Tuesday, August 31, 2010

RECIPE: Green Lemonade Smoothie

Best Blogger Tips I have been wanting to post this recipe for quite a while.  I started making it after I read The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose.  In her book, she describes green lemonade as something you just can't have enough of.  I agree.  After my first green lemonade smoothie, I began drinking one nearly every day.

It isn't too sweet or too tart or too "green."  It is refreshing and easy to digest.  I hope you enjoy it!

Green Lemonade Smoothie
GREEN LEMONADE SMOOTHIE
(based off Natalia Rose's green lemonade)

Ingredients:
1 lemon, peeled
1 quartered apple, stem removed (a sweet variety is best, like Honeycrisp or Fuji)
1/2 bag of fresh spinach
1 stalk celery, cut into finger-length pieces
2 cups water

Directions:
Blend all ingredients at high speed.

Tips:  
1.  Using a high-speed professional blender like a Vita Mix gives the smoothest texture.
2.  Putting the easiest ingredients to blend in first (lemon and spinach) with the firmest ingredients last (celery and apple) will help blend ingredients faster and may eliminate the need for a tamper

Variations:
1.  When I'm out of apples, I have used 1-2 cups of unsweetened applesauce or pear sauce.
2.  Use other greens in exchange for the spinach.

What did you think?  Did you like it?  Pin It Best Blogger Tips

Health Digest: Aug. 31, 2010

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Have you noticed how massive portions are at some restaurants?

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Monday, August 30, 2010

JOURNAL: Lots of work and liquid feasting day!

Best Blogger Tips I posted a few days ago about giving and the blessings that come from it.  I believe as a direct result of all the giving we have been doing this summer, we were given LOTS of work last week which equals more income for our family!

I am a stay-at-home mom. I substitute teach instead of teaching full-time since we have chosen to keep our son out of daycare.  Surviving on only one income can be tough sometimes, especially in a recession.  To make ends meet, I have been housecleaning, catering one day a week for up to nine people, and caring for an elderly friend of ours.  My husband and his family own a commercial cleaning company, but since businesses have adjusted to the poor economy, new cleaning contracts have been tough to acquire.

The same day this week that I was offered a part-time job, my husband's business was offered nearly double the accounts they have serviced.  WOW!  Things will get crazy around here very soon!

My first instinct when stressed is to eat.  After reading Dr. Kessler's book, I now understand how sugar-fat-salt combinations give me a sedating effect and drag me down.  The more tired I get, the more I want to eat these types of food. 

Since I find myself back eating processed junk food once or twice a day again, I decided I should have a few days of liquid nutrition to clean my system out and get out of the habit of snacking.

TODAY:

Breakfast:  Green Lemonade Smoothie
Lunch:  Spirulina "juice" (1 Tb. of Spirulina Powder & 2 c. water)
Supper:  Soy protein shake (1 scoop Soy Protein Isolate & 2 c. of soy milk)

The protein makes me feels full and really calms my cravings for sugar-fat-salt.

(More about spirulina and how amazing it is!)


Special savings for my blog readers!


10% OFF any order at Puritan's Pride Vitamins! 
Enter code: LABOR10 at checkout. Hurry!  Offer valid for 9.01.10 - 9.07.10 only!

I have been a Puritan's Pride customer for over four years. In that time, I usually take advantage of the Buy 1 Get 2 Free sales. This is the first time I remember seeing a B1G2 sale with a coupon!Pin It Best Blogger Tips

Health Digest: Aug. 30, 2010

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[flickr]

(Read my post about replacing eggs in baking!)

 

 

 

 

  

Do you use agave syrup or another type of sweetener?  How do you use it in recipes?

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Sunday, August 29, 2010

BOOK REVIEW: The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler, MD

Best Blogger Tips
The End of Overeating
by David A. Kessler, MD

DAVID A. KESSLER, MD, served as commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration under presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Pages:  344
Publisher:  McClelland & Stewart
Genre:  Non-Fiction
Topics covered: Diet, Food Industry, Brain Science, Weight Loss

"America, he said, has become a 'food fun house...a carnival of delicious, fatty, salty, sugary, and more to the point, accessible and cheap delights. How could you expect to go to the carnival and not want to go on the rides? It's bright and colorful and fun and exciting. There are all these pings and noises. Of course, you want to go on a ride; of course you want to play the game; of course you want to spend your money on this stimulation'" (Introduction).



In The End of Overeating, Dr. David A. Kessler does a fabulous job of explaining the biological causes of overeating, how the food industry intentionally causes overeating, and outlining behavioral and cultural changes that make it possible to break the cycle of overeating.


Kessler begins this book with its most important section, "Sugar, Fat, Salt." Through extensive research,

Kessler describes how the brain becomes addicted to sugar-fat-salt combinations, remarkably similiar to the way someone becomes addicted to cocaine. This addiction causes desire for sugar or fat or salt to increase once it is introduced into our bodies instead of decreasing, leading us to crave more and more and more instead of becoming satisfied. Kessler names the sugar-fat-salt cycle many of us struggle with as

"conditioned hypereating."


In the second part of the book, Kessler unveils how the food industry intentionally designs foods with layers of the sugar-fat-salt combinations and exploits the addiction. Further, chemical coloring and flavoring is added. Before food reaches the store or restaurant "it's been prechewed," describes a former meat company president, causing us to eat faster and more calories than we realize. "Hyperpalatable"

foods are highly addictive and successful restaurants and food companies make millions off this knowledge.


Kessler devotes the second half of this book to outlining how conditioned hypereating begins and also how it can be ended. He provides readers with a framework of how to end conditioned hypereating, though acknowledging that eating is ultimately personal. Behavioral modification is essential to retrain the brain and Kessler gives guidelines of how it can be achieved. Finally, he delineates how we can end overeating as a culture by demanding greater transparency about what is in our food and how it is prepared.


When I read about this book, I knew I had to have it. The overeating periods in my life are highly characterized by the sugar-fat-salt cycle. I can remember eating Cheetos, then a Little Debbie snack cake, then back to Cheetos as early as late elementary school, craving the salt-fat, sugar-fat, and salt-fat combinations.

Though I have learned along the way how to cope with the addiction, "conditioned hypereating" rears its ugly head as soon as I consume that first potato chip.


I just finished reading The End of Overeating, I already have changed my eating habits. Even following a raw food diet can lead me into the hypereating if I eat the sugar-fat-salt combinations. I see a french fry for what it is, salt on fat on simple carbohydrate (white potatoes easily covert to sugar).


I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially someone who has disordered eating. Food choices are very personal, however, in the age where health care costs last year were $2.5 trillion, we as consumers must hold the food industry accountable. Pin It Best Blogger Tips

Best of Blogs: Aug. 22 to 28, 2010

Best Blogger Tips Here are my favorite posts from the past week!



Mint Cacao Ice Cream…oh yeah baby! from Rawdawg Rory

FDA proposes rules for menu labeling from Food Politics by Marion

Egg industry response to recalls (in translation) from Food Politics by Marion

Top Ten from Living Food Junkie by Maggie  (I read every one of her posts!)

my moms empty cosmetic containers... from The Kind Life

 

 

 

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Week in Review: Aug. 22 to Aug. 28, 2010

Best Blogger Tips Here is what you may have missed from the past week!


Lowering Blood Pressure Part 2: Supplements

RECIPE: Creamy Avocado Spinach Dip (Raw Vegan)

Three meals per meal?

TIP: Flaxseed as an egg replacement

SPIRIT: Giving

 

 

 

 

 

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Health Digest: Aug. 29, 2010

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[morguefile]

 

What do you think will be recalled tomorrow? 

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Saturday, August 28, 2010

SPIRIT: Giving

Best Blogger Tips SPIRIT: Giving


It doesn't make mathematical sense. The more we give away, the more we are given.



Let me preface by saying that I'm on my journey. That's why this blog is called "The Way." I'm still growing, learning, becoming. There are times I'm selfish. There are times I envy others and complain about what I'm lacking.


Despite my faults, the principle still works.


We're surrounded by our stuff. For example, we have clothes and clothes and more clothes! How many pairs of jeans do we really need? How many shirts can we wear in a month? We don't need them all, but surely someone else does.

When was the last time I wore that? So we give some of them away. Our house is cleaner, less cluttered, and we've helped someone who needs them. It feels good. We are blessed when we are generous.


Giving money is something that seems a little more tricky for most of us. I will be the first to admit that I think twice about giving money when I'm wondering how to pay for the car repairs or paying a high utility bill. Then we are moved by the Spirit, and we give anyway.


And we are changed in the process.


I believe that everything could be done for all of us magically. We were so penniless when I was in college that we used coins from the couch to put fuel in the car.

God could have stashed $100 between the cushions for us or changed the account balances on our utilities to "PAID." That wasn't what happened, however.

Instead one of my professors saw me on edge, asked me what was wrong, and gave me money from his pocket. His Bible study group then paid some of our utilities.


We thought we were blessed, but those who helped us were, too.

Since our own situation has improved, we have done what we were asked to do: share what we have. The miraculous thing is that even when we gave more than was comfortable, soon after we were given more than we gave from somewhere else. A refund comes in the mail we have forgotten about. My husband gets a new contract for work.


This has been a week full of those gifts and though we plan on buying a new computer, lust after a tropical vacation, and think of what we can spend the new income on, I hope we can give more to others, too.


I wonder what we will be given next.Pin It Best Blogger Tips

Friday, August 27, 2010

TIP: Flaxseed as an egg replacement

Best Blogger Tips During the past few weeks, it seems like nearly every Health News Digest is filled with stories about recalls of eggs.  Today, I came across 8 Reasons You Should Stay the Hell Away from Eggs.  

Here is a summary of Martha Rosenberg's article.

1) Yuck factor
2) Ovarian cancer
3) Steeped in Noxious Gases
4) Diabetes
5) Hideous Cruelty: Carcasses and Moribund Hens
6) Unhygienic 'Depopulation'
7) Unethical Hatcheries
8) Blight on Workers, Neighbors and the Environment

Many of these reasons are addressed in the film, Food, Inc., a film that was very eye opening to me.  



I have been cooking vegetarian recipes for about 15 years now, but nearly all of them have either eggs, dairy, or both. I want to learn how to cook vegan dishes for my family, but the egg issue was a problem for me. 

Eggs work as a binder in recipes, holding the mixture together.  Without the binder, the recipe falls apart.  I was excited to learn about using flaxseed as a replacement for eggs this week.

Web MD lists the following healthy components of flaxseed:
  • Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
  • Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75- 800 times more lignans than other plant foods
  • Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.


Ground Golden Flaxseed and Water
How to use flaxseed as an egg replacement in baking* (Replaces 1 egg)
 
Ingredients:
1 Tb. Ground Flaxseed
3 Tb. Water

Directions:
1.  Mix together separately before adding to intended recipe.

Tips:
1.  I grind flax seed in my Vita Mix instead of buying it ground. I preserve the ground seeds in an opaque airtight container in my fridge.  Ground flaxseeds are more prone to spoilage and oxidation.


*(It may work for other cooking methods, but this is the only way I have used it so far.)

Did you try it?  What did you think?Pin It Best Blogger Tips

Health Digest: Aug. 27, 2010

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Typhoid?  Seriously?
Do you change your eating habits when food is recalled?  Do you use fish oil or a vegetarian alternative?
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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Three meals per meal?

Best Blogger Tips I wish everyone in my house was raw vegan.  It would be so much easier for me!  I go off and on, eating all raw fruits and veggies one day, then eating junk food or meat and dairy the next day.  I wish I could do a clean sweep and remove all the processed food, the meat, and the dairy from our house, leaving us only raw whole foods.

Unfortunately, I can't.


My three year-old is 90% vegan and I'm 80% raw vegan.  My husband would be 90% vegetarian, but for the past five months, we have had a 19 year-old living with us.  I really enjoy having him live with us; he is kind, honest, funny, considerate, and easy going.  The only reason I hope he finds his own place soon is because of his diet.


His diet is that of a typical teenage boy (except he doesn't like to drink pop):
Pepperoni pizza
Chili Cheese Fritos
Doritos
Cap'n Crunch
Whole milk
Meats
CHEESE, CHEESE, and CHEESE
Fast food
Capri Sun (which he has me addicted to now!)

When I first went raw a year ago, I removed the junk food from our house, stopped feeding processed food to my family, and went nearly 100% raw.  My son became mostly vegan and my husband mostly vegetarian.

Now if I am eating vegan or raw vegan, I usually end up cooking three meals for supper: one for my husband and our roommate, something for my three year-old, and then something for myself.  Of course, since I make the meals, I end up quitting before I get my food prepared.


Here are some things that I am learning to stay raw when the rest of my family isn't.

[everystockphoto.com]
1.  I make food for myself before I make food for others.  This is really hard for me since I feel the urge to take care of others first, especially my family.  If I don't make my food first, it doesn't get made and I end up eating meat, dairy, or at least refined carbohydrates.  Since I eat much of my food cold, I can make it at the beginning of the day or the day before and it is ready when others are eating.  It also helps if I assemble the food for them in advance (when I'm not hungry) and only have to cook it right before dinnertime. 

2.  I create a menu for myself just as I do for the rest of my family.  Each week, I write out a menu for my family, what I am going to make them each day and what I need to purchase.  Doing this for myself ensures that I will have fresh produce for my meals; I don't have to think about what to eat when I have Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes for my family in front of me. 

3.  I make gradual changes to recipes and meals to make them healthier for my family.  If I do eat some of the food that I give them, I am eating better than the traditional recipe.  Last night, I made banana bread for my son, our friend, and my husband.  Instead of a basic recipe, I made it vegan with 1/3 white flour and 2/3 wheat flour from wheat berries I ground a few minutes before. This way I make all of us healthier.

4.  I keep sliced veggies and veggie sticks ready to eat in the fridge with raw or vegan dips.  By making sure I have snacks available, I don't feel as great a need to munch on the high calorie/low nutrient value snacks eaten by the men in the house. 

Are you the only one who eats raw, vegan, or vegetarian in your house?  How do you avoid eating like they do?  How have you worked to change your spouse's diet and/or that of your family?Pin It Best Blogger Tips

Health Digest: Aug 26, 2010

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[everystockphoto.com]

All about eggs, hormones, and offspring in the news today!

 

 

Wow!  Where to start today!

1.  First of all, I'm horrified that they will be putting tainted foods back into the food supply!  ICK!  I know they do this, but reading about it really upsets me.

2.  The hormones in our foods, especially dairy and meats, are one of the main reasons why I don't let my son eat them.  I feel especially sorry for all those really young girls (seven year-olds!) who are going through puberty so early.  I wonder how much this contributes to the sexualizing of pre-teens and adolescents.

3.  I'm very glad to have a "veggie baby" who has never had meat.  I really want to cut out all the dairy and eggs, but at least he only eats them 2-3 times a week now.  The thought of giving him hormones and carcinogens (cancer causing agents) sickens me!

What are you thinking about all of this? 

 

 

 

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

RECIPE: Creamy Avocado Spinach Dip (Raw Vegan)

Best Blogger Tips When I made this creamy dip for the vegetarian potluck our church has each week, lots of people asked for the recipe! 

Creamy Avocado Spinach Dip
Creamy Avocado Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
1 medium ripe avocado (peel and seed removed)
2 cups fresh spinach, packed lightly
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic (papery skin removed)



Directions:
1.  Combine all ingredients until thoroughly blended in a food processor or in a Vitamix or another high speed blender with a tamper
2.  Serve immediately with fresh cut veggies or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Serves 4.

Variations:
1.  Lemon juice may be used in exchange for the lime juice.
2.  Reconstituted lemon or lime juice can be used.
3.  1 tsp. powdered garlic may be used in exchange for the clove of garlic.
4.  Try this recipe with your favorite leafy greens instead of spinach.

Tips:
1.  Here are great illustrated instructions about how to remove an avocado from its peel.
2.  Veggies sliced or cut into interesting shapes make great presentations. Here is a great slideshow that I found with tips about how to cut veggies.

Did you like it?  What did you serve it with?Pin It Best Blogger Tips

Best of Blogs!

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Here are some of my favorite blog posts from last last week by bloggers I follow. 

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Health Digest: Aug. 25, 2010

Best Blogger Tips We'll see how long my computer works well before it starts acting up again! 


[everystockphoto.com]


 What suggestions can you give to people who want to eat more "real food"?  What ideas do you have for food preparation, saving money, etc.?  Does your family want to eat this way?

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

UGH! PC Problems!

Best Blogger Tips I have spent the past two days fighting to get my computer to work.  Sorry!  I think we will have a new computer soon, but I am trying to get this one working until then.  I hope it is working tomorrow and I can tell you what is going on with us and share some yummy raw recipes with you.

EllePin It Best Blogger Tips

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Lowering Blood Pressure Part 2: Supplements

Best Blogger Tips This is the second in my two part series about lowering blood pressure.  For  Lowering Blood Pressure Part 1: Foods, click here.


High blood pressure or hypertension, is the most common cardiovascular disease.  Approximately 73 million Americans have high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.  Hypertension risk factors include obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and heredity. While hypertension is defined as a reading of 140/90, people with 120/80 are considered pre-hypertensive and are at high risk of developing high blood pressure. [webmd] 

[everystockphoto.com]
Supplements that may help lower high blood pressure:
  
1. Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a compound found naturally in the energy-producing center of the cell known as the mitochondria. CoQ10 is involved in making an important molecule known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP serves as the cell's major energy source and drives a number of biological processes, including muscle contraction and the production of protein. CoQ10 also works as an antioxidant...
Several clinical studies involving small numbers of people suggest that CoQ10 may lower blood pressure. However, it may take 4 - 12 weeks before you will see any beneficial effects. In fact, after reviewing 12 clinical studies, researchers concluded that CoQ10 has the potential to lower systolic blood pressure by up to 17 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 10 mm Hg, without significant side effects. [University of Maryland]
 2. Omega-3 Fish Oil
Dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fish oil and certain plant/nut oils. Fish oil contains both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), while some nuts (English walnuts) and vegetable oils (canola, soybean, flaxseed/linseed, olive) contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
There is evidence from multiple studies supporting intake of recommended amounts of DHA and EPA in the form of dietary fish or fish oil supplements lowers triglycerides, reduces the risk of death, heart attack, dangerous abnormal heart rhythms, and strokes in people with known cardiovascular disease, slows the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques ("hardening of the arteries"), and lowers blood pressure slightly. However, high doses may have harmful effects, such as an increased risk of bleeding. Although similar benefits are proposed for alpha-linolenic acid, scientific evidence is less compelling, and beneficial effects may be less pronounced. [Mayo Clinic]
3. Lycopene
Clinical research conducted at Ben-Gurion University, Israel shows that lycopene complex, a tomato extract, reduces blood pressure in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found in red produce such as tomatoes and tomato products, watermelon, and pink grapefruit.
At the end of the 8-week study period, participants' systolic blood pressure dropped to an average of 134 mm Hg from an average of 144 mm Hg, while diastolic pressure dropped to about 83 mm Hg from an average of about 87 mm Hg. [Rejuvenation Science]
 Prevention.com also listed magnesium supplements, melatonin, and soy milk as reducers of blood pressure.

Buy your supplements from Puritan's Pride and SAVE MONEY and support this blog!  Puritan's Pride has been the exclusive supplier of my vitamins and supplements for over four years and it is my privilege to promote their products. 

Biggest Sale of the Year - Buy 1 Get 2 Free at Puritan's Pride Vitamins! Valid: 6.23.10 - 9.30.10

Please consult your health practitioner before beginning any supplements or changing your medication regimen.  I am a health enthusiast, not an expert.


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Week in Review: Aug. 15-Aug 21 2010

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Posts from this week:

RECIPE: Fruit and Nut Truffles (Raw vegan)

Raw Food Success on the Road

BOOK REVIEW: The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose

Lowering Blood Pressure Part 1: Foods

Daily Health News Digests

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Health Digest: Aug. 22, 2010

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[everystockphoto.com]

 

 

 

How do you think we can change a society that is fueled on high fat foods?  What are the costs of ignoring it?  

I think that we should be reforming HEALTH in this country instead of just focusing on HEALTH CARE.  What do you think?


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Friday, August 20, 2010

Lowering Blood Pressure Part 1: Foods

Best Blogger Tips Some things are great to inherit: money, Great-Grandma's wedding ring, blond hair.  There are other things I  don't like that were passed on to me by my family like Type 2 Diabetes risk, myopia, and low-enamel on my teeth.  Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of those inherited conditions my husband wasn't spared. Someone in his family called me last night wanting to know what can be done about hypertension through diet and supplements.  This is the first of two posts on the subject. 

Let's start with foods that should be avoided: 


1.  Vegetables canned in salt
2.  Smoked or cured meats
3.  Buttermilk, cheese, and cheese spreads
4.  Instant or processed foods, packaged meals, regular canned soups
5.  Condiments with added sodium (check labels)
6.  White sugar 
7.  Table salt

[everystockphoto.com]
Now that we have eliminated the foods that raise blood pressure, what foods can we eat to lower blood pressure?

1.  Spinach and green leafy vegetables (sources of calcium and magnesium), unsalted nuts (especially sunflower seeds), beans (black, white, navy, lima, pinto, kidney) (due to magnesium and potassium)
2.  Baked white potato, banana, soybeans (again, due to potassium.  DO NOT TAKE POTASSIUM SUPPLEMENTS UNLESS PRESCRIBED BY YOUR DOCTOR.  Potassium supplements can cause life-threatening complications with blood pressure.)
3.  Dark chocolate (nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow)
4.  Fiber (gel-forming soluble fiber)
5.  Vegetables and spices (celery, garlic, onion, tomato, broccoli, carrot, saffron, and assorted spices)
6.  Avocados (oleic acid lowers cholesterol and contains potassium and folate which benefit heart health)
*7.  Skim milk (due to calcium and vitamin D, which can be found in some non-dairy milks. Skim milk is the least effective of the foods listed above.)
*Vitamin D is also produced by sunlight, which is DAIRY-FREE!  

"If you're fair skinned, experts say going outside in the [spring, summer, and fall]  for 10 minutes in the midday sun—in shorts and a tank top with no sunscreen—will give you enough radiation to produce about 10,000 international units of the vitamin."  [usnews.com]

There are two ways to lower blood pressure by diet.  First, stop eating heavily processed and salted foods, dairy, meats, and sugar.  Second, eat more vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables), nuts, bananas, beans, and avocados.  These are both fundamentals of a vegan raw food diet.

Sources:  
[thebloodpressurecenter.com]
[methodsofhealing.com]
[healthcentral.com]
[msnbc]
[harvardmedicalschool]

Though my husband inherited high blood pressure, I inherited low blood pressure.  What health conditions did you inherit through your family?  How do you treat them? Pin It Best Blogger Tips

Health Digest: Aug. 20, 2010

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I'm always interested in hearing about alternative treatments.  I have a history of severe urinary tract infections (UTIs) and four years ago when I was pregnant I was afraid I might miscarry if I developed a UTI.  I started taking a triple cranberry supplements and haven't had a UTI since. 

 Have you treated or prevented an illness with alternative treatments?  Was it successful?

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Thursday, August 19, 2010

In Progress...

Best Blogger Tips Just like everything else here at The Way, this blog is a work in progress.  Please forgive me if there are problems viewing pages, posts, or something looks funny.  I'm working to make this page as user friendly as possible!

EllePin It Best Blogger Tips

BOOK REVIEW: The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose

Best Blogger Tips  The Raw Food Detox Diet: The Five-Step Plan for Vibrant Health and Maximum Weight Loss

By Natalia Rose, author of Detox for Women (2010), Raw Food Life Force Energy (2008), and The New Energy Body (2007).  

Pages:  288
Publisher:  Harper
Genre:  Non-Fiction
Topics covered: Raw food and recipes, Detox, Healthy Living, Vegan

Since more than 70 million adults in the U. S. are obese, books about losing weight should be popular.  This book, however is different.  In addition to discussing how to quickly lose weight and keep it off without deliberate exercise, counting calories, carbs, or grams of fat, Natalia Rose also promises liberal amounts of satisfying foods, and possible improvements in other areas of your life.  

In the beginning, Rose addresses myths of raw food, such as needing to go 100% raw right away to see results.  She reassures readers that sprouting, dehydrating, and soaking are not absolutely necessary, nor is becoming a "health nut."

This book is divided into five parts:  an introduction to the raw food diet, menus, recipes, real-life scenarios, and revelations of the "aspiring raw foodist."  Rose breaks down the raw food diet into five steps which include avoiding toxic foods, eating in quick-exit combinations, flooding the body with live enzymes, detoxing and elimination, and categorizing the reader's diet into one of five levels. The next section lists sample menus for each level, starting with someone who typically eats fast food, as the reader works his or her way to a primarily raw diet.  Recipes follow the menus, including the essential appliances needed by an aspiring raw foodist.  "Real life" scenarios provide the reader with solutions to common problems as he or she transitions to a healthier diet.  The final section of this book is devoted to "revelations" of the raw foodist, clarifying topics addressed earlier and focusing on applying principles to ensure optimum effectiveness.  The book also includes an appendix with resources on raw products, raw restaurants, shops, and stores.  

This book has provided me with a great road map to becoming a raw foodist. After reading it, I began referring to myself as an "aspiring raw foodist," on my way, but not quite there yet.  I also appreciate Rose's suggestion to transition to a raw food diet, instead of extreme changes in diet which can often lead to failure.  I have lost weight while applying these principles to my life.  Most importantly for me, however, is even when I'm eating unhealthy foods, I always try to balance them with raw foods.  Most of the recipes in this book are easy to make, although I sometimes have difficulty finding all of the ingredients here in the rural Midwest.  I have adapted her "green lemonade" recipe into a refreshing smoothie that I drink every day.  



I recommend this book to anyone who wants to lose weight, increase energy and stamina, prevent illness, and have a clearer complexion.  It can be a great resource for someone who is interested in raw foods and natural health and wellness.  

Natalia Rose works with some of the world's most health- and body-conscious men and women. Her private practice is in the heart of midtown Manhattan, where she is sought after by a wide variety of clients, including models, actors, socialites, and media personalities. She has been in private practice for more than ten years and has also served as the nutrition director for the Elizabeth Arden Spa on Fifth Avenue and the Frederic Fekkai salons and spas. [amazon.com]

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Health Digest: Aug. 19, 2010

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[everystockphoto.com]

Are you someone who has used nutrition for ADHD symptoms or do you know someone who has?  Share your experiences.

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