Do you have the Winter Blues?

It’s March, which means the highly anticipated spring and summer months are right around the corner! However, the dark, cold winter season tends to linger through the spring, especially in the great city of Chicago. Many people might even go as far to say that the winter season wears out its welcome.

During the cold season, we generally stay indoors and crave warming foods, many of which are heavier foods that help keep us insulated and grounded throughout the winter months. In a way, we are in a state of hibernation in which we slow down our lifestyles and isolate ourselves to stay warm. This slower lifestyle and the absence of the warm, bright sun can often have an effect on our mood. Thus, many people get the “winter blues.”

Here are a few quick tips that will help improve your mood and get you ready for the warm summer months:

Exercise

Exercise as much as possible! This may seem like the very last thing you want to do; however, it is one of the most crucial things you can do to improve your mood. Whether it’s running on a treadmill, weight-lifting, exercising to a DVD in your living room or even cleaning your house, keep your body moving and stay off the couch! There are numerous studies that have indicated a drop in depressive symptoms due to exercise. Exercise can improve your self-esteem, lift your mood and increase your energy as well as release stress, anxiety and frustration.

Listen to Music

The power of music is absolutely amazing! Depending on the type of tune, music can put you in a totally different state of mind. You can pick from jazz, country, pop, rock, etc. I encourage you to put on your favorite “happy” tunes to help you escape your “winter blues.” Even better, dance to your favorite tunes to combine the power of music with exercise. Just remember to strive for an uplifting tune that gives you energy and fills you with happiness.

Eat a Healthy Diet

It’s important to eat a healthy diet regardless of time of year. However, the winter season makes it even more important to avoid foods that may lead to feelings of depression. I recommend eating a diet rich in fresh, seasonal foods that are filled with vitamins and minerals, not processed foods that have been stripped of their nutritional value. According to the British Journal of Psychiatry, people have a 58 percent higher risk of depression if their diet is heavily made up of processed foods, such as sugary and fried foods, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products.

Socialize

During the cold months be sure to make an effort to socialize with friends and family. I recommend putting a date on the calendar every week that allows you to escape your winter isolation and enjoy the comfort of other people. You can socialize by talking on the phone, meeting someone for lunch/dinner, or even going to a café. The smallest gesture, such as a smile or hello from someone, can make a significant impact on your mood.

It’s not too late to brighten up your “winter blues.” These quick tips will not only help you through the rest of the season, but they will also help you maintain a happier and healthier lifestyle throughout the year.

Do you have the winter blues? Have you faced challenges getting through the winter season? Share your thoughts below.

Natalie Drugan, Founder of Brumberry and Certified Health Coach

Brumberry is my nutrition and lifestyle coaching practice. I offer coaching (in-person and by phone nationwide) to individuals and groups who want to improve their health and happiness. I empower individuals to make healthy and informed choices that significantly improve their diet and lifestyle.

MedicalVoices.org,  the International Medical Council on Vaccination, and Homefirst Health Services, jointly sponsor the Medical Voices Health and Wellness Webinar Series with an aim of bringing the top medical and wellness professionals, including MD’s, DC’s, and researchers, together to educate both health care professionals and the public on todays important health and wellness issues.

While Dr. McKinley has been a sought-after speaker on wellness topics in Chicago and the surrounding community, this was be his first opportunity to spread his message of wellness to a national audience.  It was an amazing experience that he is grateful for and he thanks Dr. Eisenstein, HomeFirst, and Medical Voices for the wonder opportunity!

MedicalVoices.org,  the International Medical Council on Vaccination, and Homefirst Health Services, jointly sponsor the Medical Voices Health and Wellness Webinar Series with an aim of bringing the top medical and wellness professionals, including MD’s, DC’s, and researchers, together to educate both health care professionals and the public on todays important health and wellness issues.

While Dr. McKinley has been a sought-after speaker on wellness topics in Chicago and the surrounding community, this will be his first opportunity to spread his message of wellness to a national audience.

We invite you to join us for this exciting presentation.  To register simply click here and follow the instructions.

We’ll see you on Wednesday!

We look forward to hearing about all your successes!

Fish Oil

As many of you know one of the dietary supplements that we are constantly reminding our patients of the importance of is Fish Oil – Omega 3 Fatty Acids. A number of new studies have come out that re-enforce this view (my comments in italics):

• “Fish oil may help prevent onset of psychosis” – Archives of General Psychiatry
Omega-3 fatty acids make up a large portion of your nervous system including your brain and the coverings of your nerves. It makes complete sense that people who are lacking in Omega 3, and thus need supplementation, are prone to psychotic disorders.

• “Mercury, Fish Oils, and the Risk of Myocardial Infarction” – New England Journal of Medicine,

Conclusions: The toenail mercury level was directly associated with the risk of myocardial infarction, and the adipose-tissue DHA level was inversely associated with the risk. High mercury content may diminish the cardioprotective effect of fish intake.
• Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels With Telomeric Aging in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease – Journal of American Medical Association

Conclusion: Among this cohort of patients with coronary artery disease, there was an inverse relationship between baseline blood levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids and the rate of telomere shortening over 5 years.

• Cholesterol Drug Lowers LDL-C Levels But Again Fails to Show Clinical Benefit – Journal of American Medical Association

These studies support the idea that cholesterol levels do not determine risk for heart disease – the inflammatory state of the body does. People with high levels of blood Omega 3 fatty acids benefit from their anti-inflammatory properties – they prevent damage to blood vessel walls. If those walls aren’t getting damaged then cholesterol deposition and plaqueing doesn’t occur. While people with heart disease tend to have high cholesterol, that correlation doesn’t equal causation. This is the reason that the drug doesn’t affect heart disease rates even though it lowers cholesterol levels, yet the fish oil supplements work – the fish oil addresses the true cause, a pro-inflammatory state in the body, while the drug doesn’t. Be sure to comment or talk to us in the office if you have any questions on how to pick the right fish oil supplement for you!

Medical Ethics

• Antipsychotics, Nursing Homes and the Feds’ Case Against J&J from WSJ.com: Health Blog

The feds say J&J paid kickbacks to a big nursing-home pharmacy company to get the company to prescribe more of its drugs, including the antipsychotic Risperdal. The allegation isn’t a huge surprise: The pharmacy company, Omnicare, paid $98 million last year to settle allegations that it had solicited and received kickbacks from J&J in exchange recommending the company’s antipsychotic drug Risperdal.

• “FDA More Pro Industry Than Any Time in 35 Years” By MERRILL GOOZNER, THE HEALTH CARE BLOG
So says Jim Dickinson, editor of FDAWebview, an industry newsletter that closely follows enforcement issues at the agency.

• Feds Accuse Doc of Faking Research On Pfizer & Merck Drugs by Wall Street Journal Blog

Federal prosecutors accused Reuben of health-care fraud for allegedly faking data that suggested after-surgery benefits from painkillers including Merck’s Vioxx and Pfizer’s Bextra and Celebrex, the Justice Department said yesterday. The Justice announcement said he faces as much as a 10-year sentence and a $250,000 fine.

Remember, health care is big business, in fact it is the biggest business. While most doctors want the best for their patients, corporations such as health insurance companies and big pharmaceutical firms have as their sole motivator the bottom line. The ties between government and these businesses run deep. For example, as we talked about in our Good, Bad, Ugly workshop, the most recent head of the CDC, the person who spearheaded the effort to mass vaccinate against the swine flu, recently left to take a position as the head of vaccination for Merck. Is she being rewarded for her efforts? Efforts that made vaccine companies billions as governments were scared into buying vaccines for a “pandemic” that never really materialized. This is why it is best to take your health into your own hands, be proactive, and live a healthy lifestyle so you don’t need to take Vioxx, or Celebrex, or Phen-Phen, or any of the hundreds of other drugs that we find out are ultimately not safe.

Finally to end on a positive note: Here’s a link to five healthy salad recipes to start you on your way! (Note: Those of you on detox/purification will need to modify these to meet your program parameters)

Have you ever heard of a GMO? How about a GMO as it pertains to our food? If you haven’t, you are not alone. GMOs are quite common in our food supply, yet they have a very mysterious way of disguising themselves throughout our grocery store shelves. Thus, I have provided the ABCs to GMOs in hopes of providing a clear understanding to this confusing alphabet soup.

About GMOs

A GMO is a genetically modified organism. Genetic modification is the process of adding or removing genes from an organism’s DNA; these genes can be derived from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, or even humans. The most commonly genetically modified (GM) foods are soybeans, corn, cottonseed, canola and recently sugar beets; many of these foods have had their natural DNA altered with the insertion of bacterial genes. GMOs make up approximately 70% of our food supply, which are primarily found in processed foods¹.

Basis for GMOs

My optimistic self wants to believe that the basis for GMOs came from good intentions, such as preventing a famine. However, common sense tells me that it’s possibly one of the worst ideas that came true to form. Why you ask? Many genetically modified (GM) foods are created to withstand large quantities of herbicides, poisons that kill unwanted plants, which in turn allow crops to flourish while everything else dies around them. While this method has been known to deliver an abundance of food to our dinner tables, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the healthiest of foods. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to ingest food that survives poison, while every other living thing dies near it. Additionally, I have not been genetically modified to withstand such a toxin nor will I ever want to be for that matter.

Concerns about GMOs

GMOs have been known to cause a wealth of health concerns, including a rise in allergies, especially among young children, weakened immune and digestive systems and organ failure among mammals. According to a recent study, genetically modified corn has been linked to kidney and liver (both detoxifying organs) failure in rats. Additionally, GM foods have not been around long enough for us to truly understand the long term effects they may have on our body.

What is also alarming is that the vast amount of our livestock is fed genetically modified feed, which can not only have adverse affects on the animal, but on us as well. I am constantly reminded by the phrase, “you are what you eat,” and in this case you are what the animal and plant eats – poison. Not only are excessive amounts of poison proven unhealthy, but they are extremely harmful to the environment.

So, what can we do to avoid these type of foods? Unfortunately, we do not have clear labels that easily identify genetically modified foods. However, there is good news!  You can avoid GMOs by eating organic foods – just look for the official USDA organic label. By law, these foods cannot be altered from their natural state. Additionally, you can download the following “non-GMO shopping guide” to assist you on your next shopping trip.

Are you unsure about the foods that are currently in your pantry? Do you have additional questions about GMOs? Would you like support and guidance to improve your health?  Please leave questions and comments below!

Natalie Drugan, Founder of Brumberry and Certified HealthCounselor

Brumberry is my nutrition and lifestyle counseling practice. I offer counseling (in-person and by phone nationwide) to individuals and groups who want to improve their health and happiness. I empower individuals to make healthy and informed choices that significantly improve their diet and lifestyle.

¹Food, Inc.

For those who don’t know, the eating portion of the program goes like this:

I can eat as many fruit and vegetables as I like.

I drink two smoothies a day made with fruit, vegetables, SP Complete, and a tsp of fish oil.

I can have 1/2 cup brown rice or lentils per day.

Starting day eleven I’ll add 3 oz of chicken or fish, 2-4 servings per day.

I haven’t been hungry.  One thing that I have noticed that I didn’t expect is that by forcing me to read food labels, I am discovering that food that I was previously eating that I thought I was healthy really wasn’t – lots of additives that didn’t need to be there.  When I resume full on eating after the program I definitely know what to start eating again and what to stay away from.

For more info on the Purification Program please pick up a program guide in the office or click here to download (PDF).

5 minutes each as many reps as possible – Push-ups, Sit-ups, Squats, Jumping Jacks

Additional Workouts

1. 100 jumping jacks, 75 air squats, 50 push ups, 25 burpies. For time.
2. 10 squats x 10 sit-ups x 10 burpees.  3 rounds.  For time.
3. Tabata…20 seconds on 10 second rest 8 rounds of…tuck jumps and then sit ups

Have Fun!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Friday, January 15th, 6:00 pm

Mrs. Murphy’s Irish Bistro