Lucid Nutrition

How Our Weight Affects Us.

I am going to be doing a number of posts exploring how our eating patterns impact our minds and our lives. The following post was written by a very dear friend of mine, who I am so glad I met online, Christine. She will be joining LucidNutrition.com on her path to health, struggles included. You will get to know more about her as soon as she sends me her bio!! But for now, I will just tell you that she is great!! So, Thanks Christine for sharing such intimate thoughts with us. We love you!

An Intimate Meditation Towards Change. Crossposted from ByFlutter.com

We have a socially acceptable bias against fat people. People with weight problems are made fun of, reviled, rejected and thought less of across the board.

In movies, on television, in our media we are bombarded with the stereotype that women with weight problems curl up and eat french fries and ice cream from a bucket and men with weight problems are the funny guys who play side kick to their more attractive friends.

The assumption is that weight carries with it, pound for pound an inverse relationship to worth. The more you weigh, the less you are worth, as a person. The larger you get, the less you are seen. The bigger your pant size, the less likely to be loved.This is not to say that society is to blame for the weight problems of people, but it certainly helps perpetuate the last great wall of prejudice as I see it.

For me, as I am ever flexing and extending an undulating and fluid mass of numbers on a scale, I see the difference in how the world responds. When I am thinner I get appreciative stares, people pay attention when I speak and ask intelligent questions. Doors are held open for me. I am permitted to linger in nice clothing stores without being derisively stared at by the shop girls. I am congratulated for slimming down and working hard.

As if, when I am heavy, I am lazy and slovenly. It seems absurd to pack on weight in order to hide. It is like balancing an elephant on a teacup. You would think that someone would notice that, but people walk past with not so much as a glance. Where as, the thinner me is rarely left without a word, or a proposition. I realize that this is why, when I start to approach a more socially acceptable weight, a switch flips in my brain. The big, red switch with the word “DANGER!” on it. Danger, I might be expected to be as intelligent as I am. Danger, people may expect more from me. Danger, I may have to ward off advances. Danger, I may no longer have a built in excuse to fail.

That’s it for me, really. I see how people bypass me at this weight and I can point my chubby finger and say, “See? They won’t LET me succeed.” When the truth is, it is fear of fully exposing myself that keeps me in my fat suit.This is a disorder. This is not a normal way of thinking. To obsess over food. To indulge then deny. To fluctuate tens of pounds. To control my body in such a way that is not healthy for it.

It destroys me to feel this way, to feel less than. To know exactly what I am doing in a very logical sense and to do it anyway. I am better than this and it is not good enough.

It just isn’t.

Junk Food Charm Bracelet by Nights Requiem.

We are indeed much more than we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are. ~ Adelle Davis

Once a Lucid Eater, Always Lucid.

Drugs in Our Drinking Water

"We know we are being exposed to other people's drugs through our drinking water, and that can't be good," says Dr. David Carpenter, who directs the Institute for Health and the Environment of the State University of New York at Albany.

Why are there drugs in our water?

Prescription drug use is on the rise!!

Seems like everyone is "on" something these days. From your typical ADHD child to the all to common "depressed" adult. There is a name for every lil' symptom we have and certainly the "perfect pill" to treat us. Between 2000 through 2004, the number of pharmaceutical prescriptions increased 109% (source). On average, each American was given 10.9 prescriptions per year. This increasing reliance on pharmaceuticals suggests a growing number of unused drugs in households across the U.S. This inevitably leads to traces of drugs in our water and in our food.

Drugs most commonly enter the environment in two ways:

• Humans pass medicines and supplements through their system.
• Unwanted drugs are improperly disposed of in the toilet or trash.

What do you do with your old medicines? Roughly 54% of consumers dispose of their unused pharmaceuticals in the trash, and 35% flush them down the toilet (source). "Even users of bottled water and home filtration systems don't necessarily avoid exposure. Bottlers, some of which simply repackage tap water, do not typically treat or test for pharmaceuticals, according to the industry's main trade group. The same goes for the makers of home filtration systems".*

In the U.S. there is a lack of safe drug disposal programs, therefore most residents throw their unwanted medicines in the toilet or trash where they contaminate our waterways. Did you know 40% of medicines prescribed and purchased in the U.S. have never been used! In 2007, the elderly population alone wasted over $1 billion on unused drugs (source). 

Why do drugs go unused?

• Drugs expire or are outdated
• Doctor discontinues drug
• Doctor orders new drug
• Patients feel better
• Adverse or allergic reaction
• Patient dies or moves away
• Patients stop taking it
• Doctors prescribe too many pills

How does this affect human health?

The evidence for the direct consequences of PPCPs on humans is only beginning to be investigated. (But it can't be good, can it?) A landmark study in 2006 found that a mix of 13 common medications common to drinking water inhibits cell growth in human embryonic cells. This is one of the few studies that looks looks at how mixtures of prevalent medications can affect biological activity even at low concentrations. The affects on aquatic life suggest we take precaution and prevent pharmaceutical pollution from further damaging our environment.

What Consumers Can Do Now

(Because the government is known to act and implement policy far too slow and way too late)

• Dispose of unused or unwanted medications at take-back sites or events. 
• Contact your pharmacist for drug recycling programs
• Contact hazardous wast facility to see its recommendations
• Do NOT dispose of any medication down the toilet or in the trash
• Purchase drugs in small amounts, limiting expired medications
• Ask for medications with low environmental impact
• Encourage your provider to take-back unwanted drugs
• Share the message of safe disposal with family and friends
• Commit to wellness strategies to reduce your reliance on medications
• Practice healthy product stewardship

What Pharmacists and Health Providers Can Do

• Do not prescribe more medications than can be used
• Prescribe starter packs and refill packs
• Review and regularly reassess the patient's total consumption of medication
• Consider environmental impact when prescribing medications
• Learn more about which drugs have large environmental impacts
• Educate consumers about the importance of proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste
• Host a take-back site. 

How do drugs affect our environment?

If the picture of the angry lil' tree doesn't answer that question, try taking a deep breath. Ten times. Can you? How does it feel? Is it easy for you? Well, it's not for me. We have all been chemically altered against our wills in one way or another. It's in our psychology and written all over our skin. What should we do? At least...talk about it:

Varying concentrations of drugs have been found in nearly every water source in the U.S. and Canada. The EPA has compiled a growing body of evidence demonstrating how Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) affect aquatic life.

Here are some key test results obtained by the AP:

_Officials in Philadelphia said testing there discovered 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in
treated drinking water, including medicines for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems. Sixty-three pharmaceuticals or byproducts were found in the city's watersheds.

_Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications were detected in a portion of the treated drinking water for 18.5 million people in Southern California.

_Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed a Passaic Valley Water Commission drinking water treatment plant, which serves 850,000 people in Northern New Jersey, and found a metabolized angina medicine and the mood-stabilizing carbamazepine in drinking water.

_A sex hormone was detected in San Francisco's drinking water.

_The drinking water for Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas tested positive for six pharmaceuticals.

_Three medications, including an antibiotic, were found in drinking water supplied to Tucson, Ariz.

The situation is undoubtedly worse than suggested by the positive test results in the major population centers documented by the AP. The federal government doesn't require any testing and hasn't set safety limits for drugs in water. Of the 62 major water providers contacted, the drinking water for only 28 was tested. Among the 34 that haven't: Houston, Chicago, Miami, Baltimore, Phoenix, Boston and New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, which delivers water to 9 million people.

For more information:

AP probe finds drugs in drinking water
Symbiosis, The Journal of Ecologically Sustianable Medicine
One Earth: Drugs in our Drinking Water
The Teleosis Institute's Green Pharmacy Program

What do you do with your old batteries?

 Technorati Tags: drugs in drinking water, pharmaceuticals, drug disposal, medication deisposal, drinking water, Teleosis, Symbiosis, Green Pharmacy, One Earth Magazine, prescription drugs

When we drink a Cola...

After 10 minutes: our body is hit with 10 teaspoons of sugar for every 12 oz. but we don’t immediately ralph from the extra sugar because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor back allowing us to keep it down.

After 20 minutes: our blood sugar level spikes, causing an insulin burst. Our liver responds to this by turning any sugar into fat.

After 40 minutes: caffeine is fully absorbed by our body, our pupils dialate, and our blood pressure rises.

After 45 minutes: our body increases our dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of our brain. (this is very similar to how drugs hook people)

Eventually: the caffeine’s diuretic properties show effects and we will have to discharge (pee). This dispels the essential calcium, magnesium, zinc, sodium, electrolytes and water our bodies needs to be healthy. The decrease in calcium can result in reduced bone mass, which can contribute to broken bones in children and can lead to osteoporosis later in life.

At last: our body will experience a sugar crash. We become irritable and sluggish. Valuable nutrients from our body that could  have been used for hydrating our system or building strong bones and teeth are drained. (Source)

We can replace Cola with:

a) Water: flat, fizzy;seltzer, preferably alkalized, we need lots of water to help flush out toxins, aid digestion, and to keep our joints lubricated.

b) Tea: If you like caffeine, green tea is  the way to go providing an outstanding source of anti-oxidants. Plus, it is also known to lower cholesterol. In addition, herbal teas have many healing properties and they do great without sugar or honey. For added sweetness you could try using Stevia drops.

c) Vegetable juice: Low calorie, great source of nutrients, energy, antioxidants, and fiber. You can make it at home.

Read more on the health effects of drinking soda while having a refreshing glass of h2O.

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Technorati Tags: juicing, water, h2O, soda, drinking, aspartame, sugar overload, insulin, liver, phosphoric acid, green tea, diabetes, obesity, sluggish, caffeine

Introduction to LN

Hello! My name is Briana Franco, the author of Lucid Nutrition.

I have taken such a long time to begin this blog for good reason. I have been trying to understand what 'Lucid Nutrition' really means and how the content here will be useful not only for myself, family, and friends, but for any person who happens to come across this page. I have been in a research process for quite some time now, online and in books. I was searching for some sort of definition or explanation for LN when it finally hit me; Lucid Nutrition is just what it is. Simple.

Lets take a look at the definition for the word Lucid:

lucid. an adjective. 1 expressed clearly; easy to understand : a lucid account, written in a clear and lucid style. ˚showing ability to think clearly, esp. in the intervals between periods of confusion or insanity: he has a few lucid moments every now and then. ˚Psychology (of a dream) experienced with the dreamer feeling awake, aware of dreaming, and able to control events consciously. 2 poetic/literary bright or luminous : birds dipped their wings in the lucid flow of air.

and now the definition for the word Nutrition:

nutrition. a noun. the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth : a guide to good nutrition. ˚food; nourishment : the substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition.

I plan on explaining more about what it means to become Lucid in our lives throughout the lifeline of this blog. Most importantly, is the notion that nutrition, the substances necessary for growth, are not limited to the physical ingredients which we put down our throats and into the digestive system. It also consist of the thoughts we think, the air we breathe, our daily environment, people surroundings, and how we handle the experiences we meet.

The research done for Lucid Nutrition will strive to help consumers like you and me feel less confused about what to buy, what to eat, and how to find strength and peace for a sound body and mind. Choices we make every day significantly influence our chances of feeling healthy, happy, energetic, and clear-minded.

Sound health is much more than the absence of sickness. It is the conscious pursuit of the highest qualities of the physical, environmental, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of the human experience.

We will delve deep into the past learning about ancient healing techniques like Ayurveda, Yoga, Dance, Reiki, Chakras and venture into the future where bodies will be healed quicker and easier by the rapid advances in technology.

We will test and try various recipes, opening our minds to new vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs and vitamins. We will sip on various teas, nibble on blueberries, and learn stretching routines and exercises great upon rising in the morning. Together we will discover more and more about complementary and alternative healing techniques; holistic and integrative, art therapy, foods we should avoid and eat, plus so much more.

The ultimate mission of Lucid Nutrition is to share what I am learning with you in the hopes that my findings may enliven your life as they do mine. To produce health, prevent and fight dis-ease and to have a greater awareness of our body/mind/heart/soul is what Lucid Nutrition is all about.

See disclaimer.

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