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Recent Entries
- About Pat Barone
- Sugar Substitutes: Friend or Foe?
- Balance is the Key to Creating Wellness
By Pat Barone, CPCC, PCC
"America's Weight Loss Catalyst"
If your New Year's Resolutions are still going strong, good for you! But, if you are like most of us, your resolutions were left in the dust long ago.
The average resolution lasts less than 72 hours. No surprise, that's the same length of most diets.
Why the short span for decisions so vital to our health?
The very nature of resolutions relies on "a magic moment" – the idea that, at 12:01 a.m. on January 1st, we will somehow, suddenly, be different people. We'll exercise, when we didn't do it before. Or we'll develop a voracious appetite for healthy food when our stressful schedule usually leads us towards quick, fast and easy: i.e. MacDonalds.
In reality, there is no difference in us between 11:59 and 12:01. We haven't changed in that moment of time. Our attitudes and beliefs are the same and they haven't been revised. Our past attempts and failures are the same and they remain unexamined. Our confidence in our ability to succeed hasn't changed and we've done nothing to boost or enhance our mental and emotional coping skills.
So, if your "magic moment" has passed and you've resumed life as it existed at 11:59 December 31, 2007, let go of that improbable scenario and get to work making your wishes come true.
The word "work" is appropriate here. It will take work. Internal change happens before external change. But it can be done and the skills developed while making big changes are valuable tools that can make every other area of life easier.
- Get to "Want": This is usually the easiest step. We all want something new in our lives. It might be more energy and vitality, a new meaningful relationship, or the end of a habit or addiction like smoking, overeating or drinking. Clearly identify the desire and intensify that feeling as much as possible. There's an inherent powerful, motivating force in desire.
- Believe you can do it: Even the smallest, random thought that we cannot succeed will become sabotage. Most of us have a negative little monkey-mind voice in our heads that says "You can't do that!" or "Who do you think you are!" or "You're going to do WHAT?" In order to fully and completely believe in your success, you may need to confront past failures, eradicate that negative mental chatter and forge a new positive attitude.
- Reinforcement: Constant reinforcement of our original desire and goal is important every step along the way. The great sales master Zig Ziglar once said, "Motivation doesn't last very long, but neither does bathing. That's why you do it every day." Reinforcement can come from within ourselves, from a carefully constructed support system or a professional coach.
- Persistence: This is the simplest step. Do what will lead to the goal, then do it consistently. Even the smallest changes in diet and exercise will pay off, if sustained. Simply giving up diet soda is known to result in an average weight loss of 17 lbs. per year. Giving up regular soda can average 20-25 lbs. in a year. Giving up an afternoon candy bar will add up to a pound lost every two weeks, or 26 lbs. in one year. These examples are the type of weight loss that tends to be permanent as well, since the habitual behavior is broken. So, the size of each step isn't as important as the persistent pursuit of the goal.
Behavior is the key. Instead of concentrating on the generic, broad topic of "losing weight" as a resolution, concentrate on some of the behaviors that add extra calories to your daily intake and change them. (If you don't know why you eat too much, find out. My CD set "Win the Food Fight!" (http://www.patbarone.com/WintheFoodFight.htm) helps clarify the major reasons for overeating.) Once a negative behavior is changed, food becomes irrelevant.
Conscious behavior change in any area of our lives tends to be permanent and that's the key to every successful resolution!
By Pat Barone, CPCC, PCC
“America’s Weight Loss Catalyst”
In the quest for weight loss, America has engaged in a love affair with sugar substitutes. Unfortunately, it's been a one sided, abusive relationship, with the American consumer the victim.
Not only has long-term research shown significant health risks associated with chemical sweeteners, recent studies by the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Purdue University and Baylor University have also proven that consumers who use sugar substitutes GAIN weight instead of losing it.
Here are some of the sugar substitutes currently on the market:
Aspartame first appeared in the U.S. in 1981, when the U.S. obesity rate was 46%. Today, the rate is 63%. Clearly, despite use by millions, aspartame has not been effective in helping to reduce the overall weight of U.S. citizens. Most experts now believe it has negative impact on weight loss. A Purdue University study found "artificial sweeteners may disrupt the body's natural ability to 'count' calories based on foods' sweetness. This finding may explain why increasing numbers of people in the United States lack the natural ability to regulate food intake and body weight."
Along with the rising obesity rates, mounting questions about aspartame's effectiveness and safety continue to plague the food additive. Some of the unwanted side effects include:
1. increased hunger and cravings
2. lowered serotonin which causes depression and/or mood swings
3. the release of insulin in proportions to the sweetness of the food eaten, usually more than needed by the body
4. with overproduction of insulin, fat cells grow faster
5. increased thirst because aspartame dehydrates the body
6. impaired sleep
The FDA has admitted that 3/4 of all its non-drug complaints are for the unwanted ill effects from aspartame use. A one-liter beverage, sweetened with aspartame, contains about 56 milligrams of methanol (wood alcohol, which breaks down in the body into formaldehyde or embalming fluid), or eight times the EPA limit!
According to a 1998 survey by the Calorie Control Counsel, 144 million American adults regularly consume sugar-free, artificially sweetened foods every day. With the link between artificial sweeteners and weight gain, it's no wonder obesity rates are skyrocketing!
Today, lawsuits are proliferating against the manufacturers of aspartame and, as a result, food and beverage manufacturers are making a hasty leap to a new product, sucralose, also known as Splenda.
Sucralose is made from bonding sugar (sucrose) to chlorine.
That statement of fact should be all it takes to throw anything containing Splenda out the window!
Chlorine?
- Yes, the same chemical used in bleach!
- The same chemical you've been warned against ingesting for 50 or 60 years!
- The same chemical that is classified as a PESTICIDE!
- The same chemical linked to breast cancer in women (who does 90% of the cleaning, often using cleansers containing chlorine?).
Isn't it odd that big money makers like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, although they are still claiming aspartame is safe, switched to Splenda for their products in such an amazingly swift time?
As of 2005, only six human trials had been conducted on Splenda and only two of the trials were completed and published before the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. The two published trials had a grand total of 36 total human subjects.
36 people sure doesn't sound like a large study, but wait -- it gets worse -- only 23 total were actually given Splenda for testing and the longest use lasted only four days and looked at Splenda in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance.
Is that conclusive enough to be putting it in your body?
 Did you know that Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, when served from a fountain at a restaurant, don’t contain aspartame or splenda? They contain saccharin. After research indicated saccharin caused cancer, the FDA considered banning saccharin in 1977 but decided to allow its use with a printed warning instead. Did your server at Chili's or Taco Bell give you that warning when she served you?
Although it is considered calorie free because the body does not absorb Splenda, the sparse human studies show that 15% of Splenda is not excreted by the body. That portion is staying in the body, most likely stored in fat. Considering that Splenda bears more chemical similarity to DDT than it does to sugar, are you willing to bet your health on this data? Remember that fat soluble substances, such as DDT, can remain in your fat for decades and devastate your health.
In addition, Splenda is supposed to work because it can't be digested by the body. It can't produce energy. What does the body do when it eats something sweet, which it knows should produce energy, and it doesn't get that jolt of fuel?
It keeps you hungry!
Since some diabetics have had severe sugar reactions, there is mounting concern that some people do absorb Splenda just like sugar. It follows that consumers may adjust to it with continued use, allowing absorption.
The absorption of chlorocarbons like Splenda can cause damage to the metabolism and internal organs, especially the liver. In test animals, Splenda produced swollen livers and calcified kidneys.
The first lawsuits are for false advertising, because the slogan "good for you because it's made from real sugar" is deceptive to the public. France was the first country to forbid the use of that deceptive slogan.
Neotame
This is a new derivative of the same ingredients in aspartame, reformulated in an attempt to make the product harder to break down by the body. It's so new it hasn't appeared on the market yet.
Sugar Alcohols (Trade Names: Sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt, erythritol)
These are made by bonding hydrogen to sugars. Some are supposedly calorie-free (an example is erythritol, which is not supposed to be absorbed by the body) and some have 3/4 the calories of sugar (no big help if you're a calorie-counter).
These compounds are, however, laxatives. They can seriously affect digestion, causing bloating, cramping, diarrhea, flatulence, and intestinal distress.
Tagatose (Trade Name: Naturlose)
Tagatose is manufactured from lactose (milk sugar) and has the same laxative reactions as sugar alcohols noted above.
Acesulfame (Sometimes called: Ace-K)
The body can't metabolize the synthetic chemical acesulfame, but no definitive studies exist (one study was suspended because the rats involved were so drastically sick), which should indicate that it should not be on the market at all. Acesulfame is found in non-sugar ice creams, gum and many protein mixes for high-protein shakes (yes, the ones touted for weight loss!). You'll often find it among the ingredients in the new "low sugar" products being hyped for kids.
Stevia
Stevia is a natural substance, extracted from a shrub grown in South America, that is not absorbable by the body. It is approved as a supplement, not a food. That means it cannot be processed into food before it is sold. As a result, it is usually found in the supplement/vitamin section of most stores.
Many nutritionists and naturapathic doctors swear by Stevia. The FDA, which has bent over backwards to approve chemical sweeteners produced by large corporate entities, seems to be mysteriously lagging in its acceptance of Stevia.
It appears further testing is required for every artificial sweetener on the market. Perhaps long-term studies should be complete BEFORE the products go to market? Then, the public can make a more informed decision free of the marketing hype about "calorie free" foods.
If anything worth eating says "calorie free", it's suspect. After all, food is for energy and "calorie free" means no energy.
In a cruel and ironic twist, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners actually cause weight gain. Research shows Aspartame actually stimulates appetite and brings on a craving for carbohydrates and sugary foods. In 1986, The American Cancer Society documented the fact that persons using artificial sweeteners gain more weight than those who avoid them.
The only thing better than losing that much weight is the fact that most people who cut aspartame from their diets report a huge lift in their spirits. In my own practice, ALL of my clients who have given up aspartame report relief from a low-level depression they did not even recognize was present in their lives.
Feel better! Guard your health! There is nothing more important than your health and well-being and artificial sweeteners may not be enhancing your health.
1. Cut back slowly. If you add it to food and drinks, cut your portions in half, then cut back to one quarter of your normal serving. If you drink 3 sodas a day, cut back to two for a week, then go to one for a week, then one-half.
2. Pay attention to your sense of sweet. It may change drastically. When you crave something sweet, allow yourself to eat a very small portion of whatever you are craving (provided it has no Nutrasweet, aspartame, Splenda or other chemical sweetener in it) paying absolute attention to what you are eating. Eat slowly and savor it.
3. Read food labels. Aspartame and Splenda are "hidden" in many foods, especially yogurt, low calorie jams, salad dressings, candy, breath mints, cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, cocoa mixes, coffee beverages, instant breakfasts, frozen desserts and shake mixes.
4. Recognize that it may take 60 days to rid your body of the effects of artificial sweeteners. Some users of Splenda have reported it took a year to feel normal again!
By Pat Barone, CPCC, PCC
“America’s Weight Loss Catalyst”
Today we live in a world of extremes when it comes to our health and well-being.
We know more than ever about creating health and wellness in our lives, yet healthcare costs and insurance rates are exploding.
Technology, once touted as a way to reduce the work load, has actually complicated our lives and our communication styles, often creating more work, a longer work day and more stress.
Time-saving conveniences that were unheard of 20 years ago abound: personal chefs, dry cleaning delivery, personal shoppers, drop-in daycares, organization coaches and maid services. But we run our lives in fast-forward, on a perpetual treadmill led by a to-do list that only increases each day.
In reaction to the stress of our daily lives, U.S. physicians prescribed more than 125 million prescriptions for antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives in the year 2005.
Being proactive about our own personal wellness has clearly fallen squarely on the individual's shoulders.
Here are nine areas to address in order to create better health now and a brighter future:
1. Simplify
Keep a log and take a look at every single thing that takes time in a given month. Simplify in every area possible. For example, limit children to one activity outside school at any given time. Overscheduling children severely stresses parents and teaches children they must have every spare moment taken up by activities. It also inhibits their creativity and self-sufficiency.
Cut long to-do lists of activities, projects and goals by 75% by deciding right now which are the most important. What's the best criteria for decisions like this? Ask "How much immediate impact will achieving this goal or completing this task have on my life?"
2. Set Boundaries
We've come to equate freedom and abundance with the ability to say "YES." But being able to say NO to anyone or anything that drains energy and time is the key to protecting both health and tranquility. This includes family, spouses, work and personal pursuits.
3. Discover and Live Aligned with Personal Values
Living from our core values leads to easier decisions, less strife and clearer priorities. People who align themselves with their own personal values find their lives flow without stress. On the other hand, going against our own personal values tends to leave us uneasy, unsatisfied and unfulfilled.
4. Manage Money Well
Respecting money and handling it well leads to a more comfortable life. Constantly chasing bills (or even bill collectors) that result from overspending creates stress and fear. As hard as it may be to stick to a budget, everyone needs one. Proving we can handle our current money situation gives us the courage to grow our income and net worth.
5. Address Addictions
Addictive behavior has the biggest impact on health. Lifestyle choices such as smoking; being overweight; reducing activity to remote control clicking; drinking to excess; depending on prescription or illegal drugs; indulging in unsafe sexual activity; gambling; or living in heavy debt are the primary culprits. Addictive behavior may even go unnoticed in our lives: the dependence on too much caffeine or sugar is often invisible to the casual observer but can have huge impact on energy, vitality and quality of life.
6. "Run" Emotions and Attitudes
Many of us believe emotions come and go in our lives, that we have little control over them. That goes for attitudes as well. Do you hope to wake up in a good mood?
Well, hoping is not enough! Emotions are created by our thoughts and our thoughts can be consciously directed. It works like this: negative thoughts lead to depressed feelings, which lead to a defeatist attitude about life such as "why bother?" Being proactive and positive about thoughts, feelings and attitudes puts us in charge of life.
7. Live in the Moment
Similar to the belief that emotions simply occur to us, we often live in the past or the future, completely missing the pleasure and significance of the moment. We are human beings, not human doings. Our job is to be.
Living in the past occurs when we constantly rewrite and retell the stories of the past, often crafting them to bolster doubts and losses. Living in the future looks like worry, that fearful state where we live in doubt, dread and reluctance. Whether we're living in stories or worries, we're not living in the present moment where we can be truly conscious about our choices and decisions.
8. Develop Positive Relationships
We all need other people but rarely do we seek out friends, family members and partners that totally support and encourage us. Negative, abusive or toxic relationships tear us down instead of building us up. Surrounding ourselves with people who truly see who we are and hear us is part of taking care of ourselves.
9. Put Health First
Investing in health includes taking care of our bodies, taking steps to reduce stress, and making activities that contribute to health the priorities in life. Health is the only wealth. Without it, we don’t enjoy life or live full, vital lives. No matter our current situation, we can all become healthier and the investment we make in health ALWAYS pays off!
Look over these ten areas. Even small changes can give an increased feeling of vitality and power in our lives. As always, the key is action. Making small sustainable changes that are maintained consistently will have a bigger impact than attempting huge changes that require too much energy or time to maintain.
Make a plan now, at this very moment, to take some specific action to move towards a healthier, more balanced life.
 Pat Barone, CPCC, PCC
Pat Barone earned her title "America's Weight Loss Catalyst" by coaching thousands of clients toward permanent weight loss. Her status as an expert is heightened by her own personal weight loss success. She currently coaches clients around the world, conducts seminars and corporate wellness trainings. Receive her free newsletter "The Catalyst" by visiting http://www.patbarone.com. |
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