The Fatter You Are The Hungrier You Get

Have you ever noticed that the more weight that you gain, the hungrier you get? One of the issues that can arise when you let your body fall into an unhealthy acidic state is constant hunger. That is why it is crucial for you to also correct your body’s metabolism, by putting it into a more alkaline state.  That is part of the point of embarking on the Healthy and Active Lifestyle that is offered, along with HCG loss and other strategies for weight loss here at the Pinewood Natural Health Centre. Through the use of a blood chemistry profile, you can determine what foods that you can eat so that you do not pack on the pounds because of cravings.

An Abnormal Hypothalamus Gland

A cross section of the human brain.

If your hypothalamus gland is abnormal you can experience more cravings than is normal. The hypothalamus is the body’s master gland that regulates metabolism and it controls the natural trigger response of hunger.  Constant cravings can signify that this gland has become toxic and that it needs to be reset. One of the programs that we offer at the clinic is the HCG program which has proven successful in helping people lose sixty in just a couple of months.

There are many reasons why it may be operating abnormally and there are natural treatments available to address each. These include:

• A fatty and clogged liver
• An overgrowth of candida yeast
• Lack of digestive enzymes
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Lack of fibre in the diet
• Toxic overload from sugar and especially high fructose corn syrup
• Toxic overload from artificial sweeteners and flavourings
• Toxic overload from heavy metals
• Chronic lack of oxygen
• Food allergies
• Parasites
• Too much fad dieting
• Lack of sleep

In Naturopathy there are measures that can be taken to address all or any of these symptoms.

Unusual Factors That Influence Cravings

Cravings are also worse if you eat a very bland diet. The hypothalamus thrives when it can sample all five tastes in one day including salty, sweet, sour, savoury and bitter.  The hypothalamus will also encourage you to seek out other types of stimulating sensations such as spiciness, blandness, astringency, coolness and foods with different textures and temperatures. This is why if you are on calorie deprivation diet, that it is important to use spices and also vary the temperature and textures of the foods so that you hypothalamus is always excited enough to stimulate weight loss hormones.

For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, diet and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services. 

You can also read more about the Healthy and Active Lifestyle program that is offered world-wide in natural health clinics at www.hametabolism.blogspot.ca.

Why It a Good Idea to Lose Weight Now!

Losing weight is not just about looking fantastic in a bikini or living up to that old saying “You can never be too thin or too rich.”  In fact, they should change that saying to “You can never be too healthy!”

Obesity is Expensive and Lowers Your Quality of Life

Aside from improving your health, being overweight can be quite expensive. It can be hard to find clothes that fit and when you do, they are offered by clothing stores that charge a little more for that extra bit of fabric that is needed to fit your girth.

Further, more obesity leads to a lot of diseases that have treatments that are not necessarily covered by OHIP or employee insurance plans.  Obesity leads to a whole whack of disorders including diabetes.  Joint problems, sleep apnea, respiratory diseases, reflux diseases, kidney diseases and even infertility. In many cases, these problems are eliminated if the person can find a way to lose weight.

Although managing the health effects of being overweight is costly, the effect the condition has on your overall quality of life is also expensive.  People who are overweight tend to go for walks less, swim less and even play with their children or grandchildren less.  The simplest activities, such as climbing three flights of stairs, can seem like an unattainable feat.  Many overweight individuals are unable to fit in a train seat or a theatre seat at a movie theater.

The immobility and social isolation that obesity or being overweight causes can also cause a vicious circle to be perpetuate itself. The more sedentary you are, the more weight you gain and the more inclined you are to stay in and so on.

Losing Just 10% Of Your Weight Is Helpful

Getting rid of even ten percent of your weight can improve how you feel and help you enjoy life again. By losing just 10 percent of your body weight, you can lower your cholesterol and reduce your blood pressure, says G. Ken Goodrick, PhD, psychologist and associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. High cholesterol and elevated blood pressure are two major risk factors for heart disease.

According to Karen Miller Kovach, a spokesman for Weight Watchers, “If you're overweight, you're at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, which means your body can't make enough, or properly use, insulin, a hormone that helps convert food to usable energy. By losing just 10 percent of your body weight, you'll improve your body's ability to use the insulin it makes, possibly preventing the onset of the disease,” Miller-Kovach also says. If you already have type 2 diabetes, shedding that 10 percent may improve your symptoms and possibly prevent complications, she adds.

Just a 10 percent weight loss increases feelings of vigor and vitality," says Miller-Kovach. "You'll feel better and have more energy."

Finally, we are our harshest judges. When we are overweight, we tend to be critical of ourselves. It can lower our self-esteem, cause fatigue and depression, stomach and sleep problems. Changing your eating habits can help you lose weight and develop a better self-image.

Here at the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic we have several plans and solutions to help you lose weight and feel better in general.

For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, diet and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services

Xanthone Rich Anti-Aging Mangosteens

The Mangosteeen most certainly qualifies as a superfruit, just simply because it contains a huge number of healing constituents called xanthones. Mangosteens contain 43 free radical xanthones which is quite a lot nutritionally considering that there are only about 200 of these compounds found in nature.   These healing constituents are antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory and it is remarkable to find so many of them in just one fruit.

The mangosteen or more formal Purple Mangosteen as it is sometimes called is the fruit of a tropical evergreen tree that grows mainly in Southeast Asia and also in South American countries such as Columbia.  One of the nicknames of Mangosteen is “The Queen of Fruit because it was a favourite of Queen Victoria.

The fruit is small shiny and round and comes in hues from deep-red to purple to black. The green stem end is capped with four green leaves. Inside the fruit are snowy white segments of flesh that secrete a purple or red juice. The taste is tangy, sweet and sour all at once with hints of lychee, banana, pineapple, strawberry and pear.

A Nourishing Superfruit

Mangosteen is very high in Vitamin C providing about 12% of RDA per 100 grams. The fresh fruit is a moderate source of B-complex vitamins such as thiamine, niacin and folates. These vitamins are acting as cofactors that help the body to metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

Mangosteen also keeps the body running in good order because it contains high amounts of copper, manganese and magnesium. However, they can also be very high in sugar so beware. They also should not be eaten every day as they are considered to be a moderately acidic fruit rather than a completely alkaline one.

What Are the Health Benefits of Mangosteen?

The xanothones in Mangosteen facilitate and help treat arthritis, acid dyspepsia, fibromyalgia, moderate asthma, eczema and earaches. In Asian medicine the mangosteen is also used to treat digestive complaints such as dysentery and also urinary tract infections.

This superfruit also helps prevent degenerative disease and mental deterioration in general. It also has been described as an anti-microbial, which means that it has components in it that kill and impedes the development of harmful microorganisms. The fruit is also good for weight loss as it is very low in calories at only 63 calories per average sized fruit. The high fibre in the fruit is also very cleansing and detoxifying.

The potassium and other minerals in Mangosteen help to regulate body fluids and help control heart rate, and blood pressure; thus, it offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.

 Where to find Mangosteen…

Mangosteen is mostly available in Asian, Eastern and exotic markets although the fruit is making more of an appearance in grocery stores.

You can buy mangosteens canned but they are not as tasty as fresh fruit.

How to prepare Mangosteen …

Make sure that you wash the fruit in water to remove any dust on the surface of the flesh.

It is easy to extract the flesh from purple rind. Hold the fruit with the stem-end downward, take a sharp knife and cut around the middle completely through the rind, and lift off the top half of the peel. This leaves the fleshy segments exposed in the bottom half of the rind. The segments are then easily lifted out with a fork.

The purple juice of the fruit will stain anything it touches so just be aware of this while you are cutting it open.

For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, nutrition and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Centre website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.

Kiwi Fruit’s Healthy Impact on Weight Loss and the Immune System

The Kiwi is also known as both the Chinese gooseberry and also the “sunny peach.”. It is the large edible berry of a woody vine. Originally it was indigenous to the Easter Chinese “Shaanxi” province even though it is now widely grown in New Zealand.

In North America, the kiwis that are grown are generally the size of a Hen’s egg. This commonly available variety has a fuzzy brown skin and bright green flesh and is known as the Hayward.   A smaller North American type called the Blake is more smooth skinned and oval in shape.

Kiwifruit by species A = A. arguta, C = A. chinensis,

 D = A. deliciosa, E = A. eriantha, I = A. indochinensis,

 P = A. polygama, S = A. setosa;

Fruits of different species af Actinidia. A = A. arguta, 

C = A. chinensis, D = A. deliciosa, E = A. eriantha,

 I = A. indochinensis, P = A. polygama, S = A. setosa.

Golden Kiwi fruit, grown in China has lime green flesh with large black seeds and a red inner ring. Exotic varieties boast green to golden flesh with a red ring of black seeds inside. All kiwis have as small white ring inside the center.

Kiwis can taste different from batch to batch.  The taste is usually a hybrid of strawberries, lime, pineapple and a bit of banana with one flavour being slightly more prominent than another depending on where it was grown.

A Superfruit That is a Metabolic Bargain

Kiwi qualifies as being a superfruit because it is highly nutritious as each fruit is only 41 calories.  However, if you are trying to eat highly alkaline foods as part of special diet plan then kiwi is not for you as it registers quite highly on the acidic scale with a rating of 3.5.  Foods above 7 on the pH scale are considered to be alkaline.

Eating a kiwi can be compared to eating a very large organic vitamin pill. Kiwis are extremely rich in vitamin C, folate, potassium, carotenoids, chlorophyll, glutathione and pectin.  You can shorten the duration of a cold by eating kiwi.

Kiwi is also an unusually rich source of low fat and low-calorie Vitamin E. Vitamin E is a rare vegan sources and usually found in high-fat sources like avocado and nuts.

One serving of California Kiwifruit has more potassium than a banana. They are also a rich source of antioxidants, which reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke. Each Kiwi has about 2 grams of protein and 133 mg of Vitamin C.  They are 5% calcium, 3% Vitamin E and 3% iron. One kiwifruit has 30 mg of magnesium, which aids in muscle and nerve function.

Kiwi Fruit’s Many Health Benefits

Kiwi’s antioxidants neutralize the free radicals that cause inflammation and cancer.  The high Vitamin C content helps prevent asthma, arteriosclerosis, osteoarthritis and colon cancer.

The fruits high Vitamin E content helps lower cholesterol and boost immunity. Eating two to three Kiwi fruits a day can reduce the potential for blood clots and decrease triglycerides.

Kiwi is a well-known weight loss food because it has only 3.8 calories per fruit.  Only cantaloupes, papaya, strawberry and lemon have fewer calories. Diabetics can safely enjoy Kiwi Fruit. They have a low glycemic index of 52.  This is also beneficial for those looking for a fat-free, low-carb way to lose weight.

Kiwi also prevents colon cancer, optimizes metabolism and is a natural blood thinner and anti-depressant.

Where to Find Kiwi Fruit

You can find kiwi fruit is most grocery stores nowadays and definitely at Asian markets. Be sure to choose plump, aromatic Kiwi that yields to gentle pressure. Avoid those that are mushy or that have bruises or wet spots.

It is preferable to not eat the skin so it is best to peel the Kiwi before you slice it.   Don’t try to suspend it in gelatin. It has a compound in it that will not allow it to set.

For more information or to book a consultation about nutrition and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Centre website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.