Greetings!
After having a slow December due to the
holidays and a huge snow storm that dumped more than 16
inches at my house, the New Year is off to a wonderful
and busy start! The Laughter
Yoga side of business has been steadily drawing more
interest and in February I will be launching multiple
events. See the articles below for more
details. On a personal note, I have been
struggling with some of my own health issues. I am
currently doing a Candida cleanse, which requires me to
eliminate all sugar, even fruit. As someone who already
consumes less sugar and junk food than the average bear
I was shocked at how much eliminating sugar completely
affected me. In the first month I lost several pounds
without aiming too. Then when I indulged in sugar on
Christmas Day, after a month of abstaining, I felt like
I was taking a drug. Well, in fact I was! Sugar has all
of the makings of a addictive substance. So with that
said, I decided to tackle High Fructose Corn Syrup in
this month's newsletter. Additionally, I follow
up with tips on how to add more sweetness to your life
without relying on sugar. Let me know if you try any of
my suggestions. I am interested in your feedback and
everyone loves testimonials! Let me know what you think
about my newsletter. Make suggestions for format changes
or future article topics. As always, I hope this finds
you feeling healthy, enjoying your New Year and new
energy.
|
| High Fructose Corn Syrup Confusion?
|
Confused about High Fructose Corn
Syrup? The advertising campaign this last year by the
Corn Refiners Association (CRA), in part, may be to
blame. Remember these CRA
commercials claiming that High Fructose Corn Syrup
comes from corn and is natural? That it is the same as
table sugar. Well, yes and no. High Fructose Corn Syrup
does come from corn, but the process is anything but
natural. It is a scientific chemical process invented in
a laboratory. You should also keep in mind that the term
"natural" is not regulated by the FDA, so when eggs,
meat or sugary treats are labeled as natural is means
nothing. It is simply another piece of the marketing
campaign.
As to High Fructose Corn Syrup
being the same as sugar, this claim is a little
misleading. Yes, both High Fructose Corn Syrup and
sugar are 50% glucose and 50% fructose. But the
similarities end there. For one the fructose and glucose
in table sugar are chemically bonded together and broken
down during digestion. The glucose and fructose
in High Fructose Corn Syrup are not bonded together
and are chemically free. There are studies that point to
the liver being the main link in diabetes and obesity.
Regular sugar is metabolized by the liver and the
pancreas creates a corresponding amount of insulin. When
insulin production lags diabetes develops. High
Fructose Corn Syrup does not require insulin to be used
by the body. This sounds like good new, right? Well,
hold on ... The bypass discourages fat cell production
of leptin. This is the chemical that lets you brain know
that you are full.
The conclusion is that
because High Fructose Corn Syrup does not stimulate
either insulin secretion of leptin production, both of
which regulate our food intake and body weight, a 2004 study
from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
concluded that dietary fructose may contribute to
increased energy intake and weight gain. This is
especially true of High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is
rarely eaten with the high water, fiber, vitamin and
mineral content found in natural fruits or vegetables
containing fructose.
Of course, there are other
studies that have come out that say there is no
difference between table sugar and High Fructose Corn
Syrup. So even if that does turn out to be the case, the
assumption is that sugar is harmless. This is far from
the truth. The fact is that sugar was originally used as
a spice and like most spices was not detrimental to our
health when used sparingly. The problem is that in the
United States the average person consumes 45 times the
amount of sugar that our forefathers consumed. Sugar is
known to create a host of health problems besides
diabetes. Eating sugar can depress your immune system,
contribute to high cholesterol, heart disease,
osteoporosis, cancer, and obesity, it increases fluid
retention, wrinkles and headaches and the list goes on
and on. So regardless, sugar, and High Fructose Corn
Syrup especially, are best in only small, limited
amounts. So do yourself a favor and start reading
labels. High Fructose Corn Syrup is in everything. If we
make a conscious choice to buy products
without High Fructose Corn Syrup its prevalence may
begin to fade as companies take notice of our collective
buying habits. Your health and that of your family will
thank you.
To read more about Sugar check out
Anne-Louise Gittleman's "Get the Sugar
Out: 501 ways to cut the sugar out of any diet".
|
Laughter Yoga is
Flourishing!
|
New Events & Evening
Classes
The free Awakenings
Laughter Club still meets each Tuesday morning at the
wellness center, but I've had so many requests for
additional Laughter Yoga events and classes over the
last several months; finally, I have some news to
share! Friday
Evening Classes Start February 6thBeginning
in Feburary, I will be offering two Friday evenings
classes at Soma Space
on NE Broadway. I am honored to be sharing this
beautiful space with ecstatic dance and movement
instructor Paula
Byrne. There will be a 5 o'clock and a 6:15
class each Friday beginning on February 6th. Opening night is free
if you pre-register! The remaining month of February is
2-for-1. The perfect chance to give Laughter Yoga a try.
Bring your family, friends and even your date! Click here
for more information on the classes and
specials. Women's
Only Networking & Learning EventOn
February 8th, I will be the featured Flourish
Salon speaker! I am honored to be introducing Laughter
Yoga at this amazing forum for women. Flourish is a
place for women to connect, learn and inspire each
other, complete with delicious food and wine. The Laughter Yoga
Salon will be Sunday February 8th from 12:30 to 3
pm. You can register here.
Official
Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training And
last, but not least, I will be offering Certified
Laughter Yoga Leader Training on February 21st &
22nd. This two-day weekend workshop is perfect for those
in healing work, teaching, training, the medical field,
advocacy work etc. If you are interested in learning
more, but don't need certification you can attend
Saturday only. There are even discounts available if you
sign up with friends or family! More detailed
information available online. | |
Thank you
for taking time to read my newsletter. I invite
you to contact me for a no obligation health
consultation. This
hour-long session includes a full discussion of your
health history and your goals. It's a chance to be heard
and get your questions answered and the opportunity to
find out more about a personalized program,
completely catered towards your busy lifestyle and
specific needs. I hope you
have enjoyed this issue of Soaring
Higher. If you
have, use the forwarding link at the bottom of the page
to pass it along! To ensure that you keep receiving
Soaring
Higher, take a
moment to confirm your interest at the top of the issue.
This helps keep it out of Junk Mail and Spam folders. As
always, you can unsubscribe at any time and I will never
sell your email address.
Please feel free to
call me with any questions or feedback at 503-351-8260.
If there is a specific health and/or wellness topic you
would like to learn more about drop me a line. I look
forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Andréa
Crisp, HHC & CLYT
Soaring Eagle Wellness
| | |
Andrea Crisp
HHC,
CLYT
|
 |
|
It is
hard to care for others or heal from loss if we are not
taking care of ourselves.
Through health,
life-style coaching and laughter my goal is to help
clients find their inner strength to live their best
life by focusing on extreme self-care, gratitude and
finding joy in everyday living. I am dedicated to
supporting people with chronically ill spouses/partners
and young widows. Soaring Eagle Wellness is dedicated to
my late husband, Jeff Anderson, who died due to
complications from
Lupus.
|
10 Tips for Adding Sweetness to
Your Life
|
Slow down and find sweetness in
non-food ways! You body does not biologically need
sugar, but it does long for touch, communication,
movement etc. Most of us suffer from emotional eating in
one form or another. Sugar is the prime ingredient we
turn too. The next time you are craving sugar look at
the list below to get the ideas flowing and then ask
yourself how you can get sweetness in your life TODAY
without added sugar? When life becomes sweet, no
additives are needed!
- Laugh with friends, loved-ones and co-workers
every chance you get. You could even join a Laughter
Club! Laughter get the endorphins and serotonin
pumping.
- Get a new haircut with a tingling scalp massage!
Wear you favorite color. Smile! Doing one simple thing
that makes you feel good about yourself.
- Move, dance, exercise. Go for a walk with your dog
or your best friend.
- Keep a gratitude journal. Focus on the things you
have; the positive.
- Get out in nature. Breathe some fresh air.
- Book a massage or Reiki treatment for yourself.
Give yourself a foot soak and massage.
- Make a point to say no to one thing that you
wouldn't want to do anyway, but might normally say yes
to out of guilt or obligation. Stick up for yourself.
- Reconnect with old friends. Send a current friend
a card in the mail. Tell someone how much you
appreciate them.
- Listen to your favorite uplifting music. Music
that moves your soul or your body or both.
- Plan something special: a night out on the town, a
weekend away with friends. Give yourself something to
look forward too.
|
| |
