Friday, January 29, 2010

READ YOUR WAY HEALTHY

I have a fantastic resource for you if you value your health and realize that it is really up to YOU to take responsibility for it and do all you can to keep yourself healthy. You can then llive a long and happy life not relying on the health care system, your children, realtives, scooters and/or walking aides. Wouldn't you rather be mobile and independent and really able to enjoy your later years?

The web site is called Health Book Summaries and it is one of my favorites! That is because I do love to read and learn about health and wellness.

Why this is so great is that (as the name says) it summarizes health books for you. Not many of us have time to sit and read a full book or many books on the myriad of health topics that exist. Also, the money involved in buying all the books on health would be very pricey.

Health Book Summaries lists a wide variety of up-to-date health books. It displays each book cover, the tittle and the author. Next to that there is a button to click on to read the summary. It is fantastic!! If you love the summary and want to learn/know/read more you can also purchase the book on that site.

Below I have listed some names of books and their authors that appear on this site. Please note that this is just a small listing of the many books they have.

"Never Be Sick Again: Health is a Choice, Learn How to Choose It."
by Raymond Francis with Kester Cotton
(This is definately my motto)

"Surviving America's Depression Epidemic: How to Find Morale, Energy & Community In a World Gone Crazy"
by Bruce E Livine, PhD
(Far too many woman are being prescribed anti-depressants that don't help them and only cause side effects and/or get them more depressed and unable to deal with life. Things have to change)

"The Natural Hormone Makeover: 10 Steps to Rejuvenate Your Health & Rediscover Your Inner Glow."
by Phuli Cohan, MD
(If you are in your late 30's and beyond - check this one out for sure)

"The Food Solution: All-Natural Ways to Banish Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Stress, Overeating, Alcohol & Drug Problems - and Feel Good Again." 
by Jack Challem
(Now who wouldn't want to read this after seeing that title?!)


"Perfect Health: The Natural Way"
by Mary-Ann Shearer
(Plain and simple title - stating it like it is - great!)

"The Anti-Aging Solution: 5 Simple Steps to Looking & Feeling Young."
by Vincent Giampapa MD, Ronald Pero PhD, Marcia Zimmerman CN
(Only 5 steps - and simple! - I want to know!...Don't you?)


"Keep Your Brain Young: The Complete Guide to Physical & Emotional Health and Longevity."
by Guy McKhann MD, Marilyn Albert PhD
(I know you know how important this one is)

"Shrink Yourself: Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever."
by Roger Gould MD
(I loved this one and I learned something that I didn't realize before - about my eating habits - that one things has made a HUGE difference for me - this is a must read)

Like I mentioned above, these are just a few of the books that are summarized on this site and available for viewing. This resource is great while travelling. If you have your lap top along you can click on one of the summaries and read and learn while you wait for your plane, ride on the train, bus or a passanger in a car. The summaries are not long - maybe about 10 pages so you can get some great tips and ideas in a short period of time.

Instead of sitting and reading a trashy magazine or paper giving you information that doesn't really matter - why not read and learn things that can greatly improve your life and your health and that of your family.

Check it out and I KNOW you will find a few books that you will really enjoy.

Stay Healthy & Happy!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

EAT YOUR GREENS

I have been talking about acid/alkaline balance and how that contributes to health and weight loss.

Greens are a high alkaline food. They are also high in protein.
Yes, greens have protein and lots of it!

The best is to eat a wide variety of greens, that way you are taking in protein, minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals, anitoxidants and essential fatty acids.

For example, romaine lettuce is rich in both protein and essential fatty acids.

Studies have consistently shown the correlation between consumptom of these foods and a lower incidence of various cancers.

BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT.....

Broccoli contains 11.2 g of protein per 100 calories
Romaine lettuce contains 11.6 g per 100 calories
Kale contains 9.46 g per 100 calories
AND
Sirloin contains 5.4 g per 100 calories

Sirloin is also much higher in fat and your body utilizes, absorbs and digests plant protein much easier than animal protein.

People usually eat kale cooked, but here is a recipe for a kale salad using kale raw so that you do not lose any of its fantastic nutrients. I also list all the great nutrients in kale below the recipe and picture.

KALE SALAD RECIPE
This salad contains kale, cabbage and tomatoes. All so healthy!


Ingredients:
Bunch of kale
Cabbage (white or purple) - the amount depends on you
Handful of grape tomates
1-2 Green Onions (according to taste)
Sesame seeds, pine nuts or hemp seeds (optional)
1 Avocado
1 Lemon
1 tbsp Braggs or tamari
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin

De-stem kale. Pile some leaves on top of one another and roll then cut into very thin strips. Do this for all of the kale. Cut it up small.
Cut cabbage up into thin, small strips.

Dressing:
Cut and mash avocado in a bowl. Squeeze in lemon, braggs, some olive oil and salt. Mix well. Taste it and adjust to your taste. Add cumin and mix again. You can also use a food processor.

Put kale, cabbage and diced green onions into large bowl. Put dressing on top and then get your hands in there and give the kale a massage - yes, massage the kale getting the dressing into the mixture. This will help to soften the kale. Work it until you soften the kale. If you feel you need more dressing then make more and add.

Cut up grape or cherry tomatoes and add along with sesame seeds (and/or hemp hearts, pine nuts). If you wish you can add cut up bell peppers. Top with sesame seeds, pine nuts or hemp seeds. This salad is best after it sits for a while. ENJOY!

Nutrients in Kale:
• More nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food around.
• Kale is an excellent source of traditional nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It is also a very good source of dietary fibre, calcium, copper, vitamin B6, and potassium.
• Kale also contains manganese (a trace mineral). This trace mineral helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates, and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids that are important for a healthy nervous system and in the production of cholesterol that is used by the body to produce sex hormones.
• Kale contains phytonutrients that help activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver
• Contains in order: Vit K, A, C, manganese, fibre, copper, calcium, B6, potassium, iron, magnesium, Vit E, omega 3, B2, protein, B1, folate, phosphorus, B3

Now, try the kale salad - your body will love you for it!!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

ACID/ALKALINE BALANCE AND HEALTH

In my last post I gave a couple lists of acid and alkaline forming foods. Foods from both lists are widely available. It is not hard to maintain a more balanced pH. It is not hard to change from an acidic body to a more alkaline body. We have everything we need available to us. So why are so many people/bodies still so acidic?

Well, in most cases they do not have a clue that they are. They don't know the difference between these foods and most people consume a highly acidic diet. Alcohol, coffee, diary, meat, wheat or grains, sugars, refined and over-processed foods make up the SAD (standard American diet). That is very sad.....

Where are the fruits, the vegetables, the leafy greens??? Having 1 apple or one small orange a day does not cut it!!

If you wonder why you are gaining weight or are overweight right now.....it is probably because of what you eat.

Your body holds waste that it cannot get rid of or use in body fat and fluids. Also, how much old food is sitting in your digestive system?

The best way to start is to eat and drink more alkaline foods and less acid foods. That is as simple as it gets. No more fast foods, less caffeine and alcohol (or cut them right out), less meats and/or fish, less refined grains, no white sugar and no chemical preservatives or additives. Become aware of what you eat! There is no secret diet.


Start by eating more more of the "good" foods and less of the bad foods.

When you body is more acidic your body is being depleted of calcium and magnesium. Potassium which is an important mineral for maintaining bone can be maintained and increase by eating more fruits and vegetables that are rich in potassium. A handful of raisins, 2 dates or a small banana each provide more than 300 mg of potassium. Vitamins and minerals from foods are more easily absorbed and used by your body than they are in supplement form.

If you are tired, overweight, get sick all the time, have an illness or health condition, your pH is probably not balanced and is more acidic than alkaline. Illness and disease grown in an acid environment and cannot survive in an alkaline enviornment. So it makes sense, the more highly alkaline foods you eat, the more alkaline your body becomes and the less acidic. You will become healthier and stay healthy if you continue eating this way.

Like I mentioned in my previous posts, there are lists on the internet and books published on this topic. You can find what foods you should eat more of and what foods you should eat less of.

Giving up all the foods you love would be too much to ask at once, take small steps and start by adding more good foods. This will leave less room for the bad foods.

You will begin to feel better and that will keep you motivated to continue. Try it!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Acid and Alkaline Forming Foods

What are they and why is it so important to know?

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Here we are, at the start of a New Year. This sometimes puts a lot of pressure on us. What are my New Year’s resolutions? What should I do better this year than I did last year? What are my goals and plans for this year? Some people sit down and write all these out and I will do that, but haven’t yet. I think it is extremely important to do that so you have direction and focus. Doing so gives me hope and motivation.

One thing I will continue to do and I hope everyone does this also, is to maintain and continue with a higher alkaline diet. Get rid of some of the acid producing foods that you eat. I have worked on this so I don’t eat many acid forming foods anymore. I have learned of the destruction these foods cause within my body. I am continue to preach this to everyone who will listen, but unfortunately they are not always ready to hear it.

The SAD diet – Standard American Diet – contains many highly acid forming foods. Wheat, dairy and meat are the big culprits in this diet. Of course all junk food, packaged food, soft drinks, coffee, alcohol and many grains are acid forming and we should limit or even take completely out of our diet.

If this seems limiting there are still a TON of great alkaline forming foods to eat and that will keep your immune system strong, give you all the vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, protein, amino acids, essential fatty acids, etc. that you need to stay healthy and happy.

There is also so much information in books and on the internet about acid/alkaline balance in our body and how important it is to maintain the balance.

Acid and alkaline foods don’t necessarily translate into acid and alkaline yielding foods. An acid-yielding food is one that crates a lower, or more acidic, pH. Citrus fruits and tomatoes are acidic but they have a net alkaline yield once their constituents get to the kidneys.

After digestion, all foods report to the kidneys and are then either acidic or alkaline. The kidneys are responsible for fluid balance and maintaining a relatively neutral pH in the body.

Acid forming foods include:
Sugar, meat, fish, dairy, wheat and grains, some nuts, processed foods, foods containing preservatives, corn, soy (except for fermented soy products), alcohol, coffee, black tea, soda, sweetened fruit juice, all packaged cereal, oatmeal, artificial sweeteners, chocolate bars, candy, canned veggies, frozen veggies, etc.

We do need some acid in our diet of course because we want to maintain balance. The problem is that many people eat more acid forming foods than alkaline forming foods. You want to get to about 75% - 80% of alkaline forming foods.

Alkaline forming foods:
Green tea, alkaline water, coconut oil, flax seed oil, olive oil, avocado, coconut, figs, lemon, limes, many fruits, tomato, lentils, navy beans, baking soda, almonds, almost all vegetables (in raw form), green leafy vegetables, onion, garlic, ginger, sea vegetables, etc.

The list of alkaline forming foods is very extensive and not enough room to put it here, same with acid forming foods. There are many charts on the internet.

You can try this web site that has a PDF version of an acid, alkaline food list.



Here is another one:

In my next post I will discuss why it is so important to eat more alkaline forming foods than acid forming and how it contributes to your health.

I wish you health and happiness in 2010!