Don't Ignore the Subtle Signs

Our bodies give us subtle signs of things not working internally that go unnoticed potentially for years. Those symptoms will come and go, and even change, but often are pointing to the same weakness, something lacking or ailment happening inside. If ignored, and not addressed at the subtle symptom stage, often the weakness or ailment manifests into the scary things that it seems so many are getting diagnosed with recently.

Subtle symptoms include: sudden onset and/or constant allergies, onset asthma, rashes, sleep disruption in any way, hives, a very strong distaste for something suddenly, any form of digestive upset (yes, anything other than daily and "ideal" is concerning (reference Your Farts and Poops are Talking to you to learn more about what is "ideal" poop)), dandruff, itchy skin, waking at the same hour every night, excessive thirstiness, lethargy and a general lacking of energy, headaches, toenail fungus, ringing in the ears - the list can go on and on. Don't brush off an "odd" symptom as something fleeting, ESPECIALLY if you keep getting it or it won't go away. And just because your doctor tells you to take a medication or use a topical steroid cream to make the subtle symptom go away, really you should be wondering why it is there and why it is not going away.

Case in point, these are the subtle symptoms I have had for the last 6 months or so:
I have had a small, traveling, red, itchy patch on my face. It is barely noticeable, flakey, itchy, slightly red spot, that just won't go away. I scratch off the flakes in the morning, slather it with coconut oil and go about my day. Meh, no biggie, right..well...here are the rest of my symptoms, I have dandruff, which is pretty normal in the winter, but even in the summer, it seemed kinda weird, meh, brushed it off. I have been craving bitter flavors and grapefruit. I have not been sleeping as well as I know I can. I wake most nights around 3 a.m. I am hot and thirsty and wide awake. I normally kick the covers off, take a sip of water and read until I fall asleep. I am not normally up for a long period of time (no more than an hour) but it is effecting me throughout the day. I have been extremely sensitive to smells (no I'm not pregnant), more so than normal, where strong smells are offensive to too me, make me nauseous and make me sneeze. I have always had sensitive sinuses, but this seems more sensitive than normal. My bowel movements have been fine, but not great, irregular in consistency day to day. Oh, and I had a nail fungus on my big left toe that was more ugly looking than problematic, although now that I think about it, I dealt with a constant ingrown on that toe all summer long...hmmmm....

Pretty benign symptoms right? And with seemingly no connection. Just slightly random annoying bits of being human that don't bother my day to day functioning. I haven't thought much about any of them until recently. I went and saw a new naturopathic doctor, who was the first health care professional ever to say, "You know more about your body than I do. I am just here to support you."!!! I immediately loved her because she said that out loud to me as I sat on her exam table. So many of us fear our bodies, or view it as this mystery wrapped in an enigma that only people who went to medical school can understand and figure out. WRONG! If you are interested and curious enough, and willing enough to ask questions and trust your intuition, knowing what symptoms to look for; you know your body, and what it needs, far better than any health care professional can ever tell you. And no, I am by no means saying, go stick your tongue out at your doctor and say you know more than s/he. What I am encouraging you to do is to take control of your body, to get to know it, to ask those questions - why do I have this [rash, itchiness, sleep interruption, etc.] and make it your mission to figure out and start asking about those subtle symptoms rather than ignoring them.

With that being said, most subtle symptoms are a sign of an imbalance and often a lacking in diet. So much of what ails us can be linked to what we are eating, or really not eating enough of. So many of us eat too much animal protein, too much sugar, and processed, chemicalized, artificial foods, that are giving your body zero of the nutrients it needs, and in fact, are taking away those that you do have. We should all be eating a mostly plant based diet, with lots and lots of healthy fats, some animal protein, some whole grains, dairy and fruit, and nary the occasional treat of a packaged item, or sweet, or alcohol. Unfortunately that is not how most of us eat, and in fact, our government tells us something different. Again trust your instinct here - it know what you should be eating.

So as a person who eats that way, mostly plants, lots of healthy fats, no gluten, only fermented dairy and hardly ever a packaged item. I do enjoy 2 cups of coffee in the morning blended with coconut oil and a glass or 2 of wine each night. Harmless, right? I am sure many of you could admit worse dietary habits and vices. And yet, I have had these weird symptoms. I am seemingly healthy, active daily and eat a particularly well balanced diet, and yet, 6 months ago, my intuition told me something was off. I wasn't sure what or how, just that I needed to make a change. So did I make a change...no. :( This post is just as much for me, as it is for you. It is so funny that we can see the sign, feel the symptom and brush it off for months and even years. I (we) can do better!

My intuition told me 6 months ago that my liver needs support. It isn't processing as well as it should. And yet I'm not a candidate for any liver issues. I am young and active. I eat well. I drink only 2 12oz cups of coffee in the morning, never more and never at any other time of the day. I enjoy a glass or 2 of wine most nights of the week, and occasionally a few cocktails when out, but hardly a concern along the lines of the alcohol effecting my liver that negatively, which is the default logic. The naturopathic doctor I saw, said exactly that, in our appointment, "You are really healthy and have no problems, but I would suggest we up your healthy fats intake and support your liver more."!! Whaaat?! I could have told me that - doh! It is awesome to have your actions and thoughts validated. I knew 6 months ago, I just didn't implement the changes I knew I needed to make and she just confirmed my hunch. So cool!

She described the liver like an oil tank, where it continues to fill up with the toxins it flushes from our body. The level slowly rises from environmental toxins, to the toxins in our food, to the processing of our vitamins, minerals and medications we take every day. So while seemingly no issue arises, the liver reaches a tipping point, unable to keep up with all the toxic crap it needs to process and starts to overflow (metaphorically) and hence the subtle symptoms. We ask so much of our liver, just by living and breathing, and then add a potentially crappy diet, which leads to more medications, ie more liver hurt. And yet, what do we do to support our liver, not much in fact. And if you Google liver symptoms or issues, you get these horrendous, worst case scenario symptoms of jaundice and bleeding, that aren't helpful.

Every single one of my subtle symptoms over the past 6 months have pointed to a need for extra liver support. Red, itchy patch, toenail issue, waking at 3 a.m. every morning, irregular bowels, a recent extra sensitivity to smells, boom, signs that my liver is at the tipping point. Googling again for ways to support your liver in a natural way was helpful kinda, but I already know what I need to do, so this is what I am doing to support my liver, which is seemingly fine and healthy, and yet, if I continued to ignore these symptoms, perhaps, would manifest into something worse. I am all about prevention.

Ways to support your liver if you are already eating a clean, mostly plant based diet, with lots of healthy fats (or so I thought!) (We need far more healthy fats than even I thought was a enough (6-8T per day) - pass the EVOO!!):

• Remove caffeine and alcohol asap

• Add in green tea - it is a great detoxifier (and will help with the caffeine headache)

• Up your healthy fats in your diet and with supplements - I am currently taking 10,000IU of VitD3, 2 daily capsules of fish oil, I am also slathering on the EVOO, flax oil and flax seeds like never before


• Milk thistle - is a great detoxifier and is crucial for helping your liver process toxins

• Evaluate the environmental toxins around you - run HEPA air purifiers and evaluate the mold levels in your home (this is crucial!)


• Drink fresh pressed green juice daily that has a least 1, if not all these veggies (which are all great for the liver): celery, parsley, ginger, lemon, apple and beets




• Grapefruit and lots of it, and/or grapefruit seed extract

• Bitter greens, like dandelion, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, celery, endive, etc.
• Start each morning off with hot water and lemon


It is so ironic to know these things (and Google didn't even have all in one place! Problem solved ;) ) and even have my gut tell me these things and yet, I didn't do it until now. I think we all can relate to knowing and not doing, and then one day, just making a change. Start paying attention to those seemingly benign symptoms, they are a clue, a sign of something going on that if you investigate can improve your health with some simple changes and avoid the scary potential diagnosis later down the road.

To Supplement or To Not Supplement

Dietary supplements are debated. Do? Don't do? Necessary? Not necessary?

I think everyone is different and everyone has unique needs. Rather than base your dietary supplement decisions on articles or blog posts, experiment for yourself. Curious about adding a supplement to your daily regimen, then try it out for a few weeks. Most natural vitamins and supplements will only do good, however, if you are on some prescription medications check with your doctor first before experimenting with dietary supplements, there are some supplements that don't mix well with medications.

I am a firm believer in dietary supplements. I take a handful of supplements daily. Even though I eat a very veggie heavy, balanced diet, of almost all organic produce, I feel supplements make a significant impact in my overall wellbeing and general feeling of good health. I also load up when I am feeling run down or a possible cold coming on, often kicking it in the butt before I become a gooey mess.

The argument is that if you are eating well and enough of a balanced diet then you should not need to supplement with dietary vitamins, minerals and supplements. I disagree. Food is just not as nutrient rich as it once was. With such a large population to feed and depleting the natural resources of the soil, unfortunately veggies don't have the same vitamin and mineral profile they once did. Again this is where buying organic and/or growing your own veggies is greatly beneficial; more nutrients. Even if you are an avid juicer like myself, still, you are probably not reaching your daily needs for most essential vitamins and minerals. (Check out https://www.reviews.com/juicer/ for a helpful juicer review.)

Yes, foods nowadays are fortified with vitamins and minerals. However, if it is fortified, it means a few things: 1) it is likely highly processed 2) it likely is coming out of a container of some kind 3) the naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, etc. were probably stripped out during the preservation process 4) foods consumed as close to as how they come from the earth don't need to be fortified. Fortification sounds like a good thing, but it's not. Your vitamins and minerals occurring in your foods shouldn't require a label, just a glorious color–green, yellow, orange, purple, red–eat your colors = lots of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, supplemental goodness.

So with that understanding of doing your best to eat really nutrient dense, colorful veggies and fruits, with a few superfoods sprinkled in, you will be well on your way to getting more goodness than most.

I have read many articles and books on this topic, because it is of interest to me, and like I mentioned above, I am always willing to try a new supplement and see how it affects me. Here is a list of supplements everyone should be taking daily. While it is still debated, there is increasing evidence that everyone needs, and is severely deficient in this areas, so if nothing else, try adding this supplements to your diet for a month and see how they make you feel. It's a good rule of thumb to add one supplement/vitamin at a time. This will give you a clear representation of if the supplement is working for you or not.

10-20billion CFU probiotic (preferably the refrigerated kind)

• Probiotics and gut health are a hot topic right now, as it should be. The living microbiome we all have in our guts are our immune system hub. If they are not happy you are not happy. The slew of angry microbiome symptoms is long and wide. If you have ANY digestive issues, and even if you don't, add probiotics to your daily life. If you have brain fog, lethargy, general meg-ness, add probiotics to your life. They will make a noticeable difference. Promise! You can get probiotics from fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut and kimchee, but why not do both and take a high CFU capsule everyday too. Your mind, gut and butt will thank you.

Vitamin D3

• Almost everyone, seriously everyone, is Vitamin D deficient. Even the recommended USDA 1,000-2,000 IUD/day is probably too low for most, especially in the winter, especially if you live a colder, darker climate. Vitamin D deficiencies can manifest in depression, lethargy, anxiety, the list keeps going. I would say start with the upper recommended dose of 2,000 IUD/day and experiment from there. I have read some even suggest upwards of 10,000 (!) IUD/day. Do what works for you, but make sure you have a VitD supplement in your daily life regardless of where you live, also make sure it is gel capsule, which is better absorbed.

A daily multi-vitamin 

• You want something that is well rounded and has a high percentage of your daily recommended intake for vitamins and minerals. I personally like the Solaray brand for many of my supplement needs.

Omega 3s

• Again a huge laking here for most people of these healthy fats. Good fats make your hair shiny, skin clearer, helps lubricate everything from joints to, brain synapses to bowel movements. Most diets are skewed in ratio of Omega 6s to Omega 3s. Omega 3s are the good fats and are naturally occurring in cold water fish, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds and so much more. Either take a supplement and, better yet, take a supplement and add these awesome superfoods to your daily diet too (I love to throw all my O3s in my mornings smoothie)

Dietary Fiber

• It is recommended that we need 25g-38g (women vs men) of fiber everyday. You know what, most of us aren't getting that with the things we eat. So double up here. Eat lots of veggies, fruits, gluten free whole grains that all have naturally occurring fiber AND take a supplemental dietary fiber. Your bowel movements will never be the same.

Turmeric

• Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory. It is a spice commonly used in Indian cuisine. It gives curries that bright yellow-orange color. Turmeric is nature's ibuprofen. I have noticed a huge different in my general inflammation and body achy-ness, especially after a strenuous workout by adding turmeric to my daily supplement list.

If nothing else, add these bad boys into your daily regimen and notice the difference in how you feel.

Another tip, which may sound odd, but I swear...Listen. To. Your. Body. I only take supplements when I resonate with them. I know, I know, that sounds wonky, but it is true. I will hold the supplement in my hand before I take it. And I tune into my body. If I have a general icky feeling or no feeling at all, I won't take the supplement. I take this as my body's way of telling me I don't need it. Sometimes if you take the same supplements everyday you can hit a point where you have sufficient levels, it's okay to back off. Listen to your body. Hold your supplement in your hand, tune in and your body will let you know if you need it or not. You don't have to be super rigid about your daily supplement and vitamin intake, trust your intuition, don't be afraid to experiment with your body and see what is working for you and what isn't.

That leads into one last point, when adding new supplements, vitamins and minerals into your life, first do your research, figure out why you want to take something, what are the benefits, what are the side effects, could you be getting that from food? But know, sometimes you will get digestive upset when adding a new supplement to your life. This is normal and should clear up pretty quickly. With added fiber you may get gassy. Some supplements may give you the runs. Others may make you feel woozy when not taken with food. Don't exceed the recommended dosage on the container and it is always a good rule to take your supplements with food (expect probiotics, take those on an empty stomach, like first thing in the morning, to let them work their full magic). If your digestive upset doesn't clear up in a few days, stop taking the supplement. This is where introducing new supplements one at a time will help you easily identify the culprit of the upset. I tried taking a resveratrol supplement for a while and I would immediately get diarrhea. I have allergic reactions to drinking red wine, I thought, I will get the benefits from the capsule, nope, the diarrhea was immediate. So I stopped taking them. You can try to find a different brand, or maybe if you tune in, your body will tell you, "Nah, I don't really need that." So listen.

Here are the other supplements I use in my daily life, in case you are curious. If you are curious as to why I take these, you can contact me alixhealthcoach@gmail.com or visit eatbelivewell.com for more info:

Magnesium Glycenate - an essential mineral many are deficient in
Quercetin - nature's antihistamine, great for allergy sufferers
Vitamin D - a must if you live in the Northeast
Turmeric - anti-inflammatory
Probiotics - happy gut

Superfoods. Sprinkle them on your salad. Add them to a smoothie. They are awesome! You need these in your life:
Chia seeds
Flax seeds
Hemp seeds
Flax oil
Liquid minerals
Spirulina
Chlorella
Bee pollen
Freeze dried organic greens or JuicePlus
Potato starch - natural resistant starch

New Things I've Been Trying

Health and wellness is a lifestyle. You don't just, boom, become healthy, or fit, or muscular, or clear headed, have clear skin, poof, brain fog is gone day, it takes time. Just think about how long it took you to get acne, or that extra 15lbs, or regular bowel irritability; none of it happens over night, it takes time to break down, just as it takes time to build it back up.

With that said, little bits daily, over time make a huge impact. Like eating a salad for lunch every day. Or moving every day, simply just going for a walk or taking the stairs, it adds up! And we all know that there isn't enough time in any of our days for 30-1 hour chunks of time to workout, or take a walk, or make your lunch instead of grabbing a fast food lunch, but think about it, if you took little steps each day, slowly, but surely, one day you'll have health and wellness, almost without even noticing it. The more you do little each day perpetuates healthier choices for the rest of your life.

It comes down to self-care. Which so many of us are horrible at. Don't feel bad, we all do it. We put everyone's needs before our own. We worry about our kids, our spouses, our family, our friends, our coworkers, even our boss, before we worry about ourselves. It is only when someone points out that you should be taking better care of yourself, or something bad happens (knock on wood), like a perpetual cold, or a injury, or creepy chronic illness; that we take note, slow down and say to ourselves, "Hey, maybe I should take better care of myself."

So let's not get it to that I-must-take-care-of-myself-know-place-or-I-might-fill in the blank (get diabetes, gain another 15lbs, have high blood pressure, die!) because little things each day add up and make a difference! AND the more you start taking care of yourself the better you will feel, the more you will want to continue to take care of yourself (ie make healthier food choices) and it will make taking care of all the those people around you easier. Trust.

So here are a few things I have been adding to my daily routine, that I am really liking:

Daily Dry Brushing

Dry brushing is exactly as it sounds, you brush your dry body with a dry brush. It sounds kinda weird and like it may hurt a little, but it feels great. You do it right before you get in the shower. I like to let the hot water run a bit to get the bathroom all warm, then get neked and start brushing in long smooth, gentle strokes from your toes to your neck. 

I know it seems weird, but seriously give it a try. Buy a soft bristled, natural brush and give it a whirl. You know that typical winter skin tightness and itchiness that won't go away no matter how much lotion you put on - gone! Seriously, my skin is not dry or itchy and I am not going through every lotion known to man this winter. 

Dry brushing has a slew of benefits from increased circulation and blood flow, getting rid of dead skin cells (hence the no itchiness), reducing cellulite (who doesn't want that!?), exfoliation, and all around general self love (you can't hate on yourself, while you are brushing, it's not possible, it feels too good). Learn more at from Wellness Mama, a great blogger I follow.

Coconut Oil in Coffee

If you haven't seen my IG posts about this deliciousness or haven't tried it yourself - you gotta! It's like Starbucks at home, but better. I swear, who doesn't want a frothy latte each morning in your pjs from your own kitchen! It's amaze-balls.

I stopped drinking coffee for a little over a year when I realized I was lactose intolerant. I stopped putting cream in my coffee and almond milk, try as I might, was just not good (all those who say otherwise - you lie!) and soy, yeah, no, I try not to eat too much soy. So I got rid of coffee in my life. It was sad, because I have always loved coffee. And really it has never given me much strife. And they say either you can drink it or you can't and your body will tell you. It never kept me up at night, I didn't get coffee poops (Google it), I didn't get jittery or anxious; and I love everything about coffee! The smell, the taste, the subtle nuances, the different roasts, I kinda became a coffee aficionado, so to give it up was a sad, sad day. To me there is nothing better than waking up, curling up in your pjs with a hot cup-o-joe, such an awesome way to start the day, am I right!?

So when I saw something recently about coconut oil coffee I had to try it. I'm in heaven. I still only drink 1-2 cups max a day but coconut oil makes it SO much better. Everyone knows coconut oil is the new wonder oil - slather it on everything right - we've all seen the memes. But seriously I love, love coconut oil, and no don't worry about the fat, it is the "good for you fat". 

Take a spoonful of coconut oil (figure out your preference, start with a teaspoon) throw it in a blender, add hot coffee and blend for a few secs, pour into a mug and enjoy your frothy, latte, only slightly coconut-y, coffee and go to heaven. One tip, I like my coffee super hot, and I found that if you put all your coffee in the blender it cools it down too much, so I pour half my black coffee in my mug, then blend the other half with coconut oil, it stays nice and hot that way.

Coconut oil coffee!! OMGEEE so delish! First time I tried it this am. Awesome!! I stopped drinking cream in my coffee (and coffee for almost a year) bc of being #lactoseintolerant 😢 but this makes up for it!! Take 1-2Tbsp of #coconutoil, preferably #organic, put in blender, add hot coffee. Blended deliciousness frothiness!! ☕☕😲😍🙌 love it!! #coffee #coconut #latte #coffeenevertastedsogood #neverneedstarbucksagain

A photo posted by Al St. Cosine (@alstco) on Feb 1, 2016 at 3:24pm PST

Apparently there are health benefits (an added bonus, read more here) but I am just so excited to be able to have my morning coffee everyday and it is better than ever.

Ginger Tea with Meals
It is recommend in Ayurvedic medicine to drink ginger tea with meals. It aides in digestion. For someone who has off and on digestive problems adding ginger tea to each of my meals for the last few weeks had made a noticeable difference. I don't get gassy or bloated. Even if I start to get gassy after a meal, if a drink a cup of ginger tea the gas goes away. It is recommended to drink a hot cup of ginger tea with each meal or after each meal, if the ginger flavor doesn't go with the meal, I will enjoy it after (an added bonus for those with a sweet tooth, it kinda is like dessert, if you need it sweeter add a spoonful of honey.) I would highly recommend everyone add ginger tea to your daily meals.

Lastly, I've learned about:

EFT

Also known as Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping. I could write a whole blog post on EFT and I probably will do a follow up. It is amazing! EFT is recognized by the CDC for treating PTSD better than talk therapy for veterans. But it does so much more than treat PTSD. You can use it for everything - from daily stress, to menstrual cramps, to physical pain (do you know that 85% of physical pain has an emotional connection??), to emotional pain, for weight loss, and fears, you name it, I bet you EFT will help.

EFT has pressure points that you tap while focusing on the stress, pain, fear, anxiety, what have you, and it actually changes the energy pathways in your body and brain. Almost like acupuncture without the needles. The rhythmic tapping helps you process the stress or emotion and actually rewires your brain to not register "it" as intensely. Your brain does not know the difference between being chased by a bear or nightmare or movie of a bear chasing you. EFT allows you to help your brain and fight or flight reponse to calm down. With as much stress as we all live with each day, our brains and body's are constantly triggering the fight or flight response, so it burns out and we can't tell the difference between a real or stress or a perceived stress. 

I know it might sound crazy and even looks a little silly, but seriously it works!

I can't say enough about EFT and if you are interested to learn more read this article. 

If you would like to know more about any of these tools that I am loving right now, or are interested in any others, send me an email.

While these daily things might not be for you, I urge you to find yours, find little healthy things you can add to your day to day, and trust me they will add up and make a difference in your overall health and well-being long term.

The Privilege of Choice

I was watching a documentary the other day about food and health, naturally, and while the documentary was illuminating and insightful, the lingering thought I have walked away with is, "Wow, I am privileged."

No, this is not going to be a post about how privileged I am in a "rub-it-in-your-face" sort of a way, but in a the sense that I, we are lucky. Stay with me, for a minute.....

Each year I attend the Camden International Film Festival. It is a phenomenal, small town, here in Maine, documentary film festival with films on a wide variety of topics from film makers all over the world. It is an expansive, emotional, heartfelt and a heartbreaking weekend. Where I learn so much and am exposed to so much in such a condensed time frame, that as soon as the festival is over, my butt is aching, my sciatica is screaming at me from all the sitting, I am exhausted and have gas from all the sitting and irregular eating times – all I can think is I can't wait for next year!! #CamdenIFF2016!! But again, the lingering thought I'm having this year, is "Wow, I am lucky. Wow, I am privileged."

This most recent documentary, Way Beyond Weight, which I watched curled up on my couch with my puppies, eating some delicious, now-forgotten, gluten free treat, was about obesity in children around the world, with a primary focus on South American children. So clearly there is privilege there, due to the socioeconomic difference of them and I, but that is not the privilege I am talking about. 

The privilege I noticed is around choice.

I, we, are privileged because we have a choice. We have the resources and financial capacity to have a choice in what we eat. That alone makes use privileged. The fact that we can have conversations about having a gluten intolerance, or preferring to buy organic whenever possible, or farm fresh eggs and free range, grass-fed meat....Holy crap! We are lucky!!

The fact that these are our conversations, that I have the privilege of writing a blog about food in this way, period dot makes me privileged. The fact that you are reading my blog because you too have a gluten or diary intolerance, or are just interested in learning more about food, makes you privileged in this sense. The fact that there is choice rather than eating only what is available to me is what struck me. So many of the children in the documentary didn't have a choice, because their parents didn't have a choice, due to lack of resources and money and wherewithal. These people were eating what was cheap and what tastes good, which food chemists have nailed down to science. These people are addicted to the sugar and fat and sodium and gluten in the cheap packaged foods that are widely available to them in their remote areas, because fresh vegetables and fruits don't travel well, are expensive and don't last long. They have no choice.

It broke my heart to watch these people suffer with billion dollar backed food scientists tricking their very human instinct to need sugar, fat and salt. And they don't have any external references to learn differently or know more. They barely knew what a carbohydrate was. And food labels with more "healthy" terminology actually were believed to be healthier for them. My heart sank.

So back to my sense of privilege or luck or wherewithal, or whatever you want to call it, the fact that us, as Americans, or maybe not even the typical American, but those of use who consciously choice what we eat, the quality, quantity, the source; the fact that we can reject something because of a food allergy is privileged. 

We are darn lucky to know what we know and have the resources to make these decisions. I am by no means trying to draw a line between "them and us" but there is a line created by government and food conglomerates that are preying on the underprivileged and poor around the world. 

My strong will is no better than any of the children in the documentary when it comes to eating potato chips or candy or soda, I am made of the same DNA. My body when given copious amounts of sugar, fat and salt, only wants more. It is designed that way people! It has nothing to do with strong will, that is a losing battle that food science is banking on, and actually it is down right unfair!

So those of us who know the difference, who have a choice, who make conscious buying choices, it is our responsibility to help others understand the battle we are all up against. Regardless of socioeconomic standing, with these billion dollar food science conglomerates intentionally fooling us and feeding our inner cravings that easily turn into monsters, even for the strongest willed of us. It is science and DNA and their bottom line is money and we are the sufferers.

So if you are like me, you are privileged to have a choice and subsequently make such choices, continue to do so! Each of us can be our strongest by consciously choosing where we spend our dollar. But also when given the chance to educate, it is our duty to have a better, healthier human race that is not being fooled and ultimately killed by these perpetual toxins in these packaged foods that are deigned to taste that good.

Info Fiend Find: Food Choices Change Our Gene Expression

Food Choices Change Our Gene Expression

Without a doubt one of the most important decisions we make on a daily basis is what we choose to eat. Nowadays, those decisions are made all the more complex by the vast panorama of recommendations in the form of books, social media, television, and even advertisements at the point-of-sale.

The broad strokes favoring one recommendation over another involve the various ratios of macronutrients, including fat, carbohydrate, and protein, while the notion of consuming foods rich in the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) seems to be a commonality shared amongst most popular diets.

But we now understand that focusing on macronutrient ratios and content of micronutrients represents significant myopia. The foods we choose to consume are far more then simply metabolic chemicals. Food is information.

Whether your exploration of biology ended in high school or you went on to get a PhD in molecular genetics, each of us was schooled in what has become known as the “central dogma.” This is the tenet that holds that there is a direct flow of information from our DNA directing the production of various proteins that ultimately play fundamental roles in human physiology. Moreover, we were all schooled in the notion that our DNA was an indelible code that would determine everything from the color of our eyes to the ability of our blood to clot. Indeed, the statement, “it’s in my DNA” has been taken to mean that whatever is being referred to is a part of a person’s essence that cannot be altered.

But the expression of our DNA is anything but static. Moment-to-moment, specific genes are being amplified in their expression while others are being silenced – a process that dramatically enhances our adaptive ability to various environmental changes to which we are exposed. The effect of extrinsic factors in changing genetic expression defines the science of epigenetics.

More importantly, it turns out that the changes in the expression of our DNA that will favor either health or disease are, to significant degree, under our direct control. No doubt the notion that we have control of our genetic expression may well seem iconoclastic. But, more importantly, the idea that our choices, in terms of the foods we eat, the exercise we get, and the levels of stress in our day-to-day lives, all influence the expression of our DNA should be looked upon as representing profound empowerment.

Indeed, from the perspective of harnessing the science of epigenetics for health and vitality, by making the right food choices we open ourselves up to a new and virtually uncharted vista.

What Exactly is Healthcare?

One of the few perks of my full-time, full-stress, 40 hour a week, managerial, analytical sales driven job (can you gather I am not a numbers driven person much?? ;) ) is I get benefits. I felt like an adult when I accepted the job - snazzy title - Director of Sales and Marketing, 401K, health insurance, paid vacation, sick time, bereavement pay, etc., etc. These are real, adult job type things that make people go "Ooohh, ahhh." They used to make me go oooh ahh but now a year and a half in, I have learned more about myself that all the oohs and ahhs, titles, responsibilities, perks, money and benefits, don't matter to me. I would rather be broke, happy and fulfilled than wealthy and miserable. But that is not the point of this post - if you follow me, you know full well that I am unsatisfied with my day job, which is changing quicker than I can keep up :) - this post is about healthcare, or actually the sad definition of what our government deems "healthcare."

I don't want to be political, because I am not by nature, but I kinda like Obama and feel bad for him. I think he inherited a shit-show and is trying his best. With that said, and not much more, I thought initially Obamacare, maybe, possibly, could be (probably not), overly hopeful, might, just might do some good for the American healthcare system. I quickly realized my hopes and expectations were far-fetched...sigh.

I am a firm believer in universal healthcare, call it socialist, call it whatever, people are entitled to any and all resources that promote good health. And if you are in poor health, you should not be robbed blind to get well. I have watched enough documentaries and have enough friends from other countries that don't even flinch at higher taxes when they get free healthcare and education. And I agree, that is how the whole world should work.

Unfortunately, Obamacare is no where near universal healthcare. It is universal mandated insurance. Insurance is not healthcare. Insurance is the lining of pockets of the wealthy insurance investors. Our "healthcare" system is a "wealth-care system". Mandating what little resources us average folk have to paying conglomerate insurance companies even more money is just plain wrong. Illness, chronic disease, pharmaceuticals and surgeries should not be a money making industry. Making people healthy and well should be the only incentive.

Back to the perks of my fancy job - I had health coverage through my employer. Yay (well kinda).....I signed up because the company plan was cheaper than the offerings through Obamacare (I know this was not the case for everyone). I had my employer plan for all of 1 year and that 1 year has been fraught with more headaches then ever necessary - a sure sign of dealing with insurance companies. A side note: I worked in the healthcare system for a number of years and I became well acquainted and versed in insurance lingo, how to ask the right questions, threaten just enough and have the right bitch tone to ensure our patients got the best coverage and most payout. I know the insurance rigmarole and Obamacare has intensified the rigmarole to a national level. 

So I paid a penalty last year on my taxes because my insurance application got "lost" and was "never submitted" and NOW my employer plan is no longer Obamacare compliant! Ugh! I waited 3 weeks to get verification from the insurance company that my plan had been terminated so that I could re-enroll with Special Enrollment. Come to find out you have 1 month from the date of termination (which I found out 2 days prior and my annual pap scheduled a week later!) that my plan had been terminated. 

Now that I have received my official paperwork of termination I am no longer eligible for "Special Enrollment" and must wait, uninsured, pap rescheduled yet again, until Open Enrollment in November. I asked the lady twice if I would get a fine this year, to which she replied no, but we shall see. I should not have to pay a fee for a system that has not worked since day one and is penalizing me for being healthy and not wanting to buy into more wealth-care insurance.

There is not a big enough wine glass to make this any easier! Waiting on hold. Getting hung up on. Being told there will be no "fees"(lies) and no longer being eligible....."Dear, bring the big bottle!"

Sob-rant story aside, as a person approaching healthcare from a holistic approach and a place of self healing, this "healthcare system" breaks my heart. I am young and very healthy. I ferociously chase fairness and do my do-diligence of timeliness and following the "rules."  But I am pissed. HEALTHCARE IS NOT ABOUT MONEY! Insurance is about money. How can people sleep at night laying in their McMansions on 1,000 count Egyptian cotton sheets knowing that what surrounds them is paid for by ailing, poor, suffering Americans who have no other options?? 

We do not have a healthcare system at all. We have a-suck-what-little-money-you-make mandatory-sick-maintenance-surgery-required-pharmaceutical-driven-pseudo-health/sick system that gives two shits about anyone's health! I can't imagine being sick or recovering from surgery and having to navigate the bullshit that insurance companies put us through. Granted I never go to the doctor for much of anything. I will go for a semi-annual pap, which is more like every 3 years, but that is it. To think I have to pay some 1% Joe Schmo for that pap boggles my mind and even then I am prescribed medications more than I am listened to about my very minor health woes.

Our system is broken! It does not promote health or well-being and honestly it feels like nobody gives a shit about us. 

So I am proud to become a health coach. To learn how to help people heal themselves with good whole foods, balance in exercise, nutrition, relationships, spirituality and career. Because our government isn't going to help us, let alone come close to healing the masses of people who are unwell. Don't feed into insurance-care, feed yourself whole-food, real-food care. Trust your gut, your heart, your intuition - not your pharmacist. 

The only way we are going to get healthy is together, on our own, by demanding a healthcare system that aims at healing, not placating or cutting away the illness. We do this by putting ourselves, our needs, our health and our decisions first, by choosing clean organic whole foods above medications each and everyday.