Avoiding 'junk food' 10 easy things to do instead of eating...

1. Read your favorite book
2. Call your best friend
3. Call your kids
4. Plant a garden
5. Go for a walk
6. Help an elderly neighbor with a project
7. Clean your closet
8. Do 25 jumping jacks
9. Visit your favorite website
10. Meditate or pray

Learn to replace 'stress eating' with activities that create good health.
Building habits takes time and practice.
Be kind to yourself.
Keep making better choices and soon your newfound health and vitality will make it easier and easier to build great habits.

Thank you Oprah!

What a great thing to have Oprah trying out a healthy plant based diet.

If one looks around at the cultures that enjoy health and longevity, and you examine their diet you just might find that they eat a lot of plant based foods, whole grains, beans, veggies, fruits. Maybe small amounts of meat.

They do not eat, junk foods, junk foods, junk foods... they do not 'feast' every day like we do with fat, sugar laden goodies. And thus, they are mostly trim, energetic, long lived.

They also have a strong sense of community and spirituality.
Many of them even take the time to grow their own food! What a radical thought.

Thank You Oprah and all of the good folks that work so hard to help get the message of good health through lifestyle changes out to those who need it.

How about 'Universal Food Choices'? Affordable Coverage For All

O.K. I know everyone has a 'new idea' on how to solve the 'health crisis' in America. Politicians argue about Universal Coverage for all and on and on.

What about avoiding the illness in the first place? I guess that's just too simple.

So many of our common health problems can be avoided simply by making better food choices. Avoiding the heavily processed, fat and sugar laden American Diet. Their are many stories from people that have dramatically improved their health simply by making lifestyle changes.
Eating a plant based diet, whole grains, fruits and veggies, beans and nuts. Getting some daily exercise and learning to control stress.

I hope we don't lose this next generation due to junk food diets and chronic illness, while the policymakers and lobbyist are busy arguing about whose going to pay for their care.

When did it become 'normal' for Americans to take 10 to 15 medications per day?

Do those commercials about different drugs and their side effects bother anyone else? "May cause dizziness, fatigue or in rare cases death. So just how does one know if they happen to be one of the rare cases? Some of the 'possible side effects' lists are so long I think to myself, my gosh, they have got to be kidding!
But everyday Americans are taking more and more of these drugs to treat symptoms and illnesses that could be treated by lifestyle changes. i. e consuming health building food, learning to manage stress and building some exercise into one's routine.

When did it become 'normal' for Americans to take 10 to 15 medications everyday? Why are Physicians prescribing at such an alarming rate? Does it have anything to do with Marketing and Money? Are we getting the truth here?

You owe it to your health to do a little research. Check out what Dr. McDougall says at Drmcdougall.com. Start with a search on statins. But caution, it may result in real and lasting health changes, and in almost all cases renewed energy and vitality!

Tonight's tips for creating better health

Eat a plant based diet ( if you don't want to be told what to eat, ignore this comment. But this is what most of the healthy and long lived peoples on the planet do.) You can add the word mostly if you absolutely have to, but be sure and do your homework regarding your choice. Read T. Colin Campbell's The China Study and visit drmcdougall.com for a start.

Find some kind of 'exercise like' activity and do it

Develop a strong sense of spirituality

Create a strong social network for yourself and your family

Have fun and don't worry

Avoid the fat laden, processed American Diet i.e. just about every food item you see advertised on T.V. Or that comes in a box or a bag.

Be kind ( Ok, I made that one up. But I think it's really important!)

Wishing you a long and happy life...

Don't tell me what to eat

One thing I've noticed is that most people really don't want to be told what to eat.

I've noticed this with myself too. Went to a lecture with some very well known Nutritionist's in Santa Barbara. The lecture was all about eating healthy and teaching out kids to eat healthy. A noble cause. I noticed though, the minute it was over I had this overwhelming desire to go to of all places McDonald's!
My husband looked at me like..you have got to be kidding. But there was no denying it., as much as I tried to suppress her, that little uppity, rebellious troublemaker was saying..."McDonald's"
The good news is I didn't go.

I have seen this often, in daily life and in coaching clients.
My son makes a point of triumphantly declaring, "I like grease, grease pizza" Because he knows that is something I will rarely say yes to. As much as I try to be smart about teaching him to eat healthy in a low key way. He is constantly 'pushing the envelope' and seeing just how much 'junk food' he can add to his day. (Not much)

Then there was the little girl in Preschool that was not allowed cake/sugar. At the school birthday parties,she would be hiding under the picnic table, scarfing down as many chocolate cupcakes as she could before we 'found her'.

When working with clients I have learned to ask, rather than tell. I've learned that people really do have to come up with their own solutions. You can give them the knowledge, but they really have to figure out what will works best for them. I'm learning not to convince, but rather to listen. Each person has their own unique and individual story, and I hope in some small way I can help them tell it.

I remember as a young child, being told to eat the canned mushrooms on my plate,( that were sitting there looking an awful lot like snails.) Large crocodile tears rolling down my face. Feeling terribly ill. Knowing that no matter what my grandfather said, I would not under any circumstances be able to eat them. I did not eat mushrooms after that for 20 years. I'm sure a lot of folks have a similar stories.

I think it's about listening and about waiting until each person finds the truth for themselves and their health.
It's a lot easier just to 'tell people' what to do.
Personally though, I think that it is the listening and the waiting that allows the magic of transformation and success to happen for each person.
PS. Thank You to Nutritionist, and as far as I can tell, one of the smartest(and funniest) guys on the planet, Jeff Novick for his recommendation of Motivational Interviewing as an effective coaching tool. It has been an incredibly helpful.

Welcome to my Kitchen

I am, by nature a quiet, reserved person. I dislike arguments and especially dislike having to defend an opinion or idea. So I think it is rather funny and ironic that my main passion in life now is bringing questions about America's Health care system and health treatments out for public discussion. The 'kitchen idea' stems from the idea that I hope to create a 'safe place' to talk about these issues. So far, I've seen that everyone has a different opinion on how to fix the problems. Ive also noticed lately that Americans and American kids are looking more and more unhealthy. I was a fat kid, so even though I know it's not politically correct to say fat, I remember what it was like being fat. There was teasing, low self esteem,shyness, obsession with dieting and it was in general a drag. So when I see an entire generation turning out that way it makes me worry. Raising kids in this culture where 'unhealthy' foods are marketed so aggressively makes me worry too. My 6 year old has all the 'junk food commercials' memorized, and asks for those foods on a daily basis.
I solved my own weight/health dilemma by discovering the McDougall Program, a plant based, whole foods, low fat program. As I tried to help others learn about the startling and dramatic health improvements from this kind of program I was shocked at the resistance and fear.
I am exploring what this is all about. To me when such a simple solution is offered for curing, fatigue, chronic pain and other symptoms I would think that people would be enthusiastic and embrace at least giving it a try. A few do, most don't. I find that very interesting. I guess what puzzles me the most is why Doctor's would not look at this as a healing alternative. I guess some do, but I think that the majority don't.
Having worked with a Doctor I have also noticed that the entire Medical Industry is really having a tough time. So I will be adding a discussion board and inviting anyone working in this industry to have a place to express how it is for them working in Health care in America. I hope Doctor's, Nurses , Other Medical Providers and Patients will join us 'around the table' for some interesting conversations.
Welcome and thanks for coming over!