Metabolic Balance Special $100 off for Aboriginal Diabetes Awareness Day - May 6, 2017

Have you tried countless times to control your Diabetes or lose weight to be proactive as Diabetes runs in your family, only to be unsuccessful?  Then you are just like me? Diabetes and Obesity is no stranger in my family lines!  I have also been told that I have fatty liver and I wanted to quit fattening it up and even de-fatten it if possible!  I found out it is possible with the Metabolic Balance program and I had such success with it, that I became a Metabolic Balance Coach. Not only can it reverse Fatty Liver, it also has helped many folks, the world over to successfully get off Diabetes medications and lose weight! 

Does Diabetes and Obesity keep you sidelined from fully enjoying life? 

National Aboriginal Diabetes Awareness Day is May 6, 2017 so for a limited time I will be offering $100 off to help those reach their weight loss goals. How much money have you already spent on countless fad diets that did not work.  I will not only providing this weight loss program at a reduced rate, but I will also be doing it in group format to provide that extra support needed for successful weight loss. Though this weight loss program will be done in a group format, it is still very much an individualized tailored program because it is based on over 30 of your own blood values. It also takes into account your likes, dislikes and food sensitivities. Even better, is that your local grocery store and farmers market can easily provide all the wholesome nutrient rich foods listed on your personalized nutrition plan. No buying expensive pre-packaged processed foods. 

Testimonials: 

"I went to my family doctors yesterday, he checked my blood tests,  everything is normal, I don't have fatty liver anymore! I am very happy!!!! Metabolic Balance is the best decision in my life. Thank you very much!"

"I was young and fond of food very much.  But slowly my Diabetes got worse and soon I was put on Insulin. My Blood Pressure starts getting uncertain, high and low.  So, I am put on other medication. My weight starts increasing.  My Insulin starts increasing.  My other medication starts increasing. It’s a ripple effect and a downward spiral. My Doctors never advised me that I will be off Insulin ever. I think that this is it, this is my life, full of medicine and Doctors and ill-health. I was on the following medicine:

• Metformin, 500MG, 2 tablets 2xdaily

• Metoprolol-tart, 50MG, 1/2 2xdaily

• Lisinopril/HCT20, 12.5MG, 1 tablet daily

• Amlodipine, 5MG, 1 tablet daily

• Teva-Rosuvastatin, 10MG, 1 tablet daily

• Lantus (Insulin), 33 units evening dose

• Humalog (Insulin) Morning Dose - 17 units, Afternoon Dose - 13 units

My daughter, who had finished her course in Holistic Nutrition, had advised me to go on the Metabolic Balance Program. 

Over the period from September 21, 2015 to February 2016 I have lost 65lbs and my wife has lost 25 lbs.  My waist line has reduced from 38 inches to 32 inches.  All my 78 units of insulin has been reduced to ZERO.  All my other medication I have stopped.  Without any medicine I feel so engaged and good.  My body starts producing the insulin it requires naturally."

This man has been an insulin dependent Diabetic for 42 years, since he was 28 years old. He is 70 years old now! If you want results like this and weight loss, than don't delay. 

"Two days have passed now since I have received my blood work results... I started MB on January 7... I remember the day because I found out I was allergic to magnesium and I thought this MB wasn't for me, BUT with the help from you I stuck to it and now I find my Diabetes has been reversed by at least 7 YEARS... yes my blood sugar hasn't been this good in 7 years, and I've stopped taking insulin... meaning 4 shots a day... gone from my everyday routine!!! Yes in JUST 3 MONTHS!!! I don't know if there are any diabetics in this group but I hope so.. My family doctor was amazed and said keep up the good work.. wanted to know what motivated me and well she had lots of questions about MB and actually googled MB while I was in her office. and just maybe she will tell other diabetic patients... I still have issues with fibromyalgia and pain associated with that condition, but I am confident that in months ahead this too will change for the better. I just know it.. I can feel it!!!

If you want to change the trajectory of your Diabetes on your health, than sign up for this group today. This offer only stands until May 6th, that is 6 short days to get in on this awesome weight loss Metabolic Balance program! 

What this 3 month group includes is:  

• Comprehensive Medical Blood Lab Testing,

• Individualized metabolic balance® food plan

• 1 1/2hr Private Introductory Consultation

• Email, phone and text support

• Colon Cleanse Supplement

• Private Facebook Group Inclusion

• Website links to recipes

• Group Coaching Program - meeting once a week first month, bi-monthly 2nd and 3rd month

Must register and pay in full, May 6th, and Individual sessions will take place the month of May, and Group will begin on Monday June 5, 12, 19, 26, and July 10 and 24, Aug 14 and 28. Go to the link below and fill out the form, payment in full must be received you May 6, 2017 and I am only accepting 8 participants! 

Weight Loss and Stress Do Not Mix Well

Day in and day out we have stressors, and sometimes we just get bombarded. Life happenings sometimes leave us drained, strained and even harebrained! Whatever the life challenges - relationship issues, workload, financial hardships, school deadlines, parenting struggles, caring for an elderly or ailing family member, traumatic experiences, etc. they all cause physical, emotional, mental and physiological responses. Unfortunately increased hunger and weight gain can be among these responses. 

So here is the shake down. Increased stress causes the adrenal glands to release more stress hormones, adrenalin and cortisol. This is known as the “fight or flight” response.  This happens so the body can provide the extra physical energy and strength from stored carbs and fats needed to get the fight or flight done to save ourself. Though we don't have to run from lions, tigers or bears any too often, this physiological response to stress is hardwired within our make-up. The modern day stressors have us responding in the same way. Really it is a design of resiliency and a built-in protective mechanism. Increased cortisol levels also result in an impaired response to leptin, the hormone that makes us feel full. The poor response to the satiety hormone keeps us shovelling in the food.

With prolonged elevated levels of cortisol, our signals tell us we continually needs extra fuel. This extra fuel gets stored as fat around the abdomen, AKA, belly fat. Much to our dismay, so begins this vicious cycle. When we have long term stress, both insulin and cortisol remain elevated in the blood, and the extra glucose is stored as fat–mostly in the abdomen. Now what keeps this cycle going as that fat cells actually have special receptors for the stress hormone cortisol. A knewly learned fact is that there are more of these cortisol receptors in our abdominal fat cells than anywhere else in our bodies. It's like belly fat can be a living, breathing, growing monster!

What also factors in, is that when we are in "fight or flight" mode, we can not be in "rest & digest" mode. These two systems are supposed to be a balancing act, but when the "fight or flight" switch is constantly turned on there is no chance of the other to kick in.  Our body says, "Hoolah, we need all energy available to us to get the freak out of danger, digesting can wait." What is the fall out from that?  Stomach acid production and pancreatic enzyme secretions are decreased, resulting in poor digeston. This enables larger food particles lower in the digestive tract. Prolonged stress also leads to a breakdown of the small intestinal lining. The tight junctions become loose junctions within the intestines, AKA - leaky gut. This in turn results in food sensitivities. This can even occur with foods that previously caused no issue with you. Nutrient deficiencies also occur with the impaired digestion.

So with all this going on, what can be done about being in the throws of constant stress?

Be kind to yourself, don't get down on blaming yourself. How does this serve you? It does not! Recognize that you need extra care at this time and be easy on yourself. 

There are some things that we just have no control over. Take time to ask yourself "what is within my control and what is not?" When you can see what you do have control over, then you can work on adjusting these things things. 

Can you put aside some tasks, can you just let go of some things? Ask yourself, "How important is it right at this moment?" Can you ask for help? Most of us may find this difficult, as we are used to handling our own stuff. We are put on this earth in a family circle, a neighbourhood, a community, not on an isolated island, ask or at least accept help. Go for a massage, a reiki session, an infared sauna or any other rejuvenating alternative therapy, Go for a nature walk, meditate, listen to relaxation music. Of course, do seek emotional/spiritual support, a shoulder to lean or cry on, an extra ear or two to listen to and support you in your wows. Inquire about all available resources with your particular situation. 

When our adrenals are overtaxed, fatigued or flatlined, strenuous exercise is not a great idea at this time. Weight lifting, cardio can put added stress on the already comprimised adrenals. Instead opt for the nature walks, some yoga, or light stretches. Whatever you decide to do,  keep your heart rate under 90 beats per minute. A walk to get some fresh air after a meal is helpful.

If you normally do not take supplements, you may want to when you are facing some adversity in your life. There are herbals and certain minerals that help the adrenals replenish. Adaptogenic herbs, the B vitamins, Magnesium, Potassium, Niacinamide and adrenal glanulars are all helpful support. Taking a quality mutlivitamin is also essential as reduced adrenals also impact immune function, so you want to to be filing your tank. This is generally just an all around good practice in today's hectic world, as there are reduced minerals in our soil and added toxins in our environment. Life Sustainers has some excellant adrenal support supplements both in the store and available for home delivery on the Dispensary

Quality sleep is also key in coping with stress. Cortisol can remain elevated at night when it is supposed to decrease.  The unfortunate result is wakefulness, restless sleep, tossing and turning or waking and then being unable to get back to sleep. It is important to to get at least 8 hours of restful, deep sleep regularly. Cortisol blocks melatonin so it might be beneficial to take a melatonin supplement. There are some awesome herbals that help promote quality sleep. You may not need it normally, but during stressful life situations, assistance with getting better quality sleep helps you face the next day's events.  

Though you might be reaching for the caffeine, sugar or other vices, they only serve to deplete the body and add to the vicious cycle. Whole foods, organic foods help the body refuel with optimal nutrients.

I am a Metabolic Balance Coach, so this awesome plan helps to balance blood sugar and hormones. Metabolic Balance includes whole foods and helps people to lose weight. So if it the ususal everyday stress you are having to contend with, Metabolic Balance is an idea plan to help you eat healthily, balance hormones and blood sugar so you are better able to handle those daily stressors. When experiencing a full blown stressful life event, the last thing that you might be considering is how to lose weight. Metabolic Balance, is however, something to keep in mind when the storm calms and you are looking for a sure way to help rebalance your body and acquire a healthier status. 

Treat Meal with Metabolic Balance

I was so happy to learn that once I am on the Metabolic Balance program after 5 weeks, I could enjoy a treat meal once a week and to top it off, it could be whatever I wanted. I was sticking strictly to the plan. I think the anticipation of having the treat meal as a reward helped me to stick to the plan that much easier. 

So after my first 5 weeks on the plan, I went to a gala, where they had a 5 course meal. The first course was the bread. Well I have not ate regular wheat bread in 14 years, so that was easy to pass on. Then came out pastas, about 3 different pasta dishes. Again, I have not had regular pastas since 2005, another pass. Since that time I have enjoyed gluten-free breads and pastas from time to time, however they still spike blood sugar. so they are not included in the initial phases of the Metabolic plan. except for 100% rye bread, yeast-free. Anyway back to the 5 course meal. they brought out a salad so I added that to my salad plate. Then came the main course, roast chicken and shaved roast beef. That was accompanied with potatoes and roast vegetables. I enjoyed this, with only a few small roasted potatoes. So with the exception of the potatoes, I pretty much stayed with the Metabolic Balance plan for my main meal. Dessert was a different story. They brought out an apple crisp with whipped cream. When I took my first bite, I did think it was too sweet, however I ate it anyway. Within a half an hour, my tummy hurt so much. So my first treat meal was not such a treat after all. 

I have also had other opportunities to have desserts with my treat meal and some have been okay, like a tiny sliver of pumpkin pie. 

I have also tried, believe it or not, fish and chip Friday.  Bleh, that was another tummy upset. Sometimes even hearing the name of a certain food has turned my stomach, as well as the aroma of other foods, These are foods that at one time I used to enjoy, despite been nutritionally void. Now I know better. Growing up on a reserve, we have been accustomed to the sub-par fast food take-out and carb heavy meals. Now it just does not have the same wow factor, it has the opposite factor! 

I one time did try chicken wings with a caesar salad and that was okay. Since being on the Metabolic Balance plan, I automatically have more portion control as well. I am happy with a little bit of something. I am happy to indulge in an occasional treat, and historically eating was that way. Our ancestors did not have the availability of fast food and sweet treats at every meal, plus snacks in between! What an incredible overload on our pancreas, liver and other organs that work their hardest to keep us alive. 

I have enjoyed my own organic popcorn and Kombucha at the movies.. Don't tell the movie theatre that I sneak this in. 

Another treat meal has been an organic beef burger patty, with corn on the cob, then a homemade gluten-free cacao birthday cake muffin with coconut whipped cream.

I made these for my daughter's birthday! 

So now my latest treat meal was a night out at the Keg!  Wow it was amazing. I enjoyed a Caesar salad, a 6oz top sirloin, with a double baked potato, and roast vegetables, Sorry the picture is not the greatest as the ambiance was dark. I ate half my baked potato and 3/4 of my steak. I enjoyed the green beans, but swapped the roasted red peppers for my daughter's asparagus pate. I just not stuff myself past full as I had done previously. I was able to save room for dessert. It was a free Billy Miner pie, which is a Mocha ice cream on a chocolate crust with hot fudge, caramel and almonds. They brought extra forks so I could share it with my family and I was able to do just that. I didn't have to try to stab them with the fork for dare touching my pie! 

Top Sirloin Dinner

So you see with a few simple rules to abide by, the day of enjoying your treat meal, you do not have to feel deprived of some of the succulent pleasures of great tasting meals.  Like me, though you may find some of your favourites, are no longer your favourites and there is just no going back to them. 

That was an awesome birthday present, a night out with family, however I think another one of the greatest gifts, I gave to myself, it is - the Metabolic Balance plan.  Some people might think it is too expensive, and initially I thought that myself. Living the healthiest I can be is so worth it! It's an initial investment, however, free the rest of your life! 

Mental Health - Orthomolecular Impacts for First Nations

Mental Health –Orthomolecular Impacts for First Nations

The Indigenous Peoples of Canada have caught the attention of headlines in these recent months.  The current Prime Minister pledged better relations with and subsequently won many votes from the Indigenous People as record number of them turned out to the polls.  His government has agreed to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  Pimicikamak Cree Nation, known as Cross Lake and Attiwapiskat caught national attention for a State of Emergency issued in their communities due to the high incidence of suicide and attempts. 

First Nations people have higher rates of suicide, about 6x the national average. Though the communities mentioned above, are northern communities, Indigenous communities in the south are also plagued with suicide.  In my lifetime, I know about 20 people who have taken their own life in my southern Ontario situated reserve. I would think that the average non-native person might say they know 1-3 people within their own close circle that have committed suicide. What is also disproportionate is the number of very young peoples in Aboriginal communities that suicide or attempt to. Suicide or attempted suicides of eleven year olds and even younger occur in First Nations communities. So dire circumstances like this impacts the whole community. Imagine when many of your family members, friends and community members are committing suicide, how this has a rippling effect of sadness. That has a very stressful effect on everyone in the community. Stress also impacts cortisol levels and which in turn affect mental wellness. Indigenous people have been in flight of fight states for too long. 

So aside from the more talked about and obvious historical factors affecting Indigenous peoples,  
(such as the impacts of attempted genocide, stolen lands, broken treaties, forced relocations to barren lands, residential schools, the 60’s scoop where many native children were taken from the families, forced Christianity, laws forbidding indigenous people to practice their customs and ceremonies, forced language loss, long standing land claims still unsettled.) 
I will also focus on the impact of nutrition of First Nations peoples and how that affects mental wellness.

These historical treatments of Indigenous People certainly offer a vivid backdrop to the present day reality of Indigenous life which include poverty, lack of employment, inadequate housing, lack of clean water, higher rates of other diseases and physical and sexual abuse, missing and murdered Indigenous women.  Many Indigenous people still live in third world conditions here in Canada. All these accumulative issues can wreak havoc on a person’s psyche.  Certainly it is easy to see, the despair that so many First Nations people feel. 

Bruce Lipton talks of cellular memory in his book Biology of Belief, and this is essentially has to do with how memory is embedded in cells.  Cellular memory also has to do with how this memory gets reproduced in offspring.  Given these theories, the cellular memory of Indigenous people consists of a lot of downloaded trauma through the generations.  This is compounded with the continued oppression and racism that still occurs. 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is also widespread in Indigenous populations. The Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, just the other day issued an official apology for the brutalities that occurred in the residential schools, also citing “that the residential schools are only one example of systemic, intergenerational injustices inflicted upon Indigenous communities throughout Canada.” The last residential school closed in 1996.

With the arrival of the lost and malnourished settlers to this land, the Indigenous people shared their incredible knowledge of food and medicine with the settlers to save them from impending death. They nourished the settlers back to health with medicinal teas like pine, cedar and other nutrient rich foods. One of the common food practices of Indigenous people was to plant three times the amount of food needed. This was in case there was a food shortage, to save some for seed, to save some for the animals, and to have enough in case others needed to be fed. It was only their custom to share their food and so they did just that.

Once back to health, the settlers’ mission became to claim the land for their own and needed to rid the Indian from existence. One of the settler’s genocidal tactics was to destroy the Indigenous people’s crops and food stores. This is well documented in history. 

When the settlers confined the Indigenous People to reserves, they also made it illegal for them to leave the reserves without permission. In this way they limited their hunting and foraging practices. They also limited their ability to trade or sell their goods, so if they were farmers, their produce would rot before they were allowed to leave to sell it. Their once healthy diet from hunter/fisher/gatherer then became replaced with staples provided by the missionaries and the government Indian Agent. Some of these staples became known as the 5 whites – white flour, white sugar, white salt, white milk, and white lard. These were given in rations at times as a method of control and getting the Indigenous people to do as told.  The high carbohydrate diets introduced to the Indigenous people have had devastating effects on their health. Indigenous people have the highest rates of Diabetes. Some research suggests that their metabolism was not equipped to handle the diet. However their once nutrient rich diet was just replaced with nutrient poor food. 

Another blow to the Indigenous people were the nutrition studies.  They were used as guinea pigs as discovered by a food and nutrition historian, Ian Mosby at the University of Guelph.  He extracted these words from a study he found in the records. "It is not unlikely that many characteristics, such as shiftlessness, indolence, improvidence and inertia, so long regarded as inherent or hereditary traits in the Indian race may, at the root, be really the manifestations of malnutrition," the researchers concluded in a preliminary report on their study in March 1942. "Furthermore, it is highly probable that their great susceptibility to many diseases, paramount amongst which is tuberculosis, may be directly attributable to their high degree of malnutrition arising from lack of proper foods." These studies involve deliberate withholding of certain nutrients to groups of children on remote reserves and within at least 6 residential schools. This occurred over a 10 - year period. One has to wonder if there were more studies unaccounted for. 

A residential school within my own traditional territory, the Mohawk Institute was nicknamed the Mush-hole.  So aptly named as the children there were made to work the lush gardens, and orchards but were not allowed to eat the food. They were instead given mush on a daily basis. My grandmother told me of a story of how she used to give her cousins food through the fence, as they were often hungry. 

Even today, many Indigenous people still live in poverty. They are not able to afford quality nutrient rich foods. Many reserves in Canada are also under a water boil advisory, and this has been long standing.  Many reserves are near contaminated soils and waterways, given industrial factories are often located near reserves. Lead poisoning and mercury contamination are well documented in some native communities.  All these affect the mental health of Indigenous peoples. Heavy metal toxicity and nutrient deficiencies are most likely an important factor in mental health status of Indigenous peoples but is not even being addressed.

This is the reason as a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, my immediate thoughts were to see if the people in the remote northern community of Attiwapiskat could be given donations of supplements like Vitamin D, Multivitamins, Omega 3, Magnesium, 5HTP, protein powders and bars, chlorella, hemp, seeds etc. I was already aware that some ideas were suggested to help them with greenhouse gardening but since I now look through the orthomolecular lens, I thought supplementation could possibly help with mood and depressive states. It is well documented that lack of Vitamin D can help Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression more common for anyone living north of the 42nd parallel. Omega 3 is vital for optimal brain health. Niacin is also shown to benefit depression. Magnesium is a champion in combating stress and helps to promote relaxation. These are just some supplements known to help depressive states. 

When Attiwapiskat became national attention, there were frequent rumblings that “they should just move.” Yet when Fort McMurray was burning, the sentiments were “we could help them re-build.“

Sadly when I sought donations, only one generous supplement company was willing to donate.  One kind area representative purchased supplements with her own money to donate.  One popular supplement company responded to the request by saying “it was just not in their budget to be able to help Attiwapiskat at this time.”  However one week later they were sending out emails stating they would donate 25 cents for every supplement bottle purchased to Fort McMurray. I certainly was not expecting an equal scale donation, but a smaller scale as Attiwapiskat is but a few thousand people.  This is just another way that Indigenous people’s lives in Canada matter less to the broader society.

Our Indigenous footwear – the moccasins tread lightly on Mother Earth. We are the caretakers of Mother Earth, we are the eyes, and ears of our Earth Mother. Our heart beats in unison with her and when her heart hurts, we hurt. When we partake in the destruction of Mother Earth we feel the guilt. When we cannot do our duty as caretakers, this weighs heavy in our hearts and minds. This impacts our mental wellness. 

As we look to solutions for the wellness of Indigenous people, we are seeing a resurgence of the Indigenous diet and herbal wisdom across this country and south of the border. It is amazing that in my studies in Holistic Nutrition, the hunter/gatherer diet and herbals were frequently receiving accolades and are indicated in optimal health and wellness. Many of these herbals come from Indigenous knowledge, yet this knowledge was historically suppressed and frowned upon by the dominant society. 

Will we see a change with the Canadian government signing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples? Will the renewed relationship that the young Prime Minister vowed to create help with the insurmountable issues Indigenous Peoples face today including their mental wellness? Let’s hope that the cellular memories can be replaced for much more optimistic ones. Let’s hope that Indigenous Peoples lives will really matter, and they can fulfill their duties as stewards of Mother Earth. That’s a win - win situation. 

Stress, Anxious and Depressive States and Attentional Difficulties

Have stress at work, with life, relationships or feeling depressed, anxious, attentional difficulties - a combination of these may help.

Clinical Human Studies have demonstrated that Vitamin D is helpful when feeling depressed. it is widely known that Vitamin D deficiency is one of the factors is Seasonal Affective Disorder that results over the winter months. This is prevalent for people living in northern latitudes as there is insufficient sunlight exposure during the winters to stimulate the production of vitamin D in skin.

There are over 90 clinical studies on Melatonin, on many different type of sleep issues on adults and children, individuals with mental health issues, such as neurodegenerative disorders, shift workers, travellers, etc and is relatively safe in even higher dosages.

D-Stress, Lavender has shown efficacy in many issues, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety and chronic fatigue!

Chill Pills will improve your concentration, reduce your stress levels, calm your nerves, and help you work more effectively! 

Sleep 8 helps you get to sleep naturally, an effective, safe, nonaddictive sleep aid! 

Magnesium is among the most important minerals essential to our wellbeing, a factor in over 300 enzymatic reactions that affect all aspects of metabolic function, intestinal absorption, skeletal storage and release of calcium, along with nervous system function, and is great for stress management. Unfortunately, even the foods that are traditionally good sources of magnesium are often grown in magnesium-deficient soil these days.

Omega 3 may effectively alleviate depressive moods without dangerous side effects and helps to restore structural integrity to brain cells that are critical in performing cognitive functions! Apparently, although a higher ratio of DHA is beneficial for babies, a higher ratio of EPA is better for children, for cognitive function and attentional difficulties and adults with affective mental health concerns. Dosage also matters to be effective. For neurodegenerative disorders such as cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimers, MS, Parkinson's, a 2:1 ratio EPA/DHA fairs better!

Studies have shown that Vitamin D and Omega alone in combination with prescription medicinals for mental health issues may also help symptoms, when the prescription alone is not sufficient. Chill Pills and Sleep 8 however, are not to be combined with prescriptions for mental health needs.Certainly clean eating is also key, including, fresh organic vegetables and fruits, high quality mono/poly-unsaturated fats, and organic quality protein.  Omitting the sugar, junk foods, highly processed foods with fillers, additives, and dyes will also help in these areas. Allergens such as wheat, dairy, corn, soy, eggs, and others also need to be investigated especially where attentional issues are a concern for children. 

To know if a combination of these are going to be effective, a regimen of 3 - 6 months is necessary. If you would like more assistance on choosing a regimen that may assist you please contact me. These supplements are available at Life Sustainers in the store, and other brands are available in my Dispensary! Any information provided here is not intended to replace medical advice offered by a physician nor should this information be used to treat any health problems without first consulting with a physician or paediatrician.

Losing the Sugar, with Metabolic Balance

Wow, what a journey!  I definitely took the long way around. You see back when I became gluten-reduced, that was in 2002, and probably even before that, I knew I needed to cut out the SUGAR.  In 1993 I began building my own house. I started with a basement, and I purchased used kitchen cupboards. Hung up inside one of the cupboard doors was a list of the ailments and diseases that sugar contributed to. It was a pretty long list, 3 pages were taped inside the wall. I read the list, thinking if I left it there, it would remain as a reminder for me to cut down on my sugar intake! When I got new cupboards for my home, I even transfixed the list to a new cupboard door. I didn't take the list down until I moved out of my own house in 2008 to go live in someone else's (bad mistake, both actions, but life lessons).

Though the information was in front of me, I couldn't let go of the sweet taste of sugar. I did quit adding sugar to my tea and coffee. My weight was still on a steady increase. Not until I was beginning to feel so uncomfortable in the heaviness of my body, the aches in my joints, along with the fatty liver diagnosis, did I make some changes. In 2002, I stopped eating bread, cookies, cakes, donuts (Tim Horton's walnut crunch, was a standard, and I didn't stop at just one) and other sweet treats. Prior to that, I could not imagine life without eating these things, they were my love affair. I thought there would never come a day that I could stop eating them. I lost a bit of weight, but what I did instead was I traded them in for potatoes, rice and pasta. In 2005, I ate my last wheat pasta meal. It was a really nice restaurant in Sault St. Marie during my son's hockey tourney there. After that I lost about 40lbs. I also cut down considerably on sweetened drinks and drank water more often and had more portion control. However I still found away to have sugar in other forms. I say I was gluten reduced because I never ever checked packages, I ate the occasional slice of pie (yes gluten) and had breaded chicken the odd time.  At that time I also joined a group - OverEater's Anonymous. I surely think that was a valuable support at the time. 

In 2006 - 2009, I embarked on a spiritual journey that included four 4-days fasts. During these fasts, a part of my prayer included ridding my body of sugar cravings. I also thought that if I can go without food and drink for 4 days, surely I could be more successful with food overall. I didn't have any incredible visions on my fasts, but a few significant dreams and also visits by humming birds. It turns out the hummingbirds are excellent metabolizers. They are a very gentle creature, radiating their beauty and they journey far!  Everyday, I also said a prayer many times over, to be able to be put on my true path, a path to utilize my gifts to help in this world. I was certainly glad when the last fast was over, - 4 days out in the woods, no food, no water, just me, the mosquitos, snakes, and other creepy crawlers. 

Later on my sugar reduction journey included no white or brown sugar, and I switched to more natural options, treats with organic cane sugar, raw honey, maple syrup, dates, coconut sugar, dark cacao chocolate, etc. When I was taking my Holistic Nutrition program, I was certainly eating more whole foods, fruits and vegetables, and kept to that, but still, I enjoyed the sweet treats a wee bit too often. Diabetes is in my family on my father's side. My father has been a diabetic for 40 plus years. He is one of my greatest mentors, as he was able to make the changes to avoid insulin and only the last 10 years did he start using pills to help his Diabetes. Holistic Nutrition can help people reduce their need for these allopathic bandaids. 

Once I finished the program, and begun my business, however the stress of that, the late nights, and hormones remaining out of whack, I was still in the battle with sugar! It's funny that way sometimes.  Some of my colleagues often commented that being in school, stressed, with meeting deadlines, early-into-the-morning studying and assignments, other daily life tasks and stressors, that sugar cravings seemed to become an issue again. As much as I knew as a holistic nutritionist, I succumbed to those cravings. From 2005 to now I managed to hold my weight fairly constant, but over the past few months, some piled back on. So you see, I have lived many of your struggles, with body image, self acceptance, weight gain, chronic fatigue, loneliness, trying this diet and that diet. I needed my own Holistic Nutritionist! 

Metabolic Balance program and coach to the rescue!  15 days of Metabolic Balance and the only sugar I am consuming is in the 2 servings of fruit a day. What is so amazing is that I eat plenty, I am full and satisfied! I have next to no cravings, no lows, no crashes. I am feeling tremendously less fatigued, I don't feel like a sloth, I have lost the inflammation causing my body and joint aches. I sleep so soundly now. I also lost the murkiness of my brain. I can't say brain fog, because it was more like brain mud. Gone, gone, gone! Oh, and not that numbers on the scale are important, however so far I did lose 8lbs. and 1 inch off my waist, and this is just the beginning! I found my way!

What is the Metabolic Balance program?

Metabolic balance® is an innovative all-natural nutrition program that brings balance to your hormones, optimizes your health, and leads to a new invigorating lifestyle resulting in successful long term weight management. It is backed by over 25 years of scientific study and is managed by dedicated physicians and nutritional scientists.
The foundation of the program is metabolic balance's unique capability to develop a truly personalized nutrition plan based upon an in-depth analysis of your unique blood values, medical history, and personal likes and dislikes. Your personalized nutrition plan acts as your “road-map”, indicating exactly which natural foods you should eat in order to orchestrate the biochemical changes needed for reaching your desirable weight and health goals. 
Metabolic balance® is 100% natural! There are no prescribed injections, pills, shakes, or proprietary foods. Nor, as with some diets, are you required to keep “points” or count calories. Your local grocery store and farmers market can easily provide all of the wholesome nutrient rich foods listed on your personalized nutrition plan. 
You are accompanied through the four phases of your program by a certified metabolic balance® coach. Your personal coach guides you toward reaching your ideal weight, encourages you to avoid yo-yo dieting, and helps you to embrace the amazing realization of a new healthy lifestyle and a true awareness of well-being. It is safe, healthy, economical, simple, and has all the elements needed for you to succeed. Metabolic balance® has served over half a million participants so far and looks forward to serving you.

Keeping it Real Simple, but still scrumptious!

I, myself am now certified as a Metabolic Balance Coach, available to help you on your Metabolic Balancing journey!

Neuropathy, the Debilitating Side Effects of Antibiotics?

It is almost 1 year since my mother left for the spirit world. When I returned home in 2011 to help care for her, I did a bit of research into her conditions. She had been diagnosed with Scleroderma. It is an autoimmune condition. I also researched some of the medication she had been taken. She had also been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, cause unknown to those Dr's treating her. My once on-the-go mom, had become a shuffle walker. She had been prescribed a drug called Flagyl or Metronidazole as early as 2009.  In my research I discovered that there were cases of the drug Flagyl causing peripheral neuropathy.  She was prescribed Flagyl and had many repeats on the prescription, which is clearly not recommended for long term use. When I asked a few of her specialists if this could be the cause, they quickly dismissed it. However later on when she changed family doctors, her new family doctor acknowledged this could possibly have caused it. As early as 2006 the medical community were seeing signs of this occurring: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16901452

Apparently there are also other antibiotics that can cause neuropathy and they are the class of fluoroquinolone antibiotics – Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, Floxin. This is new information to me. There is a website dedicated to helping people recover from what is being called Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome. It is a page called Floxie Hope.  There is also a FB page for Floxie Hope.  Lisa, who started the Floxie Hope website had experienced all these symptoms after being prescribed Cipro: peripheral neuropathy, urticaria, loss of energy/stamina, loss of memory and reading comprehension, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, painful and inflamed tendons, muscle weakness, and more.  Here is a host of other symptoms experienced by others:  symptoms include dry eyes, mouth and skin; ringing in his ears; delayed urination; uncontrollable shaking; burning pain in eyes and feet; occasional tingling in hands and feet; heart palpitations; and muscle spasms. That is not the whole list either. Here are some more taken from an article in the New York Times. "the drugs in rare cases can seriously injure the central nervous system (causing “brain fog,” depression, hallucinations and psychotic reactions), the heart, liver, skin (painful, disfiguring rashes and phototoxicity), the gastrointestinal system (nausea and diarrhea), hearing and blood sugar metabolism." 

Apparently Fluoroquinolone toxicity resembles Autoimmune diseases.  I am quite sure there were times that my mother was also prescribed Cipro. Did my mother have Scleroderma or the effects of too many antibiotics? She did have some of the same symptoms described above, as well as other symptoms. My mother was also a 19 year liver transplant surviver.  We can't really know for sure, now. I do know that medical intervention in terms of the liver transplant and anti-rejection drugs gave us another 19 years with our mother. My mother was adamant about not taking natural remedies as advised by her liver transplant specialist. However did the reliance on too many pharmaceuticals cause some of her later conditions and deterioration. Again we don't know the answer. However I am telling this story for other to be alerted to some of the serious side effects of these particular pharmaceuticals. 

Here is also an MD, talking about the antibiotics that can cause Neuropathy. Antibiotics and Neuropathy: What's the Latest? Medscape. Sep 17, 2013.

I share this information, not to incite fear or disrespect for Allopathic medicine or Big Pharma. Certainly there are plenty of times that Pharmaceuticals are life saving. However, we absolutely must be aware of the side effects, black box warning signs (that apparently only the physician sees) We have a right to ask questions about meds being prescribed.  We can look for other alternatives in medicines and treatments and yes resort to natural treatments first, especially when treating things like sinus infections, bronchitis, and earaches. I think most people are becoming aware that the over-prescription of antibiotics is causing antibiotic resistance and superbugs. Naturopaths can also be that alternative. Prevention is also important, ensuring what we put into our bodies is life sustaining and not life draining. Do your research and be well informed about your own health issues. 

My mother had a wish to donate her body to science, so that she could help others. However, we could not do that. She was an incredible helper to many in her earth walk journey. I thought this blog is one way her helping nature could continue in a divine way. I was awakened at 4:20am this morning and events lead me to write this blog. 

When I wrote this article in 2016, I did not come across any Canadian references about the dangers of fluoroquinolone antibiotics. However Health Canada issued this warning in January 2017:  

http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2017/61920a-eng.php

Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen

Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

The Words Before All Else

Greetings to the Natural World

The People

Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to one another as people.

Now our minds are one.

The Earth Mother

We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. We must every day honour her as she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Waters

We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms‐ waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers,oceans and even within our own bodies. We must also not forget our tears. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water.

Now our minds are one.

The Fish

We turn our minds to the all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They are trying to do the best job they can. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Plants

Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. They continue to thrive and fulfil their duties. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.

Now our minds are one.

The Food Plants

With one mind, we turn to honuor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden, our life sustainers.  Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Medicine Herbs

Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning they were instructed to help with sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. We take only what we need and ensure they continue to grow. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.

Now our minds are one.

The Insects

We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the insects, the crawlers, the flyers, big and small, seen and unseen. They continue busily about fulfilling their duties. We see them and may be startled but we are glad that they are still here and will remain. 

Now our minds are one

The Animals

We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honoured by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and wild and free in the fields and forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so.

Now our minds are one

The Trees

We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth is bountiful with many different Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, sap and beauty. They are quite useful and the Maple is the leader of the trees. There is the tree of life, the tree is a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.

Now our minds are one.

The Birds

We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle sits atop of the Tree of Peace and was chosen to be the guardian. To all the Birds‐from the tiniest to the largest, we send joyful greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Four Winds

We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.

Now our minds are one.

The Thunders

Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. The lightning strikes the ground and renews the earth. The roaring thunders keeps the giant beings underground. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunders.

Now our minds are one.

The Sun

We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. He lights the earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.

Now our minds are one.

Grandmother Moon

We put our minds together to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night‐time sky. She is the leader of woman, and she also directs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time. It is our beautiful Grandmother Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon.

Now our minds are one.

The Stars

We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness. They bring the morning dew to the gardens which also help things to grow. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars.

Now our minds are one.

The 4 Enlightened Protectors

We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened protectors who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. They also help us through trying times and shield us. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring beings.

Now our minds are one.

The Creator

Now we turn our thoughts to the Creator, Great Mystery the one who made us, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our most beautiful words of thankfulness to the Creator.

Now our minds are one.

Closing Words

We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way.

Now our minds are one.

My story:

Pull up a chair version:

Life Sustainers is a holistic health nutrition store located in the Haudenosaunee territory of the Six Nations of the Grand River, aka ~ Ohsweken.  This became a dream of mine as my path took me on a career change when I embarked on my own holistic health journey.

My life's journey has not been picture perfect. I have actually had many bumps, turns, valleys, mountains to climb and have veered off the beaten path many times.

Career wise, I started out in Social Work, so you see, I have always had a passion to help others, and in so doing, helped myself along the way to opening a natural health and nutrition store.

When my own personal life journey endured hardships, I fell into a funk about myself and so begun my ravenous unhealthy eating. Round and round I went, the more I ate, the more funk feelings I had about myself.  I became comfortably numb in junk food, yet still uncomfortable in life, feeling a failure in so many ways, having not yet found holistic healing.  It was not until I became immensely uncomfortable in the heaviness and the achiness of my body, that I new I needed to make a change. I doubted myself, my abilities, and even if I could make a change, I had such a love affair with food, I wondered how I could end this food frenzy affair. FAST FORWARD 

My passion for more knowledge about holistically healing also intersected a time when my mother's health was declining.  Other family members were also struggling with other issues that I thought could be better managed with holistic alternatives and a better nutritional status.

After caring for my mother a year in her own home, with many sleepless nights, my own health was becoming more of an issue.  I was chronically tired, had Pneumonia a couple of times. I also had an old knee injury that was requiring attention.  My partner had ended our relationship and this had a tremendous impact on me emotionally and spiritually. 

Though I tried to take these life events all in stride, it was still stressful. I was exhausted yet still needed to function as a sole support parent and also as a daughter of aging parents while continuing a new career path.  My father, though pretty active also has health challenges - Diabetes, Osteoarthritis and Chronic Pain.

In trying to address my health concerns, whilst I had enrolled in the Holistic Nutrition program, an earlier diagnosis of Fatty Liver resurfaced for me.

I was told that I had fatty deposits on my liver 15 years prior and that I should reduce my fat intake and watch my weight (mainstream medical advice).  That is when I started my gluten and sugar-reduction journey. Yes that many years ago, so I was only about 40 years old and already had some liver enzyme elevation and the fat deposits on my liver. I can't really say that I made the change right away but eventually I lost 40lbs. I did manage to keep it off, but my weight still fluctuated within a few pounds.  Prior to that, I was on a slow, but increasingly steady weight gain.  I was very uncomfortable in the heaviness of my body.  I believe that if I didn’t make a change then, I would have easily been carrying an extra 100 pounds or more by now, plus having seriously compromised health. 

The early changes made likely did help my health status, but a confirmed diagnosis with an Ultrasound and MRI said I still had fatty liver. Other symptoms, sparked my family doctor at the time to request further tests for the same disease my mother had, Primary Biliary Cirrhosis.  Fatty Liver can become Non-Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease, which can also turn to Cirrhosis of the Liver. I believe another motivating factor was also seeing my Mother's health decline so slowly, but ever so drastically, from the very active whirlwind traveller, master of many trades, to total dependence on someone else and eventual 24/7 care in a long term facility. After caring for my mother for over a year at home, unfortunately her care was to great to continue the in-home care.

I WOULD LOVE FOR MY OWN HEALTH TO REMAIN VITAL AND VIBRANT, TO SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN GROW UP AND STILL BE ACTIVE WITH THEM. Also KNOWING THE STRESS OF CARING FOR AN incapacitated family member, I Do NOT WANT TO BECOME DEPENDANT ON OTHERS FOR MY CARE. I AM A FIERY IMPASSIONED WOMAN AND CREATOR WILLING, I WANT TO LIVE WELL IN MY NEXT 50 YEARS, SO I HAVE TO ALSO DO MY PART!

Being in the Holistic Nutrition program, was exactly where I needed to be as I learned there were many things that I could do to care for my liver. Our liver is a major detoxifier organ in our body and a healthy liver is needed for over 200+ functions in our body.  This new passion has helped my liver and my health overall.

The Haudenosaunee lifestyle was greatly impacted by colonialism. When previously employed at the Six Nations Birthing Centre, I sought out wisdom about pre-contact traditional food practices.  Knowing that we were once a very healthy strong people, I thought we must have known what to eat to sustain our health.  That knowledge is right there in our Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen, (Thanksgiving address).  It acknowledges and gives thanks to all that helps sustain our life. We are told that the Creator provided everything we needed here on Earth to sustain us.   

Now that I have graduated as a Certified Nutritional Practitioner along with all my other previous teachings, I want to share the knowledge that has enlightened me. The “Life Sustainers” dream is being born.

In my recovery, I was greatly aware that natural health products and quality supplements were costly and being a sole support parent, it was not always affordable. However I was also painfully aware that if I didn't invest in my health, I was not going to attain the healthy vibrancy, I envisioned for myself and my children. Others, no doubt are in the same canoe! This is also what fuelled the dream, "Why have to run to town to buy these products when they could be available right on the rez, no taxes, save money!"

When I made the decision to leave work to care for my mother in 2011, I still needed to survive financially, I cashed in a good portion of the modest Social Work pension monies that I had accumulated. What remained is what I used to start the Life Sustainers dream. I purchased second hand shelving to get the dream off the ground.  I purchased products and converted a living space into a store. I quickly learned that a few thousand dollars does not buy much, so thank goodness for Peter and Paul - I had good credit! I have learned some pretty expensive mistakes but a dream envisioned it going to be realized.

A huge part of me wishes I had embarked on this holistic healing journey long ago, when my children were young so they could benefit. However, my journey was what it was. It eventually plunked me into my passion, my very own nutrition store allowing me to assist people to live healthy and naturally.

Part of my long term vision is to do well enough to be able to make financial contributions to language revitalization and the community's environment protection endeavours.