by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
It was an interesting week in my practice, as there were an unusual number of patients coming in with extreme symptoms that were addressed and resolved using the "when you hear hoof beats, think of horses and not zebras" practice model. If you are a practitioner and don’t know this one, it’s worth while exploring.
Having been in medicine and healthcare now for almost 40 years, (I’m as old as trees as my children like to tease me), there is no doubt that medicine is focused on looking for the zebras. That is, looking for the pathology, the disease, the exotic condition, something to diagnose instead of recognizing that most "hoof beats" are made by horses. This simple, practical and common sense approach to practicing health care has been lost within today’s fast paced, “expert” based practices and has even begun disappearing from "alternative" health care practices, as well.
Here is an example from one of my recent patient visits. A very gifted, integrative health practitioner called me up after having intractable muscle pain for a week. He could not lie down, could not sleep was in great discomfort and was also concerned about what this could mean. He had spoken to a wide variety of practitioners who normally deal with musculo-skeletal conditions and at the end of his exploration was still in pain and becoming rapidly more concerned.
When this happens to us we start to think, "do I have something really wrong with me?", if you're older you think "this must be what getting old is about", or if you are an active, healthy person who takes care of yourself you might ask, "how could this be happening to me, I take care of myself." This individual said he called me because he "didn't know where else to turn" to understand his pain and condition and isn't this what I did in my practice – figure things out about cause and effect?"
Being a Whole Person Health Care practitioner, I started with the basics:
> what specifically had he been doing prior to this onset?
> where is the specific discomfort?
> what makes it feel better?
> what makes it feel worse?
> did he experience any other symptom along with this pain?
He explained that he just joined a gym and was working out for the past week, but that he wasn't doing that much exercise to cause this discomfort and it wasn't just in one muscle, it was all over his body. He is in very good physical condition so the idea of the mild exercising causing this full body pain didn't resonate.
He reported that he hadn't changed his diet, work habits, taken any unusual supplements, changed beds, changed shoes or had any upset or stress over the past week. He tried a series of natural remedies and treatments to no avail. He was both personally and professionally stumped and so were the practitioners he had spoken with about his pain.
Having been called the "Sherlock Holmes of Whole Health", I knew the task at hand was to find out the missing piece of information that would unlock the cause of the problem. So we discussed his new membership at the gym. Logic told me that there was something connected to his activities at the gym that was the casual factor in his pain experience because it was after joining the gym that his pain began. It was just a matter of putting our finger on it.
After a few minutes of detailed review, one factor that surfaced seemed the right solution to the problem. After his work out, he went for a swim in the gym's pool. Interesting.
Now some of you who are practitioners reading this might think, "Ah ha, he has a virus from the pool water", or " His immune system must have had a toxic reaction to the chemicals in the pool". Sorry, but no cigar - these are all zebras.
Having a comprehensive, evidence-based, whole person health education is critical to truly serving our patients and clients and being able to empower them with the knowledge they need to take control of their health.
What does chlorine do to our body? It leaches minerals, most importantly calcium and magnesium. Because chlorine has double negative bonds it is wildly attracted to double positive bonds, as found in calcium. What minerals are significantly involved in muscle function? Ca & Mg - correct!
I recommended that he go to Whole Foods and purchase A to B Calm calcium and magnesium powder, take a dose and see if that helped. I received an e-mail about 24 hours later with the subject title "WOW" - it completely took away all his discomfort, he got a great night sleep and felt excellent. He is swimming away, but mindful to take his calcium/magnesium after each swim.
This is the perfect example of thinking horses and not zebras in our practices. I do hope you found this helpful ~
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Should Doctors Take Back Control of Health Care?
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc., DC, PhD
For those us of old enough to remember Marcus Welby, MD and Dr. Kildare, the beloved TV docs we grew up with, we also remember a time when the physicians ran health care. They set policy, budgets, insurance coverage guidelines and pretty much, back then, "everything healthcare".
The insurance carriers, growing tired of paying for questionable procedures and surgery, warned physician groups running the show that if they did not clean up the medical abuses taking place, the insurance industry would take away their decision making by enforced second opinions and limited pay outs for procedures that were being unnecessarily performed. Back in the 1970's, there were millions of hysterectomies, 66% of all those performed were after the fact deemed "unnecessary" by what has become today's Medical Review Boards.
Now in the U.K., to quote an article in latest English.news.cn "The new British coalition government revealed on Friday that it planned to put doctors in charge of funding for frontline services in England's National Health Service (NHS), in a change hailed as the biggest in 60 years."
This is big! If this were to be enacted in the U.S., we could see a return of physician driven health care that is provided, determined and distributed by the same type of physician groups that were unable to police themselves just 30 years after the establishment of the American Medical Association and the mainstreaming of the pharmaceutical industry.
Granted, we currently have in place excellent peer review boards and medical review requirements, but this works because of the lack of conflict of interest with the way these structures function.
The health care reform bill has yet to flex its muscles and most of us feel pretty much in the dark about what we can expect. No surprise since an overwhelming majority of politicos who voted on the bill had little to no idea what the bill contained!
The issues we see with today's health care delivery simply reinforce the Whole Health vision of taking control of our bodies, preventing disease with common sense health hygiene and limiting the use of acute care medicine that we as Americans are blessed to have available to us when a health crisis occurs.
Every day the news contains articles identifying the long term use of even over the counter medications and cautions us to realize we cannot repeatedly put these chemicals into our bodies (and there are many other chemicals in our environment, food and air) and not experience consequences.
Chronic disease, which is the bulk of what is treated in healthcare today, is preventable and cost effective. Let's create our own healthcare reform with self-directed health-care. This means taking care of our whole health, living well and living long.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
For those us of old enough to remember Marcus Welby, MD and Dr. Kildare, the beloved TV docs we grew up with, we also remember a time when the physicians ran health care. They set policy, budgets, insurance coverage guidelines and pretty much, back then, "everything healthcare".
The insurance carriers, growing tired of paying for questionable procedures and surgery, warned physician groups running the show that if they did not clean up the medical abuses taking place, the insurance industry would take away their decision making by enforced second opinions and limited pay outs for procedures that were being unnecessarily performed. Back in the 1970's, there were millions of hysterectomies, 66% of all those performed were after the fact deemed "unnecessary" by what has become today's Medical Review Boards.
Now in the U.K., to quote an article in latest English.news.cn "The new British coalition government revealed on Friday that it planned to put doctors in charge of funding for frontline services in England's National Health Service (NHS), in a change hailed as the biggest in 60 years."
This is big! If this were to be enacted in the U.S., we could see a return of physician driven health care that is provided, determined and distributed by the same type of physician groups that were unable to police themselves just 30 years after the establishment of the American Medical Association and the mainstreaming of the pharmaceutical industry.
Granted, we currently have in place excellent peer review boards and medical review requirements, but this works because of the lack of conflict of interest with the way these structures function.
The health care reform bill has yet to flex its muscles and most of us feel pretty much in the dark about what we can expect. No surprise since an overwhelming majority of politicos who voted on the bill had little to no idea what the bill contained!
The issues we see with today's health care delivery simply reinforce the Whole Health vision of taking control of our bodies, preventing disease with common sense health hygiene and limiting the use of acute care medicine that we as Americans are blessed to have available to us when a health crisis occurs.
Every day the news contains articles identifying the long term use of even over the counter medications and cautions us to realize we cannot repeatedly put these chemicals into our bodies (and there are many other chemicals in our environment, food and air) and not experience consequences.
Chronic disease, which is the bulk of what is treated in healthcare today, is preventable and cost effective. Let's create our own healthcare reform with self-directed health-care. This means taking care of our whole health, living well and living long.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Thursday, July 8, 2010
NIWH Whole Health Moves Into Health Care
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
If you have been following this blog you may have been wondering where I've been for the past few weeks. I am happy to report that the lack of posting has meant big things are happening at NIWH!
There has been a Whole Health revolution going on across the country. It seems that millions of people and thousands of organizations have caught on to the NIWH vision of Whole Health and what it can mean for all of us.
> NIWH is serving on the national leadership Steering Committee along side members from Duke University, Harvard Institute of Coaching, Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota, HealthCorp - led by Dr. Met Oz, Wellcoaches and others to craft and implement health and wellness coaching standards and a national certification.
> NIWH just signed a collaboration agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital Community Health to provide our Whole Health Education program to staff nurses for the purpose of evaluating how the model enhances their work with patients.
> NIWH has recently been approved by the Department of Defense to provide Whole Health program to over 3 million active military spouses around the globe through the Military One Source, My Caa program.
> NIWH, an endorsed program of the American Holistic Nurses Association, and AsOne Coaching under the direction of Linda Bark, RN, PhD, MCC, which is also an AHNA endorsed program, has partnered to bring health coaching competencies to the Whole Health externship and practicum experience.
> NIWH and Wellcoaches, one of the leading coaching competency organizations in the world, endorsed by the American Academy of Sports Medicine, have partnered to bring Whole Health Education to the coaching community. NIWH will be adding Wellcoach’s courses to the NIWH externship and practicum components.
And, there are more collaborations on the horizon! I will keep you updated on all the most current Whole Health developments.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
If you have been following this blog you may have been wondering where I've been for the past few weeks. I am happy to report that the lack of posting has meant big things are happening at NIWH!
There has been a Whole Health revolution going on across the country. It seems that millions of people and thousands of organizations have caught on to the NIWH vision of Whole Health and what it can mean for all of us.
> NIWH is serving on the national leadership Steering Committee along side members from Duke University, Harvard Institute of Coaching, Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota, HealthCorp - led by Dr. Met Oz, Wellcoaches and others to craft and implement health and wellness coaching standards and a national certification.
> NIWH just signed a collaboration agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital Community Health to provide our Whole Health Education program to staff nurses for the purpose of evaluating how the model enhances their work with patients.
> NIWH has recently been approved by the Department of Defense to provide Whole Health program to over 3 million active military spouses around the globe through the Military One Source, My Caa program.
> NIWH, an endorsed program of the American Holistic Nurses Association, and AsOne Coaching under the direction of Linda Bark, RN, PhD, MCC, which is also an AHNA endorsed program, has partnered to bring health coaching competencies to the Whole Health externship and practicum experience.
> NIWH and Wellcoaches, one of the leading coaching competency organizations in the world, endorsed by the American Academy of Sports Medicine, have partnered to bring Whole Health Education to the coaching community. NIWH will be adding Wellcoach’s courses to the NIWH externship and practicum components.
And, there are more collaborations on the horizon! I will keep you updated on all the most current Whole Health developments.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Leaky Gut Syndrome
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
We don’t often see analogies between our organ function and building maintenance but “Leaky Gut Syndrome” is one familiar exception.
A “leaking gut” is similar to a leaking pipe in our home. It means our gut or intestines have a leak in the wall of the tube that takes our foods, nutrients and wastes from our upper digestive system and moves it along to it's natural conclusion. This is very similar to having a pipe in our home that is leaking waste materials from inside the plumbing system.
We intuitively know this can’t be a good thing if the intestinal lining or inner tubing is leaking materials into the blood stream that don’t belong there. Incompletely digested fats, proteins and starches that pass through these “leaks” in the lining are recognized by the body as foreign substances. All foreign substances in the body trigger immune responses that can effect organs, tissues, the nervous and any all areas of the body.
In the case of Leaky Gut Syndrome symptoms such as ongoing diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, rash, exhaustion insomnia, irritability and more can be, and often are, non-diagnosed or a wrongly diagnosed conditions that can progress to disabling stages of illness.
How does it occur that the walls of our insides can “spring a leak”, potentially poison our blood streams or creating potentially life threatening scenarios? The physiology of this is fascinating and also liberating as once we understand the cause of such a malfunction, we are able to correct for it and prevent it.
Here's the how and why of Leaky Gut Syndrome -
Imagine a series of cells lined up one next to the other that have tiny, flexible rubber bands connecting one cell to the other at the top middle and bottom. These little “rubber bands” are called desmosomes and their job is too bind the cells together tightly so there are no spaces or leaks where materials inside the “tubing” of the intestines can pass through and make their way into the blood stream.
In Leaky Gut Syndrome, irritation by various materials which include alcohol, antibiotics, aspirin, drugs, lack of fiber, food allergies, processed foods, tobacco, extreme stress and other influences can significantly weaken these strong “rubber bands”. They can become lax and allow for spaces to be created between cells, which in turn allow food particles and debris to cross into the blood stream, creating a toxic effect in the body.
By understanding the specifics of this condition and how an individual can take charge of their body can make an enormous difference in recovering from and controlling Leaky Gut Syndrome.
Improving our diet by removing processed foods; adding more fiber; eating more living food adding probiotics; eliminating or reducing the use of over the counter drugs and replacing them with homeopathics or herbs; increasing exercise and activities; reducing stress and supplementing with whole food supplements are all ways to heal and, over time, eliminate this condition by allowing the desmosomes to heal and strengthen and be able to protect and support the intestinal wall cells once again.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
We don’t often see analogies between our organ function and building maintenance but “Leaky Gut Syndrome” is one familiar exception.
A “leaking gut” is similar to a leaking pipe in our home. It means our gut or intestines have a leak in the wall of the tube that takes our foods, nutrients and wastes from our upper digestive system and moves it along to it's natural conclusion. This is very similar to having a pipe in our home that is leaking waste materials from inside the plumbing system.
We intuitively know this can’t be a good thing if the intestinal lining or inner tubing is leaking materials into the blood stream that don’t belong there. Incompletely digested fats, proteins and starches that pass through these “leaks” in the lining are recognized by the body as foreign substances. All foreign substances in the body trigger immune responses that can effect organs, tissues, the nervous and any all areas of the body.
In the case of Leaky Gut Syndrome symptoms such as ongoing diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, rash, exhaustion insomnia, irritability and more can be, and often are, non-diagnosed or a wrongly diagnosed conditions that can progress to disabling stages of illness.
How does it occur that the walls of our insides can “spring a leak”, potentially poison our blood streams or creating potentially life threatening scenarios? The physiology of this is fascinating and also liberating as once we understand the cause of such a malfunction, we are able to correct for it and prevent it.
Here's the how and why of Leaky Gut Syndrome -
Imagine a series of cells lined up one next to the other that have tiny, flexible rubber bands connecting one cell to the other at the top middle and bottom. These little “rubber bands” are called desmosomes and their job is too bind the cells together tightly so there are no spaces or leaks where materials inside the “tubing” of the intestines can pass through and make their way into the blood stream.
In Leaky Gut Syndrome, irritation by various materials which include alcohol, antibiotics, aspirin, drugs, lack of fiber, food allergies, processed foods, tobacco, extreme stress and other influences can significantly weaken these strong “rubber bands”. They can become lax and allow for spaces to be created between cells, which in turn allow food particles and debris to cross into the blood stream, creating a toxic effect in the body.
By understanding the specifics of this condition and how an individual can take charge of their body can make an enormous difference in recovering from and controlling Leaky Gut Syndrome.
Improving our diet by removing processed foods; adding more fiber; eating more living food adding probiotics; eliminating or reducing the use of over the counter drugs and replacing them with homeopathics or herbs; increasing exercise and activities; reducing stress and supplementing with whole food supplements are all ways to heal and, over time, eliminate this condition by allowing the desmosomes to heal and strengthen and be able to protect and support the intestinal wall cells once again.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Monday, June 7, 2010
Organic Foods vs Non-Organic
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, Dc, PhD
Several years ago scientists at Rutgers University set-out to specifically disprove any claim that organic produce was more nutritious than non-organic produce. The study used produce from supermarkets and health food stores. The main focus was to analyze the mineral content of the various vegetables and compare them for nutrition value, in particular, mineral content.
The term used today to identify non-organic produce is “commercial” which is grown using a variety of chemicals that either destroys plant pests or chemicals that can enhance plant growth. Many of these chemical are known carcinogens as well as being toxic to the soil and environment.
There has actually been very little “hard data” to prove that organic produce is in any way superior to organic produce, as most folks who purchase “organic” simply believe innately that naturally grown vegetables and fruits, without chemicals and pesticides are intuitively better and healthier.
While the researchers were willing to accept an outcome that might show a very slightly higher content in the organic produce than the commercial, due to the chemicals used to grow the commercial plants, the outcomes of the study shocked the researchers! When they saw that the amount of iron found in the commercial spinach was 97% higher than in the organic spinach and that manganese was 99% higher in the organic over the commercial, they were truly amazed. In the commercially grown vegetables many trace elements were completely absent compared to the organic produce where they were abundant.
Here are some comparisons:
Snap Beans organic =
10.45 phosphorus compared to 4.04 in commercial
.36 magnesium compared to .22 in commercial
227 boron compared to 10 in commercial
69 iron compared to 3 in commercial
Cabbage organic =
10.38 phosphorus compared to 6.12 in commercial
.38 magnesium compared to .18 in commercial
94 boron compared to 20 in commercial
48 iron compared to .04 in commercial
Lettuce organic =
24.48 phosphorus compared to 7.01 in commercial
.43 magnesium compared to .22 in commercial
516 boron compared to 9 in commercial
60 iron compared to 3 in commercial
Tomatoes organic =
14.2 phosphorus compared to 7.01 in commercial
.35 magnesium compared to .16 in commercial
1938 boron compared to 1 commercial
53 iron compared to 0 in commercial
Spinach organic =
28.56 phosphorus compared to 12.38 in commercial
.52 magnesium compared to .27 in commercial
1584 compared to 49 in commercial
32 iron compared to .3 in commercial
Here’s a disturbing outcome of this study – in all 5 of the tested vegetables: snap beans, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes and spinach the organic vegetables all contained healthy levels of cobalt, an essential trace mineral compared to the commercial vegetables which contain none!
So, the next time someone tries to argue that there is no difference between organic and commercial vegetables you can share this information with them and then happily buy your organic produce!
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Several years ago scientists at Rutgers University set-out to specifically disprove any claim that organic produce was more nutritious than non-organic produce. The study used produce from supermarkets and health food stores. The main focus was to analyze the mineral content of the various vegetables and compare them for nutrition value, in particular, mineral content.
The term used today to identify non-organic produce is “commercial” which is grown using a variety of chemicals that either destroys plant pests or chemicals that can enhance plant growth. Many of these chemical are known carcinogens as well as being toxic to the soil and environment.
There has actually been very little “hard data” to prove that organic produce is in any way superior to organic produce, as most folks who purchase “organic” simply believe innately that naturally grown vegetables and fruits, without chemicals and pesticides are intuitively better and healthier.
While the researchers were willing to accept an outcome that might show a very slightly higher content in the organic produce than the commercial, due to the chemicals used to grow the commercial plants, the outcomes of the study shocked the researchers! When they saw that the amount of iron found in the commercial spinach was 97% higher than in the organic spinach and that manganese was 99% higher in the organic over the commercial, they were truly amazed. In the commercially grown vegetables many trace elements were completely absent compared to the organic produce where they were abundant.
Here are some comparisons:
Snap Beans organic =
10.45 phosphorus compared to 4.04 in commercial
.36 magnesium compared to .22 in commercial
227 boron compared to 10 in commercial
69 iron compared to 3 in commercial
Cabbage organic =
10.38 phosphorus compared to 6.12 in commercial
.38 magnesium compared to .18 in commercial
94 boron compared to 20 in commercial
48 iron compared to .04 in commercial
Lettuce organic =
24.48 phosphorus compared to 7.01 in commercial
.43 magnesium compared to .22 in commercial
516 boron compared to 9 in commercial
60 iron compared to 3 in commercial
Tomatoes organic =
14.2 phosphorus compared to 7.01 in commercial
.35 magnesium compared to .16 in commercial
1938 boron compared to 1 commercial
53 iron compared to 0 in commercial
Spinach organic =
28.56 phosphorus compared to 12.38 in commercial
.52 magnesium compared to .27 in commercial
1584 compared to 49 in commercial
32 iron compared to .3 in commercial
Here’s a disturbing outcome of this study – in all 5 of the tested vegetables: snap beans, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes and spinach the organic vegetables all contained healthy levels of cobalt, an essential trace mineral compared to the commercial vegetables which contain none!
So, the next time someone tries to argue that there is no difference between organic and commercial vegetables you can share this information with them and then happily buy your organic produce!
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Friday, June 4, 2010
The Role Integrity Plays in Your Health
By Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
Driven by personal history and ambition successful people (discussed in previous installments) offer perfect examples of the potential outcome of serotonin driven self-soothing which invites us to ask and answer questions about self-esteem and self-care. When we understand the relationship between our unconscious mind, our self-esteem and the stress of looking for love “out there”, it becomes quite clear that what is at the core of our “super sizing” or over-eating is not solved by the diet of the month or the next how to best seller. Rather, what is called for is an examination of:
our ego state
our personal world view
our treatment in regards to nature and others
what we value
what we believe in
how much we consume
how much we accumulate.
When these aspects of self are aligned with choices that lead to moderation rather than ambition; that produce balance rather than extreme; that debunk the thinking that “more is better”, we then select the foods we innately know are healthy, even when we must choose from a fast food menu.
In a culture comprised of 5% of the world population, using 75% of the world’s resources we have come to accept access as a way of life. The 1980’s Robin Leaches’ TV show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, tainted our appetites for over consumption that has brought us to where we are today, obese and chronically diseased.
Take a Tip from the Gurus
World wide, healthy cultural traditions offer us an opportunity to re-think our approach to the way we live. Folk wisdom invites us to ponder
> how much do I really need to do
> to have
> to eat
> to own
> to control
in order to be content with my life; and what role does gratitude in my life is?” Having a calm, well functioning nervous system can be a main objective for all of us instead of trying to trick the body into doing what is not natural with the latest diet craze or supplement pills available.
Change the Question
It may be time to not only change the question we ask ourselves but the questions we are asked as consumers. Maybe, if when making fast food purchasing the questions are “supersize or downsize”, the choice we might make could result in significant weight loss rather than weight gain; the road to health instead of heart diseases and diabetes which more and more research shows comes from stress and poor food choices.
A million dollar statement to wrap up this 5 part article:
Self esteem = when our behaviors are congruent with our personal values. With healthy self-esteem we have a healthy body thru healthy lifestyle choices.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Driven by personal history and ambition successful people (discussed in previous installments) offer perfect examples of the potential outcome of serotonin driven self-soothing which invites us to ask and answer questions about self-esteem and self-care. When we understand the relationship between our unconscious mind, our self-esteem and the stress of looking for love “out there”, it becomes quite clear that what is at the core of our “super sizing” or over-eating is not solved by the diet of the month or the next how to best seller. Rather, what is called for is an examination of:
our ego state
our personal world view
our treatment in regards to nature and others
what we value
what we believe in
how much we consume
how much we accumulate.
When these aspects of self are aligned with choices that lead to moderation rather than ambition; that produce balance rather than extreme; that debunk the thinking that “more is better”, we then select the foods we innately know are healthy, even when we must choose from a fast food menu.
In a culture comprised of 5% of the world population, using 75% of the world’s resources we have come to accept access as a way of life. The 1980’s Robin Leaches’ TV show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, tainted our appetites for over consumption that has brought us to where we are today, obese and chronically diseased.
Take a Tip from the Gurus
World wide, healthy cultural traditions offer us an opportunity to re-think our approach to the way we live. Folk wisdom invites us to ponder
> how much do I really need to do
> to have
> to eat
> to own
> to control
in order to be content with my life; and what role does gratitude in my life is?” Having a calm, well functioning nervous system can be a main objective for all of us instead of trying to trick the body into doing what is not natural with the latest diet craze or supplement pills available.
Change the Question
It may be time to not only change the question we ask ourselves but the questions we are asked as consumers. Maybe, if when making fast food purchasing the questions are “supersize or downsize”, the choice we might make could result in significant weight loss rather than weight gain; the road to health instead of heart diseases and diabetes which more and more research shows comes from stress and poor food choices.
A million dollar statement to wrap up this 5 part article:
Self esteem = when our behaviors are congruent with our personal values. With healthy self-esteem we have a healthy body thru healthy lifestyle choices.
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Self Esteem and Health
by Georgianna Donadio, MSc, DC, PhD
We have an innate understanding of what we need to do to be healthy. Yet, adages about health, e.g.,” early to bed, early to rise, makes a being healthy, wealthy and wise”, are often ignored in favor of our instant gratification or immediate comfort.
Physical labor has taken a back seat to “mind work”, and today we work harder than ever before to have the money to buy membership to a gym or spa so we can do the physical exercise we need to be healthy and attractive. How ironic, yes?
However, rarely do we actually have the time to go to the gym we pay membership fees to. Statistically, the average gym membership is used for the first 4-6 weeks after signing up and then falls off dramatically. Workout facilities count on these statistics when planning their recruitment and enrollment numbers. Likewise, diet plans and weight loss centers know that 90% or more of their customers will continue to have body weight issues in spite of their best efforts to re-direct to a different way of eating. Why?
An Overweight Syndrome
Some of the most powerful, successful people in the world have the “super-size syndrome”. With every possible service, care and expert available to them they continue to struggle with significant weight gain and loss for many years. Even during the height of their popularity and professional success their body weight can rise to dangerously elevated levels or their eating disorder is completely out of control. The reasons most of us give for not taking care of ourselves include:
not having enough time to shop for or cook the right foods
not being sure what’s best for our body type
not having enough money for domestic help
not having enough time to exercise, meditate and relax
too much stress over money and achieving success
However, there are many individuals who have more than enough money and success to eliminate all of those concerns and yet in spite of that they still do not consistently maintain a proper body weight. What are the real causes of this?
Next Installment – The Role Integrity Plays in Your Health
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
We have an innate understanding of what we need to do to be healthy. Yet, adages about health, e.g.,” early to bed, early to rise, makes a being healthy, wealthy and wise”, are often ignored in favor of our instant gratification or immediate comfort.
Physical labor has taken a back seat to “mind work”, and today we work harder than ever before to have the money to buy membership to a gym or spa so we can do the physical exercise we need to be healthy and attractive. How ironic, yes?
However, rarely do we actually have the time to go to the gym we pay membership fees to. Statistically, the average gym membership is used for the first 4-6 weeks after signing up and then falls off dramatically. Workout facilities count on these statistics when planning their recruitment and enrollment numbers. Likewise, diet plans and weight loss centers know that 90% or more of their customers will continue to have body weight issues in spite of their best efforts to re-direct to a different way of eating. Why?
An Overweight Syndrome
Some of the most powerful, successful people in the world have the “super-size syndrome”. With every possible service, care and expert available to them they continue to struggle with significant weight gain and loss for many years. Even during the height of their popularity and professional success their body weight can rise to dangerously elevated levels or their eating disorder is completely out of control. The reasons most of us give for not taking care of ourselves include:
not having enough time to shop for or cook the right foods
not being sure what’s best for our body type
not having enough money for domestic help
not having enough time to exercise, meditate and relax
too much stress over money and achieving success
However, there are many individuals who have more than enough money and success to eliminate all of those concerns and yet in spite of that they still do not consistently maintain a proper body weight. What are the real causes of this?
Next Installment – The Role Integrity Plays in Your Health
With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2010 all rights reserved
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