Overcome Mindless Eating

Did you know that if you make just a few small changes, say three 100 calorie changes to your eating habits, you can lose about 30 pounds in a year?

Here are some tips to help you do that, from Dr. Karen Wolfe.

1. See all that you eat. Pre-plate your food and leave the serving dishes off the table.

2. "De-convenience" tempting foods. Put those unhealthy foods in the back of the refrigerator or freezer, in a hard to reach cupboard...or even better, DON'T BUY THEM.

3. Snack only at the table and get a clean plate each time. This helps you be more mindful of what you are actually eating.

4. Rewire your choice of comfort foods. Do your comfort foods consist mainly of the 4 Cs: cookies, candies, chips and cake? Help is here! Start pairing healthier foods with positive events and activities. Instead of celebrating a personal victory with a three scoop ice cream sundae, try a smaller bowl of ice cream with some fresh berries.

5. Super sizing is replaced with 'volumizing'. Load your plate with vegetables and salad. It looks like a lot of food. It will please your eyes and make you feel full. Eat the healthy food first, and only eat the rest if you have room.

6. Use the half-plate strategy. Fill up half the plate with veggies or salad. Then fill the other half with the protein and starch. Eat the starch last, and only if you still feel hungry.

7. Plan ahead for cravings. Crunchy things seem to work well for almost everyone. Fruit and precut vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator for a quick nibble. Store them in plain sight, on the first or second shelf.

8. Slow down. Be the person who starts last and finishes last.

9. Use sensible restaurant rules. Try these strategies for success when dining out.
a. Hold the bread basket. You won't get the oil and butter calories either.
b. Request a meal that may not be on the menu, complete with lots of vegetables. Restaurants are used to this now.
c. Always ask for salad dressing on the side. Use it sparingly. Dip your fork before spearing a lettuce leaf.
d. Dessert can be shared by two or three people. The best bites are the first two, right?

10. Choose three 100-calorie changes daily. Don't take on too much, when it comes to making lifestyle diet changes. That's why most diets fail. They ask too much all at once. Unless you are making changes for disease related reasons, go slowly and over 1 year, you will see a reduction in weight of about 30 pounds.

Aromatherapy Class

Have you ever been curious about how real aromatherapy works? I'm not referring to those scented candles that are labeled as aromatherapy, yet contain petroleum derived scents.

I am offering a workshop at GloryBee in Eugene on Sept. 30. We will cover therapeutic and emotional aspects of essential oils, along with how to safely use essential oils.

Please contact GloryBee to learn more and register for the class. I hope to see you there!

Check Up On Drug Interactions

Have you ever been warned against taking certain pills with grapefruit juice? Did you know it can turn normal therapeutic doses of a drug into a toxic overdose?

Researchers have recently raised some new concerns: grapefruit, orange and apple juices may block the effects of some drugs. This can wipe out potential drug benefits to patients.

The concern was raised and reported at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society, by researchers at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada - my old hometown.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," said Dr. Bailey, a professor of clinical pharmacology at UWO. He also said, "I'm sure we'll find more and more drugs that are affected this way." Here is the link. Scroll down to Article #5

Dr. Bailey was part of the original team to identify the potential harm in consuming drugs with grapefruit juice. Their research showed interactions with grapefruit and grapefruit juice which raised the blood concentration of the tested drugs to dangerous levels.

So far, it is know to affect approximately 50 drugs, from cholesterol-lowering statins to Viagra. Many drugs now carry labels warning consumers against taking them with grapefruit juice or fresh grapefruit.

Classes of drugs affected by grapefruit juice include statins, calcium channel blockers, immunosuppressants, sedatives, other cardio-vascular drugs, as well as other neurological and psychiatric medications. And, this is only what is currently known! What will researchers tell us about further drug inteactions in the future?

Good health begins before we get to the doctor's office. Make sure that you get into the following five daily good health habits, possibly avoiding the need to take drugs that migh interact with your serving of grapefruit or other fruits or juices:

1. Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night
2. Drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day. 8 8-oz glasses is a good goal.
3. Plenty of exercise and the right amount of calories to support your ideal weight. Our bodies are designed to move!
4. Learn to deal with stress using sensible solutions, such as deep breathing, yoga, physical exercise, positive recreational choices, and meaningful interaction with others.
5. Choose your food wisely and buy real, whole foods. Avoid man-made and packaged foods when possible.

Support your system with good supplements if you suspect that you need them. I like MAX GXL
because it gives your body the components to create and recycle glutathione. That's our body's most potent antioxident. This supplement also supports liver function, which is necessary to detoxify the harmful chemicals in drugs, once they have done the job for which they were prescribed.

Here is a link (www.druginteractioncenter.org) where you can check to see if any drugs you may be taking interact with grapefruit. Just follow the links for patients and brands.

Skin Care May Cause Skin Cancer

Rutgers University recently reported that a skin lotion study showed increased skin cancer and tumors in mice. When the offending ingredients were removed, the lotions did not seem to increase the incidence of skin cancer in mice.

Here is a link to the study:
http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?Docid=618434

The ingredients removed were mineral oil and sodium laurel sulphate, two common lotion additives.

Another link to the study, with additional information and commentary:
http://www.collegeotr.com/rutgers_university_new_brunswick/moisturizing_could_lead_to_skin_cancer__10638

The moisturizers used in the study were Dermabase - Patrick Laboratories in Minneapolis; Dermovan - Galderma Laboratory Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas; Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream - Beiersdorf of Hamburg Germany; and Vanicream - made by Pharmaceutical Specialties Inc., in Rochester, Minn.

While the studies were done on mice and may not affect humans in the same way, it might be prudent to avoid the brands that were named in the study.

The complete story is in the TulsaWorld newspaper. It includes some sharp commentary opposing the worth of the Rutgers study.

Once again, it is a case of buyer beware!