diet

Breaking news! Some newly discovered compounds have just been found to turn off all of the genes that cause diabetes. Are these compounds found in a pill bottle? No!

Diabetes and insulin resistance are completely preventable and often reversible through aggressive lifestyle changes, including diet, supplements, exercise and stress management.

Diabetes is not reversible, and controlling your blood sugar with drugs or insulin will protect you from organ damage and death. That is what the medical profession would have you believe, but medication and insulin can actually increase your risk of getting a heart attack or dying.

The diabetes epidemic is accelerating along with the obesity epidemic, and what you are not hearing about is another way to treat it.

Yes, you can have it all, really!

How you eat, think and exercise dramatically affects your mood. You can break the cycle of unhealthy habits and learn to have it all.

By The FIRM Master Instructor Kirsten Palmer

Have you heard the awful rumor that clothing manufacturers use “vanity sizing”?  It turns out it’s true. They’ve adjusted their sizes to fit our expanding waistlines. What that means for you is that, without changing your weight or measurements at all, you might suddenly fit into a size 8 when you never could before. Or, you could have gained five or so pounds, but not notice it (or want to notice it) because you can still buy the same size clothes.

Confused about what good nutrition is?

You shouldn’t be — we know what works and what doesn’t.

In a moment, I will share five simple tips to help you optimize your nutrition and achieve vibrant health, but first let me clear up a few misconceptions.

Acne rates are rising — contradicting the belief that this condition is caused by genes.

Eight million people see the dermatologist every year for acne, and millions more rely on infomercial products hawked by celebrities or over-the-counter products that total $100 million in sales every year. Clearly, this problem, like so many chronic diseases in the 21st century, is increasing. Why?

It takes about 60 days for a human to form a long-term habit, studies have shown. So why do so many Americans fail on their diet and exercise plans? They don’t give it two weeks, much less four. We are an instant-gratification society that wants quick results or forget it!

By The FIRM Master Instructor Alison Davis-McLain

A girlfriend of mine forwarded a blog to me about brides who go overboard to try to lose weight for their wedding day. It said nearly half were willing to adopt extreme dieting strategies including skipping meals, taking unprescribed diet pills, liquid diets, and even smoking, laxatives or induced vomiting!

Every week we highlight the best articles, blogs, news, videos and interesting Web tidbits to help you live green, be healthy, and connect with your sense of spirituality. Read this week’s Valentine’s-Day-themed roundup for info that helps you live and love yourself and your partner better.

Green Living

Finding a (Naturally) Better Gift This Valentine’s Day

When it comes to weight loss, we all want a quick fix. That’s the instinct that causes so many people to try fad diets or overexert themselves on their first trip to the gym in many moons. My dad (bless his heart) periodically loses a bunch of weight by eating only one meal a day. He gains it all back as soon as resumes eating normally, of course, but I can’t fault him for the desire to want to see changes as quickly as possible. Part of me would love to blast the jelly belly I developed after giving birth last year.