Simply Healthful Live Well

Nourishing the Body

2009-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

With recent concerns of illness, I felt it would be appropriate to discuss ways to nourish and build the body. Often times we hear of "fighting" a cold or flu, which seems to imply opposition and struggle. Rather, I find it helpful to think of nourishing and building our bodies; feeding ourselves the proper nutrients to strengthen our body's ability to heal itself.

Of course a healthy diet is important, as well as proper rest. Many times we can incorporate simple things ino our diets that are nourishing and help our body's to build and strengthen. Here are a few of my favorite nourishing herbs we use regularly.

Garlic
According to The Little Herb Encyclopedia, by Jack Ritchason
"when the plagues ravaged europe, the populace ate garlic daily as a protection against the disease. Garlic is known as a natural anti-biotic, without the deleterious effects of the drugs that kill all life within the body...Because it is a natural anti-biotic, it helps to control fevers and combat viruses...Garlic is one of the many Super foods that some consider to be one of the most potent healing herbs in the world."

If you want to test the potentcy of garlic, try rubbing a clove on the bottoms of your feet. Within minutes you will notice garlic breath! That is how quickly it travels through the body.

How to use Garlic
There are countless ways to incorporate garlic in the diet. Here are few of my favorites in addition to cooking with it regularly.

1) Garlic Lemonade
To make, simply slice 4-5 cloves of garlic (do not press as I find it to be too overpowering). Then simply place in a quart jar and cover 3/4 of the way with boiling water. Place the lid on and let sit at least a half an hour or so. Then add enough lemon and honey to taste. I usually add the juice of 2 lemons or so, and enough honey to sweeten. This drink is pleasant and nourishing and my children actually love it! I offer them 1-2 cups a day when I am working on helping them nourish and build.

2)Garlic Shooters
This recipe comes from The International Garlic Festival, by Caryl Simpson

Freshly squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into a cup. Add 1-2 T of water and then add a fresh, crushed or pressed garlic clove. Immediately swirl the cup to achieve a circling motion and drink in one gulp.
The 'shooter' experience is reportedly followed by an immediate feeling of rejuventaion called the 'shooter rush'.

Note: Once the garlic is added you will want to drink this quickly as the garlic tends to "heat" quickly once in contact with the liquid. It is surprisingly pleasant to drink and even my 4 year old enjoys them. The quicker you drink them the easier they are to get down and the less likely you are to even taste the garlic.

Rose Hips
What are they and what is their history?
Rose hips are the small berry-sized, reddish seed balls, that are left on the tips of the stems of roses. They are amazing sources of vitamin C. During WWII, there was a shortage of citrus fruit in England due to a German submarine blockade to the British Isles. The government organized the country to harvest all the Rose Hips to be made into a Vitamin C Syrup for the people to prevent scurvey.
"It seems that one of the richest sources of Vitamin C today is Rose Hips. It reportedly has 60 times more Vitamin C than citrus fruit... Large quantities of Vitamin C can be most useful for a great many of the comon diseases we have today to include the common cold, flu, pneumonia and many other common complaints. Another good use of Vitamin C can be as a cleansing, so as to avoid a disease problem before it happens by using it on a daily basis." The Little Herb Encyclopedia

How to use Rose Hips
Rosemary Gladstar's Rose Hips Jam
Dried seedless rose hips make a delicious and easy to prepare jam. Simply cover them with fresh apple juice and let them soak overnight. The next day the jam is ready to eat. Cinnamon and other spices can be added for more flavor if desired. I also like to add a small amount of honey to sweeten it slightly, although that is optional as well. Serve a tsp or so on morning toast or any other way you like!

I purchase my dried Rose Hips Here, although many health food stores may have them as well. They can even be harvested from your own rose bushes, but take care to never harvest from a bush that has been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals.

There are many, many other nourishing herbs that could easily be added to this list. These are just a couple of family friendly suggestions that my family uses on a regular basis. They are simple and easy and pretty easy to keep on hand. Louis Pasteur was quoted on his deathbed as saing, "it's not the microbes, it's the environment." Remember that if we keep the environment of our body healthy, nourished and strong, then it will be its own best defense against any microbe that comes it's way. Try adding some of these nourishing herbs to your family's diet!

Herbs...Where do I begin?

2009-04-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Many times, people ask me, "How can I learn more about herbs?" Of course there are many answers to that question, but I always love to start with a good book. There are hundreds and hundreds of herbal books on the shelves, but I thought I would recommend a few of my tried and true favorites; the ones I turn to most often. I thought I would start with my top 3 choices, in no particular order. These are all, in my opinion, worth having on a shelf in your home.

Herbal Reference Books:

#1: Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal
I love this book! Rosemary Gladstar is considered the "mother of modern herbalism," and has been a driving force in herbal education. Here is a quote from the book description of this book, as found on her website (www.sagemountain.com):

"Her herbal recipes address everyday ailments, ease stress and anxiety, and promote radiant beauty within and without while nurturing longevity and well-being throughout the life cycle. An herbal apothecary at the end of the book provides an A-to-Z guide to herbs and their healing uses, along with safety precautions, dosage information, and guidelines for when to seek traditional medical help."

What I really love about htis book is that it is a collection of many books that the author has written over the past 30 years. It is broken into easy-to-read sections such as: Home Remedies for Everyday Ailments, For Children, For Women, For Men, For Elders, etc. There are many recipes and formulas included, as well as great insights, tips and inspirational quotes. This book is beautifully put together and I find myself returning to it time and time again for the valuable information, formulas and insight it contains.

The new paperback edition is now available here.

#2: The Little Herb Encyclopedia, by Jack Ritchason
This book is probably the one most often pulled from my shelf. I often use it to look up an unfamiliar herb, reference a favorite one, or just to read and enjoy interesting facts, info or uses and history of herbs and health conditions. This 400 page reference contains an alphabetical listing of individual herbs, their bodily influence, and describes their history and uses. It is a fabulous resource for wanting more information on individual herbs and their actions for the body. It is a great place to start for those just beginning to use herbs, as well as a fabulous reference for even the most seasoned herbalist. It is one I would not do without on my shelf.

This book can be purchased here, as well as many other online sources. A simple search will pull up many options for purchase.

#3: The ABC Herbal, by Steven H. Horne
This small book packs a big punch. It is a great resource for parents concerned with the health and well being of their children. The author shares many of his "tried and true" remedies and approaches to health he used with his own children. He also has many years experience as an herbalist. I gained so much insight as to the functions of our bodies as well as how illness affeects them, by reading this little book. This book also shares simple methods and preparations for herbal remedies, and how to use them with children. The book is broken into several valuable sectiins with an emphasis on three major areas that are as easy as "A-B-C: Activate, Build-up, and Cleansing."

I have turned to this book often as a reference for my children, but also for the amazing insights offered into how using herbs helps the body to heal. Don't be fooled by this books small size, the information inside is huge!

This book can be purchased here, here, and many other online sources.

I am a book-lover, and I also love herbs! Over the past several years I have purchased many herbal books and references, so at first to narrow the selection to three seemed difficult. But as I thought about which I turned to the most often, as well as which have given me the greatest insights, the choice became simple. These three books are a great addition to any herbal collection, as well as a perfect place to begin one. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Fruit for Life

2009-03-09T14:56:00.001-07:00

That picture is mouth watering, isn't it?

Fruit is an amazing food! It is where the 'sweets' world meets the healthy. They are usually vibrant in color and smell fabulous (with the exception of papaya, those who have had it know what I mean). I think many of us have made the statement, "well if it is really good, it must be bad for me." Yet, fruit (and of course all our wonderful recipes, right), proves us wrong.

There are some great fruit guidelines I have appreciated in my life that I'd like to share with you.

First off, fruit is best to eat on an empty stomach or before your meal. Fruit is easily digested in the body and when you have other foods in your intestines beforehand it makes it harder for your fruit to digest and could cause fermentation and indigestion in the body. When eaten alone or before your meal, fruit will easily digest and be used for energy. This is great for those of us who feel bloated or have digestive upset after eating fruit for dessert.

It is great to eat fruit as a snack after exercising. Instead of drinking that protein shake or eating yogurt, fruit will give you added hydration and needed energy from the natural sugars.

Fruit is actually alkaline-forming in the body. Even citrus fruits too! Lemons are my personal favorite. I could probably do a whole post just on lemons.

It is best to eat your fruit whole, unprocessed, and fresh. When heated, the digestive enzymes and nutrients are cooked out. When you eat your fruit with the skin or pulp, unprocessed and fresh you are getting fiber, nutrients and vitamins that the body can utilize and use.

So, eat up and use wisely. I'm going to go eat that fruit right now! Yum.

Herbal Spotlight: Red Raspberry Infusion

2009-03-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

This is an herb that has been used for generations upon generations of women and children, and is well worth knowing of. Red Raspberry, where mothers and babies are concerned, has been called an herb made in heaven. It is definately one of my most used and most favorite of herbs, and currently a daily must have in my day because I love how I feel when I use it.

How to Prepare Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
To make a tea, or more appropriately called, an infusion, simply purchase a few ounces of Red Raspberry Leaf from your local health food store or reliable online herb co., (look HERE). If you like you can also purchase a tea ball, or a muslin bag to place your herb in while steeping it, or you can simply strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer when it is finished. To make, I usually make at least a quart a day, so I use a 1 quart canning jar with a lid. I place a generous handful of the dried herb in the jar and pour boiling water over the top. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes, with the lid on, although I leave mine as long as overnight depending on preference for strength. Strain or remove tea ball, add honey if you like and enjoy.

Interesting Facts about Red Raspberry
According to the Little Herb Encyclopedia, Red Raspberry,
"builds tissue to the extent that it prevents tearing of the cervix of the uterus during birth. During childbirth, hemorrhaging is prevented, the contraction of the uterine muscles are regulated during delivery and it also reduces false labor pains prior to birth...it enriches colostrom found in mother's milk, it also cleanses and prepares breasts for a pure milk supply...it has been used as an aid in morning sickness, and to ease many menstrual problems...Raspbery strengthens the walls of the uterus and the entire female reproductive system...(and finally but not least of all)...Raspberry leaf is an excellent herb for children for cleansing colds, slowing diarrhea, easing colic and fevers."

I feel great when I drink this tea, and I know countless others who have also enjoyed it's benefits!

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intented to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any disease.

To Meat or Not to Meat?

2009-02-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought about why there are vegetarians and vegans? What's the deal with that? Why are they so anti meat? Should I be anti meat too?

Let's define some of these less meat categories.

Vegetarian- This is a general term that means someone who does not consume red meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.

There are variants of vegetarianism including,

Lacto-vegetarian- a vegetarian that eats dairy products but excludes eggs.
Ovo-vegetarian- a vegetarian that eats eggs but excludes dairy products.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian- a vegetarian that eats dairy products and eggs.
Semi-vegetarian- a person that eats mostly vegetarian foods but will eat at times fish and sometimes even poultry, as well as dairy products and eggs. Some vegetarians don't recognize this group as a vegetarians.
Vegan- a vegetarian that also excludes all products and by-products of animals, including eggs, dairy products, and even honey and yeast.

There are many reasons why a person would choose to eat these ways including moral, religion, culture, ethics, aesthetics, environment, society, economy, politics, taste, or health reasons. There are even more vegetarian sub-categories or similar categories that you can look in to.

We will suggest some health reasons to think about while deciding what you would like to choose for yourself.

First off, some studies to think about.

There are recent studies that have shown that a diet where the person eats a lot of red meat (this is including pork, beef, veal, and lamb), or such meat products were diagnosed with colorectal cancer more often than people who ate little of it or none at all. In comparison, those who ate a lot of fish on a regular basis, had a lower chance of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer as opposed to those who ate little to no fish at all.

Red meat and processed meat (this includes poultry sausage and such), has also been linked to breast cancer in women.

Now, studies aside, lets look at our bodies. Are we carnivores or herbivores?

Answer, neither. Are bodies have been made to survive on what's available to us. Or, in other words, we are omnivorous. Are bodies have been made to survive on both meat and veggies.

But let's look a little deeper into our bodies. Our intestines are very long and bumpy similar to an herbivore's length. We also need fiber to help our meat digest, where carnivores don't. Carnivores have 20x the amount of acid in their stomach than humans do. Interesting, isn't it?

Our bodies lean more toward what an herbivore's body looks like inside and reacts inside.

I have found this facsinating and dwelled upon this subject many times in my life. Personally, I am not considered to be a vegetarian. I usually eat fish on a weekly basis and from time to time (meaning a few times a year), I will eat turkey and chicken. I do exclude red meat for the most part. My diet is high in veggies, whole grains, herbs, and fruits. I'm not sure if that falls into any "catagory or sub-category" yet. My reasons are health and religion and it fits well with me and so far with my family.

In conclusion, this article is meant to help you think about your own food choices especially with meat. What you feel is best for you and your family. There are studies and voices calling all over the world (mine could be included in that). Don't follow one just because the crowd does or because one study told you too. Do the homework and choose for yourself. Feel confident in your choice because you've done the homework.

Have a great day!

Daily Stretch

2009-02-09T14:20:00.001-08:00

Remember when you were a young child and could bend and twist into every position imaginable? Well what about now? Most likely, you are not nearly as flexible as you were then and consider yourself pretty “bendy” if you can reach your shins when sitting with your legs straight out in front of you.

The fact is, as we age our joints and ligaments naturally start to tighten and atrophy, due to less collagen being produced in our body. Because of this, our range of motion is smaller than it used to be and it becomes increasingly difficult to perform regular daily tasks, such as bending over to tie our shoes.

My husband works at the hospital and takes care of patients ranging anywhere between the ages of 30 to 95 years old. He often explains how sad it is to see them be so dependent on other people – just to help them move. And 98% of the time, their inflexibility has nothing to do with their illness, but because they have been so sedentary throughout their life.

We live in such a chair-bound society and spend a large portion of our day sitting in front of a computer, in our car, or slouched at a desk. Because of the repetitive nature of this, the muscles in our body get so accustomed to the flexed hips, the hunched forward shoulders and the protruding neck, that our posture suffers tremendously and we cause muscle imbalances to occur throughout our entire body.

I often work with clients who have terrible posture due to chronic sitting and a lack of stretching. However, through regular stretching and strengthening of those weak muscles, I have seen amazing transformations in people. In fact, just a few days ago, I was speaking with a young, 25 year-old client of mine that I’ve been working with for a several months. When we first met, she was frustrated with and expressed concern about her improper posture when she stood. Even at her young age, her shoulders were hunched forward, her upper back rounded excessively and her hips were tilted upward. Well, looking at her now, you would never know her posture was a problem!
To ensure a high quality of life, especially during the later years of life, flexibility and proper posture alignment must be a priority in your daily activities. In an ideal world, we would all spend five to ten minutes daily to stretch our muscles and keep our body limber. Even just a few minutes a day can add up to big differences in how your body can move and function freely.

Stretching doesn’t need to be fancy in order to be effective. Too often, people think they need to perform yoga or other strenuous forms of stretching, to see improvement. Of course, those methods do work. But if that’s not appealing to you, simply stretching your muscles to a point of comfortable discomfort is fabulous and will work wonders for your body!

So as you work toward achieving a healthy lifestyle through proper diet and regular exercise, don’t forget that stretching frequently is a very important part of the equation.

Cold Weather Gardening

2009-02-06T04:16:00.000-08:00

My broccoli ready for harvest. They will be smaller in size than at the grocery store.

If you happen to live where you have the joyful opportunity to plant vegetables in two different seasons you are most blessed! I planted my broccoli, cauliflower, leaf lettuce, spinach, and beets in September and October. I will begin to plant my tomatoes and warm season vegetables in March and April.

The beets have a little more time before we can eat them. The beet leaf is great for salads too!

Some tomato plants will be put into the ground next week, second week of February, protected with “Wall o’ Water,” self-standing plant protectors filled with water that provide additional heat, allowing one to plant earlier and harvest later without fear of frost damage. These are available at most nurseries and mail-order garden supplies.

The cauliflower is well on it's way.

My harvested broccoli, lightly steamed with leaf lettuce and sliced sweet peppers.

My daughter and I feasted on the broccoli and leaf lettuce for lunch. There really is a difference in homegrown!

Pantry Posts: Substitutes Part II

2009-01-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

With Substitutes Part I, we stayed with items stored in the pantry. In this next Pantry Post I'll start with some that are stored in the pantry as well as other items that are refrigerated.

Before sharing, in healthing up your pantry, don't stress about changing everything out now. Make small changes each time you go buy food for you and your family. You may scare your family into thinking you are a crazy nut to think they are going to eat that way. Also, by doing it gradually you can price out the healthy food options before purchasing. Your budget will thank you later. My husband wishes I had done it that way at first.

Now let us continue with the substitutes . . .

Sweetened Condensed Milk- How can something taste so good yet work against the body being healthy? No worries, we have another option . . .

Sub: Coconut cream, butter, or oil (cold pressed). The only thing to take note is that these are not to be heated. They can break done easily into bad trans fats when used in cooking or baking. I am refining my recipe for pumpkin pie using coconut cream. I'm hoping it will be ready for Thanksgiving. Let me know if you have used any other healthy options in lieu of sweetened condensed milk.

Bleached White Pasta- For the Italian food lovers there are options that taste just as good and no one will notice.

Sub: Brown rice pasta (I like this brand), buckwheat soba noodles, whole wheat pasta

Soy Sauce- There are tons of conflicting views on soy products. I was extremely frustrated to have a person share their opinion to me while I was buying some soy milk while pregnant. Constructive criticism is fine but out right putting down a person's choice is not. I took what I could from the experience and read up on as much as I could on the subject. I suggest you do the same. From my knowledge, I believe that consuming NON-GMO (non-genetically modified) soy beans are safe and goof for the body. As well as non-fermented sources of soy too. You make your own call. Make sure you check your organic soy to see if it is NON-GMO. If it is not labeled on the package, than it is most likely not.

Sub: Braggs Liquid Aminos

Mayonnaise- You may be buying "real" mayo but it may not be real healthy for your body.

Sub: Vegenaise made with grapeseed oil. You will enjoy this more than regular mayo. You may even want to classify it as a dressing instead of a mayo substitute, it's that good. Grapeseed oil in two studies showed that if taken in a small amount daily with a good diet will increase your good cholesterol (HDL), and lower your bad cholesterol (LDL).

Pantry Posts: Substitutes Part I

2009-01-22T20:27:00.001-08:00

Yay for all of you! Are you wondering what Health My Pantry is? Well, the new and upcoming Pantry Posts will be an ongoing series in answer to a Simply Healthful reader's query. That's right, we love hearing from you and love even more helping you get healthy.

For this first post we are going to touch upon making those changes that seem so overwhelming. Where do I start? What choices do I have? Why am I making these choices?

Let us start in your actual pantry. What other options can you use in lieu of your not so healthy pantry foods? Here is a short substitute list and reasons for making those changes. These are basics in most pantrys. I will continue this list in future posts.

All Purpose Flour- Usually people will sub this one with whole wheat. Is whole wheat healthy? Well, let's just categorize it as healthier. Whole wheat is a great substitute when in need of something with gluten and can be mixed with other flour options. All purpose flour and other bleached flours, although great for using in baking, is not the best for giving nutrients to the body.

Subs:
Flour subs- whole wheat, whole grain, almond, kamut, spelt, millet, soy, flax meal, and there are others you can find.
Best subs- all of the above but sprouted. Like I posted about sprouting before. It is one of our greatest food sources for nutrients we need on a daily basis. In an upcoming pantry post I will post a recipe for sprouted wheat bread.

Sugar- I'm pretty sure most of you have a good understanding why refined sugars are not good for our bodies. If not, let me name a few reasons we feel it's not something to consume on a regular basis. Refined sugars including high fructose corn syrup have been directly linked in studies to type 2 diabetes, memory decline and there are studies of them being as addictive as cocaine and heroin. I could go on for some time about reasons why sugar is bad for the body but I'll let you do the research. You may even be suffering from a related health problem from consuming too much. When we control the amount of sugar we intake we see few complications in our health.

Subs:
Better subs: honey, pure maple syrup, agave, stevia or other natural sweeteners (although I am not a big fan of xylitol, which they say is all natural. Mainly because it comes from xylose, a derivative from corn and bark, which is then hydrogenated into xylitol, a sugar alcohol. The ruling is still out for me).
Probably the best sub that I know of: green stevia, so basically the plant. This is because it actually has good nutrients in it for the body.

Table Salt- You will find that most everything that is processed and refined has a negative affect on the body when consumed. In the refining process of table salt, 82 out of the 84 minerals are extracted out. Did you know your body actually could use salt for health benefits? With unrefined Real Salt or Himalayan Salt you still have those minerals and they come from a pure source. These unrefined salts can actually help regulate your blood pressure and blood flow. Go ahead and do some research on it, you will be amazed. Also, take a bath with a few tablespoons. It has been known to help draw out toxins in the body.

Subs:
Real Salt or Himalayan Salt and Braggs Liquid Aminos

Peanut Butter- Did you know that peanuts are not even nuts? It is actually a part of the Fabaceae legume family. Most peanut butters are heated in processing and that can create toxins to be found in peanut butter. With the salmonella outbreak, it's best to just stay away for now.

Subs:
Raw almond butter. Why raw? Same reason for not wanting our peanuts heated, it can create trans fats and toxins in the food. You will find when you use raw almond butter that your dishes actually taste better. It has a sweeter and more mild nut taste. You can find the best prices for raw almond butter at Trader Joe's health food store.

Is Blogging Bad For You?

2009-01-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

I love blogs. I love keeping up to date with family and friends, connecting with people from my past, learning all sorts of helpful information and best of all - I love writing posts for my own blogs!

As wonderful as blogs are, (and I don't really mean to pick on blogs, but rather surfing the internet all together) I can't help but wonder if blogging is quickly becoming an unhealthy habit. Now, before you decide to quit reading this blog entry, let me explain what I mean.

How often have you gone to one of your friends blogs, only to see a name on their blogroll that sparks your interest, you click on it - spend a good amount of time reading what they are up to - and see yet another name that you are curious about and go to their blog as well? And how long does this little web of blog surfing go on? Twenty minutes? Thirty minutes? An hour?

It's so easy to get caught up in blog hopping, that before you know it, you've spent a good portion of your free time SITTING, doing NOTHING, burning NO calories whatsoever! (Too bad clicking a button on a mouse doesn't burn a few hundred calories huh?!)

Now before you ban yourself from reading blogs, there are some few simple things you can do to make sure blogging, (or any computer time) doesn't cause undesirable side effects. (One of them being weight gain.)

1. The most effective thing you can do, to make sure you don't waste too much time sitting at the computer, is to buy a little timer and set it next to you. Decide how much time you are willing to use surfing the internet and when the buzzer goes off... make sure your computer does too. This is a fabulous technique, because it is so easy to lose track of time when you are at the computer and this simple little trick keeps you right on track.

2. Another idea is to get up off your rear when you are using the computer. (This only works for laptop users.) Often, I will place my laptop on the kitchen counter and write my blog entries while I stand. Since I am standing, I am burning at least few more calories than if I was sitting - plus, it helps me avoid wasting time looking at random, websites that I'm not even that interested in.

3. If you DO have to spend a lot of time in front of a computer because of a job or project you are working on, make sure you get up and move at LEAST every hour... if not sooner. If you can, get up and do 100 jumping jacks or run in place for three to five minutes. Whatever you do, just do something to get your muscles moving and blood pumping.

4. A common problem that occurs when people sit in front of a computer for a long period of time, is that they start to slouch and have terrible posture. A way to cure this problem is to get rid of your chair and use a stability ball instead. It forces you to sit up straight and it also engages your core muscles the entire time you are sitting. Another plus to sitting on a stability ball is that every now and then, you can bounce yourself up and down, do 20 crunches, or lay down on it and stretch your back muscles.

5. And last, but not least, I recommend subscribing to your favorite blogs through RSS, so you don't waste time checking to see if there is a new post or not. Each time you check your email, you are alerted which of your favorite blogs has a new article. It takes a lot less time than jumping from blog to blog to blog.

Hopefully these little tips will help you think about how much time you are spending in front of your computer and make you more aware of how often you are moving your body. Do what you can, to avoid the pitfalls that come from being chair-bound and inactive.

Start Off the New Year Right

2009-01-02T01:57:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most all of us don't need to be convinced that exercising is good for the body. And, now that the holidays are over and there is more of us to love (or at least more of me), I'm sure most of you are resolving to recommit to your workout schedule. Well, last year I chose to say goodbye to my favorite form of exercise (running), to prevent possible surgery on my feet and knees. It was a hard choice but I have felt good about the decision. So, in search of other forms of exercise, for someone who needed low impact but wanted results, I came across a few I really like and wanted to pass along the information, especially to those in my situation. These exercises would be great for seniors too.

My favorite right now is the rebounder mini trampoline. I actually have been using this form of exercise for years and when I use it consistently I get major results. Pros: Easy to use, fun, can watch t.v. while using it, I usually see significant results. Cons: For an outdoor lover, it's not the easiest to use outside (at least for me since I have a small yard) plus it's not a form of exercise I feel comfortable having my neighbors see me doing. Some places to visit for more info - here, and NASA even did a study on it, look here. My favorite rebounder that I love but can't afford is here.

Yoga. Surprisingly you can burn a significant amount of calories in an hour and break a sweat while doing yoga. For the past few months I have been consistently waking up in the early morning to do yoga. I not only enjoy the peaceful movements but it has been helping me with my achilles tendon that has been causing me problems. My favorite class I've been to is on the television. If you have BYUTV the Yoga series on at 4 am PST, is great (I DVR it and use at a different time).

A vibrating machine. There are a growing amount of medical studies on vibrating machines. Particularly on older women (65+ years) and if it helps osteoporosis. Some studies may lead you to believe that it does but personally I think the ruling is still out on that until we get a long term study done. It is believed that these machines can help the body release nitric oxide (which helps cells communicate with each other) and endorphins. I have not used one of these consistently but have tested out a few and have really liked how my body felt afterwards. It is on my wish list now.

Bicycling. I love being outside and miss that the most from not being able to run. Bicycling can be hard to get into in the beginning so start off on flat terrain and BE SAFE. I have yet to get a bike, it is also another item on my wish list. This is the option my doctor suggested I do in lieu of running. He told me it is the equivalent to running in exercise intensity without being harsh on the body like running can be. I'd like a 24 speed and cruiser from here.

You will notice I don't have as much to report on the last two but that is because I haven't been able to test them out on a consistent basis. I'm hoping to try them out more this upcoming year.

Whatever you choose just resolve to choose something this year. Doing even a small amount of exercise on a regular basis has been known to help various ailments like edema, arthritis, fibromyalgia, heart disease and others not to mention obesity.

Happy New Year!

Where to Buy Sprouting Seeds

2008-12-21T22:55:00.001-08:00

I thought others may want to know where to buy sprouting seeds, thanks for the question Lisa. Sprouting seeds have been spotted in natural food stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes, so that may be a great place to start. You may find better deals by buying in bulk elsewhere but be careful where you buy your seeds. Always make sure you buy from a credible website or business. Here are some websites that may help you.

Wheatgrass Kits - They sell organic sprouting seeds in bulk. You can even buy a years supply! They have great options for kits and trays too.

Sprouthouse - This is where my mom got her sprouting trays. They work great for her. Of course, I'm cheap and think my Mason jars work just fine. They also sell sprouting seeds.

Sprouting at Home

2008-12-17T21:01:00.000-08:00

This is something my mother just recently taught me. She has been sprouting for years in her home. When I visit, it is not rare to see her sprouting trays full of sprouts. If you go to my mom's for lunch, sure enough somewhere on your plate will be sprouts. So, what is the big deal about sprouts and why were we pushed to eat them when we were younger?

Well, for some wonderful reason, when seeds and nuts are soaked and sprouted they increase their nutritional value by over 500%. This includes increases in vitamins, protein, enzymes and nucleic acids (essential components for cell growth). Dr. Jeffery Bland, Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of Puget Sound, believes that 6 cups of sprouts could potentially supply the average adult their recommended daily nutritional intake. That's everything in those multi-vitamins you are taking without any potential harmful fillers. So, if you are not a sprout fan, become one. They are super easy to produce, super nutritional, and super cheap. You can even harvest your own crop anytime during the year.

I love adding alfalfa sprouts to my avocado and pesto sandwich. For those who are not into sprouts, alfalfa sprouts have a mild taste so that would be a great sprout to tryout first.

To start sprouting your seeds you will need a regular ol' jam jar with lid or rubber band, cheesecloth, muslin, or I used a mesh liner, sprouting seeds (not all seeds are the same so make sure they are seeds used for sprouting), and good water. That's it!

After giving your seeds a once over, tossing shriveled seeds out, spoon 1-2 tablespoons of seed into the jar. Cover jar with muslin and secure with lid or rubber band. Pour water into jar, about a 1/2-1 inch above seeds (in picture below I put an unnecessary amount), and let soak over night (for smaller seeds the soaking time goes down).

After initial soaking, drain, keeping cloth fastening on and cover with a kitchen towel so that no light will get in. Make sure it is not too cold where you place the jar.

Everyday rinse the seeds 2-3 times a day to prevent mold.

Within 3-6 days your sprouts will be ready to consume. Once there, refrigerate sprouts and eat within a weeks time.

I used some great references:

Preparedness Principles - The Complete Personal Preparedness Resource Guide by Barbara Salsbury

You Are What You Eat by Dr. Gillian McKeith

If you have any questions, problems, or great recipes with sprouts let me know. Send an email.

Food For Thought Part I

2008-12-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

One small step to determining your body's individual needs

A little bit of background:
Let me introduce myself. Aside from my bio, I am an optimistic pessimist. Yes, we do exist. I also have a love of life and learning. I also have this very interesting body that has its own agenda.
I suffer from many physical things. But today we will talk a little bit about the hormonal migraine headaches that I get to experience every month for 10-17 days. And no, that is not a typo. This leads me to share with you the hypo allergenic diet that I went on a couple of years ago, that has been very helpful.
Here’s how it went. I had some long visits with those who practice traditional medicine. They were not helpful. I actually appreciate traditional medicine and I am not against it, but it just wasn’t working for my body. Thus I went to see this fabulous woman, who is a naturopath. She started the diagnostic process by asking me a lot of questions about my body, and how it worked. She recommended some supplements which have really helped. I’ll talk about that on my next post. She also set about to determine if I had any allergies. This is what we did, and it has changed my life.
The Hypo-allergenic diet
My naturopath, an individual who uses a holistic approach and focuses on natural remedies like herbs and foods instead of synthetic drugs or surgeries, had me remove the following things from my diet, for an entire month, to get them out of my system.

The NO list
Fruits and Veggies: NO oranges, orange juice, tomatoes, corn, or any creamed veggies.
Grains: No wheat, corn, barley rye, kamut, no gluten-containing products. No products made from Wheat, corn, spelt, kamut, rye or barley.
Soy: No soy, no soy products. NO tofu, soybeans, soy milk etc...
Nuts: No peanuts, or peanut butter
Meat and Fish: No beef, pork, shellfish, Sausage, hot dogs, cold cuts, or canned meats other than fish in water.
No Dairy: All Dairy which included, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, sour cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, non-dairy creamers, eggs.
No Sugar/sweeteners: No white or brown refined sugar (insert weeping here), honey, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, Soda pop/ soft drinks. No chocolate.
No Alcohol.
No caffeine: No coffee, tea, and any other drinks with caffeine in them,
No dressings or condiments. No ketchup, relish, chutney, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, and any/all other condiments. No margarine, butter, shortening, hydrogenated oils, mayonnaise, and other spreads.
Some of these things were not hard to stop, because I don’t consume them. On the other hand… it is a flavorless and time consumingly difficult way to prepare food from the Yes list. I can also chat about this in my next post.

Here is what I could eat
The YES list
Fruits and Veggies: Yes to unsweetened, frozen, dried, or canned water packed fruits, and fruit juices, anything but Soy.
Grains/Starches: Rice, Oats, millet, quinoa, amaranth, teff, tapioca, buckwheat, potatoes, arrowroot.
Nuts: Any nuts but peanuts. Seeds are also ok.
Meat and Fish: Yes to frozen or fresh chicken, turkey, fish, wild game, lamb, and canned water packed fish.
Drinks: Distilled, mineral, seltzer or filtered water, decaffeinated herbal tea.
Some Sweet: Fruit sweeteners, blackstrap molasses, brown rice syrup and stevia.
Some Spice: All spices like salt, pepper, dill garlic ginger, cumin oregano, parsley… etc. and Vinegar.
The Result:
After a challenging month of eating from the Yes list, I gradually re-introduced each “no” food into my diet one at a time. And the results were fascinating to me. For example for me personally, I should not eat oranges, honey, lunch meat, pork, soy, or eggs. I should be careful with peanuts, certain dairy products, shell fish, corn derivatives and tomatoes. I learned this from the way I felt after I re-introduced the foods from the “no” food list.
What does this all mean? Well, first of all when I was eating the hypoallergenic diet. I have never felt better. Secondly by using the information I got from this diet, I have been able to reduce my migraine pain by about 50%.
In the next several posts, I will break down this process for you, and help you examine some options for yourself. I do this so you can think about it. This is food for thought, but I would never recommend you doing this without visiting with a naturopath or other person who practices alternative medicine. This diet along with the guidance of a naturopath can be one helpful step to determining your body’s individual needs.

Regular Goal Setting - A Must for Healthy Living

2008-12-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

When it comes to your health, the best way to ensure that you will stick to a lifelong journey of wellness is to continually create goals that will keep you on the right path. Very often, people think to themselves that they are going to be healthier “starting today” but without definite goals and a specific plan as to how they are going to accomplish that, most likely, it won’t happen. To be most effective, you should follow these four simple guidelines when it comes to creating your health and fitness goals.

1. Be specific. Creating goals that are vague or general, like "I want to lose weight" or “I’m going to exercise five days a week” are not going to keep you as motivated, as having a specific goal to work toward will. When goals are vague, you can't really make a solid game plan as to how you are going to achieve them. Instead, you end up trying with no real direction. For example: HOW is it that you plan to lose weight? Or WHAT are you going to do when you exercise? Are you going to lift weights? Do Pilates? It is imperative that you get crystal clear on what you want to achieve in regards to your health. Do you want 20% body fat? If so, plan exactly how you will achieve that. Do you want to stop emotional eating? Then come up with a strategy that will help you abstain from foods when you are not hungry? If you decide precisely what your health and fitness goals are, you will be prepared to create a master plan that will help you actualize those goals!

2. Write it down. Every time you make a goal for yourself, you think of it first in your mind. When you take that goal and move it from your mind to paper, you automatically start visualizing what it will be like to accomplish that goal. It takes you a step further than just a fleeting thought or desire of something you would like to achieve. Another benefit of writing down your goals is that it creates a commitment for yourself - especially if you share it with someone else. Having someone else to answer to, naturally makes you a bit more dedicated to reaching your goals... after all, when you say you're going to do something, you want people to believe that you actually will!

3. Establish a deadline. Deciding that you are going to eat two cups of veggies daily, lose five pounds of fat or be physically able to whip out 30 pushups are all examples of fabulous, detailed, goals! But having a goal without a deadline is merely a wish. It is so much easier to lose ambition if you don’t have a specific date to work towards. During moments of temporary defeat or for those times when you are tempted to slack off, you are more likely to persevere and keep going if you have an established deadline.

4. Be realistic. Making goals that are realistic and attainable, yet enough of a challenge to push your limits is the only way to go when deciding what your fitness goals should be. Creating goals that are unrealistic, nearly impossible, or extremely far-fetched will only cause grief and disappointment as an end result. By creating expectations that are reasonable, the experience toward achieving those goals will be a positive one. Make sure to set yourself up for success, not frustration.As a personal trainer, I recommend to my clients that they re-evaluate their goals every four to six weeks and adjust them according to their needs. This keeps their goals fresh and exciting and gives them the motivation to keep up their new healthy habits.

If you seem to struggle when it comes to making wise choices regarding your health, take time to think about how you want to feel and what changes you want to make. Then, simply follow these four guidelines as you create your goals and soon you will be feeling like a better, healthier and happier version of you.