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Amanda's Musings

Things we want you to know and other cool stuff!

Choosing a Cleanse or Detox Program

3/10/2017

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​Spring is on its way, a time when nature renews itself from the inside out and we see new growth all around us. As we emerge from our winter hibernation, many of us ritually begin to spring clean our homes and tidy up our yards. It is almost an instinct that lives within us.

At the same time I find that many people are ready for some renewal in their bodies too and they think about a cleanse or detox program.  Perhaps the excesses of the holidays dragged on into the New Year, or perhaps they are ready to jump-start some weight loss. Whatever the reason, it is certainly a good time to start, as nature provides us with so much fresh, local, organic produce to support our body.

My acupuncturist friends tell me that, in Chinese medicine, spring is a time to focus on the liver. This organ works so hard for us: removing toxins from the blood and sending them to the digestive tract for elimination; making bile so that we can digest our fats and access fat soluble vitamins; storing glycogen (our back up fuel supply), making cholesterol to build hormones and for other uses in the body….and more.  With the toxic environment in which we live, it is easy to see how the liver could get overworked and be compromised in its functioning, resulting in a variety of health symptoms.

To take a look at my questionnaire posted June 30th 2015 to assess your possible toxicity levels, click here: Cleanse questionnaire

It can be a challenge looking for a cleanse or detox program. The shelves are full of detox products that promise us complete transformation. Which to choose? We are also bombarded with news of celebrity cleanses like Beyoncé losing weight on the very extreme Master Cleanse or Jaime Pressly doing the famous Cabbage Soup Diet. How do you navigate this for yourself and what is really best for you in the long term?

Some things to consider:
Whatever type of cleanse you are undertaking, if your bowels are not moving regularly then you are not cleansing. Waste products are dumped by the liver into the digestive tract for elimination and so if things are not moving as they are supposed to then the toxins stay in your system.

On the other hand, some cleanses produce so much bowel movement that they can be not only too brutal to the system but also keep us tied to the toilet for the duration. This is pretty impractical for most people, potentially embarrassing and isn’t necessarily delivering any benefits.

The ability to adjust the cleanse to work for you is important, so that you get just the right amount of elimination.

In the same vein, many cleanses include an adjustment to fiber intake. Too much fiber can be hard for the body to handle if it isn’t used to it. Too little can mean that waste products do not have enough to bind to for elimination. It is a balance you have to work on and it is ideal if this is adjustable.

I also hear about a lot of cleanse programs that involve removal of proteins. This makes little sense because the liver cannot detoxify without certain amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Another downside of no protein is that most people will feel weak and unable to function as they normally do.

My last thought for you is to consider that some cleanses are just too hard to stick to. If I had a penny for every time someone told me they were doing a detox while they stood in front of me drinking a glass of wine…. Perhaps what most people really need, instead of a really strict program that will encourage a rebound, is some help in adjusting their habits for the long term so that they can achieve better balance.

I guess you have probably realized that this is my favorite approach to a cleanse. By all means, support the body with detoxification but while you do it, why not get educated and practice some new healthy habits that you can stick to? If you are looking for a cleanse option, I’d LOVE to help you! I have some deals on “Spring Clean Your Nutrition” Group Tele-conference Classes starting in April with some awesome add-ons like cleansing supplements and kitchen/pantry make-overs. Prices start at just $95! Click here for the Spring Clean Your Nutrition Deals!
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Cholesterol – It’s not the enemy you thought it was!

10/5/2015

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​What does cholesterol do in our bodies?
  • Cell membranes – This is kind of technical but cholesterol keeps the cell membranes at just the right level of fluidity and permeability and helps regulate what goes in and out.  In other words we need the cholesterol for the cells to function properly.
  • Memory and learning – Cholesterol is needed for the neurons in the brain to form connections.  (One of the main benefits of sleep for learning and memory is due to the fact that cholesterol production is highest when we sleep.)
  • Digestion of fats – Bile acids are made from cholesterol and this allows us to digest fats and access fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
  • Vitamin D –It isn’t just the sunlight that increases our vitamin D levels.  Cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D.  Vitamin D is best known for its role in calcium metabolism and bone health, but new roles are continually being discovered for it, including in mental health, blood sugar regulation, the immune system, and cancer prevention.
    • Hormones - Cholesterol is the precursor to all steroid hormones, including:
    • Glucocorticoids (blood sugar regulation)
    • Mineralcorticoids (mineral balance and blood pressure regulation)
    • Sex Hormones (many functions)

Sounds important, right?  Well that’s because it really is!

So why do we think of cholesterol as the enemy?
Cholesterol has been one of the most maligned and misunderstood substances of the twentieth century.

Eating foods high in cholesterol was thought to raise blood cholesterol levels.  At the same time, high blood cholesterol has been painted as the enemy or our arteries and the main cause of heart disease.

The popular version of cholesterol goes something like this: when you eat fatty foods, especially foods rich in animal fat, the saturated fat and cholesterol in these foods ends up in your blood and sticks to your arteries. Since saturated fats are solid outside your body, they will be solid inside your body too — (despite the 30-degree increase in temperature – ha ha!). Arteries are much like pipes. When they get caked up with grease, blood flow is impaired, and a heart attack ensues.

OK, so that is just not true!

The truth is that atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up in the arteries, is actually caused by inflammation.  Initially it is caused primarily by the consumption of industrial seed oils like canola oil, which are degenerated due to the heat and pressure of processing.  Other causes of inflammation in the body can then accelerate and exacerbate the process.

Since cholesterol is found in fatty foods that contain a greater proportion of saturated fat, these high cholesterol foods are likely not the culprits of atherosclerosis and heart disease.

So, bring back cholesterol in your diet!  Bonus – it’s found in delicious foods that you are going to love reintroducing!

Want some help navigating all of this?  Get in touch for some personalized suggestions.  We can help you with your diet and offer comprehensive cardio metabolic blood testing which is a step above what you'll get from your doctor.

Check our blog next time for more info on your cholesterol blood test numbers and what to look for.
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Easy Nutrition Tip: You CAN eat salt! Replace table salt with sea salt!

8/17/2015

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​Sometimes being healthier is just a matter of an easy switch over from something unhealthy to a better alternative and doesn't have to be about deprivation or dieting.  Here's one that is simple; a great way to raise your micronutrient intake and reduce your exposure to toxins.
Picture
Salt is necessary for each cell in our body and we need it for many important functions.  Yet most of us have heard that we should avoid salty, high sodium foods.

So what’s gone wrong with salt?

Table salt is an artificial form of sodium chloride created by taking either natural salt or crude oil flake leftovers (so yes, I did say crude oil – yummy!) and cooking it at 1200° F. This strips natural salt it of all of its naturally occurring minerals that we need in our diet.

Of particular concern, natural iodine is lost when we manufacture salt. Without iodine in our diet, the thyroid is severely harmed, leading to growth and metabolism issues. Because of this, the chemical-based salt industry began to add synthetic forms of iodine, such as the very toxic potassium iodide, to their products.

Other synthetic chemicals are added such as anti-caking agents and dextrose to stabilize it.  Dextrose turns it purple so then it has to be bleached!

So worse than being unhealthy, table salt is actually toxic.

So perhaps it might seem that low sodium foods are a good idea then.  Less table salt….yes.…but often instead other chemical flavor enhancers are added instead such as MSG.

Sea salt, on the other hand, is naturally dried in the sun and nutrients are preserved. It contains many alkaline minerals that help keep us hydrated, balance our sodium-potassium ratios, as well as fill the body with powerful electrolytes. They also contain all of the trace elements needed for proper immune, thyroid and adrenal function. Real forms of salt also boost the creation of digestive enzymes and juices that allow us to extract and assimilate other vitamins and nutrients from the food we eat.  I could go on to list more benefits.

But wait, you say, doesn’t high salt intake result in hypertension (high blood pressure)?  Well actually many recent studies are refuting that this is the case and indicate that a better way to balance your blood pressure is by having good overall mineral balance including calcium and magnesium.

So get back to salting your foods with natural sea salt.  It enhances the flavor and does your body good!  

Ways to increase good quality salt in your life:
  • Avoid processed foods or eating out, since you will consume large amounts of processed table salt.
  • Add sea salt to taste and don’t worry about eating too much.
  • Drink 1/2 tsp of quality salt in a quart of water daily to help raise your electrolyte and trace mineral levels.
  •  Soak in a relaxing bath with added magnesium and sea salt (2 tablespoons of each).
  • For skin issues like eczema or psoriasis make a poultice of real salt and water (or honey) and apply to affected areas.
  •  Make a scrub with finely powdered sea salt and natural oil (like coconut or olive) to use as an exfoliant.​
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To Cleanse or Not To Cleanse?

1/22/2015

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There is always a great deal of talk around the start of the year about cleansing.  New Year Resolutions abound and people are implementing (or attempting to!!) many changes in their lives.  There are so many cleanse programs out there that I’d like to give you my perspective and explain how I approach cleansing for my clients in a different way.

Problems I See with Cleanse Programs
Most cleanse programs are tough to stick to requiring a lot of restriction and will-power to get through them. The recommendations often result in reduced calories and, on the whole, not enough of the nutrients the body needs to function properly or in fact to detoxify.

I find that the majority of people I work with do not respond well in the long term to this type of regime.  The rigidity can result in feelings of deprivation that mean that the cleanse will be pretty quickly undone after it is over.  Some people can become addicted to the cleanse regime because they love the control and keep it going well past the point where it could have any health benefits.

What I Do Differently
In my opinion, most people benefit more in the long run getting educated and from making incremental changes in their food or lifestyle that they can sustain.  My recommendation is to gradually implement changes in manageable chunks.

With my clients we review their health issues and their food journal to determine the most critical places to start and agree to a plan that is manageable for them. That way they can begin to make lasting changes that will start conferring benefits right away.

What is a Cleanse?  What are the benefits?
Basically, it’s any kind of diet or lifestyle regimen that is aimed at detoxifying the body and restoring optimal health.

A cleanse is beneficial because a toxic environment can wreak havoc on your body.  A cleanse can be a first step to:
  • Prevent/ improve chronic health conditions
  • Improve nutrient absorption
  • Increase energy
  • Improve metabolism
  • Kick start weight loss
  • Cope with stress better
  • And more…..

Why Do We Need to Cleanse?
Many people ask why they would need to cleanse because the body is designed with incredible detoxification systems.  But think about all of the toxins that are around us every single day;
  • Pesticides/ herbicides
  • Heavy metals
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Food additives/ preservatives
  • Cleaning products
  • Cosmetics & skin care
  • Exhaust fumes……..Etc.
Toxins are in our water, in our food, in our air!  Our bodies can get overwhelmed and need extra support to get the toxins out.

Areas to Tackle:
1.    Reducing the Toxic Load
Look at what you are doing in your life and where you can reduce your exposure.  This can be getting educated on how to buy better food or changing your cleaning products.  In my cleanse program we go through these areas bit by bit so you can address the areas you choose.

2.    Helping the Body Eliminate Toxins
Digestive Support: A cleanse should ideally include some support for your digestive system to start and then keep your bowels moving regularly (and typically a little more than usual).  Why?  Because if your body starts to get rid of toxins they need a way to escape.  If you are not regular then the toxins will stay in your system. Here are the supplements I like to use: Ultimate Aloe to gently start getting things regular andDigestive Enzymes to break down any built up fecal matter in the digestive tract.
Liver Support:  The liver is a major organ of detoxification and it requires a variety of nutrients to do it’s work completely.  There are two phases of detox that need support. B vitamins - These are required to support Phase I liver detoxification and many people do not get enough in their regular diet.  Most people are not aware that amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are necessary to support liver detoxification and in fact many cleanses do not include enough and restrict protein intake.
To tackle these areas I suggest this supplement combination in conjunction with as clean of a diet as is realistic for you.
B Complex
OPC-3, an Antioxidant Formula
Liver Cleanse Supplements

3.    Feeding and Nourishing the Body
We work on healthy dietary changes based on your personality, your body and your lifestyle.  My clients have plenty to eat and do not feel hungry or deprived.  This is not an all or nothing situation!!!  Whatever improvements you can make are a step in the right direction.  Cleansing is something you can work on everyday.
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The Latest and Greatest!

8/29/2014

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There have been a lot of changes in my programs at Ways to Optimize, so I wanted to take the time to get you up to date on what I've been up to.  I've been thinking long and hard about where my heart beat is with my nutrition practice, so I thought I would share with you some of the aspects that are shaping my business and what I offer.
My passion is to help people stop dieting or being overly restrictive and instead find a lifestyle that works for them ongoing.  I just want people to feel better and dieting certainly doesn’t offer that!  Think about it!  How many people do you know who are on a diet and that are happy with that situation?  Not to mention that 95% of people who diet regain the weight they lost.
There is a lot of nutrition information out there and much of it seems contradictory and overwhelming.  How do you know what your body really needs and who are you going to listen to about what is healthy?  If you follow some of the mainstream nutrition news you might end up changing your approach every couple of weeks!  The truth is that there is no one single ideal way to eat that fits every person of every age, sex, body type, lifestyle etc.  Nutrition is personal on so many levels.  I love to sift through the science, analysis and research for you and combine that with things that we know that work in general and, in particular, will work for you!!

These are the features of our nutrition solutions that I think are keys to your success:
  • Personalized – They apply to your body, your health issues, your lifestyle.
  • Real-world – We help you find what really works.
  • Educational – You are empowered with knowledge based on science so that you can take the reins.
  • Supportive – We are here to hold you accountable and give the support you need.
  • Holistic – We work toward identifying the root cause of health issues.

The other important key to your success is YOU!  If you are hungry for change in your health, we can connect you to a healthy, vibrant, fun life.

Get started with me for as little as $97 initial session and then $47/ month ongoing.  Contact us for a 15 minute Complimentary Nutrition Strategy Session to see how we can help you.
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