You know, we’ve learned that posting on blogs is a funny thing. We’ve got lots of friends who read this blog and they make comments to us in person, and many made comments to us last week about the book, weight loss, nutrition…. but we only had 4 comments posted. We almost had only 3, but Sandy Frederick made it just in the nick of time.

We hope more of you will post comments in the future. We believe in your input, insight, and experiences. We want this to be a place for sharing, learning, supporting, and growing. Our tagline, “Sharing Our Stories, Sharing Our Strength,” sums up our belief – we’re better together, and we’re all in this together. Let’s help each other to be our very best – for ourselves and our children.

Our 4 wonderful readers who commented on the book giveaway are all winners of The Power of 4 by Paula Owens. Congratulations to Glenda, Jan, SueMac, and Sandy. (Please email your address to jenniferhogan@strongmothers.com and I will send you your new gift!) 

If you haven’t read Paula’s article, The Top Ten Foods to Avoid, I highly recommend it. Also, her radio interview is very informative.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

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by Paula Owens, Nutritionist, Fitness Expert, and Weight Loss Coach

The majority of processed foods contain ingredients that are harmful and cause adverse health conditions and complaints.  If  you  include  packaged  foods  in  your diet, get  in  the habit of  reading  the  label, more specifically, the list of ingredients, and be aware of these ingredients.

1. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP: HFCS is the number one source of calories for most Americans and causes obesity. You’ll find high-fructose corn syrup in processed food, fruit drinks, fast food, sodas, syrup that goes into your Latte from Starbucks, gum, baked goods, etc. HFCS is extremely toxic to your liver, increases  inflammation,  causes  obesity,  oxidative  stress  and  creates  an  aggressive  insulin response, thus  contributing  to  type  II diabetes. Consumption of HFCS is linked to an increased risk of hypertension. In addition, there are high levels of mercury in food products sweetened with toxic HFCS. 

2.  PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS (TRANS FATS): Partially hydrogenated oils are found in thousands of processed foods (breakfast cereals, cookies, chips, all CRAP food). Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease and contribute to obesity. Restaurant food, especially from fast food chains, often serve food loaded with trans fats. Consequences of a diet high in trans fats include:

• Increased inflammation
• Decreased immune function
• Decreased testosterone
• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Decrease IQ – learning disabilities.  American IQ has dropped 20 points in the past 20 years.
• Diabetes
• Elevated blood pressure
• Free radical production
• Heart Disease
• Interferes with neurological & visual development of fetus
• Liver damage
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• Type II diabetes

3. MSG:MSG  — Monosodium  glutamate is a chemical (an excitotoxin) that has been associated with reproductive  disorders,  migraine  headaches, permanent  damage  to  the  endocrine  system  leading  to obesity and other serious disorders. It is linked to reduced fertility. MSG is used in many foods as a taste enhancer.

4. SODIUM NITRATE: This is a preservative, coloring, and flavoring commonly added to bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked fish and corned beef. Studies have linked eating  it  to  various  types of cancer.

5. REFINED SOY:When it comes to soy, much of what we read and hear about comes from the people who market it. Before you mix up a soy shake, snack on a soy protein bar or pour yourself a glass of soy milk consider this: unfermented, processed soy inhibits the thyroid, is deficient in amino acids, is toxic to infants and shrinks the brain.

There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products like tempeh, miso, natto and soybean sprouts. If you want to get some health benefits from soy, stick to these four forms and pass on ALL processed soy milks, tofu, soy burgers, soy ice cream, soy cheese and other soy junk foods that are disguised as health foods.

6. WHITE SUGAR:Sugar is more addictive than cocaine! Sugar has a profound influence on your brain function and your psychological function.  When you consume excess amounts of sugar, your body releases  excess  amounts  of  insulin,  which  in  turn  causes  a  drop  in  your  blood  sugar, also known  as hypoglycemia.  In  addition,  sugar  is  pro-flammatory  damages  skin  collagen  and  promotes  wrinkles, increases  your appetite, depletes  your body of B vitamins, causes  joint degeneration, ADHD and other behavior disorders, stimulates cholesterol synthesis and weight gain. Opt for a healthier alternative such as stevia.

7. SODIUM CHLORIDE: Commercial table salt is highly processed and full of aluminum, chemicals and additives which are toxic. Opt for a healthier version such as Bragg’s amino acids or Celtic sea salt (light pink, grey or beige color).

8. ASPARTAME, SPLENDA, SWEET N LOW, EQUAL: Aspartame is an artificial, chemical sweetener found in many foods and beverages including desserts, gelatins, protein powder, low calorie foods, drink mixes and sodas. It may cause cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness, migraine headaches, weight  gain,  increased  appetite,  bloating,  rashes  or  hallucinations.  Aspartame poisoning  mimics symptoms of MS.  NutraSweet is in over 7,000 foods!

Side effects:

• Increased risk of Heart disease
• Bloating and edema
• Brain seizures
• Cancer
• Cravings
• Headaches
• Predispose you to Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease
• Rashes and hives
• Weight gain – results in obesity

9. FOOD COLORINGS: (Blue 1, 2; Red 3, 40; Green 3; Yellow 5, 6) There are food colorings still on the market linked to cancer in animal testing.  There is evidence that food coloring and food additives contribute to behavioral  problems  in  children, lead to lower  IQ, hyperactivity, ADHD, depression, hormonal dysfunction, migraines and cancer.

Red 40 is found in soda pop, candy, gelatin desserts, pastries, pet food and sausage.  It is linked to hyperactivity disorders and migraines.

Red 3 is used to dye cherries and found in fruit cocktail, ice cream candy and baked goods. It has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. This harmful artificial color causes cancer and changes in brain chemistry. Read the list of ingredients in your child’s cough syrup (artificial color).

Green 3 is a potential allergen and has been linked to bladder cancer. Green 3 is added to candy, mint jelly, cereals and beverages.

Blue 1 and 2 are found in beverages, candy, baked goods, cereals and pet food have been linked to allergies and cancer.

Yellow  5  is  the most  notable  artificial  color  because  it  causes  the most  immediate  allergic reaction  in people sensitive to salicylates such as aspirin.

Yellow 6 has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney. Yellow 6 is added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods and candy.

Take home message – Stay away from any product listing an ingredient with a color plus a number.

10. PROCESSED/REFINED WHEAT AND GLUTEN:Refined grains are void of nutrients, disrupt insulin levels and are highly allergenic for many individuals. Wheat and gluten have adverse health effects for approximately 80% of the population. Gluten is a protein found combined with starch in the endosperm of grains, notably wheat, rye and barley.

Gluten intolerance/sensitivity is severely misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed – one estimate says that 97% of all sufferers don’t know they have the disease due to unfamiliarity with it among U.S. physicians.

Signs and symptoms of gluten intolerance: The ultimate effect of this hidden wear and tear is the slow destruction of the healthy mucosa, or lining tissue of the small intestine causing an autoimmune response that’s similar to an allergic reaction. In some cases there may be symptoms in childhood such as allergies, asthma, anemia, reoccurring infections, a constant upset stomach or milk intolerance.

Other symptoms are nasal and throat mucous, feeling of food sitting in stomach, bloating, gas, diarrhea with periodic constipation, mental fogginess and skin rashes.  In severe cases, as with Celiac disease, there can be seizures, psychosis, violent behavior and withdrawal from self.

Eliminate gluten-products for 3-4 weeks and tell me how great you feel.

It’s important to form a habit of reading the list of ingredients on ALL products! Focus on eating whole, fresh foods. This is the best way to stay away from toxic, harmful ingredients. Choose to shop at  your local Farmer’s Markets, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. Everything with a Trader Joe’s label sold at the supermarket and all products at Whole Foods are free of the controversial chemicals.

Copyright © 2009 Paula Owens

Paula  is  a  holistic  practitioner,  nutritionist,  fitness  expert  and weight  loss  coach.  She  is  the  author  of THE POWER OF 4 – Your Ultimate Guide Guaranteed  to Change Your Body and Transform Your Life. Paula  holds  a  Masters  degree  in  Holistic  Nutrition,  a  Bachelors  degree  in  Kinesiology  and numerous professional health and fitness certifications.

Visit Paula at: www.PaulaOwens.com

Click Here to see how to win Paula’s new book from Strong Mothers.

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All mothers pick and choose their battles.  Being a mother is a thankless, draining job sometimes – more so at some ages than others.  When do today’s mothers declare war?  On what do they declare war?

As you may know, I’m the only non-mother blogger for Strong Mothers.  Although I take no children home, I feel like a mother to the 700 children at my middle school.  Coach……”I forgot my locker combination, I don’t have my clothes, someone stole my…, he’s being mean to me, she’s looking at me.”

This week at my school we “Declared War” on chewing gum in our gym.  Our community has entrusted us with a $32 million dollar school, and we intend to keep it nice and clean.  We started the year by nicely asking them to spit their gum out.  The only problem is that they seem to be spitting it on our gym floor.  This means WAR.

I began to wonder what brings a mother to declare war.  As a teacher and a coach, I want to share a few things in the next few blog posts that I see every day in middle school that are worth a mother’s energy.

Responsibility – The sooner children learn to take responsibility for their actions and their belongings, the happier we all will be.

Our kids like to “rig” their lockers.  ”Rigging it” means they leave their locker on the last number, so they don’t have to work the combination each time.  Essentially, they are being lazy.  They can get into their locker quickly, but so can everyone else.  They also forget their combination, because they don’t work it daily.  They start the year thinking  ”Someone stole my……” gets them off the hook.  I always tell them, “If it was not in your locker and locked then YOU let them steal it.  Your stuff is not my responsibility”.  Some listen to our warnings at the beginning of the year about “rigging”, but many have to learn the hard way.

We have several kids at school whose moms we see just about every day if not more than once a day. Recently I asked a girl, who habitually called her mom to bring her forgotten stuff to school, “Is your mom sitting at home just waiting for you to call?” Her response was, “She doesn’t do anything all day anyway.”  Oh, how I wished that her precious mother had heard that.  If the consequence of being irresponsible isn’t painful, then why will they ever work towards responsibility?

At school we learned to charge push-ups for forgotten locker combinations.  We learned quickly with 700 children that if didn’t train them to be responsible, they’d train us to be their crutch.

Mothers, how have you declared “WAR” on making your children responsible?

Comment below or e-mail me at LisaVickery@strongmothers.com

Love,

Lisa

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