A Better Solution

Hello, and I hope you're easing into 2023. Last week's full moon was called a Wolf moon. One explanation is that Native American tribes called it that because January is the month when wolves were heard howling the most. This moon was also called a Micromoon since it's farthest from the earth at this time. Do you ever feel the pull of the moon?

I sometimes think I feel a little moonstruck, however I'm wondering if the doctors who issued a recent recommendation might be looney (from the Latin "luna" for moon). One of the headlines in Monday's news was the suggestion that bariatric surgery or drugs be used as treatment for childhood obesity (!?!). Call me crazy, but I can think of some simpler solutions to this serious issue.

Since the 1950's the Standard American Diet has been just that -- SAD and it feels like it's getting sadder. More and more of what we're accepting as food is ultra-processed, with high calorie density, and poor in nutrients. We are bombarded with advertisements for items that we've been told are edible. As Dr. Mark Hyman states, "Your hormones, taste buds, and brain chemistry have been hijacked by the food industry.". Several, common, American food additives have been banned in much of the rest of the world. Among

those are:

BVO, brominated vegetable oil found in Mountain Dew. Europe, India, and Japan have all banned it.
Potassium Bromate, sometimes used in bread, and found to cause cancer in rodents. It's banned in Canada, Europe, China, and Brazil.
BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), synthetic antioxidants used as food preservatives. BHA interferes with hormone function and BHT is toxic to rodents. They are banned in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Japan.
Color Dyes Yellow No.5, No.6, Red No. 40. These food colorings are linked to hyperactivity and attention problems in kids and are banned in Europe.

From an early age we are being fed and groomed to crave hyperprocessed "food" that is also addictive. Part of the problem is that there is so little nutrition in this "food", our bodies ask for more since they're not getting what they need. In this way we enter a vicious cycle of wanting something that isn't supporting us and isn't good for us. And then, there's Coca-Cola. Let me share a few facts about soda with you ...while one serving won't derail your health, it might trigger a thirst for more. According to the long-running Framingham Heart Study a can a day has been linked to obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart attack, and stroke, poor memory, smaller brain volume, and dimentia. Imagine the effects on a child who starts consuming soda in a sippy-cup. The bottom line is, our children are overfed and undernourished ... and so are we! Before we submit youngsters to major surgery or drugs with possible side effects, let's start introducing them to whole foods. Let's let them develop a taste for fresh fruits and vegetables. It's a good idea to make sure they're getting some physical activity through sports and outdoor fun, however you can't outrun a bad diet. Of course, this will mean addressing our own addictions, but isn't it worth it? Let's turn our health and the health of our children around -- remember to be care-full. It's not easy to break some really bad habits. It can be done, though, especially if you've got some help. Contact me for a complimentary session and let's get you back on the path to health and wellness!