© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Did you watch the news today? I’m surprised it was news that one in four kids in Canada is overweight. It’s higher in some other countries. We have had nearly 20 studies documenting the effects of 20 minutes of exercise every school day.
Yet the results of these findings indicate that the time does not help reduce obesity, and soon, diabesity, in children (We know the numbers are going up). Why do you think this is so?
Teachers note that the activity significantly improves test scores and general learning ability. So what’s the missing link? Could it be that when children go home they are allowed hours in front of the rectangular baby-sitter? Could this be responsible for extra weight in kids?
Could it be that little or no exercise is done as a family? Oh, I know this doesn’t apply where your family’s concerned, but I bet you know some kids who don’t ever do any exercise with their parents, be it cycling, ball games or just walking.
And what about those kitchen cupboards? What kinds of make-believe foods pass as snacks? How many processed items are readily available, not only for snacks but as actual meals? Oh, I’m sure you all cook from scratch, and there isn’t a single cheesie darkening your doorstep.
With parents working longer hours it’s not surprising that bringing home fast foods or ordering in pizza has become more than just an occasional event. I wonder if some meal planning mightn’t be an idea?
What else do you think families could do to ensure their kids don’t become another national diabesity statistic? Do let me know in a comment. You can also download my free report on the right of this page.
To the health of your family!
Jacquelyn
March 31, 2009
March 30, 2009
Diabesity and the Terrible Three
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Are you a baby boomer? If so, this message is for you. We boomers are members of the diabesity wave. In the last 30 years there have been a lot of weight issues among boomers, and lurking in the shadows are the terrible three—diabetes, heart and stroke, and kidney disease.
As boomers age they will put an unprecedented strain on the health care system—sometimes called the disease management system. People whose weight has contributed to heart attacks and stroke will strain the cardiac care resources of our nations’ hospitals.
This generation grew up with every labour-saving device available to them, cars to take them everywhere, even short distances. Boomers have had easy access to drugs of all sorts to mask symptoms and prolong denial in many cases. They have had access to workplaces with little need for physical work and large servings of high-calorie foods with more eye appeal than nutritional value.
This generation’s economics has allowed them to enshrine the practice of marrying entertainment with food, or rather pretend food that has expanded their waistlines and generated more muffin-tops than ever before. This generation’s grandchildren risk having a shorter life-span than their parents’, largely due to childhood obesity.
But heart and stroke are not the only monsters skulking in the shadows for baby boomers. Kidney disease has joined the trio. Diabetes brings its own terror scene, with eye problems, foot ailments and worse. We no longer have to imagine a three-way hit: we all know people who have diabesity, obesity and heart disease or high blood pressure and kidney disease. They come in sets now, and most of it could have been avoided with some basic thought about nutrition and exercise.
What does this generation need to do NOW? Find out by downloading my free report from the right of this page. Add a comment to this blog, or call me. Then get a good night’s sleep. Want to know why? Read yesterday’s blog.
A happy and healthy retirement to you.
Jacquelyn
Are you a baby boomer? If so, this message is for you. We boomers are members of the diabesity wave. In the last 30 years there have been a lot of weight issues among boomers, and lurking in the shadows are the terrible three—diabetes, heart and stroke, and kidney disease.
As boomers age they will put an unprecedented strain on the health care system—sometimes called the disease management system. People whose weight has contributed to heart attacks and stroke will strain the cardiac care resources of our nations’ hospitals.
This generation grew up with every labour-saving device available to them, cars to take them everywhere, even short distances. Boomers have had easy access to drugs of all sorts to mask symptoms and prolong denial in many cases. They have had access to workplaces with little need for physical work and large servings of high-calorie foods with more eye appeal than nutritional value.
This generation’s economics has allowed them to enshrine the practice of marrying entertainment with food, or rather pretend food that has expanded their waistlines and generated more muffin-tops than ever before. This generation’s grandchildren risk having a shorter life-span than their parents’, largely due to childhood obesity.
But heart and stroke are not the only monsters skulking in the shadows for baby boomers. Kidney disease has joined the trio. Diabetes brings its own terror scene, with eye problems, foot ailments and worse. We no longer have to imagine a three-way hit: we all know people who have diabesity, obesity and heart disease or high blood pressure and kidney disease. They come in sets now, and most of it could have been avoided with some basic thought about nutrition and exercise.
What does this generation need to do NOW? Find out by downloading my free report from the right of this page. Add a comment to this blog, or call me. Then get a good night’s sleep. Want to know why? Read yesterday’s blog.
A happy and healthy retirement to you.
Jacquelyn
March 29, 2009
Sleep Apnea and Weight Loss
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Marcus tells me he can never sleep straight through the night. Two years ago he was undergoing prostate treatment, so it was sort of expected. That is now history, so he’s wondering why he still wakes up feeling he has just run a marathon, and feels stuffed up on top of it.
He’s been sleeping in the spare bedroom for a few months now, as his snoring’s been keeping his wife Helen’s up. She’s also been on at him to lose some weight, at least the 15 pounds he’s put on in the last few months.
Marcus wanted go on a diet, but I suggested Marcus get tested at the sleep clinic first.
Although his steadily-increasing weight was a problem it didn’t bother him as much as the fact he was dozing off at work. Has this ever happened to you?
Many people don’t realize it, but sleep apnea not only makes you tired during the day. At night, it sometimes makes your brain forget to tell you you have to breathe. During the day your brain can then mix up the signals it’s supposed to give you, say, to tell you when you’re full. This could result in overeating, which in turn leads to other complications such as weight gain, diabetes and an increased chance of heart failure.
Once again, you can see where there’s a disease pathway in any disorder. So if you’re usually not sleeping well it may be time to see your doctor about it. You don’t snooze, you lose!
Some people wake up one day and find themselves dealing with diabesity as a result of ignoring signs of sleep apnea. I hope this isn’t you. If so, do what Marcus did and see your doctor about it.
This week, every physician in B.C., Canada has been given a brochure on the ramifications of sleep apnea. Ask them about it. If you live elsewhere, ask them about it too.
If you have it, and are gaining weight, do download my free report on 10 reasons why you need to lose twenty pounds now. You are also free to call me about this. You don’t want to end up with diabesity from lack of proper sleep. You can also let me know what your concerns are in the comment section below.
Sweet dreams!
Jacquelyn
Marcus tells me he can never sleep straight through the night. Two years ago he was undergoing prostate treatment, so it was sort of expected. That is now history, so he’s wondering why he still wakes up feeling he has just run a marathon, and feels stuffed up on top of it.
He’s been sleeping in the spare bedroom for a few months now, as his snoring’s been keeping his wife Helen’s up. She’s also been on at him to lose some weight, at least the 15 pounds he’s put on in the last few months.
Marcus wanted go on a diet, but I suggested Marcus get tested at the sleep clinic first.
Although his steadily-increasing weight was a problem it didn’t bother him as much as the fact he was dozing off at work. Has this ever happened to you?
Many people don’t realize it, but sleep apnea not only makes you tired during the day. At night, it sometimes makes your brain forget to tell you you have to breathe. During the day your brain can then mix up the signals it’s supposed to give you, say, to tell you when you’re full. This could result in overeating, which in turn leads to other complications such as weight gain, diabetes and an increased chance of heart failure.
Once again, you can see where there’s a disease pathway in any disorder. So if you’re usually not sleeping well it may be time to see your doctor about it. You don’t snooze, you lose!
Some people wake up one day and find themselves dealing with diabesity as a result of ignoring signs of sleep apnea. I hope this isn’t you. If so, do what Marcus did and see your doctor about it.
This week, every physician in B.C., Canada has been given a brochure on the ramifications of sleep apnea. Ask them about it. If you live elsewhere, ask them about it too.
If you have it, and are gaining weight, do download my free report on 10 reasons why you need to lose twenty pounds now. You are also free to call me about this. You don’t want to end up with diabesity from lack of proper sleep. You can also let me know what your concerns are in the comment section below.
Sweet dreams!
Jacquelyn
March 28, 2009
Obesity Linked To WHAT?
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
A couple of blogs ago I mentioned the disease pathway. I spent the day at a COPD forum hosted by the Lung Association of BC, in Vancouver. Four of Canada’s best researchers shared their insights on the link between the main killers in industrialized societies: COPD and Sleep Apnea ranked high with diabesity, heart and stroke, and, of course, cancer. Sleep apnea? What’s sleep got to do with those diseases, you ask.
Everything.
Mark Twain (You’ve probably read Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer) said “Don’t go to sleep—so may people die there!” Research scientists have now established that if if you've got sleep apnea you carry the stress with you throughout the day; this triggers an inflammatory reaction throughout your body. If you’re stressed there’s an inflammation of the arteries−and more− and diabetes does this too. So if you’ve got an inflammatory response from two sources your heart’s in the line of fire, as are your lungs and high blood pressure.
Well, you know it’s not as simple as that, and there are so many more details to elaborate on. However, now that you know that muffin-top can indicate diabetes(or rather, diabetes can be the trigger for midriff fat) and if you are permanently in a state of tension because you don’t sleep well, you can hasten the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
Back to the forum—I recognized several people from the last one, in January. Some of the morbidly obese people I had seen then were there, and it was piteous to see them navigating the walkers haltingly between the chairs just to get a brochure from outside, or to get lunch or change rooms for breakout sessions.
Most of them were just as obese as they were two months ago. One of the (lean, mean) researchers called obesity “The curse of middle age”. Does it have to be? I think not. It’s all the processed food the nation eats, the lack of exercise, the genetic modification and the premature harvesting. Do you really think we can get away with eating plastic look-alike food?
To see what lurks behind the scenes when we swallow foods that aren’t whole, download my free report from the right of this page. Then leave me a comment. Do you sleep well? More about this in future blogs.
Ciao,
Jacquelyn
A couple of blogs ago I mentioned the disease pathway. I spent the day at a COPD forum hosted by the Lung Association of BC, in Vancouver. Four of Canada’s best researchers shared their insights on the link between the main killers in industrialized societies: COPD and Sleep Apnea ranked high with diabesity, heart and stroke, and, of course, cancer. Sleep apnea? What’s sleep got to do with those diseases, you ask.
Everything.
Mark Twain (You’ve probably read Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer) said “Don’t go to sleep—so may people die there!” Research scientists have now established that if if you've got sleep apnea you carry the stress with you throughout the day; this triggers an inflammatory reaction throughout your body. If you’re stressed there’s an inflammation of the arteries−and more− and diabetes does this too. So if you’ve got an inflammatory response from two sources your heart’s in the line of fire, as are your lungs and high blood pressure.
Well, you know it’s not as simple as that, and there are so many more details to elaborate on. However, now that you know that muffin-top can indicate diabetes(or rather, diabetes can be the trigger for midriff fat) and if you are permanently in a state of tension because you don’t sleep well, you can hasten the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
Back to the forum—I recognized several people from the last one, in January. Some of the morbidly obese people I had seen then were there, and it was piteous to see them navigating the walkers haltingly between the chairs just to get a brochure from outside, or to get lunch or change rooms for breakout sessions.
Most of them were just as obese as they were two months ago. One of the (lean, mean) researchers called obesity “The curse of middle age”. Does it have to be? I think not. It’s all the processed food the nation eats, the lack of exercise, the genetic modification and the premature harvesting. Do you really think we can get away with eating plastic look-alike food?
To see what lurks behind the scenes when we swallow foods that aren’t whole, download my free report from the right of this page. Then leave me a comment. Do you sleep well? More about this in future blogs.
Ciao,
Jacquelyn
March 27, 2009
Stress, Diabesity's Demon
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Where does it hit you? For Patti, it’s headaches—migraines, even. For Alex, it’s thundering at the temples. Leslie? She eats a whole package of cookies. And Greg? Back pain that keeps him up at night.
Yes, every emotion is a physical event, and in people with diabetes it often translates into more belly fat. An overweight participant at my last seminar asked me how stress and weight issues were linked.
Many people now understand that diabesity is the combination of excess weight and Type 2 diabetes. Here’s what I told him. At 200 pounds past his ideal weight he did not know where to start. He agreed to start with one thing. Not doing one thing, but understanding one thing. Just one: that there’s a disease pathway.
“You mean how one thing leads to another?”
“ Exactly”.
“So where does stress come in?”
“Well, Greg, (now Patti was listening too) it’s your arteries”.
“I have diabetes, not heart disease”.
“I hate to tell you this, but the two are linked”
“I dowanna hear this”.
“Well, I do, so tell me”. Now Greg was the one eavesdropping.
“80 percent of people suffering from Type 2 diabetes die of a heart attack,” I explained “Stress causes inflammation in the arteries. Inflammation leaves a narrower path for the blood to go through the arteries and veins, and the heart has to work overtime. It can do this for a time, then it too, protests. That’s when you can easily get a heart attack. Plus, belly fat isn’t static. It envelops a lot of toxins, and produces hormones that stress the heart and other organs.
And all the time, your poor pancreas is struggling to stabilize the sugar situation. Your liver is taking over some of the pancreas’ duties, and you have a real zoo going on inside you”.
Unfortunately, the break’s over, folks. When, thought I, are you going to embark on an action plan? Like calling me? Or downloading the free report on the right of this page? "
Let me know what you think the ideal course of action would have been for Greg.
Lots of room for comments just below this box.
Waiting to hear from you,
Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Whether you need to lose those pesky 20 pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.
Call me. 604.276.8673
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675
Where does it hit you? For Patti, it’s headaches—migraines, even. For Alex, it’s thundering at the temples. Leslie? She eats a whole package of cookies. And Greg? Back pain that keeps him up at night.
Yes, every emotion is a physical event, and in people with diabetes it often translates into more belly fat. An overweight participant at my last seminar asked me how stress and weight issues were linked.
Many people now understand that diabesity is the combination of excess weight and Type 2 diabetes. Here’s what I told him. At 200 pounds past his ideal weight he did not know where to start. He agreed to start with one thing. Not doing one thing, but understanding one thing. Just one: that there’s a disease pathway.
“You mean how one thing leads to another?”
“ Exactly”.
“So where does stress come in?”
“Well, Greg, (now Patti was listening too) it’s your arteries”.
“I have diabetes, not heart disease”.
“I hate to tell you this, but the two are linked”
“I dowanna hear this”.
“Well, I do, so tell me”. Now Greg was the one eavesdropping.
“80 percent of people suffering from Type 2 diabetes die of a heart attack,” I explained “Stress causes inflammation in the arteries. Inflammation leaves a narrower path for the blood to go through the arteries and veins, and the heart has to work overtime. It can do this for a time, then it too, protests. That’s when you can easily get a heart attack. Plus, belly fat isn’t static. It envelops a lot of toxins, and produces hormones that stress the heart and other organs.
And all the time, your poor pancreas is struggling to stabilize the sugar situation. Your liver is taking over some of the pancreas’ duties, and you have a real zoo going on inside you”.
Unfortunately, the break’s over, folks. When, thought I, are you going to embark on an action plan? Like calling me? Or downloading the free report on the right of this page? "
Let me know what you think the ideal course of action would have been for Greg.
Lots of room for comments just below this box.
Waiting to hear from you,
Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Whether you need to lose those pesky 20 pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.
Call me. 604.276.8673
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675
March 26, 2009
DIabesity in the Family
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
At the supermarket checkout this evening I there were 4 people in front of me, three of whom had a serious case of obesity. And I mean serious. One couple had the combined weight of at least three healthy people. If they had been stirred in a cauldron, three people would have emerged. Both were well into their late sixties or early seventies.
Naturally, I couldn’t say they had diabesity: they could well have escaped it, but I somehow doubt it. In the shopping basket of one of them was potato bread—a concoction of “enriched” white flour, white potato starch, some kind of oil, and goodness knows what else. Did they have any idea how quickly that would turn into sugar? (Add the butter, jam or honey, and you have blood sugar spiking through the roof).
I really don’t know why such things are even sold. But consuming foods that so rapidly turn into sugar probably isn’t the best way to stave off diabetes. I wanted to ask them what else they were eating—I actually would gladly have gone through their carts and let them know what some of their choices would do to them.
When the couple left the supermarket I saw them from the corner of my eye in the parking lot. They were walking slowly, one of them with an obviously sore leg. My guess was a knee problem, so common in overweight people.
Now let’s have a look at what they might have been contending with: breathing problems, reduced mobility, daily pricks if diabetic, arthritis in the knees if not in other joints as well, and toxic overload. All three had tummy fat (midsection obesity); not a fun combo.
Twenty minutes of exercise would have made a difference in their lives, but with their mobility issues, I wonder if they even had the energy to try that. As a coach I would have dealt with the toxins first. I wanted to suggest they download my free report, but you don’t go up to someone in the supermarket and say that! I’m seeing more and more people in this condition. Our national statistics are not pretty: two-thirds have a weight issue. What would you suggest if you were in charge of health care?
Let me know by entering a comment below, or do a loved one a favour and ask them to. Or, see the free report on the right? Do print one out for them. Let them know they can give me a call. Or go to my website at www.Lifestyleforlongevity.com
Ciao for now,
Jacquelyn.
At the supermarket checkout this evening I there were 4 people in front of me, three of whom had a serious case of obesity. And I mean serious. One couple had the combined weight of at least three healthy people. If they had been stirred in a cauldron, three people would have emerged. Both were well into their late sixties or early seventies.
Naturally, I couldn’t say they had diabesity: they could well have escaped it, but I somehow doubt it. In the shopping basket of one of them was potato bread—a concoction of “enriched” white flour, white potato starch, some kind of oil, and goodness knows what else. Did they have any idea how quickly that would turn into sugar? (Add the butter, jam or honey, and you have blood sugar spiking through the roof).
I really don’t know why such things are even sold. But consuming foods that so rapidly turn into sugar probably isn’t the best way to stave off diabetes. I wanted to ask them what else they were eating—I actually would gladly have gone through their carts and let them know what some of their choices would do to them.
When the couple left the supermarket I saw them from the corner of my eye in the parking lot. They were walking slowly, one of them with an obviously sore leg. My guess was a knee problem, so common in overweight people.
Now let’s have a look at what they might have been contending with: breathing problems, reduced mobility, daily pricks if diabetic, arthritis in the knees if not in other joints as well, and toxic overload. All three had tummy fat (midsection obesity); not a fun combo.
Twenty minutes of exercise would have made a difference in their lives, but with their mobility issues, I wonder if they even had the energy to try that. As a coach I would have dealt with the toxins first. I wanted to suggest they download my free report, but you don’t go up to someone in the supermarket and say that! I’m seeing more and more people in this condition. Our national statistics are not pretty: two-thirds have a weight issue. What would you suggest if you were in charge of health care?
Let me know by entering a comment below, or do a loved one a favour and ask them to. Or, see the free report on the right? Do print one out for them. Let them know they can give me a call. Or go to my website at www.Lifestyleforlongevity.com
Ciao for now,
Jacquelyn.
March 25, 2009
Diabesity's Inside Story
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Did you see Dr. Oz on the Larry King Show a few nights ago? For those of you who don’t watch Oprah, Dr. Oz is the cardiologist of choice for the show. For those of you who do watch Oprah, Dr. Oz is a great fan of show-and-tell. When he talks about the heart his visual aid is a giant heart the size of a large TV, and when he talks about the excess weight in the jelly-belly, typical of those with diabesity, he shows a lump of fat that looks like a meteor that fell out of the sky. It sure makes the organ functions crystal-clear to everyone in the audience.
Well, a couple of nights ago, when Larry was discussing solutions to the health care crunch, he made this suggestion: Health Coaches.
In the days when doctors made house-calls there was time to meet the family, getting a pretty good picture of the patient’s surroundings, the family’s dietary habits, the recreation, social contacts, medical history and overall general stressors. The way the system is set up today, rare is the
doctor who has time to go into all that. That, and many other things, is what a health coach will do for you.
If you have a diabesity problem your coach will approach it by taking many factors into consideration. Diabesity is not just the way it is, and something you have to put up with. Its long arm reaches into your retirement years, and affects everything you do—the way you walk, the type of sleep you get, your relationships, and more.
A disease is never just one thing. Your coach will address the other “things” with you, confidentially, systematically, in a knowledgeable way, so that you get the solutions you need.
If you have any other questions on what you will get by working with a health coach, feel free to contact me. Or leave you questions in the comment section below. You can also get more information by downloading the free report from the right of this page. Looking forward to working with you. Feel free to call or e-mail me. www.lifestyleforlongevity.com
Cheers for now.
Jacquelyn Johnston, MEd.
Professional Health Coach
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
Did you see Dr. Oz on the Larry King Show a few nights ago? For those of you who don’t watch Oprah, Dr. Oz is the cardiologist of choice for the show. For those of you who do watch Oprah, Dr. Oz is a great fan of show-and-tell. When he talks about the heart his visual aid is a giant heart the size of a large TV, and when he talks about the excess weight in the jelly-belly, typical of those with diabesity, he shows a lump of fat that looks like a meteor that fell out of the sky. It sure makes the organ functions crystal-clear to everyone in the audience.
Well, a couple of nights ago, when Larry was discussing solutions to the health care crunch, he made this suggestion: Health Coaches.
In the days when doctors made house-calls there was time to meet the family, getting a pretty good picture of the patient’s surroundings, the family’s dietary habits, the recreation, social contacts, medical history and overall general stressors. The way the system is set up today, rare is the
doctor who has time to go into all that. That, and many other things, is what a health coach will do for you.
If you have a diabesity problem your coach will approach it by taking many factors into consideration. Diabesity is not just the way it is, and something you have to put up with. Its long arm reaches into your retirement years, and affects everything you do—the way you walk, the type of sleep you get, your relationships, and more.
A disease is never just one thing. Your coach will address the other “things” with you, confidentially, systematically, in a knowledgeable way, so that you get the solutions you need.
If you have any other questions on what you will get by working with a health coach, feel free to contact me. Or leave you questions in the comment section below. You can also get more information by downloading the free report from the right of this page. Looking forward to working with you. Feel free to call or e-mail me. www.lifestyleforlongevity.com
Cheers for now.
Jacquelyn Johnston, MEd.
Professional Health Coach
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
March 24, 2009
A Weighty Matter
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
When you mention exercise in relation to weight loss, those who don’t do any just groan and say;”Oh, no, I can’t go jogging—I’d look horrible in those clothes!” Or “With a schedule like mine, would I have time to exercise?” They then give you a schedule so tight you couldn’t squeeze a flea in sideways.
I don’t know why people think they have to go jogging the minute you bring up the topic of exercise. I exercise, but I don’t jog; never have, never will.
However, if, like many who have pre-diabetes, you have been told by your doctor you need to exercise and you don’t, I wonder why this is so. At this stage, it’s possible and relatively easy to reverse the condition.
Take Don, for example. Don knew he needed to exercise, as he had an impressive muffin-top, worked as a customs officer at the airport, seated in his booth all day. Two years ago, when his doctor told him he really ought to start moving, he said yeah, yeah, I know I should, but I can’t get out of that booth”. But he never thought of the before and after of the workday.
Don didn’t have to be at work till 10 am, Monday to Thursday, so he could easily have done and hour’s exercise before work, but he didn’t want to get up. On Fridays he started at 6:30 am but got off at 3:30 pm. Did he see an opportunity there? Several of his friends had asked him to go bowling with him on Fridays, but he somehow always had something else to do.
Not surprisingly, Don how has diabetes, compounded by diabesity. One change in his life could have made all the difference. Do you know anyone like that? If so, there’s a free download available for them on the right side of this page. Leave me a comment if you wish, and let me know if you have any questions on why diabetics in particular need exercise.
Cheers
When you mention exercise in relation to weight loss, those who don’t do any just groan and say;”Oh, no, I can’t go jogging—I’d look horrible in those clothes!” Or “With a schedule like mine, would I have time to exercise?” They then give you a schedule so tight you couldn’t squeeze a flea in sideways.
I don’t know why people think they have to go jogging the minute you bring up the topic of exercise. I exercise, but I don’t jog; never have, never will.
However, if, like many who have pre-diabetes, you have been told by your doctor you need to exercise and you don’t, I wonder why this is so. At this stage, it’s possible and relatively easy to reverse the condition.
Take Don, for example. Don knew he needed to exercise, as he had an impressive muffin-top, worked as a customs officer at the airport, seated in his booth all day. Two years ago, when his doctor told him he really ought to start moving, he said yeah, yeah, I know I should, but I can’t get out of that booth”. But he never thought of the before and after of the workday.
Don didn’t have to be at work till 10 am, Monday to Thursday, so he could easily have done and hour’s exercise before work, but he didn’t want to get up. On Fridays he started at 6:30 am but got off at 3:30 pm. Did he see an opportunity there? Several of his friends had asked him to go bowling with him on Fridays, but he somehow always had something else to do.
Not surprisingly, Don how has diabetes, compounded by diabesity. One change in his life could have made all the difference. Do you know anyone like that? If so, there’s a free download available for them on the right side of this page. Leave me a comment if you wish, and let me know if you have any questions on why diabetics in particular need exercise.
Cheers
March 23, 2009
Chicken or Egg?
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed.
Do you have diabetes? Does anyone you know have it?
Some friends of mine, who know I speak on Diabesity, asked me the other day: “So, which comes first—the weight or the diabetes?" There has been much discussion in the medical community about this, but I’ve come to the conclusion that diabetes comes first.
If you have diabetes and a body mass index of more than 25, it's time for a lifestyle change. Any higher and you risk joining the vast numbers who have diabesity, the merging of diabetes and obesity.
A nurse sat next to me at a meeting last week. As she rose to get a cup of coffee at the counter, I noticed she had to hold both arms of the chair, then swivel herself round before standing up. She was clearly plying under the load of a muffin-top (see yesterday’s blog) plus all the weight on her knees, one of which had a brace. I wondered if there was a diabesity problem there, and thought…one more for the epidemic’s statistics.
Then my coach cogwheels kicked into gear: if she has diabetes, I thought, and arthritis in the knees, I wonder how her heart’s faring. I wouldn’t want her to be among the 80% of diabetics who die of a heart attack. This was a retired professional who did a lot of good in the community, a dedicated person who chaired a committee to care for Seniors. In fact, I don’t want any diabetic to die of a heart attack, but alas, the national statistics tell the tale.
I have living proof that not only can pre-diabetes be reversed, but also full-blown diabetes. When weight comes into play, the reduction in one can bring about an improvement in the other.
Call me if I can take this further with you or someone you love. Do leave a comment at the bottom of his blog, and visit my website at www.lifestyleforlongevity.com. You are also welcome to request a free report on this topic on the right of this page.
Cheers for now.
Diabetes, diabesity,weight, muffin-top, nurse, heart attack.
Do you have diabetes? Does anyone you know have it?
Some friends of mine, who know I speak on Diabesity, asked me the other day: “So, which comes first—the weight or the diabetes?" There has been much discussion in the medical community about this, but I’ve come to the conclusion that diabetes comes first.
If you have diabetes and a body mass index of more than 25, it's time for a lifestyle change. Any higher and you risk joining the vast numbers who have diabesity, the merging of diabetes and obesity.
A nurse sat next to me at a meeting last week. As she rose to get a cup of coffee at the counter, I noticed she had to hold both arms of the chair, then swivel herself round before standing up. She was clearly plying under the load of a muffin-top (see yesterday’s blog) plus all the weight on her knees, one of which had a brace. I wondered if there was a diabesity problem there, and thought…one more for the epidemic’s statistics.
Then my coach cogwheels kicked into gear: if she has diabetes, I thought, and arthritis in the knees, I wonder how her heart’s faring. I wouldn’t want her to be among the 80% of diabetics who die of a heart attack. This was a retired professional who did a lot of good in the community, a dedicated person who chaired a committee to care for Seniors. In fact, I don’t want any diabetic to die of a heart attack, but alas, the national statistics tell the tale.
I have living proof that not only can pre-diabetes be reversed, but also full-blown diabetes. When weight comes into play, the reduction in one can bring about an improvement in the other.
Call me if I can take this further with you or someone you love. Do leave a comment at the bottom of his blog, and visit my website at www.lifestyleforlongevity.com. You are also welcome to request a free report on this topic on the right of this page.
Cheers for now.
Diabetes, diabesity,weight, muffin-top, nurse, heart attack.
March 22, 2009
Muffin-Tops
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed.
A very busy Sam called and asked me today if stress could cause a recurrent infection. Had this experience? What would you have answered? I told Sam, an engineer who often worked overtime, that the short answer was both yes and no.
Huh?
Well, yes in the long run, stress can lower your immune responses, Sam, so if you’re prone to infections of different kinds, you’ll get the more often if you’re stressed. And No, you probably won’t give up the ghost if you’ve had one stressful day, but then over time it will catch up with you. And you’ll roll out the welcome mat for any infection looking for a B & B! But if you have a heart condition, who knows?
Sam was noticing that his waistline was expanding. At 52 he loved his job, but felt he just had to finish off that project. Trouble is, there have been a strangely familiar succession of projects like that, many ordered-in suppers, and no exercise. A recipe for what? You got it, Sam. Pre-diabetes, the antechamber to diabesity.
Like a lot of people, Sam was entertaining the elephant in the room. This, coupled with denial—52-year-olds who play golf once a week don’t get heart attacks, and, what the heck, he could just go buy a new belt. To keep all that stress in.
Over coffee the other day Sam, who had also ordered a large muffin, wanted to know why I was stifling a chuckle.
“Muffin-top”, I said. What do you mean muffin-top? Well, Sam soon found out that guys whose belly overspills their belt are, in weight-loss circles, often known as muffin-tops. And that muffin-tops are the most dangerous parts of the anatomy to harbor fat. They almost put out a sign, like the overhanging (no pun intended) ones in the supermarkets, saying “This way for Diabesity”.
If you’d like to know why this is the case, download my free report from the form on the right side of this page, then tell me what you think. I’d love to read your comments. And any questions you might have.
Ciao for now.
A very busy Sam called and asked me today if stress could cause a recurrent infection. Had this experience? What would you have answered? I told Sam, an engineer who often worked overtime, that the short answer was both yes and no.
Huh?
Well, yes in the long run, stress can lower your immune responses, Sam, so if you’re prone to infections of different kinds, you’ll get the more often if you’re stressed. And No, you probably won’t give up the ghost if you’ve had one stressful day, but then over time it will catch up with you. And you’ll roll out the welcome mat for any infection looking for a B & B! But if you have a heart condition, who knows?
Sam was noticing that his waistline was expanding. At 52 he loved his job, but felt he just had to finish off that project. Trouble is, there have been a strangely familiar succession of projects like that, many ordered-in suppers, and no exercise. A recipe for what? You got it, Sam. Pre-diabetes, the antechamber to diabesity.
Like a lot of people, Sam was entertaining the elephant in the room. This, coupled with denial—52-year-olds who play golf once a week don’t get heart attacks, and, what the heck, he could just go buy a new belt. To keep all that stress in.
Over coffee the other day Sam, who had also ordered a large muffin, wanted to know why I was stifling a chuckle.
“Muffin-top”, I said. What do you mean muffin-top? Well, Sam soon found out that guys whose belly overspills their belt are, in weight-loss circles, often known as muffin-tops. And that muffin-tops are the most dangerous parts of the anatomy to harbor fat. They almost put out a sign, like the overhanging (no pun intended) ones in the supermarkets, saying “This way for Diabesity”.
If you’d like to know why this is the case, download my free report from the form on the right side of this page, then tell me what you think. I’d love to read your comments. And any questions you might have.
Ciao for now.
March 21, 2009
Insurance: Surprise Surprise!
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed.
My friend Lynn (from yesterday’s blog) just called me, in a fit. “How can they do this to me!!!!!!” Lynn had been on her ex’s insurance, and she now had to apply for her own. It’s a weighty matter, so I’ll just get to the nitty-gritty. Lynn, as you know, has diabesity.
The insurance company with the best quote had asked her lots of medical questions, and wanted documents from her doctor about the extent of her Type 2 Diabetes. She had provided them with the necessary papers, but then realized she would have to pay a hefty supplement, resulting in a premium usually needed for someone much older.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
Lynn had promised she would work on the weight. Not good enough! The insurance company said they would only look at reducing the premium when they had the proof she had kept the dangerous weight off for 2 years. That was when Lynn had a meltdown over the phone. (followed by a smoke in her garden) That was the reason for the plaintive “How can they do this to me!!!!!!”
Quite coincidentally, I have been speaking with several insurance agents recently, and it appears Type 2 diabetes is the biggie they look for. In Lynn’s case they were, in addition, looking at perhaps having to cover a heart attack down the road. And not so far down, at that.
So Lynn says to me:”I guess you’ll have to take me on as a client! I want to lose twenty pounds NOW!” Lynn actually wants to lose twenty pounds yesterday, and has forgotten she had told me quite nonchalantly a decade ago that she only had pre-diabetes, nothing to worry about. I guess there’ll be no more platter-sized waffles for the next little while.
If you know anyone in Lynn’s position, i.e. caught in the crosshairs of diabesity, I would encourage them to download the free report on the right side of this page, and get back to me. If you have any questions you are welcome to call or e-mail me.
My friend Lynn (from yesterday’s blog) just called me, in a fit. “How can they do this to me!!!!!!” Lynn had been on her ex’s insurance, and she now had to apply for her own. It’s a weighty matter, so I’ll just get to the nitty-gritty. Lynn, as you know, has diabesity.
The insurance company with the best quote had asked her lots of medical questions, and wanted documents from her doctor about the extent of her Type 2 Diabetes. She had provided them with the necessary papers, but then realized she would have to pay a hefty supplement, resulting in a premium usually needed for someone much older.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
Lynn had promised she would work on the weight. Not good enough! The insurance company said they would only look at reducing the premium when they had the proof she had kept the dangerous weight off for 2 years. That was when Lynn had a meltdown over the phone. (followed by a smoke in her garden) That was the reason for the plaintive “How can they do this to me!!!!!!”
Quite coincidentally, I have been speaking with several insurance agents recently, and it appears Type 2 diabetes is the biggie they look for. In Lynn’s case they were, in addition, looking at perhaps having to cover a heart attack down the road. And not so far down, at that.
So Lynn says to me:”I guess you’ll have to take me on as a client! I want to lose twenty pounds NOW!” Lynn actually wants to lose twenty pounds yesterday, and has forgotten she had told me quite nonchalantly a decade ago that she only had pre-diabetes, nothing to worry about. I guess there’ll be no more platter-sized waffles for the next little while.
If you know anyone in Lynn’s position, i.e. caught in the crosshairs of diabesity, I would encourage them to download the free report on the right side of this page, and get back to me. If you have any questions you are welcome to call or e-mail me.
March 20, 2009
Lynn, Joe and Diabesity
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed.
Read this, then do the homework at the bottom of the blog. (Just kidding)
Lynn and I were in a Toronto restaurant where you could have your food cooked right in front of you. It was a colourful place, set up to look like a farmer’s market. Instead of point and click it was point and cook-- and they really went to town on size. Their waffles were the size of dinner plates, and by the time you added the strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate sauce you had a pancreas screaming for mercy.
I watched in amazement as Lynn inhaled the first one, and before the rest of us could finish our asparagus, she was going back for a second, this time topped with blueberry goo, whipped cream and raspberry sauce. Oh my diabetic stars and stripes! (No protein in its right mind would have intervened).
On the way out, and before we got back to the convention, Lynn said “excuse me for a bit”, and went to a corner behind a lollipop tree for a smoke.
She then waddled back to the convention, where she could barely keep her 200-pound frame awake for the afternoon session. Lynn was in pre-diabetes.
Joe weighed 245 pounds. He put on his vertical-striped suit and looked in the mirror. Good. That made him look almost acceptable. Ten pounds lighter than he really was. He attended a lot of meetings those days, events where everyone was in jacket and tie.
No, he finally said, no, this won’t do. He’d been a 48-piece sushi guy till then, but he decided enough was enough. He had diabetes and he was obese. 245 pounds. D + O = Diabesity.
His doctor had just told him of his diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. He had a muffin-top. Seen people like that? His waist overflowed his belt.
When he got home from the doctor’s office he went straight to his kitchen cupboards and cleared out everything white, everything processed.
He stocked his two freezers with frozen vegetables, bought a week’s worth of fruit, decided to have breakfast every day, and had six small but balanced portions a day of good, tasty food with not a hint of fat. No white bread, no white pasta, no white rice, no granulated white sugar and no pop.
He attended the Diabetes course at the local hospital. He did everything they asked him to, and never let up.
It took him about a year and a half, but he whittled it down to his current handsome
174 pounds, and he’s working on his resistance training.
That’s the two of them in a nutshell. Lynn has full-blown diabetes today, and is still obese. Joe’s diabetes is totally under control. He is his doctor’s poster-child for diabetes management.
If you have a comment or any questions on my two friends and how they their lifestyle contributed to diabesity, just leave a comment on this blog. You can hear more about people like them in the free report you can download on the right of this page. I’d be most interested in your take.
Restaurant, waffles whipped cream, chocolate, pre-diabetes, vegetables, sushi, muffin top, poster-child, diabetes management.
Read this, then do the homework at the bottom of the blog. (Just kidding)
Lynn and I were in a Toronto restaurant where you could have your food cooked right in front of you. It was a colourful place, set up to look like a farmer’s market. Instead of point and click it was point and cook-- and they really went to town on size. Their waffles were the size of dinner plates, and by the time you added the strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate sauce you had a pancreas screaming for mercy.
I watched in amazement as Lynn inhaled the first one, and before the rest of us could finish our asparagus, she was going back for a second, this time topped with blueberry goo, whipped cream and raspberry sauce. Oh my diabetic stars and stripes! (No protein in its right mind would have intervened).
On the way out, and before we got back to the convention, Lynn said “excuse me for a bit”, and went to a corner behind a lollipop tree for a smoke.
She then waddled back to the convention, where she could barely keep her 200-pound frame awake for the afternoon session. Lynn was in pre-diabetes.
Joe weighed 245 pounds. He put on his vertical-striped suit and looked in the mirror. Good. That made him look almost acceptable. Ten pounds lighter than he really was. He attended a lot of meetings those days, events where everyone was in jacket and tie.
No, he finally said, no, this won’t do. He’d been a 48-piece sushi guy till then, but he decided enough was enough. He had diabetes and he was obese. 245 pounds. D + O = Diabesity.
His doctor had just told him of his diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. He had a muffin-top. Seen people like that? His waist overflowed his belt.
When he got home from the doctor’s office he went straight to his kitchen cupboards and cleared out everything white, everything processed.
He stocked his two freezers with frozen vegetables, bought a week’s worth of fruit, decided to have breakfast every day, and had six small but balanced portions a day of good, tasty food with not a hint of fat. No white bread, no white pasta, no white rice, no granulated white sugar and no pop.
He attended the Diabetes course at the local hospital. He did everything they asked him to, and never let up.
It took him about a year and a half, but he whittled it down to his current handsome
174 pounds, and he’s working on his resistance training.
That’s the two of them in a nutshell. Lynn has full-blown diabetes today, and is still obese. Joe’s diabetes is totally under control. He is his doctor’s poster-child for diabetes management.
If you have a comment or any questions on my two friends and how they their lifestyle contributed to diabesity, just leave a comment on this blog. You can hear more about people like them in the free report you can download on the right of this page. I’d be most interested in your take.
Restaurant, waffles whipped cream, chocolate, pre-diabetes, vegetables, sushi, muffin top, poster-child, diabetes management.
March 19, 2009
Squished in the atmosphere
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed.
It’s usually an uneventful Toronto-Vancouver flight, one I took a couple of times a year when I lived in Ontario. Just under 5 hours. This one was a little squishy. You’ll be surprised where diabesity rears its rotund head.
I was alone at a window seat (oh, bliss) until the last minute, when a rather portly woman rolled in, panting like she had been running a marathon. She was the last one in. Noooooooooooooooo! Thought I. Yes. The gods are against you.
Her assigned seat? You guessed it. Right next to mine. So she heaves and ho’s, and hoists her carry-on into the bin, just one second before the safety demo. Her left arm touched mine, and she struggled in vain to comply with the flight attendant’s request that all handbags be stored under the seat in front. Finally, I offered to do it for her.
Next, she turns to me ever so sweetly, and says “Do you mind if I put up the arm rest?” And before I could say “I’d rather not” she deftly flipped it back in the vertical position between the two seats.
Then came the clincher: the left hip. Foomfff! It took over a third of my seat. You know the Michelin Man? Over the edge of her seat and onto mine it overflowed, like lava taking over the valley after a great volcanic eruption.
Now, as I recall, I paid a full fare for that seat. I’d heard that obese passengers had tried to sue the airlines for discrimination when asked to purchase 2 seats. They had rights. They were being unfairly treated. Well, here, my friends, I rest my case. How would you have dealt with this?
Diabesity has its ramifications. Sometime, I’ll tell you what they are in other public places−like hospitals. Meanwhile have a look at what else you might be in for if your waist measures more than half your height. You’ll find the answers in the free report you can download from the right of this page. One very dramatic answer is in yesterday’s blog.
Feel free to leave a comment on this blog with any questions you might have. Cheers!
It’s usually an uneventful Toronto-Vancouver flight, one I took a couple of times a year when I lived in Ontario. Just under 5 hours. This one was a little squishy. You’ll be surprised where diabesity rears its rotund head.
I was alone at a window seat (oh, bliss) until the last minute, when a rather portly woman rolled in, panting like she had been running a marathon. She was the last one in. Noooooooooooooooo! Thought I. Yes. The gods are against you.
Her assigned seat? You guessed it. Right next to mine. So she heaves and ho’s, and hoists her carry-on into the bin, just one second before the safety demo. Her left arm touched mine, and she struggled in vain to comply with the flight attendant’s request that all handbags be stored under the seat in front. Finally, I offered to do it for her.
Next, she turns to me ever so sweetly, and says “Do you mind if I put up the arm rest?” And before I could say “I’d rather not” she deftly flipped it back in the vertical position between the two seats.
Then came the clincher: the left hip. Foomfff! It took over a third of my seat. You know the Michelin Man? Over the edge of her seat and onto mine it overflowed, like lava taking over the valley after a great volcanic eruption.
Now, as I recall, I paid a full fare for that seat. I’d heard that obese passengers had tried to sue the airlines for discrimination when asked to purchase 2 seats. They had rights. They were being unfairly treated. Well, here, my friends, I rest my case. How would you have dealt with this?
Diabesity has its ramifications. Sometime, I’ll tell you what they are in other public places−like hospitals. Meanwhile have a look at what else you might be in for if your waist measures more than half your height. You’ll find the answers in the free report you can download from the right of this page. One very dramatic answer is in yesterday’s blog.
Feel free to leave a comment on this blog with any questions you might have. Cheers!
March 16, 2009
Diabesity in the Workplace
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
My friend Myles works in a third floor office and Sandra, in a second floor one. They had been working for the same company, and never met till one Friday evening after-work do two years into the job. Colleagues were nudging and winking so much Sandra and Myles had to ask why.
Turns out they were both the fitness nuts of their floor, drinking only water and getting up for stretches every half-hour or so, much to the amusement of their full-figured colleagues. Each went out for a brisk walk during the lunch break, exiting via different doors, and never meeting in the park near the office!
This last winter they were two of the few who did not take any sick days during the ‘flu season. Both got promoted last year over much weightier colleagues with similar qualifications.
I wonder if management had read the report that came out saying how obesity cost employers half their revenue. Could that even be true? Myles told me his friend at the large bank nearby had got hold of some stats. Without waiting for them to be verified he had started an exercise regimen at work.
Sandra had been doing the same, for different reasons. She had seen two of her colleagues taken to hospital in a stretcher from a heart attack at work, and had no intention of being the third.
Diabesity—the meeting place of obesity and diabetes—are costing people their jobs, the family time and their enjoyment in life. It is costing them in wrenched backs from pulling suitcases off the carousel at the airport, and bending down to pick up a piece of paper. For some, just walking to the photocopier was an effort that resulted in panting.
How long are we going to wait till we keel over? Do you know anyone like this? If so, please do them a favour and send them to my free download that you see on the right of this page, or print one out and give it to them, and ask them to call me. I’m concerned about the weight of the nation!
Cheers for now.
My friend Myles works in a third floor office and Sandra, in a second floor one. They had been working for the same company, and never met till one Friday evening after-work do two years into the job. Colleagues were nudging and winking so much Sandra and Myles had to ask why.
Turns out they were both the fitness nuts of their floor, drinking only water and getting up for stretches every half-hour or so, much to the amusement of their full-figured colleagues. Each went out for a brisk walk during the lunch break, exiting via different doors, and never meeting in the park near the office!
This last winter they were two of the few who did not take any sick days during the ‘flu season. Both got promoted last year over much weightier colleagues with similar qualifications.
I wonder if management had read the report that came out saying how obesity cost employers half their revenue. Could that even be true? Myles told me his friend at the large bank nearby had got hold of some stats. Without waiting for them to be verified he had started an exercise regimen at work.
Sandra had been doing the same, for different reasons. She had seen two of her colleagues taken to hospital in a stretcher from a heart attack at work, and had no intention of being the third.
Diabesity—the meeting place of obesity and diabetes—are costing people their jobs, the family time and their enjoyment in life. It is costing them in wrenched backs from pulling suitcases off the carousel at the airport, and bending down to pick up a piece of paper. For some, just walking to the photocopier was an effort that resulted in panting.
How long are we going to wait till we keel over? Do you know anyone like this? If so, please do them a favour and send them to my free download that you see on the right of this page, or print one out and give it to them, and ask them to call me. I’m concerned about the weight of the nation!
Cheers for now.
March 15, 2009
Scrumptious Chicken Nuggets
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Do you like trying out the foods put out in tester booths in the supermarket?
As I chatted with the lady doing the display yesterday I thought: goodness, do people realize that all that food in boxes is contributing to the national diabesity epidemic?
In the supermarket yesterday and the offerings were white pasta with white sauce, chips, hot cross buns made with enriched white flour and white sugar, washed down with those cute little cuplets of cranberry juice.
Today’s gourmet offerings included chicken nuggets coated with breadcrumbs from white bread, more hot cross buns, and cute little cuplets of cranberry juice. I couldn’t help thinking of celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver going into a school in London and demonstrating to the kids what exactly went into chicken nuggets.
Jamie skinned several pieces of raw chicken, fat under the skin and all, plopped the gooey mess into a measuring cup, then held it up in front of a grossed-out young audience. “This” he said, “is what goes into chicken nuggets!”
This was met with a resounding “eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww!!!!!” from the kids (who, as I remember from my teaching days, can always be counted on to say exactly what they think).
Jamie had made his point. Reconstituted chicken parts, skin, fat and heaven knows what binders: yay, baby, an Oscar in health food right there.
What do you think of this as a choice for your children? Or yourself? Have a look at what such things can do to you by downloading my free report on the right of this page. Then let me into a few of your menu secrets, OK?
Enjoy your dinner!
Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Whether you need to lose those pesky 20 pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.
Call me. 604.276.8673
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675
Do you like trying out the foods put out in tester booths in the supermarket?
As I chatted with the lady doing the display yesterday I thought: goodness, do people realize that all that food in boxes is contributing to the national diabesity epidemic?
In the supermarket yesterday and the offerings were white pasta with white sauce, chips, hot cross buns made with enriched white flour and white sugar, washed down with those cute little cuplets of cranberry juice.
Today’s gourmet offerings included chicken nuggets coated with breadcrumbs from white bread, more hot cross buns, and cute little cuplets of cranberry juice. I couldn’t help thinking of celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver going into a school in London and demonstrating to the kids what exactly went into chicken nuggets.
Jamie skinned several pieces of raw chicken, fat under the skin and all, plopped the gooey mess into a measuring cup, then held it up in front of a grossed-out young audience. “This” he said, “is what goes into chicken nuggets!”
This was met with a resounding “eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww!!!!!” from the kids (who, as I remember from my teaching days, can always be counted on to say exactly what they think).
Jamie had made his point. Reconstituted chicken parts, skin, fat and heaven knows what binders: yay, baby, an Oscar in health food right there.
What do you think of this as a choice for your children? Or yourself? Have a look at what such things can do to you by downloading my free report on the right of this page. Then let me into a few of your menu secrets, OK?
Enjoy your dinner!
Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Whether you need to lose those pesky 20 pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.
Call me. 604.276.8673
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675
March 12, 2009
Got Diabesity?
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Diabesity? What’s that? People ask me when I introduce myself. “Simply the meeting place of obesity and diabetes”, I explain.
Maybe you know someone who’s got it. That wouldn’t be too surprising, since I walked quickly down a mall the other day and counted 10 folks visible to the naked eye!
After shopping, I went over to City Hall to pay my utility bill. A woman who, at five feet nothing, must have weighed about 200 pounds, walked out in front of me. She was swaying deeply from side to side as she waddled to the car park, and I wondered what kind of job she did, and how she could keep her energy levels up in the middle of the afternoon. Also, I couldn’t help but reflect on how many more days she could go on working without collapsing from a heart attack. My health coach mind wandered to what she usually ate at lunch, and whether she spent any time after work looking after her own health.
I longed to tap her on the shoulder and say,
“I can help you—let’s talk”.
This woman was also panting, although she was taking small, unsteady steps. Could there have been heart problems as well? There was a pretty good chance she had diabetes. Put that and the weight together, and you’ve got Diabesity.
I wanted to ask if she knew her brain was affected by the load as well. But, of course, you just don’t go up to someone in the street and say such things. I could see all the ways in which life would be more complicated for her than it needed to be.
Does anyone you know fit that description? Do they know the condition can be reversed? Well, it can, but 98% of people can’t do it by themselves. I hear too many people telling me they’ve tried one diet after another, and always seem to return to where they started.
That’s where a diabesity coach can be extremely helpful. A great way to begin is to get a copy of my free report, Ten Proven Reasons Why You Need to Lose Twenty Pounds Now and read it to find the motivation to make change. If you know anyone in this predicament, send them to the free download at the right side of this page, ask them to read it and give me a call. Time is of the essence.
March 10, 2009
Diabesity from Trans fats and Fries
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Is your city trans-fat free? In Canada, the British Columbia Provincial Government has declared a ban on trans fats in restaurants. A wise move, wouldn’t you say? Fabulous in the effort to reduce diabesity.
One restaurant owner says that he has always followed his grandmother’s policy of cooking potatoes with olive oil, a habit we associate with the Mediterranean diet, reputed to be one of the healthiest in the world. I can tell you that, having thrived on it deliciously for two years in Italy, I would vote for it anytime.
When talking about weight loss many people immediately ask me if they have to go on a bunny-food diet, and I’m delighted to tell them no, goodness no!
Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and we were meant to be happily enjoying it in the company of kindred spirits. Why would we ever choose to make a meal a pain?
Much of the food that we happily consume in North America is what’s causing the current epidemic in diabesity: processed white grains, processed creamed veggies, processed cookies, sugar-laden cereals…small wonder children have joined the march downwards into diabetes and obesity—we are bringing up the first generation of children whose chances of dying before their parents—thanks to diabesity.
This epidemic is heightening our chances of getting heart disease, kidney and liver problems and cancer. You can find out more in a free report from my website, on the right side of the page. Do let me know your thoughts by placing a comment in this blog.
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March 9, 2009
Moms at Work
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
I was reading an article in the Vancouver papers about obesity and work woes. Apparently, obese employees tend to miss more work and feel more job stress. Have you heard anyone talk about stress at work?
Just yesterday I was talking to a young woman, the mother of two, who is so stressed she didn’t know where to turn. From dropping off the kids at day care to picking them up in the evening, she was at a job that required her to be on her feet most of the day.
Once home, she was expected to do a “second shift”, with supper, chores, children and husband to look after. Sounds like a recipe for early heart problems.
In these circumstances she feels she has no choice but to pick up some fast food at lunch and wash it down with a soft drink: a habit that can soon lead to absenteeism, an unhealthy weight, pre-diabetes, and eventually, Diabesity.
Know anyone with a schedule like this? What do they do to maintain their health? My friend asked me what she could take for stress. What would you suggest? Have a look at the free report on my site, then do leave a comment on this blog. I’d love to hear from you.
Jacquelyn
I was reading an article in the Vancouver papers about obesity and work woes. Apparently, obese employees tend to miss more work and feel more job stress. Have you heard anyone talk about stress at work?
Just yesterday I was talking to a young woman, the mother of two, who is so stressed she didn’t know where to turn. From dropping off the kids at day care to picking them up in the evening, she was at a job that required her to be on her feet most of the day.
Once home, she was expected to do a “second shift”, with supper, chores, children and husband to look after. Sounds like a recipe for early heart problems.
In these circumstances she feels she has no choice but to pick up some fast food at lunch and wash it down with a soft drink: a habit that can soon lead to absenteeism, an unhealthy weight, pre-diabetes, and eventually, Diabesity.
Know anyone with a schedule like this? What do they do to maintain their health? My friend asked me what she could take for stress. What would you suggest? Have a look at the free report on my site, then do leave a comment on this blog. I’d love to hear from you.
Jacquelyn
Mothers who Hold Down a Job
© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
I was reading an article in the Vancouver papers about obesity and work woes. Apparently, obese employees tend to miss more work and feel more job stress. Have you heard anyone talk about stress at work?
Just yesterday I was talking to a young woman, the mother of two, who is so stressed she didn’t know where to turn. From dropping off the kids at day care to picking them up in the evening, she was at a job that required her to be on her feet most of the day.
Once home, she was expected to do a “second shift”, with supper, chores, children and husband to look after. Sounds like a recipe for early heart problems.
In these circumstances she feels she has no choice but to pick up some fast food at lunch and wash it down with a soft drink: a habit that can soon lead to absenteeism, an unhealthy weight, pre-diabetes, and eventually, Diabesity.
Know anyone with a schedule like this? What do they do to maintain their health? My friend asked me what she could take for stress. What would you suggest? Have a look at the free report on my site, then do leave a comment on this blog. I’d love to hear from you.
Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Whether you need to lose those pesky 20 pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.
Call me. 604.276.8673
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675
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