Could this common ingredient be making you SICK?!

Scary! It might be in everything you eat! Cookies, bread, pasta, soy sauce, candy, pizza, crackers, and more! Gluten is one of the leading allergens. You may have heard about people on a 'gluten-free' diet. This is more than a diet... it is an absolute necessity for those suffering from gluten sensitivity. The range of symptoms of gluten sensitivity span from headaches to skin problems, inflammation, fatigue, bloating, depression, anxiety, IBS, inability to lose weight, muscle soreness, and others. Not until recent times has the intake of gluten been linked with these health-compromising conditions. Think about it... the standatd American diet insists that grains/breads be eaten most often! Remember the food guide pyramid? Horrible! Many people are eating gluten for breakfast, i.e. breads, bagels, pankaces, etc., gluten for lunch i.e. sandwiches, and gluten for dinner i.e. pasta/bread. Living on gluten is NOT healthy, regardless if you are allergic or not.

Gluten is a protein primarily found in wheat, rye, and barley, and in smaller quantities in spelt, kamut and oat. Gluten is a relatively recent addition to the human diet, evolutionarily speaking. Back in 'the day', humans feasted on fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, vegetables, roots, and the occasional piece of meat when hunting went well. There was simply no way to process a grain until the industrial revolution... try eating wheat from the ground-- NOT fun, you might break a tooth! Our bodies have not adapted to eating grains on a continual basis, especially when processed, which is why many of us may suffer from gluten sensitivity.

Now, you may say, "Oh, I'm not allergic... I eat bread all the time." Think again! Remember the symptoms I listed earlier. Trust me, because I used to be a gluten-a-holic, and I insisted that my irritable mood was simply from 'waking up on the wrong side of the bed'... or my chronic fatigue was due to 'not enough sleep' when I was sleeping at least eight hours per night. I didn't know that blemishes on my skin could be cured by cutting down on gluten intake, as well as immediate healthy weight loss. It's amazing how food can affect not only our physical health, but our mental/emotional state as well.

The easiest way to know if you are allergic to gluten is to do a self-allergy test. Cut gluten out of your diet completely for two weeks and see how you feel. It may take awhile for symptoms to completely disappear, but at the end of the two weeks try eating a piece of pizza or cake... but be mindful not to overdo it, as the reaction may be strong.

It is SO easy and delicious to eat gluten free. I have been pretty much gluten free for almost five years, and I always have energy, mental clarity, and am happy often. I am not saying that is all due to lack of gluten, but it is most definitely a part of it. I remember how I felt when gluten was a staple part of my diet, and to be honest, I didn't feel well! Always sluggish, a 'heavy' feeling, and bad moods quite often. I can offer you amazing gluten free items and recipes if you decide to take on the gluten free challenge for two weeks. What do you have to lose?! Well, maybe some health problems, but that's it!

There is NO 'One Size Fits All' diet!!

South Beach, Atkins, low-carb, vegan.... do any of these titles ring familiar? If you're like me, they probably ALL ring very familiar. Unfortunately society is more concerned with making money than they are with making people healthy... that is the bottom line. Not only is it sad, but it's a serious issue. By 'prescribing' people to one specific (and often strict) diet, without taking the person's unique constitution into account, this can set someone up for health problems down the road. I had a client a few years ago who was struggling to be vegetarian because she heard it was healthy to avoid meat. She was suffering with horrible skin rashes, candida (yeast overgrowth), and sugar binges. That doesn't sound like a healthy diet to me! I asked her what her blood type was, and when she told me, I urged her to experiment with shifting her diet to incorporate healthy, organic animal products from time to time. Not only did her health issues clear up pretty much immediately, but, to her surprise, eating organic, grass-fed meat actually improved her energy levels! I have also experienced people who will feel very sluggish after eating the exact same food. The point is, one person's food may be another person's poison. A great tip to keep in mind is to eat as many WHOLE, unprocessed foods as possible.. these include, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, organic grass fed, hormone free animal products, beans, and whole grains.

Forget about labeling yourself... you are unique and beautiful as you are! And guess what? When you drop the identification with a label, not only are you free to be yourself, but noone else will ever compare! How great is that?!

What kind of food is for you? Schedule a health consultation with me, and take charge of your health!!!

Shaynayoga@gmail.com

Finding Your Roots

It's important to nourish ourselves properly as the temperature drops. Naturally, many peoples' bodies crave more food in the winter. It is important to know what types of food have the ability to warm and satisfy our bodies during this time.

I encourage my clients to eat seasonally and locally. That means, for the most part, eat fresh produce that grows in your area during a particular time period. For example, eating tropical fruit in New York in the middle of January isn't exactly eating in accordance with the seasons! Our bodies know better than our minds, and when the winter hits, it's important to stock up on foods, such as root vegetables.

Root vegetables grow in the ground, rather than from the ground up, which gives them tremendous grounding qualities. I tend to add a lot more root vegetables into my diet in the colder months. It's a lot healthier than stocking up on processed foods or foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. For example, kabocha squash, one of my favorites, contains only 30 calories per cup and is FULL of heart healthy fiber and essential vitamins. I like mine steamed, but you can also try roasting or baking it.

Ever since adding root vegetables to my diet, especially in the colder months, I have felt more connected to my surroundings. I feel much calmer and more balanced after eating a meal containing one of these vegetables.

Here are some root vegetables that you can find at your local health food store: winter squash (many different varieties, such as kabocha, butternut, delicata, pumpkin, and acorn), sweet potato, burdock root, daikon radish, and carrots.

Try adding these satisfying (and naturally sweet) veggies to soups, stews, or simply steamed on the side of your meal. I sometimes like to brush on some olive oil and cinnamon or sea salt, but often these veggies are sweet enough on their own.

Remember to eat mindfully and without distractions so you can savor every bite and receive full nutrition.

Here's to feeling grounded and relaxed this holiday season!

Natural Ways to Cure the Common Cold

As seasons shift, the body needs to adapt to changes in the atmosphere. Our bodies usually do an incredible job of adjusting, however sometimes people experience the effects of these shifts in the forms of allergies, common cold, or the flu. Do not fret! Just because you have the sniffles and feel a bit 'under the weather' doesn't necessarily mean your immune system is shot. In fact, I recently got sick, and at first, I was very nervous because I have not been sick in many years. I started to try and attribute my sick feeling to something I ate, but there was really nothing out of the ordinary, which happens to be an allergen-free diet. Hmmm... Eventually, I just let it be, without trying to figure out the reason. It felt good to accept myself where I was, rather than resisting it. Once I calmed myself down, I began to attempt to 'cure' this cold with natural measures, and BOY did I feel absolutely amazing in no time! Unlike medications, natural ways of healing not only make you feel better, but they are effectively utilized by the body to help build the immune system. Drugs like advil and tylenol are sometimes okay for temporary relief, however prolonged exposure to these substances can place unnecessary burden on the immune system and could perhaps make you feel SICKER in the long run! Next time you catch a cold (or for preventing the common cold), try some of these simple remedies:

1.) 4 drops of oil of oregano is an 8 oz glass of water (oil of oregano is available at any health food store)

2.) 1 tsp of camu camu powder dissolved in 8 oz water (camu camu is a superfood/berry that contains more vitamin C than any other known botanical - available at health food stores)

3.) Drink green veggie juice with GARLIC and CAYENNE (both have medicinal/antibiotic properties)

4.) drink as much water as you can handle... and more.... (probably the most important medicine of all)

5.) sweat (sit in a sauna or steam room with some peppermint or eucalyptus oil so your body can rid itself of toxins and your respiratory system can open up)

6.) eat citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruit (high levels of vitamin C kill harmful bacteria and viruses)

7.) gapefruit seed extract (found at health food stores- most effective if taken in pill form)

8.) echinacea and goldenseal (found in capsule form at health food stores)

9.) sprinkle turmeric on food (antimicrobial properties)

10.) limit sugar and caffeine consumption (sugar feeds on viruses and vice versa/ caffeine can cause inflammation and an acidic internal environment, which is a breeding house for bacteria and viruses.)

If you have any questions, e-mail me at shaynayoga@gmail.com

Live happy, healthy, and in harmony.

Sweet News to Fight the Blues

Sugar Blues got the best of you? Do you tend to reach for sugary foods throughout the day in order to feel a bit more 'energized'? Do you realize that 'energy' fades pretty quickly, and you are soon ravenous for more food to keep you functioning?

Sugar is about as useful to your body as your appendix (which THEY -whoever THEY are- say is unnecessary). Sugar is a source of 'empty calories', which means there is no nutritional value... just sugar, which converts to fat in the liver. Excess sugar consumption can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer. It's no surprise to me that the alarming convenience of sugary processed foods and the rates of these three disease have both risen dramatically in the past two decades.

Keep in mind that sugar is not just in candy. Your pasta and marinara sauce is pretty much a huge bowl of sugar. Processed flours turn into sugar in the bloodstream and then turn to fat... especially flours which have been stripped of all of the fiber, bran, and husk (healthier option would be to eat whole grain flour products). Sugars are often hidden in the ingredient list or disguised as 'healthy' for you. I'm sorry, but sugar sucks no matter what you call it.

Here are some helpful tips to smooth the sugar-reduction transition:

1.) DON'T ADD IT TO FOODS (ex: coffee, tea, cereal, etc)

2.) Sugar has many hidden names, such as: dextrose, maltose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, raw sugar, beet sugar, etc... They are all the same, as far as your precious body is concerned.

3.) Try to reduce the amount of processed food in your diet. What is processed food? Anything with a nutrition label on it, for the most part. Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their natural state. Some examples are bread, bagels, pasta, cookies, snacks, etc. These products convert to sugar in the body fast as glucose and get stored as triglycerides (that is a fancy way of saying FAT)

4.) Create the rainbow when you shop. The more colorful fruits and veggies you buy, the healthier you will be and the less sugar cravings you will have... trust me, it's that simple!

5.) READ LABELS!!! If you cannot pronounce ingredients, why the hell would you want that in your body?

6.) Artificial sweeteners are worse for you than sugar, which is horrible as well. Artificial sweeteners will cause you to crave sugar because your pancreas is releasing insulin THINKING it's receiving sugar but now its just a bunch of chemicals that happen to cause cancer. YAY.

7.) Limit fruit consumption. Yes, you heard me. I said LIMIT, JEEZ. You can still have SOME. Of course fruit is healthy, but it's still sugar. I like to think of fruit as 'nature's candy.' Opt for low sugar fruits such as apples, pears, and berries. Also, try to eat with the seasons so you don't confuse your poor beautiful body. Eating a mango during a snowstorm in January is just not cool.

8.) Bye bye fruit juice, HELLOOOO veggie juice (enough said).

Remember, one step at a time... the more you focus on sugar reduction and, in turn, the incorporation of more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you will most likely experience a dramatic shift in the way your body looks, feels, and operates. What a powerful mission to be accomplished! I support you 100%.

Contact me at shaynayoga@gmail.com for more information.

Mesothelioma and Health Coaching

Health coaches are not only in demand in terms of nutrition, but also in medical situations. There has been growing demand for health coaches to help with patients suffering from various ailments.

According to Emily Walsh of www.mesothelioma.com, "Some patients suffering from Malignant Mesothelioma have found that incorporating a Health Coach into their mesothelioma treatment plan has been extremely beneficial. For more information, visit the Mesothelioma Treatment Guide.

I am eager to contribute to as many peoples lives as possible. Working together, medical professionals and health coaches have alot to offer.