QUOTE OF THE MONTH
In summer, the song sings itself. -- William Carlos Williams
SIMPLY LIVING WELL SUMMER EDITOR'S LETTER AND UPDATE
Dear Readers, I hope you are enjoying your summer and finding some time for rest, relaxation and healthy cooking as we move into the swelter of August! This month's newsletter focuses, appropriately, on heat, heat in the body that is. Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury, like when you stub your toe and it feels hot and swollen as it heals. Millions of Americans, however, suffer from chronic inflammatory disorders, such as allergies, asthma, cardiovascular disease and arthritis. The good news is that inflammation can be greatly reduced with dietary and lifestyle change. Check out the article below, "Taking the Heat Out of Inflammation" for 10 helpful tips on quenching chronic inflammation in your body. I also wanted to give you a few updates on Simply Living Well and the newsletter. As many of you know, I will be attending the University of Iowa's Nonfiction Writing Program in the fall. I'm excited for the opportunity to develop my writing skills further, and I will be continuing to write and publish on health and wellness issues (for regular readers, my November Article "How to Make Health Food Store Shopping Easier" is forthcoming in the Atlanta-based "Jezebel" magazine). I will also continue my work as a Wellness Trainer and Holistic Health Counselor, travelling back to the East Coast to do programs with the State Department Federal Credit Union and the Department of Health and Human Services, among others. I'm also working on a book with a Whole Foods chef called The Uncommon Histories of Common Foods. The book will cover many of the fascinating, little-known facts about our daily meals, and provide delicious recipes based on historical uses of the foods. I'll be keeping you posted as the book develops. With beginning a new graduate program, continuing to design and facilitate Wellness programs, and several book and article projects in the works, I've decided to move the newsletter to a seasonal schedule. My apologies to those who've enjoyed the monthly format, but I hope to pack as much information as I can into the seasonal version. If you'd like to receive health and wellness information more often, please feel free to e-mail me for recommendations of other monthly wellness newsletters. As always, I love getting your feedback on the newsletter and suggestions for upcoming topics are very welcome. Enjoy the rest of your summer and look out for the next Simply Living Well newsletter this fall! Be well, Katherine
BOOK OF THE MONTH: Real Girl, Real World
Real Girl, Real World: A Guide to Finding Your True Self (Seal Press, 2005)
by Heather Gray and Samantha Phillips Here's an excellent resource for young women by a friend and colleague, Heather Gray, who is also trained in Holistic Health and Wellness. Teen girls receive mixed messages from society about who they should be, what they should look like, and how they should deal with everyday pressures and choices. Wouldn't it be great if they could just be themselves? Real Girl/Real World: A Guide to Finding Your True Self is a fun and essential guide book written for teenage girls. The book explores: beauty standards and the media; body image and self-esteem; eating disorders and good nutrition; sex and sexuality; and feminism and today's activists. It's full of helpful resources and real girls' experiences, that help today's girls navigate the twisting road of adolescence. This new edition is bigger and better than the first one, which was originally published in 1998. For more information on the book and the authors visit: www.realgirlrealworld.com. "Honest, straight-talking, and--most importantly--fun to read, Real Girl
Real World offers young women a much-needed lifeline. Full of practical
information and dozens of resources, it gives girls the tools, just when
they need them most, to stay strong and preserve their true selves."
--Peggy Orenstein, author of Flux and Schoolgirls
Simply Living Well Corporate Wellness Training Series
Preventable diseases cost businesses thousands of dollars a year. Recent research shows that over 50% of absenteeism at the workplace can be attributed to stress and stress-related illnesses. According to the Director of Health Care Management at Ford Motors, weight-related expenses alone are costing employers approximately $12 billion per year. A 2003 Chrysler Corporation study showed that employees with poor eating habits generated 41 percent more health case claim costs than those with good eating habits. Across the country, companies are beginning to take notice of the startling connections between employee wellness and fiscal responsibility, and look for better answers. Employee wellness programs not only boost morale, but make significant, measurable differences in healthcare spending. Studies have shown that employee wellness programs help companies reduce their healthcare costs an average of $3.72 for each dollar invested! For this reason, I have developed Simply Living Well Corporate Wellness Training Series, comprising15 programs designed to inspire employees to take significant, preventative steps for their long-term health and wellness. The Wellness Series is accessible to a wide range of people, and the 60-90 minutes programs are highly interactive, incorporating exercises, visual aids, food samples, handouts and other media. The programs may also be combined for a half-day training, giving employees the opportunity to look at multiple facets of wellness simultaneously. The Wellness Series gives employees the skills to take control of their wellness by deepening their knowledge of the effect of nutrition and lifestyle change on their health. The Series is excellent training to help employees make the best choices to sustain their vitality and productivity for years to come. Currently, I am conducting workshops to corporations and organizations on a variety of topics including: -- Beyond Dieting: How to Lose Weight Without Even Trying -- Desk Yoga: Simple Practices to Reduce Stress at Work -- Sugar Blues: Breaking the Cycle of Sugar Cravings -- Reversing the Aging Process: Simple Steps to Look and Feel Younger Everyday -- Wheel of Life: Creating and Maintaining Life Balance -- Finding the Connections Between Your Diet and Your Moods -- Food and Energy: An Eating Plan to Help You Stay Vibrant
Some of my past and current clients include:
** State Department Federal Credit Union
** New York City Department of Health
** The United Nations
** UNICEF
** UNDP
** United States Department of Agriculture
** The Hospital for Joint Diseases
** Embassy of Australia
** Nuclear Energy Institute
** Ethical Culture Society
** Association of Trial Lawyers of America If your business or organization is interested in supporting its employees to better understand the connections between diet, lifestyle and health, please let them know about these exciting programs. This is a great opportunity to take the information available in this newsletter and make it available to a much wider audience of your co-workers and friends. If you would like more information about the Health and Wellness Training Series, please e-mail me at Katherine@SimplyLivingWell.net or call me directly at 1-877-509-3680. Testimonials from recent Health and Wellness Training clients: "The United Nations Wellness Initiative was a success, not only in terms of high participation numbers but also in itis impact on staff members' health and productivity at work. Over 10% of all staff members registered in at least one health promotion program, and the individuals who actually changed behavior and maintained healthier behaviors over time have Katherine to thank. Katherine developed a 12-week series of holistic wellness seminars touching on nutrition, food and mood, stress management and communication. These workshops were extremely popular; in fact, Katherine developed a bit of a following, in large part due to her unique ability to connect with each individual even while leading a workshop in a room of 100. Her approach to health promotion is to raise awareness that our overall health status is a product of what we eat, our emotional health, lifestyle behaviors, and many other factors. She recognizes that stress, finances, and our struggle to balance work and life demands can all impact overall health. Katherine's approach integrates holistic health research and scientific evidence with role play and personal story telling, offering individuals a chance to share work through their own health goals in a group setting. She brought creativity and great energy to her workhops which demonstrated her passion for wellness. Katherine would be a great asset to any organization looking to provide on-site wellness programming or training for their health staff." Alissa Carlat, MS
Health Promotion Program Coordinator, United Nations Wellness Initiative
NYC DOHMH Wellness At Work Program "The Nutrition & Wellness Program has been a wonderful addition to our Learning Program. We have always provided training on everyday skill development and ways to relieve life's stress, but when we incorporated the nutrition & wellness series, our employees could see how nutrition affected our day-to-day functions and productivity. Great program!!" Eunice Deras, Nuclear Energy Institute
Article of the Month: Taking the Heat Out of Inflammation
Just as elevated cholesterol and blood pressure are common reasons for concern, it's now clear that high CRP levels are as signficant as these other factors in determining your overall health. But what is your CRP? CRP stands for C-reactive protein and is crucial to measuring inflammation in the body. Inflammatory diseases have reached epidemic levels in the US, with arthritis estimated to affect 60 million people and allergy sufferers numbered at 39 million. Doctors have long recognized inflammation as the culprit in asthma, arthritis, allergies and many painful “-itis” diseases, but more recently medicine has been redefining inflammation as the root of many chronic diseases. Incredibly, the latest findings point to low-grade inflammation as the underlying cause of coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and some types of cancer. A simple, accurate, and inexpensive blood test for measuring your CRP can determine the inflammation level in your body. The New England Journal of Medicine recently reported on a study in which people with elevated CRP levels were four and one-half times more likely to have a heart attack. Elevated CRP is now considered to be more accurate than cholesterol level in predicting heart attack risk. Untreated, chronic or low-grade inflammation breaks down your body, speeding the aging process and damaging the heart and brain cells over time. “In the blood vessels, inflammation may cause fatty plaque to rupture, form blood clots, and lead to heart attack or stroke,” said Rick Weissinger, nutritionist. “Inflammation has been found to predict the development of both hypertension and diabetes. And emerging research shows that the inflammation is involved in gene mutations that cause cancer and in furthering cancer growth.” An out of balance diet is a major cause of pro-inflammatory activity in the body. According to Simin Liu, M.D., PhD of the Harvard Medical School a diet high in refined carbohydrates and high glycemic goods (which rapidly raise blood sugar levels) seems to increase inflammation. The good news is that by changing your diet, exercising more and stopping smoking, inflammation can be reduced. The ten steps summarize the major diet and lifestyle changes that have the most significant impact on inflammation. 10 STEPS TO TAKE THE HEAT OUT OF INFLAMMATION 1. Eat a Variety of Fresh and Whole Foods Whole foods are foods are foods that have not been processed or altered. A whole food is the only ingredient in that food. For example, an apple is the only ingredient in an apple, but apple juice might have water, sugar, or dyes in it and is missing the fiber of an apple. Adding or taking away elements of a food effects how the body digests it. Whole foods are very healing to the body, especially vegetables and fruits. These are the best dietary sources of antioxidants, which help dampen overactive immune responses. Plant-based diets are anti-inflammatory and boost the immune system. It is recommended to eat 5-9 servings of vegetables a day. Eating a variety of colors of produce ensures you will get different vitamins and minerals such as beta-carotene found in orange foods, lutein found in green, and lycopene found in red foods. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts are also rich in Vitamin C and are all highly anti-inflammatory. Garlic, onions, and scallions also reduce inflammation. Grains are another food that is important to eat in their whole form. Like sugars, refined grains provide mostly empty calories. Brown rice, whole-wheat couscous, quinoa, millet, and barley are examples of whole grains. Try whole grain versions of bread and pasta products, and make sure you don’t see hydrogenated anywhere on the label. 2. Eat More Fish, Cold Water Varieties Best Cold water fish have the highest amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids. Fish with the highest concentration are: mackerel, Pacific herring, anchovy, lake trout, king salmon, and Atlantic salmon. Tuna, halibut, cod, sole, snapper, crab and shrimp contain smaller quantities, but are still healthy. Wild Salmon, including King, Coho and Sockeye, contains the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. For vegetarians flaxseed, fresh ground or oil, contains large amounts of alpha-linolenic acid. Eggs enriched with omega-3 fatty acids are also now available. Fish oil supplements are another option. Check out www.consumerlab.com for an analysis of different brands of fish capsules free of mercury. 3. Eat Lean Meats from Free Range or Grass-Fed Animals Why does it matter if animals are grass-fed or grain-fed? The corn and other grains farm animals are fed contains almost no omega-3 fatty acids and substantial amounts of saturated fats. Animals that feed on grass and leaves are rich sources of alpha-linolenic acid. Game meat contains large amount of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty grain-fed meats and high fat dairy products cause inflammation in the body. A story published in the Journal of Angiology in 2000 found that men and women eating a high protein/ low carbohydrate diet increased their CRP by 61 percent. “Low carb diets may initially cause a drop in bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, however the risk of heart disease is still high because of markers of inflammation increase,” said Richard Fleming, author of the study and the book “Stop Inflammation Now.” 4. Use Olive Oil as your Primary Cooking Oil To reduce inflammation, make extra virgin cooking oil your main cooking oil. Olive oil is rich in anti-inflammatory oleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid), vitamin E and polyphenolic flavanoids. Extra virgin and cold pressed varieties are best if you can find them. Conventional cooking oils, such as corn, peanut, safflower, soybean, sunflower and cottonseed oils are high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. These oils are commonly used in processed and and packaged foods including microwave meals, breakfast bars and salad dressings and in most restaurants. The worst oils are the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which contain trans fatty acids, more dangerous even than saturated fats. Vegetable shortenings and hard margarines are among the worst of such products, but you will also find them in non-dairy creamers and bakery products and many processed foods. Fast food restaurants and low-end chain restaurants regularly use these oils in their cooking. 5. Identify and Avoid Food Allergens Food allergies or sensitivities can rev up the immune system and contribute to chronic inflammation. To determine your allergies get a “food allergy panel” using a simple blood test. As many as half of Americans have some degree of gluten intolerance. The gut damage from gluten can predispose people to numerous other food allergies. Nightshades, such as potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, are also problematic food for people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. 6. Get the Sugar Out! Refined sugars, including table sugar, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, are the ultimate in empty calories. High sugar and refined carbohydrate diets elevate pro-inflammatory C-reactive protein (CRP), even in thin people. Better forms of sweeteners are, honey, maple syrup, stevia (herbal sweetener), or agave nectar (nectar from a cactus plant that does not effect blood sugar levels and is safe for diabetics.) 7. Snack on Nuts and Seeds Try eating more nuts such as almonds, cashews, filberts, and walnuts. Sunflower, pumpkin, flaxseed and sesame seeds also make wonderful snacks. Nuts and seeds are high in linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids and magnesium, a mineral necessary for heart health. Studies have shown eating nuts (preferably raw or dry roasted) reduces the risk of heart disease. 8. Eat High Fiber Foods In general, fibrous foods, such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits, lower inflammation by binding with pro-inflammatory substances and eliminating them from your system. 9. Exercise more and Stop Smoking Weight loss is most likely the most effective way to reduce inflammatory markers. Research has shown that fat tissue produces pro-inflammatory compounds. Fat cells, particularly the type that form around the abdomen, produce large amounts of two powerful inflammation causing substances, interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein. These high levels of inflammatory compounds increase a person’s risk of diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and other inflammatory disorders. 10. Use Anti-Inflammatory Supplements Vitamin C, Ginger, Tumeric, Bromelain (found in pineapples), Fish Oil, and Zyflamend (a supplement from New Chapter) are proven to reduce inflammation in the body. All of these can be found in health food stores.
Sources:
“The Inflammation Syndrome, The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, Asthma" By Jack Challem “Stop Inflammation Now: A Step by Step Plan to Prevent, Treat, and Reverse Inflammation-The Leading Cause of Heart Disease and Related Conditions” by Richard Fleming, M.D. and Tom Monte
INFLAMMATORY AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS
“Hot” Pro-Inflammatory Foods Most vegetable oils
French Fries
Fried Chicken/fish
Margarine
Most salad dressings
Breads and bakery products
Many packaged microwave foods
Fast food meals
Beverages with sugar “Cold” Anti-Inflammatory Foods Olive Oil
Fish, particularly cold-water species
Fresh Vegetables* and some fruits
Free range beef and chicken
Game meats not corn fed
Mineral water
- Some vegetables in the “night shade” family have been linked to causing inflammation response in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. They include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and peppers. Tobacco has the same effect although not a food.
Cooling Summer Recipe: Shredded Summer Salad
This delicious recipe provides a variety of flavors with the added benefit of taking the edge of the summer heat. Three of its ingredients are particularly well-known for their cooling effects. The capsaicin in jalapeno peppers is a fast-acting vasodilator, widening the blood vessels which enhances blood circulation. This also serves to increase the body temperature, which causes perspiration that cools the body back down again. The lime also has a powerful cooling effect, making it a useful remedy for fevers. Finally, cucumbers contain over 90% water which keeps its internal temperature several degrees cooler than the surrounding atmosphere. Enjoy and stay cool, wherever you are! Shredded Summer Salad Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Yields: 4 Ingredients: Salad:
1 summer squash or zucchini shredded
1 small seeded cucumber shredded
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 jalapeno pepper finely diced
1/2 lime
2 stalks finely chopped celery
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons sesame oil Topping:
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
Directions:
1. Grate summer squash and cucumber, place in a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the bowl in the fridge for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the fridge and drain off excess water. Squeeze the squash and cucumber to remove more liquid. 2. Place spices, oil, and tamari in pan on medium heat and stir until all flavors blend. Add almonds and pumpkin seeds and stir until all nuts and seeds are evenly coated on medium-high heat. Add the rice syrup and cook until liquids are completely evaporated and the mixture begins to brown. Remove the mixture from the heat and spread it on a cookie sheet. Set aside until it cools and becomes crisp. When completely cool chop coarsely. 3. Mix the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl. 4. Add the pressed squash and cucumber and mix well. If time allows, let salad marinade in fridge for 20 minutes. 5. Add 1 cup of the topping to the salad and serve. Variations:
** Substitute almonds and pumpkin seeds with your favorite nut or seed.
ABOUT KATHERINE JAMIESON, WELLNESS TRAINER
Katherine was trained in Holistic Health Counseling through the Professional Training Program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York, and certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She was certified to teach yoga in 2001 through theNew York Open Center Prana Yoga Teacher Training, instructed by Dr. Jeffrey Migdow, MD. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from Wesleyan University. Before entering the Holistic Health field, Katherine was a Peace Corps volunteer for two years in Guyana, South America. Katherine is a Health and Wellness Trainer who specializes in conducting seminars on a variety of topics related to nutrition, life balance, stress reduction and wellness practices. She has been a speaker at the United Nations, UNICEF, UNDP, the United States Department of Agriculture, the New York City Department of Health, the Hospital for Joint Diseases, the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Embassy of Australia. Katherine also maintains a private practice which combines cutting-edge, holistic nutritional theory and yoga breathing and postures, to help people attain optimal health and well being in their lives. Katherine has published articles on health and wellness in Newsday, Massage Magazine, New Times Naturally, Pathways, and Jezebel. She is currently working on a food history and cookbook called The Uncommon Histories of Common Foods. If you are interested in reading back issues of this newsletter, in publication since May 2003, please feel free to visit the web hosting site where you can find the full editions catalogued: http://casts.webvalence.com/sites/SimplyLivingWell/
SPECIAL QUOTES FOR PEOPLE WHO READ TO THE END OF THE NEWSLETTER:
Heat, ma'am! it was so dreadful here, that I found there was nothing left for it but to take off my flesh and sit in my bones. --Sydney Smith, "Lady Holland's Memoir" O for a lodge in a garden of cucumbers! O for an iceberg or two at control! O for a vale that at midday the dew cumbers! O for a pleasure trip up to the pole! --Rossiter Johnson, Ninety-Nine in the Shade THANK YOU FOR READING AND BE WELL!
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