How Suvi Lost 25 lbs in 9 Weeks (and Gained SO Much More) Eating Optimally

Before working together, Suvi gained about 50 lbs in 4 years after being diagnosed with hypothyroidism. She could barely tie her shoes and put socks on from her stomach being in the way and how her heard would feel bending over. She was struggling to pick up her one year old.

Now, after just 9 weeks of eating optimally (no portion control or calorie counting), she's...

• down 25 pounds

• lowered her LDL cholesterol 39 mg/dL,

• feels like herself again,

• her confidence is back,

• she's putting herself first AND

• she can easily and happily pick her children up and play with them again.... something that brought tears to her eyes during our interview.

She accomplished this ALL while a family crisis hit 3 weeks into our time together and while having to #stayhome because of #COVID19.

We share her weight loss graph in the video.

Watch Suvi's success story below to learn why she was hesitant of working together and how she feels now that she's "on the other side."

Once you watch, comment and share…

What part of Suvi’s story most resonates with you? What are your biggest health concerns? Did Suvi give you hope?

Think this story could help or inspire a friend or family member? Please share it. It could save their life.

Why Plants are Better for Your Bones Than Dairy

Since we were children we’ve always heard -- "drink milk, it’s good for your bones."

We’re told this because milk has calcium and our bones need calcium.

And it’s true that our bones need calcium.  But milk and dairy products aren’t the only foods with calcium.  

In fact, there are healthier foods that have calcium (as well as a host of the other vitamins and minerals).

For example,

• 1 cup of garbanzo beans = 80 mg of calcium (1)
• 1 cup of kale = 24 mg of calcium (2)
• 1 cup of broccoli = 43 mg of calcium (3)
• 1 cup of raw carrots = 42mg of calcium (4)
• 1 cup of brown rice = 20 mg of calcium (5)

Even a banana has calcium!

• 1 medium banana = 6 mg of calcium (6)

Well how much calcium is in 1 cup of milk?

• 1 cup of non-fat milk = 299 mg (7)
• 1 cup of almond milk = 451 mg of calcium (8)

You get more calcium from drinking almond milk than from low-fat milk!

As well as having calcium, whole plant foods are smarter and safer choices for these 3 reasons...

1.  Whole plant foods contain fiber; they’re naturally low in calories and fat; contain zero cholesterol and they’re abundant antioxidants and all of the different vitamins and minerals our bones need. 

So with plants, you’ll get more bang for your buck compared to dairy.  You won’t only get calcium, but you’ll get a wealth of regenerative nutrients that are good for your whole body, not just your bones.

2.  Dairy products, on the other hand, don’t have fiber, contain cholesterol are naturally higher in fat, and they’re high in animal protein which negatively affects bones, despite containing calcium.

3.  You don’t need as much calcium as think you think. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has written extensively on what they the calcium paradox (9).  That is, countries in the world where calcium intake is low, osteoporosis (appropriately defined as hip fracture rate rates) are the lowest in the world and in affluent countries where calcium intake is highest, the rate of hip fractures is highest (9). Countries with the highest calcium intakes have the most osteoporosis and fractures. 

In fact, a study published in the British Medical Journal looking at over 61,000 Swedish women for 19 years, found that people who consumed more than 1,137 mg of calcium per day had higher rates of hip fractures compared to people consuming less calcium (10).

Another study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, found adolescent girls consuming the most dairy products and calcium had more than double the risk of stress fractures versus the girls consuming less calcium and dairy (11).

In light of this evidence, the WHO states that only 400-500 mg of of calcium are needed to prevent osteoporosis .

---

There’s one thing I want you to remember from today’s Take Control Tuesday article and it's this...

Whole plants foods have calcium and you don’t need dairy to fulfill your calcium needs.     

Now it’s time for you to put this information into action because it’s useless if you don’t do anything with it.  

To help you do that, I want you to answer this Take Control Now question and share your comment on my website (below), on YouTube or Facebook.

Take Control Now Question

How can you substitute 1 serving of dairy products with 1 serving of whole plant foods in your diet?  What are your ideas?  

And if you liked this video, which I hope that you did, please 'like' it by clicking the like or thumbs up button and show me some love!

References

1.  USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Garbanzo beans. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4771?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=garbanzo+beans

2. USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Kale. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3018?fg=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=25&sort=&qlookup=kale&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby=

3. USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Broccoli. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2908?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=broccoli

4.  USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, carrot. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2937?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=carrot

5. USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Brown rice. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6456?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=brown+rice

6.  USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Banana, Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2208?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=banana

7. USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, non-fat milk. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/134

8.  USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, almond milk. Accessed online, Sept. 2014 at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4161?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=almond+milk

9.  World Health Organization, Diet and Physical Activity Recommendations, accessed online September, 2014 at: http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/trs916/en/gsfao_osteo.pdf

10.  Warensjo E, Byberg L, Melhus H, et al. Dietary calcium intake and risk of fracture and osteoporosis: prospective longitudinal cohort study. BMJ. 2011;342:d1473.

11.  Sonneville KR, Gordon CM, Kocher MS, Pierce LM, Ramappa A, Field AE. Vitamin D, Calcium, and Dairy Intakes and Stress Fractures Among Female Adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Published ahead of print March 5, 2012.

Why Surgery + Meds Won't Save Your Heart

You probably know someone with heart disease or someone whose died from it.  My grandmother died when she was just 52 from a heart attack.  She didn't even make it to my first birthday.  My grandfather -- congestive heart failure.

Many people feel a naive sense of security when diagnosed with heart disease, high cholesterol or blood pressure.  Why?  Because there's "medication and surgery that will save you!"  For most people, that's just WRONG!

Even with technologically advanced surgeries and new medications, heart disease still kills 385,000 Americans annually, while another 715,000 Americans have a heart attack each year (1).

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr, internationally renowned clinician at the Cleveland Clinic, writes how currently modern cardiology is a complete failure, in an article published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Esselstyn cites Forrester, JS when he writes... "modern cardiology has given up on curing heart disease.  Its aggressive interventions -- coronary artery bypass graft, atherectomy, angioplasty and stunting -- do not reduce the frequency of new heart attacks or prolong survival except in small subsets of patients" (2).

Modern cardiology is treating the symptoms of disease -- pain and high biomarkers, not the underlying cause of the disease which is from diet and lifestyle.  As Dr. McDougall commonly says, "it's the food!"

It's important you understand there are other means for treating heart disease other than risky surgery and expensive medication.  Dr. Caldwell Essestyn Jr. and Dr. Dean Ornish have both stopped the progression of and reversed heart disease via diet and lifestyle changes (2), (3).  

Unfortunately, your doctor probably won't present this research as a viable treatment option to you.  Likewise, your doctor probably won't advocate for your cholesterol to be below 150 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) which was the goal of Esselstyn's patients.

Esselstyn notes in his article (citing Castelli) that "in the Framingham study, people with cholesterol between 150 and 200 mg/dL accounted for 35%  of those with coronary heart disease."  

You can still have heart disease with a 'good' cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL advocated by your doctor and the American Heart Association! (4)

Esselstyn continues to cite Castelli stating that "amongst those with levels <150 mg/dL, heart disease was rarely encountered" (2).

If you're interested in lowering your cholesterol levels via diet and are looking for support from your doctor, here is a PDF from the Phycisian's Committee for Responsible Medicine that you can take to share with your doctor.  It references Dr. Ornish's work and gives you practical tips for lowering your cholesterol levels.

Too many doctors are either unaware of this information or just aren't informing their patients.  But it's important you know you have options.  And if you need support and guidance through the transition, I am always here to help.

Take Control Now

Is your total cholesterol above or below 150 mg/dL or 3.9 mmol/L?  

Now is the time to find out and put your answer in the comments section below!

1.  CDC.  Heart Disease Facts. August 2013.  Accessed online Feb. 2014.  

2.  Esselstyn, CB Jr. Updating a 12-Year Experience with Arrest and Reversal Therapy for Coronary Heart Disease (An Overdue Requiem for Palliative Cardiology. American Journal of Cardiology. 1999: 81; August 1 339-341.  

3. Ornish D et al. Intensive lifestyle changes for coronary heart disease. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1998 Dec 16;280(23):2001-7.

4. American Heart Association. What your cholesterol levels mean.  Dec. 2012. Accessed online Feb. 2014.