Remember my two main tenets for choosing healthy food:

1. If your great-grandmother didn’t eat it, then neither should you
2. If you don’t know what the ingredients are, then you shouldn’t eat it

So what does that mean for gluten free options?  Well, let’s start at the beginning.  What is gluten?  Basically, gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye (and a few other lesser known grains).  Therefore, if you have a gluten sensitivity, you need to avoid these foods.  And given the prevalence of wheat-based additives in many products on our grocery shelves (particularly flavoring, stabilizing and thickening agents), it can be complicated, so it takes awareness and diligence.

Recently, more and more labels are sporting the term “gluten free,” which in theory should make it easier to find foods we can eat.  However, if you look closely at the labels of many of these products, you’ll find that the gluten has been replaced with loads of other chemicals and additives that simply aren’t good for you.

So when considering gluten free choices, always keep those two main nutritional guidelines in mind as well.  My goal for you is to eat whole, natural, unprocessed foods.  Too many of the products marketed as gluten free simply substitute other kinds of unhealthy additives.  So while you may not be as overtly sensitive to those chemicals or additives as you are to gluten, they may still have adverse effects on your health.

In looking at labels, be particularly aware of gums.  Gluten gives food its sticky texture so when you take gluten out you often have to use gums and other thickeners like carrageenan to bind the products together.  These additives can be very problematic to your digestive system.  Click here to learn more.

An additional issue with gluten free products is that even if the grain that is being used in the product does not contain gluten, it is still a starch.  Starches are polysaccharides (a type of carbohydrate) that have a dramatic impact on your blood sugar.  These types of carbohydrates raise blood sugar quickly, thereby setting off a complex chemical reaction involving insulin changes that may leave you feeling fatigued, irritable and hungry shortly after consuming them.  The over-consumption of starches in America has greatly contributed to problems with blood sugar regulation and the overwhelming increase in the number of both adults and children being diagnosed with Type II Diabetes.  For overall health and weight loss it is best to limit the starches in your diet, whether they contain gluten or not.

So remember – going gluten free in a healthy way can be a bit tricky.  Reading the label is always important, even if a products advertises itself as being gluten free and “all natural” or “organic”.   A healthy diet contains a balance of proteins, fats and simple carbohydrates that come from foods as close to nature as possible.

Danielle met with Tracie before the 8-week class in a one-on-one session for a general assessment, just to see what was going on.  “I wasn’t a huge mess,” she claims with a laugh.  However, she was having some health issues, mostly skin break-outs and hives, but also bloating and a regular lack of energy.  It was a good check-in before the 8 week seminar, and helped her navigate some of the details over the course.  But the class was life-changing.

“I was at a point where I was ready to make changes.  I didn’t have any huge health problems, but I had plenty of smaller ones, and I realized it was only going to get worse.  I didn’t have a healthy body or a healthy body weight.  I wasn’t exactly sick yet, but I also wasn’t well.  The information made sense right away and I took immediate steps toward some huge changes.  I realized if I wanted to fix my body, I needed to fix my food.  Most of my diet had been quick food, highly processed food.  So I started eating real food – fruits and vegetables, real proteins.  Right away, I felt better.

“Tracie had mentioned the potential for going gluten free a few times during the class, and around the sixth week one of the participants said she’d tried it and was feeling a lot better.  So I decided to give it a shot and see how I felt.  It was amazing.  By the end of the eight weeks, through the combination of following all of Tracie’s rules and going gluten free, all of my health issues disappeared.  I have never felt better in my life.  My skin feels great, I have fantastic energy, and any digestive issues I had are completely gone.  And I’ve lost nearly twenty pounds.  The best part, as far as I’m concerned, is that it was easy!”

Having someone say that going all natural and gluten free is easy isn’t something you hear everyday, but Danielle’s enthusiasm rings through everything she says.  “I kind of think of it as an adventure, really.  I’ve become a cook, and I like to get fresh foods and try new things.  I experiment with recipes and try different combinations of things I can eat to replace things I can’t eat.  It’s fun and I find it wasn’t hard to fit it into my life at all.  And the difference in the way I feel is almost unbelievable.”

Danielle knows that, as powerful and effective as the message was, the messenger plays a big part in her success, too.  “Tracie’s great.  She’s a wonderful teacher, and she’s able to give these big chunks of information and make them accessible and sensible.  Since she’s gone through her own problems, she comes across as honest and relatable.  I was impressed by her good example and her obvious knowledge of the subject matter.  She just pulls the whole thing together so well, and effectively.  She’s remarkable.”

As for the friend who was skeptical about Nutrition 101, Danielle is philosophical.  “She didn’t want to hear the message, she doesn’t want to believe.  She’s very happy for me, that I feel so much better and have lost the weight.  But she’s convinced I’m doing something else to make the weight come off.  She’s sure there’s a secret I’m not telling her.”

It’s a really well-kept secret.  Eat whole, real, good food – even fat. Don’t skip meals. Avoid vegetable oils.  And consider cutting gluten out of your diet.  Tracie has seen it again and again.  Weight loss, healthier bodies, a stronger metabolism.  If this is what you’re looking for, consider scrapping the so-called healthy modern diet and go back to the secret diet of the ancients.

Whole food.  Whole fats.  Regular meals.

Better health and better living.

We just posted an article on the benefits of coffee.  Here we’ll be reconsidering a few of things we’ve learned to be concerned about regarding coffee.  More good news!

Negative Effects of Coffee?

You may have heard of some studies claiming that consuming coffee has been associated with negative health effects.  While I won’t argue that these studies have produced negative results, I feel it’s important to examine the mechanisms behind the research and consider how the protocols differ from real-world coffee consumption. For instance, many of the concerns regarding coffee come from studies during which high doses of caffeine are ingested in a short period of time – significantly higher doses than would be consumed in a normal morning cup of coffee.

Also, some research claims to study the effects of coffee on our bodies, but the results – argued as “negative effects of coffee” – can also be viewed as the typical negative effects of low blood sugar.  In other words, drinking a cup of black coffee first thing in the morning isn’t going to be good for you no matter what, and it has very little to do with the presence of caffeine (though, as a stimulant, caffeine may intensify the experience).

If you’re familiar with Tracie’s work, you’ll recognize these results as typical effects of low blood sugar that lead to the release of stress hormones, rather than a unique issue caused by caffeine or coffee.  These effects include an increase in body temperature and a heightened metabolic rate.  Blaming these things on coffee seems a little unfair, since if you’re not eating a balance of protein and carbohydrate in the morning in any form, you’ll see those results.  On the other hand, it’s also good to keep in mind the importance of maintaining balanced blood sugar at all times, but especially first thing in the morning.

Coffee and Pregnancy:

For some time now, obstetricians have recommended cutting back on caffeine during pregnancy. Some practitioners claim caffeine during pregnancy can cause birth defects and miscarriages, or stunt the growth of a fetus.  However, a study conducted by the Congenital Malformations Registry at the New York State Department of Health (using data supplied by the National Birth Defects Prevention Study [NBDPS]), showed that there was no convincing evidence of an association between maternal caffeine intake and the birth defects included in the study. Other studies using animals at the Thomas Jefferson University at the DuPont Hospital for Children concluded that the research does not support the idea that moderate to even high amounts of caffeine increase the risks of congenital malformations, miscarriage or growth retardation.

Please note that we are not telling you to drink tons of coffee during a pregnancy.  However, it seems clear that shunning caffeine isn’t necessary.

Coffee and Breast Cancer:

Some studies and news reports have indicated that caffeine and/or coffee causes fibrocystic breast cancer.  Introduced by J.P. Minton of Ohio State University in a series of published articles, the theory points to an increase in cyclic AMP (a regulatory substance associated with normal cellular function) when breast disease is present, and a direct relationship between the rise of cyclic AMP and the rise of disease.  In the study, Minton made a connection between the rise of cyclic AMP and caffeine, and concluded that a) the rise in cyclic AMP is a bad thing and causes disease, and b) since caffeine seems to increase cyclic AMP, then caffeine must also contribute to or even cause cancer.

Dr. Raymond Peat refutes this claim in his article Caffeine: A Vitamin-like Nutrient, or Adaptogen?  Dr. Peat explains that the presence of higher cyclic AMP in a diseased breast is actually a marker of the body trying to fight the disease.  The rise of cyclic AMP as disease increases is reflective of the body’s attempt to fight the disease by increasing production of cyclic AMP.  Peat agrees that caffeine affects the production of cyclic AMP – but in his estimation, this is a good thing. Caffeine actually inhibits the growth of cancer cells by stimulating production of cyclic AMP.    Peat goes on to explain that Minton would have been better off suggesting to increase the amount of caffeine (i.e.., coffee) in relation to the degree of disease in the breast.

For more information, see: Caffeine: A vitamin-like nutrient, or adaptogen by Dr. Peat (http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/caffeine.shtml)

Coffee and Blood Pressure:

There have been studies indicating coffee increases blood pressure, but these increases are slight to moderate. In relation to other factors involved in blood pressure, this one long-term variable has been inconclusive in studies. There are other substances that cause blood pressure to rise –  low blood sugar, for example, can cause adrenaline to increase and negatively affect your blood pressure. Hence, we don’t believe this is a compelling reason to avoid coffee, particularly given its benefits (though, again, it should be ingested appropriately and as part of an overall healthy, balanced diet).

Coffee and Your Teeth

Have you heard that coffee stains your teeth?  This is mainly due to coffee’s acidic nature.  If this is a concern of yours, you can add a pinch of baking soda to neutralize it, though milk and cream will buffer the acidity as well.

Coffee And You

At the end of the day, your health is your responsibility and you need to make the best decisions regarding your lifestyle, nutritional needs and concerns.  If you love coffee and drink it every day, I hope these posts will put some concerns you may have had to rest.  If you’re still skeptical, I hope you’ll consider doing your own research so you have the best information at your fingertips.

Resources:

Browne, M., Hoyt, A., Feldkamp, M., Rasmussen, S., Marshall, E., Druschel, C., et al. (2011). Maternal caffeine intake and risk of selected birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol , Feb;91(2):93-101.

Peat, R. D. (2006). Caffeine: A vitamin-like nutrient, or adaptogen: http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/caffeine.shtml

Brent RL, C. M. (2011). Evaluation of the reproductive and developmental risks of caffeine. Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol

One of the most frustrating things about nutrition is all of the conflicting information we get from all the media we have access to.  It’s hard to know what is true and what’s not true.  It’s even harder to convince people that things they’ve heard from so-called credible sources are actually incorrect.  One of the ways I’ve learned to deal with this bombardment of information is to do independent research and read trusted sources I have discovered on my own.  One of the many reasons I wanted to do my internship with Tracie is that so much of her information is based on some of the same resources I had found before – and which I sincerely believe are on the right track regarding health and nutrition.

Something I have done a bit of research on in the past few years is caffeine, and in particular, coffee.  Up until a couple of years ago, my thoughts regarding coffee and caffeine were mostly negative. I basically considered coffee an addictive drug that people used to get through their hectic workdays.  While I knew coffee had many important minerals – magnesium, for instance – in my mind the negatives still outweighed the positives. However, after further investigation, I’ve come to the conclusion that coffee isn’t so bad after all – in fact, it’s pretty darn good! – as long as it’s used in the right way.

Let’s face it.  Coffee has developed a bit of a bad rap.  You may have heard that drinking coffee can lead to high blood pressure, fibrocystic breast cancer, maternal health concerns, anxiety, insomnia, dependency, and other issues.   However, before we look at any of those things, let’s look at some of the benefits of coffee.

Benefits of Coffee.

Coffee contains large amounts of magnesium, which is necessary for healthy cell function and is an integral part of stable energy production, bone health, stabilizing nerves and muscles, and the activity of enzymes. Coffee also serves as a powerful antioxidant and helps protect cells from damage, iron overdose and heavy metals like cadmium.  Caffeine is also an anticoagulant, which can protect against stroke and heart disease. Other benefits of coffee consumption include:

• Lower risk of thyroid disease, including cancer, relative to non-drinkers
• Protection for the neurological system
• Protection against development of Type-2 diabetes
• Increased sociability and general well-being
• Increased reaction time when completing complex tasks
• 30% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease
• Protection and possibly even treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
• 20% lower likelihood of developing gallstones in the bladder
• Increased daily energy expenditure
• Decreased fatigue
• Enhanced physical performance
• Enhanced cognitive functioning capabilities
• Blocked production of free radicals
• Protection against cancer from radiation, chemical carcinogens, viruses, and estrogen
• Protection of the liver from alcohol

Does that list make it sound like coffee is a bad thing?  Here’s the scoop.  For all the good coffee can do for us, if we’re not drinking it properly, it will do more harm than good.  If you drink plain coffee on its own or a lot of coffee on an empty stomach, it will rev up your metabolism and increase your need for glucose, causing low blood sugar and an increase in adrenaline.  This can make you hyper, nervous and edgy.  

Getting the Best that Coffee has to Give

Drinking coffee should give you a very slight lift.  It shouldn’t make you nervous or hyper.  If you are sensitive to coffee, start with small doses.  Try 1-2 tablespoons of brewed coffee with some milk or cream, or add the coffee to a milk shake, and see how you feel.  If you get no reaction, slowly increase the dose by a tablespoon.  Make sure to drink coffee with milk or cream and a source of sucrose, such as cane sugar or honey.  Drink it with or after a meal in order to keep your blood sugar balanced. Be sure to drink enough to give you a little dose of energy, using it as a nutrient with your meals instead of as a stimulant necessary to get you through the day.

In general the most important food  rule to follow for good health is to keep your blood sugar balanced.  Drinking coffee first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach – especially black coffee, without the buffer of cream and sugar – is one of the worst things you can do.  Not because of the caffeine, but because of the effect it has on your blood sugar – though the caffeine, as a stimulant, could exacerbate the effect.

Coffee, Pure and Simple

Whether you drink coffee or espresso, you should select plain grounds/beans without additives or flavoring.  These additives can irritate the intestines. Non-organic coffee is actually an acceptable choice because the chemicals from the toxic sprays are destroyed during the roasting process. Decaffeinated coffee is a good alternative for individuals with caffeine sensitivities, because decaf is still high in magnesium, B1 and B3.

Overall, I believe coffee is beneficial, and can be viewed as another nutritional element in a complete, healthy diet.  When consumed properly, with a meal and/or with added cream, coffee itself offers many advantages, most of which can be enjoyed by those with caffeine sensitivities by using decaffeinated options.

Resources/Further Reading:

Cao, C., Wang, L., Lin, X., Mamcarz, L., Zhang, C., Bai, G., et al. (2011). Caffeine Synergizes with Another Coffee Component to Increase Plasma GCSF: Linkage to Cognitive Benefits in Alzheimer’s Mice. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Peat, R. D. (2006). Caffeine: A vitamin-like nutrient, or adaptogen. :http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/caffeine.shtml

Aoyama, K., Matsumura, N., Watabe, M., Wang, F., Kikuchi-Utsumi, K., & Nakaki, T. (2011). Caffeine and uric acid mediate glutathione synthesis for neuroprotection. Neuroscience.

Kempt, K., & Martin, S. (2010). [Coffee and diabetes]. Med Klin (Munich) , Dec;105(12):910-5.

Burling, A. (Sept2010). CAFFEINE ALERT! Scholastic Choices , 26(1):18-20.

Glade, M. J. (Oct2010). Caffeine – Not just a stimulant. Nutrition , 26(10); 932-938.

Despite the fact that there’s snow on the ground – more than we’ve had most winter, in fact – March is still the month when many of us start thinking about spring.  So, in honor of March, the possibility of spring and the hint of grass and daffodils, I’ve decided to feature my favorite pasture-fed farm.

Eric and Carrie Johnson started out thirteen years ago with the idea of owning a small farm and growing as many of their own fruits and vegetables as possible.  They did hope to someday have a commercial angle to their produce, an idea they moved into soon after they planted their garden.  However, after just a couple years it became clear that, while intense competition existed in the area produce marketplace, there were almost no purveyors of quality meat and dairy products.  (Although even this has changed since Eric and Carrie got started.)

They started with chickens, but it wasn’t simply the lack of competition that set them on the road to pasture-raised meat and natural farm practices.  “We just felt there was something wrong with an industry that had to force-feed its livestock antibiotics to keep them from getting sick while they were raising them.  We did a little research and realized that the meat industry was raising their animals on the wrong kinds of foods – foods that they’d rarely eat in nature – and that feeding them that way actually made them sick.  Even aside from the inhumane living conditions, the very foods the animals were eating would keep them from thriving.  Ruminants aren’t supposed to eat grains.  It’s as simple as that. And then, those unhealthy, sick animals became our food.”

Indeed, Carrie and Eric – and hundreds of customers – know that the meat and prepared foods – soups, broths, and pasties, for instance – that come from Jordandal Farms taste better.  But pasture-raised meat is better for you, better for the environment, and better for the world.  A strong statement, but Carrie and I both know it’s true.  “Pasture-raised animals are happier and less stressed, but more importantly, they’re generally eating the foods they’re meant to eat.  When we eat meat from those animals, we’re getting the best combination of nutrients those foods have to offer.  The industrialization of the meat industry isn’t good for us.  It’s cheaper, to be sure.  But we’re paying for it in a thousand other ways, ways we can’t even see.”

While Jordandal started as a produce farm, over time they’ve moved to raising only animals.  No matter what they’re focused on, however, they’ve always kept the process natural and chemical-free. They test the soil to make sure it’s as healthy as possible, and only use compost and natural fertilizers on their pastures and fields.  “Using natural, holistic principles with animals just makes it more profound – you’re dealing with live creatures, not just plants.  Of course they’re going to thrive more without drugs, without toxins, with access to air and sun and space to run freely.”

Today, Jordandal partners with another farmer and between them, they raise chickens, turkeys, beef, sheep and pork.  From their first batch of approximately 50 chickens 13 years ago, they now offer over 8,000 chickens alone each year.  The chickens are bought when they hatch and shipped from an East Coast supplier, surviving on the nutrients from their yolk sac during the 2-day journey.  They live in a brooder house until they’ve feathered out, and then live in-pasture for the rest of their lives.  This ensures that they will provide the best meat possible, with the best combination of nutrients and all the benefits of a good, whole, natural life.

Jordandal’s beef and lamb are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished. Many farmers feed these animals grass for most of their lives, and then finish them on grains for the last sixty days or so, which bulks them up in size before slaughter, but also severely reduces most of the health benefits of grass feeding.  Jordanal pork and poultry are pasture-based but always have a grain ration of corn, soy and mineral/vitamins.  This ration enables them to grow and mature properly, otherwise they would take way too long to grow, and the resulting meat would be tough.

Last year, Jordanal raised over 300 turkeys, 350 hogs, 70 beef, and approximately 50 sheep (lamb).  Unlike the turkeys and chickens, the beef and sheep are raised in closed herds, which means the animals are born and bred on-site, with only the purchase of a male every few years to add some new genes to the growing numbers of livestock.

To Jordanal, raising animals for meat in this way is much more than a professional or commercial choice.  “It truly is a way of life,” Carrie contemplates.  “It was hard in the beginning, knowing that you were raising them for food.  It was hard to say good-bye.  Hard to see them go to slaughter.  But I realized we can’t keep everything, and this is what we are meant to do with these animals.  We’re omnivores.  We’re supposed to eat meat.  And these animals are supposed to be raised in a way that provides them a graceful, happy life that also provides us good, whole, nutritious meat.  It’s very fulfilling.  We’re providing a service to people who want natural, nutritious food.”

The team works hard to get Jordandal distributed locally, and have succeeded in placing their meats and products in a number of retail outlets, including Metcalfe, Jennifer Street Market, Miller & Sons in Verona and the Hy-Vee (soups, only).  Also look for them at the Westside Community Market on Saturday, the Middleton Market on Tuesday evenings, and of course, the Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Capitol Square (including the winter market).

Jordandal – real, good meat, the way nature intended.   And so, so yummy!

She decided to try it, but wasn’t truly convinced it would make a difference.  She’s seen nutritionists before, and has tried Weight Watchers and other programs several times.  She’s had the all-too-familiar yo-yo diet and weight-loss experience so common in our society.  Even so, she made the phone call and was impressed by the initial contact; so she signed up for an 8-week one-on-one package.  “The whole great-grandmother thing and balancing our blood sugar levels made sense.  Additionally, the scientific explanation of the processes especially resonated with me.  Reading labels, paying attention to ingredients, combining food for maximum health . . . all of these things add up.”

As is often the case with weight loss clients, however, working with Tracie made Jennifer realize that many things going on in her body were having an impact on her weight, as well as other aspects of her health – like energy, depression, attention and overall well-being.  “I was also suffering from IBS, which was relatively new for me, and was surprised at Tracie’s confidence that her plan would help that, too.  Funny, right?  That we’re surprised to learn that working with a nutritionist can help us not just lose weight, but can help us heal?  When did we become so disconnected from our food and our bodies that the idea of changing our diets could make us better – without drugs?”

As a first step, Jennifer had a typical slate of blood tests run to see where she was metabolically.  Tracie noticed that her TSH levels were slightly high, but that her Vitamin D was extremely low.  While Tracie is not a big proponent of supplements, she does recommend people take vitamins when their levels are particularly low, when their own diets aren’t providing the necessary amounts or their bodies aren’t processing nutrients properly.  Vitamin D is important for many crucial metabolic functions in the body, and many women don’t get enough – only one of the many reasons, in Tracie’s opinion, for the explosion of thyroid issues in our country.

Almost immediately after starting a Vitamin D regimen and incorporating some of Tracie’s other recommendations, Jennifer started feeling better, though no weight came off at first.  “It was the best I’d felt in what seemed like as long as I could remember,” she says, “and after a while, with Tracie’s unwavering faith and encouragement, I realized two things.  First, that even if I never lost a pound, just feeling as well as I did was better than losing all the weight, feeling sick and lethargic.  In other words, my health was worth more than being thin.  And second, I’d always believed that I couldn’t feel better until I lost the weight, when in fact feeling better has helped me lose the weight.  It seems obvious now but that was a huge ‘aha’ for me, and it’s been a big part of working with Tracie.  She’s kind of like a personal coach in that way.  She’s not afraid to discuss other issues that might affect your health, like emotional blocks or how a spiritual life can impact the journey.  She’s amazing.  I just love her.”

Despite a slow start, Jennifer has lost 25 pounds since early last fall, when she started seeing Tracie.  “The weight really started dropping when I went gluten-free,” she notes, commenting on how that really made her pay attention to labels.  “Just because it’s gluten-free doesn’t mean it’s healthy.”  Following the program also significantly reduced her cravings for the very foods that were high in gluten – particularly breads and sweets – making it easier to eat healthier and better.  She adds, “I never thought I could give up gluten but it was actually easy.”

She’s also gone off the pill, which she’d been on since early adulthood due to intolerable menstrual cycles, with debilitating cramps and symptoms that would take over her life during her period.  Another unexpected positive side effect to Tracie’s program she’s grateful for.

“Tracie’s so accessible and understanding, not to mention completely knowledgeable about the body and nutrition.  It’s a knowledge that comes from study and research, but also from her own experiences, which consequently makes her more accessible and approachable.  She’s ‘been there, done that,’ you know?  She can talk to you about what you’re going through, because she went through it too.  She really listens and she’s completely non-judgmental, which is kind of unusual in the health & fitness industry if you’ve interacted with many trainers or nutritionists – or doctors for that matter.”

In fact, one of the things Jennifer has found so surprising and discouraging about the experience is the backlash she’s had from people who don’t believe in Tracie’s work.  “You know how they say, ‘Never discuss politics or religion’?  Well, I’ve added ‘nutrition’ to that list.  Goodness, it’s like you’re committing a crime if you tell someone you’re eating a diet rich in fats and proteins.  I mean, butter, whole milk?  That’s a sin, right?”  She’s very tongue-and-cheek about it, but she echoes the disappointment Tracie and many of her patients feel when discussing health and wellness from this perspective.  Taking this road is definitely going against very heavy traffic in the opposite direction.

But her answer is similar to Tracie’s, too, and that of many of her patients.  “I feel better than I have in about fifteen years.  I’m eating whole, healthy foods and my labs are stable.  Oh, and I’ve lost over twenty pounds in less than five months.  You simply can’t argue with results.  I’ll stick with Tracie, thanks.”  She smiles.

Urgent – Your Help Needed  

Over the last 4 years in the state of WI, we have been fighting against legislation that was an ultra-restrictive, monopolizing Dietician’s Bill. It has been stalled in a health committee all year and not progressed forward after thousands of people rose up to defeat it in the past.

On Monday, February 27 the Wisconsin Dietetic Association attached an amendment to AB 547, which went through the Wisconsin Assembly’s Committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs. This was a strategic move to sneak it through. There was no public notice of the amendment until one day before the hearing-hardly a democratic process!-and so there was almost no opportunity for the public to give their input to their legislators. The bill itself (AB 547), of course, has nothing whatsoever to do with nutrition. The bill passed the committee with the amendment intact-and with only two legislators opposed. Next the bill goes before the full Assembly (potentially the week of March 5^th) , where it will be far more difficult to stop.

Your urgent response is needed:

1. You can follow this link to a prewritten email by the Alliance for Natural Health; all that you need to do is fill in your contact information and it will automatically go to your legislator.

Or

2. You can call your assembly person:

(http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx) and ask them to:

“Oppose amendment 7 of AB 547 or if the amendment is not withdrawn, to oppose AB 547″

Reasons to oppose amendment 7 of AB 547:

1)      It could cause the loss of jobs in Wisconsin; this amendment is not just a licensing law for dieticians. It gives Registered Dieticians and unfair economic advantage and severely affects the business of other nutritional professionals – this means the potential for 100s if not thousands of lost jobs in Wisconsin and lost wages.

2)      AB 547 has nothing to do with nutrition! AB 547 has to do with the Department of Safety and Professional Services and the measurement of controlled substances. Amendment 7 has no place being tagged onto this bill.

Please email or call your assembly person today!

They need to hear from you – please leave a message if you call after hours and call back during regular business hours if you can – it will only take about 2 minutes.

We have at most a couple days before the assembly will vote on this and we must contact them now! I called my assembly man on Thursday and he hadn’t heard anything about this – without opposition, this bill can easily pass without the legislators even knowing what the amendments contain.

Please call and email your assembly person now – and thanks for your efforts!

Tracie Hittman Nutrition, LLC

Greg is in the process of completing his course work in Community Health Education at UW-La Crosse.  In addition to that required course work, he has done extensive side study and personal research on nutrition information you will recognize if you have worked with me in any capacity.  Greg is very familiar with names like Ray Peat and Weston A. Price, as well as terms like “balanced blood sugar” and “healthy fats.”  As you can imagine, we get along wonderfully.  He will receive his degree upon completion of this internship.

Greg is originally from Onalaska, WI and he considers himself to be a bit of a non-conformist.  Greg has always been interested in nutrition and health but it has taken him a little time to understand that this is his passion.  Much like me, Greg spent some time traveling and tried out a couple of career paths prior to committing to the nutrition and health profession.  Prior to enrolling at UW-La Crosse, he studying in computers and business. His passion for nutrition was finally ignited as he learned more and more about the food industry and the impact it had on the health of those around him.

According to Greg, “I discovered Sean Croxton about four years ago.  At the time he was The Food Dude on YouTube, which is now known as Underground Wellness.  It was the first time I had heard anyone talk about nutrition information that went against the status quo and it made me curious to learn more.  Through studying and seeking out like-minded people, I found other nutrition professionals with similar ideas, who were writing about their own thoughts and skepticism. Along the way, I heard about Dr. Ray Peat and his work.   All of those things made me rethink health and nutrition in the same ways that Tracie does.  In particular, Dr. Peat’s article on ‘The Great Fish Oil Experiment’ made me look at things differently and pursue more alternative theories and research.”

Greg initially discovered me through a blog post that was posted on Facebook.  He contacted me last February and we have been talking ever since.  We enthusiastically decided that it would be great if he came to Madison to do his internship with me.  Greg says that, “one of the things I really appreciate about Tracie and her practice is her low-key style and her compassion for all of her clients, wherever they are on their own journeys to health.”  It’s a mind-set he connected to right away and he feels lucky to be working with Tracie Hittman Nutrition.

I am thrilled to be working with Greg also.  He has independently come to the same conclusions on nutrition, health and wellness that I have.  We share an interest in looking into the roots of the health problems facing our society and we both have curious and skeptical minds.  We want to take a holistic approach to personal health with an emphasis on the impact of food and nutrition. .

Please be sure to introduce yourself to Greg and offer him a warm hello.

Greg and Tracie at the Well Expo January 2012

She learned about Tracie Hittman Nutrition through a friendly long-term client.  “We’re sort of on the same track, if you know what I mean.  We’re about the same age, have kids about the same age, so we’d talk during her appointments.  She looked great, and one day I asked her how she did it. She told me about Tracie.”

Colleen, who suffers from Hashimoto’s – a thyroid disorder – and dealt with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy, visited the website and read through a lot of the information there.  She found Tracie’s “before” picture and saw herself in it.  “I recognized the puffiness.  That really hit me.  But everything posted there made sense.  I called Tracie up and had a long conversation with her.  I was struck by how knowledgeable she was, but also how passionate and generous.  I signed up to work with her one-on-one, and I’ve simply never looked back.”

Colleen jumped in right away, and with both feet.  “I brought a lot of dedication for taking care of myself with me, so it was easier than you might think.  Like I said, it made sense.  I gave up gluten right away, and I started following all of her advice and guidelines.  When I first started, it was a little confusing, because it was so different than anything I’d learned or even heard before.  But honestly, as much as I wanted to make better choices, I also really, really wanted to know the best way to nourish my daughter.”

As is the case with many of Tracie’s clients, Colleen saw some immediate effects.  “At first I was sleeping better and had more energy, though pretty soon after that, things took a big turn for the worse.  I talked to Tracie about it, and she recommended I have my doctor check my thyroid levels.  Sure enough, the nutrition program was actually boosting my metabolism, and my thyroid was functioning better naturally.  So the problems were caused by my medication.  I was overmedicated! Once my doctor reduced my meds, everything started feeling better again.”

As is also the case with many of Tracie’s clients, Colleen has been surprised by some of her experiences with her doctor and the traditional medical community.  “For one thing,” she notes, an incredulous lilt to her voice, “I don’t understand why I’ve been dealing with thyroid issues for six years, and not one person I’ve ever talked to even mentioned gluten.”  Even more frustrating to Colleen is the complete lack of attention her doctor paid to her results.  “When I requested new labs, and they came back with indicators that my thyroid was functioning better, there was no recognition that this was in any way connected to my gluten-free choices.  In fact, my doctor’s exact words were that, ‘I could go ahead and continue with the gluten free diet,’ as if she was convinced that going gluten free wasn’t doing any harm.  As opposed to, ‘Wow, look at those numbers.  I wonder if that gluten free diet is having some positive impact on this situation?’ It can be really amazing, and not in a good way.”

She is looking into a doctor that has a more holistic approach, especially when it comes to thyroid issues.  Until then, she’s very happy that, as she puts it, “Tracie likes working with crazy thyroid people.”

No matter what her current doctor thinks, Colleen is convinced that Tracie knows what she’s talking about, and understands health and nutrition in a way that few people do.  She’ll bring anyone to a Nutrition 101 class who’s willing to come.  As far as she’s concerned the information is spot-on and life-changing.  “My family has a history of diabetes and I already have thyroid issues.  I believe that the steps I’m taking now, with Tracie’s help and wealth of knowledge, are putting me ahead of the game and making me healthier and more informed.  My husband is very supportive, and I’m excited to be able to start my daughter out right, and teach her these important lessons from a very young age.  I feel better, physically and emotionally, and I know this is the right thing.  I’m a better wife and a better mother, and my whole family is benefiting from what I’m learning and doing.”

This idea seems to touch Colleen more than anything, which makes sense for the mother of a toddler.  “What a gift for my daughter,” she muses. “Tracie refers to it as ‘exposure equaling preference’ and I understand.  When I think about it, I was thirty-three years old before I ever thought about the true food chain, and how what I was putting in my body was affected by what it had experienced before it got to me.  My daughter will know everything from an early age, and why it matters.”