Podcast 054: Book Club 2 for The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control
We discuss the second part of the book Part II: From Marshmallows in Pre-K to Money in 401(k). This part talks about how to take self- control and tap into the limbic system and making good choices in life.
This book is full of good information on how to set yourself up for success. Wendy and Dr. Meaghan discuss the book and how it implies to their lives. We recommend that you do read this book. There are so many different themes in this book that relate to a lot of different aspects in life.
Thanks for listening. We got to 5000 downloads and now are in 46 countries.
Be kind to others, Take care of yourself, and Make good choices.
Podcast 52: Ketogenic Diets
Dr. Meaghan and Wendy talk about the benefits of ketogenic diet. Ketogenic diets focus on high fat, moderate protein, and low/no carbohydrates. Ketogenic diets focus on utilizing ketones for energy over glucose and carbohydrates. The power of ketogenic diets has been known since the 1920s and 1930s when it was utilized clinically for epilepsy. There were dramatic results from putting children with epilepsy on this diet. This kind of treatment was replaced though anticonvulsants and prescription drugs. When you are in a ketone producing state your liver produces this source of energy that fuels the body. Once in ketosis the body prefers ketones to glucose. There are also benefits with the fact that ketones do not feed foreign cells and tumors like carbs and sugars do.
Ketogenic diets also help to decrease weight because you are not relying on insulin like when you consume a diet higher in carbohydrates. It also helps to suppress your appetite while carbs stimulate appetite. Usually the hardest part of doing a ketogenic diet is breaking the addiction to carbs. Another type of way to incorporate ketogenic diets is by utilizing intermittent fasting.
There is new research out there about the benefits of ketogenic diets including possibly helping with cancer, autism, Alzheimers, and diabetes.
“Be kind to others, take care of yourself, and make good choices.”
Podcast 51: Making Good Healthy Choices by Natasha Stergion
Wendy and Dr. Meaghan welcome Natasha Stergion, a Certified Health Coach, to the podcast world. She is a wealth of knowledge about how to implement healthy choices into your lifestyle. We talk about what hesitations and reservations hold people up from making life changes.
Thanks so much Natasha for coming by the studio and sharing your expertise. You can email Natasha by natashastergion@comcast.net or by phone (516) 355-8940.
Be kind to others, take care of yourself, and make good choices.
Podcast 50: Importance of Sleep
Wendy and Dr. Meaghan discuss the importance of sleep and what the proper amount of sleep is for optimal health and wellness. Here is a great article about the pattern of sleep that is best. It takes about why we should strive to sleep from 10pm-4am (at the bare minimum).
http://www.brahmacarya.info/2009/12/sleep-by-10pm/
It has been shown that if you don’t get sleep until midnight then every hour is equivalent to two hours before midnight. It is important to get to bed before 10 pm and get up everyday by a certain time. Research has shown that proper sleep patterns have been linked to various health improvements including better cardiovascular health, less stress, and less risk for many diseases.
Be kind to others, take care of yourself, and make good choices
Podcast 49: The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control by Walter Mischel Book 1
Wendy and Dr. Meaghan discuss the first 7 chapters of the book. Walter Mischel headed research over 40 years to show the correlation between instant gratification vs. long-term self-control. We are driven by two different parts of the brain; the emotional limbic system and the self-control prefrontal cortex. Mischel calls the limbic system the “Go! System” and the prefrontal cortex the “No! System.” This is because the hot system of the limbic system drives us to make impulsive behaviors and the cold system of the prefrontal cortex drives more thought out decisions.
This is a great book that discusses what drives us to do what we do and how we can teach ourselves to be more prefrontal cortex based. That children that put off eating one treat for a long period of time for two treats had stronger prefrontal cortex based decisions. This kind of behavior lead to many different benefits later in life.
Podcast 048: Intermittent Fasting; What is it all about?
Intermittent fasting is the act of incorporating eating patterns into your life where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting.
Eatlocalgrown.com had a great article on fasting titled “What is Intermittent Fasting Explained in Human Terms”. Despite what you might think intermittent fasting is pretty easy to do and people have more energy.
Dailyburn.com has a great article titled “Intermittent Fasting Methods”
Wendy loves Bob Tucker!
This site talks about the five popular intermittent fasting techniques that many of you might have heard about:
1. Lean Gains- best for dedicated gym goers that want to lose body fat and gain muscle. Women should fast for 14 hours and men for 16 hours.
2. Eat-Stop-Eat . Best for healthy eaters looking for an extra boost. Fast for 24 hours either 1 or 2 days a week.
3. Warrior Diet. Best for people that like to follow rules. You eat 1 meal a day.
4. Fat Loss Forever. Best for gym rats that like cheat days. 1 cheat day a week followed by a 36 hour fast.
5. Up Day, Down Day or Alternate Day Diet. Discipline dieters that have a goal weight. Eat very little one day (400-500 calories) followed by a larger amount the other day (2000-2500 calories). States that you should love about 2-2.5 pounds/day.
There is great research out there about the positive effects of intermittent fasting and health. Here is a great summary article (it is very scientific based but this is Beyond the Basics Health Academy so many of you will enjoy this literature):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4352038/
There are many proven benefits of intermittent fasting:
· Improved insulin sensitivity.
· Improve leptin sensitivity
· Changes in gene expression
· Increased Human Growth Hormone.
· Give your body a break- especially the gut
· Reduce oxidative stress
· Improved mitochondrial activity
· By decreasing calories by 30-40% you can increase your life by 1/3.
Dr. Mercola also has a great article about the benefit of intermittent fasting. It can be found on fitness.mercola.com. “Intermittent Fasting Beats Traditional Diets and Even Chronic Calorie Restriction for Weight Loss and Other Health Benefits.”
If you are finding that you are having a lot of cravings and appetite problems with fasting than chromium, cinnamon, and 5-HTP can help.
Podcast 047: Change Your Water, Change Your Life
Dr. Meaghan and Wendy welcome Julie Roberts and Debbie Carlson to talk about the benefits of ionized water. They have both incorporated this into their lifestyle and what benefits they have seen. It is interesting to note that Gershon Therapy has now incorporated Kangen water into their therapy.
Kangen water is ionized water that has three major benefits:
1. Alkaline pH- The alkaline pH allows the body to fight off acidity in the body and function in a more optimal pH level. This allows cells to hydrate better and function in a more optimal range.
2. Antioxidant and ORP benefits. We can look at ORP readings to see the level of antioxidant that something possesses. Being in the negative means that it has an antioxidant effect, while being in the positive means that it causes oxidative stress. Almost all other drinks including tap water, soda, and fruit juices have a positive ORP and causes oxidative stress. Kangen ionized water actually has a negative ORP and helps to combat free radical stress on the body.
3. Microclustering. The ionization actually changes the shape of the water allowing it to penetrate cells more readily. This leads to more cell hydration and allows the water to be pushed into the cell.
Besides just drinking the water, Julie and Debbie also talk about how you can use the water to clean and wash your body and how they have incorporated the ionized water into other aspects of their lives.
If you would like more information about Kangen water then you can visit this site: http://www.orginalrx.yourbodyiswater.info. You can also contact Julie with any questions by emailing her at originalrx@me.com.
You can also find more research about Kangen ionized water by searching www.pubmed.gov.
Water truly is something that everyone needs to survive, why not utilize water that is the best for you and your health. Thanks Debbie and Julie for stopping by and sharing all this information with us.
Podcast 044: Book Club #4: Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes Chapter 14-19
Wendy and Dr. Meaghan finish up the conversation about this fantastic book. The book talks about how we have gone backwards in the past few decades about calorie-in vs calorie-out. Gary Taubes gives many different examples in the past of how bread and carbs were known to cause weight gain. We talk about what does cause weight gain and what we can do to improve weight loss.
Thanks so much for reading the book with us. Join us for the next book club (The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control by Walter Mischel).
Be kind to others, Take care of yourself and make good choices
Podcast 045: Incorporating Exercise Into Your Life
Dr. Meaghan and Wendy welcome Tom Alcivar, owner of Train Me Tom, to the show. Tom has an extensive background in many different training and coaching techniques. Along with his experience with athletes, he also has an unique educational background that includes sports psychology.
He talks about the different aspects of training from what it takes to make changes in your life. He address the differences between wants and needs along with perception and motivation. Tom is also a father of two and discusses the positive effects of training on bonding and parenting. He discusses many great conversational facts during the podcast.
Tom also has a great website with lots of additional information and blogs. We recommend that all our listeners check that out at www.trainmetom.com.
Podcast 046
Dr Meaghan and Wendy welcome back Dr. Ron Kirschling,MD. Dr. Ron Kirschling is a medical oncologist with over 30 years of clinical experience. We open up the discussion between Dr. Meaghan, Dr. Ron, Wendy, and Scott about the importance of food in the spectrum of both healing and healthcare. This is one discussion you won't want to miss. It brings up many interesting points while all four of us weigh in on what we have seen and experienced.
Want to join in the conversation, go to www.btbha.com and watch the documentary "Food Matters."
Check out Amazon Fresh https://fresh.amazon.com/welcome;jsessionid=6E075D7C568613E21FE46EE6F5906794
Podcast 043: Gut Health
Dr. Meaghan and Wendy discuss different aspects of gut health and what you can do to make sure that you have proper gut health throughout life.
When there are gut issues they need to be addressed and they can take awhile to heal. It is best to take a 4R approach to healing the gut.
1. First R- Remove. Remove any infections or inflammatory mediators. This can include Candida, bacterial or viral infections, or food sensitivities/allergies.
2. Second R- Reinoculate. A huge part of gut health is the balance between the different flora in the gut. It is important to make sure to put in the good bacteria (probiotics) and feed them with prebiotics (fuel for the gut bacteria. This includes inulin, FOS, and fiber).
3. Third R- Restore. Restore proper function to the gut. If the gut is inflamed than many times it is not going to work to the best of its ability. Therefore, it is important to support good gut function. You can do this through digestive enzymes, HCl and other supplements.
4. Fourth R- Repair. Repairing the gut is necessary after infection or inflammation and often times forgotten. It is important to make sure that you are giving the gut what it needs to repair and decrease the damage that happens due to leaky gut. You can do this through l-glutamine, licorice, aloe, zinc, and Vitamin D.
If you are having major gut issues than it is important to have a functional medicine doctor to help guide you in the program. There are many different facets to the gut and it is important to work with someone that can help you.
I also find that foot reflexology charts are very helpful when working with both adults and children with digestive issues. Acupressure and essential oils to those specific areas really makes a huge difference.
Most importantly, we found out the meaning of from Soups to Nuts means. It comes from the origin that everything is covered because the meal starts with Soups and it ends with the dessert of nuts. Thanks Producer Scott for teaching us what this means.
Podcast 042: Household Cleaners
Wendy and Dr. Meaghan discuss natural ways to clean your house. We discuss the uses of baking soda, lemons, vinegar, liquid castile soap, salt, borax, and hydrogen peroxide. Meaghan also discusses how much she loves the water steamer to clean floors. Never underestimate the power of steam for cleaning.
Wendy discusses how she uses Pinterest to find a lot of her formulas. She uses baking soda and vinegar a lot for cleaning. Essential oils are great for additional support.
Podcast 041: Physical Activity and Dr. Patrick Quigley
Dr. Patrick Quigley joins us again to talk about individualizing physical activity and exercise to the person. He discusses amazing research talking about habits that surround incorporating physical activity into someone's daily regimen.
Dr. Patrick is always full of great information and practical advice. He focuses on what has been proven to have a positive effect on health and wellness when it comes to exercise. He talks about the difference between cardiovascular and resistance training.
This information is different than most other information you will hear about exercise. It is always fascinating to listen to Dr. Patrick because he incorporates great research into everyday information. He has 20 years of clinical experience and that really shines through in his approaches to health and wellness.
Podcast 040: Wake Up Food Matters
Producer Scott and Wendy watched the documentary Food Matters. This is an excellent documentary that you can watch at www.foodmatters.tv. This is also a information dense website with great resources for health and wellness.
A great way to cleanse your body is to do a detox. There is a 28 day Detoxification Transformation on our site www.btbha.com. It is a great and inexpensive way to find out more about detoxification pathways.
Gershon Therapy is a therapy that focuses on whole raw organic foods and detoxification to help combat disease and increase health and wellness.
Podcast 039: Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes- Chapter 9-13
The Laws of Adiposity
The First Law: Body fat is carefully regulated, if not exquisitely so.
The Second Law: Obesity can be caused by a regulatory defect so small that it would be undetectable by any technique yet invented.
The Third Law: Whatever makes us both fatter and heavier will also make us overeat.
Podcast 038 :Health, Healing, and Habits
Mark Schneider is here from Movement Minneapolis. He has 15+ years of unique clinical experience helping people with all different concerns and through all different age ranges. He is trained in massage therapy, 5 element shiatsu, myoabdominal massage, and personal training.
We are so pleased that he has come on the show to discuss what he has noticed with holistic health. He works with helping patients connect to their driving forces. Wendy and Dr. Meaghan thoroughly enjoyed this thought provoking conversation.
Besides working with Movement Minneapolis, he is also creating a website, LivIt, that focuses on lifelong vitality.
If you would like to contact Mark, email him at mark@movementminneapolis.com.
He is a wealth of information and we are so happy he joined us at BTBHA. This is a podcast you will probably want to listen to a few times.
Podcast 037:Food sensitivities and allergies
Today there are many different food concerns.
True food allergies are a severe IgE reaction that leads to a Type 1 hypersensitivity. The responses to this type of reaction usually occurs in a few minutes to possibly 4-6 hours after exposure (most responses occur a few minutes to an hour after exposure). It is a severe allergic response that usually grows in intensity with each exposure. It leads to respiratory problems, rash or hives all over the skin, and histamine response. Can cause anaphylactic shock. The most common types of food allergens for this type are peanuts, gluten, soy, and corn.
Food sensitivities or intolerances are also an immune response but a very different immune response. These are sometimes called food allergies too, but they are a response of IgG. The response is delayed and can happen a few hours to 72 hours after the exposure. They are chronic and lead to constant inflammation because usually the food is left in the diet because it is hard to decipher the specific foods. Elimination diets can help to decipher the foods because you eliminate the major food intolerances (gluten, dairy, rice, corn, soy, citrus foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners) and then you put them back in after at least two weeks off of them. It is important wait 72 hours to incorporate new foods because these are delayed responses.
Celiac is caused by having antibodies against the gluten protein. These people have to avoid gluten because gluten causes severe responses in their gastrointestinal tract.
Eosinophilic esophagitis and eosinophilic gastroenteritis are also two food reactions that are non-IgE responses but cause someone to have to avoid foods so they do not have severe immune responses.
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/02/24/most-allergy-friendly-restaurants?cmpid=foodinc-fb
Podcast 036: Say What FDA?
Listen in as Dr. Meaghan and Wendy discuss what drives the FDA rules and regulations. It is confusing because there is some confusion by what their recent driving force actually might be. They have recently okayed the use of Oxycodone, a major narcotic and opioid, for children between the age of 11-16. Here is an article more about their decision:
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/08/17/fda-approves-oxycontin-for-children-11-and-older/
This is all happening while they are pushing for tighter regulations on essential oils, supplementations, and homeopathics. More information is found in this article:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/20/health/homeopathic-medicine-fda/
Dr. Meaghan and Wendy talk about their point of views. Listen in and decide where you lie in this interesting debate.
Podcast 035: Pineal Gland and Sleep.
Dr. Meaghan and Wendy talk about the connection of pineal gland and sleep. The pineal gland is a part of the brain that is known as "The Third Eye." It is responsible for awareness, sleep, melatonin production, and hormonal changes.
A problem with this gland is that we are starting to notice that it is calcifying during life because of certain reasons. Therefore, sleep and life balance can be significantly affected by detoxifying the pineal gland. Decreasing fluoride exposure can help to do this because the gland is sensitive to fluoride.
It is also important to make sure that there is no heavy metal exposure, especially mercury and lead. If you have mercury amalgams than make sure that you get them looked at from a dentist that knows what they are doing with amalgams.
Oregano oil has been shown to decrease calcium and detoxify the pineal gland. Therefore, adding in oregano oil can make a huge difference. Because the pineal gland is responsible for awareness, yoga, mediation and other mind-body activities can greatly improve pineal gland health.
Other things that benefit the pineal gland are neem extract, spiraling and other chorella rich superfoods, raw cacao, and apple cider vinegar. The other nutrient that can help is iodine and seafood.
Other essential oils that help are frankincense, sandalwood, and cedar wood. These pineal gland stimulators will benefit the health of the pineal gland.
General detoxification programs will also help the Pineal Gland. Right now we have made our detoxification program for $19. Check it out at www.btbha.com.
Podcast 034: Book Club 2: Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes, Chapter 5-8
Wendy and Dr. Meaghan discuss about Chapter 5-8. These chapters talk about some of the other downfalls of the calorie-in vs calorie out fallacy that we have been lead to believe as a society. Our failure to pinpoint and come up with reasons for obesity is causing the obesity epidemic that we are seeing in this country. 35% of adults now are obese with a BMI greater than 30. This is roughly 113 million people in the US. We are even going backwards in our thinking. The NIH said in 1998 that “obesity is a complex, multifactorial chronic disease that develops from an interaction of genotype and environment.” Now the NIH looks at it as mainly a calorie in vs calorie out concern.
It seems like we want to believe that obesity is just about energy balance because it is easy solution. We strive for 1 problem, 1 cause, and 1 fix, but we take out the many different layers of weight gain and management. Not all calories are created the same and not all people are created equal either. Obesity is not a 1 cause concern.
Check out www.btbha.com for more information, blogs, and podcasts. We have also started a recipe section. If you have a recipe that you would like to share, please send it to us at info@btbha.com and we will include it in our recipe section. We would love to have a recipe collection for all of our community to use.
Be kind to others, take care of yourself, and make good choices.
Podcast 033: Epigenetics
Dr. Meaghan and Wendy welcome Kati Loder back to the studio to talk about epigenetics. Epigenetics means “above genetics” and relates how environment and lifestyle play a role in how our genes are expressed. We talk about nature vs nurture and how it all plays a role in living longer and healthier. It all has to do with how our genes are translated through our life into different characteristics or phenotypes.
Genetics is a relatively new study stemming from 1953 and the race for the double helix with Dr. Watson and Crick. The Human Genome Project only came to fruition in the early 2000s. Therefore, we have only really explored genetics in the past few decades.
Harlow Monkey Study showed that different characteristics are expressed throughout life depending on the environment that monkeys are raised in. This shows the importance of lifestyle choices that we make throughout life.
Dr. Randy Jirtle did research on genomic imprinting with the Agouti mouse and the certain gene that certain mice carry that make them more susceptible to diabetes and obesity. He found that exposing these mice to certain methyl donors (folic acid and B12) helped to make sure that these genes were not expressed. Therefore, lifestyle choices turn genes on or off.
We have also come to realize that we are passing down information from one generation to the other. And that your grandmother and grandfather’s decisions and lifestyle affects you and your genes today.
One way to check your genes is to utilize 23 and me. You can have this done at www.23andme.com.
The main 5 GMO foods: Soybeans, Sugarbeets, BT Corn, Canola, Rustic Burdock Potatoes.
Be kind to others, take care of yourself, and make good choices.
Podcast 032: Telomeres
Telomeres are the specialized structures at the end of chromosomes that protect the signal of DNA throughout our life. This is similar to how our shoelaces have plastic at the end to protect so that our shoelaces do not unravel. We are conceived with about 15,000 nucleotides in each telomere (nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and telomeres) and then born with about 10,000 nucleotides. As our cells replicate and are broken down by oxidative stress, we shorten these telomeres. It is the length of this telomere that is a direct correlation with health, wellness, and longevity. There is also another component of telomere length by looking at telomerase that protects the telomeres. We know some things like estrogen help to increase telomerase to protect the length. Research is still ongoing in this field.
We have found some positive research with some Chinese Medical Herbs and protecting the length of the telomeres. Shoushen and Astragulus are two Chinese Herbs that have been shown to have a positive effect on telomere length.
For now, I think in order to preserve the telomeres, we have to look at the cultures that have been able to live longer and healthier. Dan Buettner, from the University of Minnesota, has become an expert in longevity through his work and exploring the “Blue Zones.” These are cultures and groups of people that are living longer. By looking to these communities we can get answers on how to live healthier and preserve our telomere length.
Here is the link to the article about Dinner with Blue Zone Solutions Author Dan Buettner:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/fashion/dinner-with-blue-zones-solution-dan-buettner.html?_r=0
Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices.
Podcast 031: Natural Medicine Cabinet Overhaul
Wendy and Dr. Meaghan discuss what natural items you can use to replace your medicine cabinet. Whenever possible you can utilize homeopathic remedies, essential oils, and Bach Flower Essences. We go into detail about what you can switch out of your medicine cabinet.
Thank you to listener Kara Snoke for the GREAT topic.
Here is a recap:
Pain Relief/Migraines/Headaches
Few and White Bark for aspirin replacement
500-750 mg Magnesium
400 mg Riboflavin
Common cold
· Prescription sprays can cause dependency
· Pseudoephedrine has many potential side effects
· Eucalyptus oil (Good idea to put it in steaming water so that you can breath it in)
· Neti pot with salt-water solution. Lean your head over a sink and pour the water to allow nasal irrigation
· Echinacea
· Zicam is a zinc-based homeopathic
· 3000 mg Vitamin C
· Zinc (especially important if smell and taste are decreasing)
· There are great essential oils such as doTERRA’s OnGuard and Young Living’s Thieves oil. They are great for the immune system and fighting off infections.
· Melaleuca/Tea Tree Oil is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal.
Hangover
· 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice with 1-teaspoon honey to warm water. Take immediately upon waking and 2-3 times during the day. Drink slowly
· Increase water intake throughout the day
· Control blood sugar, hydrate, and alter pH levels for best results
· 4 teaspoons of raw honey every hour until signs and symptoms decrease
· The honey is good because it is rich in potassium that counteracts the alcohol
· Bananas can also do this
· Activated charcoal to bind impurities
· Tomato juice to metabolize alcohol quickly- can add lemon, honey and cayenne pepper to juice
· Egg is rich in cysteine that will help break down toxins
Allergies
· Natural HST- Histamine reducing agents that usually have fenugreek and goldenseal
· 500 mg quercetin twice daily between meals
· 75 mg butterbur twice daily
· Stinging nettle capsules 3 grams twice daily
Digestion
· PGX as a fiber for constipation. Can find out more information at www.pgx.com but this is a great fiber that helps to control weight, blood sugars, improve digestion, and regulate cholesterol levels
· Magnesium based relaxers are good for digestive regulation.
· Ginger will help to soothe the stomach
· Probiotics and digestive enzymes will help to regulate digestive activity
Sleep
· Diffuse lavender or rub it on the bottom of the feet (if can be used topically)
· Magnesium at night (especially good for Restless Legs Syndrome)
· 5-HTP and St. John’s Wort can help with sleep due to improving serotonin levels
· Melatonin 1-3 mg. If you can find an extended release melatonin that will help since melatonin’s half-life is 47 minutes.
· If deficient in GABA, usually will utilize wine to help relax and sleep at night. Replace with GABA improving supplements.
· Be careful with valerian because it can become dependent and have side effects. Use cautiously.
Muscle Strains and Bruises
· Arnica gel is a great homeopathic for anti-inflammatory, bumps, and bruises
· Capsaicin ointment from hot peppers is great for inflammation and joint pain. Many people with arthritis pain find relief with this cream.
· Calendula cream comes from a herbal plant (marigold) and is super healing, antibacterial, viral and anti-inflammatory
· Peppermint based essential oils or creams
Cuts and Scrapes
· Tea tree oil/Melaleuca- has been shown in research to kill off Staphylococcus aureus
· Aloe is great for wounds and skin burns
PMS
· 1200-1500 mg of calcium per day to help with cramps, bloating, backache, and fatigue.
· Pine bark
· Chaste tree (Agnus castus) 20 mg per day
UTI
· Cranberry caps
· Uva Ursi
· D-mannose
Mild anxiety/nervousness
· Bach Rescue Remedy- flower essences
Be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices
Podcast 030: SOW Organic Farm to Table
Organic farming has become a $35 billion dollar industry in the United States. In the past 15 years, organic farming has gone from 2 million acres to 5.4 million acres. There is a rigorous process in order for a farmer to have the label “USDA Certified Organic.” Lydia Henshaw is with us today to discuss the process of certified organic and farmers. She is with the company of Sow Organic and has a product that helps to connect the communication of farmers with the certifying agencies.
She talks about how the organization of documents and the process. It takes three years to fully build a certified organic farm. She discusses how her products helps to make this an easier process for both farmers and certifying agents in order to help uphold the integrity of USDA’s certified organic label.
If you would like to find out more about her company check out Sow Organic at www.soworganic.com. Or you can contact her at Lydia@soworganic.com
Podcast 29: Book Club 1: Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes Chapter 1-4
We have increased weight in our country throughout the last 100 years. Many times we think that this increase in weight has really been since the 1950s but truly we have started to gain weight well before that. In 1939, there was a childhood obesity clinic at Columbia University. 50 years ago 1 in 8 people were obese, now 2 in 3 are obese.
Gary Taubes talks in these first four chapters about how it is not about calorie-in vs calorie-out. It is more of a hormone control with growth hormone, thyroid hormone, reproductive hormones, insulin, and leptin. Insulin and leptin resistance play a role in increased weight gain.
Marion Nestle states that gaining weight is natural in this environment because companies are in the business of selling more and having you eat more.
Yale University psychologist Kelly Brownell states “Do we live in a toxic environment that encourages overeating and physical inactivity?” Are our bodies being driven to eat more because they are undernourished. This also speaks to the fact that we are seeing that there is a link to obesity and poverty NOT a correlation of obesity and prosperity. It has become a socioeconomic problem where we are starting to see a higher rate of obesity in the poor. Also, some cultures, such as the Pima Indians, had fine weight management with an overabundance of food but gained weight when they were given different and processed foods.
Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices.