I have spent the last 4 days in a Health Conference with Dr. Weil and his colleagues. I will be posting some of the things I learned over the next few days- enjoy!!

5 Things I learned today-
Today I sat among Doctors, Dietitians, CEO’s and people who are generally interested  in health and well being.  Maybe it was the air condition but when Dr. Weil spoke, I literally got goose bumps.  Not because he was saying something so inspiring ( how inspiring can a lecture on mercury in fish be after all?) but because I knew I was in the right place. I knew I was learning valuable information that would impact me for the rest of my life.  Some of the lectures were very scientific and based on a lot of research and data. At times I felt I was in a high school biology class. But, at the end of the day, I came away with a greater understanding of not only the nutritional factor in our personal lives, but what that also looks like on a global scale.  These are the top five things I learned today: 

High Fructose Corn Syrup is evil – very evil.
According to Dr. Weil , HFCG is mainly responsible for the obesity in America today.  It’s sneaky- and it’s in  more items than you think.  Manufactures put it in everything from catsup to crackers.  It’s hard to find a packaged food without HFCS in it. The biggest reason is because it interferes with the insulin levels of the body, therefore very taxing on the liver. Fructose also converts to fat more than any other sugar. Up until the early 1970’s people mainly got sugar from cane sugar or beat sugar until they started using corn.  This has also been part of the reason for the corn crop disaster of late.

Fish oil- mainly Omega 3’s are good- very good.
Omega 3’s and fish oils are everywhere you look these days – and with good reason.  Joint pain, mood enhancer, immune system, eye health and the biggest of all. . . ANTI INFLAMMATORY -The biggest and most recurring theme of modern day diseases today.  Chronic inflammation. 

***Inflammation was a recurring theme throughout the whole conference. I believe my breast cancer to be the cause of chronic inflammation throughout my body caused by environmental factors and diet.

So is green tea. . . .
Black tea is good but green tea is even  better, or maybe just more studies are being done on green tea vs. black teas.  Anyway you slice it , tea is a good thing. Some things green tea is good for:
Cancer prevention
Decreased risk of stroke
Reduced blood pressure
Anti-inflammatory
Help strengthen the body’s immune system
Protect teeth by inhibiting plaque bacteria,
 Possibly increase calories burned during everyday activities. 
 Possibly improve cognitive functions

**** Green tea was also in a separate lecture on breast and lung cancer- more on that later.
*** Green tea was also highlighted in a weight supplement lecture as being one of the only supplements that actually work in some capacity.

Research and studies are subjective and confusing.
You might be confused about this as well. One study finds that drinking alcohol increases the chance of breast cancer, yet another says that drinking wine is actually good for breast cancer.  Which is it? In looking at more cases findings, research and studies than I have ever seen in my life in one day, I have found that there are so many variables to consider in studies and research that people and large companies can spin it any way they choose.  The media is partly to blame for this.  They pick one sentence and make a headline out of it.  So when considering these studies, it is important to look at : Who did the study – if the company pays for their own study then they have the ability to spin the results any way they choose, usually making them come out smelling like a rose.  2. For how long was the study?  Anything 6 months or less is not enough time to measure adequate change.  3.  What were the other variables involved? Did everyone have the same ethnic background? What are the ages? How exactly were their diets modified? 
In the end, be wary of claims made by the media.  Look further to reputable medical sources that aren’t backed by pharmaceutical companies.

Finally and quite simply -Don’t eat anything that wasn’t around 100 years ago.
The best option is to eat whole foods- This sounds so simple – so why is it so hard?  The general rule of thumb is the longer the list of ingredients, the more you should avoid it. For example- Whole, organic yogurt is a whole food- “Gogurt” is not.  Organic granola is a whole food- Power Bars are not. Anything more than 8 ingredients should be looked at carefully.

I am looking forward to another day of healthy, alternative nutrition. Until then- eat healthy, be happy. If you have any questions- please ask! I will do my best to answer with what I know.


A little disclaimer here- I am not a doctor.  The information I have provided are translations of what I learned from professionals in the nutrition industry. They aren’t claims to ‘cures’ or meant to treat any ailments.