling back in brief moments we call life spans.

Stress, of course, plays a major role in aging. It is all around us, getting inside to sap our energy, undermining our health and making us more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and disease. I am sure our featured senior citizen has experienced this as well; however, I believe she has learned the secret of life….to surround herself with loving people and knowing how to react with each new challenge that comes her way. Bill Moyers in his book, Healing and the Mind, speaks about the higher centers of the brain that generate signals that very clearly influence hormonal outflow. Some of the researchers in this area are studying whether the stress that accompanies certain experiences, such as taking a medical exam, or divorcing, or going into a nursing home, are accompanied by changes in immune response. They have found that one factor contributing to a diminished immune response is whether or not an individual is in control of the situation; another factor is whether or not the individual feels lonely.

In summing up how to literally live life to the fullest, I come up with the following:

Seeing life as a positive, exciting and wonderful adventure,
Always being open to new ideas
Having a positive, ongoing vision for the future
Incorporating exercise as a daily habit
Of course eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of rest
Seeing ourselves as part of whole, always contributing
And realizing that all the cells of our body are affected by our thoughts.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi:

Your beliefs become your thoughts

Your thoughts become your words

Your words become your actions

Your actions become your habits

Your habits become your values

Your values become your destiny

What?…..This Piece of Pie Will Make Me Look Older?

Uncategorized No Responses »

Nov 032010

Sugar…we are surrounded by it, in our holidays (so glad Halloween has passed us by), our beloved pastries, candy bars, sugar-laden soft drinks, fancy desserts, not to mention all the “hidden” places sugar hides. I will not go into how many names sugar has. But the reason I am even discussing it here is that I have decided to go without it for the next 3 weeks just to see how I feel.

As I have mentioned before in this blog, I am a huge fan of The Kathleen Show, a wonderful radio show that addresses great health issues. Here is some of Kathleen’s wisdom about the subject of sugar:

We all know that America has a serious sweet tooth. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on average, sugar consumption has risen to nearly 160 pounds per person per year (which is equivalent to about 50 teaspoons a day).

In watching Kathleen’s short video about a simple breakfast choice, my thoughts went immediately to the consumption of soft drinks in this country. According to the Weston Price Foundation, the average soda per person per year is 600 12 oz. drinks or 56.25 gallons of soda per person per year. (an 8 oz. container contains 8 to 12 teaspoons of sugar). That is a lot of sugar being consumed. Although I rarely indulge in soda drinking, I am always amazed when I shop for groceries at the amount of sodas in other people’s carts or better yet, the very popular “refillable” soda at most fast food restaurants.

We all know that we do not need refined sugar to survive and be healthy. However, when we focus on low fat diets and see that as being a healthy decision, it is often overlooked at how much sugar hides in those choices. For example, did you know that a “low-fat” fruit-flavored yogurt contains about 8 teaspoons of sugar? And of course we have Kathleen’s example of a simple glass of orange juice can begin our day with 6 teaspoons of sugar. How often do we feel that burst of energy after eating that sugary snack or juice and then suddenly find ourselves crashing. Our blood and brain chemistry is being altered by the sugar and the body has to work harder afterward to restore balance.

Actually one of the strongest reasons to reduce (or give up) sugar I have found is that high sugar consumption, according to Frank Lipman, M.D., author of Total Renewal..7 Steps to Resilience, Vitality and Long-Term Health, is connected to premature aging. According to Lipman, “Sugar chemically alters the proteins in your body, a process called “glycosylation,” resulting in the development of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs). As AGEs collect in the various tissues of the body, they inhibit proper functioning. In the skin, for example, they cause a loss of elasticity, which results in sagging and wrinkling. In the joints, they affect the cartilage, so you become stiffer. The buildup of AGEs affects all of the organs, which is why it is a major source of premature aging.” Wow, now I really am concerned!

I love Dr. Lipman’s “Prescription for Sugar” which include the following:

Avoid sugar, as much as possible
Avoid artificial sweeteners (most commonly used is aspartame – Equal and NutraSweet) When heated above 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the wood alcohol in aspartame converts into formaldehyde and then breaks down into formic acid. These substances are known toxins and have been linked to multiple sclerosis, lupus, fibromyalgia, seizures, and memory loss, among other disorders.
For sweetness use stevia, a natural noncaloric sweetener derived from the plant Stevia rebaudiana.
Instead of refined sugar, use small amounts of honey and 100% pure maple syrup if necessary.
Because sugar is a carbohydrate, avoid those foods in which the number of grams of sugar is more than one third of the number of grams of carbohydrates.
Aim to eat only those foods that have less than four grams of sugar per serving. (On labels look for the grams of sugar per serving. The lower the number, the better. Four grams is the equivalent of one teaspoon of sugar, and therefore, 40 grams of sugar is the equivalent of 10 teaspoons).
Avoid or decrease your intake of sodas and diet sodas
Try alternatives such as iced herbal teas, sparkling mineral water mixed with fruit juice, sparkling water over ice cubes made from unsweetened fruit juice, or sparkling water with a twist of lemon or lime.
Consume fruit and vegetables. Although they contain natural forms of sugar they are also high in fiber, enzymes, and essential vitamins and minerals, something that sweetened products are not.

I am reminding myself each day now of the quote, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life!” simply because I know that obesity, heart disease, diabetes, tooth decay and now AGING, can all be linked to those sugary desires! What about you? How are you and your family affected by sugar?