Term papers!

The momentum is building and good nutrition is now available to all.

There’s Always Time To Celebrate Earth.

I thought it was appropriate to send out some link love today in celebration of Earth Day! Today and everyday there are free and inspiring nutrition education programs available to everyone around the nation.   If you have not found time to celebrate the Earth today, be sure to visit some of my healthy event suggestions.   May they inspire you to celebrate Earth Day everyday.

Watch Food Inc. For Pure Shock Value.

Tonight, (April 21, 2010) the award winning documentary Food Inc. airs on PBS starting at 9pm.   Check your local listings and be sure to tune in or set your DVR.

Food Inc. uncovers the truth of the food industry allowing the American consumer to witness what really goes on with the food we put in our stomachs daily.   Let me warn you, it is not pretty.   But, it is a must watch for everyone.

My local nutrition clients in Westport, CT and Fairfield County that have watched this movie come to their sessions ready to change and change for good. This movie is all about shock value!

He’s My Hero.

Chef and do-gooder Jamie Oliver has wowed America by setting out to change the way our kids eat.   He’s my hero and you might want to adopt him as yours too.   Jamie is only 34 (35 next month!) and already revolutionizing the school food system (along my other heroes Amy Kalafa & Dr. Susan Rubin – the voices behind Two Angry Moms).

If you haven’t seen Jamie’s Food Revolution, tune in on Friday nights to witness what is going down in America.   This generation is the first that may not outlive their parents….and Jamie is changing that through food & education (so am I by the way!).

Beyond Food, Diving Into Health.

There is more to good health than eating all the right foods.   My colleague Andrea Ramirez of True Nourishment has put together an awesome teleseries called “Renew 2010″ that allows listeners to dive into the many important aspects of health: healthy relationships; quality nutrition;   fung shui for home, career, & life; self-care, personal style (clothes,   makeup, etc); financial freedom; physical activity; and oh so much more!

You’ll have access to  phenomenal  speakers who will help get you on a path to better living.   The best part is that this entire series is free.   Join in on the fun by signing up today to get all the juicy details.

Go Local…Many Ways To Participate.

If going local is your thing, the Farmer’s Markets will be opening soon so be sure to check your local papers to see when you’ll be able to visit with your farmer and take home a plethora of fresh veggies.   I believe this is one of the best ways for us to celebrate the Earth.   Eat the the food that Mother Nature intended.

Even though Earth Day is almost coming to a close, many towns will be celebrating through the weekend and beyond.   If you’re local community carries the free publication, Natural Awakenings, check out their listings (a great resource for events).   Or check out Envirolink where you can punch in your zip code and see what is happening in your town.

Be good to yourself & be good to your Earth!

Alison Held, M.S., CMTA
Clinical Nutritionist

Got Energy?

While this may not be the current slogan for energy drinks, maybe it should be.   The marketers for milk have done wonders selling the white  mustache to families  across  the country.   I can’t think of one person I know who wouldn’t love more energy….can you?

Gimme More Energy, Pretty Please!

Our sleep patterns aren’t what they used to be.   We stay up late and get up early.   We’re hooked on T.V. and work.   Not only do we go to bed late and get up early, we also don’t sleep soundly throughout the night.   We wake up saying, “I need more energy” and so our first instinct is to head to the kitchen and pour ourselves a dose of caffeine to stimulate the senses and awaken the mind.

In the classroom, sports field and at the office we find ourselves entering mid-day slumps.   We need a pick me up and fast!!   So, we head to the vending machine for some artificial stimulation in the form of sugary treats and caffeinated beverages.

Isn’t there a better choice?   There is.   Yes, there  definitely  is.   The answer is more sleep & hydration, stress management & taking a look inside at our cellular energy, detoxification abilities, body inflammation, and B-vitamin insufficiencies.

It’s Not Your Fault.

Innocently many of us fall victim to the ways of our culture.   We live in a complex world and it is too easy to make poor choices…because poor choices are readily available and for many, all that we are familiar with.

We don’t realize the true power of a healthy, balanced diet or the importance of nutritional testing to determine our nutrient insufficiencies.   We also don’t realize how important sleep and stress reduction techniques are to our overall well-being….we take all of this and more for granted…and we keep going and going and going until we eventually crash.

We Reach For Energy Drinks Because:

1. We’re tired and we want a fast, quick, easy fix.   We want to be alert.
2. We’re  overachievers  and we want to perform on the playing field or in our work space at our very best.
3. Advertisers and Marketers have convinced us that everything (yes, everything) is safe.

The Names Say It All.

With names like Rockstar, Cocaine, Red Bull, No Fear, Monster, Red Thunder, Liftoff, King 888, Jolt, Hell, Guru, Full Throttle, Burn and Demon, what’s not to love?

And to top it off, marketers have convinced us that these drinks contain powerful nutrients that are natural and health promoting.   Did someone say health promoting?

Even the FDA has suggested a limit on caffeine.   For years they’ve recommended    no more than 65mg per 12oz serving of soda.   Energy drinks can offer twice that amount or much more.

According to Dr. Oz’s show from last week, most energy drinks are equivelant to 6, yes 6, cups of coffee.   Imagine your teen or 20-something drinking two of those a night with alcohol – it’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Did you know that SoBe’s No Fear has 141 mg of  caffeine?   No big deal, right?   Well that is the  equivalent  of drinking five cans of Coke.   This might make you think twice prior to consumption.   And be sure to share this with your loved ones too….everyone needs to know these figures because the marketers aren’t telling you all the facts….and why should they?   They are just doing their job and doing it very well I might add.

Health Promoting?

Energy drinks will…

• Dehydrate you.
• Put you at serious risk for a heart attack and/or stroke (An Australian study showed that consuming just one can will increase the stickiness of blood cells).
• Increase the production of stress hormones.   This will interfere with weight loss, hormonal balance, sleep, and more.
• Up your anxiety level & cause adrenal burnout.
• Deplete you of important vitamins and minerals that are crucial for cellular energy & functioning.
• Stimulate your Central Nervous System which may cause behavioral issues in children, ADD, nausea and more.

Mixology: What Happens When Alcohol Is Added?

When alcohol is added to energy drinks, you’re in trouble.   A stimulant with a depressant is disastrous and I’d imagine for some, life threatening.   France and Denmark (and probably other countries too) have banned the sale of Red Bull due to reported deaths from this deadly concoction.   Combing alcohol to  caffeine  will result in severe dehydration (those ice cubes won’t help much) but even worse heart problems and impaired judgement with artificial alertness.

You Are Addicted.

If you consume any sort of energy drink or caffeinated beverage…and this includes soda, you are addicted.

Try going a day without your beverage of choice and you will most likely experience major  withdrawal  symptoms like headaches, mood swings, jitters and difficulty concentrating.   It is not fun but a good reminder to us of the powerful effects that these drinks hold over us.

Go Natural.

While there are no flashy names or slogans, you can get a healthy kick from a variety of healthy products.

The herb Rhodiola has been scientifically shown to reduce stress, increase energy and support the adrenals.   Peppermint oil also has therapeutic benefits by increasing mental alertness.   One of my favorite  caffeine  substitutes is a coffee  replacement called Teechino.   I find that most of my clients don’t even really like the taste of coffee.   Instead they enjoy the aroma, ritual and warming effects.

Hydrating, sleep and stress reduction are also huge.   Getting some daily  exercise  can also be extremely energizing.

Still Fatigued and Can’t Figure Out Why?

Afraid to go through withdrawl symptoms?   Consider looking at the root cause for your fatigue and figuring out some ways to nutritionally support your system as you ease off your addiction.   Going cold turkey is NOT a good idea.   The Energy Essentials Profile is a great entry point to identify your metabolic abnormalities when fatigue is your main complaint.

What has been your experience with energy drinks?   Do you consume them?   How do you feel when you are on them?   Remember, you can be a Rockstar without all that sugar &  caffeine!