Modern Girls Can Have It All

Junk Food - the new drug addiction

2010-09-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

The (UK) Sunday Times this week likened the effects of junk food to that of alcohol, cocaine and heroin addiction (which stimulate dopanine D2 receptors in the brain to produce feelings of wellbeing).

As with drug and alcohol addiction, too much sugar, fat and salt reduces the achieved response leading to cravings for more, and more.

An American lawyer is excitedly quoted anticipating ample legal claims from those 'made' sick and obese through excessive junk food consumption.

In England meanwhile, Dr Jan Melichar of the Insitute of Psychiatry's addiction faculty say's "We have a food industry which is devoted to making cheap, rubbishy foods taste appealing, and we are programmed to eat them. People have become fat because they really like sugar and fat, but I don't think I'd call that an addiction in the true sense of the word.' - and I'd have to agree with him.

The Sunday Times. Fat Fix: Junk Food as Addictive as Cocaine. Rogers. L. 05/09/10

Childhood Migraine

2010-08-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

I was saddened to read in the Health blog on todays New York Times Online that up to 10% of young children and up to 28% of older teenagers suffer with migraine. Symptoms in children are often different to those in adults, and often misdiagnosed by pediatricians and even parents who suspect the child is avoiding school.

A childhood migraine might not even involve head pain. It might be a stomach pain, visual disturbance and vertigo. They can start as early as 3 years old.

One of the things that concerns me the most is the fear that I've genetically passed my severe migraine condition down to my children (my daughter, being female is most at risk).

Scientist are increasingly proclaiming that while alternative therapies, lifestyle and food adjustments may improve the frequency and severity of migraine attacks, sometimes for 'lucky' sufferers alleviating them all together, migraines are often inherited, and often hormonally related, which make them far harder to defeat.

I rely on strong medication for my attacks (too strong for children). During both of my pregnancies I took no medication at all (I compared 9 months of regular intense pain for me to a life time dealing with a potential side effect of the medicine for my child and there was no questioning my decision), and just like childbirth, a migraine, once passed, for all its vomit, nausea, IBS, visual disturbance, light, sound and smell sensitivity, the inability to walk or talk, and of course intense, intence agony is a distant memory.

I am committed to research new therapies, especially alternative non medicinal treatments, some of which bring relief, all of which work for someone but as the saying goes, it's like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Today's good news was learning about the Migraine Research Foundation - founded by Cathy Glaser, mother to a migraine suffering child misdiagnosed from toddler years to the age of 15. The foundation raises awareness and money for pediatric migraine research, and its website also lists headache centers that take childhood migraine and its treatment seriously.
Ms Glaser is quoted in the New York Times as saying "It's astounding that so little attention is being paid to such a disabling and socially expensive problem."

I completely agree.

Resources:

The Migraine Research Foundation
http://www.migraineresearchfoundation.org

New York Times Health Blogs
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/returning-to-classrooms-and-to-severe-headaches/?nl=health&emc=healthupdateema2

Comment - Coffee and the Skin

2010-08-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

I was amused yesterday to see a heavily Botoxed and Restylane injected 'Celebrity Nutritionist' on TV discussing the best foods for your skin (the irony of which was not lost on me).

Yes, she had a barrel of fruits and vegetables, omegas and all the usual suspects, but the big surprise was her advocacy of coffee.
I don't know a person who hasn't declared a vast improvement in the reduction of lines and dark circles to their facial skin after removing coffee (and the dehydrating effects of caffeine) from their diet.

It takes a couple of weeks to see a dramatic improvement so its well worth a try.

Your Brain Vs Your Text Message?

2010-08-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

Less of the i-Pod / i-Phone / i-Pad treadmill divertion.

Multitasking your 'down time' is out.

A report in last weeks New York Times titled 'Brain Fatigue: Digital Devices Deprive User of Needed Downtime'* stated that by 'lesseningthe tedium of downtime' by sending text messages / searching Net-A-Porter / responding to your Facebook messages / perusing the Apps etc while exercising, waiting in line, and during 'lulls in conversation' (- I spent last week at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood. To see the sea of light cast by the multitude of active mobile phone screens viewed at night over our balcony and down to the open air restaurant below was either testament to this cautionary tale or a warning there are some very dull dinner guests to be found in Los Angeles) - we are forfeiting something that could 'allow us to better learn and remember information or come up with new ideas.'

In essence we are making ourselves 'thicker.'

According to Loren Frank, assistant professor of physiology at the University of California, real downtime 'lets the brain go over experiences its had and turn them into permanent long lasting memories.'
Frank claims that 'When the brain is constantly stimulated, you prevent this learning process.'

Matt Berman, a neuroscientist at the University of Michigan states, 'Even though people feel entertained, even relaxed, when they multitask, they might be taxing their brains. People think they're refreshing themselves, but they're fatiguing themselves.'

*

I read the report on my summer holiday while sending my sister an email, trying on jeans, making my 3 month old giggle and ordering room service while I ghost wrote postcards for my four year old... Om...

New York Times Digest. Richtel. Matt. Tuesday August 24, 2010.

Pregnant Pause

2009-11-19T10:07:00.001-08:00

So.... I'm 14 weeks pregnant.

I haven't written for a while because a) the toilet bowl is no place for a laptop computer and b) its just not right to extoll the virtues of organics and winter greens when you're only eating buttered potatoes.

With not much enlightenment to add on the health news front (I've spent most of the past three months being sick in Manhattan flowerbeds) I'll sign off here, but felt the need to explain my absence since people keep asking where the blog has got to.

I will be back, and it wont all be about burping up acid, my ever expanding thighs (for a while I thought I had a twin in each leg and my womb had slipped) or the rapunzel hair (which is 'growing like a weed' - I don't think my hairdresser uses such descriptions on his fancier clients).

Until then,

sam x

Meditation Makes Good Things Happen

2009-09-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

Analogy of the day. Imagine this - An overfilled wardrobe, not enough hangers, clothes on the floor, expensive mistakes that you never wore, two cardigans you repeatedly visit for comfort, jeans for thin days, jeans for fat days, so many shoes you feel a bit guilty, designer bags you thought you'd love forever, accessories to accessorize your multiple personalities and alot of things you promise yourself you'll one day get rid of but havent managed yet. And the doors dont shut.

Right. So now imagine your mind crammed full like that wardrobe. Redundant thoughts hang around like unflattering jeans which we just don't need.

The deal with meditation is that for as little as 10 minutes a day you empty your mind. The result is that you make room for exactly what you want in there. Clean, organized and enhancing.

I always thought I was too superficial to meditate, a mystical self-exclusion because I drank Cosmopolitans and lusted over expensive shoes. But you can like shoes and meditate! In fact you'll make wiser footwear choices as a result.

I started meditating following a weekend workshop in Primordial Sound Meditation at the Chopra Center in Manhattan 6 months ago. PSM is mantra based and the idea of the mantra is that it helps to clear your mind. Popular mantras to repeat (in your head so no added pressure here of people in the next room laughing at you) include 'I Am' or 'So Hum'.

You repeat the mantra sitting comfortably. Being propped up in bed surrounded by pillows and bedcovers is allowed - disciplined practise does NOT have to be punishingly uncomfortable. Focus on calming your breath and relaxing your body, and in time you 'release' the mantra. In time you'll also find it easier to slip into blissful emptyness. To begin with however its a battle. I never realized 10 minutes could take so long. I'd will it be over so that I could 'do' something, I'd will my mind to empty, or cheat and think about dinner or how long my hair would be by Christmas.

But then I started to notice the changes. Its spooky. Great things start to happen in your life, you bump into friends (you like) who you havent seen in ages, opportunities arrise that you never thought possible, health problems fade away, you like yourself far more, your boyfriend / boss / husband / child becomes far less annoying. Your thighs shrink. Its brilliant.

Its like finally tuning the radio in to hear your favourite song in crystal clarity when for months before you'd settled for listening to fuzzy rubbish.

The theory is that meditation allows you to become more intune with the vibrations of the world and therefore be in the right place at the right time, in the right frame of mind more often.

I urge everyone that I like and love to try it - two weeks - you'll see a difference.

xx

http://www.chopra.com/meditation

Summer Holiday

2009-07-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

Inspired by the previous post this blog has decided to take its summer holiday.

Thank you all for reading me so well.

See you in the Fall / Autumn.

x

Adventures in...Relaxation

2009-06-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

It is one of life's delicious little irones when a person who writes a blog ironically entitled 'Modern Girls Can Have It All' is informed that her frenetic lifestyle is making her sick.

They say that 98% of disease is the result of stress. But what if you don't realise that you're stressed?

We all know those annoying people who race around excitedly proclaiming how stressed they are, as if to convince themselves that they're working harder than the rest of us and haven't been on Facebook all morning...Well there is another group of people who cannot see, however hard they try, that a morning spent juggling dishes, laundry, cooking, emails, unmade beds, missing socks, multiple teeth brushings, toilet training, three kinds of breakfast, fire alarms, transatlantic relatives and upended art boxes can possibly be deemed as stressful, because, well, they fail to acknowledge it as 'work'. Work begins when the child is at pre-school, or asleep.

Usually, the genuinely exhausted will fail to register as so. Possibly we've gotten so used to gradually stretching our days further and further, or allowing our intentions and ambitions grow in accordance to our achievements, that our self preservation - that bit that say's 'Stop!' gets fed up of being ignored and packs its bags and leaves for a sunnier disposition.
12 years of expedited real time is partly to blame for my 12 years of chronic migraine. And you can feel free to remove the word 'migraine' as it appears herein and to insert whichever stress related impediment relating to you that you see fit. Some examples you might like to choose from include: IBS or Anxiety, PMS or Spots, Weight Gain, Allergies, Trouble Sleeping or Irritablity, Headaches or Wrinkles, Exhaustion, even Fertility Problems...

Living in expedited real time.

When I went from being a longtime socially hectic career girl to being a mother I transferred my work hours and work ethic precicely, if somewhat oddly, from a profession in bossing brands about, writing for magazines and orchestrating grand scale events, to one of joyous yet unrewarding repetitive monotony (when ones prior knowledge of 'reward' equals payrise, promotion or professional accolade).

Still yearning for payrises, promotions and professional accolades, whilst in the employ of a small boy who only wanted to spit rice then play with fire trucks, I began to moonlight.
Any spare minute would be spent working, learning, or writing in any which way that made my brain feel alive. The only way to do this, when your boss is quite demanding, is to introduce an element of expedited real time. And once expedited real time becomes your norm, just watch, for your poor body will start to crumble.

My migraines failed to respond wholeheartedly to any conventional or alternative treatment I cared to invest in, from hypnotism, homeopathy, reflexology, accupuncture, and biofeedback to neurological botox, IV magnesium and chiropractic adjustments, and more, and oh my, I almost forgot, six months in a neck brace wearing MBT shoes (which are larger, and heavier, and possibly less aesthetically pleasing than strapping medium sized picnic hampers to each of ones feet, in public).
Why did nothing work? They all seemed to work for somebody else?
Possibly, it was on account of my tendency to race home afterwards and resume my frantic activity.

On the suggestion of Joshua Rosenthal, the inspirational Founder and Director of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition I stopped grasping for more and more in my already stretched existence. I began to dilute my compulsion for achievement with two hours or more, each day, to read, bathe, walk, breathe, or write without purpose.
I felt horribly guilty. Just the thought of the rest of the world at work while I 'did nothing' felt terrible.
It was then that I realised that I never did a thing without a purpose.
Frighteningly, I hadn't noticed that I'd swopped baths for showers, novels for text books, real friends for Face Book and had all but stopped listening to music and was using my i-Pod instead, to track migraines. Such had I 'streamlined' my life.

Joshuas chosen process of counseling was to provide me with daily text based support. His texts were challenging, thought provoking, and designed to propel me into confrontiation of areas of my life that I had been avoiding.
Each day brought a new challenge.
I learned about my resistance towards doing anything to 'nurture' myself, or acknowledge my needs over others (even in the face of a migraine attack). I learned that I'm tempted constantly to tidy, cook, or compute, that my natural tendency it to push myself to collapse (signified by a migraine attack), that I'm a sucker for learning one last page or writing one last paragraph, which soon turns into 20.
Slowly, though, I stopped feeling guilty for taking a bath, or reading a book, or neglecting my battered career prospects by joining a yoga group, and I began to breathe, and love, and observe the world at its true pace.

As a result of this process I am happier than ever. I have not had a headache, let alone a migraine, in over three weeks, which I attribute 50% to the prior identification of food intolerances (which cut my frequency and duration of attacks in half but still rendered me codeine dependent) and 50% to finding balance in my lifestyle. I also have increased mental clarity, so function more efficiently when I do work in 'that' way, and more importantly, I now know when to stop. My health counseling practise, when it reopens to new clients in September 2009, will be strenghtened infinitely from this experience.

I now read the warding signs of a potential migraine attack and I respond accordingly.
Prevention is better than cure.
I'm less demanding of myself and less critical of myself, and while my technological relationships are on the decline, all of my human ones have improved.

The Institute For Integrative Nutrition
http://www.integrativenutrition.com/

Super Cheap Home Spa - 1

2009-06-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

5 Chamomile tea bags dropped into a running bath tub and a 20 minute soak really is, (I've tested this twice) like falling into a bed of clean cool sheets after a long night in heels.

It's lovely.

Comment: Having It All

2009-06-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

'Baby or Career? Young Women Cannot Have it Both Ways!' Spat an incessantly bleak chunk of newsprint, aptly appearing on Fathers Day in my imported edition of the Sunday Times.

This disheartening affirmation arrived a few days after I'd visited a function with my toddler son. A group of boys had gravitated, as they do, to an area filled with toy cars. They were playing nicely, as well they should indeed with 3 cars a piece.

The camaraderie was splintered by the sudden appearance of a child, lets call him 'Serp', who in the vein of Roald Dahls Veruca Salt lept in to the scene shreiking 'GET OFF THEM! THEY'RE MINE! I WANT THEM ALL NOW!! As he made for the cars. All of the cars.

With a maddening flash of world domination in his eyes and salia dripping from his teeth, Serp then ripped his startled acquaintances arms free of the merchandise while his parents looked on, possibly (who can say - this is Manhattan) proud at his gusto.

If I had behaved like 'Serp' as a child, I'd have had my bottom smacked. But the irony is, like most of us lucky enough to be born to supportive, nurturing parents, I was regularly told that so long as I worked hard and set my mind to it I could have anything I wanted in my adult life.

A career and a family were a given. Never deemed as spoiled. I knew not if I'd be so lucky as to marry one of New Kids On The Block (now I'm relieved that I didn't) or wake up with Baywatch thighs (that never happened either) but never for a second did I ever think there'd be a choice to make between family and career.

Didn't cross my mind.

And all that education!!

Women fight for equality.

Now its time to fight for balance.

If our mothers spoke to us through dreams and missed opportunities, maybe we should speak to our daughters through a new ideal for health, balance and happiness.

Rather than forewarn them that they will one day have to choose between a family and a career (or be perpetually drained and never see their children awake) maybe we should teach them to put less emphasis on cutthroat careers defined by sweat, status and enormous salaries, and more importance on fulfillng, inspiring occupations (in whatever guise they might come) that leave them happy and with room to breathe.

They deserve to have it all, but enjoyment of life is more important than world domination.

Anyone in Serps class would agree.

Sunshine Vs PMS!

2009-06-25T04:58:00.000-07:00

Ladies, If its raining where you are, I have another explanation for why your jeans might not do up this morning...

It would appear that sunshine is a deterrent for PMS.

We already knew that the sun makes us happy, but according to Dr. Svetlana Kogan of New Yorks Lenox Hill Hospital, when our eyes register sunlight a signal is transmitted from the brain to the ovaries to aid in hormone balance.

The result of which is less PMS related bloating and cramps.

Tea Bag Bath Remedies II

2009-06-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Since Barney started French Kissing (he didn't get it from me) I've been exposed to all manner of toddler germs.
The latest left me aching, cold and sniffly.

So I made a second attempt at a 'tea bath' as described in Victoria Zaks '20,000 Secrets of Tea'.

I ran a tub with 3 bags of Yogi Ginger Tea and slunk in.

In contrast with my previous tea bathing experience (which found me surrounded by larger than average lifeless organic flies who'd been hiding secretly in the bunch of untamed rosemary I'd employed), this was fantastic. My aches were usurped by a gingery warmth which lingers on.

Next I plan to try an evening bath with chamomile, and a bath with dandelion for detox, and if the opportunity ever presents, will report on a morning after bath with milk thistle.

Source:
20,000 Secrets of Tea - The Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature's Healing Herbs. Victoria Zak.

Tea Towel Beauty Tips

2009-06-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

I bought a fine book about tea in LA.

In LA its easy to love tea. The sun shines, there is always enough time for it to brew and enough seats to enjoy it.

So, I bought a tea book, but just like Sangria, Paella and daring bikinis are never the same after the holiday, tea drinking in an Upper West Side apartment as the traffic honks, and people shout beneath the window is not the same as tea taken on an extensive sunlight terrace at the Chateau Marmont with Sophia Coppola shooting a movie down the hall.

Nevertheless, I tried to recreate the magic back home and began with what seemed like an ingenious idea - the Tea Bath.

Tea Bathing requires a mere two bags of chamomile (for calm) or ginger (for circulation) or thyme (for spots) or peppermint (for dry skin) or sage (for easy breathing) or alternatively a handful of herbs such as rosemary (circulation & 'a rosy glow') scattered to the water, and a 20 minute soak. That's it.

I tried it last night with a packet of organic rosemary I found in the refidgerator door.

It was my first relaxing bath in a long time. I was intent on making the most of it and I dimmed the lights and slowly filled the tub, scattering the water with the rosemary.

The Verdict?

It was nice for a while, although I can't say if the the 'rosy glow' was brought about because of the rosemary or my hasty retreat when a succession of large dead organic flies floated past me.

I'd do it again, but I'd stick to tea bags.

References:
20,000 Secrets of Tea. The Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature's Healing Herbs. Victoria Zac

Omlette Migraine Cure?

2009-06-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Browsing through my husbands trusty airport edition of Men's Health magazine on holiday last week I stumbled on a study from Canada where scientists have discovered that fried eggs are the food that produces the highest level of ACE inhibitory peptides - amino acids that dilate blood vessels and allow the blood to flow more easily.

This research is being linked to efforts in reducing hypertension, but struck me equally relevant to migraine given the correlation between hypertension and migraine (blood vessels and all that).

Add to this the opportunity to use Omega 3 eggs - a 1995 Swedish study where 2.4 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids administered daily for three months led to a 28% reduction in migraine attacks, and a 32% reduction in attack intensity - and I say crack open some eggs.

Clearly this is entirely prophylactic talk. The mere thought of even finding a frying pan with eyes half open, zero muscle tone and mild hallucinations while entertaining the early stages of an actual attack is beyond the realm of even the most experienced migraineur. But hope we must, and an omlette today could keep the triptans away tomorrow.

I say omlette because its the heat of frying that helps to release more ACE compounds in the gut. AND an omlette provides an ideal opportunity to sneak in some more defense in the form of a filling:

Spinach - Magnesium to calm
Peppers - Rich in antioxidants
Tomatoes, Avocado & Chickpeas - Potassium - too little can induce headaches
Broccoli - Calcium is involved in the constriction and relaxation of blood vessels
Oregano - Manganese - memory and cognitive funcion
Rosemary - Manganese and Vitamin C
Basil - Vitamin K - present in blood vessels, Iron and Calcium

Got to be worth a try.
x

Sources:

Jianping Wu. Phd. Mens Health. June 2009
What is the Connection between Hypertension, Headache and MigraineHypertension Society of Canada
Lejnemark NO. Fiskolja hjalp mot migran and Kan migaene parvirkes av fiskeolje t abent studie
Ian Marber. Super Eating

Adventures In... Homeopathy

2009-06-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

Homeopathy uses the principal of 'like treating like', the idea that you can stimulate recovery from a condition or ailment by introducing a diluted form of the very same problem.
A homeopath will select a 'remedy' and dilution based on characteristics they deem important in the subject, often using intensive interview styles to gain the information they feel they need.

Critics of homeopathy call it 'Placebo therapy at best and quackery at worst.'

What would it make of my migraines?

My first homeopath was in midtown Manhattan. It was May last year. He wore very tight, white trousers (he was not a slim man), had dark coiffed hair, and pictures of cats all around his window-less office. He was not the sort of person one warmed to, and the first consultation took two hours of his saying things like: 'Describe pain' which I would do only for him to repeat with irritation 'Describe pain.'

And so it went for two expensive hours.

Intermittently I counted cats. It took my mind away from my inability to describe emotions properly.
I counted cats in berets, baseball caps, a cat on a hammock, a cat on a deck chair, a cat in an inflatable ring in a swimming pool, and my favourite, a cat playing chess.

I can't even play chess.

There were also two signed photographs of (famous?) cats.

Eventually the session came to an end and I left vowing never to return, and wondering whether I'd receive the 'remedy' as promised in the mail the next day, and what my husband would say about the check I'd just written (he is my sceptic).

The remedy arrived with the instruction NOT to drink coffee (some homeopaths believe it is an evil antidote to their remedies). I followed my instructions... and my migraines dropped from 8 a month to 2.

Result.

Then they crept back.

In December '08 saw a homeopath in England. She was beautiful. So easy to talk to, and she let me talk, and talk, and talk. My answers were never wrong. She didn't believe in eliminating coffee if it was already part of your life, AND she didn't have a cat.

I left with a remedy in my hand, my joyful Francis Francis coffee machine out of storage, and a lifetime without migraines ahead of me. Life was good.

The migraines were not. In December of 2008 I had 17 attacks.

In May 2009 I discovered that coffee is a major migraine trigger of mine.

I look back and relate the catabolic (sorry!) improvement the first time as the removal of coffee, not the introduction of the 'remedy.'
I don't believe homeopathy doesn't work for some people, for some problems, but I do believe that believing plays a part.

I do not, however, believe that cats are any better than I am at playing chess.

White Tea & Bikini

2009-05-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Turns out (say the lab men in Germany) that white tea may promote weight loss by preventing fat cell formation.

The trials (in their early stages) credit none other than methylxanthines, which I was only berrating yesterday for exacerbating PMS breast tenderness.

Methylxanthines are found in caffeine. The research is yet to determine whether all forms of caffeine methylxanthines have the same power.

Sources:
Nutrition & Metabolism. May 1st 2009

PMS top 5

2009-05-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

1. Reduce Dairy

Reduce dairy products in the week before your period, until the week after. Dairy products, particularly cheese and butter, have proven links with both the pain and irritability associated with PMS.

Note: Try rice milk on your cereal instead. In the UK the Fairtrade foundation has a great organic rice milk (the others, I'm sad to report, taste like watered down toothpaste spittings) and in the US, where I'm yet to find an unsweetened and organic version, I have settled for unsweetened and use Vanilla Rice Dream (not as dreamy as the title suggests, but tasty nontheless).

2. Up your Omegas.

Omega 3's (fish oil, linseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soy, & leafy greens) have anti-inflammatory and anti-cramping properties.

Note: I supplement daily with Barleans 'lemon scented' organic fish oil (no ghastly burp-back), and am a liberal raw, organic, seed sprinkler.

...& Omega 6's (sunflower seeds, Evening Primrose, Starflower (also known as Borrage) sesame and linseeds, soy and walnuts) also have anti-inflammatory and anti-cramping properties, But! be warned...

3. Reduce Stress.

Because if you don't, your Omega 6' are more likely to convert conversely and cause thevery inflamation and cramping you've been trying to avoid. A diet high in sugar, saturated fat and POOR in vitamin B6, Magnesium and Zinc will also enhance the negative effects of Omega 6.

4. Reduce Caffeine.

Caffeine contains methylxanthines, which are proven to exacerbate breast tenderness and benign lumps (that pre-period panic). This also goes for the caffeine in some pain medications, as well as the usual suspects (coffee, tea, chocolate, green tea, and even decaff).

5. Supplement Magnesium.

Supplementing magnesium can help reduce PMS associated problems such as anxiety, tension, fear, and also aches and cramps. Its not called 'natures tranquilliser' for nothing.

And if thats not enough it helps ease water retention (see my blog on water retention if you are lucky enough to be receiving the full monthly PMS package with all available options).

Magnesium is also an assailant in the fight against migraines. This is because magnesium has a canny ability to prevent the blood vessels dilating and therefore causing a migraine.

Note: In the UK, Seven Seas produces a fantastic combined supplement called 'Hormonal Balance' which contains, magnesium, B6 and Zinc. The RDA is one tablet. Me, I take two, and am a much nicer person because of it.

Look out for another PMS top 5 next month covering Cravings, Spots, Bloating, Anxiety, and Exhaustion.

Sources:

PMS, The Natural Way. Marilyn Glenville. PHD.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Balch.

The Price of Non-Organic

2009-05-27T04:11:00.001-07:00

My sources at the Sunday Times (UK) tell me that people in England have 'stopped buying organic' because organic 'sounds too expensive in a recession'.

But what's the price for the alternative?

Lets see.

25,000,ooo tonnes of pesticides are sprayed on UK land every year.

Aldicarb, a common potato pesticide is, according to the UK Pesticide Action Network, one of the most acutely toxic pesticides ever manufactured. Under 1g of Aldicarb is enough to kill a dog.

Atrazine, a pesticide sprayed on maize, is changing the sex of nearby frogs.

Farmed Salmon has 16 times more PCBs than Wild Salmon, and those are persistent cancer causing toxins.

Lindane, a banned substance is found on almost all non organic chocolate.

Pesticide residue on bread is up 30% from 2001.

Pesticide residue is detected on 78% of apples, 30% of cereals 50% of lettuce, 71% of cereal bars, 83% of oily fish, and 93% of oranges (as a starter)

One teaspoon of agricultural pesticide poured down the drain could contaminate the drinking water of 200,000 people for a day.

Pesticides have been detected in the bloodstream of people suffering with: headache, tremors, lethargy, depression, anxiety, memory loss, dermatitis, convulsions, nausea, indegestion, and diarrhoea.

Pesticides have been implicated in miscarriages.

Childrens exposure to pesticides from all pathways (food, water, air, other) are likely to be higher, because they eat more food, drink more water, and breathe more air per pound of body weight.

Adults and children who consume organic food have lower levels of pesticides in their bodies.

Safety testing of pesticides assumes a healthy adult, it does not consider babies, pregnant women, foetuses or the elderly.

There is NO RECORD of BSE or CJD (that'll be Mad Cow Disease) in an animal born and reared organically.

The US Environmental Protection Agency ranks pesticide residue among the top 3 cancer risks.

The Royal Society of Chemistry has measured nutrient levels in non-organic fruit and vegetables and discovered they contain less nutrients than 60 years ago, with trace minerals falling by up to 76%.

The combined effect of the various pesticides used in non organic farming is unknown. It is possibly 100 times more toxic as a cocktail than an individual source.

Four pounds of pesticides for every American man, woman and child are used every year in the USA. This is more than one fifth of the world total for all pesticides and a quarter of the worlds herbicides. Yet crop loss to pests for some crops is double what it was before.

Your choice.

Sources:

Pesticide Action Network UK

What to Eat. Marion Nestle

GRUB. Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen. Anna Lappe & Bryant Terry

Optimum Nutrition Before, During and After Pregnancy. Holford & Lawson

The Acorn House Cookbook. Arthur Potts Dawson

Live Forever

2009-05-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Down with the forks for some Friday afternoon controversy.

Significant studies supposedly show that 'Under Nutrition' (also known as a lack of calories, and not eating enough) is 'THE ONE THING KNOWN TO ENHANCE LONGEVITY'.

This was an arguement presented last weekend by Stephen Rechtschaffen. M.D, founder of wellness retreat, The Omega Institute, in his speech to students of New Yorks Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

Apparently, fasting every other day can result in a life that's up to 60% longer.

It would certainly feel that way.

I can't help but recall a cartoon that my fantastic hedonist of a mother once cut from the newspaper to hang on the wall of the downstairs lavatory.

The cartoon depicted a room filled with bored old women sat in armchairs, blankets on their knees, large print books in their hands, and a TVfuzzing in the distance.
It read: 'Just imagine, if we'd drunk, smoked, and sat in the sun, we'd have missed all this!'

Source: Stephen Rechtschaffen. May 2009.

Food Allergies & Children

2009-05-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

As part of his May 2009 address to the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Dr Stefan Rechtschaffen of New Yorks Omega Institute talked about food allergies and children.

Rechtschaffen claimed that food intollerances and allergies are usually down to unhealthy guts.

When the gut is unhealthy (in other words, when it has been damaged, or aggravated by intollerable foods, antibiotics or irritant substances such as the pesticides and chemicals used in modern farming techniques), food particles are no longer broken down properly in the digestive system.

This leads to larger than normal food particles being absorbed through the damaged intestinal wall, which makes the body believe it is under enemy invasion.
Its response to this invasion is the symptomatic allergic reaction / food intollerance.

Rechtschaffen sees this alot in kids, and he claims ECZEMA and ASTHMA are typical results of undetected food allergies.

The same goes for you too. What if you had a milk allergy as a child but you grew out of it?

Not so, says Rechtschaffen. You didn't grow out of your allergy, your symptoms morphed into something else that you have learned to accept, and unrelate (possibly attributing to a different cause entirely).

The same could be happening to your kids:

'Colic as a baby can lead to persistent ear infections, then to asthma, then to hyperactivity. All as a result of progressive reactions to the same irritant food. Milk is a typical culprit.' States Rechtschaffen.

I don't necessarily agree with Rechtstaffen.
I dont believe a colicy baby is a prelude to ADHD.

Never the less, it could be worth looking at the common allergens to make the babies life a little more comfortable from colic.
The two biggest allergest are: Milk products commonly link with diarreah, sinus problems, skin rashes, asthma and eczema, and Wheat, with lethargy, and conversely, behavioural problems such as ADHD.

As with adult food allergies and intolerances, foods dont always generate immediate physical responses (as severe anaphylaxic reactions do, rendering them hideous, yes, but at least they are easily identifiable).

Allergic intolerance reactions can take hours, (in adults they can take days) which presents the problem with identifying trigger foods, as less immediate, less blatant symptoms are more easy to miss, to ignore, and to leave to develop into other conditions as the child grows.

Rechtschaffen advises keeping notes and recording foods, moods and reactions, as well as conducting a food elimination. (see my post 'Could A Food Allergy Be Making You Fat (Sneeze / Angry / Tired...?' for details)

*

Notes:

Common Food Allergens include: Wheat, dairy, nuts, corn, eggs, soy, gluten, food colourings and preservatives, sugar and sweeteners, caffeine (what does a child need caffeine for?!), fish and shellfish.

Common Reactions include: Wheezing, difficulty breathing, itchy skin, rashes including hives, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pains, swelling around the mouth and in the throat.
(The reactions usually take place from minutes to hours after ingesting the problem food).

Severe anaphylaxic reactions (such as those we commonly hear related to peanuts) usually result in severe swelling, difficulty breathing and a drop in blood pressure. These are obvious, immediate and extremely dangerous.

Sources:
Stephen Rechtschaffen for the Institute of Integrative Nutrition
Keep Kids Healthy.com

Could a Food Allergy be making you Fat? (sneeze/angry/tired...?)

2009-05-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I attended a lecture by Stephan Rechtschaffen.

Rechtschaffen (hereby known as Stephan for ease of bashing this post out before next Thursday) founded the Omega Institute, an upstate New York wellness centre that specialises in healing workshops and retreats.

The subject of the lecture was food allergies, and at this point I want to clarify that we are talking about allergies as gradual intollerance responses, and not immediate anaphylactic reactions.

Food allergies / intollerances have been a persistent part of my life ever since at the age of 22 and plagued with migraine I visited a pricey London nutritionist.

This nutritionist (who I later saw on television dressed as a cowboy and calling herself 'The Diet Doctor') told me that my migraines absolutely stemmed from the fact I liked apples.

No tests, no questions, no trials. No Apples.

Granted, food allergies and intolerances often stem from foods that we love to eat, indeed they are often foods we fear we can't live without, and so I avoided apples for 3 years... and my migraines got progressively worse.

Apples were not the cause of my problem, and it needn't have taken me 3 years of fear before eating one again to discover so.

According to Stephan it's not cowboy nutritionists, expensive blood tests (which measure IgE - foods are generally not IgE reactions) or skin patch tests that give the best results in determining food allergens, it is through 7 days of complete elimination.

Stephan advises eiminating the food you assume to be an allergen for 7 days entirely, then on the 8th day he suggests reintroducing the food in the same amounts as you would usually have eaten or drunk it before the trial, and record the results.

The usual pattern is to feel deprived, lethargic, tired, and aching up until the 3rd or 4th day (this is your body withdrawing from the irritant, as it would in a regular detox), and then on days 5, 6 and 7, you start to feel fantastic.

If you re-introduce the food on the 8th day and suddenly find you're bloated, congested, exhausted, have headaches, IBS, (or whatever your affliction may be), then you know you have identified a problem food.

If you feel no difference at all then you are NOT sensitive to the food in question.

Multiple tests can be done (wheat, dairy and sugar, for example) by reintroducing on consecutive days (one at a time).

Interestingly, if you eliminate for a great period of time (6 months, for example) you will not see the amplified response that you'll see after 7 days, which makes the test more bearable, and also more efficient.

Note to migraine sufferers: The advice for migraine trigger testing (due to the sporadic approach of many migraine attacks) is to test for 10 days. No longer.

'What do you prefer - Ice Cream? or Cake?'

Stephan says that people will usually prefer whatever they have the greatest problem digesting (ie dairy or wheat).

If you discover an intollerance you may also find that your reaction to the food may be worse on some days than others.

This is because our symptoms to allergies will vary according to the amount of allergens we are exposed to at any one time. You may be consuming problem foods below symptom threshold and be fine, but tip the balance on any given day and the symptoms appear.

Stephen links the most common allergens to foods we eat at breakfast. He also said that eyes that itch in the inner corner are indicative of a food allergy.

So what are the common allergens? And what are the common signs of intollerance?

Wheat is synonymous with fatigue. Dairy is synonymous with sinus and diarreah.

Other common allergens include egg, soy, corn, sugar, peanut, tree nut, shellfish, citrus fruits and fish, but while 'common' allergens point us in the direction of a 'common' problem, it is important to remember that every body is different. Some people find their allergens in seemingly harmless foods such as lettuce and bananas, but people have a hunch as to their problem foods, usually because they really, really like eating them and actually feel good when they do so.

During the lecture Stephan scolded the medical industry for failing to attribute worthy attention to food allergies (and therefore alleviating the need for many unnescessisary medications, and their side effects). His reasoning why due attention is not paid? It requires time with the patient to review foods and identify potential allergens (time that doctors these days don't have) and blood tests are inaccurate.

Little Miss Intolerance hereby presents her own particular irritants and what they do.

Wheat - If I eat wheat in consecutive days I experience tremendous water retention (enough to lose sight of my knee caps and send me up a jeans size) plus I get very sleepy.

Dairy - Elimination of dairy has all but eliminated both PMS pain, and irritability

Citrus and Tropical Fruits, and Sugar - These all contribute to my migraines. Since removing all sugar, citrus and tropical fruits from my diet I have reduced my attacks by 50% The biggest problem? Pineapple, bananas and sugar.

Sources: Institute of Integrative Nutrition. May 2009. Stephen Rechtschaffen - Food Allergies.

Caffeine - The Good and Bad

2009-05-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

Note:
Everybody has a difference tolerance level to caffeine. So read below in accordance to yours. You'll know if you can drink three cups of the stuff and sleep like a baby (although in my experience babies dont sleep) or if you'll be up all night (that sounds more like it).
You know your own tollerance.

Good Things about Caffeine.

- At 200mg caffeine is shown to improve well being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability.

- Caffeine aids concentration and the performance of cognitive tasks.

- Caffeine increases endurance when taken prior to exercise.

- By constricting the blood vesselsand helping the body to absorb medications more quickly, caffeine aids the relief of headaches.

- Coffee contains minerals and antioxidants which are believed to stimulate the muscles into burning sugar and fat more efficiently.

- By stabilising free radicals, the antioxidants in caffeine prevent them doing damage to the cells in the body.

- A Harvard study of men drinking 4 cups of coffee a day showed they had a 50% chance of increasing prevention of Parkinsons disease, compared to others not drinking caffeine. Caffeine has also been known to prevent asthma attacks when taken in an emergency situation, and coffee contains minerals and antioxidants which are thought to help prevent diabetes.

Ace! Let's all go to Starbucks!...

...Not so fast

- Caffeine increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure and can contribute to developing heart disease.

- Coffee (decaf included) can increasecholesterol and homocysteine (key to fertility)

- Caffeine increases the excretion of stress hormones which can lead to anxiety, irritability, muscular
tension and pain, indigestion, insomnia, and decreased immunity.

- Caffeine stimulates a temporary surge in blood sugar levels, leading to a blood sugar crash. Bad news for everyone, particuarly bad news for diabetics.

- Caffeine can cause weight gain, since messing around with the blood sugar leads to the over production of insulin - the body will store this exess sugar as fat.

- Coffee increases the secretion of hydrocloric acid. This increases the acidity of the stomach and can lead to ulcers, heart burn and reflux.

- Those with multiple food allergies and insensitivities may be further damaging their sensitive gut through consumption of caffeine, a known gut irritant. This equally applies to sufferers of IBS.

- Caffeine can prevent the absorption of certain minerals, and as a diuretic, caffeine causes the urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and other trace minerals. This has the side effect of dehydration, and dehydration enhances wrinkles!

- The skin aint the only thing that ages thanks to caffeine - the kidneys and liver also suffer.

- Caffeine has been known to increase and aggravate PMS, osteoporosis, fertility problems, miscarriage, low birth weight, and menopausal problems.

- and if that wasn't enough, caffeine consumption can lead to adrenal exhaustion.

Phew.

Me - I adore coffee. But I treat it like a vodka cocktail. I don't enjoy it every day, for the sake of it, or out of habit. That way it works for me.
Too much coffee and I feel dehydrated, I start to feel dependent for energy and creativity, and I notice more and more lines appearing around my eyes and mouth, which is a sign of the dehydration.
That's my signal to ease off as it can easily be reversed by dropping the caffeine and rehydrating.
So you might not be able to get out of bed in the morning.... but you just got yourself some free botox!

Sources:
The Institute of Integrative Nutrition. 2009
Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America's #1 Drug. Stephen Cherniske

Modern Girls & Modern Babies

2009-05-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

So here we go, the Modern Girls & Modern Babies Season - a point to which I'll repeatedly return inbetween my trials with piles, lactose intolerance, spots and wrinkles, headaches, insomnia, superfoods and allergies etc etc etc...

Lately, I've noticed that more and more of my friends are planning a first, second or third child.

I meanwhile, have finally forgotton about the acid reflux, sleepless nights and swollen ankles (and the hospital strength migraine attacks and freaky jolting maneuvers when Barney's head trapped a nerve in my thigh for a week) and instead, have started to check out teensy little babies in the way that real New Yorkers swoon over diamante pedicured Chihuahuas dressed in Ralph Lauren.

Barney will be 3 in July. He has expresses a daily interest in having a baby sister, although some days he would prefer a white dog named 'Person' and other days he'd like a giraffe.
His father is keen on a troup of boys, while I'm with Barney (on the sister, not the giraffe).

*

I think the days of eating six donuts and a plate of fire-grate sweepings and feeling quirkily pregnant are long gone. Today's pregnant woman faces too many environmental hazards (and I mean work, social, physical and psychological adjustments, not just pollution and pesticides) to up feet and fill a kaftan for nine months.
Preparing for a healthy pregnancy, birth, and being a mother takes alot, lot more than popping a tablet of folic acid and buying some jumbo great knickers and a bra thats uglier than any you have possibly seen before in your life.
Oh yes.

So here are 5 things I wish I knew before I had Barney.

1. To Be Mentally Prepared For Total Selflessness.

My entire life pre-Barney was cued towards measurable achievement - exams, degrees, jobs, promotions... Professional recognition were really important to me.

Decide to stay at home with a baby and you have none of that, despite doing the only really important job that comes up in a lifetime.

If anybody deems commend you on your performance as a 'stay at home mother' it just sounds patronising and pitiful, and definitely like they've been put up to it by someone who's worried you're verging on a breakdown.

For this reason, whenever Barney went to sleep I raced to my computer to hammer out ideas, plot, plan and write my way out of my great gulf of outside inadequacy. Of course, if I had been smarter than my genius entrepreneurial plottings, I would have taken a nap myself.

Next time around I'll sit back and salute myself for creating and caring for a real human being, (on limited sleep aswell). I'll be fully aware that my career (of sorts) will still be there when my child reaches school, and I will never needily ask (as I did of Barney) 'What do you love the most, Mummy, or Giraffes?' Because I will only be hurt at the answer (this I actually saw, for a sorry while, as my appraisal of 2008).

2. To Be Mentally Prepared For Outside Reactions to Total Selflessness.

Any previous signs of intelligence (such as an education and career) will be wiped from your past like a government relocation program if you choose to stay at home with your baby.
Nobody will asume you have ever studied, passed an exam, or been professionally employed (unless you needily inform them). To those who remain in the 'work force' you are a 'stay at home mother' (on paper work its worse, you are a 'house wife') and subsequently all conversation will be addressed to your husband, while you stand behind, wiping sick off your new wardrobe of machine washable clothing.

Next time around I'll be fine with this. I'll be happy in the sacred, secret knowledge that I remain pretty damn hot at whatever I set my mind towards doing, (as do we all) be that a speedy nappy change in the back of a taxi, 8hrs of entertaining a 2 year old on a transatlantic flight, raising a child who eats more healthily than most adults, or identifying the various sirens of Manhattans emergency vehicles before they come into view. I will laugh off my seeming invisibility while my husband fends the questions, and I'll train my baby in targetted projection of his or her vomit.

3. Not to be a Spread Sheet Mummy

It's part of that mental transition I made from laptop to lap full of baby. Before Barney was born I had a spreadsheet for everything. Friends actually came to me, a woman, at the time, who had no experience of actually raising a child, for advice on which pram to buy or which steriliser to purchase. I knew it all. I scared myself. I definitely scared my husband when I pulled out my files over brunch every Saturday morning.
I see a lot of mothers in New York who've made a maladjustment like this but worse. They plot their kids lives like a presidential campaign. The child is dragged from class to class and playdate to playdate, biting, kicking and screaming most of the way.
Fortunately I was completely freaked out by the idea of 'training' a child in this way. I knew I wanted my child to be bored (isn't that how we get our imaginations?) and play in that old fashioned mud and sandpit way.

Next time around I will read the papers over brunch on a Saturday morning, because all too soon the only thing I will be reading will be my watch, aghast, that I've only had 45 minutes sleep and another shift is starting.

2. Not to be Bullied

I am a firm believer that bullies only pick on the vulnerable, and who is more vulnerable that a woman whose just given birth, is desperate to do the best thing possible for her child, and who hasn't slept or brushed her teeth in a week?
The amount of strangers who relish informing an obvious first time mother, on the street, that her child is too cold, or hungry, or too hot is ridiculous. What's more is they are never anyone that you'd actually take advice from in a million years. You'd possibly think twice about sharing a bus seat with them.
Yet because you're so sleep deprived / unsure of your abilities, you find your self saying 'Yes, thank you' and shuffling away like you've just failed that days good mother assignment.

Next time around I will shout 'Shut up you foul old witch! Go and sort out those ghastly eyebrows if you're looking to make improvements' and I'll spin on my heel, baby intact, and probably feeling slightly mean.

1. Not to Kick Myself When I'm Down

- This is a big one.
I know many wonderful mothers who are superlative women and hugely intelligent, with dazzling careers under their belts.
Of these women, almost all are burdened with guilt about either the delivery or the feeding of their babies.
Intended natural deliveries that turned into cesarean sections, or second deliveries that were routinely cesarean, leaving the woman feeling somehow lacking in natural birth (why?! - want my stitches??!).
Inability to breast feed, (this was me) when faced with the most tremendous government sponsored pressure of all time to do so.
As if the enormous feat of growing and delivering a baby wasn't exhausting enough we kick ourselves when we're down. We let outside pressure of what we think we ought to be doing or should have done, cloud the reality, and the reality is that we are doing a great job.

Next time around I will accept that whats important is the safe arrival and subsequent safety of my baby. I will snarl at any souped up health visitor that tuts at my formula feeds and I will wear my stitches (wherever they are) with PRIDE.

The same goes for mothers who go to work, mothers who stay at home, and mothers who do both.

Everyone, in fact, except the mothers who dont do much looking after their kids OR going to work.

Everyone else - Do what you do and do it with pride.

I salute you.

Hunger Vs Appetite

2009-05-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Something to think about when you have to frog squat to get your jeans on...

The difference between hunger and appetite is that of need versus desire.

Hunger is a physical sign that the body needs food. A really hungry person is not picky about what they eat.

An appetite, on the other hand, forms from an emotional response to food, with our tastes and psychological predispositions playing a part, and is not necessarily initiated by the immediate need of fuel by the body.

IBS

2009-05-12T08:06:00.001-07:00

Irritable Bowel Syndrome occurs when the digestive tract becomes irregular and uncoordinated. This causes food, waste, mucus and toxins to build up inside the intestines, blocking the digestive system and causing gas, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhoea, sometimes with nausea, the passing of mucus and the sensation of the bowel movement being unfinished.

No single, defined cause of IBS has been identified, and likewise there is no single, defined treatment, but it is widely acknowledged that the condition can stem from acute diarrhoea, residual damage from the overuse of antibiotics, antacids and laxatives, (which disturb the bacterial microflora in the bowel),[1] and also from food allergies, and stress.

Doctors commonly prescribe anti-spasmodics, and products to aid either diarrhoea or constipation, and also low doses of antidepressants in the treatment of IBS. Alternative therapies with positive results for some sufferers include acupuncture and homeopathy, and more commonly, a nutritional approach.

Nutritionist Jane Clark believes that IBS is a widespread response to stress. ‘Even if you seem to be coping on the surface, you may still be bottling up your angst and exhaustion within your gut.’[2] She says, citing that the 20 percent of the population suffering with some form of IBS looks likely to increase in keeping with our escalating stress levels.

It might also be true that food allergies are adding to stress levels in the body. In the case of food allergies, the treatment of IBS would begin with the allergens being removed from the diet. Common allergens include wheat, dairy, onions, oats, beef, potatoes, corn, and white wine. Clarke also suggests removal of all fatty and rich foods, which can irritate the gut, and carbonated drinks, high fibre, whole grain, and raw foods, which can put strain a sensitive gut.

To identify individual allergens a nutritionist or dietitian will usually suggest either an elimination diet or a blood test.

Once the allergen is removed endeavors can begin to repair the digestive tract. Nutrition expert Patrick Holford recommends 2 x multi vitamin and multi mineral, 2 x antioxidant complex, 2 x vitamin C 500mg, L-glutamine powder 3 grams, 2x essential Omega 3 and 6 oils and digestive enzymes with each mail meal. He advises following a diet of lightly cooked vegetables, fish, non-gluten grains, lentils, beans and ground seeds.

In addition to avoiding identified allergens he suggests avoiding wheat, dairy, coffee, alcohol and spices for ten days, and to note any improvements.[3]

Probiotics are also included in the nutritional therapy of IBS sufferers in order to help balance the levels of good and bacteria inside the gut.

[1] Balch.P.A. ‘Irritable Bowel Syndrome’, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fourth Edition, pp.529 (2006)

[2] Clarke. J. ‘Dealing with IBS and Digestive Disorders’, Jane Clarke Bodyfoods for Busy People, pp.98 (2006)

[3] Holford.P. ‘Irritable Bowel Syndrome’. Patrick Holford’s New Optimum Nutrition Bible (2004)

The Acorn House Cook Book

2009-05-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

I love The Acorn House Cookbook.

This is a book that is packed with adventurous seasonal recipes, evoking in me an Enid Blyton style desire to forrage for stinging nettles to make a risotto.

Written by Arthur Potts Dawson, who has baskets of cooking credentials, (Acorn House, The River Cafe, The Electric, Cecconis, Petersham Nurseries, Fifteen) and with whom I once had the pleasure in collaborating on a Channel 4 pilot, it is a book that goes way beyond recipes. It is food book in every sense of the word (and given Arthurs love of composting I mean this quite literally).

Arthur writes with tremendous passion about environmental issues, agricultural conditions, and the threats to plant and animal life (and to our own health) from greedy, toxic, farming methods so popular these days. He talks about food preparation, storage, and reinvention. He doesn't moan. He doesn't lecture. He presents the facts in a compelling manner and does what an awful lot of environmental alertists don't, which is to present sound potential solutions to our food, land, water and energy crisis.

This, along with creative, truly ingredient appreciative recipes makes this book an enlightening read.

Its not often that a cook book without photographs can capture my attention. This book does not need photographs. You can almost taste the words as you read them, right down to the earthy roots.

I would buy this book just as much to learn about what food is really about (easy to forget if you microwave a cellophane covered box in the evening), as I would to make the recipes.

Oh, and if a single book can make me feel like a girl with rosy cheeks, bramble scratched legs and ribbon tied plaits trailing in the wind as I scrabble for wormy apple wind fall (when in reality I'm hammering a computer keyboard in a rained in, New York apartment) then it really is a bit magical and definitely worth a click to Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/AcornH_ouse-Cookbook-Good-Field/dp/0340954604

Something for the Weekend?

2009-05-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Virility.

Before I depart for the weekend, I feel I owe a little something to the men whose sperm I have so sorely offended.

Here, as a gesture of good will, and in advance of next weeks sperm saving solutions, is my...

VIRILITY TOP 5

In Reverse Order....

5. Raw Sauerkraut.

According to German studies, this is true. Although it loses points for being a less than romantic foodstuff.

4. Almonds.

Almonds contain arginine, which in studies at UCLA, were found to increase the frequency and duration of erections (in rats, mind). Plus almonds are natures answer to a headache pill so theres no excuses.

3. Bee Pollen.

According to David Wolfe, Bee Pollen increases strength, endurance, energy and speed. It is also a potent aphrodisiac with fertility improving properties. Fresh or dried bee pollen can be mixed with raw honey and blended into smoothies or desserts, or taken by itself. Wolfe advises a tablespoon a day for adults (be careful, some people have an allergic reaction).

2. Maca.

Also called Peruvian ginseng, Maca is said to enhance strength, stamina and libido. It is usually taken by the tablespoon within drinks (teas, smoothies, nut milks etc).

In research, rats fed maca powder had increased sperm counts. Classed as a SUPERFOOD, given its levels of nutrients, amino acids and fatty acids, Maca helps INCREASE FERTILITY.

'If you're having trouble conceiving a child, maca is a great superfood to add to your diet.' Says nutrition and raw food guru David Wolfe.

1. Cashew nuts.

According to the very same, legendary Raw Foodie, David Wolfe, a handful of raw, organic cashew nuts each day will enhance a mans libido like nothing you could imagine. He is just angry that the FDA won't approve a packaging label accordingly.

Happy Weekend!

NOTE: Modern Girls Can Have It All accepts NO responsibility for the outcome of this article.

Sources:

Superfoods. The Food and Medicine of the Future. David Wolfe

Webmd.com

Food is Better Than Drugs. Patrick Holford

Happy Hour

2009-05-08T05:24:00.001-07:00

Its Friday afternoon, my son is napping, I'm finding it difficult to study, my mind is drifting to my forthcoming holiday, and I have absentmindedly just eaten a contact lens...

So this afternoon, with a somewhat summery feeling, (it hasn't rained in 12 hours) I have decided to compile the Modern Girl Drink Awards, because I trust you to use the following information in a responsible manner, and because I know that you already know there is a two drink, don't mix 'em, only at the weekend limit*.

OK?

The Prize for the MOST HEALTHWISE drink goes to...

Red Wine - contains flavenoids that help to protect against cirrhosis, pancreatitis, alzheimers, cancer and heart disease. Flavenoids also have anti-aging properties. The wines with the most flavenoids are Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with Pinot Noir and Rioja following.

The Prize for the MOST SLIMLINE drink goes to...

Vodka & Soda, with a squeeze of fresh lime - although the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calories in the vodka, this is low yeast, low sugar and less likely to go straight to your head.

80% proof vodka has 64 calories per 1oz, rising to 82 calories per 1oz for 100% proof vodka.

check out http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/low-calorie-cocktails?page=4 for full calorie rundowns.

The Prize for the LEAST YEAST goes to...

Champagne - is low in yeast, and low in sugar. This means that if you're prone to yeast infections or plenty of mucus, you should be looking to reduce your consumption of yeasty, dairy and sugary foods. You've heard of probiotics right? Well giving the bad stuff less food is how the good stuff gains strength. Vodka is equally honored at this presentation.

The Prize for MINIMAL DAMAGE goes to...

Vodka and Pure Cranberry Juice - Top chef Arthur Potts Dawson suggests the vodka cranberry for his 'Retox / Detox' concept. The Cranberry helps sweep the vodka through the system with minimal damage, and day after you'll feel good enough to continue the work with liver cleansing foods such as beetroot and spinach.

The Runner Up Prize, for having a HEALTH BENEFIT despite being lethal combined with PMS goes to...

White Wine - which aids the uptake of iron from food to the body

Three Cheers.

NOTE

* More than two drinks a day stresses the heart, kidneys, liver and speeds up the aging process. It may also mean that you do something embarrassing that you will live (albeit with the appearance of wisdom that comes old skin and organs) to regret.

If you drink alcohol, and are hoping to conceive a child, you should know that alcohol moderately depletes the body's stores of folate, the B Vitamin, known in its synthetic form as Folic Acid, that in an RDA dose of 40o micrograms a day helps prevent neural tube damage in the foetus.

Ideally, according to nutritionist Jane Clarke, you should abstain during the week, and feel free to enjoy a couple of glasses at the weekend.

Sources:

Cambridge Nutritional Downloads - IgG reactions

Body Foods for Busy People - Jane Clarke

You Are What You Eat - Gillian McKeith

http://Webmd.com/diet/features/low-calorie-cocktails?page=4

Harvard School of Public Health

Q & A With The Iron Lady

2009-05-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Why Do I Need Iron?

- It helps the blood get around, it helps turn glucose into energy, and it helps protect our cells from free radical damage.

Why Could My Iron Levels Be Low?

- Blood loss, lady, be it from menstruation, the increase in blood volume that arises in pregnancy, or a nasty injury.

What Are The Signs I Dont Have Enough Iron?

- Feeling weak and tired, maybe breathless or dizzy, having pale skin, gums and nails, brittle nails and cracks at the side of the mouth, loss of appetite, nausea, and being sensitive to the cold.

So What Is Anemia Then?

Anemia is a reduction in either the number of red blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. The blood is therefore unable to carry as much oxygen as it needs, so less oxygen gets to the cells throughout the body. Not only does this make a person feel tired, it will reduce their body's ability to build and repair its cells. When this lack of oxygen reaches the brain it results in dizzyness and losing sharpness.

According to nutritionist Phyllis Blach, anemia is often the first detectable sign of arthritis, infection, and some major illnesses, including cancer. Drug use, hormonal disorders, chronic inflammation, surgery, infections, peptic ulcers hemorrhoids, diverticular disease, heavy menstrual bleeding, repeated pregnancies, liver damage, thyroid disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, bone marrow disease, certain hereditary disorders and DIETARY DEFICIENCIES especially IRON, FOLIC ACID & VITAMINS B6 AND B12 can all lead to anemia.

OK You've Scared Me. What Can I Do?

- Unless you have been diagnosed anemic, you should aim to get your iron intake from food and NOT supplements. Exces iron can damage the heart, pancras, liver and immune cell activity and has also been linked to cancer. The only supplement that is regularly suggested by nutritionists is Floradix Iron + Herbs. This is because its non toxic, easily absorbed by the body, and is from natural sources.

What Are The Best Foods Then?
Pumpkin Seeds have11.2mg per serving
Parsley has 6.2mg
Almonds - 4.7mg
Prunes - 3.9mg
Cashew nuts - 3.6mg
Raisins - 3.5mg
Brazil Nuts - 3.4mg
Walnuts - 3.1mg
Dates - 3.0mg
Pork - 2.9mg
Cooked Dried Beans - 2.7mg
Sesame Seeds - 2.4mg
Pecan Nuts - 2.4mg

and some more...

FOODS WITH OVER 5MG IRON PER AVERAGE SERVING:

Liver, Beef, kidney beans, pinto beans, liver (organic), blackstrap molasses, rice bran, raw beet greens (not beets), mustard greens, lentils, dried peaches and prune juice

FOODS WITH 3-5MG IRON PER AVERAGE SERVING:

Cooked, dried apricots, cooked beet greens, dates, lean lamb, lean turkey, lima beans, cooked spinach and peas

Super.

- But there are some rules...

There Are Rules?

- Because certain foods and drinks interfere with the absorption of iron which would make forcing down raw beet greens rather pointless, wouldn't it?

The following foods, and food components...

CAN ALL REDUCE THE ABSORPTION OF IRON!

- Tannins, found in tea, coffee, chocolate, apple juice, red wine, nuts & cigarette smoke

- Polyphenols, found in red wine, chocolate, legumes, and many grains

- Phosphoric acid, found in fizzy drinks, beer and ice cream

- EDTA, the food additive

- Phytic Acid, found in un-soaked grains

- Oxalic Acid, found in almonds, cashews, chocolate, cocoa, kale, rhubarb, soda, sorrell, spinach, swiss chard and most nuts and beans

- Zinc supplements, and high levels of calcium (including that found in baking powders and toothpastes)

- Sugar, known as an anti-nutrient for a reason

- Low Stomach Acid, primarily due to the use of antacids

Likewise, you can ENHANCE IRON ABSORPTION by eating it alongside these foods:

- Amino Acids, from cysteine, including poultry, yoghurt, egg yolks, garlic, onions, oats, wheat germ, Brussels sprouts and broccoli

- Lactic Acid, such as olives, yoghurt, sourdough bread and kefir

- Citric Acid, in citrus fruits and pineapple

- Tartaric Acid, in grapes and grape juice

- Malic Acid, found in under ripe fruit, sour apples and tomatoes

- Ascorbic Acid - aka Vitamin C - this reduces non-haem iron sources (vegetarian sources) to a 'ferrous' state during the digestive process enabling it to be better absorbed by the body

- Probiotics

- Vitamin A, which is required for healthy iron metabolism

- Copper, which is required for iron transport and storage

- Fish, eating fish at the same time as iron containing vegetables also increases absorption

and...

- White Wine! Yes!

...But did you spot the contradicitons? Polyphenols are found in grains... which are a source of iron...swiss chard and spinach has iron... but it also contains oxalic acid... dark chocolate is touted as iron rich, yet it too contains oxalic acid...beans contain iron and oxalic acid...

The basic rule to maximise iron absorption is to eat it away from tea and coffee and other iron enemies.

Take your non-meat sources of iron with a source of vitamin C - strawberries, grapefruit, canteloupe, orange juice, and maybe some lactic acid rich yoghurt at breakfast... broccoli, sprouts, tomato, and peppers at lunch... with soaked whole grains, and a glass of WHITE WINE at dinner.

If you are concious of your iron levels, as I am particularly around the times of heavy periods, then it makes sense to be concious of how you absorb your uptake.

I have been self experimenting with this method over the past three periods and have found that I am now enjoying greater energy and feeling less drained. I still drink tea, I supplement zinc, I eat bundles of apples, I love spinach, and if my mother's around I'll be calling for rhubarb crumble, but I do it all away from my sources of iron, especially the week of my period.

I call it Strategic Eating, and since applying strategic eating to the vitamins and minerals that I'm conscious my body requires I've noticed better skin, increased energy, faster hair growth, a calmer temperament, smoother periods, and a whole host of other benefits, primarily down to changing WHEN and not HOW I am eating.

More to come on Vitamins, Minerals and Strategic Eating.

Sources:

Super Eating. A Revolutionary Way to Get More From The Foods You're Eating. Ian Marber

Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Phyllis A. Balch

The Food Doctor in The City. Ian Marber

Food is Better Medicine Than Drugs. Patrick Holford
Patrick Holfords New Optimum Nutrition Bible. Patrick Holford

Sperm Production

2009-05-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

I was surprised yesterday, and not because the Pre School called to say my son had pushed purple play-doh up his nose.

I was suprised to discover that way back in 1960 Friends of Earth attributed the 'vast majority of birth defects' down to men.

Men are now believed to be responsible for up to 80% of genetic abnormalities. The British Medical Journal reported in 1992 that the past 50 years has seen a 50% decline in the overall quality and density of sperm. In 1996 they reported that the concentration and total sperm per ejeculate for British men born between 1951 and 1975 was dropping by an average of 2.1% every year, and it is now said that men are responsible for 60% of infertility, with low sperm counts to blame in 90% of those cases.

Wow. All I ever hear about is how a woman should be eating and behaving to conceive and grow a baby.
Other than the obvious, the only pressure I can think of on a man is the odd back rub and late night car ride for marmite flavoured ice cream.

But contrary to popular belief, a man does not become a father the day his child is born, nor does a man become a father the day his child is conceived.

A man becomes a father four whole months BEFORE conception, when his sperm goes into production, and genetics are not the cause of the majority of genetic abnormalities, lifestyle is.

The decline in sperm quality is primarily attributed to pollution, unhealthy lifestyle, stress and poor nutrition.

Lets think of it in man terms...
You're at the Porsche showroom and you have your eye on a shiny black Cayenne Turbo. You want the Sportplus wheels, the leather interior, Bi Xenon headlights, running boards, and heated seats, yeah, you want some heated seats...and a heated steering wheel...
Then the man from Porsche invites you to the factory to watch them build your car.
You get to the factory (you're quite excited by now, you've even told your wife) and all you see is a heap of rusty car parts, flat tyres, and an engine that has been assembled incorrectly.
'You'll never make a car out of this!' you shout, angry that they aren't using the best parts on your car.
The man from Porsche just shrugs nonchalantly, apologises through a mouthful of sauerkraut and goes off with his clipboard to inspect a far healthier looking model in the next bay along.

The Porsche philosophy (to be found on the Porshe website where you'll also find a cool tool to build 'your' imaginary car) is 'Quality, Environmental Protection & Safety.' The exact same philosophy should go for sperm. Everything is made from something. So don't make your sperm from nicotine, trans-fats, pesticide and Jack Daniels.

What are the Worst Sperm Enemies?
SMOKING - reduces sperm concentration by 24%

ALCOHOL - toxic to the reproductive tract

DRUGS - prescription and otherwise can lead to birth defects

COFFEE - the more consumed the lower the quality of the sperm

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS - found in plastics, paint, food packaging, pesticides on non-organic foods, plastic food wrap and some male grooming products (they mimic female hormones and lower sperm count)

AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS - (working in factories and agriculture) - can lead to birth defects including spina bifida and facial clefts

Nutritionist Patrick Holford advises that any potential father should reduce his toxic exposures by avoiding coffee, alcohol, cigarettes and exposure to any suspect drugs or industrial chemicals for at least four months before wanting to conceive. Holford acknowledges that total avoidance of environmental chemicals is never possible, but states that nutrition can provide greater protection from its damage. In particular supplementing Vitamins C, E, Chromium, Zinc and the Essential Fats, plus an additional multi-vitamin and multi-mineral, a boost in food sourced anti-oxidants and a reduction of anti-nutrients (which battle the good stuff and undo the good work - sugar, processed foods, coffee, alcohol and nicotine are examples of anti-nutrients) can go along way in making Porsche approved car parts.

A prospective father should also have a healthy approach to exercise, and find ways to reduce his stress responses.

Babies born to this world will have enough to worry about when they grow to realise the condition in which we are leaving their planet. No child deserves to live with an abnormality that his or her parents could have avoided. All planned children deserve decent sperm and decent eggs, and to grow loved and nourished to the best of their parents abilities. Simple as that.

Don't put grit in your engine.

Next Week: I'll be blogging about the best foods to eat to improve sperm quality. Plus ideas for virility packed, sperm fueling, antioxidant rich breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. I'll also be looking into the essential role of homocysteine in fertility for men and women.

Sources:
Optimum Nutrition Before, During and After Pregnancy - Patrick Holford & Susannah Lawson
Planning a Baby? - Sarah Brewer
Optimum Nutrition Bible - Patrick Holford
British Medical Journal Vol 305. 1992
British Medical Journal Vol 312. 1996
http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/cayenne

Adventures In... Stress Relief Devices

2009-05-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Last month the New York Times reported on a link between the recession and an increase in 'diagnosed' stress and anxiety.

People have always worried. People have always had things to worry about. Right now, people have alot to worry about, thanks to the remnants of irresponsible bravado from the City, but what is different, in addition to our newfound predilection to 'diagnose' our worries, and to the particularly stupendous financial mess we are in, is the wave of entrepreneurial bubbles that have bobbed to the surface while we've been watching the value of our houses, and savings (and vintage handbags, pensions, bits of art and all that) plumet to the bottom of the sea.

The trade in anxiety is particularly bouyant.

Anti-anxiety medication prescriptions are up, 'calming' supplements can be found on prominent shelves at most drug and health food stores, therapists are laughing, and relaxation gadgets that might otherwise be dust logged and forgotten 'till obsolete, are finding themselves hauled out of the warehouse and into a UPS van enroute to a home somewhere.

I decided to investigate the gadgets. On the advice of a friend (her husband uses one and swears by it) and in defense of my migraine related panic attacks, I momentarily forgot my bank balance and ordered myself an 'Emwave Personal Stress Reliever.'

This little piece of plastic is a bit bigger than a credit card and looks like it should come free in a corporate goodie bag. Maybe with a keyring attached. It is supposedly the result of 15 years of scientific research, and follows the principles of biofeedback, which is the ability to control and lower your stress responses (you can also learn the principles of biofeedback for free by visiting YouTube).

Turn it on and it bleeps! A row of little lights run from one end of a tiny little screen, to the other end of a tiny little screen and it bleeps! again.

The bleeps! are really annoying. Like the noise from a smoke alarm that needs new batteries. It just keeps on going, bleeping! and bleeping! until you're ready to throw it out of the window and shout at someone you love. And Cry! And search in vain for the packaging and receipt.

Then it stops. This was because it had lost the reading of my pulse (for it to 'read' your pulse, you have to put your thumb over a sensor which then detects your heart rate). The manual says this is a normal (annoying but normal) function, and the device merely needs rebooting.

And then it all starts again.

I am irked by merely remembering it.

This was all at a cost of $200. A cost that could have been spent achieving the exact same stress responses by say, purchasing a recurrent ring side season ticket for some form of illegal suburban wrestling showcase.

Obviously this is entirely my own opinion. I'm certain the EmWave website can quote lots of people who love their personal stress reliever.

Me, I thought it was a load of...

bleep!

http://www.emwave.com/

The Ultimate Tea Diet

2009-05-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

I'm a tea girl. Actually I'm a tea and a coffee girl, but right now I'm sworn off coffee (what can I say, my body is my laboratory and I'm running some tests on myself).

So tea. Steeped in tradition (-sorry!), full of antioxidants, calming, theraputic and purveyor of a dainty definable buzz, OR dastardly depleter of essential vital minerals, dehydrating wrinkle making tooth (and mug) stainer?

Both actually, but it depends on who you listen to.

Don't they say that everything is 'good' for you in moderation? (this statement was clearly issued in the days before high fructose corn syrup and trans fats), well I reckon that good 'in moderation' applies easily to tea.

In LA last summer I laid my hands on a book entitled The Ultimate Tea Diet written by a man calling himself 'Dr. Tea' (Collins Press, 2008). The author owns a tea bar in West Hollywood with a lovely little garden out the back, packed with over-groomed men tapping away at their laptops and sucking (sickly sweet) 'Frosteas' through straws, while their minature dogs sit quietly in handbags.

I swiftly surveyed my surroundings, used the loo, took one disasterous swig of my Frostea and sprinted back to the car (where my husband was waiting impatiently to go to Starbucks).

On closer inspection of the Ultimate Tea Diet, there was alot of blurb about boosting metabolism (that'll be the caffeine), and kick-starting 'remarkable' weight loss (that'll be the fact that you're so full of tea you're too busy wee-ing to make dinner), and some interesting recipes. The author is clearly in love with the the leaf, and a great tea-cher (-sorry) of all things pro tea (he states that it boosts alpha waves, promoves alert relaxation, makes one look younger, lowers blood cholesterol, aids fat loss...) but one ghastly swig of a 'Frostea' was all I needed to 'kick-start' my scepticism.

Plus, I tolerate herbal tea (I do adore a couple, listed later on) but those, for me, are 'tisanes'. Real tea is black tea. It is dark, strong and stains the mug the same colour as the sludge they wring out of the lungs on televised warnings against smoking.

Off to the trusty British Nutritionists for a verdict. Patrick Holford says its alright 'occasionally' and 'very weak' Thank you Patrick, I'd rather drink dishwater than very weak tea.

Jane Clarke is less scathing. She Clarke tea can be 'life enhancing' so long as you have no more than 2-3 cups a day and you do it right (quality leaves, white china pot, filtered freshly boiled water).

I'm of the opinion that a couple of cups a day are fine. I would definitely drink them away from meals to prevent any issues with mineral absorption, and I would be sure not to wash any vitamin supplements down with a mug of tea in the morning.

OK, so here are some good things about tea:

Mint, Ginger, Lemon Verbena, Vervain tea will soothe IBS or tricky guts

Dandelion, Nettle, Fennel and parsley tea are great for easing fluid retention

White tea contains a high level of antioxidants which make it helpful in anti-aging

Chamomile tea calms
Vervain helps with PMS, can aid digestion and is said to help in relieving headaches

A cup of black tea can help abort the early stages of a headache due to the effect of caffeine in constricting the blood vessels

Compounds called catchetin polyphenols found in Green Tea help to intensify levels of fat oxidation and therefore increase the metabolism. Green tea is also packed with anti-oxidants
Jasmine tea is said to boost moods and relieve tension
Ginger tea helps montion and morning sickness
Cinnamon tea is said to help battle colds, upset stomachs and aid blood sugar balance
Lemon verbena is said to help in stressfilled times
Peppermint will help if you're a bit, erm, 'windy'
Thyme is said to help clear thesinuses and releive mild asthma.

And if that wasn't enough... My husbands copy of Mens Health magazine clearly states that 'washing fish and chips down with a cup of tea reduces the absorption of toxins (ie the mercury content of large fish) by 92%' - I meanwhile, think that somebody got a press release from the Tea Council of Great Britain.

Before you leave for the chip shop, here are some not so good things about black tea (for black tea is the purveyor of the problems):

Caffeine and tannins in tea can dehydrate the skin (cue wrinkles and dark circles)

Black tea can worsen the symptoms of IBS (blame the caffeine because it can irritate the gut)

The tannins in tea can also interfere with the absorption of iron and zinc (bad news for healthy skin and all those cells screeching for nourishment)

Earl Grey contains the addictive stimulant 'Bergamot' and we all know addictions are baaaad!

Me, I believe it's all about balance and timing. I love my cup of tea, but I wont be drinking it at a time when I want to be absorbing some Iron (to keep me strong during my period, or when I've gone to the bother of steaming leafy greens, for example).

For gratuitous indulgence on my Friday afternoon, here are my top 5 teas, in reverse order.

5. Clipper Green Tea and Ginseng - perky, trendy, thigh evaporating, and tastes and smells pretty.

4. Dr Stuarts 'Skin Purify' - it works. An amazing skin calming tea that tastes subtle, with no freaky aftertaste.

3. Vanilla Black Tea - blended at my local New York tea bar - sweet, strong and served in a proper cup.

2. Yorkshire Decaff - for I kid myself the caffeine doesn't matter.

1. Yorkshire Gold - a strong English mug of black tea cannot, in my opinion, be beaten. Even better in a mug with a big 'S' on it.

Bon-ape-'tea'-t!

Sources:

Patrick Holfords New Optimum Nutrition Bible - Patrick Holford

The Ultimate Tea Diet - Mark Ukra aka 'Dr Tea'

Jane Clarkes Body Foods For Busy People - Jane Clarke

Men's Health - UK Edition, Jan/Feb 2009

Adventures In... New York Therapy

2009-05-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

For a while last summer I visited a renowned New York Psychologist, famed for his hypnotism, named Dr John Ryder.

Dr Ryder was enlisted to help me break a rather unfortunate habit I had of panicking in the event of an oncoming migraine attack, a habit that would, more often than not, actually bring on an attack that might never have happened if I hadn't been panicking.

Panic attacks are pretty grotty things. They are like suddenly being caught in the beam of a space ship.
You stop listening to anybody who might be talking, you reduce your attention span of anything you might be doing, until you can just about scrape through without being run over or arrested for shoplifting, and you wholeheartedly crank up your heartbeat and dispatch torrents of adrenaline throughout your startled little body (which in its old fashioned way is asuming a primordal need to flee a dinosaur or something).

For me, I would be so preoccupied cross examining myself: 'How much does it hurt? Is the pain going away? Is it getting better? Is it getting worse? What did I do to make it happen? What did I eat to make it happen? What should I do now? Is it still hurting?' that I would become more and more tense, more and more anxious, and more and more susceptible to a migraine attack.

Enter Dr. Ryder.

The day I met Dr. Ryder for the first time was also the first time I had ever personally encountered the New York religion of therapy. It was also a day that I left my phone on the kitchen counter, my son with a babysitter, and was unable to pinpoint the crusty little brownstone off Park Avenue where Dr Ryder operated. I arrived flustered and eager to call my husband, to call the babysitter, to leave a contact number for Dr Ryder should my baby need me, (when my son was born I stopped carrying a designer handbag and started toting a small boy, and I was used to taking him as many places as the Chloe Edith bag that came before him), and I was NOT used to having a babysitter.

Of course I forgot to pinpoint to my husband exactly where I was, three floors up in a creaky Brownstone apartment, somewhere off Park Avenue, in Manhattan.

My first impression to Dr. Ryder was that of a flustered, sweaty, panicker.
My first impression of Dr. Ryder was that of, well, he looked a bit like a young Mick Jagger (the photo on his website looking like a younger still, Mick Jagger) and he spoke in looooong, powerfullll, sloowwwww, sentences. He let me use his phone.

So we had a chat. I'd self diagnosed and informed him exactly why I was panicking, right down to the freaky teacher I'd had in Primary School and the psycho ex-boyfriends, and Dr Ryder was kind enough to sit back, offer me a boiled sweet, and let me think I knew what the problem was. He flattered my battered ego by telling me, not entirely convincingly, that I was a very perceptive woman.

So there came a time when Dr. Ryder asked me if I was ready to let go of my panic attacks. The way he said it, it sounded like a dare. When I was ready, he said, I should leave my spot on the sunken sofa, with its bowl of boiled sweets and my dusty designer handbag, and I should sit on his leather recliner, and close my eyes.

I sat on the recliner... and noticed a whacking great Samurai sword hanging on the wall above his desk.

I reluctantly closed my eyes and felt my heartbeat quicken as I heard Dr. Ryder stand up and start to circle the recliner like a falcon. I remembered that nobody knew where I was. I wondered how long it would be until they found my remains. I wondered if he'd go for my head first. I wondered who would make Barney's dinner.

And all the while, poor Dr. Ryder was trying to hypnotize me.
When he was confident enouch that I was relaxed (how he reached this assurance I dont know), he started the infamous TV style countdown.
All the while I was fully awake and fully aware of his predatory steps around the leather recliner, the panic rising everytime he took a step towards the desk.
And then, whooosh. I couldn't have cared less if he'd jumped onto the desk and ripped the sword from its decorative bracket. I was floatily, carefree and chilled... and...then it was over.

Dr Ryder gave me a CD to listen to (everytime I played it I fell asleep - I wanted my great friend, the record label boss, to release it as a single - how cool would that be - nobody does that and think of all the people who cant sleep / can't relax - sure fire number one), made my next appointment, and sent me packing.

On the way home I drifted happily into a taxi (actually It took 20 minutes to find one but that slipped by me unnoticed) and then I got stuck in traffic that blocked Park Avenue for blocks ahead. And then I started to worry. I started to panic about Barney getting hungry, I started to panic because I couldnt remember everything that had happened in Dr Ryder's leather recliner, and I started to panic about getting a migraine.

So I did what I did best. I got a migraine.

Although I overcame my fear of concealed offices and perilous weapons, I never quite made the breakthrough with Dr. Ryder.
I think that hypnotism is a subjective thing. For some people it will be amazing (hypnotists who have turned their hand to weightloss seem to be doing a 'steaming' (-sorry!) trade. But like most things, everything really, you need to believe.

I don't see Dr Ryder anymore, but I wouldn't hesitate in recommending him to others.

Dr John Ryder, Ph.D.

http://www.ultimategoals.com
http://www.johnryderphd.com

His Book: Postive Directions. Shifting Polarities to Escape Stress and Increase Happiness. 2008. MJ Press
His CD: Relax to the Max

Water Retention

2009-04-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

I have in the past been able to foresee my enjoyment of the entire day ahead based solely on a glance at my legs in the morning.

Water retention, (a miscreant that also goes under the names fluid retention and Edema, Oedema in England) can bloat out the arms, abdomen, fingers, legs, ankles, feet, face, breasts, knees...you name it, I'm sure it can be bloated.

For me, its the difference between a happy skip in my latest jeans (I'm a sucker for the denim brands), or a self conscious shuffle in skinnies that have, overnight, become two sizes too small thanks to the disappearance of my kneecaps and ankle bones under a padded layer of flesh.
I will be permanently conscious of my discomfort and therefore irritable and short tempered. I will also be (bemusingly) determined to wear said skinny jeans and pretend nothing's any different.

I am aware that I am clearly vain, shallow, detestable and shameful.
I am aware that there are people in the world without knees altogether, and I should rejoice in my legs regardless, but at least I'm honest enough not to pretend it's Gordon Brown or Octomom thats upsetting me.

The good news (for me) is that I no longer have a problem with water retention. I now know exactly what causes it for me and I can avoid the pesky components.

Every body is different but most causes and remedies are common.

Its a matter of devising your own anti-water retention recipe.

...So What Causes Water Retention Anyway?

Water retention is the accumulation of fluid in the spaces between the cells in the soft tissue of the body.

Causes include PMS, stress, table salt, late night salty dinners, humidity, pregnancy, food allergies, poor circulation and a lack of essential fatty acids.

Well That's All Very Nice....But What Can We Do About It?

You can do this, my friend...

1. Skin Brusing.

Use a natural skin brush (I like the round one from The Body Shop) and do it before you shower in the morning. This is also great for banishing cellulite, general detoxification, and improving circulation.

Follow these tips from Gillian McKeith:

"Smoothly brush the soles of the feet and work your way up the legs, then up the arms and down the back. Brush in long sweeping movements towards your heart. Always brush lightly and gently and avoid broken skin, thread veins and varicose veins."

Thank you, Gillian.

2. Dandelion Tea.

Mmmmm yummy! Yes it is horrible. I tend to make it, leave it to cool, then drink the stuff (like a teenager necks a tepid cider).

It really works. Dandelion tea is a natural diuretic, contains more vitamins and minerals than any other herb and is one of the top sources of potassium (more on potassium later).

According to world class nutritionist Marilyn Glenville PhD, dandelion also helps to improve liver function, so it can be useful for general detoxification and elimination of crazy lady hormones.

Nutritionist Jane Clarke also reccomends nettle, fennel and parsley tea.
All are, erm, equally delicious.

3. Drink More Water.

What? Water got me into this mess!

Nooo, say's Glenville, stating that if you limit your intake of water your body will think there's a shortage and try to retain what little you take in.

Water is a natural Diuretic.

4. Reduce Salty Foods

As sodium (salt) levels in the body rise, fluids are made less concentrated by retaining more water. Says nutrition supremo Patrick Holford. There is also a vast difference between natural salt (which contains additional minerals) and table salt (also the type of salt used in processed foods) which don't.

5. Increase Potassium

Potasium works alongside sodium in maintaining water balance in the body. The more salt eaten, the more potassium required. Its a sea saw that needs to be in balance.

Holford claims that deficiency is widespread. "Potassium deficiency is most likely to occur in people taking diuretic drugs or laxatives over a long period [of time]."

Diuretic tablets are conversely an enemy of water retention - they actually deplete potassium and aggravate the situation.

Ian Marber, (presumable nutritional nemesis of Holford), writes about potassium in his book 'Super Eating', citing the adult recommended intake at 3,500mg, with most people getting less than 2,500mg, and excreting this easily through urine.

"The best sources of potassium are avocados, tomato paste, sundried tomatoes and dried fruit. Potatoes are high in potassium, squash, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, bananas and apricots are all good sources as are dark green vegetables." Says Marber, who adds that 'long-term' licorice ingestion (sounds like a habit) can increase potassium excretion.

6. Humidity

This can be linked to potassium deficiency, since potassium is lost in sweat (even from exercise) and also in extreme heat.

7. Magnesium

Magnesium is a hectic girls best friend. It is a very calming mineral and one that most people are deficient in. It is a real ally in the battle with PMS (migraines and stress) and also helps water retention, working best when combined with vitamin B6.

8. The B-Vitamins

B6 is believed to reduce water retention and the B-vitamins work in a team.

9. Kelp

Kelp is said to aid water retention due to its high mineral content.

10. Strawberries

Strawberries and other berries contain quercetin which according to Patrick Holford can improve the health of capillaries and connective tissue. Because of this they can help alleviate water retention.

11. Food to Eat

Jane Clarke suggests plenty of citrus fruits to combat water retention. "Melon, asparagus, cucumber, fennel all contain vitamin C (essential for adrenal hormone function - vital for fluid balance) and plenty of water, which help the body to relieve fluid retention. Also include lots of vitamin E-rich foods such as seends, nuts, brown rice, salmon, asparagus, avocados and sardines."

12. Food to Avoid

The weighty tomb that is the 'Prescription for Nutritional Healing' instructs removal of alcohol, animal protein, (except for eggs, white fish, skinless chicken or turkey), beef, caffeine, chocolate, dairy products (except for small amounts of buttermilk, cottage cheese, kefir and low fat yoghurt).

13. Food Allergies

This was my solution. I discovered (firstly through blood tests, and later through DNA testing and elimination diets) that I am intolerant to a handful of foods. The one that causes water retention, for me, is wheat. I go from Sam, to Miss Sausage Legs 2009 with a days worth of toast and sandwich.

More to come on food allergies. It is possible to reverse them with time and effort.

14. Late Night Eating

Eating dinners late at night can be bloating for the next day. Especially if the food is high in salt and fat. You'll also feel pretty stodgy and you wont sleep well if your stomach is reluctantly digesting.

15. Boyfriend Jeans

If all else fails.

Remember. Its like a puzzle - the trick is finding what works for you.

Sources:

Patrick Holfords New Optimum Nutrition Bible. Patrick Holford.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Phyllis. A. Balch

Bodyfoods for Busy People. Jane Clark

You Are What You Eat. Gillian McKeith

Super Eating. Ian Marber

Overcoming PMS the Natural Way. Marilyn Glenville PhD

Naturally Thin. Betheny Frankel

In The News - The Breast Debate

2009-04-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

Did I drop my copy of yesterday's Sunday Times when I laid eyes on an article with the title 'Mothers Keep Figures With Drug to Stop Breast Milk' ?
Did I head, aghast, to Barney's art box and root around for the necessities to build a demonstration placard and go forth to march my disgrace at the vanity of my 'sisters'?

No Maam. I did neither. I checked the front page to be sure I hadn't been given a Daily Mail by accident, and I carried on reading.

The drug in question is named Dostinex (generic name: Cabergoline), and it halts production of breast milk over the course of 12 hours.
According to the Sunday Times it's being used on the shameful quiet by women who have to go back to work and don't want to leak all over their shirts, women whose husbands wont share their boobs, and... best of all.. women who've been 'influenced by neighbours who have moved from France.'
What?
Yes really, women in England are being 'influenced by neighbours who have moved from France'.
Only two Frenchwomen have or could ever influence me, I'm certain, and they are Coco Chanel, who is dead and therefore unable to comment on breastfeeding, and Carine Roitfield, Editor in Chief of French Vogue, who is too busy piecing outfits together.

So, you take the drug and it prevents the pornographic spectacle that is the second or third day after labour when the 'milk comes in' from ever happening.
Now this day is a part of motherhood that every girl should experience.
It's hilarious.
Dolly Parton for one day only.
Roll up! Roll up!
I'd be a sad girl had I never seen what I'd look like as a 32 XXX Playboy playmate, and so would my husband.
I can understand that vain hope of preventing the inevitable post lactation deflation, but the fact is, boobs are never the same as that heavenly pre & pregnancy pert-ness anyway. They change regardless. Really.

What I don't understand is why take the drug?
Side effects of this drug include: 'heart and lung damage', 'severe sleepiness' and 'incapacitating headaches.'
So why dont these women forgo the drug and its side effects and just not breast feed? Plain and simple. It hurts for a couple of days until the body works it out, but far less I'd assuming, than 'heart and lung damage'.

The argument I can understand comes from a breast-feeding consultant named Geraldine Miskin.
'A lot of people are rebelling against the pressure [of breastfeeding].' Says Miskin. 'There is something militant about the breastfeeding movement where women are harshly judged if they don't do it. Many are simply opting out.'

As a woman who has experienced that 'militant movement' I can see where she is coming from.

I couldn't breastfeed. I had a textbook natural pregnancy, a textbook natural birth, and then I was floored by persistant, severe migraine attacks. I had no choice but take some heavy drugs, or miss out on the first six months of my sons world. I pumped and dumped' as they say, until my toxic capacity was beyond even that of 'pumping and dumping'.
My husband looked at me one morning as I sat on the sofa, so dazed I hadn't noticed that the breast pump was filled with blood, and he made the decision for me. We switched to formula. Hurdle one.

Hurdle two was the Health Visitor. She proved harder than filling a breast pump with blood.

I'm assuming that my health visitor received a fax from Head Office instructing her to be excruciatingly mean to anybody feeding formula to their baby, to remind formula feeders regularly of the selfish mistake they were making, of the baby groups provided by Camden Council existing SOLELY for the use of breastfeeders, Oh, and to make any formula feeders wait until last, regardless of their arrival time at the first come first served Friday afternoon baby clinic.

One time, after she made me cry, she invited me to complete a poorly photocopied Post Natal Depression Questionnaire in the Primrose Hill Surgery waiting room, with the man from the fruit shop reading my answers over my shoulder.

When my son was four months old I was still beating myself up for not being able to breastfeed. I would read articles almost daily about how he was bound to suffer from asthma or fail his A-levels because he hadnt been breastfed. I would ferret surreptitiously in my baby changing bag for bottles and formula, dreading the looks I'd get from the sort of strangers who really shouldnt bother me, but did.

But ho! what could this be? my son was, and is a very healthy boy! He has always aced his development tests and checks, has the coolest temperament, and is much fun to hang out with. He is a smarty pants and a sporty little thing and shows absolutely no sign of having missed out on anything.
As soon as he started solids I regained my 'natural' control. He has never consumed a 'jar' of processed baby food.

On the subject of breast feeding irks, I think it's important to mention that while breasts were being rammed down my throat (splutter!), never once did I note any reccomendation on a mothers diet while breastfeeding. Compare a bottle of SMA Gold to the equivalent in breastmilk composed of Starbucks, alcopops and KFC and just see what comes out nutritionally preferable.

Then I moved to New York.

In New York they don't bombard you with pressure to breastfeed.
In New York most mothers don't even look after their own kids, let alone breastfeed them - they're faaarr too busy getting pedicures, darling.

Without the Militant Breastfeeding Movement siting their spies on every corner I found my strength and started to really, really, enjoy being a mother.
I regret the unnecessary guilt I felt in those early months, and I feel strongly that no new mother should feel that kind of guilt when they should be enjoying their child.
Moving forward I have the strength of character to do what suits me. I will decide if any further children I might have (in England or America) will be breastfed or formula fed. I am strong enough to do what suits me, and my family, because I know that every good mother knows what is right for her child, breastfeeding or not.

I wish I'd known this the first time around but wisdom, like saggy boobs, comes with age, I suppose.

Brown Rice Giving You Spots, Headaches, PMS and Hairloss?

2009-04-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

It turns out that we are pretty much the only nation that doesnt soak their grains.

As with the usual way we have of lucky dip picking cultures (style, food, fashion, holidays....) and leaving the roots in the ground, we have 'adopted' the flavours of international cusine and neglected to bother with the lengthy preparation.

But get this.

Whole Grains (that means rice, barley, quinoa, oats... etc - technically the bran, germ and 'endosperm' of a grain) contain 'anti-nutrients' such as phytic acid.

Untreated, phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and particuarly zinc to block their absorption.

A diet high in poorly prepared wholgrains can lead to mineral deficiencies - bet you never considered that.

The solution is a bit of forward planning. Soaking the grains overnight in water and rinse away the phytic acid in the morning. tada!

Since Magnesium deficiency can lead to problems sleeping, irritability and is a raging component of PMS and headaches, Zinc deficiency results in lousy immunity and spots and headaches, Iron and Calcium are already struggling to find acceptance in the body if you a tea or coffee drinker, and a copper deficiency can lead to hair loss, weight gain and depression... soak your grains!

Vodka Cleansing

2009-04-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening I was reading the newsletter of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts, and I stumbled on a comment from Nathan Donahoe.

Donahoe talks about the general production of wines and spirits, and the effect that alcohol has on the body. He poses (you'll like this) that the properties of alcohol industrially (as a solvent and degreaser - look for ethanol listed on a bottle of glass cleaner) might also apply when it's consumed as a drink.

A sort of wipe away of fat in the system.

Yes, he does say that scientifically its unproven and unclear.

Yes, its completely irresponsible, and I'm supposed to be talking about health, but there's a strange sort of logic to it.

Adventures In... Affirmation Aerobics

2009-04-23T05:55:00.000-07:00

Now Im the classic English Sceptic in Manhattan. Most of what goes on out here makes no sense to me whatsoever and I wont pretend that it does.

So I amazed myself by completely enjoying one of the strangest opportunities the city has so far presented: Affirmation Aerobics.

It was a bounceful mixture of strengthening yoga poses, bouncing around and the pronouncement of statements such as 'I Want It I Want It I Really Really Want It' and 'I Can Have It I Can Have It I Can Really Really Have It.'

Alright, it took me a while to get into.

And then there was the teacher. The class is taught by Patricia Moreno, a vibrant lass with the whitest teeth I've ever seen, even by New York standards.

She bobs around with the boundless energy of a girl who has everything she wants and more (she was named Best Fitness Instructor' by both Allure Magazine and New York Magazine two times running).

So I enjoyed myself. The workout was pretty good too.

I even found the affirmations stuck in my mind. The usual angst ridden trolley crash around the organic cubby hole that is upstairs at the Fairway Market was less vile too this week - 'I Want To Get Out Of Here! I Really Really Want It! - and soon enough I was, less scathed than usual.

I'm yet to completely renounce my English protection from the ridiculous but I liked it I Liked It! I Really Really Liked It!
...It hasn't however landed me a Chanel 2.5 in black caviar, yet.

www.satilife.com

Great News For Heaving Great Thighs!

2009-04-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Slap my thigh.

I attended a lecture on Saturday where Dr. Barry Sears (he of the Zone diet) announced to a delighted / sceptic room full of health counselors that fat is a good thing.

Apparently having a bit of fat on your thighs acts as a 'dumping ground' (his words not mine) for what he terms 'toxic fat' - the sort that leads to inflammation and then to chronic disease.

This 'dumping ground' pens in the nasties so they dont go invading anything important organ wise.

He is not alone in linking inflammation (and not cholesterol) to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, asthma, allergies, obesity, altzeimers, cancer and as he puts it 'most of the itis's'

His advice?

- Go Easy on the Ibuprofen - the doc linked 'a life-times use of anti-inflamatories' with a 'risk of other disease'.

- Dose up on natural anti-inflammatories, namely fish oil - although it must be Ultra Refined EPA/DHA Concentrates (anything less, he states, is the 'sewer of the sea.'

- Eat a diet that can be simplified to 2/3 fruit and vegetables and 1/3 lean protein on the plate at any given meal. Given that much of obese America is suffering from malnutrition thanks to a diet of high fructose corn syrup and trans fat he was quite rightly specific about the type of food to get your fat from - it should be monounsaturated (avocado, olives, olive oil, almonds) and in small doses.

The pictures contained in his natty powerpoint presentation were rather heavy on the presentation side (think the orangy splendour of a 1970's style dinner party arrangement, all fanned jumbo shrimp and sunshine wheels of asparagus dotted with cherry tomatoes). None the less pretty tasty looking and get this - all bar the breakfast shots contained a glass of red wine.

Will this change the face of fat days forever?

Modern Girls Can Have It All Disclaimer

2009-04-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

MODERN GIRLS CAN HAVE IT ALL

INCLUDING THIS DISCLAIMER OF HEALTH-CARE RELATED SERVICES

Modern Girls Can Have It All / Samantha Smith, the author of this blog, encourages anybody reading this blog to continue visiting and be treated by their healthcare professionals, including, without limitation, their physician. The readers of this blog understand that Samantha Smith / Modern Girls Can Have It All is not acting in the capacity of a doctor, licensed dietician-nutritionist, massage therapist, psychologist or other licensed or registered professional. Accordingly, any reader of this blog understands that Modern Girls Can Have It All / Samantha Smith is not providing healthcare, medical or nutrition therapy services and will not diagnose, treat or cure in any manner whatsoever, any disease, condition or other physical or mental ailment of the human body.

Anybody reading / hearing information / views expressed and published on Modern Girls Can Have it All (known herein as the reader of this blog) has chosen to read Modern Girls Can Have It All and understands that the information received should not be seen as medical or nursing advice and is certainly not meant to take the place of Client’s seeing licensed health professionals.

All opinions and views expressed on this blog are that of Modern Girls Can Have It All / Samantha Smith. References for scientific, statistical, natural and alternative health information are stated at all times.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND RELEASE OF HEALTH-CARE RELATED CLAIMS

The reader of information published on Modern Girls Can Have It All acknowledges that they take full responsibility for their life and well-being, as well as the lives and well-being of their family and children (where applicable), and all decisions made during and after reading this blog.

The reader of Modern Girls Can Have It All / the views expressed by Samantha Smith, expressly assumes the risks of the advice, whether or not such risks were created or exacerbated by Modern Girls Can Have it All / Samantha Smith. The reader releases Modern Girls Can Have It All / Samantha Smith, his/her heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, any of Modern Girls Can Have It All / Samantha Smith's officers, directors, shareholders, employees, teachers, lecturers, agents, health counselors and staff (collectively, “the Releasees”) from any and all liability, damages, causes of action, allegations, suits, sums of money, claims and demands whatsoever, in law, admiralty or equity, which against the Releasees, reader of this blog ever had, now has, or will have in the future against the Releasees, arising from the reader of this blog's past or future participation in, or otherwise with respect to, the views and advice given in this blog, unless arising from the gross negligence of the Releasees.