I recently gave a webinar covering four topics I decided would work well as posts. Let’s explore them over the next several days. Let’s Start with Rotten Food Obviously, I’m not referring to spoiled food in your fridge that needs to be thrown away. This is about the magic of fermentation and eating fermented foods. …

Stop settling for fatigue or poor health just because it’s always been that way — Disastrous Sugar-Quitting Mistake #1: Believing that getting rid of sugar is impossible People always claim it’s impossible to get rid of sugar because sugar’s in so many things. Guess what? I read that stuff, too, but I don’t believe it. In fact, I know it’s not so: too many of…

You can love a food and never eat it — Some years ago, I attended a seminar for fitness professionals. It was on eating behaviors. The team who put the seminar together presented the results of a questionnaire they had used with various populations. Among other questions, they asked, “What’s your favorite food?” The respondents’ answers were interesting, but not…

Deep in the holiday season as we are, we can feel the stress it brings. — Did you know one of the top stresses each year is weight gain? Alcohol can contribute to weight gain in several ways. It’s often a big part of holiday celebrating and socializing, so let’s look at these different ways. • Alcohol has lots of calories. Alcohol has 7 calories per…

Many healthful food plans have been derailed by food cravings — The holidays are almost here, and with so many sugary foods around, it’s not unusual to experience cravings for them. There are many reasons for that. Conquering sugar cravings is a key to sticking with your healthful food plan and reaching your health goals. Understanding cravings and why you get…

About 85% of the immune system is in the gut — My college roommate used to turn down yogurt, saying, “I never eat rotten food.” Now, there may be reasons not to eat yogurt, but the fact that it’s rotten isn’t one of them. A better term for “rotten” is fermented. Fermentation is highly beneficial for the digestive system, and we’ll…

High insulin, not weight or diabetes, is the culprit in metabolic diseases, including breast cancer. — Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. It’s an important topic, especially during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is almost over. Breast cancer is influenced by both genetics and health factors, such as obesity and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome includes hypertension, diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance…

Breakfast does not have to look like a photo from the IHOP menu — In more than one article, I’ve called fruit the “final frontier” in quitting sugar. But something else can cause just as much resistance as fruit. Maybe more. Breakfast. Even people who are fully committed to healthy eating can be trapped in breakfast clichés. In a recent coaching session, a client…

Why does pronounced adoption trauma happen more with some kids than with others? — Part 1 touched on trauma & addiction by looking at early trauma as primary, as the cause, and the addiction, whatever it may be, as secondary to the trauma. It’s been said that early trauma — and adoption is only one example — can interfere with the normal stress response…