Alex Gellman

Stress, Your Health, and Nutrition

August 2, 2021 By Alex Gellman

“Have 5 vegetables a day!”

“Eat fresh fruit, not cookies!”

Many of us heard a version of these phrases from a parent or guardian when we were kids. Though we may have protested, even our child-size brains knew they had a point. Your parent’s main concern was that you thrive and grow into a healthy adult. Somehow, despite ignoring their advice whenever you could, you’re now a well-rounded adult. Or are you simply, well – a little too round? Are you nostalgic for childish things, now you’re an adult and facing real life stressors? Are you longing for the simple days when your big decision was apple vs. cookies? Do you seek comfort from comfort foods?

We all do this sometimes. But we know, as adults, that the food choices we make affect more than our waistlines. Our choices impact all aspects of life. We know that we need the phyto-nutrients and antioxidants found in fruits and veggies more than ever to help fight adult-sized stress and free radical damage on our aging bodies.

Making the right food choices will give you a fighting chance against premature aging and illness; The right food can contribute to a good night’s sleep and keep your intellect sharp all day by staving off low sugar blues. Identifying food sensitivities and avoiding those foods can aid weight loss and alleviate digestive problems. Proper food choices can help women sail through menopause. It can help all of us prevent chronic illness and cancers, stave off depression, obesity, and even improve your sex life.

What Healthy Eating Can Do For You:

Increase energy and performance
Promote a greater ability to concentrate
Strengthen your immune system
Enhance your libido
Help reach your ideal body weight
Reverse signs of aging
Improve self-esteem and confidence
Create a more positive attitude about your liffe

Stress can contribute to wrong choices and generally wreak havoc, so it’s important to manage your stress. The first step towards management is to recognize there are different types of stress and different stress responses, and for every type of stress there are specific foods that can help you manage. By following the food suggestions for different types of stress, you’ll find it easier to ignore the stress impulse to reach for ice cream, cookies, wine, or whatever. That route hasn’t really worked for you in the past, so now it’s time to learn about food choices that do work. (Please note that before making any changes in nutritional intake or life style choices you should mention it to your Doctor or Health Practitioner.)

What is stress? “Stress is the body’s reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental, or emotional adjustment or response. Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious. Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or “stressor.” Therefore stress is multifaceted and can lead to frustration, anger, nervousness, sadness, or anxiety, or all of the above.

Different Types of Stressors and Foods that Fight Back:

Stress that threatens safety

• Threats on your life, losing your home, losing your job, losing your partner or parents, a serious car accident, a court sentence, etc.

Unfortunately, we have all been touched by one, or several of these episodes. Some folks go through life unaffected. How do they do it? You may have noticed that some days you handle everything thrown your way with ease and good nature. At other times, the smallest incident can send you over the edge. Yes, certain foods rich in B vitamins can help you maintain equilibrium. Swiss chard is one such power house. It’s full of minerals and B vitamins that help handle stress, and a one cup serving has only 35 calories. This wonder product from nature has the potential to reduce blood pressure, and cholesterol. It also delivers antioxidants that help fight free radical damage that leads to premature aging and illness.

Serving Suggestion: steam Swiss chard lightly and serve drizzled with cold pressed olive oil and pressed garlic. A sprig of parsley after will clear the garlic breath. Parlsey also supports kidneys and helps release built up acids and fluids. When we are under stress we often hold on to more water and experience edema type symptoms. Drinking a brew of parsley tea boiled in water will help relieve these symptoms. Other benefits of parsley:• neutralizes carcinogens in cigarette smoke and and BBQ’d food• boosts energy in spite of stress because it has magnesium and calcium • helps sleep because it has tryptophan, an amino acid well know for its role in inducing relaxation and sleep (think: turkey dinner).

Stress that brings us self-doubt

• Criticism about your work or not feeling accepted by others.

However, this only applies if the person already has self-doubt about their abilities. If the foundation is strong, the criticism will be like water off a duck’s back.

Fennel builds inner confidence through its aromatic constituents. Where there is stress and self-doubt, the stomach and digestive process will be affected. Fennel will calm that down. If your stomach is stable, you will find the strength within your abdominal core muscles to eliminate the self-doubt and take a stand. Fennel is a great appetite suppressant due to its high content of anethol volatile oil. This substance tells the brain you are full, and you may find yourself feeling satisfied with less food. In addition, fennel boosts the immune system to help overcome infections and help reduce inflammatory conditions. Serving Suggestion: Make yourself a raw fennel, beets, apple and kale salad. Sliver all thinly by hand or in a food processor. Dress with a generous dressing of lemon juice, flax oil and a dash of cumin. Apples also have a multitude of health benefits – eating just two apples a day can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Beets support the liver and skin cleansing.

Stress that registers as disappointment and unmet expectations

• When we feel our loved one or loved ones shun us or turn their back on us, or our romantic partner leaves us.

We need to look within and examine our expectations. Most of the time the romantic and emotional expectations are unrealistic and the disappointment can only happen if your expectations are not realistic.

Example: I deal with a woman who dreams of her husband coming home for dinner.I ask her if he has ever come home for dinner in 15 years. She says, “Not yet.” But she continues to dream that things will change, and he will show up for dinner. Every night she sits at the dinner table until he rolls in around 1 to 3 in the morning. She leads with her unhappiness by living in a world of delusion.

You are aghast at this ridiculous example. You would be surprised how many people continue to believe the lies they tell themselves to keep themselves safe in dead end jobs and relationships. I often see the other side of the coin, too; There are people who only anticipate struggle, disappointment and problems. When good fortune comes to these people they are astonished and are waiting for the good thing to go sour and/or they begin to sabotage the situation to fulfill their belief that life is a struggle and wishes do not come true.

Emotional disappointments trigger a response that lowers immunity and often result in respiratory sysmtoms such as the flu, colds or other bronchial problems. Therefore, if your stressors are focused around emotional disappointments, it’s necessary to support the respiratory system. If you are experiencing this, eliminate all dairy products until the illness phase passes and add ginger and turmeric to your diet. Ginger acts a stimulant to improve circulation, it supports the inner lining of the digestive track, and helps overcome respiratory problems. Ginger is also a potent anti-inflammtory that helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis.

Serving Suggestions: • Use shredded or diced in stir fries• boil in water to make a tea• add to your juicer when making juice• remove core and seed of an apple, stuff it with ginger and bake• add to salad dressing with sesame oil• use in marinades and sauces

Stress that irritates and feels like conflict

• When you are in a situation where another person is pushing you to change or go in a direction that is not familiar to you or is distasteful, or you find yourself in an argument or direct conflict.

Often conflict can be an internal argument. You find yourself endlessly mulling over things, weighing the pros and cons of a situation – such as whether to stay in a marriage or leave the marriage.

If your stress response is to express irritation or anger, then you need liver support. For this, look to

Artichokes and fresh lemons and limes.

Cooking an artichoke is simple, yet I meet many people who are intimidated at the thought and don’t know where to begin.

It’s easy – just steam for 45 minutes with a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary. (Reserve the cooking water! This important step will be explained further). To serve the steamed artichoke, remove the leaves on by one and dip the bottom of the leaf in hummus or a light mixture of cold pressed virgin olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh lemon juice, pressed garlic, and dry mustard. When you get to the center there is a round area with thistles in the middle. Cut out the thistle area and you have now reached the heart of the artichoke. This part is regarded as a culinary delicacy – fill with your favorite dressing and enjoy. While this is a pleasurable experience for the palate that helps the liver, to amp up the detox, drink 2 cups of the water reserved from steaming the artichoke. You may find it bitter but, along with rosemary, an aromatic herb, it cleanses and supports phase 1 and phase 2 of the liver detoxification process. You can add lemon to the mixture.

Stress that frustrates

• Sitting in traffic that is going nowhere for hours

• Waiting to resolve a court case that is taking years.

• You feel helpless waiting for things to resolve themselves

The common component that leads to stress in all the above examples is the self-talk that results after the event. That self-talk will become our reality.

For instance, when we feel criticized at work we may tell ourselves, “Yep, I am an idiot, just like mom always said.” And then it’s all down hill from there.

The solution to the slippery slope is to become aware of the TRIGGER that sets off the negative and destructive and usually untrue, internal message. Recognizing the trigger will help you pause for an honest moment and hopefully reassess that knee-jerk reaction and substitute it for a more reasoned outlook, such as “everyone makes mistakes” and/or “what different/better approach will help avoid a repeat?”

The food to help stress that frustrates is romaine lettuce – often overlooked as old hat but a great contributor to your well being.

Romaine lettuce is another good energy booster on stressful days – a salad a day will keep the stress bugs away!

Romaine lettuce delivers, since it has high doses of chromium. This mineral helps keep blood sugar stable. If you are experiencing a blood sugar roller coaster you will be significantly more affected by the slightest stressors. Romains also contains B1, B2 and tryptophan which help the nervous system deal with stress. Include hemp hearts, raw sunflower seeds and sesame seeds in a salad to boost healthy essential fatty acids. (Remember, toasted or sugared nuts hinder the benefit of the nuts.)

Stress over uncertainty of the future

• Results in fear

The food for fear is celery.

Plain old garden variety celery is often over-stepped for more glamourous and trendy vegetables, but celery is a real star. Check out what celery offers:

High roughage, low calories
Helps process carbohydrates
Alkaline, so protects against high acid and purifies blood
Greener stalks contain more vitamin A and celery helps stabilize blood sugar and aids with diabetes
Contains B vitamins plus sodium, potassium and magnesium
Regarded as a fountain of youth product
Helps keep body limber and muscles from stiffness and aching
Arteries, muscles and joints harden with too much calcium – sodium keeps calcium levels in check
Eat the leaves! – they are high in potassium sodium and sulphur

Healthy Food Tips—Wellness from the Inside Out

• Eat five small meals a day, each consisting of a protein, healthy carbohydrate, and healthy fat

• Plenty of fruits and vegetables• 30 minutes of exercise or movement each day

• Healthy nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds

• Fish three times a week

• Lemon and warm water at wake up

• Filtered water – 12 to 14 glasses per day

Now is the time to start taking preventative steps that will lead to reversing the biological clock of life.

This articles is extracted from a blog post originally printed in the The Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario Newsletter: “Connections.”

Please contact Alex Gellman to arrange a remote or in-person consultation appointment.

Natural Modalities for Well-Being and Better Health

May 19, 2021 By Alex Gellman

Natural Health Practitioner and Wellness Coach Alexandra Gellman specializes in trusted, simple approaches to wellness, health, and nutrition that guide participants in how to improve lifestyle—and mental and physical well being—in easy, do-able steps.

Transforming Lives

Lifestyle Medicine Webinar, London- July 2020

Alex offers over 30 years’ experience transforming the lives of clients and patients, An experienced facilitator, practitioner, and natural health and wellness guide with a background in hospitality and association liaison, She is the author of three books, has published research on medically-based natural health studies, and made appearances on major TV networks offering wellness guidance and advice. Alex opens the door to health and well being for many with her Steps to Wellness Workshops.

Alex was one of the speakers at the Lifestyle Medicine Webinar in London in July.

Personal Well Being and Guidance

Alex will also meet clients one-on-one at the midtown family medical clinic where she has provided services for a number of years. However, please note that during the current time of concern over COVID-19 and while the clinic is closed, she is also able to work with individuals during phone consultations or other face-to-face online methods or calls. Please contact Alex for more information.

In the meantime, if you’d like to order natural health and nutritional supplements please access via the Alex Gellman online store portal at Metagenics. If you have any questions about your needs or best options, contact Alex for information and guidance.

Steps to Wellness

An experienced presenter before a wide range of associations and organizations, Alex is able to develop and offer holistic and wellness ‘road maps’ to help people battle chronic conditions and avoid or reverse disease implications. Workshops include easy-to-follow take home handouts with tips and actions to put into practise to take “Simple Steps to Wellness.”

Programs are customizable depending on individual or group needs. Please connect with Alex if you’re interested in individual/group programs or workshops.

What is The Keto Diet?

March 6, 2021 By Alex Gellman

Most of us have heard about low carb diets including Dr. Atkins and South Beach. But the most popular one at the moment seems to be The Ketogenic Diet. The big difference, says Mayo Clinic, is Keto is a high fat and very low carb diet. Check with your medical professional to be sure this is right for you before you start it.

Here’s a summary of what Harvard Health has to say: the Keto Diet pushes your body into using ketones for energy, fuel produced by the liver from stored fat. In most diets, your body relies on sugar or glucose from carbs. A wide variety of foods contain carbs including legumes, fruit, vegetables, and grains. For the process to work, your body needs to be on less than 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day; too much protein can interfere with this; and it takes a few days to reach the state of ketosis. As Harvard Health also points out, an average banana has about 27 grams of carbs—so it’s not always easy to reduce your carbs to the recommended levels.

You would eat more fat at each meal than in a typical diet, and while the diet doesn’t forbid fats such as butter and coconut oil, you can also choose healthier unsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil. All fruits have carbs, but some have less than others–veggies also vary in carb counts. Below the ground veggies such as potatoes, for example, tend to be higher than those cultivated above ground. A standard size 100 gram serving of potatoes has 15 grams of carbs, sweet potatoes have 17, and carrots have 7. Spinach has one gram, a 100 gram serving of cucumbers has three, and so does cauliflower. A 100 gram serving of tomato has 3 grams of carbs and an average avocado has 2 grams of carbs. A nutritional guide/carb counter and nutrient information is highly recommended if you try this diet.

The benefits of the Keto Diet tend to be quick, which can be motivating in itself—and so help with continuing weight loss. Lost pounds tend to be in the abdominal area first, and the foods most people take out tend to be the easiest to digest such as white sugars, bread, cakes, and processed foods. One study has shown that this diet appears to be a plus for brain health—teenagers with epilepsy suffered fewer seizures when on this diet.

Contact Alex for more information on weight loss.

How Iridology Works

December 5, 2020 By Alex Gellman

Here is a recap of the Ask Your Angels Show by Christine Francis, the host of “Ask Your Angels Talk Show” on BlogTV.

Iridology is a holistic approach to examining a patient’s systemic health. Returning guest Alex Gellman, PhD., shares valuable insights on preventative care, maximized vitality and overall well-being.

“Scientific, holistic, and spiritual, Iridology is an assessment tool. It reflects the condition of your kidneys, back, neck, and eyes. It tells you hereditary patterns of your genetics. For adopted children, it can show ‘unwanted pregnancy.’ It can also display the severity of that pregnancy. It shows significant stresses on the mother when she was pregnant. It also tells a great deal about the parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. There is much value in that.”

“Dr. Ignatz Von Peczley, a young Hungarian doctor, discovered Iridology in 1861. Finding an owl with a broken wing, Dr. Peczley took her home to nurse back to health. In doing so, he noticed the disappearance of the black marking in her eye. Quite mystified by this, he kept intricate records of all his patient’s symptoms, throughout his life.”

“Many years later Dr. Peczley attended a conference in Milan where he met Dr. Gustav. They both were following the same markings and charts. Today we utilize the same chart, only in more detail.”

The father of modern Iridology was Bernard Jensen. Another man, Denny Ray Johnson, thought ‘Iridology is great, but there’s something wrong here. These people are too obsessed with the physical. There is more to life than the physical world.’ Denny, believing the eye revealed emotion, spirit and mind, created a new system.”

“Looking at your eyes, you see a blueprint for your life. You can see your chakras, feelings, emotional gifts you were born with, personality, blockages, family relationships, and the physical state of all body organs.”

“Iridology is read like a map. Colors reflect the complexity and intensity of the problem. White and yellow are warnings. Green and orange: the condition is becoming more acute. Each case is unique depending on the marking; red, brown, and black being more chronic. Markings (at different points ) shaped like diamonds, circles, dots, petals, jewels (specs on the eye) clarify a problem in a corresponding organ.”

“Denny Ray Johnson also created the “four personalities.” We have the ‘humanitarian‘; devoting their lives to helping others. Often the humanitarian will not look after themselves. In their quest to be there for others, they neglect themselves. It’s not a healthy way to live. The next category is ‘creative‘; all about creativity; very visual. Living in the moment, creatives don’t respond well to timelines. They’re not as analytical and detailed as they could be. ‘Analytical‘ types are all about detail, focus, and realizing goals. They have strong leadership qualities. The last one is a ‘catalyst.‘ This is a person who motivates others. They never stop/are always going. They need to learn moderation.”

What the eyes can show/this is an example of the pointers shown by iridology analysis—”The particular eye that was under examination was a combination of all the above,” declared Alex. “Whenever you see those big dots called ‘jewels,‘ that indicates strong leadership and genius in the person’s intellectual capacity. They have some creativity, a little bit of catalyst and a little bit of humanitarian. In their personality style, this person is very well rounded; analytical being the dominant peronality trait.”

“The big rust-coloured dot near the pupil shows a significant chronic problem with the uterus (for a woman) or prostrate (for a man). The little lines at nine o’clock show the father’s nurturing qualities were poor. Right below that, at approximately eight o’clock, we see a tiny little orange line representing the gallbladder. The brown marking beside it is the liver. The yellow/orange above the pupil are signs of digestive problems, system acidity, candida, and yeast infestation.”

“The enzymes in the body are not being produced and compromising digestion. That tiny, thin line at the top edge, warns circulation is starting to close down. There is a tremendous amount of inflamation in the body. This person suffers from allergies; the white food groups; wheat, sugar, milk, dairy, white rice and potatoes. Significant markings at three o’clock reveal warnings concerning the thyroid or throat in general. Information from analysis is very indepth.”

A window to the soul, Iridology helps alert us to potential illness or disease prior to clinical evidence. Life is a journey; we are the travellers. Tapping into hidden talents, positive strengths and even weaknesses, Iridology is an actuality tool for life’s emergency kit. Don’t leave home without it.”

I thank Christine for having me as a guest on her show and look forward to future visits. You can find Christine’s blog at: http://www.askyourangeltalkshow.blogspot.ca/