About the Center

Not long ago, a grocery store advertisement headline reading, “Live Healthy. Be You.” caught my eye. This catchy phrase hovered over a variety of products that resulted in feelings of horror and outrage because the entire ad was filled with personal care, cleaning and processed food products that should have a skull and crossbones symbol on the label to warn people of their toxic chemicals! Hair colorant, root cover-up, volumizing shampoo, anti-aging cream, skin brightening peel pads, sunblock, insect repellent, lash-thickening mascara, fluoridated whitening toothpaste, meal replacement protein bars, cortisone creams, disinfectant wipes, air and body deodorizers, plastic containers, etc. – all promising a more beautiful, slimmer, and comfortable you in addition to offering protection from the “threatening” environment. 

A little-known ploy of marketers is to create a feeling of dissatisfaction and fear so that we are compelled to purchase items that might help you or your environment be more desirable. Have we ever stood back and analyzed how our sense of value and worth are affected by the mass media’s constant bombardment of “you’re not good enough, but this will help”? Marketing is a form of brainwashing and it has been long known that the more you are exposed to something, the more your brain will accept it as “true” and “needed”.

What does “Live Healthy, Be You” have to do with the advertisement of toxic products? Beauty, sex appeal, health, and individualism appeal to our desire for validation, pleasure, and comfort. I can guarantee there is no pleasure or comfort in being overweight, obesity, infertility, learning disabilities, autism, cancer and autoimmune disease. These escalating health issues are a result of exposure to the 4 billion pounds of chemicals being introduced into our environment each year. 1

The fact is we don’t need products to be healthy or be ourselves. The less time we spend trying to live up to the media’s idea of beauty by poisoning ourselves, the better we feel about being ourselves. So the next time you read or hear an ad for a product, take the time to decipher how the marketer is brainwashing you. Maybe it will help you think twice before you purchase yet another product of empty and even harmful promise. Also, consider that our landfills are overburdened with plastic containers that we throw “away” after using (or not using) the contents. Consider also that the contents, including their toxic chemicals, eventually end up in our water supply. We can all make an effort to re-use, reduce, recycle and choose products carefully! 

Choose Vibrant Living was founded to help everyone improve health, lower risk of chronic disease, attain normal body weight and have vibrant energy. By donating a small amount to watch the webinars*, you are helping to maintain the website and provide health education for families in need. Invest in yourself so you and your family can truly “Live healthy. Be you.” 

*Stay tuned, webinars are coming soon! :)

References:

1. http://scorecard.goodguide.com/env-releases/us-map.tcl

Have you or someone you know joined the 86 million Americans who have been diagnosed with insulin resistance, prediabetes or Type II Diabetes? If so, don’t miss the Diabetes: A Preventable Chronic Disease webinar* so you can learn how to reverse this debilitating disease. Dr. Cheryl Hamilton will discuss how and why insulin resistance occurs; why it progresses to diabetes; and how it affects your health. Treatments, including pharmaceutical; herbal; vitamins; minerals; diet and lifestyle will be discussed in general terms. Although presentation focus is Type II Diabetes, diet for Type I Diabetes will be briefly discussed. Come and be inspired to obtain total health!

*Stay tuned, webinars are coming soon! :)

As a woman in our current paradigm, you probably haven’t viewed your monthly menses as a gift let alone the ability to become pregnant as miraculous. As the mother of four children, I can confidently say that giving birth is one of the greatest gifts of life. Knowing this, I try to inspire a sense of gratitude for our ability to bring life into the world. Women who have been raised in nurturing homes have an innate ability to nurture their children with love, compassion, and patience that goes far beyond what any other species can provide.

Being fortunate enough to have this amazing life-bearing experience also comes with responsibility – to those we give life and to ourselves. So, if you’re pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant and want your baby to have the best start in life possible, you’re in the right place. 

The fact is, the health of your body and mind determines how the baby develops in the womb in an incredibly complicated and miraculous process! The ability of the cells to differentiate and divide will determine how the infant will be able to react to the world they enter into both physically and psychologically. 

You’re not the only one that determines the health of your baby – the health of the child’s father is equally important. Here’s a little synopsis of why:

Both parents provide a gamete (haploid cells) that provides half of the genetic information (23 chromosomes) that will become the baby. The mother’s gamete is called the egg (ova or ovum) and the father’s gamete is called the sperm. After the sperm penetrates and fertilizes the egg, a complete (diploid) cell called a zygote is formed. The zygote contains a full set of genes (46 chromosomes) containing all of the DNA necessary to make a new human being. 

After the sperm penetrates the egg in the fallopian tube, the fertilized egg journeys to the uterus. By the time it has reached the uterus, the cells have divided multiple times forming a blastocyst that attaches to the uterine lining. This becomes the fetus’ first home as it begins the amazing process of becoming a baby over the next 280 days. Since the father’s sperm provides half of the genetic blueprint (DNA), the father’s health is as important as yours, so be sure to get him onboard with this information.

The mother’s body will provide all of the nutrients needed for the development of the baby in her uterus. The baby’s brain, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver, GI tract, etc. are all developing from two cells (the gametes) that have to differentiate and create all of the tissues and organs that create a human being. For this reason, it’s essential that the mother takes the necessary precautions to provide everything needed to avoid interruption of each intricate stage of development. A diet high in organic vegetables, high-quality organically sourced protein, plentiful fiber and pure water and low in sugars, processed foods and harmful fats is essential to maintaining health of mother and fetus. Please take the time to watch our nourishment webinars to learn more.

It is imperative that the parents avoid environmental toxins long before they are trying to conceive, throughout pregnancy and throughout childhood! The home care and personal care product industries are not regulated and products contain chemicals that adversely affect your baby’s and your own health.

Unfortunately, over 4 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released into our environment in the United States each year.(1) These chemicals have NOT been tested for human safety, let alone the reactions that occur with chemical combinations. The burden of proof rests on our children and us even though it is known that toxins can have lifelong health effects.(2) Toxins include lead in paint in older homes; mercury in certain kinds of fish; pesticides and herbicides in our homes, food, and drinking water (such as glyphosate, commercially known as Round-Up); and endocrine (hormone) disruptors, such as phthalates and BPA, in our personal care products and plastics.

Steps you can take at home to reduce toxin exposure include: 

• Take off your shoes at your front door, to keep toxins out of your house
• Stop smoking if you do and avoid second hand smoke and fumes of any kind
• Use natural, organic non-bleached feminine napkins and tampons without a plastic applicator
• Avoid drinking water from plastic bottles
• Test your drinking water if it comes from a well
• Drink only filtered drinking water
• Make your own personal care products with organic ingredients
• Use environmentally friendly cleaning products
• Avoid fragrances
• Wash new clothes and bedding before wearing or using them and shower after trying on new clothes
• Replace carpet with hardwood or tile flooring
• Avoid processed and canned food
• Avoid plastics of all kinds  
• Avoid common chemical exposure from chemical tick and flea collars or dips for pets and cancel your service for lawn fertilizer, herbicide and insecticide application 

The list can go on forever and provides only a small glimpse of the chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis. 

If you want to know more, make a donation to watch the Detoxify webinar* below and the Toxin Avoidance webinar* to better understand how you can protect your children and yourself. And remember, the majority of toxins are stored in our bodies, so it is never too early to start detoxifying and cleaning up your body and environment.

*Stay tuned, webinars are coming soon! :)

1. http://scorecard.goodguide.com/env-releases/us-map.tcl
2. http://scorecard.goodguide.com/health-effects/

Do you experience abdominal discomfort, gas and bloating after you eat? Do you go longer than 24 hours between bowel movements? Are your stools hard to pass and pebble-like? Do your bowel movements alternate between diarrhea and constipation? If so, then read on because you don’t have to suffer. 

There are many reasons for gastric disturbance, but the most prevalent cause is a disruption in the balance of the microbes (bacteria, yeast and other microorganisms, collectively known as the microbiome) in the digestive tract. This is no surprise because there are more than 100 trillion microorganisms that live in our gastrointestinal tract, on our skin and elsewhere in our bodies. In fact, the total number of genes that make up the human microbiome outnumbers the total number of human genes by a factor of 100-to-one so it’s no wonder that microbial imbalances would lead to dis-ease.  Microbiome imbalances can be caused by:

• Lack of exposure to beneficial microbes: Infants obtain bacteria from their mother during the birth process and via breastfeeding. C-section delivery and formula feeding impedes the natural transfer of bacteria from the mother to the infant. Women who have taken antibiotics before giving birth can also pass on pathogenic bacteria to their infants rather than a healthy array of beneficial bacteria. Children who grow up in extremely hygienic conditions have less exposure to microbes so their immune system becomes hyper-reactive as compared to children who grow up on farms where the exposure to dirt and animal microbes allows their immune system to attain a higher tolerance so they have less allegies.1,2,3
• Stress: Hormones produced under stress lower the levels of good bacteria and increase inflammation of the digestive tract lining. In addition, stress diverts the body’s processes away from the process of digestion, allowing foods to remain in the digestive tract longer.  Microbial digestion of food (otherwise known as fermentation) results in gas and bloating in addition to overgrowth of unfavorable microbes.4,5,6
• Food allergies: If your body is reacting to the foods you eat, your entire digestive tract can be inflamed. This can lead to “leaky gut”, which has been correlated with increased incidence of autoimmune conditions, in which the immune system starts attacking one’s own body.5,7
• Antibiotic Exposure: Overuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well as reduction in beneficial bacteria in the body. University studies have shown that antibiotics also destroy the cells that line the intestine, which results in disruption of nutrient absorption.8
• Acid-suppressing medications: Stomach acid is important for several reasons, including destruction on ingested microbes, breaking down proteins for absorption and stimulating the release of digestive enzymes from the pancreas. By buffering or blocking production of hydrochloric acid, antacids, (Tums) anti-histamines (cimetidine, famotidine, nizatidine and ranitidine) and protein pump inhibitors (omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), and omeprazole/sodium bicarbonate (Zegerid), pantoprazole (Protonix)) prevent these important processes and create an environment that favors the development of microbial imbalances. Long-term use of these drugs can lead to nutritional deficiencies, increased inflammation, osteoporosis, neurotransmitter imbalances, and impaired metabolism.9, 10
• Environmental Toxin Exposure: Toxins from the environment can destroy gut bacteria and lead to chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup, disrupts the biosynthesis of amino acids, alters the balance between pathogens and beneficial biota in the gut, impairs absorption of important nutrients such as sulfur and selenium, and inhibits an important detoxification pathway in the liver. Recent studies have shown the growing problem of celiac disease and gluten intolerance can be attributed to glyphosate in our foods. Glyphosate is just one example of a chemical that has been shown to have detrimental consequences to health. Since the industrial revolution, thousands of chemicals have been introduced in our air, water, food supply and homes. Unfortunately the burden of proof for safety is forced upon the living beings that inhabit this planet rather than the companies that produce the chemicals.11, 12
• Eating a Standard American Diet (SAD): A diet high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, unhealthy fats and antibiotic/hormone laden meat and low in fresh organic vegetables and naturally fermented foods results in extreme imbalances of gut microbes. Consumption of artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, has been shown to cause a significant reduction of beneficial bacteria. 13, 14

Methods of evaluation:

Since the gastrointestinal tract is a complicated organ system, testing for microbiome imbalances involvesa thorough evaluation of a patient’s thorough medical history and current symptoms, as well as past treatments and outcomes to determine appropriate testing.

Symptoms of indigestion, gas/bloating, burning or discomfort in the upper abdominal area that is made better or worse by eating and/or a positive fecal occult blood stool test, warrant testing for Helicoobactor pyloriovergrowth. H. pylori is a bacteria that inhabits the stomach of most humans and is the organism that is responsible for the development of ulcers if conditions allow overgrowth. The urea breath test is used to diagnose H. pylori. Several antibiotics are used to eradicate the organism and herbal products can be used to help heal the gut tissue. It’s extremely important to address the cause of the imbalance of H. pylori so that overgrowth does not re-occur. Food allergies/intolerances and prolonged stress are common causes of inflammation, which can lead to bacterial imbalances in the stomach. Acid-suppressing drugs can result in H. pylori overgrowth, resulting in increased nitrites and N-nitroso compounds (NOCs), which have been associated with inflammation in the stomach.15 

Small intestinal bowel overgrowth (SIBO) is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. SIBO can result from chronic constipation; food borne illnesses; consumption of foods, such as sugar and refined carbohydrates that support growth of unfavorable microbes; and/or impaired digestion of foods. Symptoms of SIBO include gas/bloating, flatulence, belching, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, and nausea. SIBO may be the cause of irritable bowel symptoms if the following indicators are present: symptoms are made worse by consuming fiber or probiotics that contain prebiotics; patients with celiac do not improve with gluten-free diets; symptoms improve after a course of antibiotics; or if use of opiates causes constipation. The diagnostic method for SIBO is the hydrogen/methane breath test. Antibiotics, herbal medicine and specific food types can help to rebalance the microbes and eliminate overgrowth if testing is positive.16

A Comprehensive Stool Analysis (CSA) can be used to assess overall gastrointestinal health. CSA can provide information regarding digestive enzyme function and effectiveness and microbial inhabitants of the large intestine. Microscopic analysis of stool can identify meat and/or vegetable fibers, which indicate improper digestion. Macroscopic exam may also identify a parasitic infection. Presence of fecal fats can indicate impaired transit time, insufficient absorption, lack of enzymes or bile acids. Symptoms indicating a CSA is needed to evaluate gut health include diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, excessive flatulence, nausea, reflux, and suspicion of leaky gut.

Summary:

If you are suffering with digestive complaints, it’s important to see a doctor who is knowledgeable about the various causes of discomfort as well as alternative labs so that microbial imbalances can be identified and treated properly. There are other conditions, such as food allergies/intolerances, pancreatic insufficiency, insufficient bile acids, impaired liver function, diverticulosis and cancer that can lead to abdominal discomfort. Today’s lifestyle and standard practices have created the most common cause of gastric distress – microbiome imbalance.  If you are suffering with gastrointestinal distress, it’s important to identify what is causing your discomfort because food sensitivities, toxin exposure, and microbial imbalances can lead to chronic disease, including autoimmune disease, arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and cancer.

References: Click Link Below to View References

We live in a paradigm where a woman is thought to be beautiful and sexy if she has big breasts, a small waist, and a tight curvy bottom. Have you seen a lot of real women who fit this mold – especially after they have had life’s most incredible experience of giving birth to new life? Real women have curves and curves are beautiful! 

Most of us are familiar with the difficulty of losing weight and keeping it off. We live in a culture of fast food, frequent dining out, and readily-available-ready-to-eat-packaged-to-go-high-carb/fat-so-called-snackfood. In addition, a myriad of conditions can develop as we age that cause our bodies to gain body fat, which include:

•    Hormonal imbalance (including thyroid dysfunction and insulin resistance)
•    Adrenal imbalance (due to chronic stress)
•    Neurotransmitter imbalance
•    Impaired detoxification
•    Microbiome imbalance in the gut
•    Systemic inflammation
•    Menopause

Most young women begin struggling with weight gain during adolescence when the body starts preparing for the fertile years. Fat helps to produce and maintain hormones and promotes the healthy development of the fetus, as well as the mother’s milk production. Women who have less than 8% body fat are at risk of becoming infertile. Having too much body fat can predispose a developing fetus to obesity later in life and leads to a plethora of health complications for both mother and child during pregnancy. Being severely overweight or obese increases the risk of:

•    Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
•    Metabolic syndrome (metabolic abnormalities that increase the risk of cardiovascular
       disease and type 2 diabetes)
•    Coronary heart disease
•    Dyslipidemia (elevated cholesterol and/or triglycerides)
•    Gallbladder disease
•    Gastroesophageal reflux disease (heartburn)
•    Hypertension
•    Obstructive sleep apnea
•    Osteoarthritis
•    Stroke
•    Diabetes

Maintaining a healthy body weight as we age takes a lot of work and there are few of us who have the time to devote to traditional exercise regimes that guarantee success. That’s probably why there are so many overweight people. In fact, the topic of weight control surpasses all others in books, product lines, and health-related issues. 

There is no better time than now to find a program that works for you and make a firm commitment to get fit. This doesn’t mean skinny. It means that you attain a weight that is comfortable for you and that allows you to do the things you want, whether it’s putting on a bathing suit or riding a mountain bike. 

How do you choose a program that will work for you? Look for these important aspects to help you decide:

1. Is this something you can do for the rest of your life? If the program is promoting the use of weight loss supplements; injections;  cancer inducing laser/ultrasound treatments; or manufactured/processed foods to eat, you can be sure that it is a temporary fix and more likely than not, you’ll gain the weight back (and more) when it’s discontinued.

2. Is the program teaching and enabling your effort to improve health? It’s impossible to lose fat tissue if the body is suffering from dis-ease. Muscle tissue is more energy efficient to burn than fat tissue. Since the body’s priority is survival, it conserves energy by preferentially burning muscle tissue in times of stress or dis-ease. 

3. Is the program flexible and adaptable to any lifestyle? If you’re on the go, you need a program that will teach you how to eat in restaurants as well as how to prepare healthy quick-fix meals.

4. Is the program evaluating your individual obstacles to fat reduction? There are many health conditions that inhibit weight loss and there is nothing more frustrating than starving yourself and participating in painful exercise only to gain the weight right back because your body is doing everything it can to conserve the adipose tissue.

A good program will evaluate your individual health; provide education on how foods and food combinations affect your body and metabolism; address the emotional aspects of eating; provide information on the most effective fat-burning exercise regimes; explain how to make healthy food choices; avoid environmental toxins; educate on how to obtain a healthy microbiome in your GI tract, and especially how to eat to allow the body to burn fat tissue rather than muscle tissue for a lifetime of health. 

Congratulations! You have just found that program! Choose Vibrant Living presents the A Way Of Life Weight Control Program to help you get healthy and fit!

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom. – Anias Nin. 

To read more about how the A Way Of Life Weight Control Program will assist you in becoming who it is you want to be, click here. Let go of inhibitions, “shoulds” and fears and DO IT! With our help, you can blossom, feel good, and look great!

A note from Dr. Cheryl Hamilton, founder and executive director of Choose Vibrant Living

As a naturopathic medical doctor, my first concern in patient health is nutrition and GI health. What you consume and your ability to absorb nutrients determines how well your body can respond to infections, mental stress, and physical stress, as well as how your body stores or burns excess calories. The fact is, what you put in and on your body becomes you. 

The Choose Vibrant Living Nourishment webinars explain how to achieve optimal health through with diet and lifestyle. The scientifically validated information provided will take the confusion out of improving your health. In addition to improving your health, you are supporting our effort to help as many people as possible achieve optimal, abundant health. We have one body and one life – choose to be vibrant!

#1 – Nourishing Macronutrients: Carbohydrate, Fats, and Proteins

#2 – Nourishing Micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals:what are they and why they matter, form the foundation of the remainder of the series as they explain what food is and why the quality of food makes a difference. We highly recommend starting with these as they provide the fundamentals for understanding the rest of the series. 

Webinar #3, Nourishment Guidelines*: How food and drink affect the body; how is food metabolized and used for replacement of body cells, energy production, fat storage for future energy; why we crave certain food types, as well as tricks to curb those cravings and make room for more nutrient dense foods. In addition, we’ll cover insulin resistance, why it occurs, and how you can control it with diet and lifestyle.

Webinar #4, Nourishing Body Buddies*: How to nurture your belly buddies and the little critters on your skin and hair. We’re not alone – our body is an ecosystem of living organisms that we must also nurture and protect. The organisms that live in our GI tract and on our skin and hair are collectively called the microbiome. We cover how foods affect the microbiome and how they affect how we think and feel. We include a food fermentation demonstration so you can create your own garden of body buddies.

Webinar #5: Nourishing Tips for Success*: We’ll continue with discussions on how you can shop for and prepare foods that will help improve your immunity, mood, memory, energy, sleep and stamina – in fact, every aspect of your health! AND, we’ll do this while showing you how to prepare a variety of delicious, nourishing foods, easy and affordably. Don’t miss this final presentation that is sure to inspire you to live vibrantly!