How Does Playing & Exercising Outside Affect The Brains of Kids & Adults? #130

September 12, 2018 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Nowadays many people aren’t spending enough time outside … especially kids. Between devices and screens, we seem to be inside more than any generation in history. On today’s episode, Dr. Phil & Anna Kat talk about a University of Illinois study (https://nyti.ms/2QkZhsu) and how kids who got 70 minutes of exercise daily saw cognitive score improvement greater than the children who didn’t exercise. Phil & Anna also talk about how this applies to adults, too!

“Fact Or Fiction” Segment [3:21]: “Exercise can make you smarter and help you focus. … Fact or Fiction?”

Resources mentioned in this episode of Carson Natural Radio:

Carson Natural: https://carsonnatural.com/

Subscribe to Carson Natural Health Minute Daily Briefing on Alexa: https://amzn.to/2MlCGsx

Email your questions: [email protected]

Or click on the Ask Dr. Phil Microphone at the podcast page (on the far right): https://carsonnatural.com/podcast/

How Do I Naturally Treat My Hyperactive Kid(s)? Part 2 #129

September 5, 2018 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

How does diet affect children labeled as ADD & ADHD? Can something as simple as a diet adjustment negate the need for those children to be medicated? On this edition of Carson Natural Radio, Dr. Phil and Anna-Kat talk about different strategies in the diet to help children labeled as ADD & ADHD get off medication or never need to start.

“Fact Or Fiction” Segment [2:22]: “Nutrition-related therapies do not help with the symptoms of ADD & ADHD. … Fact or Fiction?”

Resources mentioned in this episode of Carson Natural Radio:

Carson Natural

Subscribe to Carson Natural Health Minute Daily Briefing on Alexa

Email your questions: [email protected]

Or click on the Ask Dr. Phil Microphone at the podcast page (on the far right)

How Do I Naturally Treat My Hyperactive Kid(s)? Part 1 #128

August 29, 2018 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

With school starting, many parents are asking how to harness their very active or hyperactive child’s energy levels. On this edition of Carson Natural Radio, Dr. Phil and Anna-Kat talk about the risks and dangers of ADD & ADHD prescription drugs, activities to focus your kids into, and natural ways to tackle the underlying causes of ADD & ADHD. On next week’s

“Fact Or Fiction” Segment [4:57]: “Prescription drugs safely and effectively treat symptoms of ADD & ADHD. … Fact or Fiction?”

Resources mentioned in this episode of Carson Natural Radio:

Carson Natural

Subscribe to Carson Natural Health Minute Daily Briefing on Alexa

Email your questions: [email protected]

Or click on the Ask Dr. Phil Microphone at the podcast page (on the far right)

Buy the DHA supplement Dr. Phil referenced by Nordic Naturals

Help! My Child Has Head Lice!! #126

August 15, 2018 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Is there a natural lice treatment that’s effective? On today’s episode of Carson Natural Radio, Dr. Phil & Anna-Kat tackle the subject of head lice and the dangers of the over-the-counter chemical treatments (like ones with Pyrethrin and Permethrin, which are neurotoxins that have been deemed ‘safe’ by the government, but are designed to kill living organisms and contain strict warnings about over-usage). They also reference studies on the effectiveness of the natural options on the market and tackle myths about head lice like:

Can head lice fly?
Can pets spread head lice?
Can sharing personal items spread head lice?
Can people be more susceptible to head lice with poor personal hygiene?
Are head lice more attracted to dirty hair?
Do head lice prefer long hair?
Is freezing personal items an effective way to kill head lice?

Learn all that and more on this edition of Carson Natural Radio.

“Fact Or Fiction” Segment [2:16]: “Natural head lice treatments are not as effective as over the counter or prescription ones. … Fact or Fiction?”

Dr. Phil’s Lice Treatment Recipe:

1.5 mL of tea tree oil per 1 ounce of olive or coconut oil

Place solution in hair, let the child go to bed with a shower cap.

The next morning wash the solution out, then after the child’s shower, go through the hair with a fine-toothed metal comb to remove the dead lice.

Resources mentioned in this episode of Carson Natural Radio:

Fairy Tales Hair Care: https://wellevate.me/carsonnatural#/

Carson Natural: https://carsonnatural.com/

Subscribe to Carson Natural Health Minute Daily Briefing on Alexa: https://www.amazon.com/Carson-Natural-Health-Minute-Phil/dp/B07C3YV2YG

Email your questions: [email protected]

Ask Dr. Phil Microphone: https://carsonnatural.com/podcast/

Boosting Children’s Immune Systems During The School Year #127

August 2, 2018 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Do you really want to run to the doctor every time your child has chest congestion? Sniffles? A cough? Sometimes an antibiotic is necessary; sometimes it isn’t since antibiotics do nothing to stop viruses that are the cause of many school year ailments. On this episode of Carson Natural Radio, Dr. Phil & Anna Kat talk about natural ways to boost yours and your child’s immune systems for this school year.

“Fact Or Fiction” Segment [3:33]: “Giving your child probiotics doesn’t reduce the chances of my child getting a cold or the flu … Fact or Fiction?”

Remember D.P.T for a natural immune booster:

Vitamin D
Probiotics
Thymus Extract

Resources mentioned in this episode of Carson Natural Radio:

Carson Natural

Subscribe to Carson Natural Health Minute Daily Briefing on Alexa

Email your questions: [email protected]

Or click on the Ask Dr. Phil Microphone at the podcast page (on the far right)

Are You Suffering

October 13, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Are you suffering? If you are like some of my clients, you’ve suffered from “it happened when . . .” syndrome. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and this month I am talking about cancers and how they are destroying people’s lives in a lot of different ways every day. My own mother in law just recently passed away from brain cancer, and my wife Kim and her sibling were the primary caregivers of their mother. As Kim took care of her mom and her own family, she knew that she needed to be extra careful with herself due to the extra stress in her life. You can hear more of her story in The Feeling Good Podcast episode 85.

People can often trace their poor health back to traumatic or stressful events in their life. This is known as “it happened when . . .” syndrome. Are you suffering? Let me help! Many people go through traumatic experiences and hold their feelings inside and do not talk about it with others. Open communication is important when going through a difficult trial. I suggest talking about what is going on rather than holding it inside. When you hold things inside, it binds it up, and that binding can make you sick. Talking about it gives you freedom!

You might be thinking I don’t need to talk about my problems, symptoms or condition. I can deal with it on my own. Let me ask you a question? How is it working for you so far? Or maybe you are concerned that you can’t afford to work with me, but can you afford to suffer through life because you didn’t ask for help? I offer a FREE non-committal fifteen minute session to any prospective client to determine if there is a good fit for working together, so there’s no reason to suffer without seeking help.

Schedule a call with me today for a health consultation and find the right coaching package to get you feeling good again! You can choose to have your session in person, over the phone or with video conference software.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Back to the Basics with Back to School Germs

August 14, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

It’s August, and that means it’s back to school month. So what does that mean for YOU? For many of us that means BACK TO THE BASICS of a daily routine. We have new schedules, strict bedtimes, early wake-ups, lunches to pack, homework to check, papers to sign and kids to inspire. Unfortunately with kids going back to school, it can also mean back to school germs as well. Don’t worry! There are some basic things we can do to help fight the germs and keep our immune systems STRONG and HEALTHY!

Believe it or not, our body is full of TRILLIONS (with a TR) of bugs living on and in our bodies! There are good bugs, and there are bad bugs. These microscopic organisms are vital to our overall health, but especially our immune system. It is believed that 60-70% of our immune system is controlled by these bugs in the digestive tract. The truth is that we need these bugs. To learn more about the good and bad bugs, read this article where I tell more about it.

For now I know that you want to stay as healthy as you possibly can with the back to school schedule. I believe that you can increase your chances of that while decreasing your risk of getting sick by following these seven recommendations to help strengthen your overall immune system.

Increase the foods in your diet that contain the good bugs – The foods I’m speaking of are fermented foods, such as yogurt, keifer and tofu. Just be sure you stay away from the fat free and sugar free varieties of these foods. Sauerkraut is another good fermented food, while Kombucha teas are a great fermented drink that does an excellent job supplying and restoring good bacteria to our bodies. If you don’t eat these foods or are unable to get these foods, then my recommendation would be to make sure you take probiotic supplements instead.
Cut the sugar as much as possible – Some of the bad bugs that live within our body, such as yeast, feed on sugar. Make those lunches and after school snacks healthy and cut out the sugar. 024: Are You Making Healthier Snack Food Choices for You and Your Children?
Manage the stress – Don’t let the stress of back to school control you. You control it! Take the time each day to destress by walking, running, meditating, yoga, lifting weights, deep breathing, or whatever healthy activity calms you down.
Get good sleep – Your body needs rest and time to restore the good bugs in your system. A good night’s sleep can make a world of difference in your immune health.
Take your vitamins – The processed foods that we eat also help destroy the good bacteria in our bodies, and they are almost void of the nutrients that our body needs for a healthy immune system. There are many many nutrients found in food that help support our immune system, and when we eat food that doesn’t contain any of these, we compromise our immune system. By taking vitamin and mineral supplements we get the nutrients we need to protect us. The most important one you need, as the fall and winter seasons are soon approaching, is vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin! With busier shorter days and less opportunities to get out in the sun, supplementation with vitamin D can be very helpful.
Do not neglect exercise – I know with the business of school routines, our exercise routine is one of the first things to go. Recent studies show that people who exercise regularly are less likely to catch a cold. This falls in line with other studies that show regular exercise greatly increases immune system health!
Support your thymus gland – The Thymus gland is a small gland that sits in the top of your chest wall and is the master gland of the immune system. This gland produces T-cells that fight off invaders in our body, especially viruses. The six previous steps can help support the thymus gland, but there are also thymus supplements available that can give you that extra immune system boost during the winter months.

Why use a supplement to support the immune system? Because the right ingredients can work with the body’s own immune response. A good supplement can give your immune system a boost when it needs it the most.

Why use ThymuPlex™? It provides broad-spectrum, intensive support for your immune system: ThymuPlex™contains vitamins, minerals, glandular and herbs (including Echinacea) essential for your immune system, white blood cell functions, and thymus gland activity. It provides thymus gland extract “predigested” that is already broken down for use by the body. It also includes these glandular ingredients: spleen extract and lymphatic extract and enzymes: trypsin, papain and bromelain for protein digestion.

Probiotic supplements contain good bacteria that are vital for proper functioning of our immune and digestive systems. These good bacteria also known as “normal flora” promote a healthy digestive system and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria in our bodies.

Whenever we take antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and numerous other medications both prescription and over-the-counter we are unknowingly destroying our good bacteria. Stress and processed foods can also be detrimental to the population of good bacteria in our bodies. It is important that we replace these good bugs and the best way to do that is with a good broad-spectrum probiotic supplement. Enterobiotic from Natural Creations is one of my favorites.

Both Enterobiotic and ThymuPlex™ are are available through our website. Order today and save 15% by using code “special15” during the month of August.

Your best defense against today’s (and tomorrow’s) global health threats is a strong immune system! I recently spoke at the Immune Defense Summit, and you can still benefit from the 36 amazing experts (including your very own Dr. Phil) teaching you the best strategies to rejuvenate your immune system and neutralize the threat of superbugs, pandemics, viruses and other chronic infections! Gain the best strategies to rejuvenate your immune system and neutralize the threat of superbugs, pandemics, viruses and chronic diseases. Click here for more information.

You can also check out these other back to the basics blog posts and podcasts on the website that will hep you get back in the school routine.

OH Nooo!! Not Head Lice!!

Why Do We Make Our Children Drink Something That Can Make Them Sick?

013: What’s Yeast Overgrowth Got to Do with ADD/ADHD?

014:What’s Mitochondrial Dysfunction Got to Do with ADD/ADHD?

024: Are You Making Healthier Snack Food Choices for You and Your Children?

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

It’s Okay to Drink Tap Water, Right?

July 31, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

When someone tells me about an ailment they’re having, one of the first questions I ask is: “How much water are you drinking each day?” Most people even admit to me that they’re probably not drinking enough. But I hear this question a lot as well, “It’s Okay to drink tap water, right?”

The human body is the world’s most amazing machine. With more than 600 different muscles, more than 200 bones, and more than 70 organs all working in conjunction with one another each day, it’s fascinating to think about how the human body functions. And even though your body contains all of these muscles, bones, and organs, they still don’t even account for the majority of what’s inside you. The human body consists primarily of water. Drinking water throughout the day is essential for overall health. Water helps us to perform at high levels, and we need to make sure we replenish our supply each day. We literally can’t live without water.

A deficit of water in your body can cause immediate and serious health problems, and if not addressed quickly, it will eventually result in death. To keep your body feeling fluid and performing at optimal levels, you should be drinking no less than one half ounce of water for every pound you weigh. For those of you who think water tastes too plain, I recommend trying The Right Cup.

According to recent studies, about 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. The first signs of dehydration include headaches, sluggishness, and loss of appetite. Severe dehydration leads to far more serious ailments such as chronic pain, organ failure, degenerative diseases, and death. If you’re reading this and are realizing you might be dehydrated, there’s a good chance you’re thinking about going to the kitchen sink and getting a glass of tap water. Don’t.

They type of water we drink is extremely important.

In my book How to Live Until You Die I stated “The truth is that tap water is the worst kind of water to drink because it’s full of chemicals.” There are hundreds of studies that will show you the dangerous chemicals that tap water contains, and many case histories done in the past few years that prove the deadliness of those chemicals. According to a report in Scientific American, “Traces of 18 unregulated chemicals were found in drinking water from more than one-third of U.S. water utilities in a nationwide sampling…”

Drinking tap water is simply not a safe way to sustain necessary levels of hydration in your body. The movie A Civil Action which dramatizes the true story of Erin Brockovich, profiles the inclusion of Chromium-6 in the tap water of more than 218 million Americans. Chromium-6 is known to be responsible for cancer, liver damage, reproductive problems, and developmental harm. You may also remember the crisis of 2014 in Flint, Michigan, when it was discovered that the tap water was contaminated with high levels of lead.

We need to drink water to stay hydrated, but drinking tap water will probably do us more harm than good. So what do we do? You have a few options. Bottled water is better than tap water, and so is filtering water through either a pitcher or a device attached directly to the tap. Water filtration will remove some of the chemicals, however, it is inconsistent and the lifespan of filters can weaken their effectiveness over time.

My favorite type of water is alkaline ionized water, which you can get through a Kangen machine. Alkaline water helps counteract any acidic things that we put in our bodies. It also contains electrolyte nutrients that help your body function the way it should. To learn more about proper hydration, safe and unsafe water sources, and my top recommendations for staying healthy by drinking the right kind of water, get a copy of my book How to Live Until You Die. (more blogs on water)

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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The Most Important Part of Any Diet is Water

June 30, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever felt motivated to improve your health, you’ve probably realized that eating right is crucial to success. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or just feel more alive, having the right diet is critical. Most people cringe when they hear the word “diet” because their first thought is that they have to undertake an extreme regimen of eating far less, far more, or much different food than they are used to. However, the word “diet” in its simplest form is more accurately defined as the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

Everybody has a diet. For some people, a diet can include fast food, sugary drinks, and daily desserts. Others may consider their diet to be Paleo, Mediterranean, vegetarian, or one of the other well-known, well-defined mainstream diets. Your diet is what you eat regularly. If you want to improve your overall quality of life, take a long look at your diet. Are you consuming too many harmful foods? Could you add more fruits and vegetables to your daily intake? What exactly is the ideal diet?

No two people are exactly the same, and no two diets need be exactly the same either. The best diet is what works best for your body. However, there is one thing that is essential across all diets, for all humans, regardless of shape, size, age, or any other variable: The number one most important thing to consume every day is water. Our bodies are made primarily of water. In fact, our composition is 60-70% water. The bottom line is: We can’t live without water. According to Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, an authority in the medical community, more than 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This astounding statistic may very well explain the root cause of many ailments suffered by individuals across the country.

When a new patient comes to Dr. Phil Carson with a complaint about their health, he says, “Water is so important that no matter what ailment the person is asking about, one of the first questions I ask is how much water they’re drinking a day.” In his book, How to Live Until You Die, he asserts that “Water can be an important part of any plan to burn fat, lose weight, and speed up your metabolism.”Treatment with Accutane wasn’t easy for me. I had severe nasal dryness and nasal bleedings, so I had to moisturize my mucous all the time. My hair got a bit worse too, but, you know, the game is definitely worth the candles. The https://junglefitnessoc.com/accutane-for-sale/ dryness has gone away, but my face is super clear now and my self-esteem high. I feel like a new person after Accutane.

To truly live happy, healthy, and whole, you need to drink at least .5 ounces of water for each pound that you weigh, each day. Water plays a major part in flushing out deadly toxins and allowing us to feel fluid, flexible, and energized. Several scientific studies have found significant correlations between water intake and reduced risk of bladder cancer, rectal cancer, colorectal cancer, colon cancer, and breast cancer. The collective conclusion of the studies mentioned is that “Water is undoubtedly the most important nutrient and the only one whose absence will be lethal within days.” Dr. Phil gives an overview of these studies in How to Live Until You Die, along with recommendations on the best water sources and types of water, the best times to drink water, healthy ways to make water more flavorful, and warnings against drinking tap water.

Daily consumption of water is one of Dr. Phil’s seven keys to living right. As he says in How to Live Until You Die “Getting enough water is a critically important part of a balanced plan to be more happy, healthy, and whole.”

You have probably heard Dr. Phil say, “You may not be drinking enough water, but you need to be! Stay hydrated, my friends!” But there are so many options, how do you know what type of water to drink to make sure you’re getting the most benefits and great taste, while keeping it simple and consistent with your lifestyle? Dr. Phil recently shared a video on his Facebook page, where people have tested the Ph Balance levels on popular brands of bottled water. It’s shocking to see these results. Dr. Phil highly recommends drinking high quality bottled spring water or mineralized water for that reason.

Two of the most common reasons people give for not drinking enough water are that is tastes too plain or it’s too boring. Water doesn’t have to be boring or plain! Have you tried adding fresh squeezed lemons, limes or oranges? Adding fresh fruit to your water can taste even better than the chemical-infused elixirs marketed as sports drinks or enhanced waters. Experiment today with adding fruit to your water. Your kids and grandkids will love it too!

To learn more about the health benefits of water, how to get the right amount of water in your diet, and to discover the other six keys to living happy, healthy, and whole, order your copy of How to Live Until You Die today. You can also listen to a recent episode of the Feeling Good Podcast, where Dr. Phil discusses the importance of water in your diet on our website or in iTunes.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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Looking for a Good Book to Read this Summer

June 2, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Looking for a good book to read? It’s summer time, and that’s an awesome time to enjoy reading a good book. Don’t you love laying around at the pool or the beach while enjoying a good book? I’ve got a great new book out called “How to Live Until You Die, the 7 Keys to Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole.” If you want a good book to read for the summer, this is it! We will be doing book promotions all summer, so get ready for some really fun giveaways and posts on our Feeling Good Podcast, Instagram and Facebook pages.

If you are looking for fun, free activities for your kids or grand kids this summer, I encourage you to go to your local library and let the kids check out books to read or books you can read to your kids. Kids need to learn how to live happy, healthy, and whole too. Look for a few books that teach them about nutrition, health, and life. Keeping your kids and grand kids active and doing fun things this summer is a great way to promote healthy living.

Another fun thing to do at any age is to find a Little Free Library, where you can take a book and return a book. Have you seen one of these yet? Check out their map to find locations near you, or maybe even build your own Little Free Library in your community. Our staff loved reading their recent blog post, DIY Little Free Library (Adorable AND Affordable!) And if you ever happen to leave my book in a Little Free Library, send me a picture! I would love to see that happen!

I have an important question to ask you on this Feeling Good Friday. What could you do if you had a simple plan to increase energy, get in better shape, and improve your mental and emotional health? How to Live Until You Die makes it simpler than ever to unlock a healthier, happier, and more whole you, so today can mark a new beginning for your total health! You have more pressure on you than ever before, with competing demands for work, family and friends and our communities, it’s no wonder so many people are stressed, overweight, unhealthy, and exhausted. In my book, I developed a simple plan anyone can use with their healthcare providers to find balance in those seven key areas, which follow the acronym N.E.W.S.S.S.S., to improve:

Nutrition, to finally get rid of fad diets and expensive programs
Exercise, to help you start feeling and looking more fit
Water, to help you lose weight, improve your health, and feel better than ever
Sleep, to help you finally rest and recover
Supplements, to resolve nutritional deficiencies in your body
Soul, to help you find true inner peace, and
Spirit, to help you plug into a higher power needed for lasting happiness

Visit howtoliveuntilyoudie.com for more information, free book resources and more!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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Cinco de Mayo Feeling Good Friday Fiesta

May 5, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

It’s Cinco de Mayo, and at Carson Natural, we are celebrating! One year ago today, we started our Feeling Good Friday Facebook Live broadcasts. Can you believe it has been a whole year? We haven’t missed a single Friday yet, and we are planning on keeping it going! Check out some of our fun photos on instagram!

With it being Cinco de Mayo, many people would like to celebrate with a little Mexican style food today! If you are going out to eat at your favorite Mexican restaurant tonight and are trying to eat healthier, you can! Maybe you are on some kind of special diet like I have been over the past few weeks. I’ve been doing a 21 day cleanse and purification diet. Tortilla chips and flower tortillas are not on the menu for me, but that’s alright because I have found an awesome alternative to corn tortilla chips . . . Beanitos.

Have you tried these healthier chips yet? You’ve heard of BYOB restaurants where you can bring your own beverage, right? We need a BYOC restaurant . . . Bring Your Own CHIPS! I LOVE these chips. They are a healthier alternative to the tortilla chips. They have twice as much protein, potassium, and they don’t increase your blood sugar as fast as the corn chips do. If you are a diabetic, that is really important.

Another thing you can do in place of eating tortillas, is to eat just the vegetables and the meat that comes with the fajitas. A lot of people order fajitas, and you can still do that without eating the tortillas. You CAN eat healthy at a Mexican restaurant. It might not be the easiest thing to do, but YOU CAN DO IT!

If you aren’t planning on going out to eat tonight, you can still celebrate at home with an easy to make healthy Mexican style meal. My friend and client, Corie Jones, recently blogged about a really fun way to celebrate at home and stay healthy with her family. She even provides a fun DIY craft for the kids. Check out her Cinco de Mayo blog post! Corie made this statement, “We have to remember that eating healthy is not about depriving ourselves but finding healthy substitutes. This can still be accomplished while supporting our fiesta taste buds today.” Corie, I love it and couldn’t agree more.

Remember what I always say. I’ll say it in Spanish first today. Mantente hidratada, amigos. Es posible que no estar bebiendo suficiente agua, pero usted necesita ser! Stay hydrated, my friends. You might not be drinking enough water, but you need to be!

Keep on Fiesta-ing!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Five Snacks That Your Children Will Thank You For…Eventually

September 12, 2016 by Phil Carson 1 Comment

Right now your family is in danger! They are constantly surrounded by weapons of mass destruction, in fact they are on almost every street corner in our country. I’m not talking about drugs and guns! I’m talking about donuts, cheeseburgers, gummies, and potato chips! Snacks!

“Our kids are living on a junk food diet” – Dr. Joel Furman

I recently spoke to a couple with four young children that were looking to fill their day with healthy, go-to, simple snacks, and wanted to share with you the same information that I shared with them! As my title implies, I’m gonna give you five snacks that your kids might resist and even be upset about, but they will thank you for eventually. But first, let me step on my soapbox and say a little more about these “Weapons of Mass Destruction” all around us.

Junk food is no longer just an American problem, it has quickly become a global problem. We see it on every street corner and even on television, with commercials advertising so many different types of junk foods! These foods look appealing (think of how many bright colors we see in the candy aisle) and are designed to taste good, but I want to share with you some facts about junk food and hopefully get you to see these foods in a different light.

Are you a junk food junkie?

Lets start with a proper definition of junk food. When I say junk food, I am referring to food that has little nutritional value but lots of calories. One of the biggest problems with junk food is that they have very low satiation values, which is a medical way to say that you don’t feel full after eating them. This of course leads to overeating. A great example here is a standard bag of potato chips How many times have you or someone you know sat down with a bag of chips and before you know it the bag is over half empty? That is low satiation value in action.

Another problem is that junk food tends to replace other more nutritious foods. It is quick, convenient, and doesn’t take time prepare. So it replaces healthier foods that take a little bit more time to prepare. Breakfast is a prime example here. Most of us, and especially those with kids, are in a hurry in the morning. So we save time with things like cereal, pop-tarts, and eggo waffles. We may save time, but we are also setting ourselves up for fatigue later in the day. I’ve talked about this issue specifically in a previous blog, so check it out here.

As I’m sure you probably know and have heard before, over consumption of junk food is a major contributor to the overall health problems of our nation and especially our kids, specifically childhood obesity. Before I share my top five snacks, let me tell you an effective way to cut down on your and your children’s desire for junk food. Ready for it?

Limit the amount of advertising you or they see on television!

Billions are spent on market research every year by companies that want to tap into your brain and make you want their product, and we are constantly being bombarded visually with commercials and ads displaying juicy cheeseburgers or snacks that magically turn your kids boredom into a fairy tale. Who doesn’t want those things? Now there are a couple ways you can do this. Obviously cutting tv time is the easiest way, but if you have a DVR where you can pause or record shows and skip commercials that is also an easy way.

And finally here are my top 5 snacks

Fresh Fruit or Frozen Fruit – Nature’s candy! It is naturally sweet, helps keep you hydrated, and it will leave you feeling full and well nourished throughout the day.
Raw Nuts – Excellent natural sources of the omega oils, proteins, and fiber that our bodies need.
Dark Chocolate – Now this isn’t your Hershey’s dark chocolate, this is 70% or higher cacao. It is a powerful source of antioxidants, can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, and raises HDL cholesterol and prevents LDL from oxidizing. It also mixes excellently with raw nuts!
Natural Peanut Butter – Click here to check out my Feeling Good Friday broadcast from a couple weeks ago for all the info on natural peanut butter!
Natural low sugar protein bars. Read the labels and be selective and choose the bars with 10 or more grams of protein. These bars are a much healthier alternative to high sugar low protein candy bars.

I want you and your family to be as healthy and well nourished as possible this school year, and I would encourage you to do some research for yourself and find healthy snacks that you can make or buy for you and your family! If you have already ditched junk food, I’d love to hear about your experience, or if you disagree and think junk food isn’t that big of a deal, then leave a comment and lets start a dialogue!

Be sure to check out my Feeling Good Podcast episode 24 for more on this subject, and to tune in to my Feeling Good Friday every Friday during the noonday hour via Facebook Live. You can like the Carson Natural Facebook Page to get a notification of when we go live!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil