By Georgianna Donadio, MSc, Dc, PhD
Causes of Stress
Prior to the early 1970’s, the majority of family units were structured as a one wage earner household where the male worked and the female stayed at home taking care of the house and family. Driven largely by social and socio-economic factors, all of that has changed. Now, the overwhelming majority of families include both parents working and we find ourselves on a treadmill of more work, more responsibilities, more demands and non-stop scheduling that has many of us in a state of physical and, at times, emotional exhaustion.
Added to the mix is our competitive culture, which often lends to isolation or “them against us”, thinking. Isolation of this nature causes additional “hidden” stress. The perennial truth is that the whole world is one family. It is said that there is only one disease, the disease of separateness; separating oneself from the awareness that as a member of the human family, we are one living collective organism. The drama created by a “one up” or “one down” dynamic, which we find in competitive societies, can lend to the exhaustion and the psycho-social behavioral issues that contribute to overeating.
Understanding Exhaustion
and it’s Effect on Obesity
The tipping point at which our bodies can no longer compensate for or adapt to the stress they are under is based in large part on the threshold of nutritional competency and the state of integrity of our nervous systems. When our central nervous system, which governs every cell in our body and makes life possible, is not working efficiently, we have a decrease in bodily function and a decrease in the ability to adapt to the world we live in.
Chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS, is rampant in our culture today and growing at an alarming rate because of the over stimulation and increased demands placed on our nervous systems. Add to this inadequate nutrition and a decreased ability of our bodies to digest and absorb properly because of the stress, and we see the building blocks of the epidemic of chronic diseases being currently reported.
What is so shocking for us as American’s, is that while we live in one of the most affluent societies ever to exist on earth and have one of the most technologically advanced medical systems; we are ranked at approximately 26th in the “World Health Olympics”.
This is not the failure of our medical system but, in fact, our collective societal failure to live in our bodies mindfully and respectfully, taking time for rest, proper nutrition, reflection, intimacy with self and others and serving the common good of all. It is this imbalance that leads us to chronic stress, which leads to physical and, if you will, spiritual exhaustion that is producing the levels of chronic disease and rampant obesity we see today.
Next Installment – Self Esteem and Health
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
How It Works
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
Thanks to the work of M.I.T. professor Judith Wurtman, PhD, and others we now understand the significant role that a neurotransmitter or "chemical messenger" called serotonin plays in producing our cravings for complex carbohydrates and sugars, two of the largest contributors to unhealthy weight gain.
Serotonin and other neurotransmitters are produced by our bodies as "feel good" hormones. Under stress, we do not have enough of these hormones and we become motivated to "self-sooth" by behaviors that lead to the increase in serotonin. Overeating carbohydrates and fatty rich foods or "comfort foods" such as cookies, ice cream, and other "treats" significantly increases these hormones. Many addictions such as smoking, drinking alcohol and abusing drugs are also attempts to self soothe and increase serotonin, but no other addictive or unhealthy behavior is as socially accepted and as easily available as overeating. We can do it anywhere, anytime, along or with company. It is not wonder we have such a love affair with eating.
In addition, our bodies need for certain nutrients, specifically protein, Vitamins A, C and E, unsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol and minerals sky rocket when we are "adapting" under stress. Often, if we do not stop the stress cycle or appropriately supplement these vital nutrients, we can turn to overeating to satisfy the body's demand for the fuel it needs to keep dealing with the stress we are experiencing.
For a period of time, foods that comfort, sooth or supplement can make us feel calmer until our level of serotonin drops again or until we become more exhausted and need to feed ourselves once more. Then we start the cycle all over and consume more carbohydrates and fatty rich food to stabilize our blood sugar level and brain function until we feel better again.
This is the cycle of self medication or self-soothing practices in homes, offices, restaurants, automobiles and yes, even in bathrooms across America. The long term effect of such behaviors, apart from obesity and escalating chronic diseases, is that our nervous systems are being hyper-stimulated. Anxiety, exhaustion, depression, over eating and insomnia are just a few of the symptoms we experience when our nervous systems are working on overload.
As a result, it is no wonder that within the last few years, low carbohydrate diets have proven effective for so many people. Approximately 20% of Americans or 20 million people are currently on low carbohydrate diets. For many of us, our stress level is a major factor in the over-consumption of carbohydrates; therefore reducing or eating normal amounts of carbohydrates is spawning weight loss. The real issue however is: How long can we reduce our carbohydrate loading without reducing our stress levels and the behaviors that create elevated stress in the first place?
Next Installment - CAUSES OF STRESS
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Thanks to the work of M.I.T. professor Judith Wurtman, PhD, and others we now understand the significant role that a neurotransmitter or "chemical messenger" called serotonin plays in producing our cravings for complex carbohydrates and sugars, two of the largest contributors to unhealthy weight gain.
Serotonin and other neurotransmitters are produced by our bodies as "feel good" hormones. Under stress, we do not have enough of these hormones and we become motivated to "self-sooth" by behaviors that lead to the increase in serotonin. Overeating carbohydrates and fatty rich foods or "comfort foods" such as cookies, ice cream, and other "treats" significantly increases these hormones. Many addictions such as smoking, drinking alcohol and abusing drugs are also attempts to self soothe and increase serotonin, but no other addictive or unhealthy behavior is as socially accepted and as easily available as overeating. We can do it anywhere, anytime, along or with company. It is not wonder we have such a love affair with eating.
In addition, our bodies need for certain nutrients, specifically protein, Vitamins A, C and E, unsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol and minerals sky rocket when we are "adapting" under stress. Often, if we do not stop the stress cycle or appropriately supplement these vital nutrients, we can turn to overeating to satisfy the body's demand for the fuel it needs to keep dealing with the stress we are experiencing.
For a period of time, foods that comfort, sooth or supplement can make us feel calmer until our level of serotonin drops again or until we become more exhausted and need to feed ourselves once more. Then we start the cycle all over and consume more carbohydrates and fatty rich food to stabilize our blood sugar level and brain function until we feel better again.
This is the cycle of self medication or self-soothing practices in homes, offices, restaurants, automobiles and yes, even in bathrooms across America. The long term effect of such behaviors, apart from obesity and escalating chronic diseases, is that our nervous systems are being hyper-stimulated. Anxiety, exhaustion, depression, over eating and insomnia are just a few of the symptoms we experience when our nervous systems are working on overload.
As a result, it is no wonder that within the last few years, low carbohydrate diets have proven effective for so many people. Approximately 20% of Americans or 20 million people are currently on low carbohydrate diets. For many of us, our stress level is a major factor in the over-consumption of carbohydrates; therefore reducing or eating normal amounts of carbohydrates is spawning weight loss. The real issue however is: How long can we reduce our carbohydrate loading without reducing our stress levels and the behaviors that create elevated stress in the first place?
Next Installment - CAUSES OF STRESS
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Friday, May 28, 2010
Stress and Obesity
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
This topic is complex, important and requires much discussion. This will be the first of several installments on the topic. This material is in part excerpted from an article I wrote several years ago for Well Being Journal on the subject of Morgan Spurlock's movie Super Size Me.
A Precursor to Obesity
A groundbreaking study, reported in 2003 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found that between 1977 and 1996, portion sizes for key food groups grew markedly in the United States. This was not only found at fast food restaurants but also in homes and at conventional restaurants. In particular, portion sizes for salty and sugary foods, essentially "comfort foods", experienced the most dramatic portion size increases. For example, the USDA's recommended serving size for a cookie is half and ounce, while the average cook sold in restaurants was found to be 700% larger.
The by-products of our affluent American society, envied by many around the world, have a definite dark side - our obesity rates for starters. In a culture here more is better and disposable income is abundant, when it comes to eating we have developed a "more food, more conveniently and more often" attitude.
Certainly, no one forces us to eat more than our body needs, so what is driving this "hunger" for more? Over the last two decades, almost proportionally to the dramatic increase in food consumption and chronic disease diagnoses, the amount of stress in our society and on each of us individually has increased significantly. Stress the term medical researcher Hans Selye, MD, PhD, gave to the experience our bodies go through when we have to adjust or adapt to various changes in our environment, either externally or internally.
While many of us limit our thinking about stress to emotional states, many other factors can exert an equally detrimental effect on our bodies. When we do not get enough sleep or rest, work or exercise too much, neglect our nutritional needs, have an infection, have allergies, injuries or trauma, undergo dental or surgical procedures, have emotional upsets or deal with any aspect of reproductive function, our bodies must chemically and neurologically adapt in order to survive. Part of this adaption process relies heavily on the nutrition that is available for the kidney's adrenal glands to produce adaptive hormones. It is often this aspect of stress that can lead to overeating, and what's more, over eating the types of foods that cause unhealthy weight gain.
How it Works - the next installment.
With all good wishes,
G
© By NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
This topic is complex, important and requires much discussion. This will be the first of several installments on the topic. This material is in part excerpted from an article I wrote several years ago for Well Being Journal on the subject of Morgan Spurlock's movie Super Size Me.
A Precursor to Obesity
A groundbreaking study, reported in 2003 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found that between 1977 and 1996, portion sizes for key food groups grew markedly in the United States. This was not only found at fast food restaurants but also in homes and at conventional restaurants. In particular, portion sizes for salty and sugary foods, essentially "comfort foods", experienced the most dramatic portion size increases. For example, the USDA's recommended serving size for a cookie is half and ounce, while the average cook sold in restaurants was found to be 700% larger.
The by-products of our affluent American society, envied by many around the world, have a definite dark side - our obesity rates for starters. In a culture here more is better and disposable income is abundant, when it comes to eating we have developed a "more food, more conveniently and more often" attitude.
Certainly, no one forces us to eat more than our body needs, so what is driving this "hunger" for more? Over the last two decades, almost proportionally to the dramatic increase in food consumption and chronic disease diagnoses, the amount of stress in our society and on each of us individually has increased significantly. Stress the term medical researcher Hans Selye, MD, PhD, gave to the experience our bodies go through when we have to adjust or adapt to various changes in our environment, either externally or internally.
While many of us limit our thinking about stress to emotional states, many other factors can exert an equally detrimental effect on our bodies. When we do not get enough sleep or rest, work or exercise too much, neglect our nutritional needs, have an infection, have allergies, injuries or trauma, undergo dental or surgical procedures, have emotional upsets or deal with any aspect of reproductive function, our bodies must chemically and neurologically adapt in order to survive. Part of this adaption process relies heavily on the nutrition that is available for the kidney's adrenal glands to produce adaptive hormones. It is often this aspect of stress that can lead to overeating, and what's more, over eating the types of foods that cause unhealthy weight gain.
How it Works - the next installment.
With all good wishes,
G
© By NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Eat by Color
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, Dc, PhD
Have you ever thought about what color the standard American diet is? If it has a color, it is probably pasty beige – including the most popular “vegetables”, which are iceberg lettuce and French fries!
For a vegetable or fruit to have nutritional benefit they need to provide phytonutrients, which means plant nutrients. The vivid colors indicate the presence of these desirable plant chemicals and also act as a “table of contents” for which phytonutrient is contained within the fruit or vegetable.
Here is a quick color guide to choosing your fruits and vegetables:
• Red = lots of lycopene an antioxidant = reduces cancer risk
• Orange = beta-carotene an antioxidant = supports immune function
• Yellow-Orange = vitamin C = detoxifies and inhibits tumor cell growth
• Green = folate and iron = builds healthy cells and genetic material
• Green-light = indoles, lutein = eliminates excess estrogen & carcinogens
• Green-white = allyl sulfides = destroys cancer cells, supports immune system
• Blue (fruits) = anthocyanins = destroy free radicals
• Red-purple (fruits) = reservatrol = plaque reducer, mineral chelator
• Brown (legumes, whole grains) = fiber = carcinogen remover
Eating a colorful diet with many fruits and vegetables is the way to insure you are getting all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients your body needs to keep your machine running smoothly and support your immune system to protect against disease from invading organisms.
Think RAINBOW the next time you prepare your plate.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Have you ever thought about what color the standard American diet is? If it has a color, it is probably pasty beige – including the most popular “vegetables”, which are iceberg lettuce and French fries!
For a vegetable or fruit to have nutritional benefit they need to provide phytonutrients, which means plant nutrients. The vivid colors indicate the presence of these desirable plant chemicals and also act as a “table of contents” for which phytonutrient is contained within the fruit or vegetable.
Here is a quick color guide to choosing your fruits and vegetables:
• Red = lots of lycopene an antioxidant = reduces cancer risk
• Orange = beta-carotene an antioxidant = supports immune function
• Yellow-Orange = vitamin C = detoxifies and inhibits tumor cell growth
• Green = folate and iron = builds healthy cells and genetic material
• Green-light = indoles, lutein = eliminates excess estrogen & carcinogens
• Green-white = allyl sulfides = destroys cancer cells, supports immune system
• Blue (fruits) = anthocyanins = destroy free radicals
• Red-purple (fruits) = reservatrol = plaque reducer, mineral chelator
• Brown (legumes, whole grains) = fiber = carcinogen remover
Eating a colorful diet with many fruits and vegetables is the way to insure you are getting all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients your body needs to keep your machine running smoothly and support your immune system to protect against disease from invading organisms.
Think RAINBOW the next time you prepare your plate.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The Heart of the Matter
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
There are two books, "Heart and Soul" by Bruno Cortis, MD, and "The Heart's Code", by Paul Pearsall, PhD, which were among the first popular books to explore the subject of the function of the human heart from a perspective other than the heart being simply a pump which moves blood from one part of the body to another. While there is no question that the human heart is a muscular pump of sorts that moves our nutrient rich blood throughout our bodies, this function is just the physical aspect of the heart's function.
Paul Pearsall's book discusses the emotional function of the heart and its "L" energy. Dr. Pearsall beautifully describes and scientifically explains the impact and affect loving has on the heart which loves, as well as the affect that this love has on the recipient of heart's "L" energy. The human heart has its own independent electrical system (the Bundle of His - also known as the AV bundle or atrioventricular bundle) which appears to give the heart muscle an emotional life of its own.
The latest research on heart disease shows that the single greatest factor to whether or not an individual is likely to have a heart attack or die of heart disease is not the factors we might suspect or guess. Not high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high fat and sodium diets, Type A personality, anger or rage - all of which most of us would say is the perfect storm for heart disease and a heart attack.
Statically documented, the single most predictive factor of death by heart malfunction is -
HOPELESSNESS
Broken heartedness is when the "heart's desire" has been thwarted or eliminated and the heart is left without hope of fulfilling its desire. "Where there is life there is hope" - and without hope our dreams perish and our heart "breaks".
To understand that while exercise, a healthy diet, an ideal body weight and having a purpose in life are all part of being heart healthy - it now appears that the number one most important factor is to keep our hopes alive and not give up our dreams, for without them we lose our purpose and the joy for living.
A healthy heart is a HOPEFUL heart ~ When you smile, you cannot be sad or hopeless. Try it - think a horrible thought, the really smile and see if you can think that same thought wile you are smiling. When we smile we tell our heart and our brain that life is good and very worth living. As the saying goes, "be happy be healthy".
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
There are two books, "Heart and Soul" by Bruno Cortis, MD, and "The Heart's Code", by Paul Pearsall, PhD, which were among the first popular books to explore the subject of the function of the human heart from a perspective other than the heart being simply a pump which moves blood from one part of the body to another. While there is no question that the human heart is a muscular pump of sorts that moves our nutrient rich blood throughout our bodies, this function is just the physical aspect of the heart's function.
Paul Pearsall's book discusses the emotional function of the heart and its "L" energy. Dr. Pearsall beautifully describes and scientifically explains the impact and affect loving has on the heart which loves, as well as the affect that this love has on the recipient of heart's "L" energy. The human heart has its own independent electrical system (the Bundle of His - also known as the AV bundle or atrioventricular bundle) which appears to give the heart muscle an emotional life of its own.
The latest research on heart disease shows that the single greatest factor to whether or not an individual is likely to have a heart attack or die of heart disease is not the factors we might suspect or guess. Not high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high fat and sodium diets, Type A personality, anger or rage - all of which most of us would say is the perfect storm for heart disease and a heart attack.
Statically documented, the single most predictive factor of death by heart malfunction is -
HOPELESSNESS
Broken heartedness is when the "heart's desire" has been thwarted or eliminated and the heart is left without hope of fulfilling its desire. "Where there is life there is hope" - and without hope our dreams perish and our heart "breaks".
To understand that while exercise, a healthy diet, an ideal body weight and having a purpose in life are all part of being heart healthy - it now appears that the number one most important factor is to keep our hopes alive and not give up our dreams, for without them we lose our purpose and the joy for living.
A healthy heart is a HOPEFUL heart ~ When you smile, you cannot be sad or hopeless. Try it - think a horrible thought, the really smile and see if you can think that same thought wile you are smiling. When we smile we tell our heart and our brain that life is good and very worth living. As the saying goes, "be happy be healthy".
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Sweet Mystery of Life ~ the Hormones
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
In 2005, an article appeared in the science journal Nature about scientists in both Switzerland and in the United States who similarily found that exposing people to the human hormone Oxytocin through intranasal administration, made them more trusting and more willing to bond with others. Oxytocin is a hormone released by both males and females during sexual intimacy.
"Oxytocin specifically affects an individual's willingness to accept social risks arising through interpersonal interactions," the scientists wrote in the Nature article.
This is not surprising given that Oxytocin has also been referred to as "the cuddle" hormone as it is stimulated with physical affection. It has also been shown to decrease with the memory of a negative emotion and increase again with touch.
In females, Oxytocin is stimulated during romance and intimacy and creates an emotional environment of trust which assists in creating a desire for conception. Apparently, nature has created an amazing process of bio-chemical brain response which sets the stage for and encourages procreation.
May-be falling in love is a series of biochemical reactions that create desire and trust? May-be love is just an illusion of a hormonal kind? Ah, sweet mystery of life ~
With all good wishes,
G
© By NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
In 2005, an article appeared in the science journal Nature about scientists in both Switzerland and in the United States who similarily found that exposing people to the human hormone Oxytocin through intranasal administration, made them more trusting and more willing to bond with others. Oxytocin is a hormone released by both males and females during sexual intimacy.
"Oxytocin specifically affects an individual's willingness to accept social risks arising through interpersonal interactions," the scientists wrote in the Nature article.
This is not surprising given that Oxytocin has also been referred to as "the cuddle" hormone as it is stimulated with physical affection. It has also been shown to decrease with the memory of a negative emotion and increase again with touch.
In females, Oxytocin is stimulated during romance and intimacy and creates an emotional environment of trust which assists in creating a desire for conception. Apparently, nature has created an amazing process of bio-chemical brain response which sets the stage for and encourages procreation.
May-be falling in love is a series of biochemical reactions that create desire and trust? May-be love is just an illusion of a hormonal kind? Ah, sweet mystery of life ~
With all good wishes,
G
© By NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Monday, May 24, 2010
Our Mighty Muscles and Bones
By Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
We have explored how life begins; the nervous system; brain function; cranial nerves; digestive function; adrenal function and the immune system. This installment looks at the most glamorized, yet under appreciated part of our body – the muscles and bones.
The muscles get a lot of attention with regard to how they can make us look attractive and sexy to others. Our muscle tone communicates how healthy our body is – the strength of the muscles, the lack of water retention or fat in the muscles, how flexible we are, all indicate that we may well be a good reproductive partner and produce strong, healthy off spring. This is one of the functions we all can relate to, but certainly not the most important function.
Try to imagine what your life would be like if your muscle tissue could not form the shape of your body and allow you to physically move in the space you live in. Without locomotion thru muscle strength and movement, we would be a lump of humanity, not moving from the spot we found ourselves in.
Our bones are so amazing(apart from their distinctive and critical role as part of the immune system through bone marrow)in that they are the armature upon which our muscles are draped. They (the bones) allow us, with the cooperation of the muscles, to physically move, play, exercise, work, eat, sleep and achieve any and all mobility we experience throughout our day.
When we look at people stooped over with distorted posture and their musculature not functioning properly, we immediate associate this with either being ill or not being “vital”. Our posture is the number one thing people will notice about us, followed by how we are dressed. Our body language is expressed thru our bone/muscle function, our personality and how we view the world are all communicated in how we move through the space we inhabit.
Our muscles and bones not only share the work load in glucose and immune regulation, body heat production, fat metabolism, mineral storage and ability for “fight or flight” – self preservation, but they also communicate to the world what we think about ourselves, others and the world we live in through the expression of body movement and non-verbal communication. This can be the most attractive or freighting aspects about us – depending on how we express our movement and actions.
Keeping your muscles and bone strong thru exercise and a healthy diet is a wise move. Without them, we are literally “going no where” ~
We’ll mix it up in the next installment – a surprise - related,of course,to our whole health and our whole self!
With all good wishes,
G
© By NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
We have explored how life begins; the nervous system; brain function; cranial nerves; digestive function; adrenal function and the immune system. This installment looks at the most glamorized, yet under appreciated part of our body – the muscles and bones.
The muscles get a lot of attention with regard to how they can make us look attractive and sexy to others. Our muscle tone communicates how healthy our body is – the strength of the muscles, the lack of water retention or fat in the muscles, how flexible we are, all indicate that we may well be a good reproductive partner and produce strong, healthy off spring. This is one of the functions we all can relate to, but certainly not the most important function.
Try to imagine what your life would be like if your muscle tissue could not form the shape of your body and allow you to physically move in the space you live in. Without locomotion thru muscle strength and movement, we would be a lump of humanity, not moving from the spot we found ourselves in.
Our bones are so amazing(apart from their distinctive and critical role as part of the immune system through bone marrow)in that they are the armature upon which our muscles are draped. They (the bones) allow us, with the cooperation of the muscles, to physically move, play, exercise, work, eat, sleep and achieve any and all mobility we experience throughout our day.
When we look at people stooped over with distorted posture and their musculature not functioning properly, we immediate associate this with either being ill or not being “vital”. Our posture is the number one thing people will notice about us, followed by how we are dressed. Our body language is expressed thru our bone/muscle function, our personality and how we view the world are all communicated in how we move through the space we inhabit.
Our muscles and bones not only share the work load in glucose and immune regulation, body heat production, fat metabolism, mineral storage and ability for “fight or flight” – self preservation, but they also communicate to the world what we think about ourselves, others and the world we live in through the expression of body movement and non-verbal communication. This can be the most attractive or freighting aspects about us – depending on how we express our movement and actions.
Keeping your muscles and bone strong thru exercise and a healthy diet is a wise move. Without them, we are literally “going no where” ~
We’ll mix it up in the next installment – a surprise - related,of course,to our whole health and our whole self!
With all good wishes,
G
© By NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
