If you have ever tried the hcg diet then you will understand how absolutely discouraging it is when you step on the scale in the morning, only to realize that there is no weight loss whatsoever.  And it is during these times that we are most vulnerable and likely to throw in the towel.  Imagine, consuming only 1,500 calories over 3 days and not losing an ounce.

But this is when we need to be the strongest, because most people on the hcg diet, do, in fact hit an hcg plateau at some time.  In Dr. Simeons’ book – Pounds and Inches, Dr. Simeons states that many hcg dieters hit a plateau somewhere during the third week of the diet.  But this is not always the case.

When I did the hcg diet, I hit an hcg plateau on day 8 which certainly didn’t fit the typical weight loss profile.  Had it not been for the encouragement and support that I found in an hcg forum, I would have certainly quit.  But here’s the good news – when we do hit an hcg plateau there are a number of strategies that we can employ to get us right back on track.

And here is a list of the most recommended hcg plateau busters:

1. Increase water intake
2. Add a glass or 2 of green tea
3. Don’t eat 2 apples for the 2 fruits or cut down on the size of apple
4. Check all condiments for any form of sugar
5. Examine carefully the lotions or makeup that you are using on your skin for any oils or glycerin.
6. If mixing vegetables, stop.
7. Leave out one or both breadsticks/melba toast
8. No diet drinks

If these plateau busters don’t do the trick then Dr. Simeons recommends doing an “apple day” to get things moving again.  An “apple day” goes from lunch time on one day to lunch time on the following day.  During this 24 hour period you can eat up to 6 apples, but only when you are hungry.  And you can only drink small amounts of water – just enough to quench thirst.

When I stepped on the scale the morning following my “apple day” I was pleasantly surprised with a 2 pound weight loss!  Don’t let an hcg plateau sabotage your weight loss plan!

The hcg diet method was developed by Dr. Simeons over 50 years ago.  It describes a method of effective weight loss and does not appear to be just another fad diet.  It is a method of treatment which has grown out of careful thought and experimentation over al long period of time and is based on clinical observation.

As we age, stress induced weight gain is common around our midsection and even though we are able to rid ourselves of the stress, we seem to develop an inability to lose the weight.   And this is because stress locks us into a certain metabolism and the traditional strategies of diet and exercise become totally useless. Menopause only seems to exacerbate this situation.

The Hcg Diet is a different approach.  A new way of addressing weight loss which gets to the root cause – resetting the hypothalamus gland – the master gland that overseas fat burning, the endocrine system, mood, sleep, and cravings.

According to Dr Simeons, when the hypothalamus gland is functioning properly we can lose weight.  We can sleep well and we can live a balanced healthy life.  So what things affect the hypothalamus?  Things like junk foods, foods high in carbohydrates, lots of sugar, chemicals in our environment, yo-yo dieting and the emf world.  With all of these things so prevalent in society today it’s the perfect storm.

With the introduction of hcg together with a very low calorie diet, the body is able to release fat stores.  This is a rapid process and both men and women report weight loss of about 1 pound per day during a 26 day cycle – the minimum cycle that is needed to reset the hypothalamus.

Stay tuned for other articles in this What is the hcg diet series.

Now that you’ve decided to try therapeutic grade essential oils and reap their many benefits, you may be confused as to where to start. With more than 125 different Young Living oils (and more being discovered every year) it can be a daunting process.

Let’s keep it simple and start with the oils and blends that have everyday applications for you, your family and pets. These oils can benefit your body and your home. Many of them can even be used in your favorite recipes!

Young Living has packaged a starter kit called “Essential 7” ™ It includes:

LAVENDER: (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most versatile of all essential oils. Therapeutic-grade lavender has been highly regarded for the skin. Lavender has been clinically evaluated for its relaxing effects. It may be used to cleanse cuts, bruises and skin irritations. The fragrance is calming, relaxing and balancing physically and emotionally.

Suggested Use:
Place a few drops of Lavender oil on a wet cloth and throw into the dryer, which will deodorize and freshen your laundry.

Put a drop of Lavender oil on a cold sore.

Diffusing Lavender oil may help alleviate the symptoms of allergies.

Spritz several drops of Lavender oil mixed with distilled water on a sunburn. It may decrease pain.

Apply a drop of Lavender oil on a cut to clean the wound and help with bacteria.

Applying 2-3 drops of Lavender oil to a rash may stop the itching and heal the skin.

Read the full article at EmpowHer.com.

*All information has been complied from Essential Oil Desk Reference, Higley’s Reference on Essential Oils and Young Living Essential Oils.

For those of you that have to endure what can only be described as “breast torture” annually, I empathize with you.  And for those of you that don’t, I’d liken the experience to that of slamming your breasts in the fridge door a few times.  And that’s no exaggeration because our breasts are compressed with a force equal to some 50 pounds during a mammogram!  In fact when I told my sister that I was going for a mammogram she asked whether I had practiced before hand using the fridge door. lol.

But breast health is no joking matter. And screening and early detection is key. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, except for skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.

And the most recent estimates for breast cancer in the US for 2010 aren’t pretty:

• About 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.

• About 54,010 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).

• About 39,840 women will die from breast cancer

Mammography and self breast examination have been the mainstay of breast cancer detection for years. These procedures detect breast cancer – they confirm the existence of what already exists – cancer.

But what is there was a way to detect very small changes within the breast – at the cellular level – pre-cancerous changes? That would appear to be the optimal position, wouldn’t it?

And that’s exactly what digital breast thermography is. It’s a pictorial measurement of heat generated in the body and in particular, in our breasts. It allows for a careful analysis of skin and tissue temperatures.

Medical practitioners are therefore able to pick up abnormal chemical and blood vessel activity in breast tissue because they generate greater heat.

Areas of greater heat are therefore, often seen as red flags – possible pre-cancerous sites. Christiane Northrup, M.D. (ob/gyn) and bestselling author, wrote a brilliant article recently about breast heath and thermography in the Huffington Post.   She noted that thermography may be able to detect cancer activity 8 to 10 years earlier than any other screening method.  And that’s huge.

This would give women time to make changes to their diets, possibly ramp up on certain supplements and herbs, do some inner work – all in an effort to transform these cells before they became cancerous. Breast cancer prevention at its best.

And if all of this is possible with thermography and it’s also pain and radiation free, why aren’t we embracing this technology which incidentally is FDA approved?   Or is that a rhetorical question, after all, cancer treatment is hugely profitable?

Like any technology, thermography is only as good as the thermologist.  You can find a qualified thermologist in your area by visiting the International Academy of Clinical Thermology website at http:// iact-org.org

And just to be clear, I’m not advocating thermography over mammography.   I think women need to know what’s available, do their own research and make choices that are best for them.

Resources

http://www.breastthermography.com/breast_thermography_mf.htm

http://www.healingwell.com/library/breastcancer/article.asp?author=cockburn&id=1

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christiane-northrup/the-best-breast-test-the-_b_752503.html

http://iact-org.org/

And this is because Congress authorized funding of some $27 billion to promote the use of e-health records in an effort to cut health care costs as part of the overall stimulus plan.  And this technology includes the use of e-prescriptions and e-medical records.

According to Surescripts, the nations leading electronic prescribing network, the use of e-prescriptions is gaining ground.  The company reported there were 156,000 active prescribers in 2009 including physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. This represents a 109% increase in prescribers when compared with 2008 figures. But according to Reuters, the current figure is even higher at 200,000 prescribers.

How does e-prescribing work? Basically, the health care provider uses a computer with e-prescribing software to access patient prescription benefit information and then routes the prescription to patient’s pharmacy.

This is generally viewed as good news for patient, doctor and pharmacy for a number of reasons. For the patient it means a reduction in medical errors (including drug type and amount) caused by doctors customary poor hand writing. It also helps to ensure that patients actually fill and pick up their prescriptions as an estimated 20% of patients never make it to the pharmacy with their prescriptions.

Because the system has the technology to provide a review from the prescriber’s office against the patient’s medication history, it’s possible for the pharmacy to do allergy checks and drug to drug interactions checks – all important information to protect patient safety.

This system also gives physicians information as to which drug is being covered by the patient’s health plan and this should mean lower drug costs for the patient and fewer calls between doctors and pharmacists.

Reducing health care costs, improving patient safety and increasing efficiency all sound like pretty good reasons for doctors, nurse practitioners and  physician’s assistants to adopt this new technology in the near future.  Let’s hope so, because if they will most certainly face fines.

While this type of therapy may not be suitable for everyone, the extremely positive results of this small study suggests that such high intensity exercising could play a key role alongside drug treatment in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Read the full story on BBC Health here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10864601

Here, Dr Sarah talks about some of the triggers of hot flashes and some strategies that we can employ to cope with hot flashes that support body wellness.

And here are some of Dr Sarah’s suggestions for women suffering from hot flashes:

start with cleaning up the diet, avoiding processed foods in favor of whole natural and organic foods

getting enough sleep

exercising regularly

stress reduction techniques

social and emotional support

If these strategies are not effective then a visit to a Doctor of Naturapothic Medicine may be necessary to determine the underlying cause for the hot flashes. Remember just because the symptoms (hot flashes) are the same does not mean that the underlying cause is the same!

A Naturopathic Approach to hot flashes allows for further analysis and “detective work” to help each woman on a case by case basis.

Watch Part II of our interview with Sarah LoBisco, ND below.  Dr Sarah can be reached at 518-885-9145.

And organic farming is also supposed to be better for the environment.  Many, including myself agree that these benefits are well worth the additional expense.

With the FDA having so many problems with items being imported from China, including food items, the question is: Would you buy organic foods from China?

What if you were told that Whole Foods – the leading retailer of organic and natural food was sourcing a number of its products from China? Sadly, this is true. And quite frankly as a consumer I feel let down and disappointed.

Foods like Edamame Blanched Shelled Soybeans, Organic Broccoli Florets , Organic Asparagus Spears and get this – California Blend Vegetables – all sourced from China and being marketed under the Whole Foods Brand – 365 Organic.

I think that Whole Foods has some explaining to do.   ABC News has revealed some disturbing questions about the validity of the organic certification of these products.  Whole Foods continued silence on the matter is also very unsettling.

The bottom line: Buyer Beware – read your food labels, even on things that we once considered sacrosanct.

Have a look at this ABC News 7 I-Team Report to find out the full details of this story. Be sure to download the Whole Foods – Product of Origin document as well. And please share this information with your family and friends.

I would love to hear your comments regarding this story. Are you a Whole Foods customer and what are your feelings about “organic” foods from China being sold at Whole Foods?

It is thought that the estrogen reduction experienced during menopause may disrupt the function of the hypothalamus which in turn leads to hot flashes.

Despite the fact that hot flashes are common, they are not natural, according to Sarah LoBisco, ND, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine.  Dr Sarah has over 8 years experience in wellness and is a graduate of the accredited four year post-graduate program in naturopathic medicine at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.  She is also trained in whole foods supplements, herbal and essential oils therapy.

Dr Sarah believes in listening to her clients and working with them in order to facilitate wellness. She uses her background of essential oils, herbs, whole food supplements and psychology to form an integrated approach to each individual client.

And what does Dr Sarah have to say about hot flashes? Lots…..join me for a Natropathic look at hot flashes in Part 1 of my interview with Sarah LoBosco, ND.

Sarah LoBisco, ND

Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

18 Low St

Ballston Spa, NY 12020

518-885-9145

nd@dr-lobisco.com

Stay tuned for Part 2 in this interview series where Sarah LoBisco, ND discusses coping mechanisms for hot flashes, common triggers and lots more.

According to the experts, staying physically active ensures that our brain continues to receive and maintain good blood flow as well as encouraging new brain cell growth.

There have also been a number of studies which link low levels of Vitamin D to Alzheimer’s. It’s a good idea to get your Vitamin D levels checked and to supplement during the winter months. Hey it’s summer – get out and soak up some of that vital Vitamin D!

Protect your brain cells by adopting a brain healthy diet. As you would guess this includes loads of dark-skinned fruits and veggies which have the highest levels of antioxidants. Nuts that contain a good source of Vitamin E like almonds, walnuts and pecans are also recommended as well as cold water fish containing omega-3 fatty acids.

Keeping socially active as well as feeling a sense of community are other critical components for brain wellness as well as keeping mentally active. And here’s an interesting tidbit – higher levels of education appear to be somewhat protective against Alzheimer’s, possibly because brain cells and their connections are stronger.

Bottom Line: Get moving, stay mentally active, eat a healthy diet, and know your Vitamin D levels. Isn’t it funny that we keep getting the same advice over and over again to starve off a variety of illnesses?