Should the FDA stand for Fraudulant Devilish Acts?

Sometimes when I hear myself talking to clients or am prepping for a workshop, I feel like a hybrid of Debbie Downer and a conspiracy theorist. You see, we are all actresses in a really bad science fiction thriller called SAD (the Standard American Diet). More and more, people are realizing how scary processed food is but when you first start to uncover the truth, it can be terrifying and paralyzing.

See Exhibit A here

The news about mercury in high-fructose corn syrup is familiar to me. But for how long the FDA knew about this and did nothing shocks my humanitarian soul. With a solid background in food politics, I should know by now what you can get away with when you are well-connected.

Food companies and the industrial agriculture system get away with more than murder. They also get paid quite nicely for inhumane animal treatment, polluting our environment, weakening international economies and being the main driver in the average American’s decreasing quantity and quality of life.

But I hate focusing on the negative. It gets you no where. So I’m going to focus on what I can control: buying local and organic, writing to my legislators and calling food companies about my displeasure with them (yes, I’ve done it before and will do it again.) And of course, continue educating my clients and workshop participants on how to be smart and savvy foodies.

Now this is where I start to sound like a Public Service Announcement (and not one sponsored by the USDA or the FDA): You can change the ending to this movie. We have control over our health. When we make healthy food, exercise and stress management choices, we don’t have to go down with the ship (and even if it’s sinking, you’ll have the stamina and strength to swim to shore).

What break-out role can you have to give your part, and those you care about in this movie a happy ending? If your not sure where to start, I strongly suggest reading anything by Micheal Pollan. Omnivore’s Dilemma or In Defense of Food are awesome books. He’s also a contributor to the New York Times. Or pick one food in your pantry. Take the ingredient list and find out what your eating. I’d love to hear about your discoveries.

So for all of those who love happy endings, it’s show time!

November 2008 Newsletter: Health Bail-Out Plan

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day…

The Phillies won the World Series and the city of Philadelphia is experiencing its first sports championship in more than 25 years. The energy here is exhilarating. It never ceases to amaze me how a sports championship can bring a city together!

I wish everyone had the same fervor for something unifying in politics, especially with such a crucial election on Tuesday. Oh, but wait, we do. Food! Yes, a solid food agenda is something that both sides of the aisle can agree on. You betcha!

It may not seem apparent off the bat (sorry, still in World Series mode) but if we focus on changing food policy, we can alter the course of global warming, save our “health-care” system, grow businesses and increase our national security.

For more details, check out author and activist Michael Pollan’s brilliant letter to the next President here.

But while it’s going to take the government time to get around to changing food policy, you can change yours right now. And to support you in changing your eating habits, I’m offering a “Health Bail-Out”
special for the month of November to help you save money responsibly, stop stress eating from these crazy times and avoid the looming holiday weight gain.

Bail out your bad habits and your devaluing health!

For anyone who signs up as a client in my six-month nutritional counseling program in November, you’ll receive a free month of health counseling.* And for current or past clients, every referral who signs-up to work with me, you’ll receive a free month of health counseling too.*

The benefits of nutritional counseling are greater than ever. Food prices will continue to increase as it’s energy-intensive and the days of cheap energy are over—no matter who is in office. When you know what to eat for your body (and you eat healthfully) your grocery and take-out bills go down significantly and you eat less.

I’ve personally seen a 30 percent reduction in my food expenditures since eating a local, whole foods diet. And that is while food prices have increased. I’ve had several clients echo the same story. They cannot believe how much more they have in their wallets at the end of the week and how satisfied they feel on much less food.

Also, insurance companies are shifting towards a risk-tolerance/premium payment model. They started with the smokers and next is the Body Mass Index (BMI). So, the more you weigh, the more you pay. Why not start investing your money in yourself versus your insurance premiums? Your Return on Investment (ROI) will be more energy, clarity, confidence, weight loss, saving money (on food, medicine, doctors’ visits, insurance premiums, etc.) and avoiding 80 percent of illness? What a deal!

And aside from the economics, eating healthy has never been so much fun. My clients are pleasantly surprised at how much they enjoy cooking and eating real food and how quick, simple, and grounding it is, especially in these volatile times.

The stock market will have its cycle, but health doesn’t always work that way. As someone who has lost her health before, trust me when I say it’s easier and more fun to invest and watch your health grow than
be bankrupt.

So, contact me today at 215.279.7491 or alishapiro@pyournutrition.com for an initial consult. We’ll go over your complete health history and decide if we’re a good match to work together. If so, we’ll get you feeling energetic, optimistic, and buoyant…like after a World Series win!

Getting excited to vote on November 4th,

Ali

P.S. I’m offering two workshops with my dear friend and brilliant psychologist Dr. Nicole Lipkin on staying slim and sane during the holidays. For complete details, click here

*The extra month of health counseling will be added at the end of your six-month program.