Why are we so sick?
As I mentioned on the home page that when it comes to expressing health, happiness, and vitality there are two important questions that we have to find the answers to:
- Why do we get sick?
- How do we get and stay well?
We are one of the sickest countries in the world and it is caused by our repeated toxic and deficient lifestyle choices! The choices we make in the way that we eat, move, and think every day shape the quality and longevity of our lives!
My life’s goal is to educate as many people of all ages on how they can move away from sickness and disease and towards health and wellness. We can start to change one person at a time one choice at a time. Pass this on to your friends and family so they can start to make better choices for their health and happiness, and if you know anyone who is suffering from chronic illness and would like more assistance implementing a healthier lifestyle to move away from sickness and towards health please contact me!
Eat your greens, Move your butt and smile Every Day!
What about the Flu Shot?
Well it is getting to be that time of year again. I have started to see all of the signs posted on the side of the streets by the pharmacies, Get your flu shot! Well should you?
The recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is that EVERYONE over 6 months of age should get the flu vaccine. There are two different types of the flu vaccine. The “flu shot” which is an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. This is the one we are most familiar with. The nasal-spray flu vaccine which is a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that are given as a nasal spray, sometimes called the “Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine”. This spray is only recommended for “healthy” people ages 2 – 49 years of age who are not pregnant. This live virus spray is not recommended for people with immune problems or chronic illness because it can cause all of the symptoms of the flu.
The flu shot which is made with the dead virus contains many TOXIC preservatives and additives. Some of these are ethylene glycol (ANTIFREEZE), phenol (DISINFECTANT), FORMALDEHYDE (known CARCINOGENIC), aluminum (NEURO-TOXIN) and thimerosal (a MERCURY CONTAINING PRESERVATIVE). Mercury is one of the strongest toxins that humans can be exposed to. The following is from the CDC web site:
Do the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccines contain thimerosal?
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several formulations of the seasonal flu vaccine, including multi-dose vials and single-dose units. Since seasonal influenza vaccine is produced in large quantities for annual immunization campaigns, some of the vaccine is produced in multi-dose vials, and contains thimerosal to safeguard against possible contamination of the vial once it is opened.
The single–dose units are made without thimerosal as a preservative because they are intended to be opened and used only once. Additionally, the live–attenuated version of the vaccine (the nasal spray vaccine), is produced in single–dose units and does not contain thimerosal.”
Thimerosal is a preservative that is widely used in vaccines. Thimerosal contains almost 50% ethyl mercury, an organic and highly toxic form of mercury, which makes the vaccine a health hazard. Mercury, even in tiny amounts, has been found to cause DNA damage, cell death, brain damage and organ failure.
I find it very interesting that they warn us about eating fish that can contain mercury and then turn around and say that it is perfectly safe to inject it into your blood stream in the flu shot!
So how effective is the flu vaccine?
The formula used in the flu vaccine changes year to year. Through guesswork, the flu outbreaks in Asia and recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) three strains of the flu are chosen for the vaccine. They divide the flu into two types: influenza A or B. These two strains afflict fewer than 15% of people who seem to have the flu. The other 85% are influenza-like illnesses in which the specific flu viruses can’t be found. There are hundreds of strains of viruses that cause flu like symptoms so just because you get the flu shot there are only three strains in it. Also since the vaccine only accounts for the A & B viruses which is only 15% of all flu-like cases, there is no way that the flu shot can prevent the vast majority of flu’s that people get!
We don’t really know how many people actually get the flu or die from it. The flu hits the elderly the hardest do to the underlying chronic illness, diseases, and medications that weaken their immune system. So people who already are in poor health develop flu-like symptoms that advance to pneumonia and die are counted as flu deaths. The number of reported influenza deaths has remained about the same or has increased during the last few decades despite the fact that the number of people receiving flu vaccines has increased substantially.
So what do you do?
Just because you get exposed to a virus doesn’t mean that you will come down with symptoms of the flu. You also have a lot to do with the odds of it affecting you and the severity of it. If exposure alone was the only factor, we would all get sick every time we were exposed to a virus. Only 5-20% of people actually become sick after exposure. The most important factors have to do with your overall health. People who have chronic illness, diseases, and are taking medications that compromise and weaken the immune system are more susceptible to illnesses associated with the flu. The way that we eat, move, and think every day play a major roll in this. Poor nutrition and eating habits, lack of exercise and/or sedentary lifestyle and high stress levels weaken the body and increase your chance of being affected by the flu.
The key to avoiding the flu is to live a lifestyle that supports a strong immune system. Nutrient dense foods should be the focus. Vegetables, greens and fruits are full of nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals to keep your cells healthy, strong and support the immune systems inflammation and repair process.
Probiotics are an essential nutrient required for proper immune system function. Because of modern farming, food processing, and food preparation methods, we now consume less than one-millionth the amount of healthy probiotic bacteria required to maintain a healthy internal ecosystem. Supplementation is a must in this area. It is important to make sure your probiotic is pure, safe and contains a sufficient number of cells and types of bacteria in every capsule.
Antioxidants (vitamins A,C & E)are another great nutrient supplementation that will help to keep the body strong. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that enhances the integrity of the respiratory tract and increases immune function and the ability of white blood cells to engulf dead and damaged cells. Vitamin C is probably the best known immune system booster. It is important to get this vitamin in its whole food state not as ascorbic acid which does not help prevent the cold or flu. Vitamin E complex helps decrease susceptibility to the flu and supports tissue repair.
If you would like more information on the above supplements or would like to make a purchase please contact me and I would be happy to help. A store will be coming to the web site in the future.
So bottom line is that if you choose to eat, move, and think well every day supplement with the essential nutrients your body will have the strength it needs to fight the flu. The flu shot adds toxins to the body and gives you no real protection from getting the flu or flu like symptoms. If you work in an industry that doesn’t give you an option make sure that you get the single dose shot that doesn’t contain Thimerosal.
Yours in Health,
How to Have a Healthy & Fun Holiday!
Well as I am preparing to take a few vacation days and head out of town for an extended holiday, I thought I would send you out some tips to help you get through the holiday without completely throwing all of your healthy choices out the window.
Tip # 1: Have FUN & stay Active!
Holidays and vacations are about so much more than food. It is a great time to explore a new area if you are traveling or get out with your family and partake in a group activity or sport. Don’t make the cookout or gathering focus so much on just the food. Spend the time away from the buffet and catch up with family and friends. Put on some music and get everyone up and see who has the best dance moves. This always creates some great laughs! =) It is also a great way to burn up some calories.
Tip # 2: Have a game plan
One thing that I have found so helpful to me when I am traveling is to have a game plan. Know what time you will be traveling so you can figure out what meals you are going to be on the road for. Pack a cooler with easy to eat healthy snacks and beverages so you don’t get caught in the fast food lane or the gas station food crack isle. Some of my favorites are nuts, seeds, veggies, fruit, hard boiled eggs or cold chicken breast. Also don’t forget the water!
Tip #3: Fill up on the Good First!
Most cookouts are full of unhealthy choices. Bring a healthy fruit salad or vegetable salad so you know there will be a few healthy choices available. May I suggest one from my Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini post. Fill your plate with lots of good and then leave a little room for whatever special toxic treat that you like and savor every bit of it! Balance is the key, just because you know you are going to have some not so good for you meals make sure you balance those out with some really healthy meals as well.
Don’t feel as though you have to say yes to everything that someone offers you. If you are not hungry, then don’t accept it. Don’t let yourself feel pressured into eating something that you really don’t want. Also some of your healthy choices might rub off on others.
Tip #4: Wheat free Alcohol
I get lots of questions about alcohol. Alcohol is a sugar so keep that in mind. It also has its own health risks and always remember to have a designated driver! There are lots of wheat or gluten free options out there. Anheuser-Busch even makes a gluten free beer called RedBridge. Here is a link that has a nice list of Gluten Free Alcohol!
So all in all make good choices, eat in moderation and keep active. Holidays and vacations don’t have to sabotage all of the hard work that you have been putting in. Have a happy, healthy and most of all fun holiday!
Cheers!
It’s Green Smoothie Time!
I hope that after reading this post you will start enjoying the wonderful benefits of incorporating green smoothies into your healthy lifestyle like I have. I hear A LOT from my clients about how difficult breakfast is when they are eliminating grains & dairy from their diet. Green Smoothies are a fast, easy, healthy and YUMMY option.
Adding greens to your smoothies have numerous health benefits. Greens are a great source of many essential vitamins, minerals and believe it or not protein. Spinach contains a complete amino acid profile and has the essential alkaline minerals, calcium and magnesium. We need to eat a sufficient quantity and variety of good quality green vegetables to provide the essential minerals and vitamins in our diet that our bodies need daily.
By blending greens into your smoothie it is a great way to get an extra serving of great vegetables that you normally wouldn’t. The blending process also helps the body digest and utilize the nutrients in the greens quicker and easier. At the beginning of your smoothie journey you will most likely be using fruit in all of your smoothies. This will add sweetness to your smoothies, lots of great nutrients and it hides the taste of the greens. =)
When I first started enjoying Green Smoothies I put only a small cup of spinach greens and then continually increased the amount. Now I use two BIG handfuls. Experiment for yourself on the amount that you enjoy.
So what do you need to make great Green Smoothies?
Great Greens & Great Fruit!
I always suggest using the freshest local (your backyard garden) organic fruits and vegetables. They contain fewer toxins and more nutrients. I don’t recommend that you use iceberg lettuce just because it is low in nutrients compared to the darker varieties. Look for those nice deep colored greens. Here are some greens to consider:
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Kale
- Green or Red leaf lettuce
- Collard greens
- Turnip greens
- Herbs (parsley, mint, dill, thyme) can add nice flavor to your smoothie. Use these in smaller amounts.
Be open minded and try different kinds of greens some you will love and some you might think have too strong of a taste. Over time you will find the different varieties that you enjoy. Also remember that your taste buds will change over time, so you will enjoy more than you think as you go along.
When selecting your fruit start out simple with the things that you like the most and then branch out and try different combinations. Here are a few to consider:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Pears
- Bananas
- Apples
- Peaches
- Pineapple
- Oranges
It is great to buy fruits when they are in season and more affordable. You can take them and freeze them for use latter in the year when they are not readily available. It is also nice to use frozen fruit in your smoothies if you like them to be thicker and cold in consistency.
A liquid is also something needed to get things going. I tend to just use water. Unsweetened Almond Milk, Coconut water or Coconut Milk can also be used. You can play around with the amount of liquid that you add to your smoothies. If you like your smoothies thicker then use less liquid. If you like them thinner than add more liquid. Fruit juice can be used as well, but I recommend only using one cup and not using it every day. Even though some fruit juice contains good nutrients it also concentrates the fruit sugar. One cup of orange juice generally contains three oranges.
Your morning smoothie is also a great place to add your Omega Sufficiency oil and Vitamin D Drops. Whip it up for the kids, they love them.
If you would like to add a little more protein to your smoothie I suggest plain egg white protein or hemp protein. In the recommended stuff page above, you will find some protein options. It is good to stay away from the Whey or Soy based proteins because of the irritation they cause in the body.
For a meal I typically drink 24 – 32 ounces. For a snack 8-16 ounces is a good size to consume. If you like a cold treat once in a while pour your smoothie mixture into a Popsicle form tray and freeze.
You see from the above that your options are endless. It is very important to have a heavy duty blender that will withstand the use. I never wanted to fork out the money for a really good blender so I always got one that was around a $100.00. After going through two in a year in a half, I thought spending three to five hundred on one that would do a better job, have an extended warranty, good customer service and would be easy to replace and fix parts, instead of replacing the whole thing was well worth the investment. Oh and my health is worth it.
The two best blenders on the market for the job are VitaMix & BlendTec. I own a VitaMix and use it virtually every day. I am so happy that I have this versatile machine. It is not just a blender you can make dressings, sauces, grind nuts and seeds, make soups and much more. Below are a couple of options that you can check out. They are also on my Recommended stuff page above.
Now for some tasty recipes:
Strawberry Banana Green Smoothie
- 1 Banana
- 1 1/2 cups of frozen or fresh strawberries
- 3 cups of baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 1 tsp. Omega 3 oil & Vitamin D Drops
- Egg white protein
- 1 1/2 cups of frozen or fresh Pineapple
- 1 1/2 cups of frozen or fresh Mango
- 4 large Kale leafs
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 1 tsp. Omega 3 oil & Vitamin D Drops
- Egg white protein
- 1 cup of Blueberries
- 1 cup of Strawberries
- 1 cup of Raspberries
- 1 bunch of Red leaf lettuce
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 1 tsp. Omega 3 oil & Vitamin D drops
- Egg white protein
- 1 peeled cucumber large chopped
- 2 tomatoes quartered
- 3 cups of spinach
- The juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 red bell pepper large chopped
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 celery stalks large chopped
- 1 tsp. Omega 3 oil & Vitamin D Drops
- 2 bananas
- 1/4 cup of Almond Butter
- 2 cups of spinach
- 1 1/2 cups of Chocolate Almond Milk
I know some of you have been whipping up smoothies so if you would like to share some of your recipes please feel free to send them to me or post them in the comments section below. I also have plans of putting together a 10 day smoothie detox with meal plans, recipes and a live support forum.
So remember blend, drink and be healthy!
Yours in Health,
Your exercise Heart Rate
Are you getting the most and what you want out of your workout? I get a lot of questions about how much intensity you need to put out for a workout to be beneficial. Using your heart rate can give you lots of answers.
When you are thinking about moving well (which you should be doing every day) there are three thing that are important for you to be well balanced and keep your body in tip top shape.
- Move OFTEN at a slow pace!! Moderate amounts of low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise will allow you to obtain outstanding health and fitness. Doing things like hiking, brisk walk, cycling gently or a slow jog if you are fit (if not it is something you can work up to). This should be done every day. Starting your morning with a brisk 30 min walk always starts the day out great! This can be done by working at 55 – 75% of maximum heart rate (more on this later) or up to 80% for seasoned athletes. Our Paleolithic/Hunter-Gather ancestors walked between 9-12 miles PER DAY! Read More…
Everyday Paleo
One of the most important things to help you get well and stay will is to have good resources to make the day to day of it all easier. Sarah Fragsoso’s Everyday Paleo is one of those resources!
Sarah is a working mother of three and knows how to make healthier lifestyle work for anyone. For those of you who struggle with trying to balance work, family and healthy living this book will help you with time-efficient lifestyle management. Fragoso draws upon her years of experience helping others as a top trainer at NorCal Strength & Conditioning, which was named one of the “top 30 gyms in America” by Men’s Health. She shows that eating a diet that allows our bodies to express health is not only feasible for the busiest of families, but also easy, delicious, and completely life changing.
Fragoso offers numerous recipes for all meals of the day, and provides tips for getting around common roadblocks, such as eating out and school lunches. She ends the book with easy-to-follow workout routines that you can do at home or the gym which will keep your entire family fit and sane in the twenty-first century.
Contents include:
- An introduction to what “paleo” is and how to get started, including how and where to shop, which foods to eat, and which foods to avoid.
- How to change your eating habits and behavior patterns in order to achieve success.
- How to and why you should get your kids on the paleo bandwagon.
- The essentials to keep in your kitchen, as well as a everyday survival guide when on the go.
- A complete workout guide for the entire family – no gym requried!
- Why sleep, simplifying life, and managing stress is so important.
- Delicius recipes with full-color photos of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that are time tested and guaranteed to help you and your family.
Remember Eat, Move, and Think Well EVERY DAY!
Yours in health,
Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini
Bring on the Zucchini Squash! For those of you who garden like I do you have a great abundance of wonderful Zucchini & Yellow Summer Squash ripening everyday. If you are someone who hopefully visits your local farmers market you will also have access to these wonderful summer vegetables.
These cucumber-like cylindrical shaped vegetables has many great nutritional benefits. It is also very low in calories (a medium sized zucchini has only 25 calories) so it can be a staple in the summer months when it is easy and inexpensive to have on hand.
Zucchini has high amount of vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that has many health benefits. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, manganese, potassium and a lot of other nutrients. Regular consumption can protect against colon cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, and helps prevent diseases like scurvy. Zucchini has anti-inflammatory properties as well which effectively lowers high homo-cysteine levels in the body and strengthens the immune system.
So we have plenty of it, we know it is good for us, so what can we do with it?
Some quick and easy ways to use Zucchini and/or Yellow Summer Squash:
- Dice it up and add to any green salad (leave the skin on it adds color and contains most of the nutrients)
- Grate it and freeze it for future zucchini bread (yes I said bread, recipe follows)
- Slice thin and add any fresh herb you like (I like lemon thyme) steam for 3 minutes
- Cut into large dice and saute in olive oil and garlic
- Slice in 1″ slices lengthwise if the zucchini is small enough or at a diagonal if you find one that was hidden from view and grew to the size of your forearm. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and red pepper of your choice and throw on the grill for two – three minutes per side.
- Cut into 1/2 inch squares about three inches long and add to any veggie tray. Add the Avocado Green Goddess Dressing from the previous post as a dip.
4 large eggs – separated
2 medium zucchini – grated on the large holes of a box grater – about 2 cups
½ cup raw, unsalted creamy almond butter
1 cup ground almond meal
1 scant teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon aluminum-free gluten-free baking powder
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a 5″ by 9″ loaf pan with butter or gluten-free cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper so that it goes down one side (but not the ends) of the pan, across the bottom and back up the other side extending over the sides by about 2 inches on each side. Grease that also (except the ends that extend over).
In a large mixing bowl beat the egg yolks until they have lightened in color to a lemony yellow, about 2 minutes. Add the zucchini, almond butter, almond meal, salt, honey, cinnamon, and baking powder and mix until well blended.
In a clean bowl with clean beaters whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Take a big spoonful of the beaten egg whites and mix well into the zucchini mixture. Fold the zucchini mixture into the egg whites until no more streaks of white appear.
Pour into the prepared pan and cook for 50 minutes until browned and puffy on top and firm in the center. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan, discard parchment and allow the loaf to finish cooling on a rack. Slice and enjoy!
Medication or Whole Foods
I receive a monthly newsletter called Health Alert from Dr. Bruce West and in the January and April issues of this year I found his cover stories very interesting so I thought I would share it with you.
The articles are on Dick Cheney’s and Bill Clinton’s heart treatments. Most of us have heard in the news over the years about both of their heart problems. They both have had drugs, bypasses, angioplasties, chest pain, and probable much more that wasn’t disclosed to the public.
President Clinton’s diet was quite a joke. Some of us remember all the talk about the run into McDonald’s. Here is a Saturday Night Live Clip that might give you a little chuckle. He started to develop heart problems and still ignored his diet and fell into the medical treatment of symptoms with all of the above procedures. Since diet was never mentioned it became serious.
After being under the best medical care that money can buy in the world for years, Clinton started to research his problems and decided that he would never get better until he addressed the underlying lifestyle choices causing the heart disease!
Clinton’s research took him to the place where all heart research should; to what he eats. He discovered that by going on a whole foods diet, he could lose 25 pounds, get off most of the junk medicine, and even reverse his heart and blood vessel disease! Now Clinton is a big spokesman for a whole foods diet, and has a new doctor that says whole foods trump all drugs and medical procedures! They say that medical interventions for heart disease are only symptom treatments and not educating and telling patients how to change lifestyle choices with diet and exercise is a gross injustice. And all you have to do is look at Bill Clinton now.
Dick Cheney, after years of the absolute “best possible” medical and cardiac care in the world has a heart pump implanted in his chest to keep blood flowing. He is facing the final stage of heart disease and medical treatments – a heart transplant!
“We have these two men, with their medical and cardiac histories right before our eyes. One chose strict medical and cardiac orthodoxy. The other, after the “finest” American heart care failed him, chose a whole-foods diet. Their opposite results are glaring representations of the fact that even the “very finest” American medical and cardiac care for heart patients, albeit often heroic and dramatic, is not curative. It is, however, grossly expensive, fraught with dangerous and life-threatening side effects, and treats the symptoms of heart disease while ignoring its underlying causes. For most people, this leads to a downward health spiral that turns patients into cardiac invalids, leading to the certain and final stage of heart disease – a heart transplant and/or premature death. In addition, this treatment continues to drain the nation’s pocketbook.”
- Health Alert When All Other Treatments Fail – April 2011 Volume 28, Issue 4 by Dr. Bruce West
75% of deaths in our society are caused by our repeated toxic and deficient lifestyle choices! So remember how you choose to eat, move, and think everyday dictates the amount of stress put on the body from toxins and deficiencies. The better the choices we make are, the better tools the body has to keep us expressing great health.
So love and appreciate yourself by eating more good foods EVERY DAY!
Yours in Health,
Dr. Theresa Illingsworth
Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
I get a lot of comments and questions from clients about dressings for their salads. Instead of drowning your beautiful healthy vegetables with Ranch that contains 19 different ingredients including sugar and known carcinogenic MSG, I hope you will try this healthy alternative that I love and have gotten rave reviews on for some time now. It is also a great substitute for when you are a little tired of the vinegar and oil dressings and want something creamy.
Avocado Green Goddess Dressing:
1 Avocado
3 Green onions (trim ends)
¼ Cup of olive oil
1 Cup fresh squeezed orange juice
¼ Teaspoon of garlic powder
Place all ingredients into blender or food processor and puree till smooth.
This will make about a pint of dressing. Having canning jars and lids in a variety of sizes are really great to have on hand to store your dressings. This dressing will stay good for up to three days in the refrigerator. If you only need a little bit you can cut the recipe in half.
Use this dressing on any salad combination that you like or use it as vegetable dip on a great veggie tray.
Yours in Health,
Dr. T
Hello world!
Welcome to the Get Well For Life Blog!
Well it has taken me some time but I am finally ready to start posting blogs! As you have noticed from the other pages on this site my blogs will be dedicated to educating people on how to get health and stay healthy. I plan on posting lots of information about eating, moving, and thinking well everyday.
Some posts will be very light and others down right serious. Lots of recipe ideas, exercise tips, decreasing stress, and all kinds of health education and information that will help you empower change for you and your family. If you have any questions or suggestions of things that you want to see on this blog please let me know and I will do my best to get it to you.
This site is defiantly in its infancy and I have lots planned for the future in the lines of on-line one-on-one support programs with journal logs, forums, e-books and webinars. I am very excited to be embarking on this new venture and hope you will join in on the journey.
Sign-up in the form to the right to subscribe to my blog to stay updated on all new posts and programs and remember to let me know of any suggestions that you might have.
Yours in Health,
