“Up to a third of breast cancers could be avoided.”

Now that’s a newspaper headline that makes me want to dig a little deeper. I’m guessing you’d have the same reaction.

I had a sneaking suspicion what the “bottom line” would be, but nevertheless I kept reading to see if my suspicions would be on target. And indeed they were!

It’s not about being right……but rather about being on the right track!

So here’s what the article had to say.

In Spain at a breast cancer conference, researchers said that if women in Western countries ate less and exercised more, up to a third of breast cancer cases could be avoided. These figures come from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is a part of the World Health Organization.

Using better treatments and early diagnosis and screenings have all slowed breast cancer rates. So, the experts feel it’s time to shift the focus to changing behaviors like diet and physical activity.

According to Carlo La Vecchia, the head of epidemiology at the University of Milan, “What can be achieved with screening has been achieved. We can’t do much more. It’s time to move on to other things.”

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.

A woman’s lifetime chance of getting breast cancer is about one in eight. Obese women are up to 60% more likely to develop any cancer than normal weight women.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s breast cancer rates steadily increased as obesity rates increased and women started using estrogen-containing hormones after menopause.

Many breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue. The fatter a woman is the more estrogen she is likely to produce, which in turn could fuel breast cancer.

So the more fat you turn into muscle, regardless of your weight, the better your chances are of reducing your cancer risk.

Your gender, age, and family history, three major risk factors, are beyond your control. But lifestyle choices are NOT!

It seems to me that it’s foolish to ignore the increasingly stronger evidence linking lifestyle and breast cancer.

Even the American Cancer Society is recommending 45 to 60 minutes of physical activity five or more days a week to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

While changing your lifestyle to include better nutrition and exercise so that you maintain a fit and trim body may be hard, it is not impossible……..and I think the potential benefit of preventing cancer is well worth it.

What do you think?

shelli

When I think of the word “transformation” I think of making a change: being this and becoming that.

It’s a process.

It has steps, sure, but behind those steps there are some principles.

It’s those principles I’d like to share with you today.

When you think of some of your own transformations, I’m guessing you’ll find that in some way or at some level you used these 5 keys in your process.

1. A wake-up call. This is how it often starts.

Enough is enough, you say to yourself.

You draw a line in the sand and say no more!

It’s often an event that is so painful that you can’t ignore your feelings and the need for change.

It also happens in softer ways when you practice self awareness and decide you want to start a transformation for self improvement and a higher quality of life.

It doesn’t always take a heart attack; sometimes it can be a little indigestion!

2. Gratitude. Have you ever noticed that the first thing self help books tell people to do when they aren’t experiencing “wellness” is to become grateful for what they DO have.

It’s interesting that being grateful is sometimes easier when things aren’t going well. When what we have or had is gone or going, we focus on what’s left.

The idea, though, is to have an attitude of gratitude for what we have, while we have it. That way while going through the transformation we aren’t always living in the future (what we will become).

We are appreciative about where we are right now. Remember, it’s a process!

3. Purpose. Knowing what we want to accomplish is important, yet it gets lost in the shuffle.

Staying on purpose is an age old principle. In taking on the transformative process, remembering your purpose keeps you in the game. It will keep you going when challenges arise.

Having a purpose, a reason why, will make this process more fun and you’ll find deeper meaning and fulfillment as you make changes.

4. A mentor. Throughout my life and career I’ve had the good fortune to have many mentors. They were there for me at just the right time! I’ve also had the privilege to mentor many people on their road to health and success.

It all starts with being open and ready to learn and to grow: to transform. The saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears,” does prove to be true.

Every transformation is much easier with a mentor, so keep this in mind.
5. Never stop learning. I am a lifelong learner. I’d say it’s one of the characteristics I like best about myself.

Are you a lifelong learner? I think this is an important key to any transformation because it keeps you fascinated with the possibilities of change, growth and BECOMING.

Keep these 5 keys in mind!

They’ll help guide you through your transformations!

shelli

Is there a GRAIN of truth in the idea that you have to give up rice and bread to lose fat?

Do you think all grains are the same?

Do you think you can’t eat any grains and still maintain a LEAN body?

“Do I have to give up carbs?” is a very very common nutrition question.

When I ask where people get that idea from I hear that there is a lot of confusion in people’s minds, so let’s put an end to that confusion and get on with life and enjoying food!

A few basics first.

Not all carbohydrates are the same.

You don’t need to go low-carb.

There are many healthy carbohydrate choices, grains among them.

In terms of fat loss, there are some grains that are better than others.

For instance, why is it that brown rice is better for you than white rice?

Particularly when you’re looking to get lean, brown is a much better choice.

It has the healthy bran layer  still intact, whereas in white rice it’s missing. This bran layer  is where the fiber comes from, so while getting the starch you also get the FIBER.

Without the fiber, even with large portions, you’ll still feel hungry! Fiber is filling and of course good for you in other ways too.

In ALL processed carbohydrates, (white bread, white pasta, potatoes without the skin) the fiber is lost and you are left with starch.

You get hungry more quickly and don’t feel full so you eat larger portions!

So think about fiber in your grain choices because it enables you to feel full longer so you feel satisfied.

This one change in your starchy carb intake makes it much easier to stick with your healthy eating plans!

Fiber also helps to control blood sugar levels so they don’t fluctuate all day. That keeps your insulin levels under control, and this is ESSENTIAL in your efforts to get lean and stay lean.

Some grains that fit this high fiber profile are:

1. Basmati rice

2. Black rice

A friend of mine who makes his own bread recently gave me a few slices to taste. It had black rice meal in it and it was delicious!

Cultivated in Asia, this rice is typically sold as an unmilled rice, meaning the fiber-rich black husks of the rice are not removed, making black rice very high in fiber.

3. Jasmine rice

If you’re wondering how much rice is a portion, a 1/2 cup with a protein source and some vegetables is a perfect meal!

There are other grains that are also high fiber, like quinoa (which is also high in protein), brown rice pasta and high fiber breads, but I focused on rice for this article.

Have fun exploring the world of high fiber grains; you never know which ones will please your palate!

Combine them with fruits, vegetables and protein sources and you’ll have a lean and healthy body!

shelli

Do you ever wonder what strategies successful people use to accomplish their goals?

I know I sure do!

It seems to me they choose their strategies wisely and that gives them a higher likelihood of success.

Particularly in my field of health, fitness and abundant living, people ask me, “Will THIS work or will THAT work?”

“What do I think of this latest fitness plan or that diet?”

So I did some thinking and asked myself, “How might we look at different strategies and judge them for whether or not they’ll be useful?”

How do we choose one rather than the other?

Here are some guidelines I came up with.

1. It starts with the KISS rule: Keep It Simple Stupid.

The most important word in that acronym is SIMPLE.

Time and time again my clients and I find that if we can’t make it simple we won’t USE it, and if it’s not SIMPLE we won’t do it either.

If it’s not simple to use or do, we don’t take action and we won’t get results.

Makes sense, right?

So if you’re not taking action ask yourself, “How can I make this simpler than it is?” There’s always a way!

2. Next, when working with health and fitness, it’s a good idea to know something about the science behind the strategy.

Don’t get so caught up in learning that you forget doing! We stay more motivated and able to stick with a strategy if we understand the reason why, the BECAUSE.

3. While we’re all different in certain respects, we do share similarities to a larger group.

For instance, if your strategy for fat loss includes going to a gym 3 times a week to do strength training, and you’re NOT the type to go to a gym for workouts, this particular strategy won’t work for YOU.

Look for others who are like you USING the strategy you’re evaluating and see if it’s working for them. Good chance it’ll work for you too.

Listen? It’s hard enough to make changes and break habits. We all know this. However………

Starting with a well thought out plan that includes looking at these 3 guidelines is a great starting point!

So the next time you’re wondering which option in your health and fitness choices to act on, remember to ask yourself, “Is it simple, does it makes sense and will it work for someone like me?”

shelli

My friend and colleague, Frederic Patenaude, has taken the time to discuss “raw” water. Maybe you haven’t heard about it yet, but you will! The next great thing, right???

Maybe not.

Listen to the video and see what you think AND see some of my thoughts posted below the video.

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We all have an initial reaction when we hear about products that are supposed to be the newest greatest thing, right?

But it always helps to look a bit deeper and form your own idea about these new great must-have, must-eat, must-do “health” products.

Having been in the health and fitness field 30 years now, I think I’ve been asked every question in the book. And with products being thrown at us right and left, it’s hard to sort through all the nonsense and come up with what makes sense.

It’s true that our water quality isn’t what it used to be because the sources of our water AIN’T what they use to be. The benefits of what we eat and drink can only be as good as the source. It’s fair to say that we should all be concerned about the quality of our water because our sources have been polluted and contain substances like estrogen and drugs.

But how concerned we should be and what to do about it are different questions.

Frederic and I are in 100% agreement when it comes to not majoring in the minors. Taking in enough water is important, but spending thousands of dollars on your water (like raw water or the other zillions of energized water products on your supermarket shelf) is not necessary.

Don’t think about or buy into the next big thing. The basics are the BIG THING. The basics are the majors!

What are the basics?

How about:
diet
your fitness program
getting enough high quality sleep
handling stress
managing your relationships

So for instance, I’d rather see you take the thousands of dollars you’d spend on raw water and use it to buy better quality foods, hire a personal trainer, or take a holiday and have some FUN!

Here are some other key ideas and actions to take:

If you want your water to come from fresh springs, find one where you live and get your water there.

Remember that fruits and vegetables are a great source of water. Buy a juicer. Drink coconut water from a young coconut. I’ve mentioned before that if you haven’t had coconut water, head to an Asian market and pick up some coconuts. Opening them will be your strength routine for the day!

If you choose to filter your water, that’s great too. A simple reverse osmosis filter will do the trick.

It’s essential to think for yourself when you hear about these products and see if the benefits (if there are indeed benefits) are worth the cost. And again, BASICS come FIRST. Then if you want to spend your money on expensive water, that’s fine.

Me? I’d rather play golf!

shelli

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