Cyd Notter

Author and Nutrition Educator, Founder of The "Plan A" Diet™

Are detox programs helpful?

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(the following article is an excerpt taken from The 'Plan A' Diet)

What about detox programs?

Hundreds of manufactured chemicals, herbicides, and pesticides are found in our food and water supply, with the highest levels of contamination found in meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. The reason that animal foods are the largest source of such toxins is because of a process called bioaccumulation—their fatty tissues absorb and build up toxins at a faster rate than at which the substance is lost.

detox tiles on teal ceramic plate

Switching from the Standard American Diet to The “Plan A” Diet may result in some temporary detox symptoms as your system rids itself of stored pollutants. Weight loss contributes to the process because dissolving body fat also releases toxins into the bloodstream. As your liver cleanses the body from animal-based proteins and impurities, you might temporarily experience headaches, irritability, fatigue, lightheadedness, anxiety, or cravings. These withdrawal symptoms are often mistaken as hunger signals, so be mindful of what’s happening to prevent binge eating or sliding back to addictive foods.

What about the many “cleanses” on the market, such as herbal products, colon cleansing, coffee enemas, and supplements? When you begin a whole food, plant-based diet and drink enough water every day, your body uses the natural, detoxifying compounds and enzymes found in plants to rid itself of stored pollutants.

Contaminants on plant foods pose little risk because most of them can be washed and/or peeled before eating. To see which fruits and vegetables harbor the most pesticides—even after being washed and when applicable, peeled—Google “the dirty dozen and the clean 15” to see the Environmental Working Group’s annual list. Purchase organic produce if your budget allows.

By no longer consuming contaminated meat and dairy products, purchasing organic produce whenever possible, and thoroughly washing whatever produce you consume, the body will take care of the detoxing process naturally.

 

Ready to get started with a permanent detox?

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If you could change ONE thing….

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Here are two questions for your consideration today:

  1. If you could change just ONE thing about a health condition (or a weight issue), what would that be?                    and
  2. How far would you be willing to go in order to achieve that change?

In my nearly 25 years of helping people with their health and weight issues, I've discovered that people are most likely to make dietary changes when:

  • they're awfully tired of taking meds (and never getting better)
  • they're totally frustrated with being heavy (while growing heavier each year)
  • a new medical diagnosis has caused them to be fearful of their future

It's sad - so terribly sad - because the majority of today's chronic ailments and weight issues are not only preventable, they are reversible. People are suffering needlessly, either because they don't know any better, they simply don't care, or they haven't reached one of the above tipping points.

Every week, I learn of more bad news. Stroke, hypertension, bladder inflammation, gut problems, and arthritis are the issues I've learned of just this week among my circle of family/friends - all of which are relieved or totally reversed by simply changing what's on the end of the fork.

If you've reached a tipping point, PLEASE consider switching to a whole food, plant-based diet to give your body the absolute best chance to heal. Give it 30 days. Heck, give it two weeks. Work WITH your body to heal rather than working against it. All with delicious foods such as sloppy joes, burritos, pasta, and mashed potatoes with gravy.

Join me in this online course, where you can learn the whys and hows of changing your diet. The course is designed for a 6-week transition, but you can always speed it up if you're ready to dive in. Work at your own pace in the comfort of your home, with access to me for questions, extra support, or whatever you need.

Once you get over the learning hump (with me at your side), you'll never regret doing so when you discover the many benefits and how much better you feel. Why change just ONE thing when you can change many!

Please join me. Nothing would make me happier than to help you achieve better health and hear YOUR success story. Check out other local success stories here. (Note: This course is complimentary to those at ICBC; please contact me at [email protected].)

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Is it too late to start eating healthy?

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Some folks are convinced they're health problems are a normal part of aging. Others believe that making a dietary change might be beneficial for some, but it's too late to benefit them personally because their weight or health issues are too severe.

Both of these perspectives are false.

It is never too late to benefit from a whole food, plant-based diet, regardless of a person’s age, the severity of illness, and the length of time the person has been sick. (continue reading here)

 

So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.
At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. (Galatians 6:9, MSG)

 

I'm here if you need help getting started - it's never too late to benefit!

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Factors that influence Thyroid Function

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Have you noticed that hypothyroidism and other thyroid diseases seem to continually increase? I have. That's why I'm sharing today's video by Dr. Pam Popper in which she explains which supplements, drugs, and foods interfere with the absorption of thyroid hormone, and the adjustments we can possibly make.

I did a little more digging, too. According to goodrx.com, levothyroxine (the synthetic form of the the thyroid's main hormone, thyroxine) is the most often prescribed drug in the US, and one of the most widely prescribed worldwide.

Yet, a study shown on the American Thyroid Association's website indicates levothyroxine therapy may be overused.  The study reveals that sometimes patients are prescribed levothyroxine for a long time, but it is not clear why it was started or if they still need to be taking it. The study performed on 291 levothyroxine-treated patients revealed that after stopping the drug for 6-8 weeks, 61% of them continued to have NORMAL thyroid hormone levels.

According to the study, "The authors concluded that a substantial proportion of individuals taking levothyroxine in whom the original indication for treatment is unclear, may not need to be taking this hormone. The authors highlighted the importance of ensuring that the original diagnosis of hypothyroidism is fully evaluated and documented in medical records and that levothyroxine use be periodically re-evaluated in treated patients." (Emphasis mine).

I "bolded" that last statement to bring awareness to the importance of knowing what factors could result in an unfavorable blood test. As Dr. Pam points our in her video, there are things that suppress or interfere with normal thyroid function that we can make adjustments for.

(Note: her discussion of thyroid function starts at about the 4:00 mark, but the first part of her video is very informative also! She discusses e-cigarettes - not only the health concerns emerging from their use, but the increased usage by teens and adolescents - especially of the flavored varieties. It turns out that vaping is NOT healthier than cigarettes after all, and the FDA has sent a warning to one of the main manufacturers stating that they're violating FTC advertising regulations by claiming that it's so.)

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Exciting News! Only 5 days away from the official release of The "Plan A" Diet on October 1, 2019! By ordering before October 1 and emailing a copy of the receipt to [email protected], you'll receive a complimentary copy of The 21-Day Meal Plan (recipes included)! Your support is appreciated, and I pray the book will bless you!

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Vegan Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast

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Photo by BrandNewVegan.com

Seeing this recipe online sure brought back some memories! This dish was served regularly during my childhood years, and just as in many other families, was known by the slang name of (spoiler alert, I hope this isn't too offensive): "sh*t on a shingle."

So I couldn't wait to try this recipe for Vegan Chipped Beef on Toast created by Chuck at brandnewvegan.com.

Here's my two cents.

It's relatively easy to make - you probably have all the ingredients on hand. Shaving the carrots into thin strips took a while because I used a mandolin instead of a vegetable peeler, and found it to be challenging. It may have been my novice technique, though.

The creamy gravy is tasty and somewhat reminiscent of the original dish because of the sage and thyme (I say that with the disclaimer that I haven't eaten the meat based version with corned beef for probably 45 years). The carrots weren't "bad" - all four adults who sampled it did like the dish with the carrots.

But I'll try an alternative to the carrots in the future. Perhaps ground seitan (or something similar) and will still spice it according to Chuck's recipe. Of course the dish will have a totally different look, but I think the texture (and possibly the flavor) would be better. Who knows, I may go back to the carrots after experimenting. Overall a thumbs up!

PS: Dave's Killer Bread was used for the toast.

 

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