Lay Off The TUMS!

So… On the TUMS website is the following:  “TUMS is the #1 antacid America relies on to get past heartburn quickly and get on with life.”   Wow!  That’s impressive!  Can I just ask a stupid question?  Why, oh why, are you eating food that gives you heartburn?

I was inspired to write this blog by a good friend who pointed out a commercial he recently viewed on television.  Apparently, this commercial demonstrates one of my all time favorites – the corn dog – beating you up.  Actually, I must say, it must be a pretty funny commercial.  This commercial demonstrates a corn dog, a hamburger, and a spare rib whooping on one’s head.  Here’s my thought.  If these foods give you heartburn, maybe your body is trying to tell you something.

Now, in all fairness, there are people who do not consume these foods or anything of the like and still get heartburn.  Here is my point:  there are foods that trigger heartburn and they are as follows:

• Citrus fruits
• Citrus juices
• Chocolate
• Peppermint
• Excessive alcohol consumption (especially red wine)
• Tomatoes and tomato-based products
• Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee
• Carbonated beverages, such as colas

By the way – tomatoes used to kill me when I was pregnant.  Therefore, here are some of the solutions that I found very helpful:

• Chamomile Tea
• Aloe Vera Juice
• Milk
• Baking Soda (1 teaspoon dissolved in 8 oz of water)

Now, why would I not recommend TUMS – especially to a pregnant woman?  Funny you should ask.  Here goes – are you ready?  The ingredients are as follows:

Active Ingredients:  Calcium Carbonate USP (500 mg) (Antacid) / Inactive Ingredients: Sucrose, Calcium Carbonate, Corn Starch, Talc, Mineral Oil, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Adipic Acid, Sodium Polyphosphate, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, FD&C Yellow 5 Lake (Tartrazine), Blue 1 Lake

Need I say more?  I’m sure you already know my thoughts on the chemicals in this product.  If not, have I got a ton of blogs you should be reading!  In fact, you might be interested in reading my blog on food dyes.  Just that alone should make your skin crawl.

In conclusion, as far as I am concerned, this is all you need to know.  Step 1:  Stop eating garbage.  Step 2:  Stop taking poison to cure the pain from eating the garbage.  Step 3:  Use natural cures when you happen to get heartburn from pregnancy or stress.  They work just as well if not better, I am sure.  Oh, and by the way, if your physician suggests you take TUMS because you need calcium, why don’t you just take calcium?  Or how about eating calcium rich foods such as kale.  Oh!  I know! Why not try the Kale Chips.  I promise – they will not give you heartburn!

Men’s Health Continued…Increase Your Testosterone Naturally

Well a lot of men out there have many questions, so I will focus on men’s health for a couple of days.  One of the questions that came in recently relates to testosterone and my opinion on increasing testosterone through medications.  Well, I’m not really sure about medications.  I do know that most medications, quite frankly  would have me running for the hills.  So the answer to you regarding medication, I simply don’t know.  But, my son Ray also does extensive research and there seems to be some natural solutions to low testosterone levels.

The simple fact is that as men get older testosterone levels decrease.  I’m sure this probably kills sex drive but in addition to that, low testosterone can mean low energy and bad moods.  In fact, higher levels of testosterone help in the creation of muscle.  So, since some of you asked about medications, I had to put a holistic spin on it and let you know there are natural ways to increase testosterone.  I would like to point out that as an experiment my son Ray did try this for four weeks*.  He did inform me that this is just too dang much testosterone for a 23 year old man.  Of course I’m not sure if he said this in jest or not.  So if you are in your 20′s I’m not sure if you should try this.  I guess there really is such a thing as too much testosterone.

*Well, without further ado, these natural solutions are from the book, “The Four Hour Body” by Timothy Ferris.

a.

1. Fermented cod liver oil and vitamin rich butter fat:  2 capsules before bed
2. Vitamin D3:  3000-5000 IU upon waking and before bed (6000-10,000 IU per day), until you reach blood levels of 55 ng/mL (please check with your physician).
3. Short ice baths/or cold showers:  10 minutes each, upon waking and right before bed.
4. Brazil nuts:  3 nuts upon waking, 3 nuts before bed (this is Mr. Ferris’ personal preference and does not recommend it unless you are deficient in selenium).

b.

1. 20-24 Hours Prior to Sex:  eat at least 800 milligrams of cholesterol (four or more large whole eggs or egg yolks) within three hours of bedtime.  Why before bedtime?  Testosterone is derived from cholesterol, which is primarily produced at night during sleep.
2. Four Hours Prior to Sex:  4 Brazil nuts, 20 raw almonds and 2 capsules of the fermented cod liver oil and vitamin rich butter fat.

It is really important that I stress that you check with your physician regarding all of the above.  I simply wanted to give you a natural solution to increasing your testosterone levels.  Low testosterone can hinder so much more than just your sex drive.  Need to boost energy, increase muscle mass and give a boost to your libido?  This might be a natural solution to gels, injections and medications.

Top 10 Ways to Look Younger!

Studio V Health’s Top 10 Ways to Look Younger…

1. Have faith!  Leave your worrying and anxiety to God.  Anxiety causes wrinkles and a sad expression.
2. Smile as much as possible.  Do not worry about the wrinkles around the mouth.
3. If at all possible, try out some bangs.  Bangs always make women look younger.
4. Never, never, never wear pantyhose.  You have 2 options… Bare legs if you can stand it or with very short skirts, make sure you wear tights.
5. Platinum hair is very difficult on women over 40.  It is hard to pull off and tends to make women look older.  Therefore, a softer, medium blonde is a better choice.
6. The darker the lipstick, the older we look.  Women over 40 should always opt for paler lipsticks in whatever shade or color they prefer.
7. Wear very high heels whenever possible.  They will make you look younger and leaner.
8. Make sure eyebrows are never too thin.  Thin eyebrows are a sure way to make you look older.
9. Try to match your lip liner as close to your lipstick as possible.  Dark lip liners make us look older and are just plain ugly.
10. Drink as much water as possible and remember to eat Omega-3s such as salmon, walnuts, and flax seed.  Water and these foods will promote a healthy glow and a healthy glow always makes you look more youthful.

Above are some of our favorite items for the youthful list.  I would love to hear what everyone thinks.  Please comment below if you have any great points to add and perhaps we will make a new list together.  Please don’t take this list too seriously – it is intended to help, not offend anyone.  So take away what works for you and forget the rest.

Coke In a Bottle…

That is to say in a baby bottle…and I thought I had heard it all!

Well, I wish this story I heard recently was a joke, a riddle of a figment of someone’s imagination!!  Alas, no, it’s true.  There are parents  who are actually putting Coke in baby bottles.  In the event that there are people out there confused about this issue.  Don’t do it!  Not sure why?  Well allow me to tell you…

I could go on a rampage here about exactly how bad Coke is for you, or your baby that is.  Gee, and I thought the biggest dilemma most young mothers have is jarred baby food or home made baby food, breast feeding or not, what kind of baby formula.  I am still emphatic that most mothers are more concerned about these issues than whether or not to give their baby Coke in a bottle.  But for the few that I have recently heard about, let me give you the top 10 reasons not to put Coke in your baby’s bottle:

1. Their teeth will fall out, or should I say have to be yanked out by a dentist or at least I would guess so;
2. They might develop ADHD, just a guess on my part;
3. How in the world will they fall asleep at night?  So they might have poor sleeping habits;
4. They might develop illnesses related to the chemicals in Coke, just a guess on my part of course;
5. They might be extra cranky and extra irritable, oh gee, how fun;
6. They will certainly be missing important nutrients and vitamins relating to the substitution for Coke instead of milk;
7. Other children in the house will certainly learn poor habits, oh wait, they probably had Coke too;
8. Within the first 10 minutes of consumption your baby will have consumed 10 teaspoons of sugar;
9. Your baby’s blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst;
10. The baby’s liver will probably respond by turning the sugar into fat.

Coke is bad for a baby and that is my own personal opinion.  So since I have provided you with information on what I believe is very strong evidence not to give your baby, your child, Coke.  Let me provide you with an idea for a substitute.  Tired of putting milk in a bottle?  Try some diluted chamomile tea.  It helps put the baby to sleep and is great for digestion.  Again, just my opinion.

Do Moisturizers Need to be Expensive?

Since recently I have blogged about cleansing your skin in the morning and the importance of toning.  I thought I should continue in the same vein and at least make some time to blog about moisturizing your face.  Now here’s an important tip…you really do not have to spend a ton of money on your moisturizer as long as you know what you’re looking for.  What are  you looking for?  Well, you can pick up a great moisturizer at your local drugstore as long as it contains:

• Lipids (ceramides, cerebrosides or sphingo lipids)
• Essential Fatty Acids (sunflower oil, grapeseed oil and primrose oil)
• Sunscreen

Now I should be frank with you, my moisturizer does not contain sunscreen however keep in mind that the sun is your face’s number one enemy, it causes wrinkles and discoloration.  Therefore although my moisturizer does not contain sunscreen, I am very cognizant to always wear large sunglasses and a hat in the sun.  If I am not wearing a hat I will certainly wear sunscreen.

Back to the moisturizer, so we’ve already discussed the fact that it need not be expensive.  Here’s something else that will help, some of the most expensive moisturizers contain vitamins A, C or E.  But just because they contain them doesn’t mean they contain a whole lot.  So if you must, buy your own good quality vitamins, break open the capsules and squeeze out the ingredients  into your moisturizer.

Now, the most important point I have to share with regards to moisturizer is how you apply it.  Please oh please when applying moisturizer to your face, and in fact all over your body, make sure your skin is damp.  Damp skin will create a thin film to trap moisture and your moisturizer will be far more effective for your skin.  I should however caution you, I do sometimes use olive oil all over my body when it is damp and I have been known to slip on the bathroom floor.  So be sure to  be cautious or you may end up with bumps on your head.  So if you decide to sometimes use olive oil, be as cautious as I have learned to be so you do not end up with bumps on your head.

Who says you have to live with Colitis or Crohn’s Disease?

An ode to oatmeal, veggies, beans.

I received a testimonial a few days ago that was quite moving and extraordinary.  I cannot share the full email as most of it was very personal.  I decided to pull the first paragraph and share this incredible news.

“I was diagnosed with Colitis and Crohn’s in college.  I am 35 years old and have been in and out of the hospital for many years – at times, with quite a bit of pain.  I have even had to have a couple of surgeries.  My wife joined your program in November and she was sort of like a lunatic throwing things out of the kitchen and insisting we had to change the way we ate.  Now, I am a guy who has been very into health and fitness.  In fact, I work out every day and have always listened to my doctors about eating a certain way.  It made me really nervous because my wife decided to do your Fit and Fast menu and she insisted that I try it.  I have been very careful by eating a certain way because of the Colitis.  The doctors have warned me for years about certain foods.  I’m not really sure what made me try this.  I guess it was my wife giving me a hard time about it but I sure am glad.  I have to tell you.  I had a routine colonoscopy on Friday and my doctor told me that if he had not been my doctor for years and did not know about the Colitis, he would have had to say that I never had Colitis.”

This gentleman goes on in his email to tell us how grateful he is and how much our program has changed his life and, quite frankly, reduced his pain and suffering.  I could not share all of his email but I will tell you that it goes on to discuss the changes he has made in his life.  Some of those changes seem to be, for instance, eating oatmeal for breakfast instead of what he thought was very healthy cereal and removing lunchmeats from his lunch and snacks.  He shared with me that his wife now purchases nitrate free lunchmeat.  The most significant change to his diet seems to be his dinners.  He shared that he now eats more vegetables and beans than he ever has.  This gentleman thinks he has transformed his life based on changing the foods that he is eating.  I would like to take it a step further and suggest, perhaps, the chemicals that he may have been consuming may have been negatively impacting his Colitis and Crohn’s.
I’m sure you all have gathered what my feelings are relating to preservatives and additives to food and probably deduced that I think they are the root of all evil.  But here is a man who has seen a significant change in his life in just six months.  So, for goodness sake, if you are battling something, whether it is something minor or quite significant, toss out the garbage with the garbage and bring in nature’s goodness.
Make it a wonderful, healthful day,
Vicky.