Certification and Beyond!

I am now officially a Certified Health Coach and to celebrate I have moved my blog and rolled out a new website! Please follow the link below to check it out:

www.aliciacubbage.com/myblog

Thank you very much for reading this blog I really appreciate your support. I hope you will continue to read at my new site!

Wishing you great health and happiness,

Alicia Cubbage, CHC

Diabetes: an Epidemic

Diabetes is a hot topic right now, it seems like everywhere we go we see and hear about the epidemic of Diabetes our country and increasingly the rest of the world is facing, and with good reason. As a race we are in a state of crisis while Diabetes is not the only problem that threatens our existence it is a pervasive problem that if unchecked will help to destroy us. This may sound like an over-the-top scare tactic and to that I say if you are scared, good… you should be. Also, I say this because I believe it to be true in the center of my being I believe as a human race we are facing the very real probability of our own extinction if we do not change the path we are on.

The American Diabetes Association reports that as of 2013:

• Nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes 
• 79 million Amercians have prediabetes 
• 1.9 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year 
• Nearly 10% of the entire US population has diabetes, including over 25% of seniors 
• As many as 1 in 3 Amercican adults will have diabetes in 2050 if present trends continue 
• The economic cost of diagnosed diabetes in the US is $245 billion per year 

So what can we do right now to help solve this epidemic and bring peace and vitality to our lives? We can start with educating ourselves about his disease. You do not have to be obese to develop type 2 diabetes so believing that you are in the clear because you are not over weight is a mistake. We need to come together as a community and help each other heal. Everyone needs to educate themselves about this disease and then pass that knowledge on to their familes, friends and neighbors.

This post is the first in a series of posts about Diabetes, today we will learn the definitions, signs and symptoms of Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabtes: 

Is a disease of the enodocrine system, once known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose).

With type 2 diabetes, your body either resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells — or doesn't produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. Untreated, type 2 diabetes can be life-threatening. 

Common Symptoms of Type 2 Diabtes:

• Urinating often 
• Feeling very thirsty 
• Feeling very hungry - even though you are eating 
• Extreme fatigue 
• Blurry vision 
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal 
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet 

Prediabetes: 

People with prediabetes have glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough yet to indicate diabetes. The condition used to be called borderline diabetes. Most people with prediabetes don't have symptoms, but they are considered to be at high risk of developing heart disease.

With prediabetes, the subtle balance between glucose and insulin has been thrown off. The pancreas may not be able to produce enough insulin after a meal to "clear" the incoming glucose from the blood. Or cells may be insulin resistant. When cells are insulin resistant, they won't allow the insulin to escort glucose from the bloodstream into them. Too much glucose in the blood is also called high blood sugar or hyperglycemia. A low blood sugar level is called hypoglycemia.

If you have prediabetes, you're at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as the serious medical problems associated with diabetes, including heart disease and stroke. With prediabetes, you are at a 50% higher risk of heart disease and stroke than someone who does not have prediabetes.

There are roughly 313.9 million people in America and 79 million of them have prediabetes, that 25% of the population with a condition that for most of them has no symptoms. They have no idea how close they are to having a disease that will kill them if it goes unchecked.

Moving Forward

I believe in prevention and I also believe in addressing the cause so that we may heal instead of just treating the symptoms and then limping through life in a miserable existence of pain and immobility. The purpose of my series on Diabetes is to help you makes choices that will heal you at the source and allow you to realize your authentic life full of vitality and love. In the next post I will write about what insulin is why we need it and what is happening when our bodies become resistant to it.


Wishing you love and life,

Alicia Cubbage – Health Coach

Eating Good & Feeling Good - 11 Day Winter Detox

I am happy to share the Eating Good & Feeling Good - 11 Day Winter Detox with you! As I mentioned in my post 2014 - Great Expectations creating this detox is the first item on my agenda in this new year of loving myself more.

If you have heard that detoxing is good for you and that it is usually done in the the Spring and Summer, then you may be wondering why you would want to do a detox in the winter.

Hippocrates, in teaching the doctors of his day, said, “Consider the seasons of the year and what each of them produces.”

Detoxing prepares your body for the next season, which is essential for optimal health and vitality. It improves your immune function, keeping the common cold at bay, which is an added benefit in the winter.

In the winter, we detox differently than at other times of the year, aiming to nourish and strengthen the body. Some animals hibernate, and we humans have a similar instinct to slow down. No matter where you live and what the climate is like in the winter, our bodies and minds naturally go inward this season. It is a time to allow for stillness and just be. 

Each season’s detox supports a different organ, emotion, and a different way to cleanse the body. For the winter season, in Chinese medicine we honor the organs within our bodies that give us energy, life, and vitality, which are the kidneys and adrenal glands. The element associated with these organs is water, and by eating seasonally and honoring the seasonal elements, we intuitively bring our bodies back into balance.

According to Chinese medicine, the kidneys are your energy source, also known as your vital Qi (pronounced “chee”). The following symptoms are associated with weak kidney function:

• Low back pain
• Fatigue
• The afternoon 4 pm crash 
• Cold hands and feet
• Poor circulation
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Hormonal imbalances
• Low sex drive
• Digestive disorders
• Sleep problems- especially if you wake at 4 am

The program I have developed will help you nourish the water element by bringing in more foods that nourish the kidneys and bladder this season. By eating the foods in the Eating Good & Feeling Good program, you will strengthen and support your vital energy force. You can think of your kidneys as your engine tank. Every car needs a well-functioning engine to run efficiently.

As you nourish your kidneys, you will see changes such as:

• Your anxiety will lessen or disappear
• Your hair will shine 
• Your nails will strengthen
• If you suffer from anemia, your iron count will improve
• Bags under your eyes will diminish or disappear
• Urinary tract problems will improve or go away
• Lower back pain will lessen or subside
• Your sleep will improve
• Your cravings will subside

If you would like more information about the Eating Good & Feeling Good Winter Detox sign-up to receive a Free-Sneak Peak Booklet! In this booklet you will learn what is included in the detox and get a preview of what kind of recipes you will be enjoying during the detox. 

The official launch date is February 2, 2014 stay tuned!

Click on the picture to get the Sneak Peak!: 

Do you know what is in your Pet's food?

Oliver the Cat

My family and I were given a cat about two weeks ago; this was an exciting event for all of us. His name is Oliver and he a very sweet and pretty animal. As soon as we made the decision that we were going to take him we began thinking about food, kitty litter and other cat care items. We agreed that we didn’t want to feed Oliver a typical grain based chemical cat food mostly because we didn’t want to spend a large amount of money on cat food that would probably make him sick when we could very likely feed him the food we eat and keep him healthy. Since we don’t have any knowledge of what whole foods are safe for cats, we looked up and purchased a book called “The Whole Pet Diet, Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats” by Andi Brown so we could figure exactly what whole foods Oliver can eat.

I started reading the book as soon as it came in the mail I was surprised when in the first 17 pages it read just like the nutrition and health books I have read. It talked about the “Pet Food Industry” designing its food to make it irresistible to pets even though it’s filled with chemicals, grains, salt and sugar. Does this sound familiar to you? In this book Andi also talks about the diseases our pets are being diagnosed with in recent years and how it’s on the rise. These are diseases such as; liver disease, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, skin problems, digestive disorders, tumors, and joint and back problems. This is where the pharmaceutical industry comes in and makes all kinds of expensive drugs and treatments so that we can keep our pets alive.

Do you see the parallel here? American pets are getting sick eating the same type of diet that American humans are eating; grain, sugar, salt and chemical laden foods. The thought of giving a pet insulin shots for diabetes just seems absurd to me, since when do animals get diabetes? Apparently since their food supply was adulterated with the same things that make us humans develop diabetes.

So what does Andi say is a good diet for cats and dogs? Surprise, surprise its whole foods based, includes vegetables, good quality meat, some greens and those wonderful essential fatty acids. Again does this sound familiar? It makes so much sense to me after reading it, if grain, sugar, salt and chemical foods are killing us humans what makes us think these products are any better for our pets who have less robust systems than ours?  Andi’s book is an eight week program that addresses more than what to feed our cats and dogs but also address our pets Primary Foods. It is a holistic approach to our pets health that will keep them happy and healthy for many years. I am very excited about this book and I cannot wait to get started with the program. Our sweet cat Oliver will be getting whole nutritious foods and feeling vital and energized just we do!

Please take note of your pets health, are they feeling energized, happy and full of life? If not it may be time to think about how their health can be improved. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in holistic health for your pets.

Wishing you and your pets fulfilled and happy lives!

2014 - Great Expectations!

I love the New Year, it always brings a great sense of new beginnings, anything is possible and nothing is unattainable. This year my resolution is to be nicer to myself, to love my self-more and to be less critical. Life is a long time and I don't want spend another second being less than loving with myself.

For me that means giving my body what it needs to renew itself. The human body is an amazing gift from the universe! It truly is a vessel of the soul without it we would not be able to have the wondrous and agonizing experiences of life. There would be no feelings of exhilaration, love, anger, joy or despair… all those feelings that let us know we are alive.

Our bodies take a lot of abuse from us, mostly because we have never been taught that we need to care for them and love them just as much as we do our families, friends and spouses. We barrage them with chemicals and foods that are hard to digest and have no value to the body. Because our bodies are so amazing they keep up with this constant insult doing the best they can to keep us alive and functioning well. However, just like any over-worked unappreciated being they eventually become overwhelmed and burned out. The job of cleansing and detoxing becomes too big and they start to slow down.

You may already be noticing this in your own body; you may be experiencing overload symptoms such as:

• Brain fog
• Indigestion
• Heart Burn
• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Headaches
• Body aches
• Bloating
• Weight gain
• Poor Sleep

You may even have seen your doctor about these bothersome symptoms and received a prescription or recommendation for an over the counter remedy. You take the prescription or remedy and feel better for a little while and then the symptoms return or the side-effects of the prescription cause more problems.

Prescriptions and over the counter remedies definitely have their helpful uses, however in the long run they are not solving the problem, they are only hiding the symptoms so you can forget that there is a problem for a while longer. These symptoms are your body’s cries for help, attention and love.

A wholefoods cleanse or detox is a great way to give your body a much needed break and allow it to heal itself.

This is what two of my teachers at IIN are saying about detoxing:

Mark Hyman, MD, author of The Blood Sugar Solution:

“When our bodies become toxic, it means that our natural method of ushering out metabolic waste from normal human metabolism, environmental pollution, and what has become known as the Standard American Diet (or SAD) has exceeded the threshold for what the body’s innate detoxification system can tolerate. With this toxic load, every system in the human body can become affected. From our head to our toes and everything in between, toxicity makes us sick!”

Donna Gates, author of The Body Ecology Diet:

“Your body cleanses on a daily basis. It’s Nature’s gift to you that keeps illness away, gives you energy, and allows you to think clearly. But too many people are getting used to feeling “not so well”. Too many people live with the painful effects of a toxic system and remain unbalanced in their thinking, emotions, and physical health. You certainly don’t have to be one of them.”

Because of the way we live and eat our bodies are constantly bombarded with chemicals and toxic substances and they simply can’t keep up. A whole foods cleanse takes out the chemicals and toxic substances for a short period of time to allow the body to catch-up in the detoxing processes it performs every day.

The first item on my agenda in this new year of loving myself more is to give my body a break and to nourish it with fresh, whole, beautiful foods. I am working on an 11 day winter detox that will:

• Revitalize my body
• Reduce inflammation
• Reboot my cells
• Help me lose weight naturally

I am looking forward to sharing this program with all of you when I have it finished. I can feel great things are coming!

What is your resolution for 2014? What are you excited about and what is one thing you can do in this month to help you achieve your goals?


Wishing you love and compassion in this exciting New Year!

Cooking Class in January 2014

Have you tried cooking leafy greens before and were disappointed to find that they taste and look lousy?

Have you heard that leafy greens are really great for a healthy balanced diet but have no idea what to do with them?

Do you believe that leafy greens are only for salads?

In this class you will learn about the many benefits of glorious greens, how fun and easy it is to cook these fantastic veggies and the tools you need to prepare and enjoy them on your own.
That old saying "you are what you eat" is still true today and cooking your own food is the best way to eat whole nutritious foods that will give you energy and vitality for the life you deserve!

Join me for a fantastic opportunity to:

• learn how to cook greens properly so they look and taste good
• energize your diet and your life
• Feel lighter and think clearer
• Do something positive for yourself and your family 

Included in this class:

• 4 Recipes for the meals prepared in the class and 2 additional recipes to try on your own.
• A packet of nutrition information about glorious greens.
• A sampling of the food prepared in the class. 
• A special gift to take home.

Sign-Up Now!

Don't wait, space is limited, sign-up by January 4th and get the early bird rate of $20.00(reg $35).

                                    

Do you have a picky eater in your house?

Eeew! Not Broccoli!

Most children have an aversion to vegetables and some more than others. Then there are children who seem to be the pickiest eaters in the world with aversions to almost every food! I encountered one such child when I moved in with my husband and step-son.

I was surprised to find out that my 3 year-old step son would only eat; chicken nuggets, french fries, mac and cheese in a box, white rice, buttered white noodles, PB&J sandwiches, apples and a few other very specific white foods.

I soon realized his pickyness went further than just a preference for specific foods; he would only eat a very specific kind of french fry and when he started eating pizza (which he refused to eat at first) it had to be a specific kind/brand of pizza. Any variance of any kind from the usual, sight, smell and/or texture and he would refuse to eat it, even if it still tasted the same! So, for about two years I would make food for myself and my husband and then make his foods for him. If we tried to give him something else he would not eat anything, and then he would be up all night because he was hungry. Hungry three-year-olds who are not sleeping are very cranky come morning time!

However, there came a point when getting vegetables into him and teaching him about a healthy diet became too important to ignore. He was about 5 years-old when we decided to implement a rule that he needed to try one new food every night at dinner time. It is now three years later, he likes most vegetables I serve him and he is no longer afraid to try new foods. Ya!

If you have a picky eater here are some tools and tips that may help you both try new foods and enjoy vegetables:

1. Start out simple: start with very simple vegetables. Steamed broccoli, add a little butter and a smidgen of salt. Or boiled carrots with a small amount of butter and salt. Complex flavors usually turn picky eaters off. Also if they cannot easily identify what is on their plate they will not want to eat it. 
2. Start with very small portions, one bite of a “new food” at dinner time every day. Then over time start to increase the serving size. If you give too much to start with, the child will feel defeated before they have begun and will not even bother trying one bite. 
3. Give praise for trying new foods: even if they make a face and tell you very clearly that it is disgusting, it is important to give them positive reinforcement. Tell them they did a good job trying that new food. 
4. Don’t take it personally. Children, especially small children, live in a world that revolves around them. So when they tell you that your cooking stinks they don’t understand that they could be hurting your feelings, they are thinking about how the food affects them and that is all they are capable of right now.
5. Get your child involved in the cooking process. It was always much easier to get my step-son to try a new food when he was the one who prepare it himself. He still enjoys helping in the kitchen and is not afraid of the vegetables!
6. Admit when you have botched a recipe. If you have made something that did not turn out good and you don’t like it yourself then say that. It will lend credibility with your child. They need to know that vegetables can be cooked in a way that makes them gross and they can be cooked in a way that makes them taste awesome! Remember that if the vegetable is not completely delicious to you, it is probably gross to your child’s sensitive palate. 
7. Try new foods with your child. Pick out a food that you have never had before either, prepare it together and talk about what you like and don’t like about it. Show your child that you practice what you preach and try new foods with them!
8. Patience, above all else is mandatory! It took about three years of continuous effort, love and patience for my step-son to be able to enjoy and eat almost everything I put in front of him.

Here is a great Kale recipe that my whole family enjoys including my 8 year-old step son:

Basic No-Fat, No-Fuss, Colorful Kale

From the book: Greens Glorious Greens by Johnna Albi & Catherine Walthers

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

3/4 Pound Kale (about 6 cups, chopped)

2    Cups Water

3    Carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise

8    Ounces of Frozen Corn

      Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash kale and strip leaves from the stalk. Discard stalks and chop leaves into bite-size pieces. Set Aside.
2. Bring water to boil in a large skillet that has a tight-fitting lid.
3. Meanwhile, cut the quartered carrots into ½ inch pieces. Place carrots and corn in the boiling water, reduce heat. Cover skillet, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Add prepared kale to carrots and corn. Cover and cook for 4 minutes. Water should be bubbling rather vigorously but not boiling over. 
5. Sprinkle on salt to taste, stir to combine, and remove to a serving dish with a slotted spoon. Serve hot.

Wishing you patience and love in your journey to trying new foods!