Notes from March 9th Meeting

by Tami Newton

Polly Heil-Mealey, an irodologist, explained to us that our eyes are the mirror to the disorders that effect our bodies. Polly uses photos of the eyes, particularly the iris, to determine what kinds of things are going on in our bodies that may indicate conditions of toxicity or malnourishment. After all, she says, these are the only 2 real diseases in the world. Everything that is wrong with our bodies is actually just a result of either toxicity and/or malnourishment.

Ms. Heil-Mealey said that 65% of Americans are overweight and that 30% of that number are clinically obese. These ailments are the result of being overweight or obese: diabetes, gall bladder disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, gout and cancer. She advocates that we work with our bodies, not against them by eating more naturally and then supplementing with herbs.

Polly gave us some very easy ways to actually GAIN WEIGHT:

. Skip breakfast
. Don't stop and eat, when hungry
. When we do eat, we eat it quickly
. Eating while working, driving and/or multi-tasking
. Exercising on an empty stomach
. Do not eat all day long and then eat a large meal

She listed the following foods as "Nutritionally Depleting Food":

. Refined Flour
. White Rice
. Processed Oils
. Refined Sugar
. Canned Foods
. Packaged Foods
. Artificial Sweeteners

The key to good health is to just eat "Good Quality Foods" like whole grains, adequate protein (fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, beef), good fats (olive oil, avocados, nuts), fresh vegetables and fresh fruits (particularly berries and apples because they contain many anti-oxidants).

Ms. Mealey told us there were four areas of toxicity and malnutrition that could cause weight gain:

. Digestive system disorders
. Thyroid imbalance (80% of all women have thyroid issues)
. Hormone imbalance
. Eliminative issues (everyone should have 3 bowel movements per day, without exception).
This inability to eliminate can actually add to 20 to 40 pounds to your total weight.

Weight loss is directly affected by blood sugar balances. In order to lose weight, we have to eliminate the see saw effect of eating too many carbohydrates and sugars. Polly advocates that we avoid high glycemic vegetables (carrots, potatoes and corn) when trying to lose weight because these foods actually produce sugar alcohol. She recommends that we eat 2 to 3 ounces of protein every 2 to 3 hours. Ms. Healey also recommends that we eat real fats (peanut butter, olive oil, flax seed oil). She says to avoid all teas (including green tea) and coffee and says to focus on consuming water and herbal teas to flush the system and lose weight. It is extremely important to avoid sugar, in all forms, including honey and syrups. Definitely avoid artificial sweeteners.

Eliminative disorders result in rotten food being stored in our systems and these produce acids which burn holes in our intestines and cause a condition known as "leaky gut syndrome". She said we all have colon and eliminative issues and explained that we need to be ridding ourselves of eight (8) pounds of waste per day. Two pounds should be expelled from our lungs, two pounds from our bladder and kidneys, two pounds from our bowels and two pounds from our skin.
Many hormone imbalances are a result of poor eating and insulin resistance. Ms. Heil-Mealey recommends the following eating changes:

. Always eat small, but balanced meals
. Take time to "only eat", do not multi-task
. Eat half of what we call a regular meal (use a 9 inch plate, instead of a 15 inch plate)
. Chew slowly - this helps turn off our appestat
. Put down your fork between meals
. Eat healthy snacks - fruits, nuts and vegetables

Polly also recommends whey protein to help control hormonal imbalance. Soy protein actually can make hormone imbalances worse. Whey protein is a highly bio-available source of calcium. She explained that protein is so important in our diet because it contains amino acids, balances blood sugar and lowers blood fats. She recommends whey protein shakes to help supplement protein in your diet.

We also revisited the use of sea weed in a woman's diet to help with hormone imbalances. Polly recommended Wakame seaweed because it is the most palatable and can be purchased in a dehydrated form and added to soups, stews, casseroles, etc. Seaweed actually absorbs the 13 different mineral salts that are found in the ocean and these salts actually nourish hormones, glands and nerves.

Ms. Heil-Mealey's philosophy in helping people to understand their bodies and become educated about proper eating and supplementation can be summed up by this saying, "When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps." - Confucius

Polly Heil-Mealey is available to work with your digestive, hormonal, thyroid and eliminative issues at 7060 FM 1960, right beside the 24 Hour Fitness at "A Gift of Health". You can call Ms. Healey for an appointment at 832-978-1677 or email her at polly@mynsp.com (make sure you put "eyes" in subject line).


Dr. Ryan Konarik will be our guest speaker next week at the 7:00 Meltdown Meeting. His topic will be "Understanding Hormones and Weight Gain". Dr. K. will explain to us why women are overweight due to hormone problems. Sheila encouraged each of us to bring a guest next week to hear this informative topic.

Connie Harding reminded everyone that she still needs team weigh in numbers from the team captains. The meltdown is winding down and we only have about two more weeks of actual Big Loser competition. The final weigh in for the entire competition will be due on Thursday, March 25.

So, eat nutritionally, get your supplementation, exercise, get plenty of rest and drink your water. We are looking forward to naming a New Big Loser Team at our final Meltdown Meeting on Tuesday, March 30. Will your team be the one who receives that award and grand prize?