Karen Hurd
Healthy Living: Hope for Asthma and ADHD Sufferers and One Man’s Personal Testimony
Healthy Living: Hope for Asthma and ADHD Sufferers and One Man’s Personal Testimony
A Journey to Healthy Living
Do you suffer from asthma, ADHD, and or mental fogginess?
A recent interview on local radio station WWIB.com
with nutritionist Karen Hurd really sparked my attention.
It included the personal testimony of a man that greatly
improved his health and reversed some health issues
he’d struggled with for over 30 years;
simply by making some basic diet changes.
It is highly likely that you are like me, and you either struggle with some of the same issues this man did, or you have friends or loved ones that do. I feel really impressed to share this interview and testimony with you to pass on some hope.
I’m continually amazed at how the most powerful solutions are often so simple.
The interview was on January 26 of 2011 during “Wellness Wednesday” with Karun Hurd on www.WWIB.com. (I was able to download the free podcast of the show from their website, and I highly recommend listening to the whole thing yourself.)
Tom’s Journey to Healthy Living
Let me give you an overview and summarize Tom’s testimony of his long battle with asthma, ADHD, mental fogginess, and unwanted weight.
Tom is a 48 year old man from Wisconsin and currently attending college and pursuing his second degree. He’s struggled for 30 years with asthma, ADHD, and the ability to think clearly, (he said he felt as if he was walking around in a mental fog).
His journey to healthy living actually began with searching for solutions for his son. Tom’s 20 year old son was hospitalized five times the summer before with severe joint pain and the doctors thought it was lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. He was prescribed medicine but with little relief and lots of side effects.
Tom wondered if his son’s illness might have something to do with his diet or a reaction to something he was eating. After searching online for answers, Tom had his son eliminate some foods from his diet. This resulted in all his joint pain symptoms going away and being able to stop taking the prescribed medications.
At that point they eliminated gluten from their diets and to be supportive, Tom did too. Tom was surprised to discover that within two weeks he was able to go off his asthma medication (which he had been on for 30 years) and the ADHD medication (which he had been on for a couple years).
Tom was feeling better but still dealing with low energy at night and unwanted weight that he just couldn’t get rid of; regardless of working out and counting calories. So last summer, Tom and his wife went to meet nutritionist Karen Hurd.
Karen taught them some basics of a healthy diet, including the importance of getting plenty of fiber and protein, and how beans are an excellent source of both. Tom began to eat beans at every meal and started to lose weight, even though he was actually taking in more calories. The increase in fiber was helping his body balance out and shed unwanted weight.
What is Tom Eating Now?
A typical breakfast is two fried eggs, a half cup of baked beans, and maybe some bacon. Lunch is usually a trip to the Mexican restaurant near campus for a lettuce salad with chicken and beans. Snacks throughout the day are things like yogurt, psyllium husk, cheese, vegetables, and nuts. Dinner might be eggs and beans, or stir fry steak with veggies and some beans.
In addition to helping a person lose weight, the additional fiber in the diet helps clean out toxins and bile in the system. As the body cleaned up, Tom noticed that he not only lost weight, but gained increased energy and mental clarity.
The Fog Has Lifted and Mental Clarity Has Moved In
The last two semesters Tom had the highest grade point averages ever, even though he had the most difficult and taxing classes. Normally he would have to read and re-read something several times to try and remember what he read. Now he can read and recall and remember what was written! Tom said he hasn’t been able to do that since grade school or Jr. High.
Men in their 40s typically experience increasing loss of memory and inability to focus. Tom said he always seemed to have what he described as “mental fogginess”; an inability to focus, which he thought was normal. He said it was like always reading something and not being able to remember what he just read.
But now after making these changes to his diet, Tom says:
“It’s like the fogginess is gone and the cloud has been lifted out of my brain.”
Karen pointed out that Tom also eliminated sugar and caffeine from his diet. She said getting rid of the sugar is the biggest key to helping lift the brain fog. She recommends removing pop and desserts from your diet because these have such large amounts of sugar. ADHD people metabolize sugars really fast and have mental crashes, preventing them from fully accessing their mental capacity.
Tom said he used to be a sugar junkie and literally have two 20 ounce Mt Dews a day, candy bars, donuts, etc. – he loved sweets. He said he knew it was going to be tough to let those go, but now that they are out of his system it is not hard to avoid them.
Tom said he had been on asthma medication for over 30 years and his chest had always been tight and wheezy. He said a couple weeks after taking gluten out of his diet he had gone out of town and forgot to take his asthma spray with. But he realized he felt fine and didn’t even need it and hasn’t used it since. He’s felt fine and hasn’t had an episode even with working out, etc.
Did Tom Even Have Asthma?
Tom thinks he never even had asthma. He said he learned that gluten intolerance can make the immune system attack what it is intolerant to and create mucus. In Tom’s case his lungs produced mucus, but once he eliminated the gluten, there was nothing to react to and therefore he no longer had mucus in his lungs and what seemed like asthma symptoms.
If you suffer from asthma or ADHD, you may want to apply some of these diet suggestions and see if you experience the benefits. (Of course this is not medical advice and you should consult your doctor before making any changes.)
Want to Know More?
If you want to know more and gain a wealth of information about nutrition, then checkout:
www.KarenHurd.com
May you have hope for a better tomorrow, live healthy, and enjoy growing prosperity!
God bless you always,
Brenda
How to Sleep Like a Baby with a Really Simple Diet Change!
How to Sleep Like a Baby with a Really Simple Diet Change!
Tired of Sleepless Nights?
Sleepless nights quickly take their toll on a person’s life.
If you are someone who tosses and turns at night…
you know it is a problem that effects more than your sleep.
A lack of sleep soon causes havoc in your daytime routine as well.
Are you tired of being tired? If so, you may want to read on and take look at one of the culprits that may be preventing you from sleeping like a baby; out of whack sugar levels. Hypoglycemia is a condition of lowered blood sugar levels, which can result in trouble sleeping.
What’s Your Bedtime Routine Look Like?
Does this sound familiar? You’re wrapping up a long day and you’ll be going to bed soon. A bowl of ice cream and a cookie sounds like a nice bedtime snack, so you enjoy one and head to bed. You fall asleep right away.
But then in the middle of the night you wake up and simply cannot go back to sleep. You toss and turn and lie there thinking about the previous day and what you need to do tomorrow. Your mind replays things over and over and you’re frustrated because you desperately need sleep but just can’t fall back asleep.
Or do you experience this scenario? You eat your ice cream and go to bed, only to find yourself tossing and turning. You don’t sleep well. You have weird, scary dreams such as running to escape from danger and jumping off a cliff. You wake up in a sweat; feeling like you’ve been run over by a train. You are not rested and feel like you’ve been in a battle all night in your dreams.
What is going on?
Remember the ice cream, (or anything sweet) you ate before bed? Well it causes your blood sugar to rise quickly. Your pancreas then in turn cranks out a jolt of insulin to bring the sugar levels down, but it puts out too much insulin. Now your sugar levels are dropping too quickly.
And, since you are asleep you will not be eating something to bring up your out of whack blood sugar levels. So your body calls upon your adrenal system to trigger the release of stored glycogen into the blood stream. It works, and your blood sugar levels rise.
However, the problem is that now you also have fight or flight hormones coursing through the blood stream. One of these hormones, norepinephrine, is also a neurotransmitter. It causes your mind to kick into high gear and think, to devise a plan to fight and escape danger; it turns your sweet dreams into nightmares.
Sleeping Like a Baby Doesn’t Have to be a Dream!
Clearly a lack of sleep detracts from your quality of life. The good news is that, simple diet changes can be made to help control low blood sugar and improve quality of sleep.
Do this. Make a point of eating six times a day; three meals and three snacks. Include some protein at each of these times. Protein is critical to controlling low blood sugar because it slows the absorption of sugar into the blood stream and causes a gradual rise in blood sugar instead of a straight line increase.
Never eat a carbohydrate alone. Always have it with a protein. If you find yourself awake at night and having trouble going back to sleep, eat something with some protein, a little carbohydrate, and a little fatty acid; like a piece of cheese and a cracker, or a handful of peanuts.
Your next step? Take what you’ve just learned and put it into practice. This really simple diet change is easy to do and it may just allow you to place your head on your pillow and sleep like a baby.
May your nights be filled with sweet sleep and your life be full of growing prosperity!
God bless you always,
Brenda
P.S. This post was inspired by information from nutritionist Karen Hurd and you can find additional health and nutrition info at her website: http://www.KarenHurd.com
P.P.S. Do have any tips for sleeping well? Please feel free to share with everyone and leave a comment… Thanks!
The Belly Fat Cure, Jorge Cruise – Book Review
The Belly Fat Cure, Jorge Cruise – Book Review
The Belly Fat Cure: Discover the New Carb Swap System
and Lose 4 to 9 lbs. Every Week
I recently heard Jorge Cruise interviewed by Mike Koenigs regarding making positive, healthy diet changes.
In the interview they discussed Jorge’s latest book “The Belly Fat Cure.” He pointed out that so many people struggle with not losing weight even after diligently counting calories and faithfully exercising.
The key factor that he found got results in his life, and is now helping others, is the understanding, identifying, and elimination of extreme unwanted amounts of sugar the majority of people consume.
I find this interesting since the “sugar culprit” seems to be an ongoing thread in my own life…
My mom was a so called “health food nut” when I was younger and she eliminated most sugar from our diet. One of my brothers went through a lot of whole and living foods courses and he’s always preached the destructive and addicting effects of sugar. And recently I’ve listened to a number of interviews with nutritionist, Karen Hurd, and she goes into great detail on all the different harmful effects sugar has on our body (not just weight gain).
In my personal diet over the last few years I noticed sugar triggering some unwanted reactions, and I was forced to make some changes. So anyway, all that to say, this interview and book sparked my interest and I thought I’d point it out.
Below are some reader comments, reviews, and testimonials, along with some additional information and highlights about the book “The Belly Fat Cure: Discover the New Carb Swap System and Lose 4 to 9 lbs. Every Week” by Jorge Cruise:
A Look at the Chapter Titles:
1. Lose Your Belly in One Week!
2. The One Critical Key
3. The One-Week Challenge and Beyond
4. Carb Swap Meals
5. Carb Swap Products
6. Carb Swap Food Lists
7. Tone Your Abs
8. FAQs
(Plus and index of recipes)
“Jorge Cruise has answers that really work and take almost no time. I highly recommend them.”
— Andrew Weil, best-selling author of 8 Weeks to Optimum Health
Product Description:
Drop 4 to 9 lbs. a week without dieting!
For years, experts have told you that you’re overweight because you eat too much and don’t exercise enough. They were WRONG. The truth is that you are eating foods packed with hidden sweeteners that deliver a belly-fattening Sugar/Carb Value. This simple guide makes smart eating effortless and affordable. It includes more than 1,500 options customized for: carboholics, meat lovers, chicken and seafood fans, chocoholics, fast-food junkies, and even vegans! What are you waiting for? Dig in.
Reviews:
“Basically I took the 15 sugar 6 carb idea from Jorge and ran with it. So far I have lost 60 lbs on the Belly Fat Cure and I plan to lose 30 more to reach my goal.”
actual portion of user testimonial taken from amazon.com“I do not look at this as a diet at all, but an easily sustainable lifestyle, which has been a “first” for me. I have dropped 12 pounds with almost no effort and plan to stay the course since it’s easy for me and I need to lose more.”
actual portion of user testimonial taken from amazon.com“REDUCED carb and especially sugar is a combination that really works. My wife and I both continue to benefit from using this concept as well as the excellent recepies for every day foods like pizza and hamburgers.”
actual portion of user testimonial taken from amazon.com“It is working for me and after four weeks of following the simple carbohydrate/sugar balance I am feeling more energy than I have in years. I am not yearning for sweets or hungry as I was before on other weight lose programs.”
actual portion of user testimonial taken from amazon.com
Fast Food Swaps Video by Jorge Cruise on YouTube:
There is no magic ticket to weight loss or to ultimate health, and there is no one size fits all solution. It is important to research and discover what health choices work best for you and your body chemistry and lifestyle.
Reducing the sugar in your diet has many health benefits, including weight loss. If you are struggling, especially with belly fat, you may want to give this book a read.
May you continue to have growing prosperity in your health, even as your soul prospers!
Soar higher,
Brenda
P.S. If you’ve read “The Belly Fat Cure“, feel free to share your thoughts or experience.
Breast Cancer – Estrogen Fed Cancer & the Power of Nutrition
Breast Cancer – Estrogen Fed Cancer & the Power of Nutrition
Pro-Active Steps You Can Take In the Fight Against Breast Cancer!
Breast Cancer Awareness was last month and I heard a really helpful interview on a local radio station http://www.WWIB.com on October 14th.
Nutritionist Karen Hurd located in Fall Creek, WI and online at http://www.KarenHurd.com, was interviewed and gave some really helpful, health impacting information.
I’ve listened to her before and I’ve always been impressed. She has a way of explaining how the body works in easy-to-understand terms. And all of her recommendations, that I’ve tried, have helped me.
Today I’ll try to just stay focused on this interview about estrogen fed cancer. Also let me make my disclaimer up front – this post is based on the notes I took while listening to the interview and I do my best to be accurate. But even so this is in no way medical advice… if you have a problem, please go see a doctor!
Estrogen fed cancers are tumorous growths that are fed by the hormones estrogen. There are four types of estrogen – and estrogen fed cancers are fed by one of the strongest estrogens that we make. It stimulates female tissue to grow past what it should be growing and to grow tissue that is an anomaly (not supposed to be there). Then that tissue is called a tumor and can spread as cancer to other parts of the body as well. So it is important to keep it in check!
Since estrogen is causing this… if we can control the amount of estrogen being secreted or get rid of the estrogen that is already circulating in the body – we could have a major impact on the cancer!
How Do We Go About Getting Control of the Estrogen in Our Body?
1.) Stop the Things that are Causing Over-Production
What causes us to produce large amounts of estrogen that are over-the-top amounts that cause cancerous growths?
Things like the following were the main culprits mentioned:
A. CAFFEINE – Caffeine is one of the worst culprits in estrogen fed cancers! It produces large amounts of estrogen (too much estrogen and then you can grow fibroids or tumors that become cancerous.) As difficult as it may be, it is important to STOP the intake of caffeine.
If you give up the coffee (and/or pop) your estrogen levels will begin to fall. Suggested alternatives besides plain water are: carbonated water and almond milk (warm almond milk is good).
B. SUGAR – Sugar is another culprit that stimulates the production of estrogen.
C. PERFUMES & FRAGERANCES – Perfumes may not be something you would have considered, but they are well known for stimulating the production of hormones.
2.) Get Rid of the Estrogen that is Already Made
We recycle estrogen everyday – all day. Most of the time it is not being properly eliminated, and gets recycled in the blood stream and wreaks havoc.
How do we eliminate it?
Have a diet high in fiber; beans and legumes. If you are dealing with symptoms, add large amounts of soluble fiber into your diet – it would be nice to press 30-50 grams p/day, which means ½ cup of beans 6-9 times a day. Then you clear a lot of estrogen and reduce your risks.
Randy Johnson, a client of Karen Hurd, was also on the interview. Randy already had a mastectomy late 2007 and then contacted Karen when dealing with the crisis of breast cancer. She was also seeing her regular doctors, and so she has lots of documentation of her test results.
After she started the recommended nutritional diet changes, her tested levels of estrogen dropped dramatically! She did not end up taking the chemotherapy and is now cancer free. Randy also mentioned other health benefits from her nutritional diet changes and her story is very encouraging.
This is a verse she stood on during her health crisis:
“Trust Me in your times of trouble and I will rescue you and you will glorify Me.” – Psalm 50:15
I’ve personally taken Karen’s previous advice on cutting out sugar and adding fish oil to my diet. I haven’t completely cut out sugar but take in very little. Those two changes alone made a significant difference for me.
I really suggest not ignoring the practical everyday things we can do to help ourselves achieve better health. As Karen said, “There are no side effects to a healthy diet – only side benefits.”
If we pray and ask God for help and He brings to our attention steps we can take, why would we want to ignore them?
I was dealing with symptoms and have been in prayer about them, and then this interview just happened to show up. I’ve been challenged with giving up my coffee, but I am working on it and also getting the majority of my protein from beans now.
I’ve already noticed most of my symptoms gone, (now just dealing with caffeine withdrawal headaches).
Bottom line: Have HOPE! Do not ignore the practical nutritional steps you can take. And do not fear. Do what you can and Trust God – always!
God bless you,
Brenda
P.S. I was reminded of a book I’ve had for many years that is also packed full of helpful information. I just dug it out and dusted it off. I see it is still available on Amazon and is called: “You CAN Prevent Breast Cancer” by Harvey Diamond.