Got Diabesity, where diabetes meets obesity? Tips on weight loss & creating optimal health

Cancer Beauty Treatment

2010-08-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. RCRT, Cancer Coach

It was 14 years ago. Stephanie called to tell me she was going to her “Look Good, Feel Better” appointment. I asked what that was, never having heard the phrase before. She told me she was going to be fitted for a couple of wigs, as her hair was falling out in bunches, and she would soon be totally bald.

I stood there, quite floored.

All that shining hair gone? How did that happen? It was then I first learned that it was what chemo did to you. Not exactly the most exciting prospect for any woman. And although Steph was quite upbeat about it, talking about the different hairstyles she could design anytime she wanted, I knew it was a wrench for her. She was always so well turned out—lovely classic styles with a Montreal flair, perfectly matched earrings and shining shoulder-length blond tresses that swayed elegantly when she walked.

Steph had cancer first in the psoas muscle. Then it migrated to her kidneys, then it accompanied her to the memorial service.

Didn’t have to be that way.

Had I been able to offer her what I can now, Steph might still be dressing up in her famous Halloween costumes as the most elegant witch you ever saw, a scullery-maid with mop and bucket, or a slender bunny rabbit with giant sunglasses.

Had she known that cancer was not the tumour, that it was really a candida problem, that it could have been taken care of by natural means, in the same or less time than it took for her to undergo all those devastating treatments but without the side effects, she might still have been with us now, as are many who have gone the non-drug route.

Yes, it is good to get to the real source. If you have a cancer diagnosis there’s hope outside the box. Real hope. The hope that gets you back on your feet again, going about your daily affairs and living cancer-free. Not pottering around with just her wee doggie for company when her husband was away on his numerous business trips.

We have modern ways of dealing with the real sources of cancer−candida, parasites and injuries. They include treating the person, not the cancer alone. We are not a mere organism, we are a spirit, a body and mind all rolled into one. Any successful approach has to address all three. I’ve been working with one such approach, which I’ll tell you more about in future posts.

Do you know someone who is trying to live cancer-free? Tell me the story in the comment section: it could be a family member, a friend or a child you know. How did it affect them? Tell me.

Say cancer-free, OK?

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. RCRT
Professional Health Coach and Speaker
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel.604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

No, Not me! I’m cancer-free!

2010-08-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. RCRT

I sincerely hope so.

But you’ve been told you’re not exactly cancer-free you have a world of choice before you. No need to rush into anything. In most cases the cancer took a decade to develop. Stay brave. Think with me.

Now how does anyone stay cancer-free? In the absolute sense no one can say they know. But all things being equal, we can if we know how.

Do the twin prongs of nutrition and air come to mind? It seems most people get fortified this way. I know I do. What’s on a typical menu for you? And how often do you get outside for some exercise? Takes a bit more than that, I know, and don’t worry, we’ll get to it.

My friend Marshall tells me there’s no cancer in his family, so he’s safe. However, we all have cancer cells in the body. They don’t show up in tests until they’re in the billions. When your doctor tells you there are no cancer cells it simply means they can’t be detected in tests because there aren’t enough of them.

Did you know? Many of us get cancer once a week. When that happens and we’ve been eating and breathing properly the cancer is beaten. Many of us beat it about seven times in a lifetime, often without a diagnosis. Given the right nutrients, the body rises to the occasion.

You must be super-saturated with all the information out there about environmental toxins. Our food supply has been compromised by early harvesting, genetic modification and soil overuse. In the Middle Ages they used to let the soil rest every seven years. Today we think we’re super smart with fertilizers and just keep ploughing them into the soil to artificially enrich it. But Mother Nature needs a holiday too.

Have you been out in the city streets in rush hour and inhaled the pungent fumes? Fumes you might not have noticed include the ones given off silently by carpet glue, detergents, dishwashing fluid, and other cleaners. Have you ever noticed the smell of the fumes coming out of the dishwasher once the powder gets heated up?

We were never meant to inhale all this chemical output, and are ill-equipped to deal with the toxins that accompany it. Nor can we remove them from the body fast enough. Guess what all the dead cells do! If we are overweight, we have two strikes against us: fat cells wrap themselves round the toxins and keep a disproportionate number of them in the body. One fine day, the body protests—that’s when cancer takes over.

Stay tuned: we’re going to show those unwanted lodgers the door!
Know of any other lodgers? Leave me a comment!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. RCRT
Professional Health Coach and Speaker
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel.604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Weigh Bigger Than You Think

2010-08-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. RCRT

Yesterday there was a major parade going down the streets in downtown Vancouver. There were huge banners announcing the name of the float, or the band, or a community group. Well the same thing happens when cancer declares itself. There are announcements that say it’s coming.

One of the clearest trumpet-calls is weight. Too much of it. Now if you’ve been reading my blogs on diabesity you know that it’s the forerunner of many bad things.
One of them is cancer.

If you’re overweight you are laying out the red carpet for diabetes, and an even redder one for cancer. In fact, one of the best ways to remain cancer-free is to be the right weight. And how do you know you’re in the right range?

Well, will you try something, please? Get a tape measure. A flexible one, not one of those you get from the hardware store that spring right back into the case.
Step 1. Stand against a wall in your bare feet and make the tiniest pencil mark on the wall where the top of your head is. Done? Good. (Make it a light mark, please. You’re going to erase it later).

Next, measure your height in inches, or in centimeters, if you’re in Canada. Write down the number. Done? Good. Now divide the number by 2. Use a calculator if you like. Got the answer? Please write it down.

OK, step 2 now. Measure your waist. Don’t stretch the tape. Let it circle your waist, on your bare skin, nice and easy, and get the measurement. In inches if you used inches for your height, in centimeters if you’re in Canada. And yes, please write it down. Done? Good.

Math class isn’t over yet. Is the number in Step 2 bigger than the number in Step 1?

If it is, you might want to get to work straight away. It means you’re overweight. It means you’re paving the way to cancer, diabetes, diabesity, heart disease, LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, COPD, and many other chronic conditions. Incidentally, every one of these likes company. You buy one, you get one free.

Right now, the one I’d like to focus on cancer. Why? Fat cells hold toxins. Lots of them, and keep them in the body. Too many toxins and you’re headed in the cancerous direction. Maybe not tomorrow morning, but then the red carpet’s unraveling.

You may choose to do nothing, and say it won’t kill you.

On the other hand, you can hit the gym, or, better still, you can call me for a free consultation. We’ll have a lot to talk about. Real soon. And a lot to do to keep you healthy and, for that matter, alive. It’s a weighty matter.

You’ve got a lot of living to do. People you love are waiting for you.

See you cancer-free tomorrow, I hope.

Jacquelyn

Cancer-Free At Last!

2010-08-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. RCRT

Have you ever met someone at the supermarket and have them tell you that their wife, husband, parent, aunt, uncle or child has (whispered) c-a-n-c-e-r?

Almost as if uttering the word in the same tone as the rest of the sentence would bring the disease upon the speaker.

Or have you had that phone call asking you to show up at the doctor’s office? You’re then given your diagnosis: “You’ve got cancer” and, in the same breath, that you’ll have to start treatment ASAP. No, you do not.

If you are told the three dreaded words bear in mind that it took a good decade for the condition to develop. You do not have to rush into punishing treatments. Take the time to ask questions. Take the time to consider the merits of therapies that are not part of the usual allopathic model.

You (or a loved one) have time to pause, think, and realize that you do have choice. Then find out what your options are. I’ll be happy to go over them with you.

14 years ago, 4 of my colleagues at work had cancer. All were in their prime and all were ushered into chemo and radiation straight away. I saw them shrivel into anemic shadows of their former selves, then die within months of starting chemo, radiation and multiple surgeries. Bewildered, rushed and tragic.

The lump is not the cancer. It is the symptom of something else that needs to be taken care of. If you can feel the lump, or if the machines can detect it, there is more mischief going on in the rest of your body. This mischief needs to be dealt with, but without destroying your immune system. The solution needs to strengthen your immune system at the same time. It also needs to target the source of the cancer, not just the symptom.

Stay tuned. The time has come. There are 21st–century solutions you can draw on.
Take courage: you can beat it. Or rather tell cancer to.

Any questions, feel free to make an entry in the comment section.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. RCRT

Health Care for You

2009-12-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

I’m sure I’m not the only Canadian watching with much interest the progress of the health care bill south of the border. Many of us have relatives and friends there, and are hearing what it means to them.

As a Canadian I cannot imagine what has taken our friends south of the 49th parallel so long. 100 years, to quote President Obama. I’m sure proponents and opponents alike have many valid points to put forward. I’m not commenting on the politics or the economics of the bill.

That being said, here are a few observations from someone who has universal health care. In all the talks about the Bill two stakeholders have emerged: health insurance and doctors. That seems to surface in up 99% of the media reports.

It seems that the main source of concern is a serious diagnosis that could make you lose your house. That’s a terrible thing to have to happen to anyone, but wait! Let’s take a step back for a bit.

Has any regular citizen given a thought to why people end up getting that sick in the first place? And what the main triggers of chronic conditions are? Those are perhaps the first things to think of when we discuss any aspect of health care.

On TV last night I saw a mother with several young children going to a free mobile clinic to get care for her sick children. The woman was obese—I mean o-bese. That’s clue #1. That’s the top trigger. And oh, by the way, the doctor she went to see was obese too. Go figure.

Get this. Heart disease is the top killer in North America. Unfortunately, the first symptom is often sudden death. Not exactly a symptom that can be reversed. And one of the best way to reverse the trend is to buck it. How? Simple. Don’t get overweight. How to do this? Don’t dine on pretend food. Exercise daily. But you knew that.

You don’t need to trot to the doctor for the first symptom you have. Take some of the allergy ads for example. Take this and you breathe easy. Oh yeah? Yeah! Till the next attack.

Take this and your arthritis pain will go away. Yeah, right. It might for 20 minutes, but the arthritis will still be there.

Take this and your cholesterol will go down (and go on eating fries daily). Good plan. For a heart attack, that is. But don’t worry. The doctor will be there with the paddles.

Have three doughnuts for breakfast. Go ahead. Chomp down on them. Goodbye pancreas. Hello Diabetes.

You get my drift.

The Sick Care System is not a license to abuse your body. The name of the game is Prevention. Educated grocery shopping.

Folks, our kids are the fattest in the world. This is a generation marked to die before their parents. We’ve got an obesity crisis on our hands. A tsunami of obesity-and-diabetes called Diabesity. Health Care Reform can no longer be reactive.

You could begin with tape measure. What’s your height in inches or centimeters? How about your waist? If it’s more than half your height it’s time to take a serious look at your New Year’s resolutions! Why? Ask you question in a comment. I’ll be happy to tell you.

Next, if you go to Google you can calculate your Body Mass Index. Over 25? Your heart’s begging you to do something differently.

Enjoy the season, enjoy Christmas. I wish you the best of both. Talk soon. Any questions, just ask.

May the New Year bring you the best of health. Whether the bill gets signed into law or not doesn't change this: YOU are in charge of YOU!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Kids and Early Treatment

2009-12-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Did you see that a heart-warming news clip on TV today? The Children’s Bridge Foundation in Canada brought 10-year-old Vietnamese orphan Son Phan here for “extreme” health care three years ago.

The Children’s Hospital in Boston has been treating him to remove a football-sized tumour on his face. Son Phan has already had 23 operations, and is hoping to return to Vietnam in January looking much better, and ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year in February.
The Canadian Foundation has been hosting Son for three years, and the child, who came with no English now speaks it as if the manor born. He just adores hockey, favouring the Pittsburgh Penguins.

When he returns to Vietnam he will have had the benefit of Canadian hosting as well as the generous services offered free by the surgeons at Children’s Hospital in Boston, Mass.

Son’s 24th operation will be on Christmas Eve, but when interviewed he said he was looking forward to it just before boarding the plane for Boston. A stunning example of the resilience of children. In tandem with that, a perfect example of how things get done when we share a friendly professional handshake across the border. I love those stories.

Many health issues in both our countries could be solved with cross-border cooperation: the climate crisis, the obesity crisis and the diabesity one, to cite a few. Did you know that kids have been getting it at record rates?

As the holiday season approaches its highest point we see the ads get over the top. Our malls look like fairyland, there’s obviously going to be a white Christmas in many cities, and sugary treats abound. In fact, it looks like the season of downing as much sugar as possible. Our kids are facing a future with diabetes.

A friend who has a lot of official parties to attend tells me he keeps seeing the same appies at various company events. Judging by the ads we see all over the city, as well as in the media, we have been conditioned to consume enough to look like Santa Claus, drink enough to fail a breathalyzer, then sleep it off if we make it home alive.

The part that makes me wonder is this: is the Holiday Season designed to help us get diabetes overnight? Take a look at the number of sweet treats like cookies that have an extra layer of sugar sprinkles on top. The chips that turn into sugar before the meal even starts. The appies that get swiftly converted into sugar. The gravy thickened with flour.

The alcoholic drinks that wash it all down—many of them have more calories than a piece of cake. All these are just peripherals. Then comes turkey overload, potatoes, wine and Christmas pudding (I know people who serve it with ice cream) or some such dessert. Enough to confuse an already-addled brain trying to sort out where to put it all!

I wonder if we’re trying to get high blood pressure, cholesterol, liver fatigue, kidney failure and scrambled brains all in one day. And encouraging our kids to while we're at it?

It’s been said that if North America continues to eat as it does now there will be no more well people in 50 years’ time. And that includes our kids.

Have a merry Christmas, but look after your second brain—your gut as well. My family decided several years ago that we’d have all the traditional things, but in their lighter version. If you’d like to know what that includes feel free to drop me an e-mail or make a comment. See you in the next blog.

And enjoy the first day of winter tomorrow.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Doctors See 12 Patients at a Time

2009-11-29T18:53:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

When you’re with friends and family do you often hear comments about the health care system? Do you hear people complaining that they only get to see the doctor for 10 minutes, and that the doctor asks that they only discuss one health issue per visit?

I hear that all the time—at meetings, forums, conferences, and, of course, in social situations.

I don’t think it takes an Einstein to figure out that, if you’ve been smoking for 40 years, you will have courted a poor immune system. You may have eaten too much fast food, skimped on veggies, been an exercise-shunning couch potato, and slept much too late at night.

You’re dehydrated. You’re probably overweight, and your doctor has told you you need to take a few (in a manner of speaking) pounds off. And if you’re a guy, chances are you don’t exactly have a six-pack.

SO, you go see the doctor, and want all these issues taken care of. In 10 minutes.

I can see how many people can feel frustrated when they wish to address all their needs in 10 minutes.

I can also see how doctors can feel frustrated when they can’t meet all these needs in 10 minutes.

Our health care system is being stretched thinner and thinner. The population is getting older, and there is a lot more chronic disease than ever before. Much of what is happening to people in their retirement years is happening because of lifestyle habits that have gone on for decades.

We now have a shortage of family doctors. What to do? The BC ministry of Health has put out a trial balloon, which works like this.

One of our doctors here in Richmond has started seeing people in groups.

As many people are in the same boat, our system has decided to try grouping people with the same problems, such as diabetes, in one doctor’s visit. Together, they get more Doctor time than they would if they had seen the doctor individually. The doctor’s happy, because he doesn’t have to repeat core advice 12 times. Patients can then see the doctor for individual issues not covered in the group visit.

The experiment’s too new for statistics right now, but some patients, initially not keen on the group setting, now say they are relieved to see people with the same problems.

Patients can bring a family member or friend along. Everyone agrees to keep everything confidential.

What do you think? Would you join such a group, say, if you had heart disease?
I think it’s one solution. It’s got its merits. It’s better than not having a family doctor.

It’s a good reactive measure, since there are things people need to know.

This said, I’ll ask you: wouldn’t it be better never to have a chronic condition at all? A condition like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, kidney disease, COPD (Lung disease), high blood pressure and cholesterol. All these things are preventable. Many are reversible.

You can find out how from a Health Coach.

Interested? Contact me for details. You have half an hour to get your questions answered. For free. Go ahead, call.

Talk soon.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Turducken On Your Thanksgiving Menu?

2009-11-25T10:29:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

I added a new word to my vocabulary today. The one you see in the title. Turducken. Priceless.

Here in Canada we do Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October, and its history is somewhat different from that of the American one. The Canadian Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. It’s believed to be a practice brought over to Canada from early European farmers who settled here. They’d fill a curved goat’s horn with grains and fruits. The horn was called a cornucopia, meaning “horn of plenty”, and it symbolized gratitude for a successful growing season.

I’ve been looking at magazines covers in both bookstores and supermarket racks for a few weeks now, and I must say some of the most fabulous food pictures come out in anticipation of Thanksgiving. Even more so than at Christmas, when decoration and glitter surround the seasonal fare. At Thanksgiving the focus seems to be more on the fabulous food and the generous earth it came from.

I was having a lot of fun reading up on the American Thanksgiving when I came across that delectable word “Turducken”-- a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey. There’s an on-line demo that shows you how to telescope one inside the other by de-boning each bird first and adding pork stuffing. Fascinating. What really surprised me was that these Tri-Fowls are also widely available in Britain, where Thanksgiving isn’t such a major event.

Apparently, a close cousin to the Turducken is the Turporken, is also available at many places around the country. My dictionary’s getting fatter.

One description of the first American Thanksgiving circa 1620, where settlers sat down for a meal with the First Nations people, was particularly interesting. Apparently, as there was no flour there was neither bread nor not pumpkin pie, as there was no wheat to make them with. The early diners ate turkey with corn and other whole foods.

At this time I know of one group that will be worried if they get invited to Thanksgiving dinner—those with a gluten sensitivity. I was reading a gluten-free cook book in the library yesterday. The writer, who teaches gluten-free cooking, said many people have this sensitivity, even Celiac disease, because our insides have never really adapted to wheat and other gluten-filled foods. Not even after thousands of years of human evolution.

With the popularity of processed, packaged foods we have acquired the practice of eating too much, with disastrous results such as epidemic obesity and diabetes, not to mention heart disease, lung diseases like COPD, and arthritis. Coupled with that, we are thirsty and don’t know it.

Maybe this thanksgiving it would be a good experiment to eat like Celiac sufferers. In fact, I suspect that’s actually the way we all ought to be dining. Hey, find something wrong with eating whole foods! A pioneer meal would have included turkey with the fruits of the earth. Apparently there was lots of pumpkin. Without churning masses of sugar into it. Add pure spring water to this and you have a meal that would make your heart specialist really happy.

Enjoy some Turducken, Turporken, Turshrimpken, Turlambken or even Turbeefken. Go out for a walk two hours before your meal. Don't "Walk it off". Not a good idea. Drink a large glass of alkaline water, rest, then sit down to your Thanksgiving dinner. Stop eating as soon as you’re no longer hungry. Your waistline will thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving. May you be blessed with an abundance of all good things.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer.

2009-11-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Do you receive requests to pass on this kind of e-mail to 10 people, following which all manner of good things will be showered on you? I get quite a few. Today, I got one with the picture of a burning candle.

You may have seen the one with the woman walking from the left to the right of the screen, with a pink ribbon in the corner. Or the one with a pink T-shirt and a pink ribbon in the middle of the page.

Run for the cure, walk for the cure, Cops for Cancer and others. Now, especially, since Dr.Wayne Dyer was diagnosed with lymphoma, I’m getting quite a few of them both personally and on my Facebook page.

It’s always good when people reach out to people who have had such a diagnosis. Or when people just reach out. I’m all for outreach.

That being said, I had a few thoughts this morning. Some of these activities do raise a lot of money, but to what end, I ask myself. If the aim is to raise money for the existing Cancer-related model, I’m not sure I see the point. You raise the money, you give it to existing agencies which have been working to zap cancers with powerful drugs, subsidizing a model that hasn’t worked for a century.

Now, the people who do these activities are fabulous. The cops, for instance. They get on their bikes and do a circuit like the Tour de France, only it’s a Tour de Vancouver. It’s a little shorter and stunningly scenic, and they raise the moolah. Cheerfully, enthusiastically, garnering considerable support along the way.

The women who do the 60-kilometre walk camp overnight at various checkpoints. They have a rollicking good time chatting, and huddling in tents with hot chocolate. That’s a lot of effort in support of a failed model.

What if we added one word to these activities: how does Run for Cancer Prevention, Walk for Cancer Prevention, Cops for Cancer Prevention, Wear pink for Cancer Prevention sound to you?

What if we had Whole Foods Only Day, Zero Processed Food Day, Eat your fresh greens Day, Drink Micro-clustered Water Day, and the like. What if all those runners doing fund-raisers were to channel their energies into the activities that we know contribute to cancer prevention and cancer treatment? Or diabetes prevention?

Take Richmond’s own Mary Gazetas, for example. This dynamo of a community giver (and what a giver!) has organized many terrific projects here in Richmond, including a Fruit Tree Sharing Project. This is an amazingly thoughtful venture where produce is grown and distributed fresh to the Food Bank. (Alas, we have one in Richmond too).

Strikes me if more people ate this way there would be a lot less cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart and kidney disease, liver and lung disease, arthritis and skin conditions…you get my drift?

The papers are still full of the H1N1 non-event.

Could it be we’re really supposed to spend more time on what’s really endemic? On remedies that have worked for thousands of years? On what doesn’t have savage side-effects? What benefit is there to a system that essentially makes every discomfort a disease that has a matching pharmaceutical?

Join me. I’m going out to walk for prevention. What do you think?

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

World Diabetes Day Happy Birthday Fred!

2009-11-14T17:08:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Fred? Who’s Fred? And why is his birthday of any significance?

Once upon a time, in 1841, a little boy was born in Ontario, Canada. He attended local schools and attended the University of Toronto, becoming a medical doctor, then a lawyer, and acquiring a PhD in science in the course of his extraordinary career. Sir Frederic Banting was killed in a tragic air disaster at age 50, having packed in more accomplishments than most people can fit into three lifetimes, including the 1923 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

World Diabetes Day is fittingly scheduled on his birthday, November 14th. But why?

After distinguished service in the Canadian Army in the First World War Fred began to be interested in diabetes. For some time he had wondered what made pilots black out in flight. In 1922, working with three colleagues, he discovered how to use insulin to treat Diabetes.

Prior to that, diabetics were given only the meagre amount of food their bodies could break down and use. As a result many literally starved, losing so much weight they withered away and died.

Frederick Banting and his assistant Charles Best had their fist startling breakthrough in 1922 when they treated a 14-year-old diabetic boy. Their success was so startling millions calmoured for the insulin they had developed. In 1934 Banting was knighted for this discovery.

Today, we do not associate diabesity with people who are wasting away and dying. Rather, we associate it worldwide with people who are overweight, and even have a new name for it, Diabesity. This has become the most dreadful epidemic of modern times.

Countries around the world have been asked to light up their buildings in blue today to draw attention to the World epidemic of diabetes. You can see some of them if you go to You Tube and tyoe in World Diabetes Day. People from Los Angeles to Dubai are participating, as the numbers have gone up astronomically all over the world.

285 million people across the planet have diabetes. And those are the known cases. Most of these are obese. In North America 10.2% are known to have it, but when you factor in all the overweight people who have pre-diabetes, the numbers are much higher.

Is your waistline greater than half your height? You could be one of them.

Has your doctor asked you to shed 20 or 30 pounds? You could be one of them.

From India to Russia to the pacific islands, from North through South America, the numbers of people with diabetes are staggering. Most of those who have it have Type 2 Diabetes, and most could reverse it with lifestyle changes. Those who do not take it seriously are playing with their longevity.

70% of people with diabetes live in the world’s richest countries. Let’s stop for a moment and think. The richest countries have the greatest access to food. Doesn’t take Einstein to figure out there could be a connection between geography and diet.

And, get this, most diabetics are of working age—they are their families’ breadwinners.

When did you last have your blood sugar checked? Who’s counting on you? What would happen if you could no longer work?

Points to ponder on World Diabetes Day. Fred must be turning in his grave.

To start on a solution download my free report at the websites below. Feel free to call me for more.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. CanadaPoundsNow.com
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Woman Jumps onto Railway Tracks

2009-11-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

It was played every hour.

The unintentional suicide attempt I saw on the news this morning. For anyone who doesn’t watch the news, a woman jumped straight in the path of a speeding train, got sandwiched in the middle of the tracks. The train came to an emergency halt over her, but she walked away unscathed, aided by kind witnesses.

The lady was drunk.

As a woman, I’m sorry she was driven to that.

It would be easy to dismiss her as an insignificant crackpot, but there might just be a message there. Women don’t jump into the path of a speeding train for fun.
There’s a pathway.

A long history of choosing one method of solving problems. Let’s de-construct.

Screenplay #1

She’s unhappy. Feels a void. Chooses to take away the pain with a quick fix.
Hits the bottle, and maybe a couple of joints while she’s at it. Brain gets befuddled. She gets hallucinations. Listens to the inner voice that tells her to self-destruct. Life is just a cartoon. She’d be squished but will get up again. It’s easier to act without thinking. It’s too painful to think. The tracks look empty. Let’s jump.

Don’t judge her. Look at this.

Screenplay #2

She’s unhappy. Looks at the scales. 40 pounds overweight. Been shopping a lot in the last few months because nothing fits. Doctor tells her she’s heading for Type 2 Diabetes. That she needs to lose weight. Coupla months later, gets a diabetes diagnosis. Goes to the supermarket. Buys the usual tub of ice cream. You gotta have some fun in life. Picks up the usual fast food burger and fries on the way home. Forget the insulin. Nothing’s gonna happen anyway. Lands in hospital in a diabetic coma.

Don’t judge her. Look at this.

Weight comes with a gradual slide down a slippery slope. There are, of course, many paths that lead to obesity or even those dreadful pounds that sneak up on you. However, I’m talking about how it usually happens. Hey, all it takes is a hormone-laced burger, a serving of preservative-sprayed fries there, a super-sized soda to wash it down. This followed by a couple of smokes in front of the TV, popcorn and chocolate, then bed at 12:30 am.

These are all choices we make. Overcoming discomfort by covering up the symptoms, or dealing with it by analyzing it and finding a sure remedy. A scientific, personal and especially spiritual one. Most people can’t do it on their own. Even if they know a lot. Even if they read a lot, watch a lot and talk a lot.

Most people need someone to hold their feet to the fire, with a proven rock-solid plan. That’s what professional health coach does. She customizes a twelve-week plan that takes you from the danger zone to a longevity zone.

Want to keep denying it? It’s your choice.

Want to do something concrete? Start off by downloading the free report on the right of this page. Let me know in a comment what you intend to do. I’d enjoy helping you.

As I said, the choice is yours. Ready?

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. CanadaPoundsNow.com
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

“We Want To Lower Health Care Costs so it’s Affordable for All”

2009-11-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

That was the first thing I heard on the news this morning. And I thought, what a good idea. While our Acute Care Systems are under overhaul, wouldn’t it be a good time for us to help the government help us?

We were ordering lunch at a Vancouver restaurant by the sea when the subject of our two Acute Care systems (don’t you think this a better way to describe the service than “Health Care”?) came up, and most of us could see that there were many points in common. Most people say off the cuff that Canadians have to wait longer for care than our friends south of the border. However, dinner-time chat often reflects the experience of one or two amply-insured friends we know who have flown south for diagnostic procedures because the wait was too long.

I recently attended a conference in Vancouver on this topic, where guest speaker John Goodman PhD, of the U.S. National Center for Policy Analysis—Consumer-Driven Health Care—told us that , in fact, our systems are 80% the same! His powerpoints illustrated this, and he suggested that it would be a good idea for us to learn from each other for the remaining 20%.

So I thought, what can we learn from each other? In Canada there are no uninsured. Period. However, we also have Extended Health Care insurance, which not everyone has. I won’t go through the exhaustive comparison study—you can look it up on the internet yourself.

However, I do think we do need Health Care Reform.

Our own.

Can you name me one government-run acute care system can take care of its citizen’s health? Not even France’s can. And they’re reputed to have the best in the world.

The need for our own personal Health Care Reform is urgent. If only for the fact that the obesity epidemic is soaring. And the diabetes stats are horrific.

To illustrate: I was loading my groceries into my car when I saw a couple with one child doing the same, next to me. Mom, Dad and son were clearly all obese. Most of what they were loading into the trunk was in boxes, and hence processed. There was a special going on for frozen dinners this week, and they had what must have been 20 boxes of these. Plus several cases of multi-coloured fizzy drinks, large bottles of pop, and 3 large tubs of ice cream. As well, several jars of peanut butter, the brands with hydrogenated oils. And chips! Omigod! Maybe there was a party in the offing, ‘cos there were enough potato chips to drown a small dog in.

I wondered if their doctor had spoken to them about the current diabesity epidemic.

What, in your opinion, do you think that family could be doing in the way of Health Care Reform? Their own, that is. I’d be real happy to hear your views, in the comment section. Something like what they could do right away—today.

Cheers,

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Catastrophe! Shortage of H1N1 Vaccine!

2009-11-04T15:54:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Do you remember Chicken Little’s answer to the other animals who wanted to know where she was running off to so fast? “Oh, dear, the sky is falling! I must go and tell the king!”

Now imagine Chicken Little, Ducky Lucky and Turkey-Lurkey all showing up at the palace at the same time. His Majesty King Fixitall is out in the garden walking his pet Weasel Belette, noticing with delight how the glorious sunshine has made his roses grow bigger than his personal jewelled finger-bowl.

As you all remember, what had fallen on Chicken Little’s head was actually a humble acorn. When she arrived at the palace she demanded with an almighty cluck that King Fixitall see her right away—and he did. King or no king, Fixitall had a reputation to uphold. Plus, he did not relish the thought of daily hen-pecking, (OK, groan) so he gave her an audience.

Now, as His Majesty did not have a PhD in psychology, and thus did not know how to remove the delusion from Chicken Little’s head, he just went along with it. He assured Chicken Little he would patch the hole in the sky above the coop. He also assured her it would not fall again, as he would use his own Royal chewing gum—no less—to patch up the hole.

All was well in Chicken Little’s world again; she went back to the farm and chatted with the sheeple, who bleated their praise on her for restoring the social order.

And so it is with the sheeple, crying foul that the government has not got enough H1N1 Vaccine in spite of promises everyone would have been vaccinated by now.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is an epidemic that is already overwhelming out health care systems, and it isn’t H1N1. And it’s getting worse. 1 in 5 Canadians is already struggling with diabetes, and the weight of the nation is turning it into diabesity, which is where obesity and diabetes merge.

The same people who are looking to someone in authority to solve the vaccine shortage are looking for one thing to take their problem away. This is flu season—no one is saying the contrary. But we are getting indications that the H1N1 virus is thinning out. Let us not confuse flu deaths with those caused by pneumonia, which is what kills people in much greater numbers.

The ability to fight an invading virus is not dependent on one thing—in this case the vaccine. To begin with, I wonder if those who are clamoring for the vaccine have any idea what’s in it—neurotoxins and other attackers that are even more dangerous than the flu itself. Yesterday I heard on the radio that they have just brought out a vaccine without adjuvants, for pregnant women. You can figure that one out for yourself.

There will be smokers who will line up for the vaccine. There will be obese people. There will be the morbidly obese, dealing with diabetes and heart disease. Surely they do not expect the vaccine to protect them (or anyone, for that matter) from the army of flu bugs that are apparently lying in wait for us? By the way, the army is already retreating, by all accounts.

A sense of proportion might help. And a sense of the fundamental choices we each need to make on a daily basis about our health. The real epidemic already in our midst is that of diabesity. I bet you know someone who has it. Suppose, just suppose all the Chicken Littles out ther would begin by drinking 6 glasses of oxygenated water every day. I’ll tell you what else you can do in the upcoming blogs.

To your health! The sky is NOT falling. And don’t bother telling the king. He’s too busy counting his gold. Drink up!

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

H1N1 or Diabetes?

2009-11-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Interspersed in the current health care debate is the urgency surrounding the swine flu shots. This week, many journalists talked around the topic. Very little investigative reporting is being adjuvants and preservatives that are causing all the controversy, although as many neurological conditions occurred after the flu shot was administered in 1976.

Many are lining up for the shots because the media tells us that someone in authority has said they will save them from the swine flu. Are individuals lining up for the shots doing it because they are frightened people or duly-scared sheeple?

The death toll is in the thousands, we are told. Beware of inflated figures. Many deaths attributed to the swine flu occurred with individuals who had weakened immune systems. These individuals could have been felled by pneumonia or something similar like the regular flu bug, so let’s get a sense of proportion about this.

Is anyone in North America aware that large numbers of people in Western Europe are refusing the vaccine? And not only because of the notion some governments are making it mandatory. We need to educate ourselves.

No flu can be taken lightly, whether swine, human or bird in origin. But if you just go on the internet and see the number of deaths compared to the number infected, we are not looking at stats too different from those of the regular annual flu.

The really pressing problem in North America, and indeed worldwide, is diabesity. People with this disease are more likely to catch the latest bug of the week than people who don’t smoke, who eat right and exercise.

In the U.S. alone 1 out of 5 people have diabesity, and of those who have diabetes 80% are overweight. I don’t hear too many people screaming “epidemic!!!” when it comes to diabesity. This in spite of the fact that supermarkets are supplying patrons with carts so they can wheel themselves up and down the aisles, filling their carts with “fat-free” processed foods.

I just saw a video on my Facebook page about a doctor, a Professor at New York Medical School, who is doing a study on diabetics with no feeling in their feet. They are using magnetic soles; the Doctor is studying 1000+ of these patients to see if the dramatic improvements they report can be scientifically validated. One diabetic had feet that hadn’t been able to feel pinpricks or sweat for 3 years. 6 weeks into the magnetic sole regimen and he regained sensation in his feet. Had this not occurred he would have been a candidate for amputation.

Type 2 Diabetics roll out the red carpet for a host of other medical problems, including the flu, swine or otherwise. It is a lifestyle disease that can be treated with lifestyle changes such as the tired phrase “diet and exercise”. But what diet and what exercise? And what about other conditions they might have? How to factor all that into the bid for better health—indeed the reversing of the disease?

Your doctor is busy. You might get 10-15 minutes per consultation, but when did your doctor last talk to you on the phone, follow up with you on a weekly basis, analyse your diet, custom-design an exercise program for you? This is what a professional health coach does for you, and much more.

Suppose you start by downloading my free report from the form on your right. You will find 10 proven reasons why 10 pounds off in the next few weeks could improve your odds of avoiding amputation. Are you overweight? Diabetes is coming! Are you diabetic? Swine flu is coming! Let me know what you think when you’ve read the report, OK?

Happy reading.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Health Care Reform Doesn’t Change Diabesity

2009-10-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

There has been so much in the media about health care reform in the U.S. Here in Canada we’re undergoing some big changes too, but there is a fundamental difference in that we can go see a doctor anytime we choose without having to worry about the cost.

Somebody south of the border please explain to me why there’s so much opposition to health care for all. Won’t that make an immediate mark on the economy?

Take this for example: when a student has an accident in school the ambulance can be there in 3 minutes. The kid gets to hospital, at least one parent gets there as fast as possible, having been contacted by the school. By the time the parent arrives the care has already begun. Is that not a good thing? Sometimes the parent is out of town , but the kid is properly cared for anyway--immediately.

And what would you do if the kid fell on a ski trip? Wait till the parents arrived to splint him?

OK. We’re talking about acute care—something that requires immediate and maybe invasive attention, like an operation or oxygen, or care for a kid who’s had an anaphylactic reaction, like if she’s had some peanut butter and she had a severe allergic reaction. That’s what hospitals were originally meant for.

We have somehow come to believe that the hospital is the place for health care. The hospital is really meant for acute care. Health care is, in the last analysis, the responsibility of every person who has reached the age of reason. That includes kids duly guided by parents.

Health care includes everything you do to your body each living moment. It’s not what you get in your 10 minutes in a doctor’s office. Derek smokes, then goes to his doctor for a smoker’s cough. See anything wrong with that picture?

Or take my friend Clara. She likes platter-sized waffles made with white flour and smothered in fresh cream and strawberries, DRIZZLED WITH MAPLE SYRUP, I kid you not. I saw her eating that for lunch one day while I chomped on roast chicken with potatoes and a light salad. I could already hear her pancreas screaming. That was at a conference. She was already obese at the time, and she told me laughingly that her doc had said she only had pre-diabetes.

Well, at the afternoon session she slipped out and went back to her room for a 2-hour nap. When she came back she ate her way through the little bowl of mints on the table. The following year, she had full-blown diabesity. And she still has no time for a walk.

Now here’s a challenge: how about you write a story that’s the opposite of those of Derek and Clara. Wouldn’t that sound like health care? Undertaken by people who had reached the age of reason? Speaking of reasons, would you like a free report outlining Ten Proven Reasons Why You Must Lose Twenty Pounds Now? It’s on the right of this page. Go ahead. The let me know if you recognize anyone in the pictures.

Happy reading.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

H1N1 Vaccine Countdown & Diabesity

2009-10-26T00:13:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

The vaccination has started! There aren’t enough vaccines! Children and pregnant women to get shots first! Long line-ups outside vaccination sites!

How many more exclamation points do we need before we make up our own minds?

The headlines are ramping up the fear, and all the sheeple who are caught up in it are worried they will miss out on the insurance against the H1N1 virus before even doing some basic research on it. There’s plenty of information on it on my Friends page on Facebook, so I would encourage you to select some of the videos there and make up your own mind.

Interestingly enough, President Obama has just released the information via Robert Gibbs, that Sasha and Malia have not had the shot. No hurry there, so is there more to be read into that statement? Look at the different posts and you will get a few clues.

Dr. Oz, as we all know, had the shot right there on his TV show. However, when later interviewed on a different show he said his wife and 4 children were not going to be vaccinated, Also that there was a 3rd world war in his home over this issue. You can read between the lines, especially when he tells us that at home he’s simply Mr. Oz.

But on they go, the “experts” who assure us the vaccine is safe. You decide how safe it is , when you see how much time has been spent testing it, what else is in it besides the vaccine, and who’s backing the expert. As mentioned above, go to my Facebook link and have a look round. You might just get some information you haven’t seen before.

Nobody wants to get the flu, swine, bird or elephant. I have been fighting it since earlier in the year, not with vaccination but with common science. The flu will get you if you roll out the red carpet for it. Maybe this would be a good time for those with a weakened immune system to ask themselves what they can do to boost it.

Why? Because, when all is said and done, if you smoke, eat junk, overeat and don’t get enough rest, you are laying out the red carpet, saying to viruses:”Welcome to My Parlour”.

This might be a good time to take a look at what’s killing us on a really large scale, starting with diabesity. One in five in Canada and, at least double that for the U.S. either has it or is in the pre-diabetes stage. I have heard that supermarkets in the U.S. have carts for those whose weight prevents them walking through the aisles in search of food. If this isn’t indicative of an epidemic I don’t know what is.

Obesity in industrialized countries is killing us by slow fire. It’s killing our children. I was reading the stats in Europe…more than worrisome, to say the least. Diabesity is the worst epidemic in the world today—just ask the WHO.

Need ot clear it out of your life? Download the free report offered on the right of the page, and do get back to me on it.

See you soon.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabesity: Diagnosis Shock

2009-10-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

Best letter in the Richmond papers this week: a certain Dana expressed relief that the city had finally passed the by-law banning the use of pesticides on private lawns and government-owned land.

At least I now know that I can go for a power-walk in the park without coming back with a lungful of toxins. I’m grateful to all the lobbyists and picketers who made this possible.

What caught my attention, though was not just the letter, but Dana’s reason. Dana was grateful because her athletic brother, recently diagnosed with cancer, would no longer have to put up with the toxic fumes. Hmmm. Dana had not been part of the lobby groups, or the groups holding protests, passing out pamphlets. She was now going to join the coalition. No one else was going to get such a diagnosis if she had anything to do with it.

In-ter-es-ting.

Here’s another example. Gayle’s recent breast cancer diagnosis was a shock. Nobody, she said, should have that diagnosis at 36. Nobody. She wanted to know how she should adjust her diet and what exercise program she should start. She is now going to join “Walk Richmond”, a program of terrific trail walks put together by the City’s Health services.

Engineer Marc was having trouble concentrating on the job as a troubleshooter for his company. He works with an average of three contracts per day to tweak their ventilating systems, and “doesn’t have time” to eat healthily. He suddenly realized he’s put on 25 pounds since 2007; just yesterday, he was diagnosed with a pre-diabetic condition. He’s in shock—who wouldn’t be—and wants to know how he can prevent this becoming full-blown diabetes. I assured him it was reversible, provided he was serious about following my 12-week program.

See the common thread? These folks are just like you and me. They share the same traits. We all too often wait till there’s a crisis to do something. What if we took a peep into the future—our personal future—and asked ourselves: why do we wait for a nasty wake-up call to make a change?

Is there anything in your lifestyle that’s calling out for change?

Do you get in the minimum of 10 thousand steps per day? Are you still consuming sugar in almost everything you eat—and drink? Do you get enough sun exposure? Can you see your feet when you look down? What’s the ratio of you hip measurements to your height? Are you taking in the right fats? Getting close to Diabesity?

Many surprises could be lurking in the shadows. Take a look at 10 of them by filling in the blanks in the form on the right of this page. It’s free. See you there!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabesity Magic Bullet

2009-10-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

Once upon a time you walked up the yellow quick road and met the Svelte Fairy. She handed you a magic potion and poof! You looked at your midriff and twenty pounds had fallen off.

“Neat! OK, Svelte, How about another potion. I need to lose another 20 pounds”. Why certainly”, she smiled. “Here you go—sip this”. You sip it and—holy hurricanes—you’re a model walking down a catwalk!

The applause is thunderous. Everyone wants your autograph.

Wakey wakey!

Sorry, I didn’t want to burst your bubble, but that’s what happens to fantasies, I’m afraid.

No magic bullet, no magic potion, no magic anything.

Something better, though. Your decision to do something about that weight, your decision to deal with the diabesity, and in fact, reverse it. You and no one else can make that decision. That done, your coach will take you through the paces.

Did you manage to catch Dr. Oz’s show yesterday? For those who didn’t I’m sure you can watch it on-line. It was about the free clinic movement (National Association of Free Clinics), and featured a Texas clinic where everyone got great medical care in one location for free. People lined up for hours to get to see Dr. Oz and his colleagues for a wide array of medical conditions, some of them potentially fatal. All were treated with respect. All were touched to the core.

Each had a personal journey to go after the clinic closed. However, they had a very good idea what to do to get better and stay that way.

I noticed the number of people with all conditions who were overweight—many were obese. All would have to take care of the obesity for their conditions to permanently improve. The head of the volunteers herself was obese. I wonder how many of those with heart conditions, cancer, diabetes and back problems realized they would do a lot better with at least the first twenty pounds off.

Type 2 Diabetes is acquired. Most people who have it acquire it via packing on the pounds. Most people who pack on the pounds do it for emotional reasons, and these reasons have to be addressed if the pounds are to fall off.

Most decisions are complex, but if you want to add good years to your life you need to know that pounds mean years. And one of the best ways to start is by eating smaller, balanced meals throughout the day, sitting down. Here’s as magical a bullet as you’ll ever get: don’t diet, have breakfast, eat every 3 hours or so, say good-bye to sugar and its substitutes, no to all processed food, take your Omega 3’s and other supplementation, exercise, and drink alkaline water.

Simple, isn’t it?

No, of course not. You need to know how much of each to fit into your day and when, according to your metabolic type and size. That’s what you’ll get from your coach.

What would be the one thing you’d need to know before you make the decision to lose twenty pounds? What would you expect from your coach? Let me know by adding a comment, or by calling me for a free 30-minute consultation. The number’s below.

Till then,

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabesity Planet-Wide & World Food Day October 16, 2009

2009-10-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach.

Lunch time: the conference was at one of the poshest hotels in Vancouver. Armed with a large sandwich from the conference, twice the size of my appetite, I slipped out at lunch time for some fresh air when I was dismayed to see a disheveled man in a sleeping bag lying right there, on the sidewalk. I placed the sandwich by him, having been beaten to it by someone who had placed a large, fresh, hot coffee there.

This didn’t happen in some third world country. It happened in our beautiful, prosperous metropolis. One that has a host of social services that, by day and by night, caringly tend to the needs of such as him of the grimy sleeping bag. Yet there he was, probably one of those who preferred his independence to the constraints of life in a shelter. A free spirit in a shackled body. A metaphor for the First World and the Third.

I’m telling you this not because I gave him a sandwich. Any one of you would have done that, and more. Me and the coffee person were not doing an act of charity. It was an act of justice.

On World Food Day, today or tomorrow depending on the time zone you live in, many concerned people will gather at teleconferences, at on-line as well as face-to-face events to solve the problem—or should I say challenge—of hunger in the world. It is a problem of equity and justice. Will you be in any of them?

I remember, in the eighties, being introduced in Rome, Italy, to some wonderful people from a Third World country, who told me about a catastrophic flood they had experienced. As desperate survivors clung to trees above the raging rapids the FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation) had dropped waterproof parcels of meal replacement biscuits called “Nutribisk” in fields so that starving victims could have something to eat right away. Each biscuit encased the nutritional equivalent of a meal with meat and vegetables. Something like our meal replacement bars, but smaller.

That was a neat idea, and obviously one that met with much cheering and appreciation by the recipients. I actually got to taste some Nutribisks; they were really good. (They were manufactured in Rome, where the FAO’s HQ is.

That being said, I think we need to be sure that everything we send to countries in need is relevant and ethically correct in the long term.

In checking the diabesity statistics I was horrified to see that Type 2 diabetes is epidemic not only in North America but also in emerging economies. 151 million people in the world had diabetes in 2000. By 2010, (that’s in a few months!) 200 million worldwide will have it, and the figure could look more like 300 million by 2020.

To many emerging nations we in the donor countries are exporting seeds, grain, and—you guessed it—fast food. Could it be we’re exporting diabesity?

I invite you to continue this discussion with me on Facebook.

You can also tell me what you think in the comment section of this blog.

See you there.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabetic Meals & World Food Day

2009-10-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

Now, suppose, just suppose, with World Food Day just round the corner all my friends with diabesity—and that includes you, would make a pledge to pass up all processed food and cook from scratch. Especially for those who are trying to make diabesity history.

Cook and freeze, then you have exactly what you want after the 5 pm commute. I just froze some chicken soup packed with a selection of healing herbs.

Now, what’s this cooking from scratch thing all about? It’s about you. And your long-term wellness. At least 60% of the food you get from the supermarket is processed. And this is a conservative estimate. If they are a habitual part of your diet you are getting too much salt and sugar, sugar substitutes, and a significantly higher amount of salt than you need. Each of these items has an effect on your weight, and hence on your diabetes, your heart, your lungs, your skin, and …well, you fill in the blanks.

Let’s go shopping, shall we?.

Processed snack foods will overload you with sugar. I’m not just talking about the sugar you buy in bags. Be aware of hidden sugars disguised as high fructose corn syrup, and anything ending with “ose”. Pick up a box of cookies and check that. Also excitotoxins like MSG. These are toxic substances that have an immediate as well as long-term effect on your nervous system.

Take a look at the sauces, pasta and otherwise. As you read the labels look for the word “hydrolyzed” –another disguise for MSG. Then the soft drinks—juices and sodas. Oh dear! What are they? High fructose corn syrup plus carbon dioxide plus artificial flavouring. Is there any particular reason you want that in your system?

The lady in from of me in the supermarket line-up today had organic chicken, organic milk, organic pasta sauce and organic cookies (expensive!) in environmentally-sound brown paper bags. She had brought 2 enviro-bags and asked not to be given plastic bags. The last item she had was a 20-pack of ginger ale.

I assure you there was no ginger and less ale in those cans. She mentioned to the cashier that her husband had been having an upset stomach recently, so she wanted to make sure he had something to settle him. I wanted to say “grate some fresh ginger and pour some boiling water in it for him”!!!

But I behaved myself.

Thursday October 6 is World Food Day. I’d love to know what you cooked from scratch without processed ingredients! Tell me in the comments section, OK?

See you there.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabetic Chefs Cook from Scratch

2009-10-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

If you look at the blog I wrote a week ago, on October 7th, you’ll see a few ideas on World Food Day, on October 16. There, I mentioned a few local initiatives like the ten-mile diet, the Fruit Tree Sharing Project, and cooking from scratch.

You can always scroll back and read the blog and see how beneficial such things would be to anyone with diabesity, what with the exercise and fresh food that all this suggests.

I’m not going to talk about not wasting food because there are starving kids out in the African continent and elsewhere. And no, this is not an appeal about adopting a malnourished child in a Third World Country. What I want to see happen is diabetics taking charge of their own health. Especially if they have diabesity on top of it.

Earlier today Michelle Obama gave a highly amusing speech about how easy it is to slip into the tempting solution of fast food. She described how, tired after a long day at work, she had the hungry kids in the car and could not face the thought of cooking from scratch. They were ravenous, and as they drove home the neon signs signaling fast food restaurants on the roadside looked like Heaven! That’s Heav-EN!!!

Anyone identify with that?

Yes, there are times when this has great, great appeal, as you will see when you read my story, but the consequences are unmistakable. You expand. No two ways about it. Especially if you’re also quite sedentary. Alas, that is the first step down the slippery slope of diabesity!

Now, suppose, just suppose, with World Food Day just three days away all my friends with diabesity—and that includes you, would make a pledge to pass up all processed food and cook from scratch. Actually, it’s rather fun!. I do it all the time. Cook and freeze, then you have exactly what you want when you’ve just done a 5 pm commute.

Avctually, there’s lots of help out there. There’s a TV celebrity who specializes in cooking 30-minute meals. Whole, from-scratch, healthy meals. You could try that too.

Prove it to yourself that you can do it. Then share it with your friends. You could actually start a movement!

Happy experimenting, and bon appétit!

Do let me know what delectables you cooked up. Nothing like a mini-chef in the house. Enjoy!

Got recipes? I invite you share them in the comment section of this blog.

See you there.

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

Thanksgiving- Diabesity alert!

2009-10-12T23:54:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach.

Is this a mega-eatfest or what! A restaurant ad here in Richmond shows a thanksgiving meal designed to send diabetics into alimentary shock. Could’ve been just to convey the notion of plenty, but I do know that many people do eat that quantity of food at one sitting.

That being said, do you notice in the papers the week after Thanksgiving about people bemoaning the fact that they’re as stuffed as the turkey? To my “How are you?” Lester from Ontario said: “Oh, man, I’m stuffed. I can’t move!”

Here’s a question: why do we eat till we’re stuffed? One of the reasons is that we eat too quickly. I used to marvel at how quickly teenagers were able to inhale their lunch in school. Adults in office or other work settings also seem to often see their lunch time as a necessary inconvenience to be dispatched as soon as possible so that they can resume work. That describes me exactly when I was still teaching in school, until daily indigestion drove me to make a few changes.

Lester also said his wife was encouraging him to go out for a brisk walk after dinner, along with a few of their guests. As it happens, the weather has gotten rather chilly all of a sudden in Ontario, so they decided against it. I’m glad they did, as heavy meals followed by brisk walks are a good prescription for a heart attack. Especially if you’re coping with weight and diabetes as well. Lester’s doctor had told him to lose at least twenty pounds.

If you read my blog in the last 2 days you will have noticed some encouragement to exercise. There is an optimal time for us to do this, and this time may vary for each diabetic, depending on a host of other factors. There are also optimal types.

When Sammie was discussing her intake form with me she asked me if she would do well lifting weights. I told her yes, but start walking first. (See the last few blogs).

For Sammie, as for most other people wanting to start an exercise plan, I always say that the first weight to lift is the remote. Lift it up off the couch and put it on the TV. If your TV unit has a door, close it. Then put one foot in front of the other and aim for the front door. Amazing what it will do for you over time. Even more amazing is that a specific schedule, designed for you bu your coach, can even help reverse your diabetes and conquer diabesity.

Really? Yes, Really. Got questions? I invite you to the comment section of this blog.

See you there.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675
Turkey,

Diabetes Alert! 1 in 5 in Canada

2009-10-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Do you have thick weekend papers? We do. I wouldn’t like to be swatted with the one we get on Saturdays. There’s enough in it to keep you busy throughout the weekend and beyond—which, I guess, is the object of the exercise...

I caught a glimpse of the front-page headlines in my Mom’s newspaper yesterday. It featured a picture of a diabetic parent with her child. And the One-in-Five headline.

In Canada, One in Five have Type 2 diabetes or Pre-diabetes; the latter aren’t even aware that they have it. In the U.S. two-thirds of the population is obese, which means there are millions walking around feeling somewhat off, but don’t now they have either pre-diabetes or the full-blown version. The diabesity rate is soaring.

This is happening at a time when many changes are happening in our health care system. The article said it would scuttle the health care system in a few years.
Now think for a bit. Does everyone rush off to their doctor screaming “Help!”? If you’re obese you should. Either way, consider this. If you’re overweight, or worse, obese, this stresses your blood vessels.

Excess weight affects how you feel, your immune system, the number of chins you haveIf the fat is in the mid-section, which it all too often is, it’s in the most dangerous part of the anatomy.

Next, if you’re obese and have Type 2 diabetes, or don’t know you have it, you can ignore it, but if you do you might end up in the amputation room sooner than you think. So, what to do about it.

I would say far and away the first thing is to go see your doctor for the tests that confirms your diagnosis. Then get the education, and in tandem with that, deal with the stress. Even with the best-managed program if you keep getting stressed about it, if you resent the adjustments you are now going to have to make because of it.

Goodbye processed foods, farewell supersized portions, au revoir skipped breakfasts—hmmm, sounds like a good plan for anyone, if you ask me. Diabetes can actually be a gift—a wake-up call telling us we can’t sit on the couch and eat preservatives without it having a long-term effect on you.

The second thing you need to do is decide if you want to live. If you do, you need to shave off a few pounds real soon. Like twenty, maybe? I invite you to download the free report to the right of this page—it will explain why. You might want to add a comment to this blog when you’ve read it, and tell me what you think the third thing is that you need to do to save your life.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers, and Happy Thanksgiving, if you’re in Canada. I’m going off to marinate my turkey for tomorrow’s dinner. White meat or dark?

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Walk your Heart! Diabesity Steps Upward

2009-10-11T00:17:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

So, you’ve got the meeting-point of diabetes and obesity. You’ve measured your waist and compared it to your height. You have diabesity. What now?
To those of you who read yesterday’s blog, no, I’m not posting a duplicate—please read on. Then post a comment and let me know if you can spot the differences, like with those pictures we used to have as children.

Did you walk yesterday? I mean for at least 30 uninterrupted minutes. If so, your heart is thanking you profusely for helping it avoid complications from diabetes. Every little bit helps. You’ve done well, made a valiant start. Keep it up, OK?
You walked yesterday, so you’ve taken the most difficult step—you’ve started. The first step in a journey of winners. You have helped your beleaguered heart.

You realize that your heart is intimately connected with your diabetes. With your blood glucose.

Look how you’ve started the miracle of the domino effect. Heard of the Butterfly Effect? Amazing. It’s a similar phenomenon.

You are overweight. You have diabetes. Your heart works overtime. You have insulin issues, your pancreas is struggling. When this happens the liver takes on an extra workload, as if its 500-plus jobs per day weren’t enough. Now the kidneys kick into high gear too, joining in the fray. Oh and incidentally, you have helped these organs which till now have been screaming for extra nutrients from the blood. Guess who does the pumping? You got it—the heart. And you’ve helped it pump more efficiently.

All the research shows how quickly the heart improves with exercise. You have made this possible. You have begun to control your glucose levels.

We started with weight compounded with diabetes; we ended up with the heart. And I want to assure you your brain appreciates what you’ve begun. We’ll come back to that another day, when we can talk about it in greater detail.

Let’s get back to walking.

It’s hot—but you walk anyway.
It’s cold—but you go in spite of it.
It’s raining—you willingly go, with your umbrella.
It’s foggy—you take your flashlight and go.
It’s late—you’ve made a promise to yourself; you put one foot in front of the other.
It’s early—but you get up with the first buzz of the alarm, and out you go.
No one to walk with—you are undaunted. You think beautiful thoughts as you step out.
You don’t have the right gear—you dress comfortably, and away you go.
You’re not in the mood—you know walking can easily improve your mood. You go.
You know that, if you have Type 2 diabetes, you can reverse it with lifestyle changes, the first of which is a regular exercise regimen. You have set a goal to see improvements in 3 months. You know you will see some sooner than that. Courage. You will.

Here’s something you might find helpful: if you go to the right of the page you can download a free report that gives you ten proven reasons why you must lose twenty pounds now. Go ahead, enter your details and download the report. Share it with a friend.

Then let me know if you find a reason that reminds you of something—for yourself or for a loved one. Let me know how you feel, having quashed ten excuses you used to make, and gone right out there and started walking. You deserve a huge pat on the back.

You’ve only got one heart. It needs your support. Your kidneys love you. A few weeks down the road, you will notice your eyes improving, with all that extra circulation.

Ditto for your ears, your legs and your arms. Every part of your anatomy is singing. Diabetes affects every one of them. It affects your limbs, your eyes, your nerves. So does excess weight. And you have begun to take charge of all that.

Four cheers for you, my courageous friend.

You got vertical. You put one foot in front of the other. Tomorrow, you will call a buddy and extend the invitation. Please tell me who you’re going to walk with tomorrow. Happy walking to two valiant people!

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

Walk your Heart! Diabesity Dominoes.

2009-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

So, you’ve got the meeting-point of diabetes and obesity. You’ve measured your waist and done the compared it to your height. You have diabesity. What now?

Did you walk yesterday? I mean for at least 30 uninterrupted minutes. If so, your heart is thanking you profusely for helping it avoid complications from diabetes. Every little bit helps.

If you didn’ t walk yesterday, when will you start? When will you help your beleaguered heart?

And what, pray tell, you may ask, has my heart got to do with diabetest?
The answer is, everything. OK , Let’s take a look at the domino effect.

You are overweight. You have diabetes. Your heart works overtime. You have insulin issues, your pancreas is struggling. When this happens the liver takes on an extra workload, as if its 500-plus jobs per day weren’t enough. Now the kidneys kick into high gear too, joining in the fray. Oh and incidentally, all these organs are now screaming for extra nutrients from the blood. Guess who does the pumping? You got it—the heart.

We started with weight compounded with diabetes; we ended up with the heart. And I don’t get me started on the brain—we’ll keep that for another day, if you don’t mind.

But,let’s get back to walking.

It’s too hot—you don’t go.
It’s too cold—you don’t go.
It’s raining—you don’t go.
It’s too foggy—you don’t go.
It’s too late—you don’t go.
It’s too early—you don’t go.
No one to walk with—you don’t go.
You don’t have the right gear—you don’t go.
You’re not in the mood—you don’t go.
What difference is it going to make anyway—you don't go.

You now have 10 reasons not to help your heart.

Yet if you have Type 2 diabetes, you must have been told you can reverse it with lifestyle changes, the first of which is a regular exercise regimen.

Here’s something you might find helpful: if you go to the right of the page you can download a free report that gives you ten proven reasons why you must lose twenty pounds now. Go ahead, enter your details and download the report.

Then let me know if you find a reason that reminds you of something—for yourself or for a loved one.

You’ve only got one heart. It needs your support. If it were a matter of your kidneys, you could say –what the heck, I’ve got two of them; if one of them goes, I still have the other. Sure. Hey, that also applies to your eyes, your ears and your legs or arms. After all, some parts of your anatomy can be considered disposable, right?

Diabetes affects every one of them. It affects your limbs, your eyes, your nerves. So does excess weight.

Feel like getting vertical now? Let me show you how. Please read yesterday’s blog.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Weights, anyone?

2009-10-08T23:43:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

Now , if you’ve got Diabesity, don’t go overboard and get a set of 10-pound weights. We’ll talk about anaerobics another day.

In yesterday’s blog I mentioned getting into the game for World Food Day. I also mentioned we were going to talk about exercise today. If you’ve got some weights, fine. Hold off for a moment. Unless you already have a safe, well-designed routine.

First, think aerobic exercise, which is designed to raise your heart rate and get the oxygen flowing in your arteries faster than it’s doing now. To do this, all you have to do is start walking. And I don’t mean walking from the couch to the fridge. Let’s take it one step at a time (no pun intended).

First, if you want to take care of pre-diabetes or full-blown diabetes, you need to ask yourself if you want to do this. If not, keep reading just the same, and see if there’s something in this exercise thing for you. Meanwhile, if you don’t mind, I’ll go ahead with those who want to lick diabesity now!

Get into some comfortable clothing and a pair of well-cushioned walking shoes. Sneakers that still have some good, strong tread will do the trick. Better if they’ve not been worn continually for more than 6 months.

Decide when you’re going to walk daily. Don’t decide one day at a time. Decide for the whole week. Write it in your calendar. And write the exact time. Starting time and finishing time. Done?

Next, do find someone to walk with you. You don’t have to have the same partner every day. Some days, you can walk alone. But I can tell you that one of the best ways to ensure you’ll stick to it is having a buddy to walk with, even if it’s your dog. (To quote my Spaniel-besotted aunt: “Dogs are people too!”) You can bet your bottom dollar Fido will come with a leash and badger you right on schedule once he figures out you’re doing this just for him. I have a friend who walks her cat—yes CAT—on a leash every day, and woe betide her ankles if she’s half a minute late!
In fact, you might want to make a pact with a friend that you’ll do each other’s ankle-biting on alternate days!

Have fun, and happy walking. I’ll check in with you in 5 days and show you what to do next.

Meanwhile, I’ll look for your blog comments or questions on this experience.

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

World Food Day & Diabesity

2009-10-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

If you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes your doctor will no doubt have told you that you need to make some lifestyle changes. For the majority this would, for starters, involve losing twenty pounds.

But let’s not get into flights of fancy just yet. My question to you is, do you even believe that pre-diabetes, or “Syndrome X”, could develop into full-blown diabetes? That it can dovetail very quickly with high cholesterol, inflamed arteries, heart attacks, kidney problems, foot problems resulting in loss of sensation or amputation, blindness, and a host of other issues?

Do you know it can be reversed with lifestyle changes?

When I received an e-notice today about an event here in Richmond for World Food Day, I thought what a good opportunity for pre-diabetics, diabetics and those with diabesity to make a serious lifestyle change that will make a real difference to them even in the next 3 years. What a good time to try something new—if you’re ready for it, that is.

Here in Richmond several excellent initiatives have been launched in favour of going back to our agricultural roots. We have the Fruit Tree sharing Project, where produce is grown and tended by volunteers and given to those in need.

There is also quite a following for the 10-mile diet. Those who espouse the wisdom of this move do their level best only to buy produce from local farms. We have a number of superb ones within a 10-minute drive, and I have been stockpiling blueberries and cranberries for a couple of months now. One more bag of cranberries and my freezer will explode.

Now, I was just thinking, if each person with any degree of diabesity would swear off processed foods and go for the 10-miler, cooking from scratch beginning today, you would notice a marked change in how you felt even by World Food Day, which is on October 16.

I invite you to create an entry in this blog and share your insights with other pre-diabetics. I would love to hear from you, and try out your recommendations. If you have any from-scratch recipes to share, you’ve only to post them. I’m sure everyone will enjoy them.

Next blog, we can talk about starting an exercise program.

Meanwhile, bon appétit!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Pass the Sweeteners, Please

2009-10-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

Do you use artificial sweeteners?

Wendy does. In fact, we hadn’t spoken for a couple of weeks; she’d been out of town, caring for her sister who’d just had bariatric surgery. “I’m very proud of myself”, she announced, ”I didn’t touch a single candy while in New York, and no sugar either. Not a single spoonful”.

We’re making progress here.

I was really curious. How on earth had she managed? Her sweet tooth was largely responsible for her diabetes diagnosis. This was someone who went for three-spoonful cups of coffee, sugar on corn flakes, and don’t even get me started on the snacks.

“I presume applause is in order?” “You betcha’, says Wendy. “I quit cold turkey”.

“Tell me, when you were at the hospital, did you leave your sister’s room every now and then to get a cup of coffee?”

“Oh yes, every day. There was a nice coffee shop in the lobby with little round tables, and there were 3 or 4 varieties of sweetener on the tables”.

OK, it’s beginning to make sense now.

I didn’t have to wait for the other shoe to drop.

“And…”

“Well, I read the packets, and they said there were no calories in them, so I put 3 or 4 in my coffee”.

Yikes.

“And how did you like the taste?”

“Oh, I loved it! It was quite sweet enough, and, best of all, there were no calories”.

Wendy, we gotta talk.

I explained that the brand she had chosen contained a substance that was 600 times sweeter than sugar. The no-sugar claim on the packet actually meant 4 grams of it. (Just a quirk of food labeling—we won’t get into that here. Just that manufacturers are allowed to say 'no sugar' if it’s 4 grams or less).

With 3 or 4 packets per cup of coffee, four times a day, we’re talking possibly more sugar than Wendy would have ingested had she used plain, ordinary sugar.

“Omigod! Really?”

“Really”. And shall I tell you what those sweeteners do once they’re in your body?”

“No. I’d rather not know. Just tell me where to go from here”.

“Well, for starters, could we talk about your water intake? Can you fit in a couple of extra glasses on top of the number we worked out for your body weight in August?”

If you’d like to know more about what artificial sweeteners do, just add a comment or question in this blog and I’ll get back to you. Let me know if you want a 25-word reply, a 50-word one, or the whole enchilada at 1000 words.

See you there!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

In Love With Sugar

2009-10-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed. Diabesity Coach

Back when I was still teaching school the kids were the world’s finest experts at having parties. Any excuse was good: if the team won, we had a party. If a major project was finished, we had a party. And what did the party consist of? Here’s a sample menu: assorted sodas, chips, cheesies, and such diabesity-inducing delights. Then the almighty pizza. Store-bought confections. Plus candy of every description. Yay, diabesity! Parents had brought them in, and I could only look and shake my head.

The kids always wanted to know why I didn’t eat. I wanted to know why they did.

I should have given them a test there and then called "Spot the Sugar".

It was the Friday of the week we dissected rats. The sight of these rodents all over the lab, splayed open in wax trays with organs and intestines laid out on trays for slides—the students’ folders detailing every stage of the dissections—surely this would be enough to put them off. Ah! The assumptions misguided teachers make!

Before dismissal I said they could leave their evaluation folders on the lab benches for me to mark. We would do the safe specimen disposal on Monday, after which they would start dissecting cows’ eyes. Chuckle, chuckle, I hear.

About ten minutes before dismissal there they were, the faithful parents, bearing gifts. The menu: assorted sodas, chips, cheesies, and such diabesity-inducing delights. Then the almighty pizza. Store-bought confections. Plus candy of every description. Yay, diabesity! Ring a bell? Mamma Mia, thought I, no wonder half the nation’s kids are obese, and the rate of Type 2 Diabetes is rising exponentially.

So what’s my beef about pop? All my best-laid lesson plans on sound nutrition, all the videos I had shown about the effects of sugar and foods that had a high glycemic value, that converted themselves to sugar as fast as greased lightning; had I been I talking to the wall?

Well, on came the music, LOUD de rigueur. Chomp, chomp, guzzle, guzzle—everything was inhaled in no time flat. When the janitor came in with his vacuum, he joined in to fun too.

What on earth had they learnt that semester?

I know I had learnt that it was deathly hard to buck the trend. That if adults regard pop and chips as party staples, kids will follow suit. I would have to work a lot harder to get this generation to make the paradigm shift. We had a nation’s lives to save.

I should have advised the kids to go into a career as party planners.
What’s standard party fare for you? Let me know in the comment section, OK?

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabetics Doubling

2009-10-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Ticket number…338147…Robert Coulter! A jubilant Mr. Coulter works his way up to the stage, holds up his prize, a carriage clock, and shows it to the attendees. And as he does that, his tummy pops out between the bottom of his T-shirt and his belt-line.

The audience was really polite.

I was at a huge family-oriented event this evening when this father of two got up to receive a prize. He had to weave through a maze of round tables, and weave his way back. He had quite a lot of difficulty with many of the chairs, as there was very little space between them.

At one point, Robert Coulter got stuck. There was simply no room for him between two chairs. Robert must have been carrying a 70-pound paunch around. He got quite short of breath just walking up to the stage, and even more so as he tried to get back to his own table. By that time, his face was red as a beetroot.

There, thought I , was a classic profile of the diabetic. Not all diabetics have the complication of obesity, but obesity is all too often a significant precursor of diabetes.

In Robert’s case, he most likely either had it or was struggling with pre-diabetes, something two-thirds of obese people don’t even know.

But let’s not even look at the disease of diabesity itself. As Robert got back to his table his twin toddlers were straining to see what the prize was. It was somewhere between funny and sad to see the two vying for a place on Daddy’s lap when they both slid off after several tries.

There simply wasn’t enough room on Daddy’s lap to house a kid. He ended up having one kid stand on each side of him as he showed them the clock. It’s things like this that make you wonder what’s keeping him and the millions of other diabesity sufferers from making a decision to lose some of that weight. Especially the weight around the middle, the most dangerous fat there is.

My thought was, here was a Dad who obviously loved his children. Did he know he was well on his way to a heart attack if he didn’t do something about his girth? Would he still be around when the twins were 10? If so, would he have the energy to play catch with them as they grew up? Would they, as teens, have to worry about Dad because he was going for dialysis twice or three times a week? And how would this affect his wife?

What about the nurse who would have to turn him on hospital bed?

The prospect of blindness or amputation?

Did he know that the incidence of diabetes had doubled in the last two decades?

What do you think?

Let me know on the blog, OK?

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

Plane Flies into Building

2009-10-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed., Diabesity Coach

No, this is not about 9-11, although the thought did cross the mind of every person who witnessed it on October 19, 2007, in Richmond, BC. What crossed my mind when I read the paper this evening was how the denial of diabesity can lead to disaster.

Sit back while I tell you the story. Why am I telling you a story that’s 2 years old? Because the findings only just came out today.

This is the most tragic Diabesity story I know.

On October 19, 2007, my brother called me at about 4 pm with: “Switch on your TV. A guy flew his plane into a building a couple of streets from yours”. I couldn’t switch on my TV, as I was in my car, on my way to pick up a friend from a bus stop in that very area. I had to double back and go home, as there were police barricades everywhere, and policemen at every corner, diverting the traffic. The entire area was cordoned off for about ten blocks either way.

82-year-old Peter Garrison had just flown his plane straight into the 9th floor of a 15-floor condo complex, dying on impact. Fortunately, the residents of that charred apartment were not in that day, so were spared a fiery demise. The last thing they’d expected to find in their living room was a plane wreck and a dead pilot.

Police and Fire Services evacuated hundreds of people from surrounding apartments in record time. They became instantly homeless. The building was declared unfit for human habitation for months after that, and as I went on my daily walks I looked up to see the scaffolding go up and the workmen doing the restoration.

Peter had had three accidents before that. He was overweight, had Type 2 Diabetes (this equals Diabesity), had had a heart attack 10 years earlier, had high blood pressure and was on medication for all these conditions.

Many questions are now being asked. Why was he allowed to fly? Why did his doctor not warn Transport Canada about Peter’s medical condition, especially after the first accident?

One of the questions I have is, why did Peter himself decide to fly, in face of one of the worst medical combo anyone could have?

How many people exist out there who are in the same situation? “Ah, I’m just a coupla pounds overweight; nothing’s gonna happen”. Just sit down and count all the people who would be affected if you had a diabesity crisis of any sort. I’m curious why people think, in spite of the fact their belts don’t fit and the scales don’t lie, they are different. They won’t be affected by high blood pressure. Or blindness, or amputation, kidney disease or a stroke. Everyone else but me.

What will it take for you to decide you need to lose twenty pounds now? Peter’s story illustrated one thing that can happen. Don’t be the next one. Call me and we’ll devise an action plan.

If you recognize any of the above symptoms you need to take action now. Denial can mean a plane flies into a building.

Ciao for now.

Jacquelyn

H1N1 and Diabetes

2009-10-01T23:08:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

You already know if you’ve been following my blog, that Diabetics are at least 50% more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics. If diabetes is combined with obesity, the odds are upped to at least 70%. And that’s a conservative estimate.

I was telling this to Jake over coffee on Monday, and he asked how the stats would be affected if H1N1 struck. “Well, that’s a great question” says I. “I really don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see what stats come up over time”. He knew from our previous conversations that Diabesity compromised the whole immune system and wanted a magic pill that would take care of business FAST. (Sigh!)

“Now,Jake—you know there’s no such thing as a magic pill” I continue, but…but—here’s the closest thing”.

“I already know what you’re going to say, Jacquelyn. You’re going to tell me to drink 8 glasses of water a day”. He was sure he was one up on me.

“Pretty close! Jake, I’m not going to tell you to do anything! And you don’t have to drink 8 glasses a day. That went out with cassette tapes. What you do is drink half your weight in ounces. And that’s not all. You want to know if your tap water’s chlorinated. If you want to get the best from the water you drink it has to be alkaline, and free of metals and bugs for starters”.

“Alkaline? What do you mean?”

“Well, if you go to the health food store and get a little bottle of pH tester, put a few drops in your water and match it against this chart here, you’ll see”. When you’ve got the tester, call me and read me the number you land on. It’s so easy your grandchild could do it”. I gave Jake the handy chart and off he went.

On Wednesday morning he called me with “It’s a 5”. I told him what to do next.
Jake knows how acidic most meat-based diets are. I’ve explained it all to him and recommended doing his liver a favour by going easy on the meat once a week to begin with. He’s been very good with that, and has begun to lose some weight. He’s hoping to get through winter without the usual cold. He knows it’s entirely possible.

I’ve also told him all this hype about H1N1 is pretty irrelevant. That if he strengthens his immune system by making his body more alkaline he will be better able to fight any bug that comes his way. That’s two for the price of one: take care of diabesity and you’ll take care of the swine ‘flu. And the first oinkment he needs is not that mercury and squalene-ridden (not to mention the other stuff) vaccine, but water. Filtered, alkaline water.

Plus the other stuff I will tell him about tomorrow. To know what Jake will hear tomorrow, let me know in the comment section if you’d like to join the conversation.

Cheers,

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

Diabesity & Cancer

2009-09-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed. Diabesity Coach

Obesity so often heralds diabetes that when you speak of one, you might as well speak of the other. This is why the word “Diabesity” was coined in the ‘Nineties.

Did you hear about the research out of Europe today? Being overweight could become the leading cause of cancer in women in Western countries in the not-too-distant future. As if the current diabesity epidemic weren’t enough, we have the unsavoury thought of cancer being yet another routine accompaniment to diabetes.

Want the stats?

As far back as 2002, 35 out of every 1000 cancers could be attributed to obesity. Only 6 years on, in 2008, the number had climbed to 62 out of every 1000. If you go to the free downloadable report to the right of this blog you will get an idea why.

Whether it’s cancer or arthritis, kidney disease, early Alzheimer’s or knee issues, we know that diabesity loves company.

Do your knees hurt when you go down stairs? Do you get out of breath easily, even if you’re not running? You probably need to lose twenty pounds fairly soon. You might say you haven’t been diagnosed. With all the information available on the Net today you will surely have heard of metabolic syndrome, formerly called Syndrome X. That is an indicator that full-blown diabetes could be lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.

There is so much in the news about H1N1 these days. It’s been hyped in the media more than the more glaring, real epidemic of obesity in the G8 countries, and indeed worldwide. They’ve got a lot of people scared out of their wits, when the real scare is staring us in the face every day—just take a trip down to the local mall and you’ll see what I mean.

I was behind an obviously obese man in the lineup at the local corner store a couple of days ago. He would have been a lot more comfortable (not to mention safer) if he had shed twenty pounds. What was he buying? Three packs of cigarettes. In the process of paying for them he dropped a quarter, which lodged itself between his shoes. He looked down but couldn’t see it, as is often the case of obese people who can’t see their toes. When I told him where it was he stepped aside and I picked it up for him.

As he left the store he reminded me of that ad you see on TV where a self-propelled gurney doggedly shadows a guy in and out of buildings, down the street and through the traffic.

And that, my friends, is the real epidemic facing us today. For some, they have to be in that gurney, hooked up to drips and awaiting an emergency operation before they take action. Please don’t be one of them. Call me if you want to know what to do.

Cheers,

Jacquelyn

Weight, Diabesity and Executives

2009-09-29T00:31:00.000-07:00

He sat next to me at a conference last week. “Do you think I’ve got diabetes?” Then, lowering hos voice, “The doctor says I have to lose 50 pounds—er—to begin with, that is”.

“Sean”, says I , “I don’t know. Your doctor does the diagnosing”. When you’ve got all your tests done, listen carefully to what your doctor says, then bring me the printout and we’ll see.” Sean wanted to know if this might be a death sentence.

After all, at 46 he had just been promoted to senior vice-president of his company, and he’d need to do some travelling, more presenting, and much socializing, The many dinners also meant many drinks, and as he had “no time to exercise in the morning” and couldn’t fit it in anytime except occasionally on weekends, he didn’t see how he could possibly lost that weight.

“Sean”, says I , “if you think you can’t, you’re right. And if you think you can, you’re right too. How important is this to you? What do you think could happen to you six months, a year down the road, if you don’t start losing some weight now?"

He worked on the delectable poached salmon almondine as he thought. Maybe golf would do it. Maybe if he played twice a week…

“Look, Sean, why don’t you go home and think about it, get your test results, discuss it with your wife, then decide if you want me to work with you on it?”

Sean already knew from his last tests that his cholesterol was high. He had high blood pressure, was frequently tired, had several aches and pains in his joints, and an impressive muffin-top. His wife had had to get him a whole new set of belts.

How was he going to handle his new responsibilities? Did he know what was inside that expanded midriff? Dinner time was hardly the optimal place to discuss it.
Sean had many indicators of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders that included many of the symptoms he exhibited.

Sean would need to get the first 20 pounds off as soon as possible for his own sake, and he would need to lose the next 20 if he wanted to make “President” any time in the near future. I suggested he give me a call that week to book the free 30-minute consultation offered on my website. He agreed.

Go ahead an book one for yourself.

Cheers,

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

Fat Cats

2009-09-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

There they were, sitting on the sunny porch both of them, one resplendent in golden stripes, and the other ebony with white socks, the picture of contentment and feline disdain. When Tiger condescended to walk across the room his ample paunch nearly brushed the floor. I laughed when Oreo made three attempts to jump onto the sofa.

That was at Marty and Jen’s house in Downtown Vancouver, near the beach on English Bay, just a year ago. Both rulers of the house were in their 12th year, having adopted their humans when they were kittens. I mean when the mega-cats were kittens.

I went in to feed them for three weeks when Marty and Jen were on a South American cruise last year. Both furballs (and I don’t mean Marty and Jen) liked to be brushed, and rewarded me with purrs as loud as a lawn mower. Closed-eyed purrs from the depths of their 17-pound corporations.

Long story short…

Last week, Tiger emigrated to Kitty Heaven, way before his time, and Oreo has been at the animal hospital for 4 days now, with the same kidney problem that claimed Tiger’s life.

Long story even shorter, neither Marty nor Jen could figure out how their resident purring machines could get so fat. After all, they had fed them a scientific diet since they were kittens. They found out when Tiger went to heaven. The two cats were the darlings of the neighbourhood, and, unlike condo cats, roamed whenever they wished.

Naturally, the every neighbor thought it their divine right to improve the girth of the two felines, and so they grew wider and wider. That made them want to move less, and since they were such fun to have around they weren’t made to exercise all that much.

They paid for that with their kidneys.

They could have looked after their humans for many more years.
Diabesity creeps up on you just like that too. Eat anything that comes your way, become a couch potato, don’t give much thought to your future, and poof! There goes your future.

You wouldn’t want to discover one day that your pancreas isn’t functioning, that you have plaque in your arteries, that your cholesterol is off the charts, that you have back pain, plus arthritis in your knees, would you? Or that your chances of getting early Altzheimers is doubled, that nerve damage might claim your right foot? Need I go on?

Call me before it’s too late. I can help.

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

Hurtling Down the Diabesity Slope

2009-09-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

She was getting out of the car next to mine at the supermarket parking lot today, all 5-foot nothing of her. She couldn’t have been a day over 35, and not a pound less than 180.

It was a laborious task, as she placed one foot painfully on the ground, then swung her body out, placing the other foot on the ground. Next, she bounced several times in an effort to stand upright. It was obvious where the heaving had come from — her cankles (no defined ankle so that it appears that the calves are directly joined to the feet)— protesting the extra weight they had to carry.

As she had parked nose in and I, tail in, only one of us could get out at a time. So I stayed in my car till she had swiveled herself to an upright position. Once there, she flashed me a beautiful smile, and proceeded to limp heavily into the store.

As I wheeled my cart around the store I met up with the rest of the family. I had been so focused on her getting out of the car I hadn’t noticed the kids who had got out the other side and zipped into the store before their Mom.

When our carts crossed near the soft drink displays she asked her 9-year-old daughter what she would like to drink in school. Sure enough, the young lady picked a few bottles of pink liquid whose labels Mom had not read (or known to read). The child must have weighed at least 100 pounds.

Mom was looking for her elder child, who, unbeknownst to her, was leaning against the ice-cream fridge, licking a spoon from some apple goo they had handed him at the free tasting booth. I was afraid the glass might give, engulfing the lad in a cascade of glass and ice cream. I didn’t even dare guess at his weight.

Diabesity has hit the younger generation. No longer the curse of middle age alone, it has extended itself to the nation’s young, under-exercised and over-burgered demographic. All three of them were at least on their way to full-blown Type 2 Diabetes. The boxes and cans already in Mom’s cart would send them hurtling down the path to heart disease. Wish I could have helped. What would it have taken to open Mom’s eyes? Their very lives were in danger.

But then, many adults wait until they’re on a gurney to make a decision to do something differently. Wonder why?

If you know, do share your views. Sign up to the right and write away!

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

Cowboy’s Diabesity

2009-09-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Did you watch Dr. Oz’s show today? For those who couldn’t make it, a cowboy who had signed up for help agreed to be a vegan for 28 days. Dr. Oz offered Rocco a whole buffet of foods he could eat, and on trying the first item Rocco declared it “good!”

Quite a change from his usual T-bone steaks and fries.

Actually, his vital stats were there for all to see, Rocco had a severe case of diabesity. His blood sugar was 172. (Those of you with diabesity can compare these stats with your own.) His hemoglobin (red blood cells) were at a 9, when it should have been a 6. His waist measurement was 49 inches, his weight 265 pounds, and he had the telltale beach-ball abs.

Rocco explained that he hadn’t taken much notice of his health till he started getting back pains and knee pains. His weight was interfering with his riding, and indeed all the care he had to give his horses. Not surprisingly the horses were feeling it too.

What everybody noticed was that Rocco was an awfully good sport. He agreed to everything Dr. Oz suggested, even to substituting mega-steaks and burgers with a vegan diet. Dr. Oz promised to assign him a cardiologist, as Rocco was in the 97th percentile of people with diabesity, meaning he was at the highest risk level.

Dr. Oz asked him to hold 2 ramekins of pure fat while he held a third. That was the amount of fat Rocco was carrying around; the plaque in his heart was alarming, judging from the diagram projected on the screen.

All America was watching, Dr. Oz said, and everyone who could identify with Rocco was encouraged to follow in his footsteps.

If any of you have been doing what Rocco was—ignoring the Diabesity elephant in the room, you might like to follow his progress on the Tuesday show. Dr. Oz will be coaching him along and reporting on Rocco’s progress throughout the 28-day challenge. Anyone, not just diabesitics, can go on that diet. If you read my blog yesterday you’ll see a parallel with what Dr. Oz said. He was extremely concerned about Rocco.

I’m sure our cowboy friend will be true to his word— “After all, I signed up for it!”, and I’m sure we’ll see a much trimmer, far healthier Rocco in 28 days. Dr. Oz assured him his diabesity could be reversed. As can yours. Need details? Call me.

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

Diabesity and Sacred Dining!

2009-09-22T00:23:00.000-07:00

My accountant invited me to an amazing event at a Buddhist Temple on Sunday. He and his wife had been planting an A-shaped (don’t ask me why) garden there for months, just in time for it to be in full bloom for the temple’s 10th anniversary celebrations. Dignitaries were there by the dozen, our local Member of Parliament delivering the keynote address, and the Police were there both to keep an eye on the hundreds of attendees and to enjoy the festivities.

After the prayer parade and the speeches, we were treated to a scrumptious—and balanced—boxed lunch, tastefully presented: no pun intended. Vegetarian, as you might expect. On the box was a label: “Vegetarian For Your Health” (Sic). I looked around at the garden shrine where you plucked a numbered fortune ball out of the urn: devout Buddhists were on their knees, paying homage to the Goddess of Mercy—not one overweight person among them.

Then, in the giant courtyard for the speeches, I and looked around. Not one overweight person in sight—oh except some of the policemen, several of the local dignitaries, and an American Buddhist clad in bright yellow regalia. In-ter-es-ting!

There was a warm fruit drink to go with lunch; it had the faintest hint of natural sweetness, but wasn’t like anything like the corn-syrup-laced stuff you’d get out of a juice box. The servers, about 50 all told, were inexorably slim. I doubt diabesity would have dared rear its pudgy head in that assembly. The message was beginning to scream at me.

All the Buddhist nuns and monks were slim. And it’s not as if they didn’t believe in good food. The fare was scrumptious. After you had done justice to your generous lunch box (Vegetarian for Your Health) the hosts ushered you to the 2 soup kitchens for the most amazing, gourmet noodle and mushroom soup. Nothing to fuel diabesity there!

A brocade-clad girls’ chamber orchestra performed the most exquisite Chinese music. Their svelte elegance was equaled only by their musical precision. Following that, a young men’s choir regaled the throngs with musical interludes to die for, then a vivacious mixed choir of adults and teens, all of whom were slim. No diabesity there!

Now, thought I, there has to be something to having food that was clearly alkaline. On the brilliantly sunny day, I imagine most people who weren’t at the temple were barbecuing highly acidic foods and weighing themselves down with stodgy desserts. Nothing like the feather-light pineapple desserts we found in our healthy lunch boxes. Now, I’m not a vegetarian, but I would gladly have inhaled that meal any day of the week. (Only I wouldn’t have known how to make it).

Could there have been a hint there for the rest of us? A little whisper in our ears as to what the body really likes? Might “Vegetarian for Your Health” be a good way to go once or twice a week? You be the judge. Call me if you want to know what my fortune was.

To your health!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabesity—Just Move It!

2009-09-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

You’ll never guess what they did a study on in London, England. I recently came across a study on ticket-collectors on London double-decker buses. It showed how those who ran up and down the stairs during the workday got less osteoporosis than the bus drivers did. Hmmm. Could there be a message there for people with diabesity?

The recommendation there was to do something, no matter what. Move the muscles or they’ll fall asleep. Vegging out in front of the TV will make them wither away. When you exercise you keep telling your brain to expect better circulation. Your brain then does what it’s told and gets you give it more of the same. It’s that simple.

However, the opposite is also true. Take Sandi, for example. She says that when she gets home from work she is too tired to exercise. Besides, says she, she’ll never shed those 70-odd pounds her doctor recommended. Now that’s quite a theory.
So she doesn't, and the pounds keep piling on.

Now, Sandi, says I, how about this. Let’s forget the 70 pounds and shoot for 7. I also explained how the too-tired-to-exercise bit could well have been connected to having eaten dead, processed food all day and a lot of slouching. “But I don’t slouch!”

I gave her the slouch test. “OK, OK, I slouch.” Also, Sandi my dear, one of the problems with diabesity is that the weight takes away your motivation to exercise. And one of the best ways to get motivated is to walk with a buddy.

Sandi also said it would help to have a walking buddy, but she had no one to walk with. It so happened that her 13-year-old son overheard her side of the phone conversation, an insisted on getting on the phone with me. Hi, my name’s Jordan, and I’ll walk with Mom. How many times do we have to go round the house? “Two” says I. “Fine, says Jordan, I and Mom will do three! Deal?” “Deal!” Unexpected deals are always welcome!

“And no stopping, OK?” I got Sandi to agree. From Jordan: “No problem”.

Three weeks later Sandi reported that they were now doing five laps round the house, even though the days were getting shorter. They were also catching some spectacular sunsets. She had lost 5 pounds. (I have to say we also revised her brown-bag contents, and got an agreement to drink water only).

How did that happen? For details, call me. You can get a free 30-minute consultation if your obesity is twinned with diabetes—if you haven’t been diagnosed it’s possibly just a matter of time. Call.

You’ll get there. We’ll do it together.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabesity, H1N1 and the Right Terrain

2009-09-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Have you gone and bought yourself some of those masks? Not much use, I’m afraid, unless you’re looking after someone who’s sick and might cough all over you. Or for a short while if you’ve got a cough and have to go into a grocery store. They only work for 20 minutes or so, and you can contaminate yourself just by taking them off with hands that haven’t been sanitized.

So where do you go from there? No masks, you say, and an inadequately tested vaccine which contains preservatives we haven’t heard anyone declare safe, do I wait around to die?

Of course not. You don’t wait around, and unless it’s your curtain call, you won’t die. You do what my friend Lettie did. You get a month’s worth of foods that last. What foods? E-mail me for details.

Then you do the really important thing and make your body as strong as it can be. No, you don’t go out and get a pair of boxing gloves. You work on strengthening the terrain. One of the best ways to do this is the same thing you would do if I were working with you on your diabesity problem.

Now, let’s go back to the basics and look at the facts. I work with people who want solutions for diabesity, which is the combo of diabetes and obesity. To my friend Rick I say: here’s how the domino effect works for people whose muffin-top hangs over their belt.

Get rid of 5 pounds, you do your heart a favour. Your lungs will do the air-exchange more easily, your liver will cleanse the toxins from your blood, your pancreas will struggle a little less, and you will be less stressed. When you are less stressed you will generate fewer toxins and neutralize the ones you breathe in more easily. When your body has fewer toxins and more oxygen your immune system gets stronger.

OK, so now you’ve got a stronger immune system. Enter the H1N1 virus. You have more oxygen in your blood. Germs and viruses cannot exist in a highly oxygenated terrain. You are able to fend off the viral attack more easily. “Got it!” Lester says, as the light bulb lights up. How do I lose the next 5 pounds?
Check out a few facts on my website, where you can download a free report, then call me for a free consultation.

Stay virus-free!

Jacquelyn

H1NI Scares At School and Work

2009-09-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

You’d have to be blind to miss it. The local papers are full of it. The National papers are full of it. The media goes on about it. Mass inoculation! My friend Rhys, a single father calls me and asks do I think it’s even safe to let his kids be in school this fall: will they risk catching the Swine ‘Flu? Frances, manager of a food depot wants to know if her employees should take any special precautionary measures.

Goodness! If you go with what’s being said in print and on TV you might as well prepare to go into lockdown, stocking up right now with canned food, all kinds of emergency rations, bottled water, and boxes of anything you can pull off the supermarket shelves. Oh yes, snatch those masks off the local pharmacy shelves, fill your medicine cabinets, give every member of the family a bottle of sanitizer, and start quaking.

Hold it, folks! Where is all this panic-inducing hype about the impending worldwide Black Death getting us? Is the swine ‘flu is no worse than the regular ‘flu that comes round every year.
So far, we don’t know the vaccine that’s being ordered by the millions is even right for the strain of flu that is apparently going to hit us. It hasn’t been conclusively tested. I for one will not be the next guinea pig. I would need to know that there were no toxic preservatives such as mercury, that the live bugs in the vaccines aren’t going to multiply out of control inside me once injected, as has happened before in mass campaigns.

There’s plenty of documentation around, both in print and on screen, that there have been serious outbreaks in many countries as a result of mass vaccination: just google Polio and see what happened after the mass vaccination with the polio vaccine.

Perhaps a more helpful approach to health would be to heed the current epidemic—that of diabesity, the combo of diabetes and obesity. People with weight and diabesity issues combined have a much higher risk of heart attacks, kidney disease, high cholesterol (the bad kind), and myriads of other conditions. It’s the biggest epidemic in North America today, and indeed in all the industrialized countries.

If you have diabesity you have a much greater chance of being felled by the ‘flu bug, or any virus, for that matter. We would do better to look at the school lunches our kids are sent off with, or the lunches people eat in one workday. That’s where the urgency needs to be, because there are solutions. To read more about some of them go to www.lifestyleforlongevity.com
See you there!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. CanadaPoundsNow.com
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Belly Dancing?

2009-06-23T23:46:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed, Diabesity Coach

You’ve heard about portion distortion, and how it leads to waistline caution. You probably also know that you are what you eat. And drink

OK, OK, now that we’ve got the clichés out of the way maybe we can get into your reflection in the mirror. If you walk towards it and that jelly belly moves, it’s time for a lifestyle change. No mention of weight loss—simply a lifestyle change. You might be on your way to diabetes, or you might already be a candidate for a diabesity diagnosis.

Next, just to make sure, go stand with your belly touching the wall. Feel your toes touching the wall? Can you see your feet? No? Maybe it’s time for some belly dancing. Actually, if you can’t see your feet your belly has been dancing; that’s what it did on the way to the mirror.

Not funny.

Not at all, because if you’re in that shape, like Ted, who brushed it off with: “All the guys in my family are like this, including my cousin Dan, who died of a heart attack at 59”.

Indeed!

In fact, the reason why Ted’s twin brother, who bore that “family characteristic”, wasn’t there at their birthday dinner was because it was his kidney dialysis day, one of three he had every week. Hmmmmm…

Besides being a sign of diabetes and excess fat cells in the mid-section, this body shape is often one that harbours back pain as well.

So, what to do? Well you could start training for the Boston Marathon, or visualize doing that and taking a walk round the block this evening. Tomorrow night, amble round the next block as well, and the third evening, walk around the two blocks again. Fourth night, get a piece of paper and write a congratulatory message to yourself for the first 3 days’ accomplishments, and toast yourself with no—not a beer, but a glass of alkaline water.

Ted said he was continually out of breath the first 2 evenings, but the third , things were already a little easier, though there was quite a lot of belly dancing as he finished the lap around his neighbour’s property. He then started on the next thing I suggested, as he worked his way up to the seven other fun things I’d laid out for him on his journey to lose 20 pounds in three months. Will keep you posted on Ted’s adventure.

Cheers,

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

Water Babies

2009-06-22T23:56:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed, Diabesity Coach

If you’ve been adding a glass of water per day since you read my blog a couple of days ago, kudos to you! The most FAQ I get is “Do I have to drink 8 glasses a day?” And the answer is no, you don’t. 7½ will do.

I’m just kidding.

Don’t count the glasses. Just drink a glass every hour. And why, you ask.

Because the average North American diet is acidic, most of us are terribly dehydrated, highly toxic, under-exercised and dangerously diabetic. And I haven’t even mentioned obesity!

Those born in the years following the 2nd world war started enjoying a prosperity boom that led to a greater availability of the foods that were scarce during the war. Unfortunately, the late ‘40’s and “50’s were also the years when acidic, processed foods, like TV dinners were popularized by the budding television culture. Maybe you were among them. Those were the years when genetic modification started.

All this coupled with highly processed acidic foods like meat, pasta, refined sugar, salt, sodas, food colouring and flavor enhancers, to name a few, led to the obesity epidemic we see every day. All of these foods leave toxic residues in the body, and without adequate water to help flush them out on a daily basis we have opened wide the door to the Big 5: cancer, heart disease and stroke, cancer, chronic kidney disease and diabetes. In fact, the Big 5 has now become the Big 7, with diabesity: the double burden of diabetes and obesity, and lung disease. No wonder our health care –or rather sick care systems are stretched to breaking point!

At the basis of all this is a highly acidic diet. What’s acidic? you may ask. Practically everything you’re eating, except maybe if you’re a vegetarian. An acidic body is the best breeding ground for any disease.

Your body’s pleading with your for hydration; if you wait till you’re thirsty you’re already dehydrated. It’s pleading for detoxification; if you wait till you’re parched the toxins will park themselves in your acidic fat cells, and your fat cells will find its favourite safe harbor in your mid-section. So be kind to your body; it’s a non-renewable resource.

When you hydrate, don’t add an extra job for your liver by putting in acidic colouring, caffeine and tannins of all sorts. Be kind to your body: keep destructive acids from flowing through you blood, your fluids, cells and tissues.

We are water babies, so keep your cells bathed.

Have a glass of alkaline H2O now!

Cheers,

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

The Magic Bullet for Weight Loss

2009-06-21T23:00:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

That’s right, “drink this, and watch the pounds melt away”. Or “This one little magic pill twice a day will do it for you. Watch that waistline shrink!”

Yes folks, and my name is Santa Claus.

Many people with extra flab entertain the comfortable myth that there really is a magic pill. Any idea where they got the idea from? Nor have I.

Now if you’re Alice in Wonderland you can take a bite out of a certain biscuit and shrink to the size of a mouse—then another and you can recover your original body size. Ah…what fun!

Today, however, there’s no such deal. Even Star Trek will only allow you to vaporize, not change in size. I guess it’s been a fantasy mankind’s had since the beginning of time—played out in our favourite fairy tale characters like Tom Thumb and Tinkerbell, and, in our day “Honey, I Shrunk (correction:shrank) the Kids”.

Sorry, but we’ve got to get real here. What is it you want: to have a more desirable shape, one you’ve envisioned by imagining yourself like one of the airbrushed stars in the glossies? If you’re just looking to lose weight you might get there, but if you want to keep it off, try “health” on for size.
Think of this:your skeleton is only designed to be draped with a certain amount of muscle and fat—especially fat. Go over the intended amount and you affect every organ in the body.

Many who are overweight don’t know (because they can’t see) that there’s inflammation all over the body, and the first place they need to look is inside their blood vessels. Wouldn’t it be great to have CTScan vision, where we could look inside our bodies in three dimensions? Just go on-line and look at the cross-section of a blood vessel. It’s a fairly common picture these days, an enlarged blood vessel with gobs of yellowish cholesterol blocking the flow.

Well, if the arteries are blocked like that around your heart, maybe you’d want to take your thoughts up to your brain, where the same thing could happen, and frequently does. When the clogging gets too heavy you get a stroke. No pill will sweep it out. Not a magic one, not a 3X a day one.
It’s time for a lifestyle change, my friend.

You may not feel bad yet, but you will when that ambulance is piercing the city with its siren and you’re strapped to a stretcher. Hope this never happens. How to make sure it doesn’t?

You might want to consider calling the number below. Let's talk soon.

Cheers,

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

Water, Water Everywhere, and Not a Drop You Drink

2009-06-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

You and I are mostly water. In fact, we are approximately 67% water. If you don’t maintain this level of hydration you will get symptoms you won't like. Simple as that.

So, of you need to lose weight because you have diabesity, i.e. obesity and diabetes combined, you need to drink more water. If you don’t have diabesity, drink more water. If you have diabetes, drink more water. If you are obese, or simply overweight, drink water.

Now, if you’re like a lot of people I know, you’ll say: “What do you want me to do? Go round gulping like a fish?” No, not at all. Rather, go round gulping like our ancestors who drank at every stream they could find.

Now, let me tell you something you won’t believe.

I suggest you think it over, for, say two months, then come back and read this blog again, and see if you’re any further along the yellow brick road to the land of belief. Ready? Here goes: most people who have diabesity don’t drink enough. If they did, they’d probably weigh less and they would not have to deal with the ravages of diabesity. Oh yeah, if it were that simple there wouldn’t be any overweight people around. Yes, exactly. So when are you going to start drinking? You want to lose the weight, right?

Well, if I’m gonna start I hafta know WHY.

OK, so I’ll tell you why. Your blood moves around your body—if you’re lucky. And to help it move, you need water. Lots of it. While your blood’s trying to move around, to interesting places like your brain, for instance, it needs to be carried along, and water does it rather nicely.

As water helps things along it grabs any toxins you may have taken in, like the exhaust of the No. 98 bus, the smoke that wafts over from your 3 neighbours’ barbecues, the chemicals that were sprayed on your cheesies to make them yellow, the artificial colouring in your hot dog, the the blue dye in your sports drink, the 11 grams of sugar in your-hem-healthy granola bar, the chlorine in your shower…need I go on?

If these toxins stay in your body you liver works overtime. When your liver can’t handle any more, fat cells to the rescue! They wrap themselves round the toxins to protect you, and take up residence in your belly. Yep, that’s the main reason people get fat in the abs.

But you don’t have to believe me. Let this sit for a couple of months, while you take up water-drinking, then read my blog on the omentum and come back to this one. If you haven’ t lost any weight by then, call me. I’d love to help.

Start a love affair with H2O.

Cheers,

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.lifestyleforlongevity.com/
http://www.losetwentypoundsnow.com/
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Fittest Workplace On Earth!

2009-06-17T23:09:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

More news from Obama’s plan to create a health care system that’s based on prevention rather than reaction. A couple of days ago I wrote about how the President’s speech had underlined the need for preventive health care.

Well, lo and behold, there is a place that is already doing it—the Cleveland Clinic, and MSNBC tells us they are cutting health care costs by tens of percentage points. Not only that, the clinic’s workforce is among the healthiest in the world.

Naturally, I was curious who was running the program, and surprise surprise, It’s none other than the great Michael Roizen, M.D., the Real Age doctor. Dr. Roizen tells us we can actually reduce our real age by 4 years by listening to fine music, amond other things. Some of you may remember Dr. Roizen as the co-author with Dr. Oz of the inimitable “You” series of books (For titles visit my website under “resources”).

So this isn’t a concept Obama thought up at 3 a.m. one morning. It’s tried and true, it’s already happening, and it’s working. Economically, personally and community-wise. The President's saying: here you go, folks, it's being done, it's working, it's cutting costs, go for it!

The whole idea is to keep people from getting sick in the first place. Type in Cleveland Clinic and read it all up for yourself. Watch the videos and click on all the links that take you to Time magazine articles or New York Times features.

There are weight loss programs, smoke cessation programs, diabetes prevention programs, yoga sessions, buddy programs, you name it. There’s resistance training, fitness training—try thinking of something they haven’t thought of! No wonder their employees are so healthy!

If you notice, all the activities are just that—active things. They address the fact that we were made to move, get flexible and make a habit of it. Don’t you wish that were your workplace? Each exercise is a deposit in the fitness bank, providing yet one more insurance premium against diabesity, arthritis, heart and stroke, liver disease, cancer and lung disease. Each exercise contributes to better, restorative sleep.

So start a movement—if your workplace doesn’t provide these services , get some going! Go for a walk at lunch time and take a buddy with you. Need more ideas? Give me a call.

Meanwhile, move that brain!

Cheers for now,

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.

Professional Health Coach and Educator,

Solutions and Support for Optimal HealthRichmond, B.C. Canada

http://www.lifestyleforlongevity.com/

http://www.losetwentypoundsnow.com/

Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Sweet Tooth?

2009-06-16T23:49:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Did you see Dr. Oz on Oprah today? An overweight couple had been invited on the show--he was about 100 pounds overweight, and his girlfriend wasn’t far behind. Dr. Oz measured his heart rate, examined him and told him he had diabetes as well—diabesity. Both the man and his girlfriend went on –no, not a diet—but a lifestyle change. Actually, the man himself decided his whole lifestyle had to change. Good-bye doughnuts.

Several months later he had lost dozens of pounds. Both he and his girlfriend had taken up the recommended exercise and were happy with their progress. The man actually demonstrated about a dozen push-ups on a swissball right in front of an appreciative audience.

What struck me was that, after Dr. Oz told him his weight would shorten his life by about a dozen years he immediately decided that he would have to eat differently, start exercising and generally change his lifestyle.

Wouldn’t it be great if every obese person made that decision? Better still, when you feel those darned jeans getting a bit tight, when you go swish swish every time you walk, why not stop, make a decision to change your lifestyle and stick to it.

Why wait until weight is combined with diabetes? At that point you’re looking at a life-shortening future. Think of the effect it would have on your loved ones—more importantly, ask yourself if you’d enjoy getting arthritis in the knees, pricking your finger several times a day, losing your eyesight, getting gout and losing a foot, or a leg…

Have you ever set a fitness goal? Do you have a friend who’ll check in on you on a daily basis, cheer you on and celebrate each pound you take off, every time you give your heart a break?

Or, better still, what if that friend knew how to help you make food choices according to your particular needs and preferences, who knew what exercise regimen would work best for you, so that you’d build muscle rather than just lost fat…a friend who really understood how the body worked and could help you make wise choices so that you reached your goal in the safest possible way? That friend is called a professional health coach..

Call me if you’d like to know more about how this works. Try it on for size! Best to pick up the phone and get a free consultation.

Cheers for now,

Jacquelyn Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.lifestyleforlongevity.com/
http://www.losetwentypoundsnow.com/
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Sugar is Sweet and So Are You

2009-06-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

So you’ve been diagnosed, and been given a prescription , and now you are looking at ways to deal with diabetes.

Rob said the most difficult thing was to have to prick his fingers several times a day, and that he dreaded the thought of having to do this for the rest of his life. I asked him who’d told him he’d have to do this for ever. “Well”, he said, “no one I particular”, but everyone was telling him he had to learn to manage his diabetes, not cure it. He was quite freaked out about having to give up so much. He then “fessed up that, before heading home after work, he stopped by at the pastry shop and picked up his last apple pie.

Rob! You’re not on death row!!!

I asked Lynn, who had been through something similar last year, to talk to Rob. Lynn has been on the lifestyle program for over a year, lost twenty pounds, and not missing sweet “treats” at all. Rob was surprised to hear that she had lost her sweet cravings, and that, best of all, she felt she was thinking clearly once again.

I explained top Rob that we would take a good look at what had brought him to this point, and that he would have to decide whether or not he wanted better health outcomes down the road.

You see, Rob didn’t have to give anything up—that’s not the point at all.

The point is, where does Rob want to go now that he’s been diagnosed? Does he want to eventually lose a foot, or maybe a whole leg? Does he want to go blind? Does being 100 pounds overweight make it easy for him to move around? Does he know that diabetes is often the forecaster of a heart condition, and in his case this could already have happened?

I guess Rob needs to decide what it is he wants. Once he’s done this, we can move ahead with the lifestyle changes. And we’ll do them one at a time. Lynn made the decision, and although she does have the occasional waffle, she doesn’t inhale the dinner-plate-sized ones she used to.

Rob wants to know how to make lasagna that tastes like the real thing, not something made with tofu! No probs. Ann Lindsay has a fabulous recipe, and I’ll e-mail it to him right now.

If you want it too, just shoot me an e-mail or enter a comment.

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

Diabesity Band-Aid

2009-06-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Do you ever watch those antacid commercials on TV? I saw one right in the middle of a news program this morning: first, you see a guy with an ear-to-ear grin eyeing a large, juicy hot dog with eager anticipation. Next frame, you see the same guy reaching for salvation in a bottle of antacids!

Now, let’s stop there a minute. If he knew the hot dog was going to produce acid reflux, why on earth did he eat it in the first place? (Is there nothing else to eat?) That was a rhetorical question, by the way.

The same goes for people struggling with diabetes and obesity—diabesity. Most people who got there. i.e. became diabesitics, did so on their own steam. And how? By blindly chomping away on the worst of the North American diet. And you know I don’t mean sinking their teeth into organic carrots.

You might just want to make a game of this. Take this week’s flyer from your favourite supermarket. Check off all the items that come in boxes. Most of them have too much salt—sometimes a week’s worth in a serving—too much white sugar, and some hidden sugars the manufacturers “forgot” to mention, plus a healthy dollop of fat. Anyone who doesn’t know what this looks like should go see one of those Oprah shows where Dr. Oz does a demo on a massive lump of fat. That’s guaranteed to gross you out at least till the next meal. Then go watch a program where he shows you the inside of a clogged artery. I don’t know which is the prettier sight. Now go cross off the boxed items from your shopping list.

When you are overweight you carry around a number of hidden killers. Your arteries are inflamed, your sinuses are inflamed, and you have difficulty breathing. Add Diabetes to the mix and you have a few major organs in distress—and that’s not just your pancreas. Why are you eating that stuff? You probably don’t know it, but you’re addicted to fake food. When that happens your body protests, and the fat cells increase in number to envelop all the toxins your body can’t handle.
Fake food leads to fake hunger, and you reach for more of the same.

Look in the mirror and see yourself in profile. Is that the profile you send out to all who see you. How many more years have to go by before you decide in favour of yourself? Oh, and by the way, how are your knees? Call me if you’d like to see a safe way out.

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

Diabesity in the Crystal ball

2009-06-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach.

Someone sent me an e-mail today with the recent diabesity stats. In less than a decade half of all Americans will have diabetes. How’s that for fun?

Diabetes, obesity, heart disease, kidney disease, arthritis, especially in the knees-- these are all signposts on the road to an early demise. And yet large numbers of people are still routinely drinking pop, eating empty calories out of cereal boxes, swallowing whole bags of chips, then gaping with wide-eyed surprise when the doctor tells them they have diabetes.

Upon diagnosis Steve moaned “The doc says I have to attend a diabetes management course, and that means I’ll have to eat vegetables and fish”. Well, yes, Steve, last I checked those were items defined by the dictionary as “food”. He wanted to binge on all the pop and chips he could find in the kitchen first.
Now let’s sit down and talk, Steve.

Do you or do you not believe that you have diabetes? Do you or do you not believe that you have to lose some weight? He had complained that stairs were a real pest, especially going down. He had to hold tight onto the banisters as he could not see his feet. Then the knees would start creaking and the pain would shoot up and down the leg with each step.

Years ago the doctor had told him he’d have to lose some weight. He had maintained his ritual of home-couch- supper-couch. And while on the couch he’s downed a couple of beers. And who drinks beer without chips, or peanuts?
When Steve eventually came for coaching he had also been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat.

I had, in fact, dropped a gentle hint about diabetes a couple of years before, when he started acquiring a substantial muffin-top. How big must the elephant in the room be before we acknowledge it? Well now he had to go round with a brace on each knee, and with summer upon us the knees are heating up and he has a rash on top of it.

Know anyone like Steve? I do. I met a former colleague at the movies last week. She waved to me with three fingers as she shoehorned her 190 pounds into the seat, a bag of artificially-buttered popcorn and a supersized pop in the waving hand. I went by at the end of the movie. She was in agony as she tried to yank herself out of the seat, her knees were killing her.

I have to tell you, I rest my case.

See you tomorrow. I’m going to have some blueberries. Want some?

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

Weighting at Emergency

2009-06-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

I spent a day at the Emergency last week, as my Mom had to be admitted for some leg issues. Ever waited while a loved one was wheeled in and out for treatment? You walk down numerous corridors and meet a lot of medical personnel. Most looked overworked and weary that day, as did the security detail present in all corners of the emergency department.

One other thing I observed: the weight of so many members of the attending professions. Many could have lost 20 pounds. Some could have lost 100. What is happening to the very personnel that’s supposed to be modeling the desirable body weight?

As I stood at my Mom’s curtain I could hear the 250-pound security officer pant. She was leaning against a pillar, just keeping an eye on things, not even walking or escorting someone out. Laboured breathing…now, you all know how the heart and lungs work as a team; well, her heart was protesting the lack of cooperation from the lungs. What would have happened if someone had needed escorting out in a hurry? Or if a drunkard had decided to wander into a cubicle? Would she have had a heart attack? Wonder whether she had diabesity, the lethal combo of diabetes and obesity.

There were a number of patients being moved in and out of the Emergency on stretchers. The nurses have a way of moving people expertly off a stretcher, but what a call on manpower! It takes at least four people and a couple of pulled back muscles to lift a patient off a stretcher and onto a bed; no wonder my nurse friend Carrie tells me many of her colleagues have had to take sick leave on account of back pain. Not good, when we are experiencing a shortage of nurses. My local hospital has had to invest thousands in crane-like hoists to help with the job.

Last night I saw an amazing Japanese robot that could make delicate sushi dishes. Looks like we’ll soon have to invest in robots that scoop 250-pounders off a gurney and onto a bed. That’s unless we get serious about prevention. Know anyone with arthritis? Watch for tomorrow’s blog, and in the meantime, you can enter any comments or questions you want in this one. See you soon.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.lifestyleforlongevity.com/
http://www.losetwentypoundsnow.com/
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Muffin-Top Strikes Again!

2009-04-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

I had parked my car outside a store this morning, next to a car whose left side mirror was about an inch from my right one. Any closer and the two mirrors would have danced the tango.

Just before I entered the store I heard a man say “Oh heck”. Turning around, I saw his mid-section practically touching the two mirrors. He tried to short-cut it sideways to the store, but couldn’t wedge himself between the mirrors, nor would his muffin-top allow him to bend low enough to duck under them. Alas! He had to walk around my car to get into the store. (Too much of an exertion!)

Weight had its advantages for some of the kings of antiquity who had themselves weighed on scales balanced by gold bars, but can you see any advantages today of carrying it around?

He was probably at risk for weight-related problems like diabetes, if he didn’t already have it. I wondered about the many other ways his weight was inconveniencing him on a day-to-day basis. Did he have any idea what was going on inside his body, as he carried all that mid-section fat around with him? Did he know he was at (high) risk for diabesity?

And what if the swine ‘flu started spreading? Could his body deal with the bug in addition to trying so hard to handle the toxins wrapped up in each of his tummy cells?

Wonder if he knew anything about the way his weight compromised his immune system. Or whether he knew he could lose the muffin-top quite easily, if he had the right information?

It was quite an effort for him to double back and walk around: think about it—it was tough to walk around the perimeter of one car! Oh dear!

Hmmm…next steps for him? And the one in three Canadians like him?

Cheers, and keep washing those hands. It’ll help keep the bugs at bay, wherever you are.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.lifestyleforlongevity.com/
http://www.losetwentypoundsnow.com/
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabesity and Beating Swine 'Flu

2009-04-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Diabesity, as we know, complicates any condition. Including the much-talked-about Swine ‘Flu. Don’t you find that Every TV station you turn on talks about swine flu? Most people haven’t got it, thank heavens, but it seems to have eclipsed all other conditions.

We are reminded to wash our hands, cover up when you sneeze or cough, stay away from crowds, and talk to your doctor. How many times have you heard this in the last few days?
It seems there’s only one disease left on the face of the earth.

Yes, it’s serious, and yes, it could spread further. But don’t forget the buddy system.

Diseases have a way of buddying up with one another. So, if you have extra weight, it weakens your immune system, and if you have it in the mid-section, you have it in the worst possible place. It makes an enemy of the liver, and wreaks mischief all over your body. Ever seen someone with a beer-belly?

Do you have a muffin-top? If you do, you are providing the Swine ‘Flu with a welcome mat. There are many other things you need to do other than get a vaccine. Like eat your greens, for instance. And get the right kind of sleep, and drink the right kind of water-- the very lifestyle choices you need to combat diabesity!

The first step could be to go to my website and download the free report on the right of this page. There are many clues there for crafting a lifestyle for longevity. Isn’t that what matters most to you?

Cheers,

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.lifestyleforlongevity.com/
http://www.losetwentypoundsnow.com/
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Diabesity and Swine 'Flu

2009-04-27T23:54:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed. Diabesity Coach.

Friend Lynn of the no-exercise club calls me from across the country. “So, what’s the deal with swine ‘Flu?” Her son had booked a trip to Mexico with his graduating class, and Lynn wanted to know if she should let him go. Some of his buddies were backing out.

Look, Lynn, if you’re at the beach and the lifeguard puts up a sign saying sharks are in the water and they are swimming dangerously close to shore, would you still jump in and swim?

Honestly!

Now Lynn works in an office where her friend Gary had just got back from Mexico. Geary is now so scared he’s become Mr. Handwash King, and is telling everyone at the office they have to scrub, scrub, scrub! Lynn actually went round with Gary and a large can of Lysol wipes, disinfecting every doorknob in sight. A great start. Lynn wanted to know what else she could do.

I suggested she stock up on veggies and fruits. If the swine virus does spread, people will have to quarantine themselves at home, so it’s wise to be prepared. Now, Lynn had a bright idea. Maybe this would be a good time to lose some serious weight, as her daughter’s wedding’s coming up, and the plans she’d had to lose twenty pounds before for the June wedding had (sigh) to be put—er--on hold-- on account of the pre-wedding preparations.

I told her yes, it would be good for the wedding, but even better as a buttress against the swine ‘flu. But how? Well, Lynn, if you’re overweight, the fat cells rush around swallowing up toxins so as to protect you from toxic overload. And where do most of the fat cells lurk? Why, around the mid-section, of course!

Really?

Yes, Lynn, really. So get juicing. There are many other reasons for losing twenty pounds now. Take a look at the report on my site: download it and read it. Go here now: www.losetwentypoundsnow.com

Cheers,

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

Mind If I Lift The Armrest?

2009-04-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, Diabesity Coach

Ever been asked this question on a plane? I have, and it was a full plane, so I couldn’t even have changed seats. The asker was clearly obese, maybe twice my size, and asked the question while lifting the armrest.

Did you hear the TV host’s question today—should obese people have to purchase an extra seat? He asked for interactive responses, and they came flying in via social networking, e-mail and phone. I e-mailed him with my opinion, saying, among other things, that it was time we called the diabesity epidemic by its name and dealt with it.

It really wasn’t a question that could have been answered with a simple yes or no: a part of it was, but there were side issues to deal with.

One TV commentator said the airline industry should recognize that it’s a service provider; they should offer accommodations for different-sized passengers. She also noted that seats had been reduced to two-thirds their original size, so many people were having trouble fitting themselves into seats in general. She added that if obesity were legally declared a disability, an accommodation would have to be made. But how to deal with the fact that two-thirds of the population is obese, with a further percentage morbidly so?

If obese passengers were to pay for two seats, how would they fasten the seat belt? How could airlines anticipate the number of obese passengers to expect on any flight? Apparently, lawsuits have been looming large (no pun intended). The obese have rights!

That’s fine, but how about people who maintain a healthy body mass index, and who have to endure the girth of a seat-mate expanding to touch them: arm to arm, thigh to thigh, for hours on end? They too have paid for a seat, not two-thirds of one. Rights? Hel-loooooo!

The diabesity epidemic is raising many issues: can it really be said that it’s none of anyone’s business how much they weigh? Is that not like the issue smokers raise about it being none of anyone’s business if they smoke?

Let me know what you think by placing a comment in the section below. If you know anyone who needs to lose twenty pounds (or more) do send them to my downloadable report on the right of this page.

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

Cardboard Tastes Great!

2009-04-14T23:35:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

Do you sometimes see people spending more time at the supermarket reading labels than making purchases? When I went into the supermarket today I espied a woman who must have weighed 300 pounds walking in through the opposite door. Diabetic? A little weight in the way? High blood pressure?

We each went our merry way, and, I kid you not, twenty minutes on, we both finished shopping at the same time. While she was busy picking up her purchases I was at an impressive display of granola bars, challenging myself to find one that didn’t have high-fructose corn syrup. A marvelous diabetes factory.

Almond-cranberry, corn syrup; peanut butter raisin, corn syrup. Multi-berry flaxseed, high fructose corn syrup, cashew multi-seed, high fructose corn syrup, pumpkin seed raisin multi-grain, yep! You guessed it. Not to be outdone, the sugar content was between 11 and 16, and those that had dried, sugar-laden fruit had even more.

I had visions of all those pancreases screaming “nooooooooooooooooooooo”. And all those livers saying “Think I don’t have enough slave labour on my hands?”

A lot of those bars would have gone towards fuelling that three-o’clock slump, or a child’s snack, building a lifelong addiction to sugar, especially the refined type, and lots if hidden salt. In fact, there was a brand called “sweet and salty”. At the back of the store were a few attractive little wagons filled with cookies of every stripe, loudly proclaiming that they were TRANS-FAT FREE. Notice, folks, we DON’T HAVE ONE MIILIGRAM OF TRANS FAT. Fine. Let’s do a bit of reading here.

Yep! They were all made of enriched white flour, all equally enriched with white sugar, Many made with palm oil, some with margarine. Quit already, I heard myself saying. So I moseyed over to the checkout, whole pineapple in hand, when I espied my friend again, in the next line-up. She had a whole stack of boxes—no meat, fish or chicken, not even the succulent roasters the store is known for. Just boxes. Granola, cookies—the trans-fat free ones, and crackers with enriched flour.

Now, was there maybe a smidgen of a chance she might be the consumer of said products? Might there be a connection between food choices and the size of her mid-section? Wouldn't she have been better off eating the boxes?

I’d better rest my case. I wish I could have sent her to this page so she could download my free report. Do it, OK, then ask all your overweight friends to do the same. The nation’s health is at stake.

Choose well!

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

Station's GONE NUTS!

2009-04-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed. Diabesity Coach

Have you seen that amazing 4-minute video shot in Antwerp, Belgium? Now, if someone were to start that in every place where people gathered, I imagine it would make a serious dent in the Diabesity epidemic. No one would be overweight, type 2 diabetes would be given the boot, and our health care systems would heave a giant sigh of relief!

In case you haven’t seen this terrific video, you’ll find it on You Tube at “The Sound of Music @ Antwerpen central”. Wonderful! I watched it several times, and picked up some different reactions each round.

Over 200 dancers of different ages performed their version on “Do-Re-Mi” in Antwerp’s Central Station, to the consternation of people rushing to catch their trains. People were whipping out their phone cameras, a toddler was hoisted on Dad’s shoulders so he wouldn’t miss a beat, a woman in exotic garb just couldn’t resist tapping her toes to the rhythm, and contagious smiles quickly replaced the stress on commuters’ faces.

How did that come about?

A Belgian TV station looking for someone to play “Maria” put on the stunt to scout out the right talent. Bystanders caught up in the familiar melody clapped to the rhythm, and the sheer joy of those who joined in, whether cascading down the stairs or just milling around the dancers was unmistakable.

A perfect example of what exercise, in whatever form, does for you. It leaves us feeling wonderful, gives us a mood shift, and keeps our brains firing on all cylinders.

What if we each got a few people around us every morning, noon, afternoon, evening, whenever—and started dancing to “Do-Re-Mi”! I have a faint suspicion we’d catch the happy bug. And if we kept it up for a month, what do you think the possibilities would be? Ladies and gentlemen, it’s suitable for all ages!

The alternative is what made me write the report on the right of this page. Download it and see. Then do leave me a comment when you’ve watched the You Tube video.

Re, a drop of golden sun to you!

Jacquelyn

Kathy's "Bright" Idea

2009-04-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed. Diabesity Coach

If you read yesterday’s blog you will recall how Kathy called me to ask for the magic diet, one that would take care of her diabesity and make her lose twenty pounds in five weeks. Oh, yes, a diet that would make the weight that took a decade to accumulate go “poof” and disappear like magic in five weeks.

Her son was getting married in June, and she absolutely had to shed the weight plus get the diabetes under control before the big day. She wanted to look good in the wedding pictures.

Those who read the blog also know my answer; it was a José classic. (No way).

Kathy had made up her mind that she needed to lose the weight, and that dieting was the way. Little did Kathy know that I had a couple more plans up my sleeve.

So, no wonder that a second call came, saying she had already started dieting, that she had already taken the initiative and juiced six vegetables for breakfast, and was going to have a salad for lunch, and had signed up with the gym. I told her to be sure and make an appointment with her doctor for the next day, as she would keel over by Day 2.

You know, weight is something like an iceberg. What you see houses a story that you have to look under the water to see the rest of.

Weight loss, to be permanent, has to address what’s under the water as well. If you don’t, my dear Kathy, you will probably slice off a few pounds in the first little while, only to have them sneak back in through the back door. And you can’t just sign up at the gym. You need to know whether the gym is even the right thing for you.

I need to look at your medical history, have your doctor’s release, and address what’s between your ears while leading you through the program safely. “Goodness me, I had no idea there was so much involved!” Yes, Kathy, there is. This is a serious decision, and we both need to take it seriously.

If you want to know how seriously, do download my report on the right side of this page. Questions? Feel free to send them my way as well. You have plenty of space for them in the box.

Cheers,

Jacquelyn

Wedding Diet—HURRY!

2009-04-11T23:52:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach.

That was quite a phone call yesterday. “Jacquelyn, this is Kathy! Ben’s getting married in June, and I need to lose twenty pounds yesterday! Put me on the right diet!”

My friend went on to say that she did not intend to be the only overweight woman in the wedding pictures, especially as Mother of The Bride, she’d probably be in the front row in all of them. Diabesity and all. Not exactly something to look forward to.

Four years ago, when I hinted to Kathy that her Type 2 Diabetes could be brought under control if she shed a few (20+) pounds, her response was yes, but she had to get this reno done first, then go to Ben’s graduation from medical school, then go visit her daughter in Oregon to see her new grandchild, then plant her new veggie garden…

Funny, isn’t it, this woman thing that drives us to take care of everybody and everything until a crisis hits us between the eyes? Kathy has been carrying on for years, knowing that she needed to release those pounds, but it was always more important to meet the family’s every need than fact the prospect of a heart attack with the accumulating weight.

It’s not that I hadn’t explained to Kathy over coffee four years ago that diabesity could lead to a heart attack, and that in fact 80% of diabetics die of it, it’s not that I hadn’t gone over her food patterns with her and given her all the tips she’d asked for—it was just that she’d had no time to shop properly, and that the family insisted on boxes of nutritionally bankrupt food and she’d happily gone along with it. (Sigh!)

This time I had to say OK, Kathy, so yesterday was April 10, and the wedding’s scheduled for June 21, the first day of summer. Yes, Kathy, no problem I could in fact show you how to lose twenty pounds by then. Trouble is, I’m not big on murder.

I could hear the clunk as her jaw hit the floor. The flurry of the pre-wedding activities is usually stress enough for someone in the best of health. For someone with diabesity? Not exactly the best scenario.

I told Kathy what we could do, but twenty pounds+10 weeks+diabesity would not be a safe thing to attempt. My program is a twelve-week one for a reason.

What would you have told Kathy? I asked her to (finally) download my free report –the one on the right of this page. I invite you to do the same, then put a comment on this blog telling me what you would have suggested to Kathy.

Watch this space! Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about the “bright” idea Kathy’s came up with in today’s call.

See you on the next blog.

Jacquelyn

Your Kid In The News?

2009-04-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach.

Big news today: 40% of our kids are obese. Then there were pictures of kids who have difficulty moving around, and pictures of the same kids scarfing down supersized burgers washed down with mega-sized pop.

These kids are at great risk of pre-diabetes, and might already have been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. Carrying all that weight around at the age of six hardly bodes well for their adult years. Especially if Mom and Dad see TV time as the greatest way to relax and the kids get … why don’t I just tell you about Meg and Jeff.

They were trying to console 10-year-old Sean on visiting day when he didn’t make the canoe team at camp last summer. Sean loved the water, loved canoeing on his own. When it came to being a member of the team, however, the other kids laughed themselves silly when he literally rocked the boat trying to get into it. This turned into hysterics when he then fell into the water, and had to be pulled out by a counselor.

It was all too much. After a tearful call home, he sat outside his cabin waiting for Meg and Jeff to come get him. But Meg wanted him to stay, as did Jeff, as it was only the end of the first week of a month-long camp.

The next day was parents’ day anyway, so Meg and Jeff showed up with treats coming out the ying-yang. There was a box with chocolate chip cookies, caramel popcorn, Twinkies, candy, jerky, chocolate bars, chips and pop.

Can you remember instances like that when you were growing up? When food, especially “health food” of that sort was the reward for when things went wrong? What message was Sean getting?

And so it goes. We have, perhaps all contributed to the obesity—and worse—diabesity epidemic sweeping our society today. Was it easier for Meg and Jeff to console young Sean with a mega-ration of sugary treats when he was miserable? Was it a good thing they sat down with him and watched the other activities eagerly munching some of those sugary treats with him? One wonders if that solved the problem or created new ones.

So we say we now have to introduce 30 minutes of daily physical education in schools. But we do this while Mom and Dad often cannot watch TV without munching on popcorn, even if it is right after supper. What’s this saying to the next generation of diabetics? And has this become a threat to public health, a challenge to the health care system? Who knows--Maybe Meg and Jeff could lose a few pounds themselves.

Let me know if you would have consoled young Emily or Zac that way. And see why most of the population could easily do with twenty pounds less. Download my free report offered on the right of this page and you’ll see why. Then do share your thoughts in the comment section below.

See you there.

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

No Toes? No Probs.

2009-04-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

I’ve been wondering why, in the face of clear evidence, people stil let obesity take over their lives. Even when that extra weight is clearly a precursor of diabesity, which is the combo of obesity and diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, amputation…and more.

At a seminar the other day I heard that denial was the perfect system. Could it be that we humans set it up to help ourselves deal with issues we’d rather not face? That, by the way, was a rhetorical question.

Have you seen that prime-time ad on TV where a guy gets into an elevator only to find himself in the company of a talking gorilla—an 800-pound one, of course? For those of you who don’t watch TV, the gorilla knows his human acquaintance hasn’t got his retirement funds sorted out, so he tells him what would happen if he did, at the same time implying what would happen if he kept pushing it aside.

Well, it’s the same with diabesity—I speak on the topic and I also observe this in people I know. Rob weighs 250 pounds and has diabetes. The doctor told him he would get gout and lose his toes if he didn’t lose some of that weight and stop eating fast food every day. (That’s 7 days a week) Rob kept up his visits to the fast food outlet, and in 2007, lost one right toe.

It was a horrific shock, but at Christmas 2008 Rob had his second foot operation, and is now hobbling around with three toes on the right foot, and some of the toes on the left foot are beginning to turn colour. Know the connection between that and diabetes?

Rob is still chomping on burgers and fries, washed down with root beer, and often beer of the more high-octane variety, which he drinks like water. He’s been warned about heart attacks, but he jokes that his heart is well-protected by all his layers of –ahem-- tissue. Wonder what’s in store?

Need we even wonder? What would you tell Rob is you had a chance? Take a look at my free report, which you can download from this page and make a list of 5 things if you can. Need further info? Feel free to contact me at jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com. I’ll be glad to give you a free 30-minute strategy session, especially if there are any Robs in your life.

Cheers for now,

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

THe "Shake and Starve" Aproach to Weight Loss

2009-04-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

Have you tried every diet under the sun? I have only done one in my life, by following a shake-and-starve program. Didn’t enjoy it at all, as it made me imagine I was hungry when I had no time even to be hungry. I kept it up for a week in school, by design, so that I wouldn’t think about it.

Turned out to be a crazy week, with staff meetings and sports events during the lunch hour every day. I wasn’t trying to beat diabesity or anything, I was just trying out a product to see how I would feel.

Although a good experiment in which I lost 6 pounds, it was a stressful week. The only good thing was I was the only teacher who arrived at each meeting 5 minutes after the bell, having already had lunch, rather than sandwich in hand.

That suited the kids fine, as the first thing they say when they see their teacher at an outdoor event is always “Can you hold my watch, my iPod, my phone—but don’t show it to anyone, my ring, my house key, my change…”

For those of you who have tried everything, how did your diet experiments go? I say that in the plural because most have tried pill and potions, patches and lotions, and, as a Health Coach, I’m curious how it all went for you. How many different ones did you try? And do you have any advice for others going the same route?

Also, as a health coach, I’m wondering what your reasons are for losing weight. A wedding? A class reunion? Something more personal? Do share. Plenty of room in the comment section for that. Meanwhile, feel free to download my special report from the right of this page.

Actually, you can quit experimenting and call me. You can get a free 30-minute strategy session on my site. Hope to shake your virtual hand soon!

Ciao for now,

Jacquelyn

Wow! One in Four Kids in Canada's Overweight!

2009-03-31T23:27:00.000-07:00

© 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

Diabesity and the Terrible Three

2009-03-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

© 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

Sleep Apnea and Weight Loss

2009-03-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

© 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

Obesity Linked To WHAT?

2009-03-28T23:13:00.000-07:00

© 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

Stress, Diabesity's Demon

2009-03-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

© 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

DIabesity in the Family

2009-03-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

© 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.

Diabesity's Inside Story

2009-03-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

© 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

A Weighty Matter

2009-03-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

© 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

Chicken or Egg?

2009-03-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

© 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.

Muffin-Tops

2009-03-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

© 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.

Insurance: Surprise Surprise!

2009-03-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

© 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.

Lynn, Joe and Diabesity

2009-03-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

© 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.

Squished in the atmosphere

2009-03-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

© 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!

Diabesity in the Workplace

2009-03-16T23:27:00.000-07:00

© 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.

Scrumptious Chicken Nuggets

2009-03-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

© 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

Got Diabesity?

2009-03-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

© 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.

Diabesity from Trans fats and Fries

2009-03-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

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.

Moms at Work

2009-03-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

© 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

Mothers who Hold Down a Job

2009-03-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

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

Inauguration

2009-01-23T19:26:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

Wasn’t it awe-inspiring, to see two million people there, all sharing the common hope of a better future? Wasn’t it heart-warming to know that so many from all over the world were sharing in the same sentiment at the same time? The Inauguration closed one chapter of history and opened the next. A great feeling, a shedding of one way of doing things in favour of another, a new resolve to do it right, to keep the dream alive.

You could say the same for yourself if you have chosen to stand in front of the mirror with a vision of yourself at the right weight, making new lifestyle choices, shedding the choice of empty calories in favour of a healthier way of life that will affect yourself, your community, your world. What does it take? One decision. One vision you want to pursue, and a readiness to do things differently from this moment on.

And why would anyone want to make this kind of change--Shed some pounds? Some do it for looks, to fit into the six-pack male ideal, some do it to fit into a wedding outfit, a ball-gown, and others because they know that, in the long run, they will fill the boomer years with much more fun because they’re more flexible, more agile, less tired, and able to resist infection much better. Much evidence is coming out now in Altzheimer’s research that shedding unnecessary weight will enhance brain health and stave off Altzheimer’s. If you’re a Baby Boomer you’ll probably be quite interested in having a disease-free retirement.

I attended a fascinating presentation on Altzheimer’s recently, and the eminent speaker said “eat less!”. At a recent seminar on colon cancer the researchers said “Lose weight!” At another on mental health, “Exercise!” At a course on chronic diseases, “Exercise!” How much more encouragement do we need? How much more evidence?

Faced with the worldwide epidemic of diabesity, the excessive consumption of sugars like high fructose corn syrup that converts into sugar faster than you can say “sweet”, taxing the pancreas, the liver, the kidneys, the heart, what is still holding you back?

A health inauguration might just do the trick. Out with the way it’s always been and in with the new, fresh and healthy. If you’re ready, for that change, and want to know how to do it safely without subsisting on bunny food, I invite you to visit my website at http://www.lifestyleforlongevity.com/ and post a comment telling me what your No. 1 health concern is.

Look forward to hearing 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

Diabesity in the Office?

2009-01-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

Are you in a chair a lot? If you are, diabesity could creep up on you.
Are you eating a lot of store-made lunches? Diabesity could be stalking you.
Are you stressed out by the time you get to work? Dying to say TGIF? Diabesity could be your evil twin.

I’m not trying to scare you, but there are some statistics out there. Diabesity is one of the biggest epidemics out there, and if you live on the American continent, someone you know probably has it. Someone you know could also be in the early stages of it and not know it.
So what on earth is the “Diabesity” thing? It’s simply the combo of excess weight and diabetes, and these twin monsters have a way of joining forces to do you in.

With the rush and stress of the workday it’s easy to make choices that fix an immediate problem, but end up helping you pile on those pounds and build up that sugar level in your system. You might be fighting that three-o’clock slump by reaching for the cookies in the drawer. Or a little trip to the office kitchenette, where you get a cup of coffee and throw in two teaspoons of white sugar. And so it goes. Before you know it, you find you’ve gone up a couple of sizes, sitting down more, feeling drowsy when you need to be alert, and wishing you were somewhere else. If this is accompanied by fatigue, it may be time to have your blood sugar checked.

Type 2 Diabetes, the kind most people develop gradually, and it’s often missed in its early stages, when it’s so easy to reverse. A good way of knowing whether to suspect it is to see if your height is less than double your waist measurement. Or, if you like, to measure your waist and see if it’s more than half your height. If it is, you might be heading for diabetes’ best friend, obesity. That morphs all too quickly into diabesity, which slows you down, gets you clothes that don’t fit, saps your energy and takes you on a downward spiral.

Want to know what else happens? There’s a whole chain reaction here that could end in something more serious than you’d care to bear.

I invite you to add your most pressing question to this blog. You can also download the free report from my website. Just fill in the slots on the right of this blog, then check your e-mail. Or call me for a free thirty-minute consultation. I look forward to hearing from you.

Here’s to a diabesity-free 2009.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator
http://www.lifestyleforlongevity.com/
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Whather you need to lose those 20 pesky pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.
Call me. 604.276.8673

Forerunners

2009-01-09T00:12:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

This year many people on the North American continent have been attending Snow University. Places with normal amounts of snow got more, places that usually get away with one mild snowfall a year got so much they were housebound. We learnt how to recognise the signs of impending snow: a ceiling of dark, low clouds, biting temperatures, and a compulsion to go home and wrap our hands around a mug of hot chocolate.

As with snow, there are signs that diabesity is looming. There are signs in the body that tell you that some lifestyle habits are leading to diabesity. For instance, if you check your BMI (Body Mass Index) and you are above 25 something could already be looming. If you smoke, if you have a habit of eating at night, especially past 7 pm, and especially carbohydrates, you might want to take a look at your nutritional choices. If you eat less than 5 servings of veggies a day…hmmm. And if your waistline measures more than half you height, time to see a coach. See what I mean?

How about sleep: are you getting eight hours? No? Don’t be surprised. Most inhabitants of the North American continent don’t either.. And when are you getting your sleep? (Oh, dear!) The average in our under-rested nation is six hours. Six out of twenty four! Do you know the implications? You never give your liver a chance to rest, so you have problems with sugar storage. Now you know the chronic disease that screams “Save me from sugar!” Do you pant just walking down the street? Aha! Heart working too hard, maybe? There are implications for all the other organs here. Do you snack on processed foods? Fried ones? Do you heat up a lot of ready-made dinners, with all their hidden sugars and excess salt? Does the bread you eat have enough fibre…or none at all? Do you load on a sugary dessert or any dessert commercially made after a perfectly adequate meal? Do you drink commercial juices out of bottles or boxes? All of them contain too much sugar, and do you really need them?

What about those clothes: been shifting that belt a hole or two or three recently? Or have the sizes gone north, taking you by surprise. Do you do resistance training? No? Then guess where those carbs go—not to your muscles, I suspect.

So you see what I mean: if your lifestyle habits could use a bit more thought, perhaps the time has come for a one-on-one look at the direction you’re going in. Many people play host to pre-diabetes for fifteen years before being told by their doctor they have diabetes. Do not think that the 800-pound gorilla will go away because you tell yourself it isn’t there. You could be in for years of finger-pricking several times a day, at a time when you HAVE to adjust your diet and deal with weight that takes ages to shed. You could wake up one day with full-blown diabesity. Why wait till then to discuss it with a professional? There will be more than ten related issues to deal with then.

Do you really want to wait till that happens, till diabesity comes thundering at your door?
I invite you to take a look at your current state of health by downloading my free report on the right of this screen. Then do visit my blog and post a comment. I’d love to hear from you, so call me for a free half-hour’s consultation of you feel some of the changes hinted at above have seeped into your life.

Talk soon:it might be an idea to keep diabesity at bay!

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

To Diet or Not To Diet, That is the Question

2009-01-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

Did you watch the Larry King Show this evening? It featured Oprah and her well-publicised struggle with weight. Dr. Oz, Michael Beckwith and Bob Greene, Oprah’s wise trainer, jigsawed their areas of expertise on obesity: in a nutshell, it’s not about weight loss—it’s actually about a change in your way of life.

At this time of year it’s clear from what we see, hear and read that many people are thinking about their weight. Right now, there is an interesting experiment being carried out in a Northern community in Canada, where Diabesity has reared its monstrous head. Some of the women were so obese they could barely get out of their chairs. Layer upon layer of double chins impeded their very speech. One member of the community was shocked to see that he had joined the ranks of the majority in being told by his doctor that he had Type 2 diabetes. Totally horrified, he immediately changed his diet, reversing his condition in short order. He then offered his services to anyone in the rest of the community who wanted to improve their lives.

Result? There is now a Government-sponsored university study being conducted there, with a nurse in attendance who checks the participants’ blood sugar regularly and gives nutritional advice. They have also changed their diet to reflect what their hunting-fishing ancestors once ate: seafood and fish oil, hunted meats.

Participants in the experiment have made one especially significant change: they have eliminated bread, potatoes, pasta and rice, even brown rice, and substituted cauliflower in its place. Many thought, at the outset, that the food would be bland and blah, but were pleasantly surprised to find it delicious, something they looked forward to eating. Gone were the fries and processed carbohydrates. They were eating the proteins their forebears used to enjoy, whole foods that had not seen the shadow of a processing machine. And they’re improving.

This is the power of one. One little strategic change is already making a difference. Might that be a good idea? Better still, an idea to try today? Imagine what would happen if , for a whole week—well no, let’s make it three days—we stopped consuming bread, potatoes, rice and pasta, and had cauliflower instead. Suppose we kept all the proteins of our choice and had generous helpings of cauliflower. And suppose this experiment spread all over the continent, and suppose we all kept it up for a month. What do you think the result would be? Hint: you’ll find some of the answers in my free report, which you can download from the link on the right. You can let me know what you think by writing a comment in my blog. Feel free to contact me as well, at the address listed below. One little change a day…call me to see what other changes you can make, how you can make them, when and why.

Wishing you lots of yummy florets,

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

Resolutions working?

2009-01-04T00:35:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

So, what did you pick at the buffet table?
All signed up and at the gym? All set to lose twenty pounds?
In many parts of the media we are already seeing questions like “Have you broken your New Year’s Resolutions yet?” As the festivities wind down we are faced with the reality that we may perhaps be a tad over our desired weight. Are you like my friend Tasha, who made a firm resolution to lose those twenty pounds, to trim that waistline, to slice off that tummy fat? This is the third day Tasha has been having vegetable juice for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and an orange for dinner. How long do you think she can keep Bugs Bunny company?

I hate to tell you this, but this ain’t gonna work. First, I’m just waiting for Tash to call and say she just had a whole, entire pizza. Secondly, after a New Year’s eve party where she ate and drank like she was going to be abducted by aliens on January 1st , can you imagine the shock to the system? Such contrasting diets make tremendous demands on the digestive system, leading its owner to crash and burn in short order.

Small wonder, though, that 21st century people make such decisions. We have been bombarded with every fad diet in town. “Eat these crackers and you’ll move down five sizes, have weight-loss surgery and feel like new, take slimmo-slammo pills three times a day and your weight problems will be gone, join the weight-loss contest, Dr. Jabbem’s weight loss diet: two shots a day keeps the fat cells away!” And so on.

You know as well as I do that none of those too-good-to-be-true fads is going to work. You body cannot handle those roller-coasters. Your heart will not tolerate them. The Tashas of the world need to know one thing: you don’t need a New Year’s Resolution: you need to decide what it is you really want.

You might like to know that 25 million Americans have diabetes, and at least as many have pre-diabetes, which means it’s not yet been diagnosed. You might be harbouring it right now. Weight and diabetes go together, more often than not. So much so that a term had to be coined about 2 decades ago: DIABESITY. This is such a huge medical concern that we now have worldwide stats on the spread of this condition. Diabetes is today’s top medical concern worldwide. This is what excess weight can lead to. Do you want to be part of that statistic? If not, what is it you want, and what are you prepared to do to make sure that’s so?

Do you know what else can happen if you’re overweight? You’ll find some of the answers in free report you see offered on the right of this screen. Do write a comment on this blog and let me know what it is you want for yourself health-wise in the coming year. Or call me at the number below for a free 30-minute consultation on your weighty concerns.

Meanwhile, a healthy, flexible New Year to you and yours. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Cheers for now,
Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator
www.lifestyleforlongevity.com
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 , coach

Check Out That Buffet Table!

2008-12-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

When were you last in front of a buffet table? With New Year festivities just round the corner many of us will find ourselves in front of one—a groaning one.

If you’re ringing in the New Year at a restaurant, chances are there will be enough food to feed an army. As you survey the mouth-watering displays think “sugars”. How many of these dishes—even the savoury ones—have added sugars? How many are re-heated versions of packaged appetizers? Then there’s the dessert table: I often wonder who thought up the portion sizes: after a full meal a one-eighth-sized piece of apple pie topped with ice cream could mean an extra 600-calorie load on your pancreas. Do you know what that means? (If not, feel free to call me). Hint: it begins with a “D”.

And before you cry “Kill-joy!” consider the amount of food people pile on at buffets. It’s no wonder there’s a worldwide Diabesity epidemic—a dangerous percentage of obese people who also have diabetes—or an overwhelming number of people who have pre-diabetes and don’t know it. Could you be one of them, by any chance?

Look at the proteins: steaks, roasts, slabs of salmon (farmed or wild?) . You actually don’t need any more than what could fit on your palm: a deck of cards is usually cited as the correct amount, but people come in different sizes. Then carbs: how many of those rolls are made of white flour? Enriched, no doubt—which means they have been stripped of all the good nutrients and had some added afterwards. What about the white flour content of the pasta, the cakes and the pie crusts? The speed at which these white ingredients convert into sugar is a story in itself. We’ll talk about the glycemic index in another blog.

Move over to the salads. If slathered with dressing they add another load while the pancreas screams “Enough!” Then we have the bread sticks, the croutons, and the bacon bits. Let’s move over to the dessert table: you won’t see it, but I’ll bet most of the offerings are made with white sugar: the meringues, the tarts, the colourful cakes, and—oh dear—the icing on the petits fours. All of these items magnificently colourful and attractive items are displayed in gorgeously uniform geometric shapes, row after row of Diabesity-inducing attractions. More work for the pancreas, and if it gets too tired, passed on to the liver. Then the kidneys, and the heart.

As you approach the groaning tables consider this: what are you looking for? What your body needs or what they eye wants. In 2006 the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring diabetes an international public health issue, only the second after HIV/AIDS to attain that unenviable status. As you approach the buffet table ask yourself of you want to be part of that global epidemic.

In the right-hand column you will see an offer for my free download. It gives you ten proven reasons for looking after your weight. Are you ringing in the New Year with great resolutions? If you’re ready to, call me for a free half-hour consultation.
The very best of health to you and your loved ones in 2009.

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

Great New Year Workouts

2008-12-29T12:22:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

How many machines have you tried out at the Gym? I enjoy using most of them at mine, from the rower to the abduction and adduction ones, plus the elliptical and the ones for the pecs and glutes. When it comes to cardio, however, I prefer a power-walk in the open air, preferably in the park, where I join forces with the scampering squirrels, the ever-nibbling bunnies and the stunning, teal-coloured mallards. Where do you walk?

I was out walking in the snow on the weekend when I espied a machine in the window of a health food store. Curious about this increasingly popular fitness device, I stepped in, and was given the opportunity to try out what I’d call the “stationary earthquake”. This is a machine that makes you feel as if you’re standing in a safe earthquake zone—how’s that for an oxymoron! You can stand on it as it tips you forward, backward and sideways, all the while buzzing up and down your muscles in a controlled and safe way.

It was a great experience. In many gyms around Richmond people are offering free tryouts; if you’re open to a new fun sensation and don’t have any of the health conditions listed on a chart on the wall, I would recommend a try. It gives you an awareness of muscles we take for granted, and muscles that need toning. And you’re tingling afterwards, aware of areas that need better circulation.

And no, you don’t have to rush out and purchase a machine—there are ample opportunities to get some basic muscle tone just by walking. You can get off the bus a stop earlier, walk your dog, walk to and from work if you’re close enough, do walking exercises at home by stepping in place or up and down stairs, and so on. Even if you happen to have hurt your feet you can simply do some pedaling while lying down on your bed or on a yoga mat.

The key is to get those muscles toned. Walking is an inexpensive way of getting your daily cardio boost. It moves those hormones around, stimulates the lymph glands, improves digestion, and leaves you feeling happier, brighter, and more flexible.

Here in Canada we have had a rather snowy December, and there’s still a good foot or two of snow on the ground. I have been getting a terrific cardio workout just by donning those boots and tackling the uneven surfaces, grooves and snow-banks in the city. Ten minutes into the walk you get so toasty-warm you wish there were a coat-check booth right there on the sidewalk! Bonus: if you’re walking in the park the birds will follow you.

When you get home you will have done your heart a favour, your brain will function more efficiently, you’ll have inhaled some invigorating oxygen into your lungs, and you’ll sleep without counting sheep. You’ll have given your entire system a workout, one we badly need in the months we spend largely indoors. And if you’re at work all day you’ll give yourself a break from all that fluorescent lighting.

Does a lunch-time walk outdoors tempt you? “What about lunch?” you say. Call me, and I’ll show you how to take care of that one. Even two lunch-time walks outside per week will help. I can think of at least 5 different ways they can benefit you while you still get all the nutrition you need.

This could also be step 1 towards shedding unwanted pounds and preventing diabetes; better still, avoiding membership in the Diabesity Club that is opening franchises all over the world.

To discover more, download the free report on the right of this screen. I look forward to seeing your comments in this blog post.

I’m off to the snowbanks now: join me?

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
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

Snow Whiteouts

2008-12-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed.

Which hemisphere do you live in? Where I live, in Vancouver, Canada, we have just experienced the heaviest snowfalls in decades.

Snow creates the proverbial winter wonderland here in Vancouver, but also traffic snarl-ups, slippery roads thanks to black ice, flight delays that had passengers sleeping on the floor in the International Airport as flight after flight got cancelled.

What does that mean for the weary passenger who just wants to get home for Christmas? It means dehydration and hunger. It means having too many people around you for too long. And it means sharing filtered air for maybe days on end with people who might have cold viruses, ‘flu viruses, coughs, you name it. And even if no one was generously sharing their germs, it means not being exposed to fresh air for very long periods of time. This means not being able to replace the oxygen in your lungs with oxygen that has been enhanced by wide open spaces where there are trees.

This is what happened to thousands of passengers stuck in airports throughout the snow-bound world. They had no choice. The irony is that many who do have the choice deprive themselves of the opportunity of refreshing their lungs with the best oxygen there is, the air in wide-open spaces where there are trees, birds and squirrels. I’m talking about the parks in our cities that lie largely empty in winter, while we play host to germs of all sorts in centrally heated buildings.
What happens to the lungs when they do not have oxygen-rich air and the healthy energy that comes from being in the open air? They lack the ability to renew the blood as they’re supposed to, replacing leftover carbon dioxide with an infusion of blood-enhancing oxygen. On most of my daily walks in the snow of the nearby park I see about ten people, tops. They are not using the park as a short-cut to the office, as they do in summer. They are there by choice, taking a walk, photographing the rabbits and squirrels, bird-watching, feeding the ducks, or building a snowman. They’re in no hurry to leave, as they’re bundled up for the weather in scarves, coats, warm gloves and boots. (Those of you in warmer climes must be chuckling) They will go home with a big boost to their immune system. The very pleasant workout leaves you glowing, with an increase in feel-good hormones and a ton of energy.

I mentioned irony in this situation earlier. Doesn’t it seem ironic that the stranded passengers were trapped in the airport in filtered air for days while people who had the freedom to circulate were not availing themselves of the great opportunity to rejuvenate their lungs? These are choices we make. Why do you think we make them? Every health decision is a choice. Healthy nutrition is a choice. Exercise is a choice. Being a couch potato is a choice. Taking deep breaths of fresh air is a choice. Munching junk food is a choice. Weight loss is a choice. Not paving the way to diabesity is a choice.

Visit my website at http://www.lifestyleforlongevity.com/ and download the free report to read about ten more choices. Then call me for a free consultation to see if the choices you make for your health are enhancing your longevity. Do feel free to post a comment on my blog: I’d love to hear from you.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

Whether you need to lose those pesky 20 pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.
Call me. 604.276.8673

Turkeyed Out?

2008-12-27T10:42:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed

Have you broken the dessert record? Been on the scales today? I hope you had a great time with family and friends. And now the Day of Reckoning has come. How are the scales treating you?

At this time of year may people look in the mirror and wonder if they aren’t related to the guy in a red, fur-lined suit—shape-wise, that is. Don’t you wonder how he gets down those chimneys?

You wouldn’t happen to be one of them, by any chance? In a week the media will be full of reminders that this is the time to make new years’ resolutions. Yes, 2009 is just round the corner. Have you seen all the ads on TV that offer Diet A, Diet B and Diet C? Each one is the best, of course. Each one promises that you can have pasta and lasagna, chocolate and dessert. Each one tells you how easy it is: just get the pre-made meals and watch the pounds fall off.

You may be among those who want to believe this. After all, don’t we all know people who have been on these diets and gone down five sizes? Sure, and would you mind telling me how much they put back on after three months? Gym memberships have a way of shooting up in January and petering out by April. So are you a member of the Gung-Ho club, signing up in January, only to lose momentum by April? “How did that happen?” you ask. “I got one of those diets in January 2008, signed up for the Gym, lost 2 pounds, then life happened, and now I’m back to Square One”.

Well, I hate to tell you this, but if you’ve been doing this for a number of years, you’ll probably never see Square Two. There’s enough research out there telling us that 99% of people can’t do it on their own, can’t get to their target weight and stay there without some sort of accountability. And this accountability takes the form of a coach, a health coach who customizes a regimen for you that includes the nutrition you should be having, the exercise that fits your body type, and a host of other elements to be jigsawed into a plan for you to lose at least the first twenty pounds you’ve been struggling with. I invite you to visit my site and download that the free report giving you Ten Proven Reasons Why You Must Lose Twenty Pounds Now. You can leave your questions and comments on my blog before or after reading the report, or both. I look forward to hearing from you.

This would be a good week to think about what you want to do with those twenty pounds that could lead to Diabesity. You are welcome to call me for a free thirty-minute consultation.

Talk soon!

Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
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

‘tis the Season To be Merry… So let’s all bring out the Sherry…

2008-12-06T23:19:00.000-08:00

Do you have a number of social events to attend this week? How about next week? Is your company among those that have decided to eliminate the Office Party for economic reasons? Maybe you’re among those who are glad this is happening, because you feel that current times call for austerity measures.

Some offices are having The Party, scaling back just a little, but I do hope there is still room for a symbolic yuletide gesture of appreciation for the people who make it all happen. A friend of mine, who does the marathon rounds this time of year, tells me that he gets quite tired of the same little processed finger-foods they pass around. These are generally supremely tasty, full of salt, hidden sugars, and ghosts of nutrition. By the time the third gathering rolls around, he is screaming to go home and sit down to a plate of plain pasta seasoned with nothing, washed down with a gallon of water.

Now, while food and wine enjoyed in the company of kindred spirits have a deeply historical significance, would you take a look at the traditional offerings? Egg Nog, for example, is made from ingredients similar to those of ice cream—in fact, if you exclude the spirited version, you have an ice cream recipe! So we drink liquid ice cream—oh I know, it’s a source of magnesium, but along with the calories that come from the liquor it in itself makes for a rich and fattening meal. And do you need a second helping of everything, especially gravy, and are you happy to retire, stuffed and seeing spots in front your eyes, much like Garfield after he’s inhaled an entire dish of lasagna?

A friend of mine who did medical research in the African country of Cameroon told me this: When the hunter-gatherer males kill a large and tasty beast they bring it home in triumph, whereupon the womenfolk prepare the meat for consumption by man, woman and child. When the meal is ready, they eat. And eat. And eat. At the end of the meal their bellies are distended, much like the paunches of our beer-bellied friends here in North America. Then, barely able to move, they graduate to a long nap. This makes perfect sense in that part of the world, as they do not expect the next meal to come till about four days later, when they have to go hunting again. Life there is one continual cycle of hunt, roast, eat and sleep. Is this beginning to sound too familiar for comfort? Oh, and my friend did notice that not one of the tribesmen he observed had an ounce of fat on him. I wonder why.

So now, after all the festivities at work we continue the food-fest at home. This is wonderful as far as the company goes, and as long as we don’t think we’re on a cruise. Good food is one of the warmest expressions of friendship and good cheer. Like everything it is best enjoyed in moderation. Overloading the liver and tempting the pancreas with an assault of sugary invaders will have its consequences.

Is your festive fare conducive to good cheer, or to obesity—and its frequent companion—diabetes. Have we got a recipe for Diabesity here?

Go plans for your festive menu? Do share it with us at

www.lifestyleforlongevity.com There’s lots of room for your comments—just scroll down and enlighten us!

Good cheer to all !

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.

www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
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

Ahhhhhh-Chooo!

2008-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

Have you seen that ad on TV of a woman wheezing and sneezing, just about to give up the ghost, while a jingle in the background sings “shall I go or shall I stay”? Next up, you see a magic product that is going to make her feel so well she can go to work. Surprisingly, she makes the decision to stay at home, and the next shot shows her sitting blissfully in bed, all smiles, and every sign of 'flu misery wiped off her face. She has, of course, taken the magic potion.

And have you noticed the number of magic elixirs being marketed to help you mask your cold symptoms? Fast, effective solutions out of a bottle? They’re about as good for you as the fast effective solutions other people get out of another kind of bottle.

I wonder where this compulsion comes from that makes us keep going no matter what. Picture this: you’re feeling miserable and feverish, your head is spinning and your nose is running faster than an Olympic sprinter, and all you want to do is stay in bed and sleep. Yet many an ad says “take this and go to work”. No one will even know you have a cold. And so you take a dose of this magic potion and soldier on. You drive when you should be sleeping, you walk into the workplace with about 50% of your normal energy, and you “attack” the task at hand somewhat more slowly than normal.

You also make a contribution to the workplace germ pool. You leave millions of them on desk-tops, the paper you handle, the coffee-machine, the photocopier…and goodness knows where else. As the day wears on you get the symptoms back that you had at 6 am and you drag yourself around, determined to get through the day, dreaming every minute of the moment you get home and back into bed. Oh my, what a valiant soldier you are.

Folks, that’s presenteeism at its worst. You haul your physical self to the workplace, denying that you really ought to let your body do its job, and slowing everything down (except the multiplication of germs) in the process. You are physically present, but that’s about all. You’re feeling woozy, and I wonder who is benefiting from your being there.

Now here’s a thought: a cold isn’t just something you catch, like the measles or chickenpox. It’s your body telling you you’re overloaded with toxins, and that you need to give your liver, among other things, a chance to do the inner laundry. Contrary to popular belief, there is no substitute for tons of rest and lots of fluids. Chicken soup wouldn’t hurt either. Masking the symptoms means introducing even more toxins into your body, paving the way for the next cold. Ever heard people say “I just keep getting one cold after another". Well it’s usually not a new cold, but the old one you never allowed to quit.

What’s the alternative? You decide. Maybe it’s time to listen to your body, to have a plan for getting real, for leaving the symptoms behind forever. Want long-term solutions? No idea where to start? I invite you to go to www.lifestyleforlongevity and download the free report. You will see how the little things we do to damage ourselves on a daily basis can have long-term consequences.

In the meantime, try some real chicken soup—not the processed stuff out of a can, and get back under those covers.

Sniff-be-gone!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
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

You snooze, you win!

2008-12-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed.

When I asked my former high school students what they planned to do on my next Professional Development Day, there was a chorus of “SLEEP!” When I asked friends who worked in an office, the response was “SLEEP!” My friend the night-duty nurse? “SLEEP!” My commercial pilot neighbor? “SLEEP!” Guess what my friend with twin baby boys wants for Christmas—no, not two front teeth, but a Two-Ton Sleep!

Is there anyone who doesn’t want to sleep in tomorrow, or have one of those dream offices (no pun intended) in Japan where they actually have a sleep room that employees can retreat to for a twenty-minute respite from the pressures of the computer screen? Ah-ha! Is that lost company time? What’s your take? It may well be one of the most enlightened ways of improving the ROI, not to mention of providing a more humane workplace.

We used to talk about eight hours of sleep per night, but in today’s conditions most working people count themselves lucky if they can get six, with seven being the height of luxury. Let’s say you do get six: are they hours of restorative sleep, or an hour wherein you wind down, four of fretful tossing and turning, and another hour in the half-conscious awareness (dread) of all you’ll have to accomplish in the day ahead? What have your hours of sleep done for you when you roll out of bed? Assuming, of course, that you haven’t been waken up by that rattling door, that light you suddenly remembered leaving on in the garage.

We have a tendency to eat more if we haven’t had a good night’s sleep. It’s just the body’s way of reaching out for some means of repair that sleep hasn’t given us. And so the dominos go: sleep deprivation leads to more food, often of the high-glycemic variety, more sugary stop-gaps lead to sluggishness; this often gives way to food choices that fill but do not nourish, vegetables and fruit go out the window, caffeine intervenes to keep us awake, and often interferes with sleep when we actually get into bed that night.

Oh dear! What does all that do for weight management? Well if you don’t get enough sleep your body has trouble managing the sugars you ingest. This produces cravings for all the wrong things. The liver does not get the nightly vacation it needs to get your food sorted out, the kidneys are totally confused, and your blood sugar soars. Your muscles lose their firmness, something made worse by a lack of exercise, and you eat just to keep those eyes open. Hmmm, I wonder f that has anything to do with the increasing incidence of diabetes and obesity we have in North America? Does this remind you of the lifestyle of anyone you know? Do you know what Diabesity can do to you, your family and your friends?

I invite you to find out by downloading the free report on my website. Then add comment to this blog. I’d love to hear your views on this.

Meanwhile, sweet dreams!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
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