Okay, I have to admit that when I first started hearing about eating raw I was skeptical. But the more I read about it, the more I realized that I was already enjoying quite a bit of raw food. I love salads and munching on carrots and cabbage. And we keep a constant supply of fresh fruits like apples, oranges, grapes, cherries, strawberries, and bananas around the house. Did I mention the nuts? I love to get raw (not roasted or salted) cashews, almonds, and walnuts for snacking. So there it was. I was already eating raw and didn’t even realize it.

Of course if I was going to try getting at least 50% raw food in my diet like Dr. Mercola recommends, I needed more than salads, nuts, and fruits. The first book I picked up was Carol Alt’s The Raw 50. The first recipes I tried were breakfast drinks and I wanted to share a couple of my favorites with you.

“Simple Favorite Green Smoothie
1 head of organic romaine lettuce, shredded
6 bananas

With the blender on low speed, puree the lettuce and bananas, adding water as necessary for a smooth consistency. Pour the mixture into a glass and enjoy.” –This is a simple recipe using basic ingredients and it’s very filling.

Another of my favorite recipes calls for some ingredients that aren’t as readily available but it is SO worth hunting them down when you taste this delicious shake.

“Cashew Banana Shake
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for about 2 hours and drained
1/4 ripe pitted and pealed avocado
2 ripe bananas, sliced
1/2 teaspoon raw vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 tablespoon raw agave nectar or raw honey
1 cup crushed ice
2 tablespoons raw cacao

When you are ready for breakfast, blend the cashews, avocado, bananas, vanilla extract, salt, agave nectar or honey, and ice until they reach a milk-shake-like consistency. Pour the shake into a glass and serve. Add a little water (filtered and distilled if you have) to get the desired consistency, as this is one thick, creamy chake!

Add the raw cacao for an extra boost. For me, it brings back childhood memories of chocolate milk.” –I can usually find raw cashews and raw honey at my local grocery store. For the raw vanilla and cacao, I had to visit a Whole Foods Market. Here’s a tip: you can soak and drain the cashews the day before you want to make your shake and just store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I feel really good when I’ve had a raw shake for breakfast. They’re easy to make, delicious to drink, and they stay with me so I don’t get the mid-morning munchies.

I’ll wrap up this post, hoping you’ll give one of these recipes a try or hunt down some raw recipes on your own. There are some great people out there eating raw who want to tell you all about it.

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Michelle Woodworth
Going to bed with thoughts of breakfast in my head . . .

It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t eat fast food at least occasionally. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we don’t have any other option. Whether you’re a regular in the fast food line or just looking for healthier alternatives in those times when your choices are limited, Dr. Andrew Weil has some suggestions for you.

4 Healthier Fast-Food Choices
1. No matter how hungry you are, you are better off ordering a small amount of food and making up for it with healthier foods later.
2. Pile on the lettuce, tomato and other vegetables that come with your order, to add some fiber and antioxidants.
3. If you order a salad, choose the low-fat dressing, and add sparingly. One full serving of full-fat dressing can be equal to the amount of fat in a cheeseburger!
4. Finally, ask to see a list of the nutritional content of menu items. Some restaurants have them posted – if they don’t, ask for them, and then ask yourself if you really want to eat there.

4 Worst Fast-Food Choices
1. Opt out of cheese and condiments such as mayonnaise and tarter sauce, which can add unnecessary (and unhealthy) calories and fat. Use mustard or vinegar to add flavor as desired.
2. Avoid anything deep-fried. From chicken to potatoes to onions, deep-fried foods contain altered fats that are pro-inflammatory and detrimental to the body.
3. Skip the soda – it has no nutritional value and adds unnecessary calories to an already nutritionally-challenged meal. Order plain water instead.
4. Do not order the largest version of any item, or opt for the “next largest” of anything added to your meal!

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Michelle Woodworth
Trading convenience for nutrition whenever possible.

Ah, another one of those cruel ironies in life. Kids have all the time in the world to take naps but don’t want to slow down and adults would love to slow down and take naps but don’t have the time to spare. And what would your co-workers think if they found you reclined in the front seat of your car sleeping your lunch hour away?

So here’s the thing. Napping really is good for you. Research shows that a mid-day sleep can actually mean less stress, greater productivity, and better health. Studies also show that a 20 minute afternoon nap is more restful than an extra 20 minutes of sleep in the morning. With those statements in mind and the fact that taking a nap just feels good, you should be encouraged enough to want to squeeze a nap in at least a couple days a week. Dr. Andrew Weil tells us that people who embrace afternoon napping generally enjoy better mental health and better quality nighttime sleep. Though our North American culture generally opposes the concept of napping and bombards us with constant stimulation, Dr. Weil gives us five things to consider:

1. Accept napping as a positive thing. Remind yourself frequently that napping can make a day more productive – it is actually the opposite of being lazy.
2. Do not fight the body’s desire to nap. This will result in unpleasant or unproductive naps.
3. Take naps when you can. If your schedule does not permit a nap every day, consider taking productive naps as a passenger in cars, trains, and airplanes.
4. Consider time and duration. Napping for too long, too often, or at the wrong time of day can be counterproductive.  See what length and schedule works best for you.
5. Napping can mean just taking a break. Lying on a hammock or just staring into space is the essence of rest – it is not doing that refreshes you in body and mind.

A couple more things to keep in mind before you put your head down on your desk:  keep afternoon naps between 15-30 minutes – any longer is harder to wake up from, if you can’t (or don’t want to) sleep – try meditation, and if you are worried about sleeping too long – set an alarm.

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Michelle Woodworth
Thinking I can fit in a nap before getting my boy from school . . .

What if I told you that eating your biggest meal at night was the best way to honor the natural cycles of your body?  Would you give it a try or would you dismiss it as false because “everybody” knows that we should eat big during the day when we’re active and can burn off calories?  Well, here’s what Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet, has to say about the subject.

Our body’s autonomic nervous system regulates our circadian clock and controls all our actions throughout the day and night.  It’s divided into two parts; the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS).  The SNS, commonly known for “fight or flight”, regulates our activities during the day.  The PSNS, known for “rest and digest”, regulates our activities during the night.

During the day, our SNS keeps us focused, observant, and prepared for action.  It promotes energy expenditure and fat burning.  The SNS is in control when we are working and exercising.  However, this system cannot accept large meals.  When you eat a full meal, your SNS shuts down and the PSNS activates.  Have you noticed how tired and sluggish you feel after a big meal?  That’s the effect of the PSNS (and we’ve always blamed it on tryptophan).  So, if during the day we eat a large meal and engage our PSNS, we shut down the system that is burning fat and by default, actually encourage weight gain.

Then how do we eat in accordance with our body’s natural cycles?  We consume our biggest meal at night.  Hofmekler warns that this does not mean eat whatever we want but instead he encourages slow-digesting proteins to help replenish our energy reserves and help elevate our metabolic rate.  Hofmekler also recommends low-glycemic meals and proper food combining.

For more information on Ori Hofmekler and The Warrior Diet please visit his website.

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Michelle Woodworth
Reconsidering my evening meals.

Research published in the journal Phytomedicine found that drinking three to five cups of green tea each day for three months cut body weight by 5%.  Does that mean we should all go brew a cup of green tea right now?

Let’s take a look at some of the things green tea can do.  According to Dr. Andrew Weil, “studies either strongly suggest or confirm that the antioxidants in green tea can reduce LDL cholesterol, promote fat burning, reduce the risk of several forms of cancer, and alleviate depression.”

Though research shows the health benefits in drinking green tea, a healthy weight loss plan should not be based on tea alone.  That being said, if you’d like to incorporate some green tea into your daily diet, here’s some useful information.

Buying Organic:  The two main benefits of buying organic tea are avoiding toxic chemicals in your tea and protecting the environment in the areas where the tea is grown.  Check out this article for more information:  http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Buy-Organic-Tea?&id=3488277

Steeping Time & Temperature:  According to http://www.thefragrantleaf.com/brewingtips.html , green tea should be steeped for about 1-3 minutes in temperatures around 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  I boil water in my Hot Shot and let it cool for a couple minutes before I pour it over my tea.

How Much to Drink:  Most of the studies on the benefits of drinking green tea were based on consuming three cups per day.  Be aware that more is not better and drinking greater than six cups per day can cause heart palpitations, problems with the central nervous system and irritate the stomach.

Let me leave you with a Chinese proverb:  Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary.

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Michelle Woodworth
Enjoying my green tea as I write this post.

A big “thank you” to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for creating the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides to help consumers make informed choices when purchasing fruits and vegetables. The Shopper’s Guide is based on laboratory tests done by the US Department of Agriculture Pesticide Training Program which tests foods for types and amounts of pesticide residue. Since fruits and vegetables should be a large part of our diet, this is great information to be armed with before we do our shopping.

Obviously, buying organic foods is best. It not only guarantees that you are getting food that is grown without synthetic chemicals or fertilizers but also sends a message that you support environmentally friendly farming practices. That being said, organics are not always accessible or affordable to everyone. This is where EWG’s Shopper’s Guide really comes in handy. This list will help you determine which foods have the highest pesticide residue and should be purchased organically whenever possible and which foods are okay to eat conventionally-grown. According the EWG calculations, you can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables. Here’s a rundown of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15.

Dirty Dozen (Buy these Organic): 1. Celery, 2. Peaches, 3. Strawberries, 4. Apples, 5. Blueberries, 6. Nectarines, 7. Bell Peppers, 8. Spinach, 9. Cherries, 10. Kale/Collard Greens, 11. Potatoes, 12. Grapes (Imported).

Clean 15 (Lowest in Pesticides): 1. Onions, 2. Avocado, 3. Sweet Corn, 4. Pineapple, 5. Mangos, 6. Sweet Peas, 7. Asparagus, 8. Kiwi, 9. Cabbage, 10. Eggplant, 11. Cantaloupe, 12. Watermelon, 13. Grapefruit, 14. Sweet Potato, 15. Honeydew Melon.

Want to know who’s using the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide?  Here are a couple quotes for you to consider.

“Making healthy food choices is simple, especially if you have the right tools to guide you down the produce aisle. I’m thankful that there is an organization like EWG that can provide this easy-to-use list so we can all shop smarter, save money and be that much more healthy — and happy.” Andrew Weil, M.D.

“The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produces the Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests. So if you need to work within a certain budget, use this information to help guide you to the best choices when it comes to lowering your overall pesticide exposure.” Dr. Mercola

That’s it for now. I hope you’ll check out EWG’s website and if you believe in what they’re doing you might consider making a donation so they can continue their research.

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Michelle Woodworth
Buying organic whenever I can.

Sounds crazy, right?  If you’re feeling bloated and retaining water, the last thing you would think to do is drink more water.  Seems more like an excess than a deficiency. However, water retention can just be your body’s way of telling you that it needs more water to function properly.

Every cell in your body requires water.  In fact, your body is basically two-thirds water (66%). Without it, most people would be dead within four days.  That should tell us right there that water ought to be our beverage of choice.

Under normal circumstances, our body loses about 2.8 quarts of water per day through urine, the skin, breath, and feces.  We get some water from the food we eat and the body can make make water from the metabolism of that food, which comes out to about 1.3 quarts.  That leaves the average person a deficit of 1.5 quarts per day, or about six glasses.  So you need six glasses of water each day just make up for what you lose.

Most sources say that you should drink eight glasses of water each day.  I’ve also heard that you should take your body weight and divide it in half and that’s how many ounces you should be drinking in a day.

As an indicator of whether your are getting enough water, monitor the color of your urine.  If it is strongly colored, you may not be drinking enough water (keep in mind that vitamin B2, riboflavin, colors the urine fluorescent yellow).  If it is always clear, you may be drinking too much water (did you know that was even possible?) .  Patrick Holford advises that your urine should be “a light, straw-colored yellow”.

Back to water retention.  When your body is constantly dehydrated, its defense mechanism kicks in and it starts storing water.  Drinking water on a regular basis will stop this cycle and your body can begin releasing retained water.  Just like that.

To make it easy on yourself, get a 32 ounce bottle and fill it twice a day.  Try to drink regularly throughout the day and not guzzle your last bottle right before bed or you’re sure to be up at least once during the night!

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Michelle Woodworth
Finishing up my eighth glass for today.

I’ve just been reading Health Wars by Phillip Day.  (It must be a good book because someone on Amazon wants to sell their “collectible” edition for $159.99.)  Actually, I am finding it to be a real eye-opener regarding the propaganda that surrounds us about cures for diseases.  It’s a hidden message calling to us through the media to help line the pockets of the drug companies.

Early in the book Phillip Day talks about how today there are more heart attacks, strokes, obesity, etc. than ever before and yet medicine seems powerless to stop it.  However, they lead us to believe that science is winning and “one day drugs will give us a disease-free life”.  Here’s an excerpt where Phillip shares his thoughts on how to maintain the credibility of a lost cause.

A.  Promise that science will win out in the end provided the public keeps giving.  Encourage people to participate by getting them active in raising money for charity to bring an end to the problems.  (Or spend your money on organic fruits and vegetables for your family.)

B.  Never admit you’re on a hide into nowhere, that millions have suffered and perished unnecessarily; that drugs make symptoms go away not diseases; that our medical peers are treating metabolic (nutritional) illnesses with toxic drugs, radical surgeries and poisonous radiation instead of nutrition and lifestyle changes; that most of the toxins afflicting the public are made by the same corporations that manufacture the nation’s medicines.

C.  Reinforce the lie of medical progress with disease in magazines, newspapers, and TV.

D.  Infer anyone who disagrees with this progress is ‘insane’, ‘a quack’, ‘unqualified, or ‘mentally unbalanced’.  (Such as nutritional consultants who promote better eating habits rather than popping pills.)

E.  Selectively under-report awkward situations or not cover them at all.

F.  Invent illnesses to give the impression of expanding problems whose solutions can only be found through an increase in medical expenditure.  (How about ADD/ADHD in children?  You can spend your money to medicate your children – not to “cure” them but to control the symptoms or you can feed them nutritious, well-balanced meals and get better results – -with no side-effects.)

Studying nutritional consulting has really made me aware of how our diet and lifestyle is affecting our quality of life today.  We are eating more fast food and spending more time in front of computers and driving more places rather than walking and as a consequence there are more reported cases of obesity, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.  It sounds easy enough to just reduce the amount of times we eat out, add some fruits and veggies to our diet and not park in the closest parking spot to the door but not as easy as shaking a couple caplets into our hands and tossing them back with a soda.

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Michelle Woodworth
Promoting vegetables rather than drugs.

For the 25th consecutive year, statistics from the Japanese government showed that women there had a longer life expectancy than any others on the planet.  In 2009, Japanese women extended their average longevity to 86.44 years and Japanese men to 79.59 years.  Japan’s relatively healthy diet contributes to the improving longevity among the population.  This information came from one of Dr. Andrew Weil’s weekly bulletins.  Sometimes he touches on a topic that sends me searching for more information. This was one of those times.

Courtesy of the Lumpkin County Public Library, I am currently reading Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat by Naomi Moriyama.  This book is full of personal stories, statistics, recipes, and information on how you can integrate Japanese cooking into your life using many of the things you already have in your kitchen.

Moving right along . . . Naomi gives us seven “secrets” to Japanese home-style cooking and what could be a contributing factor to the longevity within the Japanese population.

1.  The Japanese diet is based on fish, soy, rice, vegetables and fruit.
The Japanese consume almost five times the amount of cruciferous  vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale) that Americans do.  Their diet contains 26 percent fat compared to 34 percent in American.

2.  The Japanese eat much smaller portions, and serve them on beautiful, small-size tableware.
In Japan, meals are served on plates, bowls, and dishes that are much smaller than in America.  This reduces portion size and enhances the food’s aesthetic appeal.

3.  Japanese cooking is super-light and ultra-gentle.
Instead of roasting or baking, Japanese women steam, simmer, or stir-fry to save more of the food’s nutrients.  They cook with small amounts of canola oil or dashi rather than dollops of butter or animal fat.

4.  The Japanese eat rice instead of bread with every meal.
Bread consumption in Japan is much lower than in the West.  By having rice with nearly every meal, the Japanese avoid white bread, rolls, and muffins.

5.  Japanese women are the princesses of power breakfast.
No pancakes, bacon, or bagels with cream cheese for their morning meal.  Green tea, steamed rice, miso soup with tofu, and small sheets of seaweed (sustained energy and nutrition) are on the Japanese breakfast table.

6.  Japanese women are crazy for dessert . . . in a special way.
Desserts and snacks are eaten less often and in smaller portions.  A typical piece of cake is one third the size of an American slice.

7.  Japanese women have a different relationship with food.
Americans associate food with health objectives (like being thin) where the Japanese just think of the simple pleasure of a good meal.

As a bonus, Naomi tells us that the Japanese exercise throughout the day – naturally. They walk to work and use their bikes to run errands.  How many people do you see driving in circles looking for the closest parking spot to the door?

I better get back to my book and see what else is going on in those Japanese kitchens.

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Michelle Woodworth
Ready to try the Japanese Country Power Breakfast.

Fat is good for you!

Your brain is 60% fat.

Eating the right kind of fat is critical for optimal health.

Of course, the key words there are “right kind of fat”.  All too often, most of the fat in our diets comes from hard, saturated fats such as dairy products and meats.  But being fat-phobic and avoiding fats is really no better than eating the wrong kinds of fat.  Either way, you are depriving your body of necessary nutrients and increasing your chances for poor health.

What is the right kind of fat?  Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about omega fatty acids.  The two families are the omega-6 fats and the omega-3 fats.

Omega-6 fatty acids perform some important jobs in the body.  They have a hand in lowering blood pressure, decreasing inflammation, maintaining water balance, and helping insulin work.  Omega-6 fats come exclusively from seeds and their oils.  Some of the best are hemp, safflower, sunflower, sesame, soybean, and wheat germ oil.

Our modern diet is generally more deficient in omega-3 fats than in omega-6.  This is in part due to omega-3’s being more unsaturated and more given to damage from cooking and processing,  and thus being excluded from convenience foods.  Omega-3 fats are essential for proper brain function (vision, learning ability, coordination) as well as controlling blood cholesterol and fat levels.  Flax, hemp, pumpkin, and walnut are great sources for omega-3 fats.  You can also get these essential oils in your diet by eating salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, and tuna (to name a few fish).

Patrick Holford in his book The New Optimum Nutrition Bible offers up a simple way to get some of these essential fats into your daily diet: the seed jar.

1. Fill a glass jar with an airtight lid half with flaxseeds (rich in omega-3) and half with a combination of sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds (rich in omega-6).
2. Keep the jar sealed, and place in the refrigerator to minimize damage from light, heat, and oxygen.
3. Put a handful in a coffee or seed grinder, grind up, and put on cereals or soups.

I find that a tablespoon of this seed mix goes wonderfully in my green smoothie, bowl of cereal, or even on my salad.  It’s easy to incorporate with my normal foods.

Essential fats can reduce the risk of allergies, cancer, depression, eczema, and fatigue to name just a few.  Don’t those sound like good reasons to include them regularly in your diet?

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Michelle Woodworth
Enjoying the healing benefits of nuts and seeds.