March 2006 Newsletter

An Inspirational Quote

"We are what we repeatedly do."

Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

Is Toxicity Making You Fat?
by Nina Lynn, nina@totalfitness.net

Americans are exposed to ever-increasing numbers of toxins every year. These are found in our foods, tap water, air and many personal care and household cleaning products. Our bodies are designed to process a certain amount of toxins through our organs of detoxification, which include the liver and colon. However, when a constant barrage of toxins accumulate in our body we become weak, inflamed and diseased. Not surprisingly, cancer has become the No. 1 cause of death in America, even more devastating than heart disease and our increased exposure to toxins may be a contributing factor.

Much of the Standard American Diet (SAD) is made up of toxic artificial sweeteners and food additives. Commercially raised meats contain antibiotics, growth hormones and pesticides that come from the animals' feed, and the cells of non-organically grown fruits and vegetables contain toxic pesticides. If you doubt this, consider that the outside of the drums of most commercial pesticides will show the hazard symbols for toxic, poison, harmful or irritant chemicals. Other toxins that people commonly and unknowingly consume are found in highly refined and processed foods, pasteurized dairy produce and the most commonly used toxins, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.

Most toxins are fat-soluble and so our bodies store them in our fat cells. When your toxic load is low your liver will convert toxins into harmless substances and excrete them through your sweat, breath, urine and faeces. Absorbing more toxins than your liver can detoxify leads to them being stored in your fat cells for processing at a later date. But wait, it gets worse. The more toxins you take in, the more difficult it is for you to reduce body fat because your body has amassed a huge store of toxins and will not want those toxins, and the fat to be released into the circulatory system at one time. If this happened it would cause inflammation, more fatty deposits in your arteries and excessive free radical production. The fewer toxins you take in, the more likely it is that your body will start releasing them from your fat cells and use the fat for energy, when it's ready.

Here is where the importance of detoxification becomes obvious. Making healthier choices in the foods you eat and liquids you drink is a great place to start because you will be getting quality proteins, fats and carbohydrates to fuel the detoxification process which requires lots of energy. Eating organic produce also provides your body with pesticide-free and nutrient-rich enzymes, vitamins, minerals, cofactors and fiber needed to detoxify. Organic grass-fed meats, free-range poultry and wild-caught fish are healthy protein choices. Drinking half of your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of pure filtered mineral water daily helps your body flush out toxins. Maintaining a healthy intake of fiber from foods such as ground flax seeds which you can sprinkle on salads or add to yogurt, encourages the passage of stool and the removal of toxins from the colon. For some people, flax seeds can also be a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids which strengthen their cells' structure and make their hormones. These two things alone can improve the health of the whole body.

Over-eating at meal time can also add significantly to your toxic load, and here's why. Each part of your digestive tract operatives within a different pH range, or acid / alkaline balance. Consuming excessive protein for your body can alter the pH of the digestive process and cause prolific overgrowth of UNfriendly bacteria in people who have impaired hydrochloric acid or digestive enzyme production. These bacteria also excrete toxins into your body, which are then shunted into your fat cells. Eating too much at one sitting can be another cause of heartburn, gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. Try keeping your protein portion to the size of your fist and notice how much better you feel after a meal. This may mean that you eat smaller meals more frequently, which is a good way to experience a constant stream of energy throughout your day because your blood sugar levels stay balanced.

Many people eat the same foods every day and according to research, this can create what is known as a food intolerance reaction. This happens when a person eats the same foods too often and it irritates the lining of their digestive tract, causing it to be inflamed. You may have experienced this as bloating or a drop in energy, headaches, or mental lethargy after a meal. There are many more subtle signs of food sensitivity that can last or be triggered for up to four days after the food was eaten! Removing these foods temporarily from your diet allows the intestinal tract to heal so your body may become more tolerant of you eating them in the future. Research indicates that an inflamed digestive tract has a weaker structure and so repeated inflammation causes cells to die and creates holes in your digestive lining. Each time the food is consumed your body the perceives it as a toxin - a danger, and so eating it just adds to your toxic load. Foods to be eliminated for a period of time include wheat (bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, cakers, biscuits, pastries and bagels), and cows' milk products (cheese, yogurt, milk, cream). Corn, soy (tofu may be suitable), coffee, alcohol, sodas, and yes, chocolate are also common foods that trigger sensitivity reactions. Both Bio D-Tox and Healthy Whey, available from our web store, help heal and protect the digestive system from the ill effects of these foods once they have been temporarily removed from a person's diet.

Additional healthy habits that support detoxification include regular exercise, using infared saunas, avoiding the use of a microwave oven, plastic wraps and aluminum when preparing, cooking or storing food. You also can replace your toxic cleaning and personal care products with non-toxic and eco- friendly brands found at most health food stores. Daily downtime, a minimum of eight hours of quality sleep, meditation and 30-minutes of daytime walking in nature also help your body to detoxify.

Cleanses are generally used in detoxification programs. Before you consider doing a cleanse, we at Total Fitness recommend that you download our FREE pdf file A TOXICITY SELF TEST, and see how you score. You can access this file at http://www.totalfitness.net/radio_show_free.htm If you score 40 points or more you may benefit from an appropriate detoxification program. When more rigourous detoxification cleanses are necessary we have found that it is more effective, comfortable and sustainable for clients to cycle on and off the cleansing program. Detoxification, being an energy intensive process can cause people to feel tired in the evening, which is why quality sleep is so important. To allow your body to adapt to its new healthier way of functioning, and to recoup the energy spent detoxifying, it is necessary to slow the detoxification process by cycling off a program for a period of time, before restarting it. The restorative practice of Qi Gong helps to replete the spent energy at a faster rate. Every Wednesday Total Fitness runs a Qi Gong class and more information about this can be found in the Regular Classes secton of this newsletter (below). When we experience ongoing mental and / or emotional stress, take multiple medications and make unhealthy food and drink choices, detoxification is best done slowly and gently. For most people who eat the SAD, just implementing a cleaner diet will produce an effective and gentle detoxification. Please consult with your Total Fitness practitioner to find out whether or not it is appropriate for you to engage in a detoxification program, and if so, how best to go about it. Your program will be unique to your body and depend on your health and energy levels.

Living a "detox" lifestyle means living with a steady stream of energy all day long, having less body fat, experiencing happier moods and a more youthful feel and look. You reduce your risk of disease, experience more efficient digestion, a faster metabolism and help to balance cholesterol and triglyceride levels. If all that isn't wonderful enough, you may benefit from fewer aches and pains, more flexibility, faster physical healing, clearer thinking, longer attention and concentration spans and many more personal benefits unique to your body and your journey. You can start right now just by drinking a glass of mineral or spring water or choosing to go for a walk outside.

To understand more about how toxicity may be making you fat and destroying your health, join Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D., neurosurgeon and author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills on Total Fitness radio show April 7. Find out how repeated consumption of excitotoxins can cause up to 92 symptoms, including death. Dr. Blaylock’s evaluation of the research may even challenge the safety of long-term use of some antidepressants – find out what these drugs are actually doing to your brain chemistry.

Delicious Food For You!

Nina Lynn's Caprese Salad

Nina Lynn shared her recipe for Caprese Salad on our March 24 radio show, How To Eat Like A Goddess.You can listen to the archive by visiting http://www.totalfitness.net/radio_show_past_shows. htm This is a very light dish to nourish goddesses with live raw ingredients to keep them feeling well fed but not weighed down.

Ingredients:

• 5 or 6 organic red and yellow tomatoes sliced 1/4 in. thick
• 1 lb. organic goat mozzarella cheese sliced 1/4 in. thick
• 5 or 6 fresh organic basil leaves
• 1 small bunch of organic parsley
• 3-4 tbs. organic virgin olive oil

Arrange tomatoes and cheese on platter, overlapping and alternating pieces. Sprinkle with parsley and basil, drizzle with olive oil and season. Simple and elegant, perfect for a gathering of goddesses. The goat cheese is tasty and easier to digest than cow cheese. The tomatoes provide phytonutrients, enzymes and minerals with the red tomatoes offering lycopene with its antioxidant, anti cancer, cholesterol lowering properties. The live raw food brings life force energy into our bodies and the beauty of the dish celebrates the beauty in all Goddesses.

GREAT Guests In April 2006!

Tune in to Total Fitness radio show this April for our very exciting guests:

April 7: Russell Blaylock is interviewed in 'Lose toxins, lose fat'. He is the author of Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills.

April 14: Sally Fallon shares with us 'How To Stock A Healthy Pantry'. Sally is the author of Nourishing Traditions.

April 21: Joseph Le Page talks about 'The Therapeutic Value Of Yoga'. He is the founder of Integrative Yoga Therapy.

April 28: Kim Goss gives us an 'Insider's Guide To Fitness Magazines'. Kim is the editor of Bigger, Faster, Stronger magazine.

To listen to the archives of our previous shows, please visit http://www.totalfitness.net/radio_show_p ast_shows.htm

Regular Classes

Yoga Classes: Every Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 4465 Northside Drive, Atlanta, GA. $15 per class or $65 per calendar month.

Qi Gong Class: Every Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. 1951 Northside Drive, Atlanta, GA. $15 per class.

Booking appointments with Total Fitness

To schedule an appointment to find out about a personalized fitness, nutrition or healing program that will help you get results, please contact us at:

Nina Lynn nina@totalfitness.net

Catherine Carrigan catherine@totalfitness.net

James Williams james@totalfitness.net