Body Blog (31)
When I was a kid, I remember learning about Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer in the 16th Century, searching for the fountain of youth. Perhaps if he had spent more time sleeping and less time searching, he would have found it. The fountain of youth is sleep! We are a society that is driven to perfection. We have to do it all. We need to get an "A" in all areas of our lives—being a parent, spouse, worker, friend, child, etc. Focusing on getting an A often means getting fewer Zzzzzs. The demands on our time are starting so…
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When you think of the word “exercise,” what comes to mind? Is it dragging yourself to the gym a certain number of times a week to do the recommended cardio and weight workout? Well, no wonder it is so hard to fit exercise into our lives. When it becomes an obligation instead of a want, the chances of us doing it are reduced. It is important to be creative and think outside the box when it comes to exercise. How about this image instead...You are riding on your cruiser bike whose name is Gypsy. She has red spokes, tassels on…
For me, living healthy is an active plan. I have to work at it. It takes time to shop for good food, make healthy meals, exercise, manage my stress, and so on. Sometimes I feel strong and the healthy living comes more easily. Other times, I'm low in willpower and I need all of the help I can get. Here are a few ideas of what helps me stay on track.1. Do it with a buddy.I am definitely more likely to get out for my run or walk (or insert exercise here) when I schedule to meet a friend. In…
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The beginning of a new year is a great time to reflect on the year behind and look forward to the year ahead. A great way to do this is with The 2-0-1-6 Plan. Three years ago, I created The 2-0-1-3 Plan and it resonated with so many of you, so we've done it every year since. Be sure to comment below with your plan. The 2-0-1-6 Plan is about starting off the New Year with intention, motivation, and accountability for health and happiness. It's okay if some of your items from last year are still on the list this…
I've never much been into yoga. I know it can be good for your health, but it's never been something I've been passionate about. Yes, I've dabbled in and out of it to try to understand what people love about it, but it's just never been my thing. I can see how it would be good for flexibility, strengthening, toning, and stretching. It can also supposedly be relaxing as you follow your breath. I've never mastered inhaling and exhaling comfortably while flowing in and out of the yoga poses. I find myself having to take two inhale/exhale cycles to every…
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Many of you know that my soda of choice is Diet Coke. I've had an on-again, off-again relationship with it, as I talked about in my blog, "If Diet Coke Were Broccoli." I've even made giving it up part of my 2-0-1-3 Plan and 2-0-1-4 Plan. I have significantly reduced my intake of it, but I still did have it on occasion last year. I know it's not healthy for me, but I love the taste of it. I'm trying again this year to give it up for good. Eight days in and I'm holding strong! Soda is not good…
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I don't know about you, but I'm happy it's the New Year. It's time to get back into a routine and away from so many indulgences. The holidays were fun and fantastic, but my body is on overload from the temptations that couldn't be resisted—sweets, heavy meals, drinks, and so on. I'm ready to give my body (and mind) a fresh, clean, healthy start to 2014! It's time to detox. Whether you are local or not, you can join me. For those local, I am leading a group detox starting Tuesday, January 21 (time TBD based on participants). For those…
My favorite new food discovery is nutritional yeast. If you don't know about it yet, let me introduce you. I use it as a Parmesan cheese substitute. I put it on salads and soups, but you can also top your casseroles, pasta, and popcorn with it.It is inactive so it does not have leavening ability. I buy it from the bulk bin at Whole Foods. Nutritional yeast is a good source of B vitamins, folic acid, selenium, zinc, and protein. Some describe it as having a cheesy, nutty flavor. I have been eliminating dairy from my diet, so I like…
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I'm excited so many of you are up for joining the 4QL July Plank Party! Here's what we are doing. For the month of July, we are doing a plank a day. What's a plank? It's a great way to tone your abdominals, back, glutes, and shoulders. Set the goal to do planks at least 5 days a week. If you want to be an overachiever, you can do it everyday, but for those just starting out, I would recommend taking a day or two off—at least in the first few weeks. I'm committing to planking Monday through Friday. You…
Friday, 12 April 2013 09:53
Achoo! 7 Natural Ways to Relieve Seasonal Allergies
Written by Dina Colman Mitchell
Spring is in the air. Literally. Flowers are popping up, but so is the pollen count. Millions of Americans are experiencing the symptoms of seasonal allergies right now. These symptoms include runny nose, congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes and ears, sinus pressure, sleeplessness, and fatigue. If you are among the allergy sufferers, try a natural solution before reaching for the over-the-counter medications, which can have negative side effects. Here are a seven ideas that can help: 1. Eat clean: Eating whole foods that are rich in essential vitamins and minerals, and staying away from processed foods, will not only help reduce…
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I was hoping the title would get your attention. Every one is looking for the secret to weight loss. I have seen many clients who say they have tried every weight loss plan out there, but the weight just keeps coming back. This blog is about the secret to long-term weight loss. It is about creating a new way of living—for life. It's about resisting the temptation of the grand promises of the latest shake, supplement, pill, plan, or product to lose weight. Those may work in the short-term, but invariably the pounds find their way back. And, they aren't…
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There is a lot of information out there about the connection between food and health. Perhaps you have read that sugar can lead to cancer, trans fats can cause a heart attack, and gluten can be the cause of autoimmune disease. You are warned about the pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and toxins in your food. It can get to the point where you are afraid to put anything in your mouth. I'm not here to dispute or support the accuracy of these claims or to promote any one way of eating. I am here to say that all of this can…
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We may not talk openly about burping, farting, and pooping, but they are all important signs of what is happening with our digestion and health. Proper digestion is essential for optimal health. Our digestive system is connected to every major organ system and over 60% of our immune system is in the gastrointestinal tract. You may associate common health complaints like gas and burping to improper digestion, but it can also show up as skin irritations, foggy brain, fatigue, anemia, and weakened immune. Signs of an unhealthy gut include the following: poor bowel habits such as constipation and diarrhea undigested…
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There is no doubt that the stress of the holidays and the availability of unhealthy food can be a challenge to our healthy eating plan. Cookies, cakes, and candy are everywhere we go. Dinner tables are filled with dishes high in sugar, fat, and carbs. By all means, enjoy! Just do so in moderation so that your waist line doesn't expand too much as you enter the New Year. Here are seven ideas for not overeating during the holidays. 1. Eat before you go. Headed to a holiday party? Eat a healthy meal before you go so hunger will not…
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What would you do if you were told you had an 87% chance of getting cancer?a. fear itb. ignore itc. beat the odds! When I was told this by doctors 14 years ago, I did "a" and then "b" until I decided it was time to do "c". I chose to replace the fear and denial with empowerment. I left my sexy and lucrative high-tech job and went back to school to study health. I wondered whether how I lived my life could impact how my genes expressed themselves. In learning about the science of epigenetics, I discovered that yes,…
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Cancer. I've seen it up close and personal and it's not pretty. My sister had stage 3 breast cancer when she was 31 back in 1998. She went through chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, surgery, and radiation. She had an aggressive cancer and she needed aggressive treatment. She survived the disease and the treatment (Go Deb!). She's one of the lucky ones. Cancer is just all too prevalent these days. Each year 12.7 million people in the world learn they have cancer, and 7.6 million people die from the disease. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S.,…
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We've all heard about cancer and we've heard about heart disease. But what about autoimmune disease? It is the third leading cause of death and yet many people have never heard of it or know exactly what it is. The National Institutes of Health estimates up to 24 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease and close to 100 different autoimmune diseases have been identified. It is difficult to diagnose (unfortunately often by the time it is, it is systemic) and it's hard to treat with conventional medicine, but there are some diet and lifestyle changes that can help tremendously for…
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Tuesday, 12 June 2012 11:33
Cleansing and Detoxing: Fad or For Real?
Written by Dina Colman Mitchell
“4 WEEKS TO YOUR BEST SELF” “28 DAYS TO HEALTH” “DETOX WITH YOUR DOCTOR”You've probably seen ad headlines similar to the above. It seems that everyone is cleansing these days. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical at first because it seemed like my friends were either doing it for the wrong reasons ("I need to fit into a bathing suit for my trip to Hawaii") or they weren't really doing it right ("I'm doing the cleanse except that I'm drinking coffee, having a few glasses of wine, and sometimes eating bread"). Also, I have numerous friends who…
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Lately, I've been very up in my head. This isn't really that different than how I normally operate, but I was pushing it to the extreme last week. I've been in the process of changing the tagline for my company, Four Quadrant Living. For most of last week, this was all I could think about—morning, noon, and night. I had about 20 different versions. Was it "Healthy living simply done" or was it "Choose healthy living" or ... Well, my dog, Kora doesn't really care whether or not I have decided on my tagline and am living in my head.…
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In the musical, "Oliver!", hungry orphan, Oliver Twist, who is eating yet another bowl of gruel sings about "Food, Glorious Food." What I just learned recently about the U.S. standards for food makes me feel that the options for glorious food available in this country are getting more and more limited. Next time I'm in the supermarket, I may just break into song about "Food, Unglorious Food." Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. These eight foods account for 90% of food allergies. When I was growing up, I never heard about food allergies. Now, it seems…
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How far will we go for beauty? Apparently, pretty far. I just recently heard about a product called Latisse. It helps your eyelashes grow longer. It originated from a group of popular medications called topical prostaglandins, drugs used for glaucoma patients. A side effect of this product is hypertrichosis, a condition characterized by darkening, thickening, and lengthening of the eyelashes. The product people use to lengthen their eyelashes is actually a side effect of a drug used to treat a serious medical condition. So people who do not have glaucoma are taking a prescription medication for the benefit of its…
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Wednesday, 02 November 2011 10:33
Seven Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating
Written by Dina Colman Mitchell
It is November which means the holidays are rapidly approaching. Later this month we will be tempted by pumpkin pie and stuffing. Soon after that it will be December and the temptations of sweets and desserts will abound. There is no doubt that the stress of the holidays and the availability of unhealthy food can be a challenge to our healthy eating plan.Here are a few ideas to stay healthy during the holidays.1. Eat mindfully. For example, when you are at the Thanksgiving table, mindfully eat your favorite foods. Savor the stuffing and pumpkin pie. Part of health is pleasure.…
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You are your own best advocate of your health. The government, your doctors, the pharmaceutical companies, your friends, and your family all may have the best intentions for you, but you are the one most motivated to help yourself. And, you are the one that knows the most about what is best for you.My neighbor had breast cancer a couple of years ago and had chemotherapy as treatment. She ended up in the hospital from a severe reaction to it. Recently, her doctors recommended chemo again for a new cancer. She didn’t want to do it, but her doctor and…
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We often take great care in what we put in our bodies (food), but don't think twice about what we put on our bodies (products). It is important to recognize that 60% of the product we put on our skin is absorbed into our body. Think about how many personal care products you use a day. Is it five? Ten? On average, we put 126 unique ingredients on our skin daily. Did you know that the government doesn't require any pre-market testing or health studies for these products? There is no requirement that companies test personal care products for safety…
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