With the Winter Rejuvenation cleanse coming to a close, I invited my dear friend, owner and creative director of Sol Vida Dance!,  April Charmaine, to guest blog about her personal experience with the program.  I was impressed and inspired by what she had to say.  Enjoy!

After putting on major weight by indulging in every single thing imaginable –  brie cheeses, cakes, cookies, hams, Irish liqueurs and wine nearly every day of November and December – I was feeling on the verge of a physical, mental, and psychological crisis.

Then along came my friend, Dr. O’Connor and the All Families Natural Health Winter Rejuvenation program. I’d wanted to cleanse my body for sometime now, but didn’t have the conviction or moral support to do it. On January 18, I found out that would I be saying goodbye to all my best friends: caffeine, animal products, GLUTEN, SUGAR, and alcohol. What I didn’t know at the time is that I would be saying goodbye to my monthly PMS migraine, my general lack of energy, my constant need for a vice, and extra weight and inches.

After the second week of the cleanse, I really began to get over my withdrawal symptoms and began to feel a “zinging” energy which I’m still maintaining today. Three weeks later, my zest for life has dramatically increased and I am producing like never before. I truly believe this is because I am taking care of myself by eating whole foods and  drinking so much more water. Go figure, it is actually not that difficult.

I have gained so much from Dr. O’Connor’s guidance through this program.  I feel that if I take even half of the habits I’ve acquired through this process with me, I am going to be a much happier and healthier  person for a much longer time. I love looking in my food cabinets now and seeing an array of bulk items, medicinal foods and so much less packaging   My  fridge is  filled with things that I’ve actually made and that actually taste good. I am building that healthy, whole foods kitchen I always craved and desired. And imagine me –  a total sweets freak – who can hardly handle the sweetness of raisins now!

I authentically feel really good!

April Charmaine, Artistic Director, Sol Vida Dance!

I hope you all are well.  January flew right by and February is threatening to do the same.  I have a busy month planned including some great talks scheduled at two of my favorite local mom and baby meccas.  First, on February 10th, Dr. Bryan Kono (a fabulous pediatrician from Partners in Pediatrics) and I will be discussing Hot Topics: Immunization and Circumcision with the lovely ladies at Belly Bliss.

Then on February 16th, I am debuting my “Lunch and Learn” series at The Giggling Green Bean.  The topic this month is What, Where, When and Why: An Exploration of Food Introduction. I’ll be  presenting a new topic every third Tuesday of the month, so mark your calendars and join the discussion.

Hope to see you there!

Dr. Caitlin

A group of us over here at All Families Natural Health are participating in a Winter Rejuvenation program.  The purpose of the program is to expand our food repertoire – to branch out and create new favorite foods, while decreasing our intake of the old reliables (wheat, dairy, wine) .

Research shows that the majority of Americans should join us.  According to Dr. Herber of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition there are 50,000 to 200,000 different edible plant foods in the world, and most Americans eat only 3. This is a dramatic decrease from our hunter/gatherer ancestors that included up to 800 different plant foods in their diet.

A recent article in the Medscape Journal of Medicine,by Dr. David Katz discusses the implication of a startling study done by the Center for Disease Control that found that  less than 1% of adolescents, roughly 2% of men, and only 3.5% of  women met guidelines for recommended daily intake of both fruits and vegetables. And this is despite counting jam, jelly, and orange juice as fruit, and both French fries, and the ketchup poured over them, as vegetables.

This is especially concerning given that The American Institute for Cancer Research cites a varied diet high in fruits and vegetables as one of the best ways to reduce cancer risk.  Additionally, a diet focused on plant foods  has been linked to healthy weight-loss and a decrease in chronic disease, including stroke and other cardiovascular disease.

In light of this information, we would all do well to follow the dietary advice of food advocate Micheal Pollan:

“Eat food.  Not to much. Mostly Plants.”

But where to find these so-called plants and what to do with them?

In the colder months, it often means a trip to the produce department. However, if you are lucky enough to live in Denver, there is the new, year-round farmer’s market to explore.  Before you go out to hunt and gather, check out www.whfoods.org. They feature a comprehensive listing  of the world’s healthiest foods complete with nutrient information and recipies.

So while changing our ways isn’t always easy, in this case it is definitely worth it.  Eat up!

In Health,

Dr. Caitlin

I love beauty products.  From make-up to moisturizer, I have always been a sucker for anything that promised me shinier lips, smoother skin or stronger hair.  So you can imagine my dismay when I began learning all the not-so-nice ingredients that go into many of these products, even the “natural” and “organic” ones.    Certain chemicals that we lather on to our bodies everyday have been linked to cancer, neurologic problems, auto-immune conditions and hormone disruption.  Yikes!

Luckily, the fine folks at the Environmental Working Group have put together Skin Deep a database of cosmetic products that rates their safety on a scale of 0 – 10.  Go and look up the products you use everyday and start switching them out for safer, less-toxic alternatives.

Personally, I have recently fallen in love with the Denver-based Moondance Botanicals.  They handcraft amazingly effective products from organic and seasonal ingredients that are good enough (and safe enough) to eat.  Not a paraben or phthalate to be found.  If you are lucky enough to be a local, stop by the store and organize an affordable spa party for you and your friends.  Everyone else can get in on the action on-line.   My new motto is “Don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t put in your mouth.”

Anyone know of a tasty mascara?

In health,

Dr. Caitlin

Hello everyone,

We have a lot of great things planned for 2010!  To stay in the loop become a follower on twitter and a fan on facebook.  And be sure to check the blog regularly for updates on upcoming events.

In health,

Dr. Caitlin

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