Want to guess what item in your house has the above warning label adhered to it in plain sight?

According to the new book The Healthy Home by Dr. Myron Wentz and Dave Wentz, that hit the bookshelves just yesterday, “It is the required warning that appears on every tube of fluoridated toothpaste manufactured in the United States.  The FDA began requiring this warning in the late ‘90s when it became clear that small children could be seriously injured – or even killed – by fluoride poisoning.”

Ingesting fluoride toothpaste can be fatal, and yet many local governments have passed legislation requiring fluoridation of water supplies.  In addition, it can also cause damage to your teeth’s enamel.

Huh? What?  True enough!

According to the authors, it is the physical activity of brushing your teeth that actually cleans them.  So next time you go shopping for toothpaste, you might want to buy the non-fluoride brand.

For cleanest teeth – brush twice daily, floss and scrape your tongue!

For more practical and accessible health advice, and information on what products to buy and avoid, check out The Healthy Home.

Hungry for more Rise and Grind?
Herbal Remedy!
Fat Melting Morning Mantra

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful

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Forks and Knives

What has happened to us? Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure.

Chew on these facts!
… and then … WAKE UP!!! to the truth and do something about it!

1. Two out of every three of us are overweight.
2. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population.
3. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug.
4. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels.
5. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to “battle” these very conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases.

Could it be there’s a single solution to all of these problems? A solution so comprehensive yet so straightforward, that it’s mind-boggling that more of us haven’t taken it seriously?

FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.

Could it be that degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, could almost be prevented and in many cases reversed simply by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet?  

Despite the profound implications of the findings of Drs. Campbell and Esselstyn, their work has remained relatively unknown to the public. In FORKS OVER KNIVES, filmmakers travel with these two doctors on their separate but similar paths, from their childhood farms where they both produced “nature’s perfect food”; to China and Cleveland, where they explored ideas that challenged the established thinking and shook their own core beliefs.

The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments–while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.

FORKS OVER KNIVES utilizes state of the art 3-D graphics and rare archival footage. The film features leading experts on health, examines the question “why we don’t know”, and tackles the issue of diet and disease in a way that will have people talking for years.

FORKS OVER KNIVES was filmed all over the United States, and in Canada and China. It premieres in May! Get Ready … to spread the healthy word!
(Source: Forks Over Knives)

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful

We create enough wiggle room to wiggle out way straight into a plate of fries or a hot fudge chocolate sundae.

We love vague, because there’s no commitment in it. We love vague because we are good at it! The less structure, the less planning, the better. The more unaware, the better.

Vague is easy.
We are comfortable with our fuzzy, formless, unspecific way of being. The only glitch in vague is that it keeps you exactly where you are. There’s no movement in vague. True enough, you are stuck in vague.

In order to move, to make progress, to manifest your hopes and dreams, action needs to be taken and there’s no place for vague in action. In fact, when taking action, you really need to be ’specific.’ Yes, specific!

Each and every time you decide that you are going to do something, get specific.
What’s your plan, specifically?
How are you going to accomplish what you want, specifically?

It’s your choice. Stay stuck in vague. It’s easy. And you do it so well. Or get specific and move on!

Weigh-in please. How are you going to move forward, get back on track, lick this habit … specifically?

Spread the word … NOT the icing!

Janice
wise * fun * utterly useful

Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she created fruits and vegetables colorful enough to seduce. From the brilliant red tomato to the powerful purple grape, all the colors of the rainbow are represented – and between them they offer a range of nutrients, antioxidants and other healthful compounds that are powerful enough to fight cancer, prevent strokes, protect the eyes – even lower ‘bad’ cholesterol.

Want to add more fruits n’ veggies to your day? Here’s how!!!

Add vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms or tomatoes to your egg or egg white omelet.
Top your yogurt with sliced apples or berries.
Add strawberries, blueberries and/or bananas to your cereal.
Grab an orange as a snack.
Top toasted whole-grain bread with peanut butter and sliced bananas.

In winter, need be – turn to canned, dried, frozen fruits and vegetables. They are variable options! Just be sure to read the label and choose wisely. Fruit without added sugar or syrups and veggies without added salt, butter or cream sauces are preferable!

Think color – think beauty – think health.

Enjoy your day!

Spread the word … NOT the icing!

Janice Taylor, your Weight Loss Success Coach
wise * fun * utterly useful
———————————
Curious about coaching? Janice Taylor can help you live your best life! Write Janice!
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Visit: www.OurLadyofWeightLoss.com

Sleep interests me. Having the proper amount of restful sleep is a critical component to our well-being. Lack of sleep can lead to anxiety, depression, addictive behaviors, weight gain, cardiovascular problems and it can affect your ability to make split-second decisions. And on the other side of the coin, sleep heals.

A good number of my coaching clients have difficulty drifting off into a peaceful slumber and/or sleeping through the night. Sometimes there are obvious reasons for their lack of sleep. Perhaps they’ve overindulged in food and drink late in the day or night, or they are stressed to their last nerve and are ruminating on the events of the day. In other words, their basic lifestyle is not a healthy lifestyle. In fact, they’ve done a bang up job of creating a ‘wired lifestyle.’

Still – wired, overworked or not, we need to sleep. Requirements vary from person to person. According to national sleep studies, most healthy adults need at least 8 hours of sleep to function best. Sleep studies indicate, in addition to the aforementioned ‘bad’ things that can happen to sleep deprived people, those who average less than 5 hours sleep per night are 73% more likely to be obese. Lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones (ghrelin and leptin) in the body that affect appetite.

I asked Geraldine O’Keefe to tell us a bit about her Escape to Sleep tonic and to supply us with her best ever sleep tips.

Geraldine explained, “Escape to Sleep, is a combination of time-honored natural plants and herbs – Valerian, Stevia, Hops Fruits, Passion Flower, Skullcap, in a base of pure Aloe Vera water, designed to work together to help you sleep, relax and improve your digestion. I believe that all dis-eases originate in the gut: if our systems are regular, then we can sleep better and feel well.

“Sleep heals. As you sleep, your body miraculously sets out to repair from the stress of the day.”

In a world that promotes over-the-counter and prescriptions drugs ad nauseam, I thought it might be refreshing to know that there are natural alternatives available.

Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), if you are taking prescription medications or have any existing medical conditions, you should check with your physician before using any natural products.

And now for Geraldine’s tips!!

15 Escape to Sleep Tips:

1. Create a regular sleep routine. You can set your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle by creating a familiar bedtime routine. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. Being consistent is important.

2. Make sure your bed is comfortable. If you wake up achy and sore consider a different type of mattress and or pillow.

3. Do not drink a lot of liquids in the evening. Escape to Sleep was created in a small bottle so that you can avoid having to get up in the middle of the night.

4. Avoid alcohol.

5. Schedule a good aerobic workout during your day.

6. If you smoke, quit. Nicotine is a stimulant and it disturbs your system and disrupts sleep.

7. Play some soothing music, burn some familiar incense. Train your mind to accept these things as sleep signals.

8. Do some light stretching yoga.

9. Set a regular time and bedtime routine. Try to choose a time when you feel tired but make sure you can get your 8 hours in. Take a warm bath before bedtime. Shake to increase the effect (succession) of your Escape to Sleep tonic and drink it on an empty stomach. Turn down the lights to help prepare you body’s clock for sleep. Turn off stimulating things like TV, computers, phones, etc. Listen to books on tape or read a light entertaining book, or scriptures. Take a few minutes to sit quietly and center your thoughts on your breathe while giving the tonic the chance to work. Try not to break this routine so that your body stays on schedule. If you must, make changes in small increments.

10. Wake up the same time everyday. If you have had a restful night’s sleep your body should wake up naturally. If you need to set an alarm, you may have to set an earlier bedtime.

11. Nap to make up for lost sleep. A daytime nap can make up for lost hours sleep. It is better to do this than to sleep later and disturb your routine. If you believe that a nap will keep you up during the night it is best to try to keep the nap time to a limit of half an hour in the afternoon.

12. Reduce caffeine, especially in the form of coffee, teas and soft drinks. Avoiding stimulating foods especially in the evening.

13. Do your best to have dinner before 7 p.m. to avoid going to sleep with a full stomach. If you find yourself falling asleep after eating, get up and do something like going for a short walk, clean out your closet, straighten the kitchen, plan your day for tomorrow, etc.

14. Use yoga or relaxation to help reduce stress, detoxify your body and calm your mind.

15. Do not stress about not sleeping. If you are having difficulty falling asleep, you might want to give Geraldine’s Escape to Sleep tonic a try. Close your eyes and use your gentle yoga breathing techniques to get the oxygen to all of your cells and send a mental message to all parts of your body to relax. That will help you fall asleep. Concentrate of relaxing and free your mind of wanting to sleep. Visualize your favorite relaxing place and let your mind and Escape to Sleep take you there.

Spread the word … NOT the icing,

Janice Taylor
wise * fun * utterly useful

Visit Janice: www.OurLadyofWeightLoss.com
Twitter:  @OurLady
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What’s your eating style? What does your eating ’style’ say about you? Perhaps it’s time to take a look at our methodology and make some adjustments!!!

Our Lady of Weight Loss’s Top 11 Eating Styles – yes, I did say that there are 10, but here, today, Our Lady of Weight Loss, the patron saint of permanent fat removal is suggesting an 11th!

1. The Unconscious Eater: If you find yourself covered in cookie crumbs, and do not have any memory of eating cookies, you are an UNCONSCIOUS EATER. WAKE UP! Be in the here and now.

2. Gulp n’ Go: Are you always on the run, doing the ole’ GULP n’ GO? Sit down and take a moment. Please.

3. Food Architect: You are a FOOD ARCHITECT if you sculpt mountains of mashed potatoes, arrange broccoli in and around them like trees, and layer slices of meat until you’ve created a high-rise apartment building. While I admire your creativity, play with Legos instead!

4. Assembly-Line Eater: You are an ASSEMBLY-LINE EATER if you load-up another fork full while still chewing. Put the fork down in between bites.

5. Never Say, “No, Thank You.”: Do you have a NEVER SAY, “NO, THANK YOU” policy in place? Afraid you might offend someone? Time for a re-write.

6. If It’s FREE, It’s for ME: Do you exclaim, “IF IT’S FREE, IT’S FOR ME!” when you see free food tastings and samplings at the supermarket? Eat before food shopping and recommit to your goals before you head out.

7. Closet Eater: You are a CLOSET EATER if you keep a mini-fridge in your coat closet and visit it nightly. Come on out of the closet and join the rest of us. It’s safe out here.

8. Speed Eater: If your friends suggest that you challenge the Japanese world speed-eating champion who swallowed a total of 53 1/2 hot dogs, and their accompanying buns, in just 12 minutes, then you are a SPEED EATER. I’m gagging just thinking about it.

9. Beige-Eater: If potatoes, pasta and mac and cheese are your main stay, then you are a BEIGE-eater. Add red peppers, strawberries, green beans, and bright blueberries to your palate . . . NOW.

10. Fried: You are FRIED if you think ‘fried’ is a food group. Now you know better!

And now, on behalf of Our Lady of Weight Loss, I would like to introduce an 11th Style of Eating, coming to you at the 11th hour, so to speak.

11. Healthy, Plain n’ Simple: Just for a moment try on ‘Healthy’ as your eating style! How does it fit? Most people do not ingest enough vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals on a daily basis. Because our nutrient needs are not met, we lose control and cravings kick in.

Healthy isn’t complicated. In fact, it’s simple. All you need to do is eat more – more fruits and vegetables – more colorful plants. Not only will you lose weight; your health will also dramatically improve.

Here’s some food for thought!

2/3 of Americans are overweight
1/3 of Americans are classified as morbidly obese
50 percent of Americans die of heart attacks and strokes
28 million Americans suffer from the crippling pain of osteoarthritis
35 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches (source: Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of Eat for Health)
Take one step toward health. Try on ‘healthy’. Eat more! Fruits and vegetables.
Slim down while you live it up!

Spread the healthy word … NOT the icing!
Janice

Our Lady of Weight Loss Tarot – The Magician

As in a magic trick, Our Lady of Weight Loss’s Magician waves her magic fork and presto, you are filled with a new svelte, vision of yourself, new ideas, new resolve and a new direction.

How will you take this renewed energy and use it to focus on your healthy living goals? What will you do with your new found power?

As you click through your Sunday ‘Get Jiggy JigSaw Our Lady of Weight Loss Tarot Puzzle,’ chew on your new resolve! And get ready for a magical week!

Spread the magical word … NOT the icing,
Janice

Even though I know that you know, even thought you’ve heard it before, I feel compelled to revisit ‘breakfast,’ because …

After forty years (yes 40!) of breakfast related studies that show without a doubt that kick-starting your day with breakfast is the healthy thing to do – for children and adults alike – people still say . . .

“Oh, I just don’t have the time for breakfast!”
Really? How much time does it take to down a bowl of cereal or a container of yogurt with a bit of fresh fruit? Or a hard-boiled egg, for that matter?

“I’m not hungry in the morning.”
What time do you eat dinner? 10 p.m.? Midnight?

“Skipping breakfast is a part of my diet plan.”
Studies show that eating breakfast will actually help you to reach and maintain your healthy weight.

“I don’t like breakfast.”
There’s no rule about what ‘breakfast food’ is or is not! You could eat lunch for breakfast or dinner for lunch or breakfast for dinner. Get creative.

Here’s why YOU should eat breakfast!
After eight to twelve hours of NOT eating (fasting!), your body is ready to and needs to refuel its glucose levels (a.k.a. blood sugar). Glucose is the main energy source for your brain, and it helps fuel your muscles that move you through your day. Those who skip breakfast often find themselves feeling tired, restless, irritable and scattered.

Whether in the process of removing those excess pounds or maintaining your healthy weight, breakfast is very important! It helps to curb your hunger and breakfast can help to prevent binge eating later in the day. At the end of the day, those who eat breakfast consume less calories, are thinner and tend to be healthier than those who do not eat breakfast.

And for you moms out there … kids who eat breakfast do better in school, are more alert and can concentrate better than the kids who skip the most important meal of the day!

Breakfast Ideas!

A breakfast that ranges between 250-350 calories can keep you sated for hours!

• Ready-to-eat whole grain cereal topped with fruit and yogurt.
• Whole-grain waffles topped with one tablespoon of peanut butter, fruit and or ricotta cheese.
• Whole-wheat pita stuffed with sliced hard-boiled eggs, lettuce and tomato.
Sardines (in mustard sauce, my fav) on whole-wheat crackers (or stuff that pita again!).
• Steel Cut Oatmeal topped with fresh fruit.
• Breakfast smooth (whirl up a milk, fruit and bran combo in your blender)
• Omelet (egg-white or otherwise) with copious amount of veggies, an orange on the side with a slice of whole wheat toast.

Your Health Matters!

Spread the word … NOT the icing,
Janice