A balanced approach to reversing fatty liver disease

My daughter Megan was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease in 2008. In the Ontario medical system we have seen the worst of what is offered. She has had doctors tell her to her face that her symptoms were all in her head. When doctors do not easily identify an illness you get to see the worst of who they are professionally. They get flustered, frustrated, impatient and can easily take it out on the patient. The number of times a doctor has talked to Megan in a condescending voice implying she is causing her illnesses is disturbing. Very rarely do you find a doctor who will treat her with respect and be on her side.

The focus of that 5 year journey based on what doctors said was always food related. They never gave concrete advice about what to eat, they would just say low fat. This was not easy to accept. How could all the low fat, diet foods that the companies I trusted be making my daughter so sick? But over that time I did find that processed foods do hurt her. I did learn not to trust the companies selling the food.

I didn’t focus on the alternate options in the health care sector, That was a sector i didn;t understand, I had never been exposed to anything other than massage and chiropractors.

I blindly trusted doctors who put Megan on birth control pills which likely created the 10 month of extreme vertigo. Why would doctors prescribe drugs that are going to cause other health issues? and why would they do that to a child?

I reached my breaking point after Megan spent a week at the Hospital for Sick Children, I was so thankful that Megan was FINALLY being seen by the best kids doctors! I love that hospital it was all I ever wanted for Megan. But that hospital did nothing for Megan. They were the ones who put her on anti depressants, they were ones that were pushing that she had psychological issues creating her illnesses. They broke my heart. They were not supposed to give up on kids and here they were..writing her off as a mental case. She was 13 years old. How dare you?!!

Now I do also keenly know that mental stress can create medical symptoms in the body. This completely depends on your bodies coping mechanisms and if this is what is causing your illnesses then please by all means talk to a professional and find your answers. This was not the answer for Megan.

After that experience I did not know where to turn. I was approached by a friend who was selling supplements and she was certain that the supplements would fix Megan. At this point I had nothing to lose so I took the chance on the supplements. The supplements did nothing for Megan , no changes in any symptoms. This was disappointing and hurt financially too.

I felt so defeated, I could not turn to doctors, I could not trust the corporations making our foods, I could not trust the drug companies. How would I help my child?

I tripped over an ad for a personal coach who was offering free advice and looking for someone to build marketing around. I decided to contact Brandon Krieger and take the step.

I did not know how important Brandon would become to Megan and I. I did not know he would help me research and find solid answers for Megan but thats what happened.

Brandon is a Holistic Coach, focussing on the whole person not just medical symptoms. The focus quickly moved away from my health and it was clear my biggest challenge was trying to help my daughter. He reached out to resources all around the world to get advice from health advocates and leaders in nutrition to create a specific diet for Megan which would be kind to her liver. All foods were from the ground, the animals and the water and nothing was processed. Megan hated this but she started to feel better.

Brandon introduced us to an Osteopath who determined that Megan’s uterus was twisted which explained her uncontrollable menstrual cycle. He found that she had blockages in her brain stem and others that would impact her hormones. He found her liver was not processing clearly.

Brandon and others researched the birth control pill Megan was on and we determined it could certainly cause the extreme vertigo. Megan was moved to another pill and we waited.

We changed her diet, we added exercise, we added Osteopathy. Megan started to feel better, She was able to get past the extreme vertigo. The answers were in the natural world for Megan not the medical community.

So that is the reason I am passionate about igniting a passion in you to take your health into your own hands, Listen to your body signals, do not blindly trust doctors, corporations or supplements. It is Never a 1 solution problem to fix. You need balance, Food , Exercise, Spiritual, Mental. You need to consider alternate therapies , you need to share your stories to find others who have travelled a similar path. You may have found an answer that someone else hasn’t considered.

I don’t expect everyone to walk away from here and change their life overnight. I don’t expect anyone to take every piece of information shared and use it. I want you to make 1 change to improve your health , just 1. Remove pop, Start taking walks, see a chiropractor, talk to a professional about your anxieties, learn to meditate, take a yoga class.

Find what works for you and make small changes that you can live with. If you listen to your body you will start noticing clues and you can determine if the changes are positive.

Those changes can easily make you feel worse initially. But give it 6 weeks. If after 6 weeks you are still feeling worse. STOP doing what you are doing! Find another option. Do not give up on yourself!

This is my story and why I am passionate…I hope I can help you find some natural solutions to symptoms.

If you have Fatty Liver Disease come check out our new support website http://www.reversefattyliverdisease.com/
Michelle Clermont

Fatty Liver Disease tips for newly diagnosed patients!

You were just diagnosed with NAFLD or NASH and now you are being told to eat healthy and exercise with no direction and a pat on the head. You search the internet and you find so much mixed information but your doctor told you not to worry about it too much.

There is something bothering you, you sense that there might be more to this since you are struggling with exhaustion and stomach aches.

Your liver is one of the hardest working organs in your body. I want you to think of it as a powerful sponge that is absorbing all the food you eat, all the beverages you drink, all the air you breathe,all the drugs or supplements you use, all the products you put on your skin, and everything you touch.

Your liver is an investigator. It will break down everything that it absorbs. It will take the vitamins and minerals that are in your liver and send them to other organs to make them work better. It will take all the toxins and chemicals and send them to the dump to be rejected from your body.

If you are are not overwhelming your liver with too many toxins your liver can do its job and your body will be happy!
Sadly our environment, drug, supplement, skin care, cosmetic manfacturers are generally about making profits and your health is a secondary concern if it is even on their radar.

There is very good news for your liver though. Your liver is the only organ in the body that has its own regeneration factory. Your liver is constantly trying to fix itself. Its like a busy body that can’t take a break no matter how much you warn it that its a workaholic
When its not trying to break down toxins it is replanting a cell, watering it, giving it nutrients and care. The cell needs to be nurtered in order to grow. This is the livers part time job and its a careful balance. Its priority is to break down toxins and nutrients that are being absorbed.

Your fulltime job as someone with liver disease is to support that balance and be kind to your liver.

My job is to share what I have learned that will help you help your liver!

1. Review the drugs and supplements you are taking. Determine which have warnings that they should not be used if you have liver disease and talk to your doctor about coming off them.
2. Do not buy over the counter medications, Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Cough Medicines, Stomach medicines. They all have to be broken down by the liver and most are proven to have a negative impact on liver.
3. Read supplement labels and make sure ingredients are from nature. They should be top quality and tested scientifically.
4. Use natural cosmetics, natural skin care products.
5. Use natural products to clean house and clothes.
6. Exercise daily – start with walking and build up to include aerobic exercise that you enjoy.
7. Avoid all added sugars and high fructose corn syrup!
8. Do not lose weight quickly this can further damage your liver! No more than 2lbs per week!
9. Avoid Genetically modified products. They are not natural and our bodies consider them a foreign toxin for liver to deal with.

Supplements:

You can consider using the following basic supplements daily to improve your immunity and help your liver.

Millk Thistle
Vitamin B complex
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Quality Pro Biotic
Vitamin D3 1000 mg
Essential Fatty Acids – Omega 3

If you are on Statins you need to supplement with CoQ10

Once a week to boost immunity:
L-Carnitine
Chromium

Food and Beverages:

1. Fresh organic vegetables and a few organic fruits. Fruit has lots of natural sugars and if your liver is compromised your intake of fruit should be limited. Lots of Lemon and dark green leafy vegetables.
2. Processed foods should be avoided as a rule. Read labels and look for products that have ingredient lists that you understand.
3. Nuts – Almonds, Walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts all have nutrients and fats that are healthy for live.r peanut butter should be organic try almond butter!. Use Raw organic unsalted nuts!
4. Grains limited – spelt, rye, sprouted grain, Brown rice, brown rice pasta, steel cut oats, air popped popcorn
5. Dairy- Organic greek yogurt, skim milk, organic cheese.
6. Seeds – pumpkin,sunflower.
7. Legumes – chickpeas, beans -not sweetened! Soy not genetically modified!
8. Protein- Lean Chicken,Turkey, Beef, Pork. Nothing with nitrites! Fish – avoid high mercury in Shark, Marlin,Orange Roughy, swordfish, tilefish, Ahi Tuna. Be careful and limit intake of canned albacore or yellowfin tuna, sea bass, grouper and bluefish.

Juicing is a great way to get the raw nutrients that your liver craves.
Low Glycemic Index foods are important to keep balance in your body.
Organic and Gluten free products tend to be natural always read labels.

Try to keep your insulin levels balanced and help your liver as well!

Avoid the following ingredients:
Aspartame
acesulfame-k
Artifical colour or flavour
Brominated Vegetable oil (BVO)
Corn Syrup
Dextrose
Fructose
Heptyl Paraben
invert sugar
corn sugar
fructose-glucose
lactitol
maltitol
mannitol
olestra
partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
Monosodium Glutumate
mycoprotein
lactose
hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
gums for thickening
guarana
casein, sodium caseinate
caffeine
benzoic acid
polydextrose
potassium bromate
propyl gallate
qunine
rebiana
salatrim
Sodium Chloride
sodium bezoate
sodium nitrite
sorbitol
stevia
sucrose
tagatose
trans fat
xylitol

What does Terri’s Death teach us for Fatty Liver Disease?

Terri was 55 years old. Not young and not old, in December 2011 she was told by a family doctor that she had NAFLD and that she should go home and eat properly and exercise.

Sadly this is a VERY standard reply from doctors all over the world, and I understand why they feel this way. They are NEVER taught that this disease kills people. They are not being educated about the progression of this disease from basic NAFLD to NASH to Cirohsis. They are looking to help with Asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, and all other common health challenges facing our society. They know what drugs to prescribe to manage those symptoms. Until they are being educated properly and until people truly take this seriously that will not change.

For those doctors who have seen this disease take peoples lives , they will be the ones who will take this more seriously. How we find these doctors I don’t know but I know that in my group of 400 patients around the world there are a handful of doctors that do know this disease is a serious epidemic not to be taken lightly.

Then we have the patient. They go to the doctor complaining about exhaustion and stomach pains. So they did a stomach ultrasound and found a fatty liver. The doctor is not worried the doctor reassures them that if they lose weight and exercise that the liver will be fine. Patients are used to having lots of respect for their doctors. They are used to seeing them as all knowing, the perfect guides for managing the patients health. Patients go home, they might change some eating habits, they might lose some weight but since the doctor was not worried neither are they.

If the patient decides to investigate the disease they will find lots on the internet now, lots of conflicting data. Then they might go to the Liver Foundation for information. The Liver Foundation relies primarily on research and since there is not enough research data for NAFLD yet they also do not raise alarm bells for the diagnosis. They will provide eating advice, they will provide support groups. But once again you will not go to their sites and be alarmed by this diagnosis.

Drug companies tend to provide funds for research grants and tend to sponsor them. You can’t blame them, if they can create a drug which will solve a health care crisis they want to be on the cutting edge of that research. The thing about the Liver is that most treatments are natural they are not drug related. Most drugs have a warning label telling you to not use if you have liver disease. Your liver has to break drugs down, so if the liver is already compromised another drug is NOT likely to help it heal, its likely to cause further breakdown in the liver as it tries to process ingredients in the drug.

When Terri went to the Emergency room at the end of her life , the ER doctor was SHOCKED to hear that she was not on a liver transplant list. That ER doctor is one of the few out there who would likely NOT pat a patient on the head and send them home to eat better and exercise. If that doctor had been her primary care doctor the results might have been different, But by the time Terri found him it was too late, her liver was too far gone.

This is the case for some members in my Fatty Liver Disease Support Group on Facebook. They start investigating when they are in the final stages of Liver disease and come across my blog or my facebook group. They finally found someone who understands what they are dealing with but sadly all we can do is be their to support them and guide them the best we can.

If you search NAFLD and NASH early then we can help you change your diet correctly. Help you understand that this is not a race to lose weight its a change to natural eating, foods from gardens, and non GMO farms. Its getting back to basics and respecting your body.

Your liver is the only organ in the body that can fully regenerate itself. It takes time but if you want to get healthy we can be there to support that journey.

If you or anyone you love is dealing with stomach aches and exhaustion, have their doctor run a full liver panel as part of the yearly phsyical or request it at any time. Get to know your AST and ALT numbers and your goal is to have less of these enzymes being in your blood stream.

Search for Michelle Clermont on Facebook London Ontario picture of my dog, or search for Fatty Liver Disease Support Group and request to be added to the group.

Please learn from Terri’s story… this is your life take control!

Ignite Health Ontario I – Reviews!

Ignite Health Ontario ran successfully on Wednesday night in London Ontario. I am still processing how wonderful this night really was but let me share some comments that others have made. We had about 40 attendees and I am over the moon happy!: Enjoy the comments while I continue to process! Blaire Rymer – Hi Michelle, Thanks again for putting together Ignite Health Ontario, It was such an amazing event! I can’t wait for the next one! Nina Jogia – I loved the presentations and the variety of presenters. bravo to those who were able to share such personal stories. Nothing Changes if no one has the courage to speak out. Wanda Davis – Great Job last night, Great Energy! Erika Faust – Had an awesome time at ignite health ontario last night. Met some great people and learned a lot Thanks to Michelle Clermont and all speakers. Great Job! Karma Yoga Studio – Had fun connecting with other Londoners interested in Holistic health last night at Ignite Health. Fabulous people, Fabulous presentations!! Christian D’Andrea – Great Ignite Health ontario event. Congrats to Michelle Clermont for organizing a wonderful program. Next up Food Revolution 2013! Pam Clark – Thanks to Lisa Merriam for presenting her story on diminishing the stigma of mental illness. Thank you for your amazing courage . You are an inspiration. Pam Clark on Emory Ediger – His poem made me cry. Very moving images too. Pam Clark – Congratulations on your first event Michelle, and Congratulations to Megan for so many reasons! Lisa Merriam- Today was the day! My Mental Health and stigma speech for ignitehealth ontario. It was Anxiety busting, thought provoking and amazing! High Hill Reiki – Had an amazing time at ignite health ontario tonight. So proud to be a presenter and sponsor. Was wonderful to meet all the guests and speakers.! Tammy Lee Marche – Thanks to Michelle Clermont for organizing ignite Health ontario I enjoyed many of the presentations with Denise Testa! Tanya Parker – Just heard a very moving speech from a Long Term Care patient about lonliness in a LTC facility. Tim Felsky – Just did my first Yoga Stretches as part of Ignite Health Ontario Cheryl Takaoka – Enjoyed an educational night that included yoga ( I am not as flexible as I used to be) Enlightenment and some great questions to ask myself. What is my Why?( I will have to get back to you on that) What makes me Smile every day? (Happily I can answer that most days) and How can I help make change ( not the monetary kind) Thanks Ignite Health Ontario! Koreen Melnick – Awesome event Michelle Tanya Park – Megan did a fabulous job. She had the audience engaged and inspired. That young lady is going places!

The Turning Point in Modern Medicine – Shift or Fade – Tommy Caldwell

There was a time when your local MD was the only person you would go to in times of health related woes. Be them minor aches and pains, or major health concerns, there was only one source you knew of that could tell you not only what was wrong, but how it was going to be made better.

As we grow as a society so grows our own knowledge of personal health. A great portion of the population is learning how to self educate themselves and realize not only the current flaws in the medical structure, but alternative resources that can be found in order to combat some of the problems that modern medicine was once thought to be the only remedy for.

People have many theories or arguments as to why things are shifting the way they are and why the medical community is thriving less and less. Some blame the intervention of aggressive drug companies, some blame the lack of enthusiasm in modern GP’s that would sooner write a prescription than spend the time educating their client, and some blame their local government for restricting the ability for medical facilities to operate the way they should. These are all valid arguments, and there are many, many more with equal validity- but the true problem in medicine today is its ultimate disconnect from the modern community; the inability to relate to the updated knowledge and mindset of the modern human being. The medical community has two choices as time moves forwards: change, grow, and reconnect with its people, or fade, crumble, and disappear into the past.

The Napster Age

Remember when music first became free through sites such as Napster? The music industry was furious, fearful, and at a loss. Billions of dollars were spent trying to prevent the sharing of online music and in keeping the music industry the way it has always been; and why not? The music industry was a money making machine that had been operating pretty much the same way since the 1940’s. We went from records, to 8 tracks, to cassettes, to CD’s- but the creation, packaging, distribution, and profit from music was always constant.

The music industry knew that with ability to share music through online communities, the industry was in trouble. Instead of looking at this as an opportunity to evolve and find new/interesting ways to run their model and succeed through change, they wasted billions of dollars trying to prevent the world from spinning. If they had only seen where the future was headed and adjusted accordingly, they would’ve changed the music industry as we knew it, saved a ton of money, and continued to succeed within an updated system of music.

Medicine is in the same boat, and it is being handled the same way.

Now that people have the ability to share information online they are more aware of many things. Firstly that they have the ability to prevent many health problems by educating themselves on what is good for them to eat, how important exercise is, and how to access the avenues in order to live a better life. They also have a new insight into the drug industry and its deep ties to the current medical system. Most people are starting to understand the motivations of billion dollar drug companies and their great influence over the medical community. The combination of understanding how to better your own life without the medical community, as well as all of the ever-growing education of flaws within the medical establishment is bad news for medicine. They all know it, but much like the music industry they are squeezing their eyes shut and hoping this will all go away.

Drug companies, Genetic Engineering groups like Monsanto, and all the like are putting forth billions of dollars in funds in order to shut down the natural medicine industry and make any natural product that can help remedy the human body available only by prescription. This is one example of many on the agenda’s of these kinds of companies, but it shows you their combative approach to the current situation. Much like the music industry they are too late, and will ultimately, fail.

Medical practitioners aren’t to blame on that level, but they are still fully resistant to the current change in the community. I believe that all (or at least the majority of) MD’s are out to help people. They are out to make the world a better place and serve their community- but they also have their heads buried in the sand when it comes to how the world and industry is changing, and they are losing their audience.

With the level and speed of information sharing the way it currently is- the medical world needs to change. It is no longer useful to resist your own people like the music industry tried to do- rather, you need to change your approach and rebuild a trusting relationship, and more importantly a ‘connection’ with the world.

The Paradigm Shift

We live in a truly amazing age, and I don’t know how many of us realize that. We live in the first and only age known to man in which we can share any information with any person in the world within less than a second. The fact that ANY PERSON can do it with even the most basic means of technology is truly amazing and groundbreaking. This is a time that will be written in history books- and this generation of human beings will change the entire direction of the planet. It is unbelievably exciting when you think about it.

The problem for many industries is that the world has the ability to change far faster than the industries want to change themselves. This is why you see so many failing industries in the world; not because they deliver bad products, because their staff are ineffective, or because nobody wants their products or services- but because they refuse to change in order to accommodate an ever changing world.

This is something that the medical community needs to understand- and they need to understand it quickly. Like it or not, they are an industry just like any other- selling products and services in exchange of financial gain. And just like all the other industries their refusal to adapt and change is allowing the world to look past them.

Health- The Key to Reconnecting

People in this world (or at least a significant portion of them) are starting to not only understand, but become enthusiastic about health. They are taking control of their own lives from a very fundamental level and learning how important it is to take care of their bodies. Even with this change, however, they still seek out some sort of outside assistance to keep them confident in times of health uncertainty. People are finding Naturopathic Doctors, Chinese Medicine, and all kinds of alternative methods to modern medicine. I think it’s important to note that, because it isn’t as if people who are educated in health want less help in their lives- but they want help from people who have the same values, ideals, and principles as they do. What I’m getting at is people aren’t seeking modern medicine less and less because they simply don’t want help from anyone when it comes to health related issues- they just want help from people who care about what THEY care about- and for a typical individual who understands health and wellness, that person is not an M.D.

Modern Medicine practices a disease model. That means most of their education and scope of practice revolves around waiting until there is an issue, and then finding a way to treat that issue. There is nothing wrong with that and people need to understand that medicine (the way we know it today) came from a place that required practioners to solve existing problems- not prevent them from happening. It was also established in a time where life was so simple in terms of people having access to ONLY good sources of food and in a time where everyone had to be active each day in order to get work done. This meant that the need for prevention wasn’t there like it is today- it was much more valuable to have a medical model that could diagnose an existing problem and find a way to fix it.

With that in mind the need for preventative medicine has been growing rapidly over the last century- and of course, the medical world has refused to change along with that rapid increase in need. This is what has created such a massive disconnect between people and modern medicine.

Music is now medicine, record companies are now hospitals, and Napster is now information about taking care of yourself. The medical industry now has to become a source of accurate and effective preventative health information, and stop resisting the change that is happening before its eyes.

Don’t Tear it Down- Just Build with Better Bricks

The medical community isn’t going to just disappear, and if it did I think a lot of us ‘health extremists’ who may see that as an ideal situation would quickly realize what a huge loss and mistake it would be. Instead it needs to take a new direction with new objectives, and a better understanding of how to relate to its every evolving population of patients.

While a lot of the technology that has been implemented into medicine has been controversial and it some cases even dangerous or counterproductive, there has still been (and will continue to be) great technologies and advances is medical science that can do amazing things for the world’s population. And while a lot of the operation and structure of the medical world has become stagnant and ineffective, there is still a lot about the medical system that can be quite advantageous to the world as well. Not to mention the great need for emergency care, care for the elderly, and care for the large population of people who quite frankly just can’t care for themselves.

We get so caught up in what is wrong with medicine these days that we forget about all the things that are also right and benefit many people that surround us. We forget that the best solution is a change, a medium, and the letting go of old ineffective ideas for new effective ones.

If the medical system puts a large shift towards educating their MD’s on health, prevention, and patient education- the damaged relationships with its patients and image will repair and recover. If it however decides to fight tooth and nail to protect a dying system of sickness and disease medicine, the people will disconnect and seek professionals that are more relatable to how they view life and wellness.

Therein lies the crossroads that the medical community is facing- follow the music industry and fight for a dying system that is inevitably going to change with or without you, or learn from other industries mistakes and give the people not only what they want, but what the world (currently) needs. And remember- the choice doesn’t have to be any more complicated than choosing to connect with your patients on a level that makes them feel secure, confident, and like you care about their views on health- but following your own agenda with your fingers in your ears yelling “LA LA LA LA LA LA” isn’t a great way to convey that message.

 

Ignite Health October 24,2012 Covent Market London, Ontario!

I am very excited to announce that we have been able to secure the date of October 24,2012 for the inaugaral event for Ignite Health. This is TRULY the ideal location. They hosted the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution event last May and because there are lots of local food vendors at this market I want to bring people to them and this is a Win/Win relationship! I  will make sure everyone is wearing a name tag so that we have a chance to connect names with faces of those we might not have met in the community before!

The event will run from 6 pm – 9pm We will have some healthy snacks and beverages available for participants.

We will accept up to 200 attendees and the event will be set up on EventBrite where you will need to book your tickets quickly!

We will start the evening off with a physical or spiritual challenge for teams to enjoy and then settle in for some amazing speakers.

You will enjoy 2 presenters in each of the following categories:

Food – I will share details of the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Ambassador program.  We will have a nutritionist sharing a few great ideas for healthy eating!

Exercise – Have you considered the Hula Hoop for a great workout? We will have an exciting presentation and challenge for attendees. I will also make sure we have a great personal trainer provide some getting started tips for those new to exercise!

Mental Health – We are looking to secure a puppet presentation for Anxiety, and a great speaker to raise awareness on mental illness in our community.

Spiritual – Are you aware of Shamanism for dealing with illness from a spiritual perspective, Deep Breathing and Yoga will be the other focus I am looking to have presented.

Patient Stories- A positive approach to Cancer from an inspirational lady and another strong woman to share her battle with Depression!

Practitioners – We will introduce you to Reiki with a demonstration with 2 amazing ladies. We are looking for another practioner to share their skills and I am considering a number of ideas!

After 6 presentations I will break this event up for 20 minutes for you to enjoy a snack , take a break and an opportunity to speak with the first 6 presenters.

We will come back for the second half presenters and you will have a chance afterward to go into the Labatt Room to get more information from all the speakers and a chance to talk to them.

Get Registered at http://ignitehealth.eventbrite.ca/

Follow our Companion Blog at http://ignitehealthblog.wordpress.com

Exercise! Your Brain Will Thank You – Guest Contributor Jim Rollince

Exercise! Your Brain Will Thank You

You’ll have a hard time finding anyone who’ll argue with the ample evidence that exercise is good for you. Repeated studies have shown it helps prevent, and improve, many health problems. The media have widely reported in recent years how patients with heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes show dramatic health improvements with a daily routine. Recently, we are also learning just how potent the benefits are to your mental health.

A variety of studies over the last 20 years have proven that 30 minutes of exercise a day can improve anxiety symptoms, and depression. New data suggests that it can slow the progress of dementia and improve the well-being of people with schizophrenia as well. While the exact mechanism for how it works is not known, researchers think they have a pretty good idea why.

This is your brain on exercise:

• Exercise releases those feel-good endorphins in your brain.

• It reduces immune system chemicals that can make depression worse.

• It increases body temperature, which has calming effect that can ease anxiety.

• It increases energy and a feeling of wellness.

• It increases self-confidence and positive feelings about appearance.

• It increases social interaction and positive engagement with people.

• Finally, it takes your mind of your problems.

Now that you know what exercise can do, where do you start?

For those of you who don’t want the world to see you just yet, indoor exercise is a good place to start. Purchasing home gym equipment, like treadmills, can be a worthy investment. Rain or shine, you can go for a walk. Walking is a gentle and easy way to begin. For those who want a greater challenge, walking can always progress into running. Both walking and running carry the same benefits to your heart and brain.

Time to meet the world and join a gym? Aside from the social benefits, joining a gym has several advantages. Multiple types of equipment and regular exercise classes, plus the added bonus of trainers are just a few of the perks. One of the hottest workout machines is the elliptical trainer. Ellipticals workout both the upper and lower body by simulating stair climbing, walking and running without the normal stress on the joints.

This is a smart choice if you have been sedentary for a long time.

Is Exercising Outside Even More Beneficial?

It turns out, the answer is yes. A recent study in the UK discovered that exercising in natural environments increases energy and feeling revitalized. It also decreases tension, confusion, anger and depression. The studies show a marked increase in enjoyment after exercising outdoors because of the greater variety of activities that are available. Exercises like: tennis, hiking, biking and swimming outdoors can leave you feeling refreshed. The sun also gives you a natural shot of Vitamin D, which improves your mood and strengthens your immunity.

The many reasons to exercise are too much to list in this short article.  How can you not?  Stress or depression can make starting an exercise program a little tougher. The good news is another recent study found that just 20 minutes a week can benefit mental health!  It only takes a 5 minute walk around the block, every other day, to start feeling better again.

Inspired by Ignite Culture and Ignite London …Ignite Health!?

I am so impressed that one of my contacts on Twitter created Ignite Culture. She did it by word of mouth and it was hosted successfully in Toronto last month. Now it is getting a headline in London Ontario and being presented April 3, 2012.

I tried to think of something I could add to an Ignite Culture presentation and really came up with a blank. I don’t have any artistic talents, I am the product of a very dysfunctional family and can’t really look back in my family tree to point out any interesting cultural stories.

 My daughter is far more well versed in Culture topics. She is history fanatic, she loves classic movies, she loves the theatre, she sings, she loves to act. All of the things I may have been if my childhood had been remotely normal.

So as I realized that I could not create a topic that was specific to Ignite Culture I had a lightbulb moment.

What if I created Ignite Health! Same format 5 minute topics related to health and wellness. A focussed session that you can attend to learn about the body, alternative medicine and healthy living.

I know it would be popular, I know I have a number of contacts in London already that have dealt with illness in their families or illness in their lives. I know I am meeting incrediible people like Kresimer Jug who would be a great speaker on the benefits of Chiropractory. What if we combined all those skills and all that knowledge to improve everyone’s knowledge of their own bodies and the impacts we inadvertantly have on our bodies with the choices we make in everyday life.

I am inspired and wondering where to start…I will sit down with Jenn Nelson soon to understand how she created Ignite Culture. I will talk to Jennifer Murray and Gavin Blair about Ignite London and see how that was started too.

I think that having 8 – 10 speakers talking for 5 minutes each on an aspect of Healthy living can only improve the health of our community!

 

Do you agree or do you think this is overkill for another separate Ignite??

Liver Disease – Do you Judge? Are you Vulnerable?

I have been running a support group for Fatty Liver Disease on Facebook since 2008.  Do a search on Facebook for Fatty Liver Disease Support Group (NAFLD and NASH).

 I have talked to 100′s of patients with the disease. You might think they are all middle age obese people but you would be very wrong.  Do not take your health for granted, do not assume you are not at risk for this disease. With the current obesity rates in the world the odds are 1 in 5 that you could have this disease and not even be aware of it. You might be a child, a healthy person, a mother, father, daughter, son, grandmother, grandfather, husband or wife. 

Fatty liver disease can be very quiet :

you could be going through your day and feel a pain in the right side of your tummy and easily discount it to a general tummy ache.

You might feel really worn down  and need to sleep more often and easily discount that to your busy life.

You might notice you get sick more easily, you go to the drugstore and fill up with supplements, and vitamins.

You might go to the doctor and they will likely think you are just depressed and give you drugs to treat symptoms.

The liver is the hardest working organ in the body. We all abuse it in some way everyday.

Pollution and Chemicals – in the home, in our cleaning liquids, our shampoos, our beauty products, dusts and mold. Car Emissions, factory emissions, pollens, and allergens.

Eating – Processed foods, spicy foods, junk food, fast food, genetically modified foods, chemical replacements for sugars, diet products, caffeinated, low fat, high sodium, high sugars. chemically treated fruits and veggies, and processed meats. Even organic foods are not necessarily organic!

Alcohol – Oh I know this is the general vision of the liver patient. Uncle Joe has been an alcoholic all his life and now he is paying for it because his liver is pickled!

Drugs – Oh I know the drug addicts sharing the needles down around the corner get liver disease due to their lifestyle choices.

Unsafe Sex, tattoos- Pamela Anderson has liver disease due to unsafe sex and tattoos.

Its so very easy to make quick judgements of liver patients, they should have prevented this by not drinking, partying, abusing their bodies so much.

Let me introduce you to a few of the stories I am aware of:

A 12 year old child is immunized for HEP to prepare for a trip overseas, she returns and gets hit with pneumonia and Mono…6 months later she has liver disease. Her 40 mother is obese but she does not have the disease…

A healthy , skinny, strong healthy young man is 30. He is 6 foot 3 and 183 lbs. He is not a drinker, he does not do drugs, he does not have unclean tattoos. He has liver disease. He grew up with a dad who worked for the coca cola company.. Coca cola was always in the house, he drank it like water.

A 52 year old woman is a registered nurse and she goes to the Gym daily. She deals with one patient with a transmittable liver disease and her life changes forever. She warns everyone to stay away from pain killers and be careful what you eat.

A 29 year old man struggles with knee surgeries, radiation, steroids. He was normal weight…then his fatty liver disease started….

A 30 Year old man has frequent migraines, gets diagnosed with a genetic disease that made him prone to liver problems and now he has fatty liver disease.

A 26 year old woman is rushed to hospital due to excessive nausea and diarrhea, she faints in emergency room. They do ultrasound as she has been told she has galbladder issues for the last 4 years. They poke around and finds her liver swollen and causing pain. They review the ultrasound look at her and say your ultrasound has white masses of fat in your liver. This fat should be filtering through your liver. That it is not is very strange. You are not a drinker, you are not over 40, and you are not obese. So it appears you have non alcholic fatty liver disease.  

35 year old woman is diagnosed with Nash stage 3 fibrosis brought on by  fatty liver disease she is 5 foot 1 and 185 lbs. She is very scared as she watched her mother die from this disease.

a 40 year old woman is mildly obese and finds out not only her but 2 of her children also have fatty liver disease.

A 44 year old woman has undiagnosed Celiac disease and undiagnosed Diabetes. Her Liver finally causes enough trouble that everything gets diagnosed!

What does the liver really do? There are more than 500 functions, here are just a few! 

• processing digested food from the intestine
• controlling levels of fats, amino acids and glucose in the blood 
• combating infections in the body 
• clearing the blood of particles and infections including bacteria 
• neutralising and destroying drugs and toxins 
• manufacturing bile 
• storing iron, vitamins and other essential chemicals 
• breaking down food and turning it into energy 
• manufacturing, breaking down and regulating numerous hormones including sex hormones 
• making enzymes and proteins which are responsible for most chemical reactions in the body, for example those involved in blood clotting and repair of damaged tissues

Your liver is a miracle organ, do not lose hope ever. It does regenerate, in fact its the only organ in the body that can do so. With eating right and exercising, learning how to have fun without alcohol or drugs you can have a full happy life with a liver that will thank you!

Think of your body as an aquarium full of living organisms. Treat the liver as the filter in your tank , a valued member of your team! It does a lot of work and you need to respect it and avoid clogging it.

Please take the time to reflect on Liver patients, no one asks for this disease and they are treated by most of the doctors, and people in the world as being at fault. Please treat them with respect and be thankful its not you or someone you love.

Megan taking control and leading us to healthier lifestyle!

I am so very proud of my 14 year old daughter Megan. In the last week she has lost 6 lbs. She has set herself a goal of losing 20 lbs to get herself a product at Bath and Bodyworks as a reward for her hardwork. She is checking the scale everyday which is not the best idea but other than that I could not be more impressed by this.

She is entering every food into an internet program which breaks down all the nutrients and grades foods as A – D’s. She takes every container we use and she painstakingly adds them to the database. She is averaging A days and making sure I do as well. She is noticing how much salt and sugar manufacturers are using with the labels screaming lowfat! She is not letting us buy yogurts with too much sugar, We are checking every label for Salt , fats, sugars and fibre to make sure we eat balanced.

We are spending 90% of our time in the fruit and veggie aisle and we are back to cutting up all the fruit and veggies on Sunday to make the rest of the week easy.

We found a quickprep oatmeal that is for weight control by quakers that was surprisingly a Grade A product and not too high in sugar or salts.

We found that basic Cheerios are also a better choice than the multigrain Cheerios which has a lot more sugar.

She is running everyday not for long periods of time but she enters the time she runs into the program and it gets her a few more calories to spend on foods.

She is setting a NON FOOD related reward for her mini goals! This is perfect and the right way to do it!

We made guacamole last night for her to dip her new favorite veggie Celery into.. Celery being less than zero calories!

We have a meal plan for the week and she is excited about this change!

This came out of Megan totally and completely. I was working us toward healthier eating, but she has taken the bull by the horns! She is getting me excited with her enthusiasm and I will be getting healthier alongside her.

Megan will not be a teen that turns to silly diet plans, she is learning the right things to look for, she is insisting we target grade A meals everyday.

Her liver will thank her, her body will thank her, her self esteem will thank her. and so will I.

Thank you Megan I love you.