Lead By Example..

Unfortunately, this is a familiar sight often seen in 2010. These days it is very common to see a 1 year old sucking on a french fry or chicken nugget (they even offer the animal and dinosaur shaped ones) at any local restaurant. These restaurants also have designated areas for children, like a Play Land built right into their establishment or a small room that has every video game imaginable that attracts children.

A lot of the food is genetically modified and does not decompose after years of being purchased. Check out this next video.

The ultimate plan of these companies and a big part of their marketing strategies is to make the children want to go back. Don't worry, someone is getting paid big bucks to come up with all of these great ideas. That clown is smiling for a reason....your wallet!!!

Next time take a deep breath outside...now ask yourself, does it smell good??? Do you ever stop and wonder why there are so many seagulls outside (they eat anything). When you realize that there are no healthy food choices in there, please take a stand, turn around with your children, get back in the car, stop at a local grocery store, buy real food , go home and create a fantastic meal and your family will thank you for it.

Our son  is 12 years old and to this day he just has no craving for soft drinks what so ever. We are very thankful for this..there are so many children today that cannot live without it , they even have it with their breakfast.

A very big trend that is a dangerous one is the amount of teens that have energy drinks daily...these are loaded with caffeine and  could be a potential health hazard that can lead to heart palpitations, diabetes etc...teens and young adults often stay up late and have a hard time functioning during the day so they rely on these drinks to give them that extra boost that they need to get through their day. Some even go to the dangerous side and mix these with alcohol...this is a recipe for disaster as you will hear in the following video.

As adults and parents we have to lead by example. If our kids see us drinking these like there is no tomorrow, what are we showing them?? We have to show them that there are natural ways out there to get energy and to feel alive and awake during the day. The first thing is to get enough hours of sleep,eat live food and be active!!!

Think of this for one second,  if you ask your kids "Where do you want to eat tonight?" what do you think they will answer you "The Green Door Restaurant"??? I tell you, if ever you have the chance to enjoy this establishment's wonderful food while you are in Ottawa....spoil yourself, live and enjoy it and your body will thank you for taking time to taste incredible natural dishes!!

http://www.thegreendoor.ca/

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert

The Fat Kid In Gym Class!!!

Having worked in a school setting for 20 years now, this picture is a sad reality. It is so important for kids to enjoy daily exercise, to get out there and move. They need to get the heart pumping and the blood flowing. Kids need to get their daily dose of natural vitamin D and enjoy running around and having fun. With video games,more and more kids are losing themselves in their own worlds completely cutting themselves off reality.They are secluding themselves in their rooms for hours, playing violent games,eating and not interacting with anyone.Our young society is becoming more anti-social and overweight because of this phenomenon and we need to get them active to stop this vicious cycle.

Check out the following video...very interesting facts!! Watch it with your kids.....

When I see this picture, it reminds me of the pain and embarrassment that I always felt in gym class going through puberty. The awkward years where you are trying to make sense of all the physical changes in your body and living as an overweight child.

When I was in Junior High, I knew from day one that changing in front of others would be inevitable and was going to be one of my biggest challenges.I felt very embarrassed and I would always use the excuse that I had to go to the washroom and I would quickly change there. This would often make me late for my next class but I was willing to live with the consequences as long as others didn't see my fat ripples.

I was very shy and self-conscious about my weight. I was round and not the most athletic.We all wore the same green shorts and yellow t-shirt. My clothing was snug and I would always be pulling on my shirt. I developed nervous ticks with my eyes and I felt physically ill every time that we had gym.

I'm sure that the intention wasn't to make us feel uncomfortable. I believe that it was the opposite effect that they were seeking, to make everyone fit in and be on the same page.

To this day, being the smallest size that I've ever been in my life, you will still never see me changing in front of anyone in a locker room. I usually get there all ready for class or I will wait for a washroom to be available to change in private. Just goes to show you how childhood experiences can affect you for the rest of your life!!!

If you are a gym teacher, please take this into consideration when it comes to kids changing in the same room. It may not be for everyone.We as adults have to respect the wishes of kids that do no wish to expose their bodies in front of others. This should be a personal choice and there should always be separate locker rooms available for those who wish to change in private. I'm sure that a lot of kids feel this way today and I completely respect their wishes, I completely understand what they are living.

As an adult, I can now look back and understand that there was never any harm intended by any adult. I was just not comfortable in that situation.

Stay healthy....

Sylvie Thibert

My Chest Is On Fire!!!!

My biggest health issue when I was at my heaviest weight was my acid reflux. The pain is still clear in my mind and it is a pain that I never want to live again! It was very common for me to be sitting in the middle of the night, propped up with pillows on my living room couch holding my chest tightly. I was only 42 years old and it was very scary for me to be feeling this.

Lets just say that my husband would not sleep much either, worried and not quite sure how to help me in my situation of excruciating pain. I was feeling at my worst mentally and physically. Of course this would disrupt my sleeping pattern and I would lose a good 3 hour sleep every night. This would not help me be in the best shape the next day and lets just say that my patience, mood and temper were not my best assets.

I knew that I had to do something soon, I couldn't go on living like this, that's for sure. This easily went on for a good six months. I would live this everyday, not understanding what effects it was having inside my body.

When I finally decided to set up an appointment with my family doctor, I was convinced that I would have a number of tests done and maybe blood work to find out what was causing this to make my body react in such a violent manner on a regular basis. To my surprise, I was at my heaviest, not one thing was mentioned about my eating habits and without any further testing I was prescribed Zantac tablets to be taken twice a day for the rest of my life!!!

Read this article about the side-effects of this drug. Make sure to read all the way to the bottom.

http://gerd.emedtv.com/zantac/zantac-side-effects.html


Lets just say that this was the wake up call that I needed. I had hit rock bottom, went straight from the doctor's office to Physical Limits.There, I set up an appointment with one of their weight loss consultants and I've never looked back. I never took one of those pills and from day one of switching my daily coffees and bad food choices for healthy choices I have been living a pain free life!!

http://www.revolutionweightloss.com/

I've had acid reflux attacks only 3 times since then and I know exactly what source it is coming from. I know that I have to stay away from fatty cheese, late night snacks and caffeine. I have now figured out what the triggers are and I can avoid these situations very easily.

Here is a commercial that shows how using Zantac is only a superficial fix. It only shows that you can still keep choosing the bad food choices and life will be good. Not ever mentioning all of the continuous damage that is being done inside your body.

I've also seeked the help of a fantastic Naturopath by the name of Joanne Gauthier that can be located at Medical Arts Pharmacy on 13th Street here in Cornwall. She is an amazing individual that has helped me heal from the inside/out....using my core and my inner strenght naturally....she is the best and I highly recommend her.

Here is a video that I wish I would have seen three years ago. Maybe it would have helped me understand better what I needed to do to heal myself. It would have forced me to look at myself in the mirror and realize that I was the only one that could fix my situation naturally. We all have the power within to heal ourselves.

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert!!

This Brings Back Memories.....

You know, I look at this picture and it reminds me so much of myself before I decided to do something about my weight problem permanently.I would eat my meal knowing that there would always be a nice big piece of unhealthy dessert waiting for me.

As far as I can remember, I always had weight issues...I was 10 yrs. old when I was put on my first diet..out of concern of course for my health. My nicknames were "Porky" and "Petunia", lets just say that I was pleasantly plump.

As life went on I tried all of the diets imaginable; Atkins, Weight Watchers, Cabbage Soup Diet, Scarsdale Diet, Thin for Life Diet, "Starve Myself Diet", "Don't Eat Breakfast or Lunch Only Supper Diet", Liquid Diet , Powder Diet etc...you get my point...I'm sure that some of you can relate to what I am trying to say....obviously none of these worked for me.

When I finally decided three years ago that this was it, I was making a change and sticking to it, that's when everything started falling into place for me. The puzzle pieces were coming together one by one and that is what finally brought me happiness and health again.

I had to get rid of all the negatives in my life as well, whether it was people, situations etc....I had to make peace in situations that were stressing me out and bring in as many positives as I could to fill my life!

I had never set foot in a gym in my 42 years..I had always imagined that it would be full of sexy women with tight leotards and the perfect bodies and that I would feel very intimidated....at Physical Limits Fitness Club, you feel comfortable immediately because there are people of all sizes and you do not feel judged.

Jason Christoff (owner and founder of The Revolution Weight Loss Program) is a strong believer that healthy weight loss and exercise go hand in hand and it is so true.

There are two things that I do to maintain my weight loss;
1.I weight myself every morning as I wake. This keeps me in line...
2.I write my gym schedule out weekly so that I see it and I know that it is part of my busy lifestyle. I need to go to stay on the right path and to feel energized.

There is also an angel that works there by the name of Cathy Bourgon. She is a personal trainer that takes care of the weight loss exercise classes. Cathy is an AMAZING individual and she just sees everyone as equals and size really never matters to her. She is such a genuine person and makes you feel like you can accomplish anything no matter what size you are and what challenges that you are experiencing physically.

She has become a very good friend throughout my weight loss journey and I only have great respect for her as do all of the other girls and guys in the class. We are a big family with one goal, getting healthy while having fun.Thanks Cathy, you are the best!!!

If you are like me and have never had much luck with yo yo dieting, come and see what this program is all about. You are never alone, you have so much support, weekly newsletters, health seminars etc....

I know that it has saved my life and I've never felt healthier than I do now. I will always have positive things to say about this program.

The following video is very inspirational and makes you realize that anything is possible when you set your mind to it! No matter who you are and where you come from dreams do come true when you take that very important first step. You can overcome obstacles and live out your life the way you want to live it....turn your negatives into positives and it will open many doors for you ....

Stay healthy..

Sylvie Thibert

Making A Killing....A Must See....

This is one of the first health videos that I viewed that really helped me understand and opened my eyes to what is going on out there when it comes to prescribing pharmaceutical drugs.
It deals with how pharmaceutical drugs became a multi-million dollar industry in the world almost overnight.
You will see how many psychiatrists admit that there is really no blood test that exists to prove that you are suffering from any mental health disorder.It is really a big guessing game, they cross their fingers and hope for the best.They are not sure which side the coin will fall...its a huge gamble!!
You will learn how so many normal, every day challenges have been branded with fancy names just to give it a disease and a drug to supposedly make you feel better.
In life it is normal at times to feel depressed, challenged, tired, sore, less energetic ...etc...this is called life!!These are all normal symptoms that are o.k to be feeling at one time or another in life.
Maybe you need to look at your lifestyle more closely and see if there is anything that you can do to improve your health. For example maybe go to bed earlier, drink water instead of coffee, walk to the store instead of taking the car, join a gym and get regular exercise...etc..all of this will make you feel better naturally , that I promise you.
You will understand the history of how psychiatrists came together to create all of these diseases to help make their job a secure one. All of this came about in 1966.
This is the part one of this documentary that has many parts...they are all so interesting and really show you that the secret to health lies within yourself.
The following video is so worth 10 minutes of your life!! It will open your eyes to what is really going on in the pharmaceutical industry.

Enjoy!!!
Stay Healthy...

Sylvie Thibert

Alex The Fry Guy!!

On March 11th 2009, my then 10 year old son had just viewed with us, the documentary "Supersize Me".
He decided that he would do an experiment with fries. We went to the drive-thru of McDonald's and Burger King and bought some regular fries.

When we returned home he placed the fries in their own labelled Masson jar. He placed home made fries in another jar. His mission was to see how long it would take for the genetically modified fries to decompose?

Well, we still have those jars of fries tucked away in a safe place. We recently took them out and they still have not changed. The real potatoes became water after 3 days (live food...). The color of the fast food fries has changed a little but the shape and size is still the same...

Now if this boy is able to figure out that this isn't real food why is it that so many adults run there every day with their children for a treat? For a quick fix that costs a fortune really and  is full of empty calories.

I've actually brought his experiment to the High School that I work in and showed some students.They say that since they've seen this in front of them they have no desire for fast food fries anymore.

I am very proud of my son and his awareness of the food that surrounds him. Sure he will have the same food as other kids the odd time but he will always comment afterwards, "The ones that you make are better tasting mom...".

Whenever he wants to know something about nutrition or certain foods, I look into it and try to answer his questions to the best of my knowledge. If I don't know what to tell him there is always the Internet and Wikipedia that has a lot of great answers.

If he can do it at such a young age, there really is no reason that we can't do it either right?? We just have to take the time to invest in our health and the one of our loved ones. We have one life to live, lets try to live it to the best of our ability. We don't have to be followers , we can be leaders and live our life by showing the example for our next generation that is in great need of nutritional education.

Lets not forget that we are living in the biggest childhood obesity epidemic....lets start asking ourselves why??

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert
The Health Nut!!!

One Off My Bucket List!!!!

On July 22nd, 2010 I was lucky enough to give away my 10inch pony tail to "Angel Hair For Kids Foundation". I really took my time to find a foundation that grabbed my heart. This was the one that did that. It provides children that have never grown hair, are victims of burns or cancer treatments to have a real hair wig to give them self-confidence.

The part that touched me the most is that it deals with less fortunate families. I am 45 years old and I still have my natural hair color. My mom passed away 3 years ago at the age of 87 and she barely had any grey hair. I hope that I inherited that gene...thanks mom...love you!!

Its one more thing off my bucket list.Now I can set myself another goal. Go ahead, set yourself a goal, give to others and it will come back to you.

The feeling that I had when my hairdresser Carol was finally cutting it off was mixed emotions but I was very proud of myself for doing what I had set out to do. My brother in law Jack was there to film the big moment.

The funny thing is that prior to losing my weight 3 years ago I was starting to have quite a few grey hairs. As soon as I changed my way of life to a more wholesome one my hair naturally darkened???

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert

The health Nut!!

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Jamie Oliver is a popular British chef that helped transform the British school food program. He decided to take on one of his biggest challenges. He set out to make one of America's school cafeteria menu a healthier choice for young students.

He met quite a few barriers along the way, one in the name of Alice (head cook of the cafeteria) that did not start off being his number one fan. Everyone was very reluctant to change, even the local radio station, but with time he managed to work his magic and made a difference.Very interesting to hear the logic behind school cafeterias guidelines and what they consider to be real food....

Jaime teams up with young students that wish to make a difference in their lives and its very touching how each and everyone of them was touched in a special way by Jamie's life changing experiment.

I've been working for a school board for the last twenty years, 19 out of those years at the elementary level. Lets just say that I've seen many lunches and I can understand why there is so much hyperactivity in our schools today. All of the food coloring in the lunches fruit roll-ups, fruit snacks, pudding, jello, fruit drinks, Gatorade, soft drinks....and the list goes on...

We as parents are the only ones responsible for putting either bad, unhealthy choices or good healthy choices in our kids lunch boxes. We are the ones that go to work daily, earn a salary and buy the food. We have to stand up as parents to our children and show them that if they want chocolate cookies that we can make that with them, if they want fries, that we can make that with them....everything can be made the good old fashioned way. Yes, it takes more time and energy but it is so worth it in the long run...invest in your family and your health and you wont' regret it , I promise you that..

Check out the video below to view this health angel in action. I really think that he is a pioneer in health and has a fantastic soul and really wants the best for all of these kids. He is a leader who's example we should all follow.

Please watch the above video with your children, they will find it very interesting.....

Stay healthy....

Sylvie Thibert
The Health Nut!!!

KFC????

Three years ago, prior to my weight loss, this was one of our favorite family night treat. I look back on that today and wonder, what was I thinking??? Today we can no longer even stand the smell just from the outside of the building. There is a reason that so many seagulls hang around that place, they eat anything right?? In the last three years of changing my life around , I've learned so much about how these poor animals are fed hormones to make them grow much faster (for the huge daily demand).

The abuse that they endure is inhumane, they have their beaks cut off (which often leads to them starving to death) which can sometimes lead to them having heart attacks just from the shock of this.They grow too heavy too soon for their feet to support them which causes them to have broken limbs. I could go on about this but I prefer that you see it for yourself.

Our ancestors would be very disappointed in the way these poor animals are dealt with today. They loved their animals, they were thankful that they were able to feed their loved ones and maybe make a few extra dollars selling any goods that they could spare. They treated the animals with respect and were proud to know that they were doing the best to their knowledge to raise fine food for their families.

Remember Little House on the Prairie, when Mrs Ingalls would go into the Mercantile regularly to pay her bills with fresh eggs and home made goods...where have those wholesome days gone, where everyone would respect the land and their animals free of abuse, antibiotics and pesticides????

CAUTION: the following video is very graphic and not meant to be viewed by innocent eyes.

Unbelievable and so sad....

Stay healthy....

Sylvie Thibert
The Health Nut!!

What's in your burger???

This is unbelievable but true....the following video "The Bionic Hamburger" is about a guy that had purchased two McDonald's burgers.He ate one and placed the other in his pocket and forgot about it.Very interesting to see the outcome of this incident.When you stop to think of all the people that eat this food daily...its pretty scary stuff...

 Like the famous saying goes "If it rots, its probably good for you", well this isn't rotting?? Now if this isn't decomposing what is it made of??? This is genetically modified food. These multi-million dollar companies pay large sums of money to scientists. They spend hours everyday creating smells and tastes that they add to this food to make you believe that you are eating real food. Now don't let the tomatoes and lettuce fool you for what they are really trying to sell you....we have to wake up and really take a deeper look at what is going on here...

Click below to view the video of this....unbelievable!!!

The next video, "Supersize Me" follows a man in his 30's that has accepted to eat only items from McDonald's menu list, three times a day for one month. He has to order everything from the menu at least once and if they ask him if he wants to Supersize it , he has to say "yes". It is so interesting to watch him go through all of the emotional and physical challenges. Unbelievable what shape he is in at the end of the documentary....very interesting indeed...

Click to view the video.

 "The Heart Attack Grill" video is a must see. It is a restaurant that really exists in Chandler, Arizona.
On the front door in big red letters it reads: "Caution this establishment is bad for your health" and their motto is :"Taste worth dying for".The owner is dressed like a doctor, the waitresses are dressed like sexy nurses. Makes the customers forget what they are putting in their mouths I guess?

check it out!!!

I think that these are all eye-opening videos that are there to show us that we really need to start getting back in the kitchen more seriously and learn to cook fresh natural meals again. Its not a good sign when you open your refrigerator door and find Michelina's on one side and Hungry Man on the other...very sad!!!               

Stay healthy....

Sylvie Thibert
The Health Nut!!!

Food Inc.

This is an awesome documentary that you should really invest in. It is a must for any health library. One to share with loved ones and those who are always harder to convince. It is hard not to question everything about the food industry as we know it after you view this film. A true eye opening testimony to what is really going on around us. Once you have lived it, I guarantee you that you will never look at food the same way. I personally give it two thumbs up and a must for everyone to see.

Check out the trailer for this documentary below and you decide if it is something worth investing in??

Enjoy!!

Stay healthy...

Sylvie Thibert
The Health Nut!!!

Cocktail anyone????

Now, this may seem like an exaggerated picture, but when you stop and think about it so many people today have such a cocktail of medication to take daily it may as well replace a full meal. When I finished College in 1986 in the Social Work field, my first job was in a group home for mental health patients. I remember how these residents used to walk around like zombies all day and they would line up for their meds like clock work. I coudn't believe all of the pills that they had to take daily, plus the pills that they needed to take for side-effects. I was wondering back then, if these pills are so good for them, why do they have to take pills for side-effects???

Last week-end we had a sudden emergency with my 12 year old son...so we rushed him off to the local emergency room (where we received excellent care by the way...). During our short wait in the waiting area (there were maybe 20 people all together) at least 10 of them had ziploc bags with all of their toxic medications in them. Most of them were overweight, seemed out of breath, had a drained look in their eyes, they were pale and had trouble sitting comfortably. Now as I watched them it seemed like they were comparing notes with their neighbor (almost like a poker game, I'll raise you this one for that one...) as to who took more pills in a day and how it was all because of their genetics and that it was in the family....

Before I decided to do something about my love affair with food, I suffered from chronic acid reflux. My doctor prescribed a pill that I needed to take twice a day for the rest of my life "Zantac" without any further testing of my condition??This is the day that I decided to do something about my 195lb body.
This is when I hit bottom, this is when I realized that something had to be done on a permanent basis , not just a quick fix weight loss. As soon as I decided that I was going to lose the weight and keep it off, it was easy.

I exchanged my 5 large cups of coffee from Tim Horton's for 3 liters of filtered water daily (overnight my acid reflux was gone, vanished!!!)I had suffered with this for 6 months straight and the pain was becoming unbearable...I couldn't believe that the fix could be this easy...unbelievable!!

I started a routine of going to bed by 10pm and waking by 6am,  feeding my body great wholesome food (3 main meals and 3 snacks daily), I purchased all stainless steel and cast iron cooking pots, I grew a huge organic garden....and the list of changes goes on and on, all of this could only bring a better outcome in my life.

I had to look at myself in the mirror and face the truth that I had to choose the path that I was going to take in my life. I had to take control of my destiny, illness or health....I was the only one that could make that decision....yes it takes effort and determination but I have done it and lived it and I know that anyone that sets their mind to positive change in their lives can do it too...

You only have one life to live and only you can make the change to live your life to the fullest. Medications will only bring on weight gain, depression and make you feel numb....don't forget that doctors would be out of work if you knew that food and lifestyle change could help you heal your body...please think about that??

This is the video of a "Zyprexa Drug Rep whistle blower". What he has to say is very interesting.

Stay healthy....

Sylvie Thibert
The Health Nut!!!

You Are What You Eat....

Well you know that old saying "You are what you eat???", well its not too far from the truth is it???
We are now living in the biggest obesity epidemic that has ever been known to mankind.

Why do you think this is happening???Well, I am 45 years old and all I can tell you is that when I was growing up, my mom was making home made meals for my large family all of the time. I am the youngest of 10 children (20 years between the oldest and myself) and she always found time to be in our kitchen and prepare great meals.
When women slowly started working outside of the home, for very good reasons (improve income, financial independence, spare change etc....) the fast food restaurant industry took advantage of the situation and started expanding at a rapid pace. This is the era that the microwave became popular for our society that was spending less and less time in the kitchen.

TV dinners, Hungry Man and hot dogs and fries became a growing staple in the home. More and more of mom's home cooked meals were being replaced by the fast food. This lead us to eating in front of the tv and spending less time as a family unit sitting at the table to have our meals together.

It is a proven fact that when you eat in front of the tv there is a huge amount of subliminal messages that go on that we cannot see with the naked eye but this makes us eat faster and makes us want that food. Ever wonder why the world's famous clown (Ronald) and Wendy's logo is more recognized worldwide than the Pope?

We really have to get back into the kitchen and prepare real meals , with the best food we can purchase and made with love instead of preservatives, msg and ingredients that we cannot even pronounce...

This video entitled "Ingredients" shows you that you really are what you eat and how great food can go from an organic farmer to a restaurant and keep its beautiful juicy freshness..the way it was meant to be...from the seed to the plate..mmmm....

Stay healthy , until next time...

Sylvie Thibert
The Health Nut!!!!