Is sugar a drug?

I had this debate with a friend of mine a couple years ago. He insisted that sugar could be classified as a drug and I refused to agree. To me, because your body needs carbohydrates (which essentially all break down to a form of sugar) for energy to function it didn't seem fair to label it as a "drug". When I think of "drugs" I think of man-made chemicals, addiction, body and mind altering substances and it seems so negative. But the more I think of it, there are many ways that I believe my friend's point is valid. 

It DOES alter my body when I don't have it and when I do...

I crave it daily...

These days a lot of our sugars come from man-made products like high fructose corn syrup...

It affects my mood...

and basically I think I'm addicted to it.

So I've been putting myself on "sugar-free"diets for the past couple weeks. I'm kind of an all or nothing type of girl and I find I have an easier time sticking to one drastic rule than exercising self-control. My hope that in avoiding sugar all together, I will crave it less and natural foods and natural sugars will taste better and be more satifying to me. I must say I've had moderate success this week. Although I've allowed myself a 2-3 "cheats" a week (which I think is acceptable), I've stopped buying candy bars at lunch and snacking on sweets when I get home from work. Over all I feel pretty good. I've done this before a week at a time, but the more I think about it, it needs to be a lifestyle change for me.

There are a couple flaws with this system though. First, if I allow myself a "cheat" I usually cheat pretty bad. It's like I've given myself a free pass to whatever and that shouldn't be the case. Also, I've been substituting with "sugar-free" desserts and drinks. If I'm really that worried about man-made chemicals and what not, that doesn't make any sense. I go back and forth between how harmful sugar substitutes can be versus the real thing.

Anyhow, it's not just girl scout cookies I have a love/hate relationship with - I think it's all forms of sugar and I just wanted to share some thoughts on the subject. I think it's interesting how our palates have changed over time (especially here in America) and we are so obsessed with flavor instead of nutrition like we should be. Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

Getting to know the basics...

Today's post will be by Alina's best friend, Adrienne, who hails from Texas but currently resides in California.

Hello! To give you a little background info about me, I'm a certified yoga instructor with a masters in American Art and Literature now working as a supplement counselor in southern California.  While this isn't my first time working with natural health, I continually learn new things everyday, especially as trends come and go (Atkins anyone?).  Vitamins and supplements can be tricky and overwhelming as we start self-diagnosing all the things we'd like to improve, but there are three basics I recommend to everyone for foundational health: a good probiotic, your omegas, and a multivitamin.
 

Working in the natural food industry has always been an interesting place full of interesting people- the jocks, the old women with flaming red hair that want to live forever, mothers who want their children to be perfect, and then the rest of the normals who just want to take care of themselves day to day.  For those of us in that last category, there are some basics that everyone can benefit from.  

 
We'd like to think we can eat healthily enough to get our vitamins and minerals, but with the stresses of everyday life and overproduction of foods, we actually miss out on a lot of those vitamins and minerals our body craves.  This is where a good multivitamin comes in. 

Then there are the omegas: your fish oils, primrose oils, borage oils, and flaxseed oils.  Generally, go for fish oils (the best are derived from smaller fish: anchovies, sardines, etc., but salmon's always a good choice as well.  Less chance of mercury poison in these.).  But if you're a vegetarian or vegan go for flaxseed oils.  When you look for a good omega, look at the back and look at the amount of DHA's and EPA's.  DHA is for your neural tissue; builds up your brain, etc.  Then EPA is for your heart, skin, and hair health. 

Lastly, your probiotic: the good bacteria in your digestive system.  With all of the antibiotics that we take and the overprocessed foods, the good bacteria that helps us digest our food gets wiped out and we get left with all sorts of digestive problems.  With a good probiotic, the flora in your system gets replaced and your system gets a boost in the right direction. 

Of course, all of these will vary according to quality and cost, but just know that most of the time you get what you pay for.  All in all, though, it's better to have something than nothing.  

What do you take to keep you healthy?

On Staying Mentally and Emotionally Healthy...

So, being a PT I guess I've thought about adding helpful hints to stay healthy physically with exercise and diet.... but recently I've thought about another aspect of health and how some "exercises" have helped me with it-- mental health. Here are a couple of tips that are good to remember, or that have helped me at least.

Pondering:

Last night my husband mentioned the moon was beautiful and we stepped outside to see it shining through the clouds. Whether it be in nature or in your bedroom, taking time to think regularly is something a lot of us forget to do, myself included, but may be just what we need to chill out, gather our thoughts, and tackle that next task.

Unloading:

Another thing that we may need to do to clear our minds is simply unloading our frustrations, fears, and thoughts with someone else. Having someone you feel comfortable talking to and listening without judging you is really a blessing. Especially as women, we just want a good ol' listening ear.

Evaluating:

Evaluating my goals and schedule on a regular basis and putting it down somewhere has been helpful to me. I write them down and check back periodically on any progress that has been made. It helps me feel a sense of accomplishment and renews my energies to keep working at them.

Sleep:

I think we underestimate the importance of this daily necessity. Early to bed and early to rise - now isn't that also something our mother's told us? I am 100% more effective when I feel rested...and far less irritable...

Journaling:

Sometimes I don't really know how I feel until I write it down. And the time it takes to physically write it down incorporates the pondering for sure. For me, documenting my thoughts and feelings is quite cathartic. I like to journal when I'm travelling, then I can chronicle my adventures as well!

Exercise:

And of course, I will continue to preach the gospel of physical activity. Nothing relieves mental stress more than having to focus on self-inflicted physical pain...just kidding...but seriously :) You'll be too busy focusing on your burning muscles than the complicated thoughts in your head! It's a great stress release!

All said, life is about balance, right? I think it goes for our health too--- if we only focus on exercise and diet we may lose weight but if we forget our sanity we might lose our minds!

p.s. I will start using more pictures, I promise!

Maximize your function!!

We are so excited to announce that we have a new Friday contributor! She posted in January and we were very impressed with what she had to say...without further ado...here is Alina!
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Oh...this is very exciting to me! Aside from my guest post last month, this is my first time "blogging". And I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to all you girls who are including me in this endeavor!

I'd like to start off by explaining a little more of what I do professionally and how I have tried to translate that into my own life. You can read my profile for more info about myself, but I am a physical therapist, or "PT". Most everyone thinks of massages or painful exercises when they think about PT, but my job in an acute trauma hospital is a little different...

Physical therapy can be a quite challenging when you just got out of surgery that morning...or when you broke both arms and both legs...or when you got shot in the back (yeah, in Houston we see a lot of those actually)...or when you have cancer and the chemo is making you sooo tired...

We PTs at the hospital focus on the basics - getting out of bed, sitting up for 15 minutes, going to the bathroom by yourself, taking a walk in the hallway, going up a flight of stairs...

I share this because my job has taught me quite a bit. I've learned to be more:

1) GRATEFUL - When I really stop to think about it, it is a sheer miracle that my body is working as well as it does. There are a TON of systems that have to work together so perfectly or you can be in big trouble. It makes me want to take care of this great gift we've been given.

2) RESOURCEFUL - At a county hospital, we don't have a lot of fancy or expensive gadgets. You have to use what you've got. I always look longingly at this awesome fitness center down the road, but I can't afford a membership right now. However, I can seriously (if I'm motivated enough) give myself a kick butt work out - without equipment or even a lot of time. There are ideas everywhere - internet, magazines...I like to ask my friends if they have a favorite exercise and then try it out. Next week I plan to post my most favorite and (in my opinion) efficient exercises.

3)CREATIVE - When something doesn't work, try something else. When a patient can't stand up all the way by themselves, I'll have them scoot up and down the bed. If I don't have time to to go for a walk, I can do 3 strength exercises in about 15mins (without getting very sweaty!). Instead of going out for ice cream with one of my girlfriends to catch up, how about a long walk? I think there are always ways to fit your health in and something is always better than nothing.

Work will always be work, and of course, there are aspects of my job that I could definitely live without. But helping people accomplish their goals and maximize their function (no matter what that level of function is) is pretty rewarding. I'm still working on the above mentioned characteristics, but I know that when I feel I'm "maximizing my function" I am enjoying life to the fullest!