Many of us have heard the term “good” gut bacteria. It’s the beneficial bacteria that line our digestive system that keeps us healthy. There is a new study showing how Western Diets and decreasing the amount of time one is breastfeed has contributed to various health problems, due to the change in the ‘gut’ bacteria.

The bacteria in our digestive system that is referred to as ‘flora’ comprises over a trillion live cells. One primary function of this flora or bacteria is to ...

Adrenal fatigue and exhaustion is a growing problem that is often overlooked by mainstream medicine. What causes adrenal fatigue is stress and the constant over-production of cortisol and adrenaline from your adrenal glands.

Common problems associated with adrenal fatigue are;

• Fatigue or Weight gain
• Cravings Low Blood Sugar
• Mood swings, Irritability
• Hormonal, Chemical Imbalances
• Sleep Difficulties
• ...

Osteoporosis is another one of those problems that are dealt with differently by mainstream medicine then from those who practice natural, holistic medicine. Recently the U.S.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease suggested these preventive measures for osteoporosis..

•Eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in vitamin D and calcium.

•Get frequent exercise that’s designed to help strengthen bones.

•Take medications designed to prevent bone loss or increase bone mass.

•Take steps to prevent falls, which increase your chances of breaking a bone. Such steps include removing clutter inside the home, wearing low-heeled shoes, securing rugs to the floor, and installing grab bars in the bathroom.

The suggestions are fine, but they don’t address what is at the root of the problem. What is causing your body to breakdown more bone then it is building? Have they ever considered the fact that the more acidic you become – the more your body begins to steal calcium and magnesium from your bones and teeth.  This sets you up for osteoporosis?

The body doesn’t like to be acidic…it’s unhealthy! Your body prefers to be more alkaline. When you become acidic, the body is designed to neutralize the acidity by adding calcium. Where the calcium comes from is the next question. Other cultures consume less than half of what is recommended here in the US,and they don’t have the same problem of osteoporosis because their diet doesn’t make them acidic.

The more acidic you become the more your body will steal calcium, magnesium and other minerals from your bones and teeth. This is what makes our bones more brittle and prone to osteoporosis.  Exercise is great, as is removing all the clutter around your house so you don’t fall….but if you keep your body in a constant state of acidity…you are setting yourself up for a long battle with osteoporosis.

Traditional medicine never looks at this aspect of our diet being the possible cause. What causes more acidity within your body is a large consumption of soft drinks, juices, coffee and teas…how much of that do we see advertised on TV?  Also lots of sugar…specifically refined, processed sugar found in most of your packaged, fast food is going to make you more acidic. The same goes with grains and high protein diets.

Foods that make you more alkaline are fruits and vegetables. Could it be that all the benefits from fruits and benefits comes from a combination of things. Fruits and vegetables are…

• Packed full of antioxidants, phytonutrients and minerals…which we know helps so many health issues
  
• Contain fiber to help cleanse the body of toxins and fights constipation
  
• Makes your body more alkaline
  
• Keeps your blood sugar stable
  

Measure Your Acidity

One of the first things you should do to see if your body is too acidic is measure the acidity of your saliva and urine. You can do this fairly inexpensively at your home. Go to your local pharmacy, they should have pH paper to measure both saliva and urine. Anything above 7 is what you should be aiming for – anything below 7 is acidic…above 7 is alkaline. The further you are from 7 the more acidic or alkaline you are. The optimal pH for blood, saliva and urine is just above 7.0.

Here is what you should do if you find you are too acidic….

Start each morning with a glass of water with a squeeze of lemon or lime…this will help make you more alkaline.

Secondly,reduce or eliminate the amount of coffee, tea, soft drinks and juices from your diet. The more you cut back or cut out of your diet the better. This could be the biggest positive step you could take for yourself.

Reduce or cutback on the amount of refined, processed, and sugary foods. Don’t forget that grains also are very acidic, as well as a diet high in protein, especially if the protein comes from a shake.  If you are eating the wrong foods, you need to make some changes and eat more fruits and veggies to become more alkaline!

Lastly,add a Green Drinks to your daily regimen.

Green Drinks...try the Reds or Purples

The Green drinks are loaded with minerals and other phytonutrients that make your body more alkaline. I prefer them over any multivitamin, mineral supplement, because you can pack so much more good nutrition in a scoopful than you can in a capsule. I also like the fact that when you drink and taste it…your body better utilizes all those nutrients.

As you begin to work on your ph levels don’t be surprised to see how much better your overall health may become. Your energy may begin to comeback, some of the nagging aches and pains may disappear, you might be able to relax and sleep better…all because you started addressing the real root of your problem, which is too much acidity.

I am always asked my opinion on many of the weight loss programs available.  The most heavily advertised programs are NutriSystem, Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. They spend a lot of money advertising their products and paying for endorsements.  Most offer convenience as part of their program, too bad they don’t spend more money on providing a better quality product for the money spent.

Yes everyone would like to eat pancakes, muffins and cereal for breakfast along with pizza and pasta for lunch and dinner.  Unfortunately, you are not going to re-program your metabolism to stay in its ‘fat-burning’ zone 24/7 with that kind of diet.  Most of these dieting programs supplement their meal plans with shakes and health bars that are helpful, but they are not real foods.  Plus many of their foods are highly processed.

One problem with most of these diets other than taste, is they don’t help regulate your blood sugar. Many of them focus on calories, fats or carbs, which aren’t the real problem. Blood sugar imbalances as a result of our dietary choices effects about two-thirds of the country and a major cause of weight gain, fatigue, mood swings, elevated blood pressure, heart disease and of course diabetes.

What I will share with you is that I was recently at a grand opening of a personal training studio and heard about a new program called Healthy Meal Balance.  Like any other dieting program I look at, I had my initial reservations, but when I heard them preaching many of the same things I talk about in “To Burn or Not to Burn – Fat is the Question” I actively began listening and wanting to learn more.

Like myself they don’t believe we need to count calories, fats or calories.  We’ve lived hundred’s of years without a weight problem and not having to count anything.  We just have to eat real food!  Meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds and of course fruit, but we have to eat proper portions.  We need to eat good protein and fats with each meal along with some fibrous vegetables to help keep our blood sugar stable so we can trigger our metabolism to burn fats instead of storing fats.

They were saying everything I’ve been saying for the past 15 years, but now they were able to do what I couldn’t, which was make it a convenient and affordable…which helps compliance! But a major factor is taste!  Wow, they won me over, more importantly they won my wife over.  Its real food they are giving to their customers, not a bunch of processed foods or shakes and bars. This makes it so much easier to continue and follow.  A diet should be something you can do long-term.  No one wants to keep drink shakes and eating bars the rest of their life.

This is the diet I have been recommending for years. Healthy Meal Balance provides a 14-Day Eating Program that can help you reach your weight loss goals, because it helps you burn stored body fats.  This is really important for all my patients who also have a problem with fatigue and mood swings, which are highly correlated to the inability to burn stored body fats.  Let’s not forget convenience, which is pretty important in the Lopez household.  To be able to take out real food, warm it up and quickly serve it to my kids is a major plus, not to mention it is the most affordable of all the major programs.

If you’ve been struggling with your weight, fatigue, mood swings, etc…give Healthy Meal Balance a try.  They tackle the blood sugar issue and help trigger your metabolism to work in your favor, not against you.  (Test Your Metabolism and see if it is helping or hurting you?)  What I like about them is that you can order a sample pack for only 15 dollars to taste and try out, I don’t think anyone else does that.  Give it a shot, it may be the best 15 dollars you ever spent.

Don’t forget when it comes to losing weight diet is one piece of the puzzle. Exercise and Stress are the other factors.  I won’t go into exercise here, but I will mention how stress is commonly overlooked.  If stress has been constant in your life…you are constantly triggering your adrenal glands to produce more cortisol and adrenaline.  This takes you out of your fat burning zone, because it triggers your metabolism to burn carbohydrates and proteins instead of stored body fats.  Take the Stress Test.  Many of the people who hit a plateau have overlooked or are oblivious to the fact that their stress hormones are throwing them out of their fat-burning zone.

What I can now say about weight loss program is that I finally found a dieting program I can recommend. Healthy Meal Balance is convenient, affordable, tasty and most of all does what it says – help you lose weight!  Give them a try, you’ll absolutely love them especially if you have already tried the others.