The Natural Health Taylor

It's become common place for us to tell a woman who expresses a concern about her milk supply to "just use formula" but there's A LOT of scientific research that tells us that formula is the absolute last resort when it comes to human babies. Despite the number of illnesses and diseases that have been definitively linked to formula women continue to be given formula when they have challenges with breastfeeding.

Please understand that while breastfeeding is natural and women are designed to breastfeed there are some who will experience challenges. These women need to be directed to the resources in their communities who can help them. The first option is to look for a local La Leche League (LLL) Leader. Thankfully, Wellington does have an LLL group that meets on the third Tuesday of every month at Anders Chiropractic. The Group meeting begins at 7:30 pm and pregnant women, breastfeeding women and their support people (ie husband, significant other, mother, friend, etc) are invited to attend. These meetings are a support group for breastfeeding women where information is shared and support is given free of charge. LLL Leaders offer mother-to-mother support and are available to pregnant and breastfeeding women in their community 24/7. LLL Leaders are all experienced, breastfeeding mtoher who have completed La Leche League Internationals' training and accreditation process.

You're next resource would be a Lactation Consultant. Most insurance companies do not cover the services of a Lactation Consultant. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and can help. I do not bill insurance companies so you don't have to worry about whether or not my services are covered by your insurance AND my rate is negotiable but the normal rate is $1 per minute of service.

There's only one medical doctor who specializes in lactation issues and she currently teaches at WSU and is not in private practice.

So what can be done if the mother feels that her milk supply is dwindling down to nothing? CALL THE LLL LEADER FIRST! She will ask you specific questions to determine if there is really a milk supply issue or if the body has found its equilibrium. You see, it's common for a breastfeeding woman to "feel full" for the first few weeks postpartum. If an epidural was involved, this is expected. The milk supply follows the law of supply and demand. The more milk the baby demands the more milk will be produced BUT if the mother is delaying feedings for any reason -- like using a pacifier because the baby "just nursed" or the mother has been told that her baby shouldn't eat more frequently than every 2 to 3 hours -- then the mother's supply won't be able to meet the demand. I'm not saying that pacifiers shouldn't ever be used but I am saying that in the first 6 to 8 weeks postpartum the pacifier will interfere with the building of a sufficient milk supply.

If you're pregnant and preparing to breastfeed, it's important to make sure you have current information. One thing that research is showing as a way to help the body build a healthy milk supply is placenta encapsulation. If you'd like more information about placenta encapsulation, let me know because I offer this service. Some might be asking, "Who would want to encapsulate their placenta? Isn't it biomedical waste product?" No, it isn't and here's a study about how human placenta can be used to aid with human milk supply.

Other than placenta encapsulation, there are many herbs, known as galactogogues, that work to increase milk supply. Fenugreek. Blessed Thistle, and Shatavari are a few of this type of herb. Sadly, there is no place in Wellington where these can be purchased but they are available in all the health food stores in Wichita.

Many women have experienced an increase in milk supply using any one or a combination of these herbs simply by following the directions on the bottle. Other women choose to use one of the herbs along with a breast pump every 2 hours while also allowing their little one to nurse. My point is this.....there IS something that can be done when a woman feels her milk supply is not sufficient to meet the needs of her baby and it DOESN'T have to be "give the baby formula". The World Health Organization gives the following order to what's best for the human baby:

1. The baby's mother's milk directly from her breast.
2. The baby's mother's milk from a bottle.
3. Human milk from another lactating woman.
4. Formula

Please share this information with everyone you know. Human milk is FREE, produced by the woman's body and specially designed for the needs of HER baby. Formula will never meet the special needs of babies. It falls short in vital nutrients. We know there are approximately 400 nutrients in human milk that are not found in formula simply because they have not been isolated yet. To find out more about human milk and why it's the absolute BEST way to feed the baby, visit La Leche League International.

A few weeks ago our youngest daughter discovered that I had an early morning Saturday meeting and immediately became upset about it.  When I asked what was wrong she said, “When you leave me alone with dad and the boys they are mean to me!”  What?  I took the time to ask questions.  This was obviously bothering her and I needed to know what she was talking about.

It turns out that she had reached her limit in regards to name calling, pushing, poking, etc.  I was thankful that it wasn’t more serious….but her little heart was breaking and she didn’t know how to make her life better.  She needed help finding her voice for the confrontation that had to happen.  I called her brothers and father into the room and told them to listen to what she had to say without interrupting.  They were uncertain as to why these things bothered her so much. They were only doing what most people. Initially it was thought that she needed to “grow a thicker skin.”  What was wrong with it?

I began explaining what was wrong with it…..they were desensitizing her to verbal and physical abuse and it had to stop!  My husband’s jaw dropped open as he realized that I was right.  The best way to prepare a girl for verbal and physical abuse is to “do what everyone else is doing” by making fun of others and/or allow pushing, hitting, poking, etc to occur in their daily lives and tell them to “get over it” or “that’s what boys do” ~ boys need to be taught how to treat people with respect.  It was a very clarifying moment for our youngest daughter and it opened the eyes of her brothers and father who thought they “were only playing” but it was harming our daughter to her very core.

One might wonder how she became so strong…..I mean every girl on the planet has experienced what she was experiencing but either said something and was ignored or chose not to say anything at all because the odds were she wouldn’t be heard.  I credit her Karate class for helping her find her voice and tell someone what was hurting her so deeply.  She has learned that she can defend herself through words by speaking up when there is an issue instead of keeping it inside and “suffering in silence” or lashing out physically.  My deepest appreciation is given to Mr. and Mrs. Eskandarion who own and operate LB School of Self Defense where our five youngest children are learning the sacred art of Kenpo Karate.  THANKS for all you do to help us teach our children how to handle the hurts in their lives without physically lashing out.

"Why would you want to give birth naturally when you live in a time in medical history when you don't have to feel the pain of childbirth?"

This is the most commonly asked question when a couple decides to give birth without medication and especially when a couple chooses to birth at home. It's hard to believe that all women were giving birth without medication AND at home just 4 to 6 generations ago. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of couples choosing unmedicated birth but espeically home birth. Last year a study showed that home birth had increased by 29% in a 5 year period. Family and friends of couples choosing to birth natural are trying to understand their reasons.

I'm saddened by the fact that mid-way through my childbirth course most of my students have stopped sharing their birth plans with their family and friends. They feel they must isolate themselves from the people they love and respect simply because they plan to make a choice that their circle of influence doesn't understand. Their decision comes from the self-preservation instinct. Over the course of my class I teach my student couples to first use positive communication to teach their loved ones why they are choosing to birth naturally. There are a number of books, articles and medical studies that support the choice of natural, unmedicated birth. Loved ones who truly want to understand will read everything they can get their hands on and even take a comprehensive childbirth class (like mine) so they can better understand the "why" behind birthing naturally.

If educating their loved ones does not help them provide only positive support then I teach my student couples that if they are going to "succeed" they must avoid contact with those who oppose their plan. This is not my effort to keep family and friends from sharing in the joy with this couple, but to empower the couple to understand that this life event belongs to them and no one else. No one else has the right to demean or diminish what they are trying to accomplish and no one has the right to plant thoughts of fear in the minds of someone preparing to bring a human being into this world. 

To read the rest of this post, click here.

Yesterday, I shared a little bit of information about WHY new baby's should not have a hat on their little head. Obviously, if there's an occasion where even you would be covering your head then the baby's head needs to be covered also BUT for the most part, a new baby's head should not be covered.

I teach childbirth classes and Happiest Baby on the Block classes. In my classes, I explain all about why the perverbial hat needs to be avoided. We live in a time in history when the medical community is screaming about the importance of "evidence-based care" yet parents seldom know what that means. It's challenging to find that evidence-based information when it appears to be hidden away in medical journals that require a hefty annual fee in order to have access. That's one of the many reasons why I do what I do. Because of my training, I know what the evidence, in most cases, says or I have the ability to find out.

Remember, yesterday I shared that Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician and author has stated that any care provider who is still putting a hat on a new baby is not current on the evidence. You see, we have learned that not only is it important for the mother to be able to smell her baby in order to experience a deeper bond with him/her but SIDS has been linked to overheating. A hat on a baby who's body temperature is best regulated by its mother increases the risk of overheating.

When we first began to put a hat on the head of a newborn, we were drawing from survival training that stated an exposed head to extreme cold tempertures allows for tremendous heat loss. To eliminate this risk, it has always been that one should wear a hat in this type of weather in order to keep the body warm. But remember, we are not dealing with these types of conditions so there is no need to overheat a baby. Also, when hatting was first introduced to the birthing process, mothers were being immediately separated from the baby. The baby was being put in a nursery until his/her mother came out of anesthesia. During this time, it was vital for the baby's survival to wear a hat. We've since learned that the best course of action is actually to place the baby skin-to-skin with his/her mother. Yes, this means stripping baby down to just a diaper and placing him/her on its mother's bare chest. Sound familiar? Isn't that what happens in the animal world?

So, how does an expectant couple go about making this information known? You may be wondering why hats are still placed on the heads of new baby's if the "evidence" says not to.....old habits are hard to change and the medical community is no different than you or I.

Back to how to keep that hat off your new baby's head.....THE BIRTH PLAN! That's right, I encourage all of my students to not just create a birth plan with "I'd like" and "please don't" but cite some of the scientific evidence to back you up! Doing so will make your care provider take notice and realize that you didn't just come in off the street uneducated. After all, you're bringing a HUMAN BEING into the world - doesn't that create some desire to "do this right?"

Here are a few other tips to remember when creating the birth plan:

1. Take a COMPREHENSIVE childbirth class so you know what your options are in a variety of different scenarios.
2. Write the birth plan in paragraph form. This forces the person reading it to pay attention.
3. Require EVERYONE who enters your room for any reason to read the birth plan before talking with you.
4. Spend time talking with your care provider about what the "normal" procedures are so you don't fill your birth plan with "don'ts" that wouldn't happen anyway. This frees up space so you can really focus on the birth you are envisioning in your head.
5. Once you and your birth team (ie, doctor, midwife, sweetheart, etc) have agreed upon things, write it up in a final copy and have everyone sign it. Then, make sure the signed copy ends up in your chart. The birth plan will then become the doctor's "standing orders" and any changes to "the plan" will require talking with him/her first.

Of course, the plan does assume that you are planning to birth in the hospital. If you are planning a home birth but feel that you need a birth plan, perhaps you are with the wrong midwife....

I bet the title of this post surprised many of you. We are so used to seeing new babies with hats on their heads ALL THE TIME. You may be wondering to yourself, "Aren't hats supposed to help babies regulate their body temperture?" or "What's wrong with putting a hat on a baby's head?"

If you ask new moms about the hat, you may be surprised how many of them tell you they take the hat off as soon as "the coast is clear." Even a new mother's instinct tells her to remove the hat. So let's chat about why putting a hat on a new baby's head might be harmful.....

“A mother has actual “thermal synchrony” with her infant. When a baby is placed in the kangaroo position, skin to skin with his mother, the temperature of the mother’s breasts actually change so that her baby can better maintain his own temperature. If the baby gets too cold the mother’s body temperature will actually warm up one degree to help warm the baby. If the baby gets too hot, the mother’s body temperature will decrease one degree to cool the baby. This even works when twins are kangarooed (Ludington-Hoe, 2004). Furthermore, the flexed position that the baby assumes on his mother’s chest as opposed to lying on his back in an incubator is a more efficient position for conserving heat.” (http://www.bobafamily.com/topics/kangaroo-care/)

The fact that mother's body already knows how to adjust its own temperature in order to support the life of her new baby has always confirmed to be the importance of keeping mom and baby together AT ALL TIMES. Here's more information......

“Research has demonstrated that the changes to the olfactory bulb and main olfactory system following birth are extremely important and influential for maternal behavior. Mammalian olfactory cues play an important role in the coordination of the mother infant bond, and the following normal development of the offspring. Maternal breast odors are individually distinctive, and provide a basis for recognition of the mother by her offspring”.

So a hat on the baby's head keeps the mother from smelling her baby's unique scent, which plays a role in the depth of her bond with her baby......hhmmm.....

How about this one quoted from Dr. Arthur Janov, "What transpires between mother and child is a conversation between their right-side limbic systems. When the mother is attuned to the baby's feelings, her right limbic system is in tune, and she can feel what the baby is feeling and respond appropriately [think "mother's intuition"]. The more parental love there is, the more dopamine neurons in the right brain activate, giving the child a feeling of well being. The better the baby feels about its environment, the  more optimum the dopamine activation in the right brain. What happens when we receive mother's love is that we feel good physiologically."

As a Happiest Baby Educator, I'd also like to share that Dr. Harvey Karp, pediatrician and author of the Happiest Baby on the Block has also stated, "Anyone who is still putting a hat on a new baby's head is not current with the evidence."

Tomorrow, I'll share with expectant couples how they can take responsibility and keep a hat from ever touching their precious new baby's head.....

I love how much we can do with "ordinary" things when it comes to healing. In a time when medical costs are so high that many of us are choosing the "do-it-yourself" route, I couldn't keep this information to myself.

A few weeks ago someone mentioned to me in passing that honey can be used in wound healing. I listened with fascination because I love to hear about the natural properties of natural items. I also listened because I have 6 of 9 children at home - 4 of them are boys who love to explore, run, jump and often come in with cuts and scrapes. I routinely use Lavender essential oil to clean the area but have recently been searching for alternatives for the rare occasion when I don't have Lavender. Honey is such a wonderful alternative and one I can easily keep on hand.

After learning about the healing properties of honey, our 7-yr-old daughter came in from outside holding her head. She had somehow cut herself about 1/2 an inch away from her left eye. It was a good sized cut but one that I could deal with using a butterfly band-aid. I instructed her to bring hydrogen peroxide (never use Lavender close to the eye), a q-tip swab, the honey and a butterfly band-aid. She looked at me with confusion because of the honey but brought me everything on the list anyway. I cleaned the wound with the hydrogen peroxide using the q-tip swab. I gently pinched the wound closed and applied the honey followed by the butterfly band-aid. We repeated the process a few hours later but I did not have to pinch the wound together because it stayed closed on its own. The first reaction from the oldest child still at home was, "Wouldn't that make it sticky?" Surprisingly, no, it doesn't make it sticky at all....

You may be wondering if there's any documentation I can share and YES there is! The following abstract of a PubMed.gov article reads:

• The widespread existence of unhealed wounds, ulcers, and burns has a great impact on public health and economy. Many interventions, including new medications and technologies, are being used to help achieve significant wound healing and to eliminate infections. Therefore, to find an intervention that has both therapeutic effect on the healing process and the ability to kill microbes is of great value. Honey is a natural product that has been recently introduced in modern medical practice. Honey's antibacterial properties and its effects on wound healing have been thoroughly investigated. Laboratory studies and clinical trials have shown that honey is an effective broad-spectrum antibacterial agent. This paper reviews data that support the effectiveness of natural honey in wound healing and its ability to sterilize infected wounds. Studies on the therapeutic effects of honey collected in different geographical areas on skin wounds, skin and gastric ulcers, and burns are reviewed and mechanisms of action are discussed. (Ulcers and burns are included as an example of challenging wounds.) The data show that the wound healing properties of honey include stimulation of tissue growth, enhanced epithelialization, and minimized scar formation. These effects are ascribed to honey's acidity, hydrogen peroxide content, osmotic effect, nutritional and antioxidant contents, stimulation of immunity, and to unidentified compounds. Prostaglandins and nitric oxide play a major role in inflammation, microbial killing, and the healing process. Honey was found to lower prostaglandin levels and elevate nitric oxide end products. These properties might help to explain some biological and therapeutic properties of honey, particularly as an antibacterial agent or wound healer. The data presented here demonstrate that honeys from different geographical areas have considerable therapeutic effects on chronic wounds, ulcers, and burns. The results encourage the use of honey in clinical practice as a natural and safe wound healer.

And another PubMed.gov abstracts states:

• OBJECTIVE:The aim was to evaluate the effect of honey dressing and silver sulfadiazene (SSD) dressing on wound healing in burn patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 108 patients (14-68 years of age), with first and second degree burns of less than 50% of the total body surface area admitted to our institution, over a period of 5 years (2004-2008). Fifty-one patients were treated with honey dressings and 57 with SSD. Time elapsed since burn, site, percentage, degree and depth of burns, results of culture sensitivity at various time intervals, duration of healing, formation of post-treatment hypertrophic scar, and/or contracture were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: The average duration of healing was 18.16 and 32.68 days for the honey and SSD group, respectively. Wounds of all patients reporting within 1 h of burns became sterile with the honey dressing in less than 7 days while there was none with SSD. All wounds treated with honey became sterile within 21 days while for SSD-treated wounds, this figure was 36.5%. A complete outcome was seen in 81% of all patients in the "honey group" while in only 37% patients in the "SSD group." CONCLUSION: Honey dressings make the wounds sterile in less time, enhance healing, and have a better outcome in terms of hypertropic scars and postburn contractures, as compared to SSD dressings.

The information above teaches us that there is no need to clean the wound because the honey will create a sterile environment. Seems that honey application is a wonderful idea for wounds that will require stitches to aid in creating a good healing and sterile environment for the ride to the ER or doctor's office. Of course, the ER or doctor's office will most likely flush the wound and sterilize it with something else but upon your return home, you could apply honey for its added benefit. Might also be a good idea to share the two abstracts above with your care provider so they don't think you're nuts.

What type of honey is best? My recommendation is using raw honey, especially if you are blessed enough to locate locally produced raw honey. Make sure to keep all raw honey out of the reach of little ones because raw honey is the only known dietary reservoir of C. botulinum spores that have been linked to infant botulism. Pasturized honey seems to work as well and is what you will be purchasing from the local grocery store. If it's raw honey, the bottling company is required to say so on the label.

QUESTION: It is hard to know who is telling the truth. When doctors disagree, how are we to know which one is right? What makes Michael Odent or Marsden Wagner more of an expert than my obstetrician? Odent and Wagner say homebirth is safe or safer than hospital birth...my doctor says it's not. Who is right? How are we to know?

ANSWER: You asked how to know who to believe.....Drs Marsden Wagner, Sarah Buckley and Michel Odent were taught in an environment where working with home birth midwives was required as part of their medical education. This is not required of US OBs nor Nurse Midwives. Most don't even realize that they have never witnessed the normal, natural physiologic process of birth because it does not happen in the hospital - some OBs and Nurse Midwives are able to support something close to it. But the true physiologic process of birth is hampered by the hospital policies that are present to protect the hospital and doctors NOT the mothers and babies. Any woman choosing to birth in the hospital would be wise to obtain legal counsel prior to the birth. There are far too many situations going on right now to not protect oneself before things happen.

I highly recommend reading the book Birth as an American Rite of Passage by Robbie E. Davis-Floyd. It explains in detail what I am talking about and sites many studies that help to prove the point.

The bottomline, and this is what I teach my childbirth students, is that each woman needs to prepare and plan for the birth that fits HER unique situation. What works for one woman may not be appropriate for another and no woman should ever feel as though she needs to apologize to anyone for the type of birth she chooses as long as it was indeed HER choice. I hold myself up as an example. I have experienced 7 hospital births but NONE have left me feeling scarred or assaulted. I was blessed to experience a home birth and would give anything to experience that again. Baby 7 was born at home but baby 8 was born in the hospital. We were in different circumstances and I was taking 45,000 units of blood thinners every day. For baby 8, being born in the hospital fit my unique situation 100%. I don't apologize for it and I don't feel lied to, assualted, violated, coerced, etc.

As long as a woman comes out of her experience feeling good about the choices she made then there is no need for her to feel guilty for her choices. Unfortunately, today there are many women coming out of their birth experience feeling violated, duped, and even raped. These types of words should never be associated with birth but that is the reality for many woman across the US and around the world today. Birth has become a battlefield - something it was never meant to be.....only the woman can say what type of birth is best for her.

I just got home from an amazing birth conference. The Trust Birth Conference was held in Nashville, TN and ran from Friday, April 13 to Sunday, April 15th. It was an AMAZING conference! Carla Hartley, founder of the Trust Birth Initiative and Director of Ancient Art Midwifery Institute, brought together some of the most wonderful educators available in the birth world.

We had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Sarah Buckley who has authored a number of birth books, like Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering and is an expert in regards to the hormonal component of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and parenting. In the opening session, she shared the importance of unmedicated birth for both mother and baby. I also had the opportunity to participate in her Ultrasound session. If you have no idea how dangerous ultrasound technology is, visit her website or send me an email.

Another speaker I was blessed to be educated by was Rachel Reed. The sessions I was able to attend that were taught by Rachel were about understanding the umbilical cord as well as how to handle shoulder dystocia. Shoulder dystocia scares a lot of people. This is when the baby's shoulders have gotten stuck in the pelvis. There are a variety of ways to help the baby in this situation even though obstetricians and hospitals would like for us to believe that the only course of action is major surgery (ie cesarean surgery).

Katy Bowman taught us all why pelvic floor exercises (ie Kegels) are actually causing more harm than good. Her information has set a foundation for a major change in what I teach the women who come through my childbirth education course. Katy Bowman is a Bio Mechanist and teaches people how to move their body properly. She also spent time teaching us how to squat properly. Anyone coming through my course will be happy to know that they will learn her techniques.

I can't forget about Gloria Lemay! Gloria is a Canadian midwife who teaches student midwives how to trust and give time for the birth process to work as it was designed to work. We have become to technical that many women no longer trust their body to function as it was designed to. This is something I do with my students as well and Gloria has played a large role in helping me teach women (and men) to trust the process of birth. This typically leads into trusting the breastfeeding process also.

The absolute best thing about the conference was that all these women are very approachable and sat during breaks talking with us - as if we were long time friends. They are all humble women whose only interest is what's best for mothers and babies.

In recent months, I've had a number of people approach me with a variety of health issues wondering what they can do naturally. I look up the situation in one of my natural health books and copy the pages that apply and talk with them about all the things they can do. The first thing we talk about is their nutrition. What we eat plays a major role in the health of our body. Food choices are made 100% by us. Only children depend upon the person buying the food for what types of food will be available to them. We CHOOSE to live in poor health or to improve it. 

A personal issue I've had is the fact that mother's are responsible for the health of their family. YES this is true. She is typically, not always, but most of the time the one who is responsible for making meal menus, purchasing the food and preparing the meals. The issue I have with this is that she not, in many cases, prepared for this important job. There was a reason that home economics was a required course for girls. One of the skills that was taught was not only cooking but menu planning and food purchasing. When this part of a girls education was "done away with" she was left to "fend for herself."

My own mother married without knowing how to cook anything. Her mother believed, "too many cooks spoil the broth" and would allow her daughters watch her prepare a meal but none of them were taught how to prepare a meal. Thankfully, my mother took the time to figure it out for herself and when it came time she made her own choice. She was raising six daughters and was determined that they would each leave her home not only knowing how to cook but knowing how to plan and purchase well-balanced menu items. When each of us turned twelve, we were assigned a night to cook dinner for the family. Mom was there for guidance but she never took over and she was never "under foot." She gave us one simple rule ~ If the meal has all the colors of the rainbow then it is a well-balanced meal.

How grateful I am for a mother who cared enough about my health to figure this out for herself so she could teach her daughters such a valuable skill. In a time when we see far too many overweight adults and sadly overweight children, how to plan and prepare meals is a skill that everybody should learn. All the people I referenced earlier? Many of them tell me they are not willing to give up their favorite __________________. Whatever they place in the blank, is more important to them than their own health. Are you the same way? Living healthier does not mean deprivation. Living healthier means taking control and making our decisions instead of allowing out of control cravings to rob us of many years of health.

Start to improve your health today. I've said this before and, yes, I'm going to say it again. Begin by adding more vegetables to your day. Don't give up one single "bad for your health" food or vice.....simply add vegetables.

To supplement or not to supplement seems to be the question on everyone's mind these days. Many find pill taking to be "not normal" and it's not. Our bodies were not designed to receive vital nutrients by way of a pill. As a matter of fact, our body does not recognize and use artificial vital nutrients like it does real vital nutrients found in real food. So, is it really necessary to take a pill (or several pills) daily?

We live in a time in history when it is possible to obtain all the necessary vital nutrients needed by the body through natural food sources. Unfortunately, we also live in a time in history when there are so many processed and pre-packaged foods that claim to provided some of the vital nutrients our body needs. These processed and pre-packaged foods may also seem to be cheaper to purchase. After all, many of the cereals on the shelf today claim: "Whole Grain" but they really aren't. They began as a whole grain but once the milling process began, they were no longer whole and the most important part of the grain was thrown away.

Please don't become overwhelmed by all of this. Providing highly nutritious food sources for the body was never intended to be this challenging. I challenge you to prepare meals as my mother directed, "If what you have on your table is vibrant and full of color, then you've prepared a well-balanced meal." Simple? Yes, just as it was meant to be!

Many of us also find taking daily supplements challenging because we have to take time from our busy schedules to REMEMBER to take them. Buying them and not taking them wastes money but please consider the fact that there are some studies that have shown synthetic nutrients to be harmful. Don't believe me? Read this article written by Dr. Joel Furhman about synthetic folic acid and you'll understand why I'd much rather see a pregnant woman eating LOTS of leafy green vegetables than popping a prenatal vitamin every day. Or how about the study abstract I read a few years ago about vitamin C and human milk. The study shared that synthetic vitamin C (a pill) does not cross into human milk but the vitamin C found in fruits and vegetables does.

I have recently made some drastic changes to how my family eats and I'm not hearing any complaints. We keep two bowls full of fruit at all times and the fridge is stocked with all kinds of vegetables. We all know that if we want a snack we can have as many fruits and vegetables as we'd like. By providing snacks that are high in vital nutrients, my children haven't noticed the other items that are no longer in our home, like sugary cold cereal, fruit snacks, etc. We enjoy a sweet treat once a week after our Family Home Evening, which is very enjoyable but plenty for a body that is no longer lacking in vital nutrients.

So, you may be wondering where to begin your kitchen over haul.....begin by adding fruits and vegetables. Then the next time you go grocery shopping, pick one processed, pre-packaged item that you normally purchase and DON'T BUY IT. Make it clear to your family that processed foods will no longer be on the menu. AND, I do understand that you are busy - so am I - but eating foods full of vital nutrients are worth taking (or making) the time to prepare. I promise that if you do this for one month, you'll thank me because you'll never go back to how you used to feed yourself or your family once you experience good health and lots of energy. Start with the fruits and vegetables you know you and your family like. When you get tired of having "the same ol' thing" then start trying different fruits and vegetables.

We all know what a vegetarian is, right? Vegetarians are people who eat very little to no animal products. I was recently at a workshop and one of the speakers said, "I'm amazed by the number of vegetarians who eat very few vegetables." We all giggled because most of knew exactly what she was talking about. It seems as though many vegetarians eat mostly grains - both whole and processed - and fruits.

Many of us steer away from a vegetarian way of eating because we perceive it to be challenging to follow. After all, we all have favorite foods that would "violate" the vegetarian rules. So instead we choose to exercise for hours each day, count calories and measure each and every serving. THIS to me is insane.

I recently shared with my readers the concept of breaking the Feast-or-Famine cycle. This cycle begins when we decide that it's our job to tell our body how many calories it needs. The absolute truth is that the body's caloric needs are self-regulated. This means that the body is the only one that can say how many calories is necessary for it to function. Our job is to pay attention to the body's fuel-need signals - like hunger pangs, fatigue, drastic mood swings, headaches, etc - and then fill our body with "real" foods. One problem we seem to have is knowing what "real" food is.....

So, what is a nutritariun? A nutritariun doesn't care about portions or calories. A nutritariun eats as much as they want on foods that are high in vital nutrients. Nutritarians eat primarily fresh fruits and vegetables - raw or steamed. They include legumes, whole grains, and raw nuts and seeds. Animal products are eaten on very rare occasions. Becoming a nutritarian is explained in the book Eat to Live written by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Further explanation is given in his 2-book program titled Eat for Health. The most wonderful thing about Dr. Furhman's program is that there is no deprivation. No need to go "cold turkey" on any of your favorite foods. The first step to making changes and becoming a nutritarian is to increase the amount of vegetables one gets daily.

I challenge you to do just that - eat more vegetables today than you had yesterday. Don't worry about portion size.....just start eating. Stop when you feel satisfied. Your body will respond quickly to adding more vegetables to your day.

There is a term used in psychology which I love. It is Creative Anticipation, and it refers to the fact that what you deeply expect to happen usually does. Whether or not you believe this does not alter its profound reality.

The power in this truth lies in the fact that our beliefs affect our behaviors. And our behaviors (including our choices) certainly influence what happens to us. What course our life takes.

So fill your thoughts with images of what you want to be and what you hope to accomplish. Chase the doubt and fear away. Be strong in your vision. Hold your ideal life firmly in your mind and never, never let it go.

Quote of the Day: “Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it is impossible for anyone to accomplish. But whatever is possible for another, believe that you, too, are capable of it.” Marcus Aurelius

Food for Thought: I can do it, too!

~ www.Naturally-Thin.com ~ www.TheNaturalHealthTaylor.com ~
Excerpted from How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More, Copyright by Jean Antonello, 2012, 1989.

I hope by now that you are getting on nicely with the rest of your life. Stay busy! Be involved! Do new things! There is so much more to your life than your physical shape. And as you grow thinner naturally, you will discover that more of your real self will be free to emerge. You may even be surprised at the new you! Frankly, I am a better person since I stopped dieting and became thin. I suspect that you will be, too.

I personally do not give sugar and her pleasure foods that much credit. It is clear to me that they don't cause obesity, and I'm not at all convinced that they, by themselves, cause much else, either. I'd have to blame the traditional quick-weight loss diet for many more nutrition-related diseases and disorders than sugar could ever cause.

Quote of the Day: “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat , or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?.” Jesus – Matthew 6:25 (KJV)

Food for Thought: I'm getting better – all of me.

~ www.Naturally-Thin.com ~ www.TheNaturalHealthTaylor.com ~
Excerpted from How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More, Copyright by Jean Antonello, 2012, 1989.

Some dieters don't weigh themselves. They're afraid to. Because they feel (and are) so out of control, they figure those numbers probably are, too. The negative experiences they have had all their dieting lives have conditioned them to avoid standing on the scale. For some, it is almost a phobia.

Most dieters are just the opposite. They weigh themselves compulsively, even many times a day. They want to know, to be reassured, to feel more in control of their weight. This extreme is also fear motivated.

Once you turn your diet controls over to your body, you will need neither escape nor reassurance from the scale. You will know, as you provide plenty of good food for your body each day, that in time, you will be the perfect weight for you.

Quote of the Day: “I'm not overweight, I'm undertall.” Garfield

Food for Thought: Getting thin isn't a numbers game.

~ www.Naturally-Thin.com ~ www.TheNaturalHealthTaylor.com ~
Excerpted from How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More, Copyright by Jean Antonello, 2012, 1989.

Exercise is said to be the component that can make or break the success of a diet program. It is true that regular exercise on the part of a dieter reflects to some extent her degree of commitment to getting into shape. But I disagree that exercise, by itself, determines whether or not a person wins at losing.

Certainly, regular physical activity has many health benefits. The question for you is not whether to exercise, but how to fit the best form of exercise into your lifestyle. Here are a few ideas to illustrate what I mean by “fitting exercise into your lifestyle.”

1. Buy a two-story or split-level house (bravo! If you already have one)

2. Get a large dog

3. Have a baby (this is not the best reason to have one)

4. Invest in some quality sports equipment

5. Have a TV moratorium three days a week

6. Plant a garden

7. Park as far away from the door as possible when you go shopping

In other words, what can you do to naturally increase your activity level? The daily caloric needs of the body are automatically set by how much - or how little - one moves. The body will automatically require more calories (a.k.a. energy) on the days that you are more active and it will notify you of the increased caloric need through fuel-need signals like hunger, extreme mood swings, headaches, dizziness, etc. Your job on those days is to respond to the fuel-need signals by eating real foods that are high in the vital nutrients the body seeks in order to be lean, strong and healthy.

Quote of the Day: “I'm...what's known as an athletic fat person.” Ray Goldsmith (“Fat Chance in a Thin World” NOVA Program #1007)

Food for Thought: I can easily fit physical activity into my life.

~ www.Naturally-Thin.com ~ www.TheNaturalHealthTaylor.com ~
Excerpted from How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More, Copyright by Jean Antonello, 2012, 1989.

It is important that you make friends with your body before you get thin. The reason is simple. As friends, you and your body can get thin together. As enemies, neither of you will get there because of the sensitive lines of communication between your body and you.

If you dislike or even hate someone at the outset of a conversation, how much understanding are you likely to achieve? How much cooperation? How much compromise? On the other hand, if you talk with a trusted friend, someone you love and respect, there will certainly be more understanding and cooperation between you.

Your body needs to be understood. It needs your help in its attempt to adapt healthfully to its environment. If you love it and respect its needs, your body will repay you with a wonderful gift. It will become naturally thin. Some may be wondering what I'm talking about......

We all say negative things to ourselves and the first step in "befriending your body" is to say positive things to yourself throughout the day. This can be challenging to do. Some people find positive affirmation cards to read daily, others will sign up for daily emails. I offer Self-Talk CDs on my website and to my clients. It doesn't really matter which form you choose because they all require that you make a commitment to yourself and USE THEM daily. The Self-Talk CDs can be listened to in the car, while watching television or even reading a book. They do not have to be turned up loud enough for your ears to understand what is being said because your brain will still hear them. If the car is where you spend the most time then keep them there. One client shared the powerful impact the Self-Talk for Weight Loss CDs on her entire life. She found herself feeling energized and making changes not only in the way she fed and moved her body but also in how she allowed others to treat her. She shared that these CDs made the biggest impact in her journey toward better health.

Quote of the Day: “For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.” Kahlil Gibran

Food for Thought: Your body is your friend indeed.

~ www.Naturally-Thin.com ~ www.TheNaturalHealthTaylor.com ~
Excerpted from How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More, Copyright by Jean Antonello, 2012, 1989.

Sugar and sweet treats have such a bad name in our country today. Recently we've “discovered” that sweets are not only responsible for obesity but for a host of other major ailments as well. In fact, an entire bestselling book has been dedicated to the damnation of sweets and sugars.

I personally do not give sugar and her pleasure foods that much credit. It is clear to me that they don't cause obesity, and I'm not at all convinced that they, by themselves, cause much else, either. I'd have to blame the traditional quick-weight loss diet for many more nutrition-related diseases and disorders than sugar could ever cause.

I have already spent enough time talking about the very minor role that sweets might appropriately play in the diet of a natural thin. (Naturally thin people seldom even have an opinion on the subject.) You must know the major part they have played in your feasts (binges). I trust that you've put it all together by now, and most likely you have some strong ideas of your own.

Quote of the Day: “Overweight is seldom just desserts.” Unknown

Food for Thought: Real food is good for the sweet tooth.

~ www.Naturally-Thin.com ~ www.TheNaturalHealthTaylor.com ~
Excerpted from How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More, Copyright by Jean Antonello, 2012, 1989.

There are five main checkpoints that will indicate whether or not you are on the Feast-or-Famine Cycle. Any one of these factors can indicate a danger spot in your diet. Once you are completely off the Cycle, you should be consistently free of these symptoms:

1. binging

2. excessive hunger

3. cravings for pleasure foods

4. urge to eat without hunger

5. special-occasion overeating

6. fear and/or guilt about eating

If you still have some of these problems,

• list hunger signals and mimics – how does your body ask for fuel? For example: hunger, empty sensation, gurgling stomach, headache, dizziness, irritability, etc..
• adjust food availability – make sure there are always real foods available
• eat according to your body signals – eat to hunger and until you feel satisfied – overindulge in nothing!

If you are completely symptom free (or nearly so), CONGRATULATIONS! You're on your way to becoming naturally thin.

Quote of the Day: “Obese people, [dieters], one and all, described feeling out of control during binges.” Author

“The worst day of my life was the day I found myself out of control.” Shirley McCullough, dieter

Food for Thought: Off the Cycle, in control.

~ www.Naturally-Thin.com ~ www.TheNaturalHealthTaylor.com ~
Excerpted from How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More, Copyright by Jean Antonello, 2012, 1989.

You will probably need at least one other person to help you in this unconventional weight-loss program. Even if you don't feel a need for such a person, it's a good idea to find someone to talk with anyway. It is best if that person has read the book, How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More writeen by Jean Antonello, RN, BSN, and shares a weight problem. ( If your supporter hasn't read the book, get one for him or her to read at www.naturally-thin.com) Then you automatically have much in common.

If you are interested, I can organize a group, however small, to support each other. Regular, informal meetings for sharing and reviewing the principles of understanding obesity will keep you going when changes are slow, especially at the beginning. You'll also get a chance to help and encourage others. If this interests you, contact me.

Quote of the Day: “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?” St. Paul “No man is wise enough by himself” Plautus

Food for Thought: I need supportive others.

~ www.Naturally-Thin.com ~ www.TheNaturalHealthTaylor.com ~
Excerpted from How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More, Copyright by Jean Antonello, 2012, 1989.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “First, be a good animal.” Now this quotation might puzzle you at first, but think about it. No one advises animals in the wild which they should fear, a fever or a cold. So how do the animals know what to do when they are sick or under stress (danger)? They know by their bodies' signals, and they instinctively follow them. Hunger sends them hunting for food. Nausea demands a fast. Thirst is an invitation to drink. Its absence is a signal to stop. It is not complicated. Maybe that's why we humans have such trouble with it.

Quote of the Day: “Studies with animals have found that obesity is not a naturally occurring phenomenon.” from “Fat Chance in the Thin World” NOVA Program #1007

Food for Thought: Your body knows what it needs.

~ www.Naturally-Thin.com ~ www.TheNaturalHealthTaylor.com ~
Excerpted from How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More, Copyright by Jean Antonello, 2012, 1989.