1. The average soda has no nutritional value - only sugar, carbonated water, caramel color, natural flavors, caffeine, phosphoric acid and high fructose corn syrup.

Natural Flavors is code for artificial substances derived from "natural substances". These natural flavorings and artificial sweeteners trick you into thinking things taste better and are sweet by exciting the taste buds. But at the same time are toxic to the nerve cells, thus, they are called excitotoxins. These natural flavors and/or artificial sweeteners have been shown to stimulate a wide range of abnormal endocrine responses, adversely affecting the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and the gonads. With these endocrine malfunctions, you would expect adverse effects in the body. One of the most predominant effects is weight gain and difficulties in infertility and menstrual disorders. One characteristic of weight gain induced by these Natural Flavorings is that it doesn't appear to depend upon food consumption. This could explain why some people cannot diet away their weight gain. It is also possible that many of todays' reproductive problems are similarly related to excitotoxing exposure early in life.

3. Sodas add more sugar to a typical 2-year-old's diet than cookies, candies and ice cream combined.

4. Numerous studies indicate that the sugar and acids in soda may cause tooth decay.

5. According to some household cleaning Websites, soda can be used as a toilet cleaner and rust, grease or tar remover.

6. A Harvard study of teenage athletes identified a strong association between soda consumption and bone fractures in 14-year-old girls.

7. An average can of soda has 35-38 mg of caffeine and as much as 13 teaspoons of sugar.

8. Most energy drinks contain about 80 mg of caffeine, along with other legal stimulants like guarana and ginseng.

9. Certain energy drinks contain huge blasts of caffeine (up to 280mg) - almost triple the caffeine in a cup of coffee.

10. Energy drinks can boost hear rate and blood pressure, increase anxiety, dehydrate the body and cause insomnia.

During the ice storm this winter, we encouraged you to clean your pantry as a lifestyle change. Many of you requested a list of what should be in your kitchen and pantry. Having good staples in your pantry is key to a healthy eating plan. These are our basic suggestions. Remember that you need to eat one of each of these food groups at every meal. 

Protein:

• Beef (hormone free) lean cuts
• Bison
• Chicken (best quality, range fed, hormone free)
• Turkey
• Cornish Game Hens
• Cottage cheese (organic)
• Eggs, fresh
• Fresh fish
• Goat cheese
• Lamb
• String cheese, (part-skim mozzarella) 
• Sausages (nitrate-free) chicken or turkey, available at Whole Foods

 Carbohydrates: Natural and Processed

Natural:

•  Beans
• Fresh or frozen fruit, including berries, organic if possible
• Grains, i.e. oatmeal, brown rice, bulgar, barley, quinoa, etc.
• Hummus
• Vegetables that are high starch, i.e. corn, peas, potatoes, yams, squash, etc.
• Vegetables that are simple and non starchy, i.e. broccoli, asparagus, spinach, bok choy,  carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes, etc
• Yogurt, plain and organic

Processed:

• Whole grain cereals
• Rice Bread and crackers
• Tortillas/Pitas, whole grain and/or veggie based
• Whole Grain Breads and crackers
• Whole Grain/Rice Pasta

Essential Fats and Oils:

• Avocado
• Butter
• Coconut Oil
• Nut butters, fresh
• EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Raw seeds and nuts
• Salad dressing - organic, without sugars; and made with high quality oils

Misc:

• Broths, veggie and chicken (organic)
• Dark organic chocolate
• Herbal teas
• Herbs and Spices
• Juice (organic for protein shakes)
• Sea Salt (not iodized)
• Tomatoes - organic fresh and canned
• Protein powder (good quality whey protein)
• Vinegars, organic red and balsamic

What is the definition of a toxin?

What are the most damaging ingested toxins?

Why do we need them?

How do you eliminate toxins from your life safely?

Define a toxin: "I call a chemical toxic if the body cannot use it to rebuild. These substances accelerate the turnover of chemicals and cells in your body, and therefore, speed up the aging (and disease) process." Dr. Diana Schwarzbein, M.D., author of best selling The Shwarzbein Principle.

The worst toxins: (in order with #1 being the most significant)

1.       Illicit drugs

2.       Tobacco

3.       Alcohol

4.       Artificial sugars

5.       Sugar and refined foods

6.       Additives, chemicals and fake chemicals- including over the counter and prescription drugs

7.       Caffeine

Why we need them:

Your body, in its infinite wisdom, has guided you to self medicate. This usually happens as a result of stress and/or nutritional illnesses that create natural chemical imbalances and/or altered hormone feedback loops in your body. Do not beat yourself up if you need these toxins. Recognize that you are dependent on them but continued use will contribute and cause disease states and accelerated aging.

Eliminate toxins! There are a few rules.

• Stop illicit drug use. Seek the help of a professional if necessary.
• Prescription/Over the counter drugs. Utilize a Functional Medicine Specialist to repair and recalibrate the body in order to eliminate the need for prescription drugs. Lesser dosages or natural supplements are an option to prescription and over the counter drugs as your body heals and recalibrates.
• The surprise tip- Do not stop ingesting these chemicals before you are ready (optimally healthy). Correct the underlying health imbalances that created the desire for the particular toxin. (For example, caffeine intake is often associated with adrenal fatigue). Eliminate toxins in the order of worst to least damaging.  In most cases, use a gradual tapering to stop. If your body is healthy enough to make the change to eliminate a toxin, it takes the body 3-5 days to adjust to a change and 2 weeks to let go of the craving. Tobacco, alcohol, and sugar toxins are very addictive and are habits that are very difficult to address on your own. Wellness Alternatives can help you kick the habit successfully.
• YOU KNOW THIS- Balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, exercise, and managing your stress are significant components to optimal health. These are the components of a successful life and a toxin free body.
• Toxins affect the pain/pleasure pathways of the brain, draining the "feel good" neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins.  Another way to revise the neural networks to achieve balance without toxins is to learn self-nurturing and effective limit setting skills.  Comforting from within helps alleviate the need for unhealthy toxins and makes it easier to eliminate unhealthy cravings.
• The easiest toxin to get rid of is artificial sugars.  Stop ingesting artificial sugars now. Cold turkey. They frequently create needs for additional toxins in your body.
• The last word is on caffeine. NO SODA. We repeat, NO SODA. If caffeine is your toxin of necessity, switch to a safer form of caffeine.  For example, green tea is the least toxic.

Address the reason you need these toxins. Call us.  We can help.

A new analysis of the foods Americans eat finds that sugary snacks and sodas reign supreme over healthier options such as vegetables and fruit.

Gladys Block, professor of epidemiology and public health nutrition at the University of California, Berkeley, has quantified the types of foods the United States population eats and ranked them by the amount of calories they contribute.

Her findings, published in the June issue of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, reveal that three food groups-sweets and desserts, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages-all sugars/processed foods (i.e., TOXINS) with a low nutrient to calorie ratio-comprise almost 25% of all calories consumed by Americans.  Salty snacks and fruit flavored drinks (sugar/converts to sugar/processed foods-TOXINS) make up another 5%, bringing the total energy contributed by nutrient-poor foods to at least 30% of the total calorie intake.

For her analysis, Block used data from 4,760 adults who took part from 1999 to 2000 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES).  Participants in the survey were asked to report all the foods they ate in the prior 24 hours.  For comparison, Block also analyzed NHANES III data collected between 1988 and 1994.

Among the food items, soft drinks and pastries led the list of top 10 foods contributing the most calories to the American diet.  As the leader of the pack, sodas alone contributed 7.1% of the total calories in the U.S. population.  Foods such as hamburgers, pizza, and potato chips rounded out the top five food items.

"It's important to emphasize that sweets, desserts, snacks, and alcohol are contributing calories without providing vitamins and minerals, "said Block.  "In contrast, such healthy foods as vegetables and fruit make up only 10 percent of the caloric intake in the U.S. diet.  A large proportion of Americans are undernourished in terms of vitamins and minerals.  You can actually be obese and still be undernourished with regard to important nutrients.  We should not only be telling people to eat less, we should be telling people to eat differently."

So what are you eating?  Is the majority of your diet and calories comprised of high carbohydrate, processed, salty and/or sugary, foods?  These foods are essentially TOXINS that accelerate the aging and disease processes and can overload your already compromised liver. Please ask yourself:  How many whole, natural foods that don't come with a label--those foods your ancestors would have eaten--comprise your diet?  Are you eating the right kinds and amounts of healthy protein, carbohydrates, and fats necessary for your particular lifestyle and health condition so you achieve optimal energy, aging, and well-being?  Are you at a healthy weight?   Wellness Alternatives can help you determine what foods are right for you and your situation.  Call us today!