Americans are eating themselves to death.

Nearly three-fourths of the men, women and children in the US are overweight or frankly obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if current trends continue, 1 in 3 Americans will have type 2 diabetes by the year 2050.  A number of other chronic diseases – arthritis, autoimmune illnesses and cardiovascular disease, to name a few – are also on the rise.

For the first time in history, America’s current generation of young adults is expected to have a shorter life expectancy than the generation preceding it. What we’re putting in our mouths has a lot to do with that. But with all of the hype about diets (low-carb, low-fat, vegetarian, South Beach, Zone, DASH, Mediterranean, etc.), it’s difficult for the average person to formulate an eating plan that’s both healthy and satisfying. And, just about the time we think we have a bead on things, some new nutritional study comes out that refutes prior studies…or yet another book touting the latest miracle diet hits the market.

To make things worse, Western medicine seems determined to make all discussions of diet superfluous. Having concocted an array of criteria to help us estimate a person’s risk for a given disease (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, blood glucose and C-reactive protein are just a few of the parameters your doctor might check at your next annual physical), we’ve also manufactured a bagful of medications to coax these numbers toward “endpoints” that are presumed to indicate good health. This has led many people to believe that drugs can take the place of a healthy diet, even though lifestyle changes are usually more beneficial – and far less expensive – in the long run.

Unfortunately, some important issues get bypassed in this misguided effort to avoid the uncomfortable “diet issue.” For one thing, those precious endpoints we rely on so heavily are a moving target: recommendations for optimal cholesterol levels have changed significantly over the past two decades; recent studies have questioned the protective value of a high HDL level; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein may not be as predictive of vascular inflammation as was initially believed. And so on. Not surprisingly, it’s hard to convince someone to change his or her diet to comply with recommendations that even the experts are haggling over.

Another concept deserving more attention is the metabolic cost of the average American’s diet. For example, simple carbohydrates (sugars, cakes, white bread, etc.) do more than simply nudge your blood glucose upward for a few hours; they challenge the physiologic machinery that maintains your acid-base balance, they clog the enzymatic pathways that channel fuel molecules through your liver, and they generate inflammatory responses within the walls of your blood vessels. Similarly, red meats overwork cellular acid-buffering mechanisms and contribute to systemic inflammation that is the hallmark of many disease processes.

So, what to eat…and why? There’s compelling epidemiological evidence that you can reduce your overall risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease and death by adhering to a diet that leans heavily on vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits, herbs, monounsaturated oils and whole grains (in fact, every meal should be built around these foods); you should consume fish fairly often, but not at every meal (three times weekly is sufficient); if you drink alcohol, choose wine over beer or liquor; sweets, processed foods, beef and other red meats should make up a very small part of your diet, if they’re consumed at all. (If you do eat red meat, opt for organic, free-range animals, whose flesh contains more omega-3 fatty acids and fewer hormones and antibiotics.)

If every adult in the United States adopted such a diet – and if we did the same favor for our children – we would nullify some alarming trends that are otherwise destined to bankrupt our healthcare system and erode our collective quality of life.

Here's to your wellness,

What exactly is in our water? Do you know what you are drinking? Is it as clean as you think?

As a professional in the health field, I am use to being introduced to the latest gizmos, supposedly to improve health. These gizmos come in all sizes and shapes, and accompanied with their own unbelievable testimonials, studies, and dare it say, “Miracles”. To set the tone of how serious this matter can be, I personally feel that most people are sincere about what they share with prospects, although most of them a selling what they think, believe, and know will close the deal. From juice to cosmetics, from MLM to personal favorites, it’s almost impossible to detect what is true and what is not. So, the more inquisitions would seem to ignite a demand for more proof, but what seems to increase is more ways to get the product sold.

Water is no exception. Water is such a perfect product to sell, just find and angle to convince enough people that the “free” water is not as healthy as the water for sale. But, focusing on the water supply, it is very easy to see how far we have strayed from the main purpose and benefit of water. Fore mostly, water is irreplaceable. There is nothing known to man that can replace water, we need it to maintain and to sustain life…all life. However today, we find our water supply in contaminated with toxins, toxins that appear impossible to avoid. We are constantly exposed to low levels of toxic contaminants in our drinking water. However, with the proper water filtration system installed in your home and workplace, you can reduce your exposure and minimize sources of environmental toxicity.

Over time, drinking and showering in water tainted by toxic chemicals, heavy metals, parasites, radioactivity, and chlorine by-products contribute to a wide range of health disorders. Even at extremely low levels these toxins wreak havoc on our immune systems and exacerbate symptoms in chemically sensitive individuals. Perchlorate is a chemical used in munitions, found in fertilizers, and now detected in drinking water in 35 states. It is known to inhibit production of thyroid hormone and may also affect brain development in children.

Then there is the issue of chlorine. It is required that all sources of water be treated with it to prevent disease-causing bacteria. The downside of chlorination is the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs), chemicals formed by the action of chlorine combining with naturally occurring organic matter in water. Scientific studies have linked THMs to increased risk of bladder and colorectal cancers and may be linked to miscarriages, and heart, lung, kidney, and liver damage.

Claiming the industry has been working to convince consumers that bottled water is more pure than tap water despite no evidence to support the claims. The takeaways from the report: Bottled water costs over 1000 times more than tap water per fluid ounce and uses more than 2000 times more energy to produce; the purity of tap water is better regulated; and in fact, most bottled water is filtered tap water, anyway.

Not surprisingly, a coalition formed by the International Bottled Water Association called Bottled Water Matters has taken issue with the report. In fact, the organization counters, “At a time when obesity, diabetes and heart disease are so prevalent, the consumption of water, whether from the bottle or the tap, is a good thing, and any actions, such as CAI’s report, that discourage people from drinking bottled water are not in the public’s interest.

After the purification process, there’s a big difference between tap water and bottled water, IBWA says, and suggestions that bottled water isn’t as well regulated as tap are patently false. Not only does it contend that the CAI overstates the oil use in producing bottled water (54 million barrels each year), it says bottle water plastic container recycling is up to 31 percent, double the rate of five years ago. In the end, it argues, bottled water is good for the nation’s economy: “In 2009, the bottled water industry was responsible for as much as $130 billion in total economic activity and generated over $12.7 billion in property, income and sales taxes in the US.”

But according to a Scientific America article, bottled water is ripping off consumers to the tune of 1900 times the cost of tap water, and bottlers aren’t revealing where their water comes from: “…18 percent of the 173 bottled waters on the U.S. market today fail to list the location of their source; a third disclose nothing about the treatment or purity of the water inside their plastic bottles.” The Natural Defense Council reports that 90 percent of the money consumers pay for bottled water actually covers everything but the water itself: bottling, packaging, shipping, marketing and other expenses, and profits.

There are a lot of issues at work in the bottle vs. tap debate. Which camp do you fall into: Do you buy the idea that the pro-tap folks are discouraging water drinking, or do you think the bottlers are going on the offensive to hide environmental misdeeds?

What is an aquifer?

An aquifer is an underground layer of rock or soil that contains water. The water is held in the spaces between the rock or soil particles. There are two kinds of aquifers: 1. a confined aquifer is a water supply which is sandwiched between two layers of soil or rock that water cannot pass through (impermeable layers), and 2. An unconfined aquifer is a water supply that has an impermeable layer below it, but not above it. A confined aquifer that is under pressure is an artesian aquifer. The pressure can often push water to the surface in a well drilled into an artesian aquifer; usually wells need a pump to bring water to the surface from the aquifer they are drilled into. We use aquifers as a source of drinking water and of water to irrigate crops or to use in industry, pumping water from the aquifer using a well. As with any container of water, pumping from the aquifer empties it--or at least decreases the amount of water it holds. Aquifers are refilled, or recharged, in areas where they are exposed on the surface of the earth. Water can re-enter the aquifer in these recharge areas.

Water is essential for life

All mineral water is not equal, just as all bottled water is not equal. Minerals - a wide variety of them - are vital to human and animal health is hardly questioned. All living things need minerals in specific amounts - some minerals are needed in higher concentration than are others. Many people who would never question the health benefits of a daily vitamin are less sure when it comes to taking minerals as a daily regimen. Many cheaper vitamins contain no or nearly no minerals, or minerals in a form that are not readily absorbed. And there are no real requirements for the minimum amount of specific minerals to be included in bottled mineral water.

All water is technically mineral water unless it is softened or distilled. Water softeners remove minerals that cause scale on plumbing pipes. Distilling removes all minerals. When water comes out of the ground it is suffused with whatever minerals are present in the rock strata it is pumped from or those above it that leach into it. Some areas of the country have a higher complement of minerals in the water than others.

Mineral water in its natural state is usually called "hard" water, and anyone with a well which pumps rusty or lime scale water has either much iron or calcium in their water. In some areas of the country, there is concern that there is a high level of natural arsenic in the water and it is usually filtered out. Minerals are what lend a specific "taste" to water and many households are drinking water of considerable mineral density without even knowing it. Hard water usually has a bad reputation among home owners because of the expensive plumbing problems caused by scale and the fact that hard water does not allow detergents to work so well. This has kept water softener businesses in business for many years.

A couple of generations ago, the majority of the country drank "hard" well water and ate vegetables grown in soil that provided a variety of minerals. These soil minerals are taken up into the plant and provide the most digestible form of minerals for human health. Unfortunately, as the home garden has disappeared, to be replaced with mega-farm fruits and vegetables grown only with the use of fertilizers on worn-out ground, fewer minerals are absorbed into the food crop. Because plants need specific minerals to even grow, most fertilizers are primarily a concentration of minerals. This fertilizer is not balanced to provide optimum human health benefits, however - only to allow the plant to grow and produce. It should be obvious, then, that additional minerals should be added to the diet.

Iron is well-known as vital to the development of a healthy blood system but is readily available in meats, eggs and many legumes. Two other minerals are commonly referred to as being vital to circulatory health. These are calcium and magnesium. Other minerals, such as potassium are also necessary to proper heart function. Calcium in particular is stressed as vital to bones and teeth and as a preventative for osteoporosis. However, the usual recommendation to assure an adequate supply of calcium is to consume lots of dairy products, which I suggest is out-dated and misinformation. Many vegetables are loaded with enough calcium and other minerals to maintain and improve our health. Besides suggesting dairy products is a big problem as many adults are lactose intolerant. Races particularly prone to "milk allergies" are African-American and Asians. As calcium is the most common mineral to be found in mineral water, it can be a vital addition to the diet of the lactose intolerant. Scientific medical studies have proven that calcium-enriched mineral water is just as bio-available as that in milk in a study group of young women.

Often doctors and nutritionists recommend the dark, leafy vegetables such as broccoli as a source of calcium. Once again, the historical concentrations of minerals in plant-based foods has been dropping since at least 1945 and there is little way to tell if a particular head of broccoli, mustard greens or Chinese vegetables contains an optimum amount of calcium. Properly labeled mineral water may well be a better choice in this instance for obtaining needed calcium, and may be of great benefit in the prevention of osteoporosis in the elderly.

There are some concerns over bottled mineral water: a 1977 study in India placed part of the blame for the spread of a cholera epidemic on polluted locally-bottled mineral water. There is less concern over the cleanliness of commercially bottled water in the more developed countries, however, and there is no evidence such water has even been responsible for a disease outbreak here. Other concerns, those regarding the formulation of plastic bottling materials are somewhat valid. A recent study found that harmful chemicals can leach from the plastic into the water but usually only if the water is stored at higher temperatures. Water kept under refrigeration is not suspect, but one never knows the conditions under which it was stored before it gets to your kitchen. This is true of any bottled water, not just mineral water.

Yes, mineral water can have valuable health benefits, but this is a qualified yes: the minerals included, the underlying base of the water (much bottled drinking water is municipal water from one location or another), the bottling method and how the water was stored make a great deal of difference. Medical science need to devote much more study to the availability of minerals in local ground waters and the needs of particular individuals for mineral supplementation to improve their health.

Make sure you stay hydrated and you know where your water is coming from.

Here's to your wellness,

No matter how old we are, we must always feel young. This especially applies to health and exercise. It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle at any age.

What defines the aging athlete today?  Some may be athletes in the eighties who continue to perform at performances levels. These men and woman are simply continuing to run, swim, play tennis and other high impact endurance sports, challenging themselves by competing in triathlons and marathons just as they did when then were in their twenties. Two important reasons for their longevity are maintaining a constant daily rigorous training program and a healthy history of bone and joint history, which includes rest and recovery.

However, most aging athletes – defined as lifelong participants in sports and activity as well as individuals who exercise for fitness – encounter some specific difficulties during aging. This blog will briefly describe these age specific injuries common to aging athletes, some activities you can add to workout to prevent injuries and finally some thoughts on making good exercise choices.

The number one problem in aging athletes is chronic overuse injuries, specifically in the bones, joints and muscle. Both muscle strain and tendonitis decrease muscle flexibility, which drastically increases the chance of an injury. A common example of an overuse injury is in the shoulder blade or rotators cuff injury. Overuse injuries can lead to long-term disability and requires rest.

The other important injury older athletes face from years of high impact activities like tennis and running is age-related decline of muscles and bone. Loss of bone mass, tendons and ligaments leads to a decrease in elasticity and vulnerability to painful wear and tear injuries.  Common tendon related injuries, Tennis Elbow and Golf Elbow, are extremely painful, may require cortisone shots and special immobilization braces.

For lifelong athletes, biggest disappointment may come in having to give up your favorite sport. For a person who has run all his or her life, it is an enormous loss that only other older athletes can sympathize. Your orthopedic surgeon or physical therapist can help you find a new, low impact sport such as swimming, cycling, walking and others.

Two new regimes should be added to every older person’s regime. The first is weight training. First, ask the trainers at your gym to assist you in starting a new program. The first is weight training. For beginners, this can be done with light hand weights. Lifting weights is the most efficient was to fight against osteoporosis, also known as “wear and tear arthritis,” which causes joint pain and stiffness. Weight bearing exercises will help increase bone density and can aid balance.

Finally, you should become fanatic about stretching your muscles; especially the ones you feel are the tightest. Stretching is one of the best tools you have to prevent future injures by keeping your muscles loose. Your gym, physical therapist, orthopedist and Internet will have worksheets on stretching. Stretch before and after you exercise, while waiting in line, if you’ve been standing or sitting in one place for 45 minutes, watching TV and before you go to bed.

As every training athlete knows, sleep is even more essential when you are regularly exercising, so take the time for Rest and Recovery!

Here's to your wellness,

Man made and manufactured or Nature made and natural? This is a question we are all asking now more then ever.

Long before the pharmaceutical industry patented its first drug, aboriginal healers, tribal shamans, Eclectic physicians and herbal “simplers” were relying on plant-based medicines to combat disease in their homes and communities. Nowadays, the majority of people in industrialized countries are far removed from nature and its trove of herbal remedies, but a large portion of the world still relies on native plants for food, medicines and materiel.

In some respects, people who dwell in less developed countries are healthier than the residents of richer nations. Granted, infections, injuries and malnutrition are more common in poorer countries, and these issues do shorten the lifespan of individuals living in these regions. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune illnesses are practically unheard of in many developing countries, and the age-adjusted incidence of most cancers is lower. Arguably, then, the farther people stray from the natural world and its plant-based resources, the more likely they are to suffer from chronic, debilitating illnesses.

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, counseled his followers to “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Therein rests the understated secret – and the untapped power – of “nature’s pharmacy.” People who can obtain enough fresh vegetables, legumes, leafy greens, grasses, roots, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains are already fortified against illness. They are eating foodstuffs that have evolved beneath their feet, at their elbows and over their heads. Unlike refined and processed foods, these seemingly mundane items can be consumed without unhinging the metabolic machinery or delicate pH within human cells.

America is the wealthiest nation on earth, but it is far from being the healthiest. In 2007, the US ranked 26th and 27th out of 33 peer nations for life expectancy among men and women, respectively. In 2008, 107 million Americans – nearly one-half of adults age 18 and older – suffered from at least one of six reported chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and cancer), and these conditions currently account for 7 of every 10 American deaths. Such statistics suggest that widespread use of pharmaceutical agents isn’t the sole answer to the world’s health problems.  (Indeed, more than 180,000 Americans die each year as the result of adverse reactions to prescription drugs, which is chilling when you consider that many of these drugs were taken for minor problems.)

This is not to say that you should abandon your medications or shun your physician the next time you get sick. For acute illnesses and injuries, no medical system is better than America’s. But if you’re a regular patron of nature’s pharmacy, you may just find yourself using that high-tech medical system less often.  

Here's to your wellness,

Women are busier today then ever before. Between work, family, friends, personal commitments and trying to stay in shape sometimes it's hard to keep up. If you want to enjoy a healthy life, have lots of energy and reduce the effects of the aging process, it is vital to maintain a slightly alkaline body.

An ideal alkaline body is one with a pH reading between the range of 7.3 and 7.43. Keeping within these limits is simple once you know how to adjust your diet and your lifestyle. Alkalinity is particularly important when you are going through hormone changes, stress, and major lifestyle disruptions; all situations that can cause an imbalanced pH and lead to health issues, such as urinary tract infections, menstrual cramping and skin problems. As well as maintaining a balanced diet, there are a number of alternative ways to keep your body’s pH in check.

Barley Grass

This nutrient-packed food is comprised of seedlings from the barley plant that are harvested around 200 days after germination. Barley grass is rich in A, C, B1, B2, folic acid, and B12, calcium, iron, potassium, and chlorophyll. It also contains all nine essential amino acids. As well as having alkalizing effects, its powerful antioxidant properties enable it to protect you from digestive disorders, skin ailments and to reduce your risk of cancer. Dissolving 2 – 6 g of barley grass powder into juice or water, taken three times each day will help to balance your pH and protect your health.

Wheatgrass

Like barley grass, wheatgrass can be used to boost your health and vitality. It is rich in Vitamins A, B1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 12, C, E and K and a host of minerals including, Calcium, Iodine, Selenium, Iron, Zinc, and all nine essential amino acids. Wheatgrass’s powerful antioxidant activity is due to its superoxide dismutase content (SOD). This enzyme is known for its ability to destroy free radicals and help prevent the formation of cancer cells. It also helps to promote healthy aging and reduce the effects of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. What’s more, wheatgrass has a high chlorophyll content, which helps counteract the many toxins in your body, reduces inflammation and has significant alkalizing effects.

Probiotics

Probiotics are live microbacteria that inhabit your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These beneficial bugs help your body to fight invading pathogens and boost your immune system. Probiotics can help you balance your acid-alkaline balance by neutralizing toxins within your system. Try a combined probiotic supplement of B. bifidum and L. acidophilus with at least 5-10 billion viable bacteria 2 -3 times daily just before meals for the full benefits.

The Importance of Ionic Minerals

As your body performs its necessary chemical processes, waste products are produced that may become toxic for your body it they are not properly disposed of. A significant percentage of these waste products find their way into your blood stream and if not quickly metabolized, they can have negative effects on your health. Some of the key nutrients for maintaining your body’s acid-alkaline balance are the alkaline minerals, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and bicarbonate. These are vital for maintaining your body’s energy levels. You can give yourself a boost with pHion Balance pH Booster, which contains more than 72 ionic minerals.

You may not be Superwoman but you can feel like it when you combine our super products. You will feel healthier, more energetic and ready to conquer your busy day!

Here's to your wellness,

Hey everyone. So...I get a lot of questions about alkaline water ionizers...like these:

•  How do they alkalize water?

•  Are they better than using pH drops (like pHion Booster)

•  Are they worth the money?

Let me try to answer them for you...

How do they alkalize the water?

Water ionizers use electrodes to "pull" positive ions...minerals...out of the water. They then convert them to negative ions. The net result is that the relatively few positive ions in the water have been reduced to none.

Water, however, is considered an unbuffered or low ion solution to begin with. Meaning that there's not a very high
concentration of positive ions to begin with. So while you can reduce the water to an alkaline state, the water that is made is STILL weakly ionized! So, while it may be alkaline, it really doesn't do much to ADD many negative ions or alkalinity to your body.

Are they better than using pHion Booster?

Not so much. First of all, water ionizers should actually be called water alkalizers. Because they do more to alkalize your water than to ionize your water. But, as I just explained, they way they alkalize your water isn't very effective. pHion pH Booster adds or DONATES a whole lot of negative ions into your water...thus making it ion dense. This can be demonstrated in our "Alkaline and Ionic Water Video".

By adding negative ions and alkaline elements into your water, you benefit big time. You'll have better conductivity of electrical charges which will result in higher energy...plus you'll be getting a lot more alkaline minerals that will help to neutralize acids. pHion pH Booster is the only product out there that can ionize (electrify) your water (like gatorade...but without sugar and salt) AND alkalize it. We're putting together a new video that will show you how much better pHion Booster water HOLDS its pH as well. It will be out soon.

Are they worth the money?

I think not!

Here's to your wellness,

It would seem that feeling better would be the ultimate goal in health, but it requires a more specific image, with a perspective of purpose and value. The bottom line is to know your value. Self knowledge is the beginning to any plan for better health, or it simply doesn’t make any sense. Why should one care for his or herself without having a worthwhile reason to attain better health in the first place? Well, personally I am thankful for so many opportunities that I get directly because of my physical condition, my positive outlook on life, and my smile that I share with each person with whom I am in the presence of…But, that’s me! Setting goals in health is a serious undertaking that requires discipline, patience, forgiveness, and endurance just to name a few important principles. Values are subjective, because every single human being views life through his own subjective point of view. Every person’s point of view is unique and therefore every person’s set of values is unique. Our values are our compass in our lives.

There are values that are positive and there are values that are negative. There is friendship as well as hate. There is charity and there is grief. There is happiness and depression. There is family, honor, individuality, work, tolerance, respect, and hundreds of other values. We are made up of our personal values. Our personal values are a combination of values ingrained in us from an early age as well as ones we have adopted ourselves over the years. Society may expect certain things from us, yet we are the ones who choose whether or not we internalize external social values and make them our own.

Each of us has many values. Not all of our values are as important to us at the same time. Write down five to ten of my top values every few months. Sometimes they change, sometimes they stay the same. By listing the values that are most important in your life at any given time, you are choosing to focus on them and work on them. Sometimes we have values that clash, not because they’re opposites of each other, but because we can’t honor both at once. For example, family and work are two of my values, and I find myself working more and having less time for my family. My family wants my attention and pulls at me. I want to feel fulfilled through work and career and that pulls at me.

The more my work value is being fulfilled, the more integrity I have with regard to that value. On the other hand, I am not living my family value with as much integrity as I would like to. When there’s a rift between how you’d like to honor a value, it leads to a loss of integrity. If you have low self-esteem, that means you need to go back to your values and reassess how you can rearrange your life to feel like you are living with integrity based on what matters to you. If you’re like me, you might wonder you can possibly live with integrity based on all your varied values. What helps me is to challenge all-or-nothing thinking. Sometimes it can seem that if you can’t do things right or all the way, it’s a non-accomplishment. Integrity is built from a pattern of small and consistent actions. Little changes can indeed build into big changes. One step at a time, a little bit each time, really does work magic. Self esteem is like a bank account. When you live your values with integrity, you are making deposits into the bank of self esteem. We can be rich or poor. We are the ones who decide how many deposits we make.
Whether the goal is promotion at work, a streamlined work process, a new customer, a published article, an exercise program, better health or weight loss, the goal must be your goal. You are unlikely to achieve your manager’s goal, your spouse’s goal or the goal you think you “ought” to work on this year. Your goals must generate excitement when you ponder their accomplishment. You must believe there is something in it for you to accomplish them. Sometimes, especially at work, if you perceive the end reward is worth the work, you will take on challenges in support of the organization’s goals. These goals might not be as close to your heart as your personal goals, but you work to achieve them for the good of the organization and your success there.

Setting Your Goals

When you set goals for better health, they can help you stay on track. But it's important to set goals that are realistic.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests how to set health targets:

•  Talk to your doctor about exercise, and set up time on your calendar to work out

•  Establish long-term goals, including incremental increases to your exercise plan

•  Make your goals specific and measurable so you can gauge whether or not you're meeting them

•  Make your goals attainable and realistic

•  Make your goals relevant to living a healthier, longer life

•  Set realistic time limits for achieving your goals

•  Prepare for trouble. “This is perhaps the most underutilized yet important tactic: You’re going to experience setbacks, like working late or bad weather. Plan for these times, and know exactly how you’ll adjust and what you’ll do, so you can eliminate the opportunity for impulsive decisions”

•  Remove personal obstacles. “Identifying your health obstacles is a simple first step. I had one patient who wanted to lose weight, but was self-conscious about women looking at him. So we decided that he would run in the woods where no one could see him, It wasn’t about overcoming his anxiety. We just made it easier for him to exercise.

So, be realistic with your goals and remember, you are writing the goals to work for you, that means design your plan with you in mind to achieve, and to be successful without suffering and punishment. You hold the pen, what you write for yourself should work like you know yourself better that anyone else.

Here's to your wellness,

Question: Is the raw food diet the same as an alkaline diet?

Answer: A true "alkalarian diet" is 80% + raw, but "raw diets" are not always alkaline.

The raw food diet is built on one basic premise... cooking your food destroys enzymes, leaches minerals, damages vitamins, and denatures antioxidants. All of which are true.

The Alkaline Diet (acid - alkaline diet / pH diet) is built on one basic premise as well...certain foods contribute to acidification of your body, and some help to alkalize your body. It just so happens that most foods are more alkaline forming when they're in their raw state.

Alkaline diets are mostly raw, but raw diets aren't necessarily alkalizing.

For example... raw foodists eat a lot of raw fish (sushi), raw dairy (cheese), and raw meat (tartare) - all of which are acidifying. You'll also see a lot of "raw treats" in raw food books (like cookies, ice cream, etc)...which are also acidifying. While raw food diets are certainly much more healthy than our conventional cooked diets, eating just "raw" isn't going to necessarily help you get your pH up.

If you are acidic, then you need to get more alkalizing foods into your diet. We have a great report that you can download for free called The Acid Alkaline Foods & Recipes Report. It lists which foods are acidic, which ones are alkaline and it also has 45 great recipes in there. Check it out!

As you'll see, foods are more alkalizing in their raw form, but you have to be eating the right kinds if you want to get your body back into a pH balanced state.

Here's to your wellness,