The Spice of Life

The little things in life really are the "spice" of our lives, the things that bring a smile to our face or enrich our experiences on an otherwise regular day.  Things like a beautiful sunrise, someone opening a door for you, a smile from a stranger or the giggle of a child.  Activities like dancing, yoga, working out, hobbies or reading a good book.  These are the things we tend to take for granted but they can make a big difference in how we enjoy our life.

The same is true of spices in the nutritional world.  I've been on a kick lately to try new spices like cummin, tumeric and, my favorite, cinnamon.  The health benefits of spices have been known for centuries and cultures who use spices all the time like the Indian and Mexican people tend to be very healthy.  I did a bit of research and it's fascinating stuff. 

Chili and Cayenne:  relieves pain, heart health, stops ulcers

Cinnamon:  antimicrobial, stops bacteria and yeast, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar

Tumeric:  arthritis relief, powerful anti-inflammatory for Chron's disease, cancer and Alzheimers

Oregano:  powerful antibacterial agent, has 4x the antioxidants of blueberries
(ForeverGreen's "Immuneyes" has both Oil of Oregano and Virgin Coconut Oil and is one of the best products I've ever used for preventing colds/flu or stopping them once you have them)   https://www.poweredbyforevergreen.org/content/library/IMMUNEYESBrochure.pdf

Garlic:  anti-fungal, antiviral, heart health

Ginger:  helps ease nausea, cancer fighter, relaxes blood vessels

Parsley:  fights cancer, neutralizes carcinogens

We depend so much on pharmaceuticals these days and it amazes me that the relief we're seeking could just as easily be found in nature and we'd get the extra benefit of enjoying our food more too.  So I invite you to try out new recipes or just add some new spices to your food.  For example, I often add cinnamon to my morning smoothie.  It's so good and so very easy.  Even something as simple as Ginger Tea has such great health benefits.

Let me know of any recipes you may have that use spices we don't normally think of like cummin or tumeric. 

Also be sure to answer my question on the right of this page :)

Yours in Health,

Mary-Lou

Choices

We are faced with, and make, choices everyday.  What to wear?  Which movie to watch?  What to do today?  What to eat?  And we make those choices based on something - how we're feeling at the time or if we need something like warm clothes because it's cold outside or if we need to go to work because we need a paycheque or food because we're hungry.
When it comes to our health I think we make choices based on a variety of things but one of the the most important things we should have to help make those choices is good information.  We are constantly bombarded with conflicting information from various sources. 
To make the best decision when it comes to our health one should, first of all, list to our intuition.  Most of us intuitively know when something about our health has changed.  Maybe we've gained extra weight; we're getting headaches when we never did before; we wake up feeling "puffy" or not rested.  These are all indicators that something is going on that is affecting our overall health.
For many of us, the first thing we do is look for relief at the drugstore - that "quick fix" - but this is where it's most important to take a step back and learn a bit more. 

What I've found while studying for my Holistic nutrition course is that one should pay close attention to what you're eating on a daily and weekly basis.  A good way to do this is with a Food Diary/Journal where you write down every single thing you put in your mouth (food AND drink) on a daily basis and do it for a minimum of 7 days.  This is such a good way to see what kind of nutrition you're putting into your body and to determine if you're getting all of the nutritional tools your body needs to function or if, on the other hand, you're eating a lot of "non-food" items that could actually be putting your overall health at risk and, perhaps, that is what's giving you symptoms.   Once you've identified potential problems in how you're eating you can start to omit those things and, quite often, your "symptoms" will go away without you having to go to the drugstore at all! 

Once we're educated about what we're putting into our bodies it's much easier to make good choices.  At times we will still choose to eat the wrong things but at least we know what the results might be and the next time we might not make the same choice.   
Here are a couple of things you can add to your "knowledge file" that might help you make good choices:  Soft drinks of any kind are NOT food and they have NO nutritional value not to mention the overdose of sugar in them that could cause you to become diabetic.  Diet soft drinks are WORSE because they contain aspartame - don't be fooled into thinking that "diet" soft drinks are doing you ANY good - they're actually poisoning you.  "Refined" foods really have no nutritional value ie.  refined sugar and flour.  So steer clear of them.  One more thing - when grocery shopping try and stay away from the "middle" aisles or, if you do make a lot of your purchases there, make note of what kinds of "food" is actually there.  Pretty much all processed and packaged food is found in the middle aisles.  The fresh produce and meats are normally found around the perimeter of the store.  Try to make 80-90% of your shopping choices there and stay away from the middle!  Your health will be better off.

If anyone wants more information about doing a Food Diary or help analyzing what a Food Diary is indicating, let me know.  I also have to complete several Case Studies for my course and would gladly to an overall Health Assessment on you if you're interested.

Until next time, stay healthy and make good choices :)

Mary-Lou

I'm reposting this blog from last August because I think it's a good reminder how we shouldn't take what we're eating for granted. Just being more aware of what exactly we're putting in our bodies is the first step to a healthier life.
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One of the biggest contributors to our poor state of health these days is sugar. That’s not to say our bodies don’t need sugar – they do, just as we need salt, fats, carbs, proteins, minerals and vitamins. The key is to get all of this in a BALANCE that is best for how our body functions.
Studies show that the average North American intake of refined sugar is somewhere between 15 tsps (60 g) and 25 tsps (100 g) a DAY or 120 lbs a year! Keep in mind that is only sugar we get from processed and fast foods. It doesn’t include naturally-occurring sugars from wholesome foods . To maintain good health we should try and stay under about 40 grams of refined sugar intake per day. Less than that is even better. And don't make the mistake that many people do by thinking that artificial sweetners are better for you because they absolutely ARE NOT unless they are from a naturally-occurring source like stevia, xylitol or agave.
Too much sugar in our bloodstream or sugar overload can cause sinus congestion, frequent colds, migraines, asthma, backaches, hypoglycemia, sleepiness, bloating, immune system dysfunction, indigestion, loss of short-term memory, water retention and yeast infections, to name a few. And if that isn’t enough, sugar is empty calories meaning it has absolutely no nutrient value. None of us would knowingly eat 120 lbs of extra sugar a year, would we? I don't think so. The problem is we don’t realize that a lot of what we’re eating has high amounts of sugar. It’s time we found out.
I bring up this topic because since I’ve learned this I’ve started reading food labels to keep track of how much extra sugar I’m getting each day and it has astounded me! I’m not one who craves sweets and I’m trying to eat healthier these days but I am blown away by how much sugar I’m getting from foods I never would have suspected. Let me give you some examples:
- Honey Nut Cheerios: 9 g/serving
- Flavored yogurt: approx 10 g/100 grams *depending on brand and flavor
- Whole kernel corn, canned,: 5 g/ 1/3 cup
- Tomato soup: 13 g/1/2 cup
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal: 13 g/1 packet
- Ketchup: 4 g/tbsp
- Wheat Thin crackers: 4 g/serving


See how fast seemingly “healthy” food adds up? Now let’s look at an example of what a teenager might eat for, say, breakfast and lunch:


- 1 bowl of Frosted Flakes: 13 g
- ½ c. 1% milk: 6 g.
- Big Mac: 9 g
- Medium Coke: 56 g !!


This kid is already at 84 grams of sugar and it's only lunch time! Is it any wonder today’s kids are overweight, diabetic and being diagnosed with ADHD? As adults let’s set good examples and try to provide children with healthier choices just by being “informed consumers”. Teach kids to read labels and make a game of keeping track of the sugar (and fat and sodium) they might be getting by making certain choices. If we make them more aware at a young age they will, at least, be armed with knowledge to make that choice. As it is now, they assume (as I did) that what we’re feeding them or what they’re choosing to eat must be good for them because, after all, it’s “food”.
Just for the heck of it, track how much sugar you’re eating on an average day. I think you will be surprised. Read the labels of everything, even things that aren’t sweet just to see how many empty calories you might be getting. And if you have some of the symptoms of the health problems previously listed, maybe try to cut back on your sugar intake or ever quit sugar completely for a day or 2 and see if you feel any better. If you notice a difference that might be the clue you need to get on the road to improving your health.

 Mary-Lou
www.seawellness.myforevergreen.org/CAN_Products.html
www.seawellness.versativa.org

Our Digestive System & the Rodney Dangerfield Effect

"I get no respect".  The line made famous by Rodney Dangerfield can also apply to our poor digestive system which, no matter what we throw at it, tries to keep doing its job.  When you think of years of nutritional abuse we put our stomach through it truly is amazing it works at all.  Granted, our health probably suffers because nothing is working properly but, hey, it's keeping us alive. 

Consider this.  When a baby is born, it's digestive system is brand new, ready to work as it was created to work - take in nutrition, process it, send it to the cells, blood, brain, organs and get rid of whatever isn't needed.  Simple.  Really?


So, the optimum food for newborns for their first 6 months of life is breast milk. 
Aw, but that's just not convenient so let's substitute something that's been formulated to be almost as good as the real thing.  Actually, it's better because it's fortified with even more than breast milk can provide AND it's convenient. 
Really? 
OK, so when that baby is ready for solid foods the best things to start with are real foods from Nature like fruits and vegetables so get out the blender and make it nice and mushy so it slides down real easy and is easy to digest.  After all, we want to keep these brand new digestive systems working their best. 


Aw, but that's not convenient and, besides, it's tasteless.  Let's stock up on those cute little jars and we should add a little flavour - maybe some salt or sugar??  And if the little fella is REALLY good maybe we'll give him a treat!  Say, a taste of ice cream or chocolate.  Yummy! 
Really?


Now that baby is a toddler and he's a pretty picky eater so let's entice him with fruit-flavored cereal or cereal-bars (both from a box).  And he doesn't like veggies so we'll give him pizza.  The tomato sauce counts as a vegetable doesn't it?  And the cheese is dairy - that's important, right?  And those fruit snacks in the package count as fruit so we've got that covered.


Are you starting to get the picture?  From Day 1, we abuse our bodies with food that isn't really food at all.
We assume we can eat anything we want and the stomach will magically do its thing and our body will continue to work and you know what?  It does continue to work but it becomes "hardened" to the junk we keep throwing at it and we suffer because of it by developing a variety of health problems from allergies to asthma, irritable bowel and gallbladder problems and kidney stones. And let's not forget obesity and Type II diabetes, the two fastest growing health problems in children today.  The list goes on and on. 
The good news is that our bodies are miraculous in their ability to heal if we change the way we eat and start giving them the proper foods and nutrition.   A great rule of thumb is "If Nature made it, eat it in abundance. If Man made it, eat very little or leave it alone" (Ron Williams, CEO ForeverGreen)

It's never too late to start giving our digestive system the optimum "fuel" it needs to allow it to work to perfection.  Let's start respecting our body and, in return, it will Thank us by being ailment-free - by functioning the way it was born to.
If you get a chance I urge you to go and see the documentary, "Forks Over Knives" this summer.  http://forksoverknives.com  I can't wait to see it and have heard many great reviews about it.  Movies like this are what start a "shift" in how people think and when I see the sad state of our health today I truly believe we are overdue for those changes. 

Let Food Do the Work

Ron Williams, President of ForeverGreen said something recently that resonated with me. He said "Let the proper food do the work in your body instead of making your body do the work on the food". He was talking about how when we put dead, processed and man-made foods into our body, our body doesn't know what to do with it and has to work harder than it normally would to try and extract any kind of useable nutrition from such "food". If, on the other hand, we put natural, pure, raw foods into our body it can easily take that nutrition and nourish us as we were meant to be nourished and that results in a body that works better, has less disease and is balanced. Makes sense.

ForeverGreen is a natural health and wellness company that's starting to make a big impact as people become more interested in maintaining and regaining their health in a natural manner. It has a product line-up that's unique in the marketplace for its emphasis on natural, organic whole-food products. Products that include healing marine phytoplankton; immune strengthening and nutritional support using ingredients from Nature; the soon-to-be-released Versativa (http://www.seawellness.versativa.org/EatDrinkandBeMerry.html), a hemp-based product second to nothing out there; targeted products like Pulse8 specifically supportive of heart health as well as an entire line of essential oils.

I'm very happy that I made the choice to "open" my own ForeverGreen store almost 2 years ago. Now, instead of having to run to the pharmacy for cold medicines or prescriptions (which I don't need anymore thanks to "Immunize") or even toothpaste, I shop in my own store. I purchase my nutritional supplements, my organic chocolate, my skin care and my organic, whole food products from my own store where I know what I'm getting and I can vouch for the effectiveness of the products and my health has never been better.

If you're someone who's becoming more interested in natural wellness products or are curious about how such products could positively affect your health I invite you to try any of the ForeverGreen products. I personally haven't been disappointed with any of those I've tried. Visit http://www.seawellness.myforevergreen.org/CAN_Tree.html or contact me for more information - I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas as well as a Happy & Healthy New Year.

With the New Year fast approaching we all start thinking about those inevitable resolutions that we make and, hopefully, keep. As always, maintaining my health is on MY list of resolutions and to do that, becoming more active is at the top of that list. When making changes in my life, I find that taking small steps seems to work better than trying to do everything all at once. Over the past year and a half or so, I've changed the way I eat - not all at once but gradually - and am much more aware of what I'm eating, when I eat and WHY I eat. I'm not a fanatic about it and occasionally I slip up but just by making that change I have dropped about 10 pounds and feel better than I have in years!

Of course, I also believe that taking my ForeverGreen products has helped by giving me a good "support" system for the positive changes I've made. I know that when I take my FrequenSea I'm getting all of my daily nutritional requirements; my Pulse8 supports and strengthens my cardiovascular system and by taking A.I.M Transfer Factor I'm building a strong immune system that has, so far, kept me from getting colds or the flu. Some would argue that if we're eating properly we shouldn't need nutritional supplements but let's face it, none of us eats "perfectly" - we just don't have easy access to organic food and fresh produce. Even the "experts" agree that supplements are necessary in this day and age but we have to remember that supplements do not take the place of good nutrition; they are not the magic "pill" that will cure all of our health problems - they have to be used "in addition to" good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.

During the holidays it's very easy to overeat and eat things that aren't very nutritious, like baking and sweets. I also find that the cold weather makes me want to eat filling, warming foods that tend to be high in carbs. That, coupled with lack of exercise make it very easy to gain weight. But, if you cave in and indulge yourself just get back on track the very next day and don't beat yourself up - the holiday season is meant to be enjoyed and that includes all of that yummy food.

I thought I'd pass on my morning "Smoothie" recipe because I've found that it's become my daily staple - I just feel so much better with my morning shake and I never used to eat breakfast at all. If you don't have a Magic Bullet, consider getting one. For $40 it's a great investment.

Here's my basic recipe:

1/4 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. 1 % milk
handful of fresh or frozen fruit
(I use frozen because it makes the shake nice and cold)
couple pieces of banana
1 scoop of "Thunder" (Forevergreen chocolate whey protein powder)
1 tbsp of ground flax seed

Put all ingredients into Magic Bullet and mix for a minute.

For a change I sometimes add 1 tbsp of molasses or some "Azul" or even some peanut butter!

As we get ready for Christmas morning and prepare to bid farewell to another year let's remember to take time for ourselves. Good health includes not only good nutrition but less stress, more exercise, more laughter, fresh air, good relationships and balance in our lives....food for thought.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Mary-Lou

Intuitive Eating

We've all heard of "intuition", usually when referring to a woman and her uncanny sense of always knowing the right thing to do. (No offense, guys!) The dictionary defines it as "instinctive and unconscious knowing without deduction or reasoning".

When it comes to how and what we eat there is actually something called "intuitive eating" - in other words, listening to the demands of our body and feeding it what it needs, when it needs it. Notice I didn't say "listen to your BRAIN" because, chances are, the good old brain would tell you to eat Big Macs, chocolate bars and ice cream.

We all have intuition. We just have to learn to "listen"; to go inside ourselves and pay attention to what our body is trying to tell us. If we did this, there would be no overweight people, no need for diets and everyone would be a heck of a lot healthier. Intuitive eating means that just because it's 12 noon, it doesn't mean it's lunch time. It means eating when we're hungry and stopping when we're full. Tiny babies eat intuitively - on demand - although they have to trust us, their parents, to feed them properly. Little children tend to eat intuitively - at least until we impose things like "lunch time" & "supper time" on their eating habits. When a child says they're not hungry at suppertime but an hour later they're "starving" it could be because that's what their bodies are telling them and they haven't yet learned to suppress those little voices inside.

With our busy schedules and hectic lives it's hard to eat on demand but with a bit of attention & organization it can be done. For example, always carry a piece of fruit (apple, banana) with you and perhaps some nuts - something to reach for when your body tells you it's hungry. If you ignore that feeling you end up overeating when you finally do get near some food or, worse, you don't eat at all until much later in the day. A good habit to get into is eating breakfast. Your body has not had any nutrition while you slept and it needs some fuel to get going. Ideally, eat your proteins before mid-day as those provide your body with the most energy at the time when it needs that "power". By suppertime you should be eating less "energy" foods since you don't need much energy in the evening or just prior to bedtime and you don't want those heavy foods sitting in your gut trying to digest when you should be resting your body. Makes sense, doesn't it?

Because of the way most of us were brought up, supper was the biggest meal of the day and, really, that is backwards to the needs of our body. We need power/energy in the morning, something at lunch that will sustain us through the afternoon and a light meal to end the day as we gear down.

I've been talking to a lot of people lately as I've been doing the Digital Pulse Wave screening and I've noticed that a great many of them are very "self-aware". They "had a feeling" that they should do something about their health even though their doctor hadn't diagnosed them with anything. Others have told me that when they started taking meds prescribed by their doctor, they felt worse and quit taking the meds and then felt better. Whatever we call it - "gut instinct" or "that little voice inside" - we should listen to it more often because, in most cases our body will tell us what it needs.

Until next time, food for thought.....

Mary-Lou