Sugar..

Recently losing my Dad to Type II diabetes makes this a little closer to my heart.. along with having old school pals and new mom friends battling Type 1 themselves or with their children.. as we go into the 'sugar' holiday season.. just wanted to throw out a few scientific findings on the dangers of too much sugar..

76 Additional Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

In addition to throwing off your body's homeostasis and wreaking havoc on your metabolic processes, excess sugar has a number of other significant consequences.

Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of the book Lick the Sugar Habit[5], contributed an extensive list of the many ways sugar can ruin your health from a vast number of medical journals and other scientific publications.

1. Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.[6] [7]
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body: causes chromium and copper deficiencies and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.[8] [9] [10] [11]
3. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.[12] [13]
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.[14] [15] [16] [17]
5. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function.[18]
6. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]
7. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and can cause reactive hypoglycemia.[26] [27]
8. Sugar can weaken eyesight.[28] 1
9. Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract including: an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.[29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
10. Sugar can cause premature aging.[34] In fact, the single most important factor that accelerates aging is insulin, which is triggered by sugar. 1
11. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.[35]
12. Sugar can cause your saliva to become acidic, tooth decay, and periodontal disease.[36] [37] [38]
13. Sugar contributes to obesity. [39] 1
14. Sugar can cause autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.[40] [41] [42]
15. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections) [43]
16. Sugar can cause gallstones.[44]
17. Sugar can cause appendicitis.[45]
18. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.[46]
19. Sugar can cause varicose veins.[47]
20. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.[48]
21. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.[49]
22. Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.[50] [51] [52]
23. Sugar can lower your Vitamin E levels.[53]
24. Sugar can increase your systolic blood pressure.[54]
25. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.[55]
26. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs),which are sugar molecules that attach to and damage proteins in your body. AGEs speed up the aging of cells, which may contribute to a variety of chronic and fatal diseases. [56] 1
27. Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein.[57]
28. Sugar causes food allergies.[58]
29. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.[59]
30. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.[60]
31. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.[61] [62]
32. Sugar can impair the structure of your DNA.[63]
33. Sugar can change the structure of protein and cause a permanent alteration of the way the proteins act in your body.[64] [65]
34. Sugar can make your skin age by changing the structure of collagen.[66]
35. Sugar can cause cataracts and nearsightedness.[67] [68]
36. Sugar can cause emphysema.[69]
37. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in your body.[70]
38. Sugar lowers the ability of enzymes to function.[71]
39. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson's disease.[72]
40. Sugar can increase the size of your liver by making your liver cells divide, and it can increase the amount of fat in your liver, leading to fatty liver disease.[73] [74]
41. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney such as the formation of kidney stones.[75] [76] Fructose is helping to drive up rates of kidney disease. 1
42. Sugar can damage your pancreas.[77]
43. Sugar can increase your body's fluid retention.[78]
44. Sugar is enemy #1 of your bowel movement.[79]
45. Sugar can compromise the lining of your capillaries.[80]
46. Sugar can make your tendons more brittle.[81]
47. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.[82]
48. Sugar can reduce the learning capacity, adversely affect your children's grades and cause learning disorders.[83] [84]
49. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves, which can alter your ability to think clearly.[85]
50. Sugar can cause depression.[86]
51. Sugar can increase your risk of gout.[87]
52. Sugar can increase your risk of Alzheimer's disease.[88] MRI studies show that adults 60 and older who have high uric acid are four to five times more likely to have vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s.1
53. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalances such as: increasing estrogen in men, exacerbating PMS, and decreasing growth hormone.[89] [90] [91] [92]
54. Sugar can lead to dizziness.[93]
55. Diets high in sugar will increase free radicals and oxidative stress.[94]
56. A high sucrose diet of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.[95]
57. High sugar consumption by pregnant adolescents can lead to a substantial decrease in gestation duration and is associated with a twofold-increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.[96] [97]
58. Sugar is an addictive substance.[98]
59. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.[99]
60. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.[100]
61. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.[101]
62. Your body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.[102]
63. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.[103]
64. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).[104]
65. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.[105]
66. Sugar can impair the function of your adrenal glands.[106]
67. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in normal, healthy individuals, thereby promoting chronic degenerative diseases.[107]
68. Intravenous feedings (IVs) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to your brain.[108]
69. Sugar increases your risk of polio.[109]
70. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.[110]
71. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.[111]
72. In intensive care units, limiting sugar saves lives.[112]
73. Sugar may induce cell death.[113]
74. In juvenile rehabilitation centers, when children were put on low sugar diets, there was a 44 percent drop in antisocial behavior.[114]
75. Sugar dehydrates newborns.[115]
76. Sugar can cause gum disease.[116]

It should now be crystal clear just how damaging sugar is. You simply cannot achieve your highest degree of health and vitality if you are consuming a significant amount of it.

Fortunately, your body has an amazing ability to heal itself when given the basic nutrition it needs, and your liver has an incredible ability to regenerate. If you start making changes today, your health WILL begin to improve, returning you to the state of vitality that nature intended.

I know it's almost impossible to avoid sugar.. but we've been more mindful of just how much our kids are getting and trying to make significant steps to cut back on the amount and type of sugar we bring into the house. Everyone has different tastes and although I like stevia, my sister says she doesn't like the after taste. (something I don't notice with stevia, but do with agave, which is her favorite) Brown rice syrup and xylitol are other favorites. (xylitol because it is said to be equal in texture and consistency to sugar and can be equal replacement in baking recipes, and for it's antibacterial properties.) More and more safe options are available, but feel free to share what you love and how you use it in your baking.

Whatever your personal tastes.. I wish you a healthier more sugar lightened holiday season.

You can read the full article about sugar at:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx

To your health,

Ginny Bianchet

Teamwork

We've all heard the saying, "No man is an island". In fact, I remember singing a song with that same title in a church choir YEARS ago. As much as some of us like to 'go it alone' or think we are totally self sufficient, we have not made it to where we are without 'a little help from our friends'. Whether parents, siblings, best friends, significant others, spouses, teachers, co workers or even a church pastor.. we've had help. As much as we Americans love movies with the strong silent type.. or the mysterious lone avenger.. none of them succeeded totally on their own. Even the main hero in my Dad's favorite spaghetti westerns had a side kick or two to help him along when things looked their most bleak.

John C. Maxwell has stated, "The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement." And, "one is too small a number to achieve greatness."

Our team of Internet CEO Moms all like to throw out a favorite quote regularly.. "Teamwork makes the dream work". I can't tell you how great it has been building a business with such a great team of women to learn and share with. And when I'm down or frustrated, pull strength from.

Lyndon Johnson stated, "There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves." So, enjoy this simple video about "Pulling Together". Whether family, friend or team mate.. we all benefit from giving and then getting 'a little help from our friends'. Be Blessed.

http://pullingtogethermovie.com/

Ginny

100/0 Video

Sometimes when the right words don't come.. you let someone else speak for you.. or better yet, a video. This one brought to mind hearing and reading Stephen Covey and his response to a husband who shared with him his relationship problems with his wife after a seminar. He said he just did not love his wife anymore.. Covey's simple answer was, "Love her." He replied, "you don't understand, I just don't feel love for her anymore." Mr. Covey's reply was again, "Love her." "LOVE is an action, not an emotion. If you begin doing loving things (actions) the feeling will follow." When you do loving actions.. the other person begins to feel loved (respected, appreciated) and will naturally want to reciprocate... it's not always easy, but simply enough, it works. BE WILLING TO GIVE 100 PERCENT...to your spouse, kids, family members, friends, co-workers, team mates, and even your boss..:-)

Simple Truths | 100/0 Principle

www.100-0principle.com

The Best Motivation Video

We took our kids on a family vacation this 4th of July.. first my husbands side, then mine. Two full weeks of family, travel, sites. Sadly, so many of us are now far away from our immediate family. Grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters are hours and sometimes days away. So, it was GREAT to get quality and quantity time this summer. One of the highlights was sharing where I had grown up with my kids.. "that's the house I (your mom) grew up in", "here is the house your Great Grandmother grew up in". (and weathered the Great Depression) Here is where we fished, swam, made forts.. and played all day until dinner time, outside.. no worries, no fears. A simpler time. Now THERE is a whole other subject line....

But, my favorite part of the trip was sharing the power and beauty of Niagara Falls. Until the age of 22.. it was within 45 min. of me and I only remember seeing it in person twice in that time. My four year old Max was intimidated by the sound of the rushing water.. (his five year old cousin didn't seem to care) but I know he will look back at the pictures of himself standing at the railing looking at the Falls... next to the pond where his mom swam and fished.. next to the house where his Great Grandmother grew up ... and carry a piece of our family's history and where he came from.. and feel a connection.
"Our heritage and ideals, our codes and standards - the things we live by and teach our children - are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings." -Walt Disney
I hope you've enjoyed your summer vacation.. and shared a little family history.

Ginny

Change begins with Choice

I was reading a GREAT article that really struck home the other day.. so wanted to share a little Jim Rohn. Being human, I find myself blaming circumstances, husband, kids, weather or even the economy for not accomplishing what I want... this helps me stop playing the victim.. :-)

Change begins with Choice - by Jim Rohn

Any day we wish, we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish, we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish, we can start a new activity. Any day we wish, we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, “The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves.” We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life: If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life. And it all begins with your very own power of choice.

My Story

When I had my daughter Sydney at the age of 35, I had every intention of working my massage practice around being with her full time. My mom was a SAHM for all seven of her kids.. and I wanted to do the same for mine. Well, like any first time mom I had my grand plan and that involved having my baby girl in my office while I worked on my patients and having the best of both worlds: helping people with their pain and stress to make an income AND being with my daughter. Well, it didn’t work out as I planned. Sydney was a ‘new parents’ nightmare.. colicky, which did not exactly lend a calm, quiet, relaxing atmosphere to my massage office. We adjusted, and compromised, and I was able to work part time from home.

Fast forward five years.. we had just moved our little family an hour north to be closer to the grandparents. Sydney would be starting kindergarten and I would be back to work, when along came Max. With this awesome and unexpected blessing, came the dilemma. A tough economy, a second child and unexpected medical bills made me staying home full time, NOT an option. For a year I searched, researched and talked to everybody I knew about options to work from home. What I found was pretty disheartening. A friend wanted me to join her in doing ‘jewelry’. My mom had found a little success with surveys and was enjoying being a ‘secret shopper’. That was great for a retired person enjoying a free lunch or a tank of gas here and there, but was not going to help us pay our mortgage. Two years ago, something wonderful happened. My sister-in-law shared with me what she had found and I was introduced to Internet CEO Moms. When she shared that I could REALLY work AT HOME and that this did not involve parties, handling people’s products or money and I did not have to hand out catalogs, I was hooked. In the past two years I have been able to take some of the financial burden off my husband. I’ve surpassed what I made in my massage practice, and see the potential for this to create true financial freedom for my family. Most importantly, it has allowed me to do all that WHILE being here for both of my children, weaving it around my family’s schedule AND having fun doing it! The support, energy and passion of our team of moms has been such a blessing and I love being able to share that on a daily basis with other moms and families. If you want to love what you do and be rewarded for it, come check out our TEAM!

The Garbage Truck

Thank you Donna.. for your Hibachi Group article.. you brought to mind this short story :

The Garbage Truck Rule of Life

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were
driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a
parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his
brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of
the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi
driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really
friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined
your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver
taught me what I now call, 'The Garbage Truck Rule of Life.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around
full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of
disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it
and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally.
Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage
and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take
over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
so...Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.
Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

Belief and Hope

As parents we HOPE to instill and inspire our kids with many things.. morals, values, a strong work ethic, a sense of fair play, a proper education, but along with all of those and more I hope and pray that I can help mine believe in themselves and their ability to accomplish anything they put their mind to.. sometimes we as adults have been forced to or allowed ourselves to give up on our dreams.. but that doesn't have to happen. There are so many examples of people that achieved great things early and late in life, after numerous failures.. Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Colonel Sanders, Oprah Winfrey.. just to name a few.. I HOPE that I am able to teach my kids..

"Only as high as I reach can I grow.
Only as far as I seek can I go.
Only as deep as I look can I see.
Only as much as I dream can I be."
-Karen Ravn

And thanks CEO Moms.. for helping me get back in touch with mine...

Words to live by-

Today I Will Make A Difference

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble...I will get up. It's OK to fail...I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

Max Lucadot (Tyndale Publishing, 1985)

Setting the theme..

I woke up this morning with a pair of three year old feet jammed under my back.. Max climbed in at some point in the middle of the night.. two minutes later it was a small pair of arms wrapped around my neck for a quick hug and the exuberant words, "Let's get up Mom!" "Where's my juice?" "Where's Sydney?" "Let's wake her up!" I smiled... What a great way to wake up. A friend and proud mom of her "new Marine" had recently emailed pictures of her son just graduating. Before I know it, my three year old will be grown up and creating his own life too. What a blessing to be able to work from home and enjoy all the awesome, wonderful, funny and sometimes scary moments of my kids growing up. It was time to get Syd off to school.. and wait to see what Max the Destroyer was going to create (or destroy) today...

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." - Robert Brault