How did you reduce your Sugar intake?

Over the past year I have been working on removing High Fructose Corn Syrup and as much sugar from my diet as reasonably possible.

To anyone who knows me, this has been a mission as I like to drink Coke Cola and used to eat a bag or more of M&M's a day.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) was on the top of my list as a lot of my health issues worsened significantly when I moved to the US. HFCS is used a lot in the US compared to other countries. Even short vacations back to Australia would have me feeling much calmer and healthier than when I am back in the US.

It turns out HFCS is in a lot of foods in the US that I didn't expect:
Lean Cuisine chicken dinners
Sara Lee bread and baked goods (also the majority of commercial bread makers)
Coke Cola

After removing the HFCS and kicking my habit of a can of Coke Cola a day, I then decided to look at my added sugar intake. I like sugar on my cereal, in my hot Milo (malted barley drink) and on my banana sandwiches.

Now I know that I probably have too much sugar, and that the more I cut out the more likely I am to find my waistline again. But to be honest the main reason for this was to regulate my blood sugar levels, as my mood swings seemed to directly relate to my food (aka sugar) intake.

I don't believe in artificial sugars such as aspartame as I have watched and read enough to decide that I don't want to put that risk into my body. Not to mention that I think it tastes nasty. I figured I would just have to start reducing my serving size of sugar when I did have it, when I stumbled upon Agave Nectar at Costco. What jumped out at me first was the low Glycemic Index. I bought the double bottle pack but was a little skeptical as I don't like honey or syrup.

To my surprise I really like the Agave Syrup. So far I have tried it in my hot drink instead of white sugar and on my banana sandwiches. My next step is to try it on my Weetbix. If things go to plan the only time I will need sugar in our house in the future, is for baking and that is only until I learn how to use it correctly.

Agave can be used in baking but I am not that advanced at being able to modify recipes. You need to use less Agave than you would sugar and there may also be a need to reduce other liquids as Agave nectar is not granulated like sugar. I have also read that the oven temperature may need to be adjusted down as Agave browns at a lower temperature.

There are plenty of resources online if you want to learn more about Agave.

I have chosen to use the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load as my bench mark as I work on improving my diet and my health. Over the years I have heard a lot about both and I have seen a direct correlation in how foods make me feel and my likes and dislikes.

Some people are Fructose Intolerant and may find selecting foods based on Fructose levels provides better results.

If you are trying to reduce your sugar intake I recommend starting out slow. Listen to your body and if need be, start a food journal and record what you eat and how you feel throughout the day. Once you remove a bad food like my M&M's I found it much easier to avoid the longer I have gone without.

Drink lots of water and if possible just don't buy what you crave. If it's not in the house you will eat less of it. Good luck!

What is Konnyaku?

Konnyaku is a Japanese traditional food.

Konnyaku is a traditional Japanese jelly-like health food made from a kind of potato called "Konnyaku potato" and calcium hydroxide or oxide calcium extracted from eggshells. The Konnyaku potato is native to Indonesia and is a kind of herbaceous perennial plant called "Amorphophallus Konjac"(K. Koch). Konnyaku potatoes are cultivated for food only in Japan, but wild forms grow naturally in Southeast Asia and China.

Japanese have been eating it over 1500 years. It was originally introduced to Japan as a medicine in the sixth century and has been eaten for almost 1500 years in Japan. It is a totally natural food. Ninety seven percent of Konnyaku is water and three percent is Glucomannan, or dietary fiber. It is also rich in minerals and very low in calories.

Full of dietary fiber
Glucomannan is a dietary fiber and it is extremely difficult for humans to digest. Therefore, Konnyaku usually just goes through your body and sweeps your intestines. That is why it has been regarded as a no calorie food for a long time in Japan. Konnyaku does have calories, however, the calories would be so few in the normal quantities that they are negligible in number.

Konnyaku is a marvelous health food
It does not have fat, it is rich in dietary fiber and is low in calories. Moreover, it has recently been found that it normalizes the level of cholesterol, prevents high blood pressure and normalizes the level of sugar in the blood. Because of these scientific findings, it has been perceived as a excellent health food in Japan.

Konnyaku helps you to maintain health and helps you to control your weight
Studies show that it will helps you to maintain health and to control your weight . It is an ideal food for weight control since Konnyaku expands in the digestive system and gives the feeling that the stomach is full. At the same time, Konnyaku cleans toxins in the intestines.

If you would like to keep your body slim, but if you do not want to give up enjoying eating, why not try to use Konnyaku in your daily eating habit? You can enjoy eating and control your weight and become healthy at the same time! Konnyaku surely helps your physical and mental health.


Benefits of Konnyaku

Ideal food for weight control and prevention of obesity
Konnyaku is not only an ideal food for weight reduction because it is low in calories and has no fat but also it is wonderful in helping maintain our health. If you take Konnyaku with other foods, you can easily feel satisfied, but still you have eaten few calories. It is quite difficult to fight hunger, so you can gain physical and mental health at the same time.

Full of dietary fiber
Glucomannan in Konnyaku is a dietary fiber which is difficult to digest. When Glucomannan in Konnyaku is ingested, it stimulates excretion and helps us to keep good shapes. To see nutrition data of fiber in Konnyaku.

Stimulation for excretion: Prevention against bowel cancer and hemorrhoids
In 1977, American Senate nourishment special committee published a report that says the shortage of fiber in eating habits is one of the causes of diseases such as fatness, constipation, arteriosclerosis, heart sickness, diabetes, cancer, gallstone, and hemorrhoids. Dietary fiber activates the function of the intestines and allows the harmful things to go quickly out of your body. As a result, it defends you from intestinal cancer.

Konnyaku is practically water and dietary fiber. Therefore, Konnyaku is useful preventing such adult diseases. It is not only a low calories health food but also defends you from bowel cancer and hemorrhoids. When dietary fiber is taken, it easily adsorbs water and it can expand ten to twenty times in the body. Then, it stimulates the intestines and helps to discharge. In other words, dietary fiber helps to excrete harmful matters from the body.

Normalizes the level of sugar in the blood and prevents diabetes
According to the studies of Ebihara (1981), if Konnyaku is taken with other foods, it reduces the speed of sugar intake and it normalizes the level of sugar in the blood. Hence, Konnyaku could prevent diabetes.

Normalization of the cholesterol level
According to the studies, Konnyaku lowers and normalizes the cholesterol level and neutralizes fat in blood but it never lowers it too much.

Prevention of high blood pressure
According to the studies, Konnyaku lowers high blood pressure.

Rich in Minerals
Konnyaku is rich in mineral. A 100 grams block type of Konnyaku contains 75 milligrams of calcium. A 100 grams noodle-shaped Konnyaku contains 43 milligrams of calcium. Moreover, calcium in Konnyaku would be readily soluble in gastric juices. As you can see in the table* below, the assimilation rate of calcium in Konnyaku is almost equal to that of milk.

Konnyaku is an Alkaline Food.
Many of our modern foods are acid foods. Konnyaku, on the other hand, is a uniquely alkaline food. It is said that modern people had better eat more alkaline food in order to keep healthy. Therefore, Konnyaku is an ideal health food for us.

Konnyaku is an ideal food for weight control and prevention of obesity because it is low in calories and has no fat. It also helps maintain our health. It is rich in mineral and full of dietary fiber. Since it is full of fiber, it stimulates excretion and helps us to keep good shapes. And ultimately, it prevents against bowel cancer and hemorrhoids.

Recent studies show that Konnyaku also normalizes the level of sugar in the blood and prevents diabetes, normalizes the cholesterol level, and prevents high blood pressure.


The History of Konnyaku

There are many theories regarding when Konnyaku was introduced into Japan. The most cogent theory is that it might have been introduced from China as a medicine accompanied with the introduction of Buddhism during the age of Emperor Kinmei (531-571). Konnyaku was introduced as a medicine and has been eaten as a taste of home cooking in Japan for over one thousand five hundred years. In spite of its popularity and its great advantages, Konnyaku is seldom eaten outside Japan.

Initially, it was highly appreciated as a medicinal food and eaten as a therapeutic food by Buddhist monks who played the roles of doctors for a long time in Japan. Then, it became widespread among the general public and popularized. Once it became popular, its therapeutic aspects were highly appreciated and believed for a long time and some of them are still believed. For example, Konnyaku might relieve coughs and be good for tumors. It should heal frost-bitten or chilblained toes or fingers if you put them into hot water in which Konnyaku is warmed up. Or it should cool down skin burns or scalds and reduce the pain and so on.

Konnyaku has been used for a long time as an "old wives' remedy." Konnyaku has been called "a broom in the stomach" and "a cleaner in the bowels" because of its function in normalizing intestinal disorders. It has often been eaten in order to excrete waste and toxic matters from the body. Medieval Japanese people knew of the benefits of Konnyaku through their experience.

The publication of the book called Konnyaku Hyakusen (100 recipes of Konnyaku) in 1846 shows how much Konnyaku was loved by Japanese people in those days. After its publication, those recipes of Konnyaku became popular. Many of the recipes in Konnyaku Hyakusen are still loved and eaten at the family table and are part of domestic Japanese culinary tastes.

Japanese people knew that Konnyaku was good for the health through their experience. Recently it has been scientifically proved that Konnyaku really is good for the health. Nowadays many people are trying to be slim and to prevent adult diseases (arteriosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, constipation, gallstone, and hemorrhoids). Many people are more health conscious and try to eat health food and not to take many food additives. Konnyaku has recently attracted those people a lot.

Konnyaku is very low in calories, and full of dietary fiber and minerals. Moreover, it is a totally natural food. In Japan, Konnyaku is widely perceived as a health food. That is why Konnyaku jelly and a Konnyaku diet are booming in Japan.

Info taken from: http://www.shakespeare-w.com/english/konnyaku/whatis.html

Konnyaku can be found in CHEAT. It's the worlds first food sprinkle and is part of the CORE4 product line from Xyngular. If you would like to learn more about CHEAT and CORE4 visit http://WhyXyngular.com/CORE4.html

What do you use for your sinuses?

I started having issues with my Sinuses at around 10 years of age. At first Sudafed worked but by the time I was 12 it seemed to have lost it's effect.

Over the years I have tried many products and have learnt a lot from my two children who also have sinus issues. I prefer to stay with more natural approaches where possible.

To help reduce sinus headaches in the morning you can try 2 - 3 drops of Thyme oil and 2 - 3 drops of Peppermint oil on a tissue/Kleenex next to your bed. This can also be used during the day by placing on the computer whilst working. Within a few days of trying this I noticed I was waking in the morning and I could breathe through my nose.

For nasal congestion there are a couple of options. The first is the standard nasal spray/mist that you can buy at a Pharmacy or Drug Store. Another option is a neti pot or nasal rinse. This involves pouring approximately 4 ounces of luke warm saline water into each nostril and letting it flow out. It is a little messy but is great for cleaning things out and for reducing post nasal drip.

When Sinus makes me feel really tired or the pain is too much I take Claratin D 24 hour. This is a behind the counter product as it contains pseudoephadrine. It also contains an antihistamine so whether your sinus pain is caused by allergies, congestion or swelling you should get some relief. I have recently dropped my dose to the 12 hour tablet and I have to say I have noticed a difference.

To those of you that have been taking Claratin or Sudafed that you pick up off the shelf, this contains phenylepherine and in my opinion does very little to alleviate sinus pain and congestion.

If you have any questions or other suggestions on how to relieve sinus pressure, congestion or pain, please feel free to leave a comment.

Is there anything I can do about dangerous Teen driving?

Until recently I didn't think that there was much that could be done about dangerous teen driving, other than call the local police station and report local hot spots.

Tonight I discovered an organisation in our area called STTOP (Sherrif's Teen Traffic Offender Program). STTOP is an innovative intervention program developed by the Lost Hills/Malibu Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, to educate young drivers and their parents.

It is reckless behavior and other bad driving practices that STTOP hopes to correct. The program is designed to intervene when a young driver displays poor judgment or dangerous driving behavior. Aside from following up on collision reports and citations issued, STTOP encourages citizens to call in (or log on) and report dangerous teen drivers.

How does it work?
STTOP will take the information provided about the driver, his vehicle and the dangerous driving behavior and attempt to identify the offender. After locating the driver, a Sheriff's Deputy conducts an intervention with the driver and his/her parents. The programs' intent is not to prosecute, but to correct and educate the offender and his parents. Getting parents involved is the key. Young drivers do their best to impress parents with their safe driving. The parents can't always be there and peer pressure, or simply wanting to impress friends, often leads to deadly consequences. The goal of STTOP is to make teens better, safer drivers, which in turn benefits all drivers on the roadways.

Unlike some private organizations, there are no additional fees charged to parents of teens, to put a bumper sticker with a "toll free number" on a car (which can be easily removed). No additional taxes are levied on citizens. A postcard or letter isn't sent with a one-size-fits-all message, which can be easily lost in the mail, or thrown away by the teen. An experienced, uniformed law enforcement officer from the community visits the home, unannounced, to talk to the parents and teen. The impact this has is unrivaled.

What cities are currently participating?
There are many cities that already participate in STTOP, with more in the planning stages to join.

STTOP was created over 4 years ago, and has grown faster than anyone imagined. The following Los Angeles and Ventura County cities currently participate in STTOP:

Agoura Hills
Calabasas
City of Camarillo
Cresenta Valley Communities
Fillmore
Hidden Hills
Malibu
Moorpark
Oak Park
Ojai
Santa Clarita
Santa Paula
Simi Valley
Thousand Oaks
Westlake Village

Let's all help keep teens safe!

What can I do with my Expired or extra Coupons?

For quite a while I have offered the coupons that we don't use to friends and family.

As very few have children in diapers or eating baby food I often wonder how many coupons they are able to use and had considered seperating them out so I could share the baby coupons with people who need them. Honestly I don't have the time to do that.

So I was really excited when I discovered that US Military personnel posted overseas can use expired coupons for up to 6 months past the expiration date at the commissaries. These coupons are good at commissaries within the US also, but personnel stationed overseas have ore difficulty getting the coupons.

This means that all those coupons you clipped and didn't use, along with the coupons you didn't need can be sent to military personnel overseas and they can save money!

It cost me just $4.95 to send a USPS Domestic flat rate envelope full of coupons to a friend of mine whose husband is stationed at the Navy base in Japan.

So if you know someone stationed overseas, ask them if they could use the coupons.

If you don't, get on Twitter or Facebook and offer free coupons to military personnel. I'm quite sure someone will put their hand up.

What is Connect2Mums?

Connect2mums (C2M) is a new, fast growing interactive magazine. It's an online network designed by mothers for mothers.

Connect2Mums creator and founder, Paula Kuhnemann saw a need in the market for a website where women could get together and share information. "Being a mum can be quite lonely. I wanted to create a place where mums could gather in their own time without ever needing to leave the house."

It seems the idea is exactly what mums were after. Member growth is substantial with 500 members joining connect2mums in just six weeks! And, the rate of growth is steadily increasing by the day.

connect2mums provides members with relevant information and opportunities to interact and socialise with other mums across Australia and New Zealand. Weekly Live chats, newsletters, product reviews, events, news and articles are just some of the ways women get connected at connect2mums.

“My purpose in life is to empower women to reach their full potential and support them in their quest for the seemingly unattainable Family/Work Balance. I believe you can have it all but not without support and connections.” Says Paula

So, where are all the mums? At connect2mums, of course!

For more information or an interview, please contact
Paula at connect2mums@yahoo.com.au
www.connect2mums.com.au

What Are We Doing To Women?!!

A friend recently shared this article with me. I have had hormone issues since I was a teenager and am constantly looking for more information to help me lead a more balanced life. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did.

Family Physician Reevaluates Traditional Hormone Treatment
By Dr. Deanna Osborn, D.O.
Hormone imbalance is an epidemic among American women causing many ailments from severe PMS to breast cancer. Estrogen dominance is thought to be the culprit of hormone imbalance.

Symptoms of hormone imbalance include:
PMS
Hot flashes
Difficulty with concentration
Hair loss
Vaginal dryness
Loss of sex drive
Certain auto immune disorders
Migraine headaches
Mood Swings
Depression
Osteoporosis
Fatigue
Fluid Retention
Irregular menstrual cycles
Heavy bleeding during menses
Thinning hair
Fibrocystic Breasts
Symptoms of slow thyroid
Sleep disturbances
Uterine fibroids
Unexplained weight gain
Dry, thin, wrinkly skin

A recent journal article published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) July 2002, entitled The Women’s Health Initiative Study, found that traditional HRT (hormone replacement therapy) increased the incidence of breast cancer, stroke, heart attacks, blood clots and pulmonary embolus even within the first year of therapy. The results were so overwhelming that the FDA ruled it was unethical to continue the study because it was putting women at too much risk for serious side effects.

Here’s how we were designed:

Estrogen is the dominant hormone during the first half of a woman’s monthly cycle. It is a growth hormone and is responsible for proliferation (growth) of cells in the lining of the uterus so that a fertilized egg can implant. Progesterone is the hormone we should find in the second half of the cycle. It is released into the body when a woman ovulates. It is responsible for sustaining the newly fertilized egg that has implanted in the uterine lining.

Progesterone also functions to:
Restore sex drive
Act as a natural diuretic
Stimulate /Build New Bone
Act as a natural anti-depressant
Normalize blood sugar levels
Facilitate thyroid hormone action
Protect against fibrocystic breasts
Normalize blood sugar level
Protect against endometrial and breast cancer
Restore normal vascular tone
Facilitate thyroid hormone function
Help use fat for energy

A 1996 Johns Hopkins study concluded that women low in natural progesterone have an 80% higher risk of developing breast cancer and that the risk of developing other malignant cancers increase ten fold.

How do our hormones become unbalanced?
Hormones and our health become unbalanced due to stress, hormone replacement, diet and environment.

1. STRESS: Studies show that by age 34, 50% of the women in America have no progesterone. American women are always on the go, go, go. This causes increased stress which depletes our bodies of its own progesterone. When our bodies are stressed, we make cortisol, a hormone that uses progesterone as a building block. In addition, when a woman’s body is stressed she may not ovulate, and therefore not produce progesterone, furthering the downward cycle.

2. RX’s: We consume a tremendous amount of prescription hormones in birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), etc. (Please note that Progestin – used in HRT is not the same as natural progesterone.) These prescriptions further add to the imbalance by adding more estrogen to the problem.

3. DIET: One of the most appalling contributions to the imbalance is found in what we eat. Beef, chicken and pork all contain estrogen. They are fed estrogen as a growth hormone to get them to the market more quickly. Sugar, refined starches, and petrochemical infused foods all add to the problem. (When plastics are heated in the microwave, they emit certain toxic carcinogenic (cancer causing) chemicals.)

4. ENVIRONMENT: Petroleum based products like mineral oil (baby oil); most soaps, skin care and hair care; plastics, pesticides, detergents, etc. are found to be sources of xenoestrogens (or “false estrogens”) – which bind up our estrogen receptors and cause hormone imbalance in the body. (Any product placed on the skin that contains mineral oil actually dehydrates the basal cell layer of the skin contributing to premature aging, not to mention that it is a gasoline byproduct and carcinogenic.)

What can we do to protect ourselves?
For starters we can balance the estrogen dominance by supplementing with natural progesterone cream. When looking for a natural progesterone cream it is important to look for USP grade progesterone, at 20 mg. per dose. Look for a product that is in an airtight, metered dose pump container such as Arbonne International’s Natural Balancing Cream. (Products in jars are oxidized when exposed to air; they are usually hand mixed which can separate, as opposed to machine mixed, and are usually formulated in a mineral oil base.) Arbonne’s Natural Balancing cream is formulated in a botanical (plant) base.

When possible, buy organic meats and produce. Many health food stores, co-ops, and local grocery stores carry organic. Never use plastics in the microwave. Do not use products on your skin that contain any mineral oil or petroleum based products.


What else can be done?
Supplement your diet with quality vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They must meet the US Pharmacopeia (USP) standard of 30 minutes disintegration time or they will pass through the digestive tract unused. Arbonne’s nutritional products meet those standards.

The Cancer Prevention Coalition released a statement on June 17, 2002 stated that mainstream cosmetics and personal hygiene products pose the highest cancer risk, due to exposures, to the general public – higher than smoking.

Use personal products for your body that are pure and safe.

Arbonne’s products contain:
NO mineral oil
NO SD40 Alcohol
NO animal products or by-products
NO chemical fragrances or dyes
And are:
PH correct
Botanically based
Hypoallergenic

Arbonne’s skin care, hair care, make-up, and nutritional and specialty products are of premium quality and can be trusted to be pure, safe, and beneficial. Not only are they good for you, they make you look and feel wonderful!

For testimonials and general information log on to Arbonne.com

For research information on natural progesterone log on to JohnLeeMD.com

For product information and ordering contact:

Rebecca Doll, ID #18015599
Arbonne Independent Consultant
805-498-4642

PhytoProlief Item #800 and Prolief Item #805

Books: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Pre-Menopause by Dr.John Lee
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause by Dr. John Lee
Hormone Balance: A matter of Life and Health by Kristine B. Klitzke, R.N., B.S.N.

Dr. Deanna Osborn is a family practice physician who practices in Springfield, Tennessee, in the Nashville area. The information contained in this article can be supported by medical research

If your Hormones are controlling you, I would like to have the opportunity to give you additional information about which product would best meet your needs and the appropriate dosage. I can be contacted at rebeccad@myarbonne.com