Natural Energy Boosters - Part 1

Are you feeling tired? Run down? Don’t have the energy you used to have? Unfortunately you are not alone. One of the most common complaints of my clients is just that – being tired and not having the energy they desire to do what they want to do during the day (and night). Since it is such an important topic I plan to devote the next couple of articles to it. The material I’ll present can be found in greater detail in best-selling nutrition author Jonny Bowden’s The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about Using Nutrition, Exercise, Supplements, Stress Relief, and Personal Empowerment to Stay Energized All Day. As you can see, the book covers lots of topics, but we’ll start with my area of expertise – nutrition – eating and drinking.

Protein with each meal. At the top of the list is to eat protein with each meal. Protein is one of the key macronutrients that our body depends upon. Most importantly, it is the structural basis for our body - muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs, glands, nails, hair, vital fluids (blood, hormones, enzymes) are all protein based. Our body is constantly building and repairing, therefore we want to have the raw materials readily available. Our hormones are directing, stimulating, regulating, and maintaining our bodily functions. In addition, protein helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and reduces our insulin response to the carbohydrates we are often consuming in the same meal. The most commonly thought sources of protein come from animals (red meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products), however we can also get protein plant sources such as whole grains, legumes (peas and beans), nuts, and seeds.

Eat balanced. It is also important to have a diet balanced with protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Unfortunately the Standard American Diet has become very high in simple carbohydrates (bread, cereal, pasta, cookies, cakes, etc.) while neglecting healthy carbohydrates (vegetables and fruits), fats and protein. It is the healthy fats and proteins which satiate us, while it is the simple carbohydrates that put us on the blood sugar roller coaster that zaps our energy and causes us to gain weight.

Don’t Fear Fat and Reduce Your Sugar Intake. One of the most challenging tasks I face is to get my clients over their fear of fat. We have been barraged over the years with false messages that eating too much fat makes us fat. And what has been the result? Everyone is told to eat low fat and guess what – it makes you fat! There is a reason for that. If you can’t eat fat, what do you eat? More carbohydrates. Unfortunately most of these carbohydrates are the simple carbohydrates described above which to your body are ultimately sugar which at the end of most people’s day winds up being stored as fat. So, don’t be afraid of fat. In fact, many holistic minded nutritionists recommend at least 30% of your calories come from fat – but healthy fats such as butter, olive oil, coconut oil, flax seed oil, and those found in healthy meats such as grass fed beef, anti-biotic and hormone free poultry, and wild fish. Many of my clients find immediate increases of energy by removing these simple carbohydrates from their diet. Take out as much sugar and artificial sweeteners as you can and see what happens. It might surprise you.

Don’t Skip Meals. There’s an old saying, “Eat breakfast like a King and dinner like a pauper.” The idea being that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You are fueling yourself up for the day. And if you really think about it, when don’t you need a lot of fuel – when you are going to be sleeping! It is also important to eat throughout the day and not skip meals. Remember that thought about the body building and repairing all day long – it needs constant fuel. Providing consistent (and of course healthy) food to your body keeps its engine revved up and burning most efficiently. When we skip meals and hold back fuel is when the body begins to conserve fuel and slow metabolism. Do this enough and metabolism stays slow. This is essentially why people gain back all the weight they lost on their diet (plus more) when they return to eating how they did previously. Slower metabolism means less efficiency on utilizing food. Statistics show that people who skip meals tend to be overweight.

That’s it for now. More to come.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Thiensville. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

Good Bye Grandma

Last night I spent the evening at a place that I had hoped I wouldn’t be at for a long time.

But on February 24, when I found out that my Grandma had brain cancer and was given 30-60 days to live, I knew I’d be at the funeral home soon.

Thursday evening my Grandma B passed away; gently and peacefully into her forever life where the pain from the cancers and the confusion from the dementia will haunt her no longer.
At the funeral home, they had slips of papers about 4 x 5 where they asked friends and family to share memories of my Grandma. My nephews were diligently writing their memories of their Great Grandma and I picked up one to start writing my memories as well…and then realized that my memories of the 33 years with my Grandma could never fit on a paper that small.

In fact, they may not fit on a whole page as my heart is filled with memories of spending time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

One of my earliest memories of Grandma is sharing her “special water” with me. I had to have been the age of my oldest son now…that’s how long ago this was. Grandma’s special water was like water sent from the heavens themselves. It was sooo good…certainly better than the water in Swartz Creek. I went home and spent weeks, literally, trying to find out the special recipe for Grandma’s water because I was sure there was something in it. I tried plain water, sugar, vanilla and salt amidst other combinations and could never find the Grandma’s water! It wasn’t until much later in life when we were talking about that incident one evening that Grandma laughingly revealed her water was Peppermint Schnapps and water!! Needless to say, we had some on the spot.

Growing up, we spent a lot of time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. And Halloween was no exception. After we went trick-or-treating to all the neighbors in about a 10 block radius and waited on the sidewalk for my mom to finish chatting with every. single. one. of the neighbors, we would pile in the car to head out to the next town to see Grandma and Grandpa. They lived in a tiny little house….barely bigger than my very first apartment. My Grandpa (Square Wheels) would inevitably be on the c.b. squawking about this or that and Grandma (aka Swedish Ivy) would meet us in the kitchen with our Halloween baggies. Those are what I remember the most. They were regular brown paper lunch saks, but to me as a kid they held the sustenance of life. She would always have it rolled down twice and there would be grease marks on the outside. It was the same goodies every single year. I looked forward to Grandma’s treat bags knowing that some of my favorites would be in there. There was 2 cupcakes with orange frosting and some type of Halloween decoration…a spider ring, witch stick, or some type of poker that my brothers and I would later get in trouble with as we poked each other with the pointy end. A handful of each: Mary Janes, Bit o’ Honey, and Halloween foil wrapped chocolate candies. Still, to this day, I love me some Bit O’Honey. Every time I see those little candies, I’m reminded of my Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Halloween and those grease marked brown lunch bags. I remember thinking how much Grandma must love us to make us such treat bags and not just give us the traditional tiny candy bar.

Then there were the weekends out at the lake when Grandma and Grandpa had the trailer out there. Grandpa would take me fishing and we’d bring the blue gills home to Grandma. It was there that she taught me to scale and clean out fish…and cook fresh fish so that I’d actually eat them! I always knew when we were at Grandma and Grandpa’s trailer from the sign that said “If you see the trailer rockin…Don’t bother knockin!”

Then there are little things that were just *Grandma* like:

Her deep love of the color purple.

How much she enjoyed her flowers and the birds. Grandma had a bird clock that would chirp every hour on the hour with a different bird call. She loved the birds and that clock. I’m lucky enough to have that in my living room now…and every time I hear it, I think of her.

Her jewelry and rings that were always coordinated with whatever it was that she was wearing.

How much she loved Grandpa.

The polka!!! Oh how she loved to polka. I remember dancing the polka with her more times than I can count.

Blueberry Pie. Her and I shared a love of blueberry pie and she’d always make one for me during holidays.

Oyster Stew. It was a New Years eve tradition to have oyster stew. Grandma would make it and Grandma, Grandpa, Dad and I would enjoy. (The rest of the family would eat frozen pizza!)

Her giggle and how her eyes would light up when she laughed. And when my brothers and I really got her laughing, how she’d laugh so hard that she’d cry.

Her wet kisses. I’m sure my brothers and cousin will totally agree with me that Grandma’s kisses were of the wet and smacking variety. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

How when Chuck would tease her, she’d jut out her bottom jaw and narrow her eyes at him…till she realized he was teasing her when she’d laugh and say “ooooh you!”

Leaning down to kiss her great grandkids. She loved to cuddle them as infants and as toddlers she’d lean down to kiss them and recently with the older great-grandkids she was almost eye to eye with them!

So as I say good-bye to my Grandma, and others say good bye to their Mama, sister, aunt, cousin or friend, I am reminded that our memories will live on forever of her.

Rest in peace, Grandma. You will be missed.