Welcome to the 6th edition of Massey’s Magazine!
In the News: I was researching a number of foods this week that have an affect on our dopamine levels in our brains and I stumbled on a couple of interesting articles just published within the last few days.
The first one was citing a study done both by Yale University and the Planck Institute for Metabolic Research in Germany. A study was conducted with otherwise healthy people. None were smokers, overweight or obese, on pharmaceuticals or have any other significant health concerns. All of them were told to eat as they normally would, except one group ate low sugar/low fat yogurt twice daily and the other group ate high sugar/high fat yogurt twice daily. This study was conducted for 8 weeks, and at the end of the eight weeks, the high sugar group disliked the taste of natural apple juices and low fat puddings, though the low sugar group had no problems with those foods.
Additionally, a test was conducted with the same people at the end of the 8 weeks, where each subject drank a milkshake while their brain was being monitored under MRI. Across the board, the low sugar group showed no brain activity changes during the consumption of their treat. The high sugar group showed significant brain activity, indicating the dopamine system was activated as if a “reward” was given.
The findings of this study were interpreted noting when someone consistently consumes higher sugar foods (and this was just testing yogurt! Imagine the people who eat far worse daily!) there is such a significant impact on the brain’s dopamine signals, that the dopamine will fire even when someone anticipates eating fatty or sugary food, but yet someone who doesn’t do this regularly has no change in behavior or brain response.
This is why when folks start CONSISTENTLY sticking to a healthy low carb, high fiber nutrient dense lifestyle the cravings most often disappear altogether! Now, before anyone gets excited who knows my view of yogurt—no, I still don’t recommend the dairy yogurts, unless you get them straight from an A2 organic dairy farm. I can only imagine the ingredients that were in the ones they were testing them with. However, I still found this research fascinating just to show what otherwise healthy people do with JUST A CHANGE IN HIGH SUGAR YOGURT! I WISH that was all most Americans consumed that was deemed unhealthy on a regular basis! We wouldn’t have the health crisis we do now!
For more info about this study: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/sugary-fatty-snacks-change-brain-activity-preferences-rcna75960
Client spotlight: I’m going to share MULTIPLE quotes I received from my clients over the past week, because there were so many good ones!
“I’m loving (the program) so much! Feeling like I’m finally really doing something for myself that I’ve needed to do for a long time!”
“Felt really good and actually slept 7 hours! My norm is 4.5!”
“My joints do not ache as much.”
“I seem to be calmer letting things roll off my back.”
“My slight double chin is almost gone, and the top I wore yesterday always had really tight sleeves and I could move them around. My fingers remain not as swollen.”
And the one that warmed my heart to inferno level. The 18 year old daughter of my long time client (and friend) wrote this message to me: “Hi, Wendy. I wanted to thank you because for months I have been working very hard to lose weight and I lost 20 pounds, which I am very proud of myself for. Losing this weight has made me feel more confident in myself and has made me do activities that I probably would have struggled with before. I have changed my eating habits completely and was also (able) to adjust to a clean and healthy lifestyle with my mom. Eating so healthy all the time has caused my stomach pain and inflammation to decrease. When I used to have bad habits, I used to always get stomach pains…Thank you for helping me out and being such an important person in our life.”
And no words I could add could state anything any better. Just remember that your kids are watching you. If you are showing them good habits, as her mom has shown her for 2 1/2 years since we began working together, this is what they will learn. If you are showing them poor habits…. well…. that’s also what they learn.
I’m available for the whole family!!!
Book launch: The Ultimate Meal Prep Guide to Simplify Clean Eating: How to Cook Once to Save Money & Feel Better …in Just 4 Hours a Month is available in both paperback and Kindle forms! There have been almost 500 copies of the paperback book sold alone in the first two weeks! There are no words to describe my appreciation to all whom have purchased either form of this book!
If you haven’t gotten your copy yet and would like to, please go to www.simplifycleaneating.com
If you have gotten your copy, can you PLEASE submit a happy testimonial, even if it’s just a small comment as to how this book has spoken to you or has motivated you to do something positive in your life? I HAD NO IDEA what a powerful weight these reviews are to newbie authors like me!
NOW LIVE!!! Our MONTHLY MEAL PREP CLUB is up and rolling! We’re thrilled to offer you a membership that will make meal prep a breeze. Our Club has everything you need to save time, money, and stress in the kitchen.
Each month, you’ll receive a set of delicious, healthy, and easy-to-follow recipes that are specifically designed for meal prep. We carefully choose these recipes based on the items we believe our members should have in their pantries, so you won’t have to run to the grocery store for items you’ll never use again every time you want to meal prep.
To make your shopping experience even easier, we provide a shopping list with links for non-perishable items. This means you won’t have to read countless labels, as we’ll only recommend clean and healthy ingredients.
Our Club doesn’t just stop at the recipes – we also provide you with printable 3×5 cards and freezer bag labels. This will drastically reduce your pre-work, which I teach for optimal organization, and eliminate the need to write on your bags. Plus, we offer a sample one week meal plan with a few additional recipes when appropriate.
We understand that meal prep can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve included a step-by-step checklist for your meal prep day. This will help you stay organized and efficient, making your meal prep experience a breeze.
But that’s not all – we also provide monthly time and money-saving tips specific to the recipes we’re cooking. These tips will help you maximize your savings and time in the kitchen.As a member of our Club, you’ll receive a private link to our monthly “Cook With Me” YouTube Livestream. This is an exciting opportunity to cook alongside our experts and ask questions in real-time. Plus, we offer prizes that are awarded on the Livestream for a couple of lucky folks who attend live.
We’re constantly working on new and exciting additions to our Club, so you can expect even more value in the near future.
With all of these incredible benefits, there’s no better time to join the Monthly Meal Prep Club. Sign up now and start saving time, money, and stress in the kitchen. You can find more info at www.freedomholisticwellness.com/members/
OUR NEXT YOUTUBE “COOK WITH ME” LIVESTREAM EVENT IS THIS COMING SATURDAY 10AM—2PM!
***STAY TUNED FOR MULTIPLE NEW SERVICES, TOOLS AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES TO BE OFFERED BY MASSEY WELLNESS! My goal for 2023 is to increase the IMPACT we have on the health of ALL people, so the best way is to offer a variety of options to make that happen. I CAN NOT WAIT TO SHARE ALL OF THE NEW DETAILS! JUST WAITING FOR IT ALL TO BE LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE!***
Dates for upcoming events:
March 25 – “Cook With Me” Livestream – 10am Eastern for Monthly Meal Prep Club Members
March 28 – Live interview by Donna Partow – 1pm Eastern
April 1 – Book Launch Celebration Westminster, MD (There are a small handful of tickets still available for $45/each as of this email – please reach out if soon if you are interested! This includes a fun evening with a meal and entertainment.)
April 2 – Pathways Natural Healing Expo McClean, VA (Speaking at 1:30pm, expo booth all day)
April 10-13 – 4-Day Clean Eating Challenge – 7pm live webinar nightly
April 15 – IF Women’s Conference Reisterstown, MD
June 8-12 WOW Christian Womens’ Retreat Timonium, MD
June 17 – Evermore Farm Health Conference Westminster, MD
Weekly Scripture:
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
3 John 1:2
In love and health,
Wendy