So you say, “I try to eat a salad daily and a have a vegetable with a meal, what more do I need? ” Truly, this is nowhere near enough, and eating so many greens requires a lot of chewing!  Do you have time for this?  I know I don’t and that is why you can get handfuls of greens, all kinds like spinach, kale, parsley, lettuces, watercress, collards,  and more plus some powerful antioxidant fruits like blueberries (see a previous post), blackberries, cherries, red grapes, blackberries, kiwi and others to make it taste sweeter.  Oh, did I mention that these help prevent free radicals from damaging your body and therefore making your immune system stronger and helps slow down the aging process?  Whew, the list goes on and on as to the benefits.  

Many of our favorite fruits are frozen if they aren’t in season. Buying seasonal items is more cost friendly to our wallet but can you really put a price tag on your health?  What you do right now, no matter what state of health you are in, will determine your longevity.  So take a small step in the right direction….but have fun too.  Food can be so pleasing and the greener, the better!  Enjoy and share your footprint with me!

Now sure it didn’t look good to them, but only I knew what was in it! (hee hee)  This was my morning “power” drink and it was for my lunch as well.  It smelled wonderful with all the fresh ingredients.  As I poured it into small glasses for the teens, I thought how this might be a nice ritual in the morning.  Usually we are all running around getting ready to do our thing but at least today we all shared in some “green”!  I told them it turned green because of the kiwi!!  OK, I got away with it today! 

I’m already thinking of tomorrow with granny smith apples, red grapes, apple juice, romaine lettuce and whatever else I can find.  This is why it’s so much fun and easy….you just get some fruit and veggies together and instantly, it becomes a delectable drink that is nutritious, energizing, detoxifies and has your fruits and veggies all rolled into one glass!  How much more easy can it be? 

Health really doesn’t have to be that hard. Little steps is how I learned. It’s up to us to make the decisions today that effect our health tomorrow. I think these wonderful green drinks are going to be a staple at our house!  Just wonder how long I can get away without showing them all the greens! If you have a really great recipe to share, please do! Don’t have all the fun. Here’s to your health!

Well, maybe because it’s St. Patty’s day and I want the “luck of the Irish” to be with me.  Haven’t an Irish bone in my body but I do know that I want to keep this ol’ body around for a long time (I did just reach a milestone birthday too).   Maybe it was the email I got from The Raw Divas.  It was a challenge to try for 10 days on how to eat raw….and add more greens to your diet.  The Green Smoothie Queen really had a cute site and while I read it, I thought to myself that I needed to go further than what I’d been doing. I hadn’t reached a pinnacle point, so I am going to take the challenge and share what happens in my quest to find my desired results.

If you’d like to come along this journey, please do! But I am looking for something that I have lost.  No, I didn’t lose the weight that I intended to and my cholesterol level is 186 at last count.  So let’s see what this new path has in store for me.  Sometimes we all need a push to get going in the right direction.  Well, I’ve been in the right direction but not getting to where I feel different. 

For each of us, there has to be something that makes us move….a diagnosis, a family member’s health, a story we read about, statistics that keep climbing….it’s different for everyone.  The turning point that gets us up and off our “comfort zone”.  I am ready to drink what Mother Earth has to provide for us and with that, I went shopping!  It was fun this time…picking out green veggies and sweet fruits to blend into a healthy concoction for energy, vitality, detoxification and nutrition! I’m excited to see how it all swirls together and of course the big issue…..taste!

So follow me as I explore this world of raw food, one day at a time.  Let’s see how my family reacts to this and what changes or transformations may take place!  Yes, March 17th is a good day to start my truly green journey!  Why now?  Why not!!

So how do you know if you need vitamins?  Well, do you eat 4-6 servings of vegetables a day – preferably raw? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit a day? Do you grow your own vegetables in fertile soil?  Most of us can answer “NO” to these questions and that ’s why we need supplements.  Our fruit and produce just don’t have the vitamins and minerals that they had 50 years ago because of over farming the land.

Questions to ask yourself regarding supplements:

1. Are the products you take now standardized?  (USP)

2. Are the products you take cold processed or heat processed? (Cold is the best as the composition doesn’t change like it does when heated)

3. Do your products disintegrate within 30 minutes?  If not, then you’re not getting the benefits from them.

4. How are you products formulated? Do they have preservatives, salt, dyes or artificial coloring, caffeine?  All “no-no’s”

5. Are your products bio-available?  This means are they absorbed at the cellular level?

If your urine is brightly colored, then your products are going in and coming right out.  Your urine should be fairly clear and that means that your body and organs are absorbing the minerals and nutrients that are so necessary for optimum functioning. 

So, do you need supplements?  If you don’t get the proper nutrition, your body will look for what it needs and that could be taken out of your bones, muscles or organs.  That is part of what causes osteoporosis.  So make sure you eat right, supplement, get proper exercise, drink half your body weight in ounces of filtered water and rest!  Your health is worth more than the price of gold!

In southeast Asia, this fruit is known as the King of fruits.  This spiny fruit has been around for over 600 years. The creamy, edible pulp is described as tasting like custard.  But you have to get past the smell to enjoy it. 

So what does this treasured fruit have to offer for your health? It contains phytonutrients that provide immune system support, blood detoxification, powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. What does this mean for you? This helps with free radical damage that we are exposed to on a daily basis that can cause disease and/or cancer. 

Plus it has essential amino acids at a high level that is critical in the metabolic process.  Tryptophan is part of these amino acids which helps the Serotonin levels – our body’s emotions.  Serotonin is converted to  Melatonin which promotes sleep and can aid in managing anxiety. 

In addition, the Durian has minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper and manganese.  Its vitamins include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B5 and B6, Vitamin C, Folic Acid and retinol.  Sound too good to be true?  Here is a natural fruit from Mother Nature herself that has so many benefits including boosting metabolism for weight loss, providing natural energy, and a good source of raw fats.  This is the best way to get any kind of vitamins and minerals is through natural sources versus chemically made.  While obtaining this fruit might be a little hard, you can get it through a powerful blend of all the fruits that have been blogged about in a tasty, nutritional beverage supplement. Two 2 ounce doses will give you more than what you normally consume in fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.  Here’s to your health!

With all the hype about swine flu that will sweep across the globe in higher numbers this year, acai berry can help boost the immune system and act as an anit-viral and anti-bacterial agent.  It also helps control cholesterol levels with phytosterols. So using this as part of your dietary supplement can have high benefits such as enhancing the absorption of Vitamins A,D, E and K.

 In addition, enhancing eyesight has been attained as well. The anthocyanins assist in relieving eye strain and improve eye sight.  So what’s not to like about this tropical berry? 

To summarize, here are the main benefits:

Contributes to combating premature aging, preventing and treating diseases,  benefiting one`s overall health by minimizing the risk of cardiovascular disease and counteracting harmful cells. These powerful antioxidants help improve vision, promote weight loss, act as anti-inflammatory agents, reduce diabetes symptoms and reduce/prevent age related disease.   It also helps promote stamina because when the body is healthy, has a good immune system which is free from disease, it has a better capacity to provide us with more energy – great for athletes too! 

So now , tell me why you wouldn’t incorporate this tropical fruit into your diet?  Where can you get it?   A very potent form of this berry and other berries that I have been talking about are all included on one special drink.  For more information click here.  Be ware of other products that may have Acai berry in them but diluted with other fruit juices – it’s not as potent and you need more – therefore costing you more!  So see what differences in your health this potent berry can do for you for maintaining health and balance for the rest of your life.  YOU deserve it!

What does all this mean and how can consuming the Mangosteen truly benefit you?

Xanthones: a unique class of phytonutrients that are ultra-potent antioxidants evidenced to have life-supporting and anti-inflammatory qualities

Tannins: a natural astringent known for antioxidant qualities and intestinal health benefits  

Protein and Fat: Good muscle builder that is high in protein and healthy fat, but cholesterol-free  

Dietary Fiber: Promotes intestinal health

Potassium: Mineral known to lower blood pressure, resist kidney disease and promote healthy brain function

Iron: Mineral known to aid in the production of red blood cells and maintain proper muscle and organ function

Vitamins: Vitamin C, Vitamin B and other amino acids

Mangosteen has also shown evidence of providing the following nutritional benefits:

• Increased Energy
• Improved Skin
• Pain & Migraine Relief
• Lowering cholesterol
• Post-menstrual Syndrome Relief
• Healthy respiratory and cardiovascular system
• Healthy joints and cartilage
• Bone Loss Prevention
• Anti-arthritic
• Anti-fungal
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-tumor
• Anti-aging
• Anti-diabetic
• Anti-atherosclerotic 

 While studies on mangosteen and xanthones are still relatively recent and more need to be done, the healthful properties of this xanthones rich fruit are promising.  To learn more about how to add this to your daily diet click here!

Blueberries, they are a North American treat!  July was national blueberry month as it is the peak season for this berry, but did you know how good this little blue gem is for your health?  It’s recognized as the “prince of fruits” and offers a wide assortment of

So what are all the benefits of this tiny sweet fruit? It is full of antioxidants such as: 

* Polyphenols (including tannins) this reduces inflammaation in the digestive systme and counteracts damage-causing free radicals, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and other age-related disease

* Kaempferol  A flavonoid known to reinforce a healthy immune system

* Pterostilbene & Resveratrol   Reduces cholesterol and breaks down fat (this is what I really like about these gems!)

* Anthocyanins: Contribute to vision preservation and combating e-coli (this has been in the news as of late and blueberries can help!)

* Vitamin C: Critical for healthy gums, capillaries, immune system, the development of collagen, and the absorption of iron

* Dietary Fiber: Promotes intestinal and heart health

* Manganese: Vital in bone development and the metabolism
of protein, carbohydrates and fat

* Tannins: Help reduce inflammation in the digestive system

Other health benefits the Blueberry offers include:  Anti-aging, augment learning capability and memory (boy do I need that!), plus may help to prevent urinary tract infections.  So it’s not too late to get these health beneficial little fruits.  Blueberries are packed in plastic trays of different sizes and are normally in your market within hours of harvest! In the winter you will find fresh blueberries from South America , Australia and New Zealand which are air freighted to your local market.

This is one of the four fruit I will be writing on in upcoming blog posts that come from the royal family of fruits! Go and get some for added boost to your morning cereal, muffins and breads, mid afternoon snack, addition to your fruit salad, added to yogurt and fruit smoothies – just for starters!  Thanks to the sources of this information.  Here’s to your health! 

 Please provide your health blueberry recipes to share!  I’d love to hear them as my family loves blueberries.  To your health! 

To begin, almost everything that we are exposed to: the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we consume and the personal care products we put on our bodies, all can have potentially harmful toxins in them.  Unless you live in a bubble, you are exposed to all the things that are in the air - car exhaust, manufacturing pollution, smoke (second hand), burning of materials that can cause harmful fumes, living close to an industrial area or powerplant.  These are just some of the things that are in the air and we breathe into our lungs every day.  The oxygen we breathe just doesn’t go into our lungs, it goes into our bloodstream as well. 

Same for the personal care products you use on a daily basis.  Most teens and women put on an average of 12-17 products per day!  If you don’t use organically or botancially based products, then you run the risk of the chemicals, animal by-products used, dyes, colorants and man made fragrances that your skin absorbs through shampoo, conditioners, body washes and lotions, cosmetics, perfumes, hair styling products, nail polish and so much more.  Read the labels of your products and see what the ingredient listing is.  If you can’t pronounce most of the words, then it probably contains harmful ingredients that with long-term and continued use, can lead to disease and even cancer!  The toxins are absorbed into your skin and then into the bloodstream.  Both the kidney and liver serve as the main organs to purify the blood but most can’t be “cleaned” as they are foreign to the body and therefore aren’t rid of as “waste”, but are actually stored in the body – typically in fatty areas.  So you are always carrying toxic waste with you because they are not in digestable form the way natural and botanical things are processed since the body recognizes those and uses them as nutrients. 

We all need to eat food, but we really need to know and understand  that the majority of our meat, fruits and vegetables come from farms that use pesticides to grow the crops so the farmer has better crops to sell to market. We consume these pesticide laiden fruits and vegetables and therefore these chemicals stay in the body.  These foods are fed to livestock and they too are injected with hormones to promote faster growth.  The hormones again are stored in the body of the animal so when we consume the meat or milk  from an animal, those chemicals get stored into our body as well.

Luckily there are teas, cleanses and even bodycare products that can help rid the body of the many toxins that we come in contact with daily.  Did you know your daily shower is one of the biggest culprits of your body absorbing the most toxins?  First, if you don’t have a filter on your showerhead, the chlorine in your water that is used to treat bacteria and other harmful things is going into your body with every drop.  The warm water opens your pores and the steam that is created is now being breathed.  So chlorinated water (we all have it unless you have a well), is used daily for washing and drinking purposes.  Then you use your personal care products – add those to the mix and you’ve got yourself a pretty toxic routine.  These toxins from the water and the personal care products used are immediately pulled into your skin and into your bloodstream within a minute!  Your kidneys and liver can only do so much, and if they are filled with toxins, then what is cleaning your blood?  I liken it to a vacuum cleaner – once the bag or dispenser gets filled, how much more dirt can it pick up? 

That’s where the detoxing products come into play!  Many are made with sea botanicals that cleanse and actually pull out the toxins from the body.  This can be done by the use of teas and internal cleaners.  A natural cleanser is the lemon! Drink one 8oz glass of filtered water and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into it – do this twice a day.  Apple cider vinegar is also a natural cleanser both externally and internally.  Luckily there are products that help with internal detoxification that are much more pleasant.  With the continued use of detoxing products that actually can pull the chlorine off your body before it enters the bloodstream, teas that cleanse the liver and kidneys to function better and cleanses that rid the colon of stored, unprocessed matter, you too can feel better and expect a healthier life that will add years to your life and protect you from many harmful “would be” cancers and disease. 

Email me for more information on a complete plan of detoxification.  I’d be happy to help you cleanse and protect your body.  You only get one body, so take good care of it!  To your health—-

Perfume oils are artificially created fragrances or contain artificial substances and do not offer the therapeutic benefits that essential oils do.  Essential oils are derived from the true plants and are used for many purposes such as aromatherapy.  The chemical composition and aroma of essential oils can provide valuable psychological and physical therapeutic benefits. These benefits are usually achieved through methods including inhalation and application of the diluted oil to the skin.  Stress relief, insomnia, pain management, mental alertness, positive attitude and mood enhancement are just some of the many benefits that essential oils can bring.  You can use them in cooking too for flavor and aroma!  I love lemon oil and its versatile usage for both cooking and cleaning!

Essential oils are often used by diluting them with a carrier oil (sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil) and then applying this blend to the skin for absorption. Careful inhalation of the oils can also provide therapeutic benefit as the oil molecules enter the lungs and are absorbed into the bloodstream.  Lavendar oil has long been used for its soothing and calming properites.  Great for young children or after a long, stressful day!

Essential Oils are usually sold for individual use in very small bottles.  Although essential oils do not become rancid, they can oxidize, deteriorate and lose their beneficial therapeutic properties over time. Citrus oils will oxidize and begin to lose their aroma and therapeutic properties in as little as six months. Not all essential oils diminish in quality as time passes. Essential oils such as patchouli and sandalwood mature with age. All essential oils, however, will benefit from proper storage and handling.

To avoid deterioration and protect the aromatic and therapeutic properties of your essential oils, store them in amber or cobalt blue bottles. Dark glass such as amber or cobalt helps to keep out deteriorating sunlight. Be leery of purchasing any oils sold in clear glass bottles. Clear glass bottles are not harmful to essential oils, but clear glass does not protect the oils from damaging sunlight.  Avoid purchasing pure essential oils sold in plastic bottles as the essential oil will eat at the plastic, and the essential oil will become ruined over a short period of time.

Essential oils can very greatly in quality and price. Various factors that can affect the quality and price of the oil include the rarity of the plant, country and conditions that the plant was grown, quality standards of the distiller, and how much oil is produced by the plant. They can often be purchased as blends of several essential oils. The advantage if it is a blend of pure essential oils is that you may experience greater health results by using more than one that are expertly combined.

Here’s a few tips, add your favorite oil and use in a diffuser to get the aromatic benefits of it.  Put some on a tissue and leave in a drawer. Add some to the disposal to rid bad odors or even in the waste can.  Put some in your vacuum cleaner bag and see how much fun this chore becomes!