The Benevolent Boring Basics

Just like you I wish there were a pill that would solve all of my inclinations towards being, well, basically, a slug. I know you’ve wished for one of these, too. You know – the pill that does your exercise for you, that lets you eat whatever you want whenever you want with no undesired side effects, the one that keeps your muscles toned, that fends off the ill effects of not enough sleep, and of too much stress. And while we’re still wishing, the one that instantly changes gloomy days into ones filled with sunshine.


Please, now is NOT the time to send me information on the latest greatest nutritional supplement you sell that promises to makes my slug-ness dreams come true. Alas, the slug pill doesn’t exist. I already know I’m going to be running away from entropy the rest of my life. For those of you who aren’t familiar with entropy and the second law of thermodynamics, it basically states that systems in order tend to go into disorder. Toned muscles today mean less toned muscles tomorrow, unless you exercise tomorrow and the next day and the next day. A clean desk today breeds a messy desk within a week. That is entropy. On this planet, it’s a law of nature.

A dear friend of mine recently had a blood test in which her cholesterol lowered to healthy levels – yeah! But those darn triglycerides are so high she’s at high risk for diabetes. She MUST do aerobic exercise often to run away from this malady. Alas, she’ll be running away from it the rest of her life. I just returned from checking out stationary bikes with her at Sears. I scream inside me – this is so unfair. For a wonderful happy mostly sedentary person to be told that she needs to start doing heavy-duty exercise and, oh, yeah, by the way, cut out all the fats she’s loved eating for a lifetime – cheese and butter and ice cream. French fries and steak. But, no it’s not unfair. Life hasn’t singled her out. We are all in this together and totally alone.

Alone because no one can do your exercise for you. Right now I have assumed responsibility for making sure that 2 people I dearly love get enough exercise. Neither will exercise by themselves – so, yes, I do it with them. This should indicate that I do twice as much as I need to. Perhaps this is actually good for me and some of my slug-ness problem is solved through my concern for loved ones.

I’ve been missing sleep lately because it’s so much fun to stay up late with my husband. But I’ve noticed that my usually friendly moods are more likely to unravel around the edges by dinnertime. My new “rule” (at which Pat merely rolls his eyes) is that I need to be in my jammies getting ready for bed by 10:15 pm except on evenings out. Hey, come on, it’s worked one night so far.

And need it tell you how much I love sugar and chocolate? I found a super brownie pan that looks like a maze such that every brownie comes out with 2 baked edges. Yum, so delicious. But with two people living here, what happens to all those brownies? I usually have Pat take them to share at the office on Monday mornings so I’m spared their annoying chatter as they talk on and on throughout my work days about how good they’ll taste. I’m not even sure I want a pill that takes away my enjoyment of these 2 non-nutritional foods. Yes, I know chocolate is supposed to contain nutrition, but I probably have enough stored up in me to last for the next 5 years.

You may be wondering how I stay thin with all this slug-ness going on inside me. It’s simple. Good genes, never overeating, keeping my metabolism really high through exercise, and not eating the toss away foods I could care less about. I mean, I think of sandwich bread as a wrapping that’s supposed to be tossed, pasta as sticky goo, and dairy products as being made by nature for baby cows and not humans. Just so you know that I’m no health food angel, I love Mexican food, steak, butter, vegetables, fruit, pate, sardines, anchovies, and other foods that may seem in-palatable to you. In-palatable being another word for disgusting.

So the bottom line is that those boring basics are one’s wellness salvation: doing challenging exercise almost daily, never overeating, enjoying the most pleasurable foods in small amounts, sleeping 7-8 hours in a darkened room, and doing the best you can in this increasingly stressful world.

My advice: take those slug pills in tiny doses all day long – exercise, eat enough and not too much, laugh as often as you can, luxuriate in sleep, and find two friends who need an exercise buddy.

Love, light, laughter.

Lucy Beale, author
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss Version 2
The Complete Idiot's Guide Glycemic Index Cookbook
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well on a Budget
www.Lucybeale.com, http://lucybeale-weight-loss.blogspot.com/

The Exercise Problem

I’m fascinated with all the current exercise choices. How does a person determine which modality is right for his or her body? At my local rec center, the choices are Power Pump, Water Aerobics, Zumba, Jazzercise, Yoga, Spin, Core Fusion, Pilates, Flow, Step Interval, Pilates Beam Fit, and Intro to Step. Choices at other clubs include Boot Camp, Sun Salutations, Power Yoga, and Power Pilates. Most exercise facilities offer a full weight room filled with elliptical trainers, treadmills, stationary bikes, and a plethora of weight machines. At home we have a fitness rider (collecting dust), a Pilates reformer, a stationary bike (not collecting dust), fitness balls, an inversion table, flex bands, workout DVDs, and hand weights.

But wait, there’s more: My iPhone lets me download the wonderful Tara Stiles yoga podcasts which I rate as 5 stars. I can also download dozens of exercise podcasts. YouTube has 18,600,000 – that’s over eighteen million – exercise routines.

Personally, I divide my exercise time among several favorites: 2 sessions of Bikram (hot) yoga per week (at a studio up the street), Pilates mat class, weight training for posture and Madonna-style upper arms (I wish!!!), snowshoeing in winter, and hiking in summer. Most days I do the Five Tibetan exercises in the morning (print from my website at www.lucybeale.com). On days I’m not at the gym or studio, I do 10 Sun Salutations (these are so hard) or ride the stationary bike for a mere 15 minutes while reading a magazine (easy).

I need to tell you a bit about my personal motivation for exercising. I started exercising at age 23 by taking a killer aerobics class at the YMCA in Denver. I stopped exercising after several years and discovered I had high levels of anxiety. Since I prefer natural healing modalities, when given the choice by a therapist between taking “happy” pills or doing daily exercise to manage depression and anxiety, I opted for the exercise and have been faithful ever since.

I’m really NOT an exercise junkie, I just try to stay fit - mentally and physically. For the most part, my days are quite sedentary. After all, writing, coaching, and watercolor painting are not what anyone would deem aerobic activities.

So, here’s my question to you. With all these great modalities to choose from, how many people do you think are actually exercising? Not that many. I think most folks prefer the sofa. Actually, I do, too. I’m convinced we’re all biologically programmed and hard-wired to prefer the sofa.

How many folks do you know who exercise 3 or 4 times a week? What makes the difference between a person who exercises faithfully and one that doesn’t? My quandary is how to get my clients, newsletter readers, and blog readers to exercise faithfully day after day, year after year. I know they’ll feel better. I know they’ll have happier moods. I know they’ll look better. They’ll have fewer medical concerns, more energy, and more fun. They’ll sleep better. They may or may not lose weight, but the rest of their lives will work better.

So let me know. What would you do to convince another person to adopt the habit of regular exercise? How do you keep yourself motivated to get to class or to put on the running shoes and hit the pavement? Why are there so many fitness modalities and why do so few folks actually work out?

Desperately seeking solutions,

Lucy Beale, author
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss Version 2
The Complete Idiot's Guide Glycemic Index Cookbook
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well on a Budget
http://www.lucybeale.com/, http://lucybeale-weight-loss.blogspot.com/

The Importance of Gut Bacteria

The research coming in on gut bacteria is startling and very important for your health. Gut bacteria is the good bacteria that helps properly digest your food, makes important B vitamins, and enables your body to absorb minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. It’s the same bacteria that gets killed off every time you take antibiotics. Here’s what new research has found:

1. People who are overweight or obese have different types of gut bacteria than people who are thin. If you want to lose weight, take a good probiotic supplement and don’t rely on yogurt. Why? Because it’s probiotic count isn’t reliable. Yogurt often has added sugar or sweeteners, which can kill off good bacteria. I suspect we’ll soon be able to purchase “thin gut bacteria” probiotic supplements.

2. For dental health, your mouth needs three specific probiotic strains. With a strong colony in your mouth, you can say goodbye to tooth decay, periodontal disease, and bad breath AND have naturally whiter teeth. No, I am not kidding. These strains are sold under the brand name, Evora, which is available at Walgreens. It comes as a good-tasting lozenge you let dissolve in your mouth after brushing your teeth. I know this because after I needed three rounds of ever stronger antibiotics last fall for what started out as a mere cold, I had to repopulate my entire body.

3. You are gifted your gut bacteria in utero by your mother. Also, the foods she favored when she was pregnant are the foods you prefer during your life. I inherited a sweet tooth.

4. People who have IBS – irritable bowel syndrome - find relief when they repopulate their gut bacteria with Bifidobacterium infantis. Now sold as Align brand at drugstores.

5. It isn’t easy to repopulate gut bacteria. Our modern processed food diets can easily kill off the good bacteria. Gut bacteria needs to be fed. Just like your garden soil needs fertilizer, gut bacteria needs nutrients to help them grow and colonize. They love a diet of vegetables and fruit. The name of nutrients that do this are called, fruit ogliosaccharides, which are as you now know, found in vegetables and fruit. Sorry, all those Cheetos and malted milk balls can destroy them.

6. Symptoms that can disappear with healthy gut bacteria are eczema, diahrrea, anxiety, depression, constipation, being overweight, candida overgrowth, and some forms of autoimmune disorders. Yes, this gut bacteria is important. Oh, and it can reduce or eliminate sugar cravings.

7. Mice who didn’t have a strong colony of gut bacteria (they’d been given mouse antibiotics) were way more susceptible to the influenza virus than mice with good gut bacteria.

8. Researchers were looking for the difference between babies who thrived in subsistence-level living in Malawi, and those who didn’t. The difference? The healthy babies had gut bacteria that enabled digestion and assimilation of minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. The babies who had the distended stomachs of starvation didn’t have healthy gut bacteria.

This research is just the start. Now reports are coming out every week. I’ll keep you updated. But for now, take a good probiotic with multiple strains once or twice a day. More often if you have been on antibiotics. I personally like the brand, PB8. because it’s affordable and works well. As well as Evora. Who doesn’t want whiter teeth and happier dental check ups?

The size of your fist

There are so many “recommended” ways to eat for weight loss. I’ve spoken with folks who eat no carb, or no meat, or just soy shakes. Some swear by “raw” foods, or by eating no fat. When you think of following a somewhat nutritionally unbalanced regime as all of these are, go back to the basics before you make your life more complicated.


The most important “basic” is to never overeat. Eat as much food as the size of your fist at each meal. Make a fist and look at the size of your fist. Eat that much food 3 times a day, perhaps 4. One of my coaching clients has an ideal weight of 250 pounds, which is twice what I weigh. And his fist is twice the size of my fist. This is not a coincidence.

Another way to not overeat requires mindfulness. Eat 0-5 on a hunger scale. The scale ranges from 0 to 10. Zero is empty, 5 is comfortable, 7 is full, and 10 is stuffed. You’ll need mindfulness to pay attention to your stomach’s hunger numbers before, during, and after eating. It’s a very elegant and certain system and one I’ve used for almost 30 years. Mindfulness offers other advantages. You’ll find yourself eating the most appealing foods, slowing down to savor every bite, enjoying better digestion, and probably sleeping better.

The best way to follow either one of these plans is to keep a food diary and record when, what, and how much you eat. Also record beginning and ending hunger numbers so you can start the process of eating mindfully.

And as to unbalanced diets, they may seem glamorous and exotic at first, but may not have a glamorous ending if your eating is out of balance for years. You could encounter low energy, hormonal imbalances, and emotional challenges. So eat balanced – meaning high quality protein, good fats, and vegetables/ fruit - as best you can.

And if you really want to lose weight, eat 0-5 and only eat foods that you prepare from scratch. That means no processed foods. I do this often and as much as possible, but not 100%, otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing this blog to you, I’d be in the kitchen wearing an apron.

All the best,

About that Apple

When told by a physician/nutritionist years ago that I had to give up fruit on his "healthy" diet, I rebelled. "You mean one apple a day could be harmful to me? What's wrong with an apple?" When confronted he backed down and agreed that one apple a day would be OK. Huh? I love apples. Any kind of apples. They seem to be a perfect food, just like an egg is a perfect food.

And now Weight Watchers has changed their diet recommendations to account for the glycemic index. Finally. I mean, you know that the glycemic index has hit the big time if the bastion of weight loss changes up all their point counts. Now 100 calories of starchy and sugary-foods has more points than 100 calories of fruit and/or vegetables. In fact, on their program you can eat basically lots of produce. And you'll still lose weight.

But if you choose this path, the fruit/vegetables can't be juiced or made into a shake. Eat them raw or lightly cooked. They offer natural antioxidants, high fiber, natural sweetness. By their very nature, the amount you can eat is self limiting. I mean, ever try overeating apples? It's almost impossible. Those vegetables and fruit have a self-limiting quality.

So, go ahead. Eat well. Eat that apple, pear, or watermelon. They were designed to be enjoyed.

why animals are gaining weight, too

If you’re even thinking of losing weight this year, you need to read this. Based on very recent research, the old “formula” of calories in vs. calories burned  - once again - doesn’t work.

Here’s why: Researchers noticed that animals are growing larger – both wild animals, domesticated animals (pets), and laboratory animals. With certainty the researchers knew that the animals weren’t eating too many doughnuts, and they certainly weren’t guilty of missing their exercise sessions. But they were sure getting larger than ever before. The researchers were stumped. Was there something in the environment that was causing this? Could it be air pollution, toxic chemicals, or something else? Another possibility was light pollution. The animals daily circadian rhythms could be being disrupted by the amount of light they were exposed to at night – when they were sleeping.

Another set of researchers did a rather simple experiment. One group of lab animals slept with all lights out and another group slept with “light” pollution. Guess who gained weight? Right, the ones who experienced “light” pollution. The details aren’t yet available on what body systems react to sleeping at night with a room with some light. But this early research offers clues for your weight management.

Make sure that you’re not gaining weight because you sleep with too much light. Get at least 8 hours of sleep in total darkness. Even the light from a street lamp may be too much, let alone the light from all sorts of media – television, alarm clocks, laptop screens, and more. Even an innocent night-light could be disrupting your weight.

At our house, I think we do pretty well but probably not well enough. I’m planning to purchase heavier window coverings to block the street-lamp lights. What can you do to eliminate light during your sleeping hours?

Happy New Year,

How to eat so much candy

Are you receiving as many gifts of food this Holiday season as we are? Boxes of really fine candy, plates filled to overflowing with cookies, homemade caramels, and flavored popcorn. My husband can mostly ignore them. Those treats don’t talk to him. But they sure do talk to me. In fact they shout every time I enter the kitchen. Well, actually, I can even hear them from up here in my office.

I try to eat mostly low-glycemic and do a good job most of the year until those talking gifts start arriving.

I think of possible solutions: toss them. Which I can’t do because I so appreciate the thoughtfulness of the giver and after all, I love those gifts. Store them and eat a piece a day until they’re gone. That way, I’d have delicious treats well into June.

My brain gets illogical as I contemplate the truffles, unique chocolate bars, and sugar cookies. I quickly – way too quickly - decide to not just eat one piece a day, but rather one piece with each meal. That’s only three per day. The more I think, the more nutty my thoughts become. And I need to tell you the next thought is totally nuts: eat them all in a couple sittings and then those treats won’t keep calling out to me. The ongoing chatter would be gone and I’ll be free once again to follow my low-glycemic eating regime.

Besides, I have more energy when I eat low-glycemic, I feel super, and am more productive.

The thoughts go on and on. I still haven’t created a really good plan. Until the time I do, I think a piece or two a day eaten with a meal is the sanest approach. That way, I can have my candy, and eat some, too. My Christmas presents will last for months but won’t adhere to my hips or sit as residents along my waistline.

Many thanks to all my friends for the gifts of treats and sweets. I appreciate each and every one of you and your thoughtfulness.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Lucy Beale, author
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss Version 2
The Complete Idiot's Guide Glycemic Index Cookbook
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well on a Budget
www.Lucybeale.com, http://lucybeale-weight-loss.blogspot.com/
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