Category Archives: Diabesity

Health Care Reform Doesn’t Change Diabesity

Posted on October 28, 2009 | Leave a comment

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed. Diabesity Coach

There has been so much in the media about health care reform in the U.S. Here in Canada we’re undergoing some big changes too, but there is a fundamental difference in that we can go see a doctor anytime we choose without having to worry about the cost.

Somebody south of the border please explain to me why there’s so much opposition to health care for all. Won’t that make an immediate mark on the economy?

Take this for example: when a student has an accident in school the ambulance can be there in 3 minutes. The kid gets to hospital, at least one parent gets there as fast as possible, having been contacted by the school. By the time the parent arrives the care has already begun. Is that not a good thing? Sometimes the parent is out of town , but the kid is properly cared for anyway–immediately.

And what would you do if the kid fell on a ski trip? Wait till the parents arrived to splint him?

OK. We’re talking about acute care—something that requires immediate and maybe invasive attention, like an operation or oxygen, or care for a kid who’s had an anaphylactic reaction, like if she’s had some peanut butter and she had a severe allergic reaction. That’s what hospitals were originally meant for.

We have somehow come to believe that the hospital is the place for health care. The hospital is really meant for acute care. Health care is, in the last analysis, the responsibility of every person who has reached the age of reason. That includes kids duly guided by parents.

Health care includes everything you do to your body each living moment. It’s not what you get in your 10 minutes in a doctor’s office. Derek smokes, then goes to his doctor for a smoker’s cough. See anything wrong with that picture?

Or take my friend Clara. She likes platter-sized waffles made with white flour and smothered in fresh cream and strawberries, DRIZZLED WITH MAPLE SYRUP, I kid you not. I saw her eating that for lunch one day while I chomped on roast chicken with potatoes and a light salad. I could already hear her pancreas screaming. That was at a conference. She was already obese at the time, and she told me laughingly that her doc had said she only had pre-diabetes.

Well, at the afternoon session she slipped out and went back to her room for a 2-hour nap. When she came back she ate her way through the little bowl of mints on the table. The following year, she had full-blown diabesity. And she still has no time for a walk.

Now here’s a challenge: how about you write a story that’s the opposite of those of Derek and Clara. Wouldn’t that sound like health care? Undertaken by people who had reached the age of reason? Speaking of reasons, would you like a free report outlining Ten Proven Reasons Why You Must Lose Twenty Pounds Now? It’s on the right of this page. Go ahead. The let me know if you recognize anyone in the pictures.

Happy reading.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Diabesity, Diabetes

Tagged , , , , ,

H1N1 Vaccine Countdown & Diabesity

Posted on October 26, 2009 | Leave a comment

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

The vaccination has started! There aren’t enough vaccines! Children and pregnant women to get shots first! Long line-ups outside vaccination sites!

How many more exclamation points do we need before we make up our own minds?

The headlines are ramping up the fear, and all the sheeple who are caught up in it are worried they will miss out on the insurance against the H1N1 virus before even doing some basic research on it. There’s plenty of information on it on my Friends page on Facebook, so I would encourage you to select some of the videos there and make up your own mind.

Interestingly enough, President Obama has just released the information via Robert Gibbs, that Sasha and Malia have not had the shot. No hurry there, so is there more to be read into that statement? Look at the different posts and you will get a few clues.

Dr. Oz, as we all know, had the shot right there on his TV show. However, when later interviewed on a different show he said his wife and 4 children were not going to be vaccinated, Also that there was a 3rd world war in his home over this issue. You can read between the lines, especially when he tells us that at home he’s simply Mr. Oz.

But on they go, the “experts” who assure us the vaccine is safe. You decide how safe it is , when you see how much time has been spent testing it, what else is in it besides the vaccine, and who’s backing the expert. As mentioned above, go to my Facebook link and have a look round. You might just get some information you haven’t seen before.

Nobody wants to get the flu, swine, bird or elephant. I have been fighting it since earlier in the year, not with vaccination but with common science. The flu will get you if you roll out the red carpet for it. Maybe this would be a good time for those with a weakened immune system to ask themselves what they can do to boost it.

Why? Because, when all is said and done, if you smoke, eat junk, overeat and don’t get enough rest, you are laying out the red carpet, saying to viruses:”Welcome to My Parlour”.

This might be a good time to take a look at what’s killing us on a really large scale, starting with diabesity. One in five in Canada and, at least double that for the U.S. either has it or is in the pre-diabetes stage. I have heard that supermarkets in the U.S. have carts for those whose weight prevents them walking through the aisles in search of food. If this isn’t indicative of an epidemic I don’t know what is.

Obesity in industrialized countries is killing us by slow fire. It’s killing our children. I was reading the stats in Europe…more than worrisome, to say the least. Diabesity is the worst epidemic in the world today—just ask the WHO.

Need ot clear it out of your life? Download the free report offered on the right of the page, and do get back to me on it.

See you soon.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Diabesity, Preventive Health

Tagged , , , ,

Diabesity: Diagnosis Shock

Posted on October 20, 2009 | Leave a comment

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

Best letter in the Richmond papers this week: a certain Dana expressed relief that the city had finally passed the by-law banning the use of pesticides on private lawns and government-owned land.

At least I now know that I can go for a power-walk in the park without coming back with a lungful of toxins. I’m grateful to all the lobbyists and picketers who made this possible.

What caught my attention, though was not just the letter, but Dana’s reason. Dana was grateful because her athletic brother, recently diagnosed with cancer, would no longer have to put up with the toxic fumes. Hmmm. Dana had not been part of the lobby groups, or the groups holding protests, passing out pamphlets. She was now going to join the coalition. No one else was going to get such a diagnosis if she had anything to do with it.

In-ter-es-ting.

Here’s another example. Gayle’s recent breast cancer diagnosis was a shock. Nobody, she said, should have that diagnosis at 36. Nobody. She wanted to know how she should adjust her diet and what exercise program she should start. She is now going to join “Walk Richmond”, a program of terrific trail walks put together by the City’s Health services.

Engineer Marc was having trouble concentrating on the job as a troubleshooter for his company. He works with an average of three contracts per day to tweak their ventilating systems, and “doesn’t have time” to eat healthily. He suddenly realized he’s put on 25 pounds since 2007; just yesterday, he was diagnosed with a pre-diabetic condition. He’s in shock—who wouldn’t be—and wants to know how he can prevent this becoming full-blown diabetes. I assured him it was reversible, provided he was serious about following my 12-week program.

See the common thread? These folks are just like you and me. They share the same traits. We all too often wait till there’s a crisis to do something. What if we took a peep into the future—our personal future—and asked ourselves: why do we wait for a nasty wake-up call to make a change?

Is there anything in your lifestyle that’s calling out for change?

Do you get in the minimum of 10 thousand steps per day? Are you still consuming sugar in almost everything you eat—and drink? Do you get enough sun exposure? Can you see your feet when you look down? What’s the ratio of you hip measurements to your height? Are you taking in the right fats? Getting close to Diabesity?

Many surprises could be lurking in the shadows. Take a look at 10 of them by filling in the blanks in the form on the right of this page. It’s free. See you there!

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Cancer, Diabesity, Diabetes, Preventive Health

Tagged , , , , ,

Diabesity Planet-Wide & World Food Day October 16, 2009

Posted on October 15, 2009 | Leave a comment

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach.

Lunch time: the conference was at one of the poshest hotels in Vancouver. Armed with a large sandwich from the conference, twice the size of my appetite, I slipped out at lunch time for some fresh air when I was dismayed to see a disheveled man in a sleeping bag lying right there, on the sidewalk. I placed the sandwich by him, having been beaten to it by someone who had placed a large, fresh, hot coffee there.

This didn’t happen in some third world country. It happened in our beautiful, prosperous metropolis. One that has a host of social services that, by day and by night, caringly tend to the needs of such as him of the grimy sleeping bag. Yet there he was, probably one of those who preferred his independence to the constraints of life in a shelter. A free spirit in a shackled body. A metaphor for the First World and the Third.

I’m telling you this not because I gave him a sandwich. Any one of you would have done that, and more. Me and the coffee person were not doing an act of charity. It was an act of justice.

On World Food Day, today or tomorrow depending on the time zone you live in, many concerned people will gather at teleconferences, at on-line as well as face-to-face events to solve the problem—or should I say challenge—of hunger in the world. It is a problem of equity and justice. Will you be in any of them?

I remember, in the eighties, being introduced in Rome, Italy, to some wonderful people from a Third World country, who told me about a catastrophic flood they had experienced. As desperate survivors clung to trees above the raging rapids the FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation) had dropped waterproof parcels of meal replacement biscuits called “Nutribisk” in fields so that starving victims could have something to eat right away. Each biscuit encased the nutritional equivalent of a meal with meat and vegetables. Something like our meal replacement bars, but smaller.

That was a neat idea, and obviously one that met with much cheering and appreciation by the recipients. I actually got to taste some Nutribisks; they were really good. (They were manufactured in Rome, where the FAO’s HQ is.

That being said, I think we need to be sure that everything we send to countries in need is relevant and ethically correct in the long term.

In checking the diabesity statistics I was horrified to see that Type 2 diabetes is epidemic not only in North America but also in emerging economies. 151 million people in the world had diabetes in 2000. By 2010, (that’s in a few months!) 200 million worldwide will have it, and the figure could look more like 300 million by 2020.

To many emerging nations we in the donor countries are exporting seeds, grain, and—you guessed it—fast food. Could it be we’re exporting diabesity?

I invite you to continue this discussion with me on Facebook.

You can also tell me what you think in the comment section of this blog.

See you there.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Diabesity, Diabetes

Tagged , , ,

Diabetic Meals & World Food Day

Posted on October 14, 2009 | Leave a comment

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

Now, suppose, just suppose, with World Food Day just round the corner all my friends with diabesity—and that includes you, would make a pledge to pass up all processed food and cook from scratch. Especially for those who are trying to make diabesity history.

Cook and freeze, then you have exactly what you want after the 5 pm commute. I just froze some chicken soup packed with a selection of healing herbs.

Now, what’s this cooking from scratch thing all about? It’s about you. And your long-term wellness. At least 60% of the food you get from the supermarket is processed. And this is a conservative estimate. If they are a habitual part of your diet you are getting too much salt and sugar, sugar substitutes, and a significantly higher amount of salt than you need. Each of these items has an effect on your weight, and hence on your diabetes, your heart, your lungs, your skin, and …well, you fill in the blanks.

Let’s go shopping, shall we?.

Processed snack foods will overload you with sugar. I’m not just talking about the sugar you buy in bags. Be aware of hidden sugars disguised as high fructose corn syrup, and anything ending with “ose”. Pick up a box of cookies and check that. Also excitotoxins like MSG. These are toxic substances that have an immediate as well as long-term effect on your nervous system.

Take a look at the sauces, pasta and otherwise. As you read the labels look for the word “hydrolyzed” –another disguise for MSG. Then the soft drinks—juices and sodas. Oh dear! What are they? High fructose corn syrup plus carbon dioxide plus artificial flavouring. Is there any particular reason you want that in your system?

The lady in from of me in the supermarket line-up today had organic chicken, organic milk, organic pasta sauce and organic cookies (expensive!) in environmentally-sound brown paper bags. She had brought 2 enviro-bags and asked not to be given plastic bags. The last item she had was a 20-pack of ginger ale.

I assure you there was no ginger and less ale in those cans. She mentioned to the cashier that her husband had been having an upset stomach recently, so she wanted to make sure he had something to settle him. I wanted to say “grate some fresh ginger and pour some boiling water in it for him”!!!

But I behaved myself.

Thursday October 6 is World Food Day. I’d love to know what you cooked from scratch without processed ingredients! Tell me in the comments section, OK?

See you there.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health
Richmond, B.C. Canada
http://www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
http://www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
mailto:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Diabesity

Tagged , , ,

Diabetic Chefs Cook from Scratch

Posted on October 13, 2009 | Leave a comment

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M.Ed., Diabesity Coach

If you look at the blog I wrote a week ago, on October 7th, you’ll see a few ideas on World Food Day, on October 16. There, I mentioned a few local initiatives like the ten-mile diet, the Fruit Tree Sharing Project, and cooking from scratch.

You can always scroll back and read the blog and see how beneficial such things would be to anyone with diabesity, what with the exercise and fresh food that all this suggests.

I’m not going to talk about not wasting food because there are starving kids out in the African continent and elsewhere. And no, this is not an appeal about adopting a malnourished child in a Third World Country. What I want to see happen is diabetics taking charge of their own health. Especially if they have diabesity on top of it.

Earlier today Michelle Obama gave a highly amusing speech about how easy it is to slip into the tempting solution of fast food. She described how, tired after a long day at work, she had the hungry kids in the car and could not face the thought of cooking from scratch. They were ravenous, and as they drove home the neon signs signaling fast food restaurants on the roadside looked like Heaven! That’s Heav-EN!!!

Anyone identify with that?

Yes, there are times when this has great, great appeal, as you will see when you read my story, but the consequences are unmistakable. You expand. No two ways about it. Especially if you’re also quite sedentary. Alas, that is the first step down the slippery slope of diabesity!

Now, suppose, just suppose, with World Food Day just three days away all my friends with diabesity—and that includes you, would make a pledge to pass up all processed food and cook from scratch. Actually, it’s rather fun!. I do it all the time. Cook and freeze, then you have exactly what you want when you’ve just done a 5 pm commute.

Avctually, there’s lots of help out there. There’s a TV celebrity who specializes in cooking 30-minute meals. Whole, from-scratch, healthy meals. You could try that too.

Prove it to yourself that you can do it. Then share it with your friends. You could actually start a movement!

Happy experimenting, and bon appétit!

Do let me know what delectables you cooked up. Nothing like a mini-chef in the house. Enjoy!

Got recipes? I invite you share them in the comment section of this blog.

See you there.

Jacquelyn

Jacquelyn Johnston M.Ed.
Professional Health Coach and Educator,
Solutions and Support for Optimal Health

Whether you need to lose those pesky 20 pounds,
work on prevention or regain health, I can help.
Call me. 604.276.8673

www.LifestyleForLongevity.com
www.LoseTwentyPoundsNow.com
Richmond, B.C. Canada
mail to:jj@lifestyleforlongevity.com
Tel. 604.276.8673 Fax. 604.276.8675

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Diabesity, Diabetes

Tagged , ,