Claudi, Author at The Total Wellness Doc

The Care and Feeding of your Family: Teenagers

The Care and Feeding of your Family: Teenagers

By Dr. Mary Starr Carter

Soccer, Football, Dance, Cheer leading, Marching Band, Tennis, Cross Country are just some of the Fall Sports starting up again. Children ages 12-18 play the majority of these sports in Middle School to High School. These teenage years are full of change and development. A very important time that may determine a person's future. Grades, athletic performance, learning a trade, attitude, behavior, social development all can be affected by WHAT YOUR CHILDREN EAT.

Parents of kids in sports spend a lot of their time, money and energy making sure their children have the right sneakers, best gear, and that they can make it to all the practices and games. Why? One parent told me "I want my kids to have the opportunities I didn't have as a kid". Yet she just dropped off a large pizza and soda to her two obese children.

She was doing all she could do to keep up with all the practices and games. She made sure she was at every event, but neglected proper feeding of her teenage athletes. The result was two obese children. What will their life be like 10 years from now or 20 years from now? Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Rapid Aging, Infertility and the list goes on.

This is a serious problem and although you may not have obese children you still could have nutritionally deficient kids. And although this is just my personal opinion you may be unknowingly or knowingly setting your children up for a very difficult life.

We must learn to feed our children properly especially our teenagers and teenage athletes. Why?

Adolescents include growth spurts, body changes and hormone changes. So many parents complain of their teenage daughters or sons becoming "monsters" or other words we won't use here when they went through puberty. Why are American children having significantly more physical and psychological issues compared to other countries, even some third world countries?

My opinion is NUTRITION or lack of it is killing our children. It may not happen today or tomorrow but within just a few years you can begin to see the effects of poor nutrition.

Did you know that nutritional deficiencies and sugar imbalances can cause fits of rage? Did you know that the teenage body requires certain amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats that you simply cannot get from typical processed, fast foods, packaged foods?

Now add athleticism and you have even more requirements. My personal opinion is that schools are not just feeding our children poor nutrition and offering foods and soda that harm our kids but are we also starving our kids. That's right STARVING… Because, see, when a child goes to school they may have lunch at 10 am but not be allowed to eat again until 3pm or later if they are an athlete. Added to that, the lack of nutrition in our school lunches and what do we have?

Several studies have confirmed that children eating whole foods, vegetables, and healthy options during their school lunches and snacks scored higher in various tests, had fewer missed days of school and less behavioral problems.

Many parents think their children's behavior problem is a psychological condition and put them on medications like Ritalin or an Anti-depressant. YIKES, WAKE UP! It's what you are feeding your children or not feeding your children. Even conditions like allergies and asthma can be improved by feeding your children correctly.

So what can you do? Well you will have to wait until Thursday to get part II of this newsletter…. don't miss Thursdays Blog. Parents pay me over $300 to give them the information you will be getting in Thursday's blog. The results they get from those who apply it is amazing.

"My child is getting A's and B's in school for the first time, since we changed to the Wellness program. "

"My son scored 4 goals for the first time this week, and his coach says his performance has improved 100% this season."

"Sarah's singing has dramatically improved since following your suggestions. Her voice is stronger and she rarely gets sick now."

Here is a sneak Peak.

#1) Make sure your children have proper hydration.

Get rid of the soda in the house. Make it for special occasions once a week at the most.

Get rid of the juices in the house including Orange Juice. If you want to drink juice squeeze or juice your own. You will get 50% more nutrition because FRESH IS BEST. There are lots more nutrients and enzymes you don't get with other.

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Dr. Mary Starr Carter has worked with thousands of clients from terminally ill and chronic diseases to those who are healthy and want vibrant health. She has counseled hundreds of families who had given up hope find simple safe solutions. Known as the Total Wellness Doc she looks at all aspects of health to help someone overcome disease. She specializes in difficult cases like Fibromyalgia, Hormone and Adrenal issues, Asthma, Diabetes and Chronic pain.

We publish newsletters and blogposts twice a week for our readers for general education purposes only. We cover topics that are related to achieving and maintaining total wellness which includes our emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health.

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You are weaker than you think you are and stronger than you think you are

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You are weaker than you think you are and stronger than you think you are?

By Dr. Mary Starr Carter

Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia sufferers can spend a lot of time in bed resting. Some may even spend 16-20 hrs a day resting. The pain and fatigue can be unbearable to even get out of bed. After just 4 hours of bed rest the body begins to decrease its muscle mass and fibers. Bed Rest can contribute to the pain because lymph and toxins become stuck in the body and inflammation can increase. Bed rest for weeks at a time can contribute to muscle atrophy and weakness of the stabilizing core muscles which could lead to neck and back problems.

Obese individuals can have a condition of muscle build up, tightness and weakness where certain muscles grow strong and big from the extra weight they carry and other muscles become weak. They can end up with the same inflammatory pain conditions as a Fibromyalgia client.

What about those who sit all day long? They also can end up with a tight muscle weak muscle condition which can cause pain and problems.

First why Exercise? Well we addressed that in our Benefits of Exercise article. Here are a few more reasons from Dr. Murphree's Health Matters Newsletter

Exercise is a wonderful stress reducer and mood elevator. It helps relieve mild depression by generating endorphins, the body's natural pain killers that are associated with the "runner's high." Some researchers have said that exercise can raise levels of norepinephrine — a neurotransmitter associated with drive, ambition, energy, and happiness — by 200 percent.

Exercise also stimulates important neurotransmitters that help us combat insomnia, irritability, and fatigue, as well as food, alcohol, and tobacco cravings. Blood glucose and insulin levels are decreased, which is extremely beneficial for carbohydrate-intolerant individuals and type-2 diabetics. (Type-1 diabetics will need to adjust their insulin regimen to account for increased exercise.)

Exercise also decreases triglycerides (fats) in your blood and LDL – the bad form of cholesterol, while increasing HDL – the good form. High blood pressure is lowered, and the heart becomes stronger and more efficient, pumping more blood per beat. Exercise increases the diameter of coronary arteries, greatly reducing the risk of heart attack. Exercise can even reduce the risk of a second heart attack. Among heart attack survivors, those who choose not to exercise are over 20 times more likely to have another heart attack than those who exercise.

BUT EXERCISE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH
YOU MUST STRENGTHEN ALL YOUR MUSCLES

Myself and many of my clients walk daily, ride a bike, even have strenuous jobs with physical labor, but to properly strengthen the body we must include Strength Training into our Recovery and Fitness Plan.

The number #1 reason for Strength Training Exercise is to protect your bones and muscles. But there are plenty more reasons like increasing your immune system, decreasing your risk of injury, eliminating Type II diabetes, burning more calories, and Strength Training is even found more effective than drugs in fighting arthritis pain.

Where to Begin?

If you have any illness be sure to consult with your health care practitioner. But if you have Chronic Fatigue or Fibromyalgia you may also need to work in stages.

Recovery Stage

If you have a debilitating disabling condition I recommend the Chi Machine or a Vibrating machine for beginners. These machines help do the work for you as you lay, sit or stand on them. They burn calories, and increase the lymphatic motion which can decrease pain.

Beginner and Beyond Stage

The next level would include an exercise program developed for Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Obese, Arthritis and Pain clients called T-TAP exercise. This is an excellent short (some are 15 minutes) simple exercise program that you can do in the comfort of your home.

T-TAP exercise helped me to regain my health and strength. It got me strong enough to start to lift weights. Many individuals have regained their health with this system alone. Charlotte Siems released over 100 lbs and has kept it off for years.

You may only be able to do part or some of the exercises at first but stick with it you will get stronger. You can use a variety of T-TAP trainings for a Total Body strength and toning workout for your entire life. But some of you will need more so when you are ready move on to the next stage.

Strength Training Stage

Strength Training can be accomplished in the gym or at home.

Many gyms are equipped with good Nautilus, Cybex and Free weight type of equipment that helps you develop your strength and muscle. My personal opinion after working out at dozens of gyms is that one size fits all machines are not as effective as a program specifically tailored for you. I recommend investing in a Personal Trainer for several sessions until you understand and can do a specific routine. You may want to work with a Personal Trainer periodically throughout the year to help challenge you and get the quickest results.

MY FAVORITE

Chalene Extreme by Beach Body

Wow am I impressed with this Program. She is an excellent trainer who has very carefully paid attention to all the little details a personal trainer would. But the best part is that the cost is less than 2 sessions with a personal trainer and you can do it in the convenience of your home. You will feel the results in a week, and see the results in less than 3 weeks.

DON'T FORGET THE NUTRITION

To get strong again your body is going to need some specific carbohydrates and proteins. NingXia Red is an excellent way to fuel your body during a strength training workout followed by Powermeal a meal replacement shake. I recommend getting a liter of water with 2 oz of NingXia Red in it and drink this during your work out and finish it within 3 hours of your work out. Also make sure you have had your Protein Shake within 20-30 minutes of finishing your workout. Some people even enjoy a shake 30 minutes before and then again afterwards. Listen to your body and give it what it needs.

After a decade of only doing aerobic exercises and then living 2 months in bed and on the couch I became extremely weak, fatigued, and hurting. I did not have a foundation of strong muscle that would sustain me through that period of little movement. But THANK YOU GOD…. for that awful experience because had I not gone through that I would have never known how WEAK I REALLY WAS. Now just 3 weeks into it. I feel Stronger than EVER !

Remember if you sit most of your day you are probably weaker than you think you are. But give yourself just a few weeks of beginning Strength training and you will soon realize you are stronger than you thought you were too!

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How to Live Healthy and Happy at 100 Years Old?

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How to live healthy and happy at 100 years old?

By Dr. Mary Starr Carter

When you have a debilitating disease like Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue syndrome you can only think about how you are going to make it through the day let alone another 10, 20, or 30 years. It can become very overwhelming but whether you are in okay health or have a serious illness there are some simple things we can do everyday.

Every morning at 5:30am you can find Gordon out walking. He walks 3-4 miles at an 18 min mile pace. He lives in and maintains his own home. Gordon eats small meals, lots of fruit, not a lot of red meat, and he takes nutritional supplements like NingXia Red. He enjoys his afternoon nap, reads about the latest in health and nutrition, still drives and enjoys traveling all over the country to see his family. Gordon says he plans on living healthy and happy another 10 years.

When you drive by Shirley's home you will know what her passion is gardening. She has some of the most beautiful small gardens in town. You can find outside caring for her garden most days. Her other passion is dancing and she can dance most 40 year olds pants off. She prepares her meals, eats small portions and lots of veggies. She is an excellent cook, drives her own car, crochets, reads lot of cookbooks and experiments in the kitchen every week.

Vita "Vitamin" as she is known to her family and friends is like a little energizer bunny even at 87 years old. She doesn't drink any coffee or tea, takes no medications but does take her nutrition juice NingXia Red every day. She walks so fast that her 30 year old grandchildren have a hard time keeping up. She reads 1-2 books a week. She is an excellent cook preparing food 5-6 days of the week and going out with friends 1-2 times a week.

So what can we learn about living to 100 years old from these 3 very healthy 90 year olds?

Daily Exercise and Movement: the longest living cultures all over the world have this same factor in common Daily Physical Activity. Even if you have Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue you can find ways to move your body even if it is just for circulation purposes. Machines like the Chi machine shake your body while you are lying down. You can burn calories, move lymph and toxins and help maintain your health all while taking a nap.

Eat regularly and small portions. Did you know that over eating not only makes you gain weight but it also congests the liver? A congested liver can lead to high cholesterol, blood pressure and host of other ailments.

Read: Keep the mind active. Scientifically proven that the more you read, do thinking games like Sudoku and even math problems help maintain cognitive function longer.

* less TV. Watching TV for hours a day takes less mental energy than sleeping. In my opinion clients who watch a lot of TV have worse health than those that don't.

Supplement your diet: After the age of 30 our digestive enzymes begin to reduce. By the time we are 80 digestions can be slow and hindered. I have worked with many geriatric clients that were malnourished even though they ate a "healthy diet". Nutrition like NingXia Red which is a liquid juice can make a significant improvement on a geriatric client's health. I have seen it even do remarkable things for young children including autistic and ADD children.

Relax and Have fun: Having something to look forward to is important at any age but especially when you single, widowed, or have lost many of your friends as these three have. Planning a trip, a garden, having a job or person you help is very very important to your mental happiness. Your mental happiness is very important to your longevity.

So this is what I have learned from these three amazing individuals…… How to stay YOUNG and HAVE FUN!