By Jenelle Strine

Background:
In spring 2010, the Tahoma Indian Center (TIC) began offering a nutrition clinic through the auspices of the Washington State Department of Health Office of Primary Care and Vibrant Horizons. TIC is a day shelter for urban Native Americans. Many who visit TIC are homeless and/or have a history of recovery. Each month for two hours, individual guests at TIC have the opportunity to participate in voluntary nutrition and wellness classes.

The key strategy to assist those at TIC engage in positive lifestyle changes is to share simple, accessible, manageable, and culturally relevant ways to improve their health. The experience becomes tangible for participants through discussion of traditional and modern diets, showing how diet contributes to diabetes and modern diseases, validating how their dietary traditions suffered through acculturation, and demonstrating ways to make dietary and lifestyle changes that positively affect health and make sense to Natives in a way that validate their heritage and traditional knowledge.

The delivery style is respectful, cautious, unobtrusive, and follows subtle and nuanced norms of interaction that have been learned from personal experience and careful observation through spending time in Native American communities.

Article:
In June 2010, I was asked by the Washington State Department of Health Office of Primary Care to contribute to implementing a holistic free clinic at TIC that would support and educate the presenting population around their medical, dental, and wellness needs. The vision was to mitigate pervasive chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, poor oral health, fear of mainstream providers, and lack of access to essential services.

My role would be to provide a monthly wellness class that would include healthy lifestyle discussions and personal coaching to educate and support the health of the participants. The classes were launched in the month of June with seven attendees. During the classes participants are provided with an educational platform where nutrition, traditional diets, diabetes, healthy lifestyles, and fitness exercises are discussed and demonstrated.

The regular patrons at the center have now become used to my presence for the two hours a month I spend with them. Even if they don’t attend the class, they are welcoming, even playful and tease me about eating lots of vegetables or ask if I want some of their soda. These signs of familiarity and humor are encouraging evidence that they have accepted my presence and role, and that my activities represent no threat to them. Only on the basis of such acceptance can the information and suggestions presented be respectfully considered and embraced as hopeful or valid.

There are a handful of regulars that attend the classes. Many are either recruited by other participants or happen to be sitting at the table where we gather for class. The space at TIC is a relatively small single room where many activities might be taking place at the same time. Often, many patrons will be watching TV. Sometimes they will be watching a program and listening to the class at the same time and when something is said that peaks their interest it might prompt an unexpected question or a humorous comment. These are indicators that they are paying attention even if they seem to be engaged in other activities. Some individuals are only visiting the center, so there’s just one chance to make a difference.

Significant and notable health improvements have been experienced by many of the class participants. Each month, there is always another story of an individual who heard something that was shared during class and that prompted a lifestyle change. Their friends and relatives also benefit. When participants take their learning home, make it their own, and see results, they become excited and want to share what they have learned with their loved ones. Below follow some of their stories.

A 70-year-old woman who had much difficulty regulating her blood sugar levels due to type 2 diabetes began to make changes based on what was discussed during class. She often would wake up in the middle of the night with very low blood sugar and a few times had to go to the emergency room. After she learned how foods affect blood sugar and what to eat to support proper blood-sugar regulation, she began making empowered decisions with her food choices. She has since lost over 20 pounds (to the time of this writing), hasn’t had a middle-of-the-night blood sugar crisis, and her blood sugar levels, that once averaged dangerously high, have stabilized within the normal range.

A middle-aged woman attended just the first two classes that were offered. When she arrived to the center as class was finishing a couple months later, she happily and eagerly shared that she stopped drinking soda after the first class she attended. This same woman sat during class sipping on a 32-ounce bottle of diet soda while we discussed the bio-chemical effects of drinking soda. When asked how she was doing, she said that she stopped drinking soda cold-turkey, lost 30 pounds without trying, and her energy improved. She also stopped giving her grandson soda and high-sugar drinks, and mentioned that he stopped asking for soda and now asks for water.

On another occasion, a young man in his early thirties happened to be sitting at the class table when class started, so we invited him to stay. Each month after that first class, he eagerly attended every class. At the January 2011 class, he enthusiastically shared he had started going to the YMCA to work out, stopped drinking soda, and was eating better. (TIC has a partnership with the Tacoma YMCA two blocks away where they give passes for free admission from 1-3pm each weekday.) He shared that he lost over 30 pounds, felt better and had more energy, and that his self-esteem had improved. Each month, he shares with the group how he continues to feel better, loose weight, and get physically stronger.

One man in his late thirties participated in his first class just days after he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He happened to show up to the center half way through class. It was a wonderful opportunity for other participants to play an active role in sharing what they had learned over the past several months and share their own success stories. We discussed how blood sugar is regulated, what causes diabetes, and ways to best support his health. When class ended he came up to me, shook my hand and said, “You’ve saved my life.” When I returned the following month and saw him, he mentioned that he had been making many of the changes we discussed. Then, he pulled out a handout I had given him from his pocket. The handout listed dietary and fitness recommendations. He said he carried it everywhere and looks at it every day to make sure he’s staying on track. In only a month, his health is already improving and he is well on his way to overcoming the type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

I received a call a few weeks ago from a participant that attended just one class. She happened to be visiting a friend, who is a regular patron of the center, the day that class was being held. After class I gave her my contact information in the event she had any questions. She called a few times and asked for more information on gluten-free diets and healthy fats. A couple weeks ago, she contacted me to say that she had recently visited her doctor and was told she lost 9 pounds. She was excited to share that she was feeling better, loosing weight without effort, trying new foods, and generally enjoying herself more.

The overall improvements that have been experienced by class participants at TIC and those in their sphere of influence, while notable, are difficult to quantify. Although there have been pounds lost, improvements in blood sugar numbers, and less need for medication, we cannot calculate a number to demonstrate improvements in personal energy, happiness, or self-esteem. How can one quantify what it feels like to go to bed knowing there is no need to fear waking up in the middle of the night with a blood sugar crash? How can we measure the effects over time the impact in the life of a grandson whose grandmother started giving him water instead of soda during childhood?

Aside from the numerous health improvements that class participants at TIC have experienced, they feel a sense of community with the class regularity and support. They know there is someone in their life that is reliable and genuinely cares for them. We laugh and share comfortably with each other. In our own way, we are a family who, like any other, wants the best for each member and those we care about.

This program has restored life back to many individuals who were seeking some sense of hope, a change, even transformation. They come to TIC for one of the few meaningful things they could get in an urban setting away from their own—a sense of belonging. In that familiar and comfortable setting, it is likely that it became a lot easier to make a difference than if they had received similar information from a pamphlet or at a mainstream provider outlet. They took hold of an opportunity that was offered to them and made the change.

Renewal in the face of uncertainly and isolation for many participants at TIC seemed like a far reaching possibility at first. From personal experience, those involved in this effort knew that if we could gain trust and develop a sense of mutuality, even love, perhaps a lot more than expected might be possible—it was. These successes at TIC are an invitation for us all to give back to the community in a meaningful way that supports the greater good of everyone. Hopefully, they also constitute a replicable and scalable model that can be practiced in additional places with other key populations.

Contact Information:
Jenelle Strine, LMP, NTP
206-290-4774
jenelle@vibranthorizons.com

This recipe is simple, and dairy and gluten-free. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups ground almonds (food processor or coffee grinder)
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1/2 cup of softened coconut oil
1/2 cup unrefined sugar  (NOTE: You can also use a ripe banana instead of sugar to make them sugar free, however this will dramatically change taste and texture but they will still be yummy.)

Use organic ingredients when possible.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together.
On a greased cookie sheet, place spoonfuls of dough about an inch apart.
Press down with a fork to flatten.
Bake for 7-10 minutes until edges are brown.

Cool and enjoy!

This time of year is a calling to make positive changes in our lives. We’re already a few weeks into our New Year goals, and it’s a good time to take a look at the progress we are making toward achieving our aspirations.

One of the best ways to stay focused on reaching a goal is to understand why you are seeking it. When we set a goal from a place of inspiration, excitement, or personal value, there’s an energy behind it that helps to support and nurture it.

When a goal comes from a place of value or appreciation, there’s a natural current that supports the achievement of it. For example, if you truly value a healthy body, you’ll naturally want to seek out lifestyle changes that support it. You’ll find yourself drawn to health-promoting foods,  people that support that lifestyle, and you’ll notice yourself having the energy to go to the gym or enjoy a walk during the day.

If you know your goal or dream comes from the heart, from that place that is seeking your highest good, doing what you need to do to achieve it becomes less about work (doing) and more about enjoyment and excitement (being). For example, you may find yourself enjoying the process of seeking out and trying new local classes, exercises,  or recipes that support your goal. You’ll simply discover yourself being and living healthier, not trying to do healthier things.

It’s a simple shift of thinking from the traditional way of achieving a goal through effort, trying, and work into simply becoming or embodying your goals because you believe in them and you value yourself enough to embrace what supports your journey and your dreams. In this way it becomes possible to shift from activities that constitute an energy expense to activities that energize you and provide enduring added value in your life. 

Here’s a checklist to help you evaluate what’s truly important to you, and what is calling you towards your highest good, health, and happiness.

*  What do I value most in my life? List what you’re passionate about, what drives you, and what gives you energy and enthusiasm.

*  How do my goals support what I value?

*  What are my priorities? Am I giving enough energy and room in my life to allow my goals to manifest?

*  How do I spend my time? Do I spend my time in ways consistent with what I value and prioritize?

*  What am I willing to open myself up to, that I wasn’t before, to allow my goals into my life?

*  How can I become my goals instead of trying to work hard to get them?

There’s just one more thing to mention – keep having fun! No matter what, keep enjoying yourself and the unfolding of your dreams. Each day is an opportunity to be clear about your intentions and goals. Trust in your vision and believe that you can achieve anything you seek in life. One of my favorite quotes is by William Arthur Ward, “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.” Enjoy the journey!

This is some very important information about soy. Soy milk has become very popular with many individuals who are lactose intolerant and soy “meat” products are marketed as a health food. This valuable information and research on soy is provided by the Weston A. Price Foundation. Please do your own research as well so you can be informed with your own health and well-being. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Soy Dangers and Information Summarized:

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B₁₂ analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B₁₂.
• Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Myths and Truths about Soy:

Myth: Use of soy as a food dates back many thousands of years.

Truth: Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soy beans to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari.

Myth: Asians consume large amounts of soy foods.

Truth: Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods confer the same health benefits as traditionally fermented soy foods.

Truth: Most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, and are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.

Myth: Soy foods provide complete protein.

Truth:Like all legumes, soy beans are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures fragile lysine.

Myth: Fermented soy foods can provide vitamin B₁₂ in vegetarian diets.

Truth: The compound that resembles vitamin B₁₂ in soy cannot be used by the human body; in fact, soy foods cause the body to require more B₁₂

Myth: Soy formula is safe for infants.

Truth:Soy foods contain trypsin inhibitors that inhibit protein digestion and affect pancreatic function. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors led to stunted growth and pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D, needed for strong bones and normal growth. Phytic acid in soy foods results in reduced bioavailabilty of iron and zinc which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. Soy also lacks cholesterol, likewise essential for the development of the brain and nervous system. Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.

Myth: Soy foods can prevent osteoporosis.

Truth: Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Calcium from bone broths and vitamin D from seafood, lard and organ meats prevent osteoporosis in Asian countries—not soy foods.

Myth: Modern soy foods protect against many types of cancer.

Truth: A British government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against breast cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.

Myth: Soy foods protect against heart disease.

Truth: In some people, consumption of soy foods will lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that lowering cholesterol with soy protein improves one’s risk of having heart disease.

Myth:Soy estrogens (isoflavones) are good for you.

Truth:Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.

Myth: Soy foods are safe and beneficial for women to use in their postmenopausal years.

Truth: Soy foods can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.

Myth:Phytoestrogens in soy foods can enhance mental ability.

Truth: A recent study found that women with the highest levels of estrogen in their blood had the lowest levels of cognitive function; In Japanese Americans tofu consumption in mid-life is associated with the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease in later life.

Myth:Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.

Truth:Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soy isoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.

Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.

Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels. Japanese housewives feed tofu to their husbands frequently when they want to reduce his virility.

Myth: Soy beans are good for the environment.

Truth: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.

Myth: Soy beans are good for developing nations.

Truth: In third world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.

For more information, visit: http://www.westonaprice.org

Here’s a list of 8 considerations if you’re looking to boost your metabolism:

1. How often are you eating?
There are many philosophies on how often to eat and how much. For improving your metabolism, the goal is to eat small, frequent meals.

2. How often are you moving your body?
Moving your body through walking, running, movement exercises, yoga, etc. helps to kick your metabolism into gear. Not only that, these activities can help build and strengthen muscles. 

3. Do you have a strength training program?
Weight training is important for building muscle mass. Muscle helps to improve your metabolism and burns more calories than fat. Ten pounds of muscle burns 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat burns 20 calories.

4. Do you eat breakfast?
It is important to eat breakfast since it pretty much sets the pace for your entire day. Taking an extra 10-15 minutes in the morning will serve you well to boost your metabolism and sustain your energy for the day.

5. How much sugar and refined carbohydrates do you eat?
The average American eats over 150 pounds of sugar a year! Sugar is stored as fat and triglycerides, which slows your metabolism. Whole grains and protein are much better options than sugar.

6. How much water do you drink?
Every time I ask a client that question I hear “not enough”. The target amount to drink is half your body weight in ounces of water — though always factor in activity and lifestyle in your daily consumption. Generally speaking, if you weigh 180 pounds, seek to drink around 90 ounces a day.

7. Do you get enough rest?
When you sleep your body is repairing and healing itself. It’s important to allow yourself enough time to regenerate during the night. This way, when you wake up in the morning you’ll have plenty of energy and be able do activities like walking, working out, and making breakfast.

8. Do you practice stress reduction techniques?
Stress, in its many forms, does the body quite a lot of damage. Simply doing some focused breathing will make a significant difference. When we’re under stress, our breath tends to become shallow. So the next time you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, take a few slow deep breaths.

The holiday season is a wonderful time of year – a time of sharing, celebration, and togetherness. They are also bitter-sweet for many as they can lead to stress from exposure to tempting unhealthy foods at home, work, and parties.

Get started with healthy habits today.
Set the goal now. Make the decision now. You don’t have to wait until January to start a resolution. Your resolution to eat healthy, and honor and nourish your body can begin today. Here’s a list of several ideas for this holiday season to begin changing the tide now.

 1. Have personal boundaries.
Decide before heading out the door what your eating plan is for the event or party. If you make a decision to not eat anything fried at your next outing, keep to it. No matter how good a food may look or how much someone wants to share a dish with you, keep to your plan. Each time you make a decision and remain steadfast in upholding it, it becomes easier and easier to maintain.

2. Eat a snack before you leave home.
Have you ever done your grocery shopping while you were hungry? I have and when I do, I buy a lot more food than I would normally. The same goes for parties. If you’re hungry when you arrive, everything there will look delicious and tempting. To prevent this, eat a healthy snack before you leave home that will fill you up just enough to enjoy small samples.

 3. Bring a bottle of water and drink it.
Hydration is very important to your personal health. There will be many beverages at a party that will be full of sugar and unhealthy chemicals, so having your own bottle of water will keep you from being temped by other beverages. Sparkling mineral waters are often in attractive glass bottles that you can feel comfortable taking with you and drinking during any party.

 4. Bring your own meal or snack.
If you don’t know what kind of foods will be available to you, bring a healthy dish that you can eat and share with others. Often times, people like to learn a new recipe that they’ve never tried or want to hear more about a healthy dish that you’ve come to love.

 5. Choose vegetables and protein-rich foods.
Vegetables, especially fresh ones, are usually available at a party in a veggie tray. They are always a good option, but accompanying them are usually unhealthy dips. Seek out an alternative to the dips like hummus to put on your veggies. You can always try a new recipe and bring the hummus with you.

 The other food to look for is protein-rich foods like meat, cheese, nuts, and beans. These foods will fill you up and keep you from eating excessive amounts of high-calorie processed foods. These will also help to keep your blood-sugar levels stable and prevent later cravings for desserts high in sugar.

 6. Listen to your body.
If you’re full, stop eating. It’s hard to do sometimes, especially when many foods look so good. It can be a very uncomfortable experience being too full or bloated from eating too much or eating foods that cause your body stress. Listening to your body means eating foods that support it and stopping when you’re just about full.

 7. Enjoy yourself and every bite.
Have fun and enjoy yourself! Make conscious choices about what you eat and take pleasure in every bite. Savor the flavors and variety. Chew slowly knowing digestion begins with chewing your food well. Enjoy the company around you and allow the celebration of family and community bring you joy. Positive feelings and experiences bring about enhanced digestion and health.

I often ask the students in classes that I teach to define the word “diet”. Initial responses are typically about food restriction or staying within the boundaries of some philosophy in a book. The actual meaning of diet is “habitual nourishment”. When students consider “nourishment” as it relates to diet their perspective on nutrition changes immediately.

We often hear the word “diet” with regards to not eating something, “Oh, I can’t eat that because I’m on a diet” or “I better not eat that I’m on a diet trying to lose weight”. Diet in those terms refers to restriction and limitation.

A restricted diet and a nourishing diet are two very different things.

The word “nourish” is very powerful. It gives the sense of being cared for to promote life and health. When you look at diet in terms of nourishing your body, what you eat and crave changes. You naturally want to seek out food that will support your health and well-being.

If you’re at a party and there’s an array of food sitting on a table, how much of what’s available to eat is going to nourish your body? Instead of rejecting fried potato chips, for example, you can embrace the hummus dip and veggies instead. It’s really about seeking out nourishing foods instead of pushing other foods way.

How much of what you eat is nourishing?

Your body needs a number of nutrients to support health and healing. The plethora of health-promoting food options in our culture provides a variety of nutrients and selection. Food is shipped from all around the world year round so we always have options like pineapples from Chile and coconuts from Thailand. Some may prefer to eat local or seasonal food. In either case, healthy food choices are always abundant.

A nourishing diet keeps all the doors open to what supports your health. Limiting or restrictive diets close doors which can lead to frustration and overwhelm a person. There’s a saying, “what resists persists.” When you resist something, the energy it takes to push it away tends to constantly bring it closer or bring you acutely aware that you can’t/don’t have it.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re avoiding sugary desserts or limiting calories to loose weight, it seems like the opportunity to eat snacks or go out to eat increases? Or perhaps you begin to notice every pastry shop or high-sugar food at the grocery store?

A simple change in perspective makes all the difference. Health is important to readers like yourself, so instead of pushing certain foods away, try focusing on more traditional foods  that support your health like kale, spinach, quinoa, and grass-fed buffalo to name a few. Check out your local farmer’s market  or learn what Washington foods are in season that can support and nourish your body.

Find what works for you personally.

Consider the power your diet has over you. How does it make you feel? What is your relationship to food? Do you feel supported or nourished by what you eat on a daily basis? These questions are all very important to ask yourself to begin to make changes to use food and your diet as a means of supporting and sustaining your health.

I always tell my clients to ask themselves this question every morning: “How can I nourish myself today?” It’s a profound question that when thoughtfully answered goes beyond diet into every area of your life.

My clients ask me all the time about the smoothies I make and what I put in them. I put together a few tips and ideas for making yummy, nutrient-packed smoothies!

Ingredient Ideas
Kale, spinach, or other nutritious greens
Berries, banana (1/2 or less), or other fruits
Young coconut water, kefir, spring water, coconut milk, kombucha, whole milk, etc. Plain, unsweetened whole milk yogurt
Coconut oil, flax seed oil
Avocado
Raw cacao
Super foods like bee pollen, turmeric, spirulina, wheat grass, hemp seeds, etc.
Ginger, cinnamon, or another warming herb
Cilantro, mint and/or other herbs
Vanilla or almond extract
Pinch of sea salt (make sure it’s grey or pink in color)

Keep the Balance – Add a healthy fat
Adding a healthy fat to your smoothie is very important especially if you include a lot of fruit. This will help you to prevent a quick spike in blood sugar from the high-sugar content of the fruits. Healthy fat examples include coconut (dehydrated is fine as long as it has no preservatives), avocado (makes it rich and creamy), coconut or flaxseed oil, and whole milk yogurt or kefir. Also, I’d recommend using only half a banana (if that) and not everyday since bananas have high sugar content.

Receive all the Healthy Benefits – Chew your smoothie
To help you absorb all the healthy nutrients you add to your smoothies, remember this when you’re drinking them: Chew your smoothies! When you blend solid ingredients into a liquid, chewing is no longer necessary but imperative for digestion and the assimilation of nutrients.

Digestion begins with the sight and smell of food followed by chewing it. Since smoothies don’t have much of an aroma, that makes chewing each sip even more important. Chewing alerts your stomach and digestive system that food is on it’s way. When you don’t chew your food well, it compromises digestion and becomes a challenge and a stress to your body.

A General Important Rule of Thumb
To enhance digestion in general, here’s an important rule of thumb: Chew your liquids and drink your solids. This means chew your solid food to the point it becomes a liquid, and as I mentioned above, chew those smoothies to prepare your stomach for the yummy nutrients you’ve taken the time to thoughtfully prepare.

What Does Genetically Modified Mean?
• GMOs are created when genes are taken from one species of plant, animal, or virus and inserted into another species in order to produce a desirable trait, e.g. disease resistant crop
• The long term effects are not known
• 30 countries have banned or proposed to ban GMO crops (including Japan and European countries)
• Examples include:
  -Veggies with built-in pesticides
  -Coffee beans with altered caffeine content
  -Produce manipulated to extend shelf life (corn, wheat, peppers, and fruits)

Some Examples of How GMOs are Used:
• Spider genes in goats
• Mouse and human genes in potatoes
• Fish genes in tomatoes

Benefits of Genetically Modifying Foods:
• Enhanced taste and quality
• Increased nutrients and stress tolerance
• Improved resistance to disease
• More efficient processing
• Increased food security for growing populations

Controversies of Genetically Modifying Foods:
• Potential human health impacts – allergens, transfer of antibiotic resistance, unknown effects
• Labeling is not mandatory in the United States
• Long term effects are not known

Top 5 Most Genetically Modified Foods:
Cottonseed
Soy
Sugar from Sugar Beets
Canola
Corn

How Do You Avoid Genetically Modified Foods?
Buy organic!

For more information visit:
http://www.responsibletechnology.org

 
The way the human body converts food into energy—known as metabolism—varies among individuals. Most “fad diets” offer a single solution for diverse dietary needs.

“Standardized diets and nutritional diets fail to recognize that, for genetic reasons, people are all different on a biochemical level or metabolic level. In other words, we’re all different in the way that our bodies process foods and utilize nutrients.”

-William Wolcott and Trish Fahey, authors of The Metabolic Typing Diet

Consider seeking out foods that best support your metabolic type. The more you learn about your body, the better you can nourish it. Diet means habitual nourishment, after all.

The rate at which food is broken down varies among individuals. Heredity can determine the rate of your metabolism. Analyzing the variation in how individuals metabolize food is known as metabolic typing.

Someone who metabolizes food slowly will do better with less fat than someone who is a fast metabolizer. Fat, for someone who has a slow metabolism, can slow down their metabolism even further and interfere with the body’s ability to product energy efficiently. But for a fast metabolizer, fat is an important component of a healthful diet.

Personally, I have a fast metabolism. When I eat a meal or snack high in carbs and low in fat, I find myself feeling unsatisfied and hungry shortly thereafter. After I began adding more protein and fat into my diet, I found my energy levels were sustained longer without the need to snack and I generally felt better.

Find out for yourself which type you are! I encourage you to take Metabolic Typing test to gain a new understanding of foods that can better support your health. Even with this tool, be sure to consider that nutritional needs are heavily influenced by our environment and lifestyle. Our needs change from season to season, day to day, hour by hour…

Metabolic Typing offers a more individualized look into foods to seek out. Use it as a tool to get to know your body a little better. There are many roads to take along your journey; use this as a map as you travel along your path.

Here’s a link to take the questionnaire. (Note: There are 65 questions, so it will take a few minutes.) Once completed, it will walk you through determining which type you are and will offer suggestions and guidelines for your type. Enjoy!

Metabolic Typing Quiz:  http://www.lowcarbnz.co.nz/Story/metabolic_type.htm