Ten Simple Rules

I read this today, and loved it for its simple, but profound message.  I thought it was perfect for this week of Thanksgiving.  

Five rules for happiness:
1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries. 

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

And because Thanksgiving often revolves so largely around food (and because happy and healthy need to go hand in hand), here are five more to get you from turkey to pie.

6.  Find a way to help 

7.  Eat only what you love 

8.  Eat slowly and with gratitude and mindfulness

9.  Drink lots of pure water

10.  Focus more on the people you're with, and less on the food

I wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Coffee - The Good, The Bad, The Delicious

 I love a good cup of coffee. Love the smell, love the taste, love the feeling of the warm mug in my hands. If I were to make a list of my top go-to mood boosters, coffee would forever be near the top of the list. There have admittedly been times in my adult life when I was drinking it excessively, and times when I've stopped drinking it all together. These days I have a cup or two (organic, of course :)) on most mornings, and every now and then a cup in the afternoon as well.

Some people will advise that you should avoid coffee outright - and for certain individuals that is indeed the best course of action - but for most of us, coffee is a perfectly healthy addition to our diet when used in moderation, provided you don't load it up with sugar and/or artificial creamers (more on that later). Its benefits, beyond its taste, are numerous.

Moderate coffee consumption (from 2 to 4 6-oz cups, depending on your source) can:

1. increase alertness and elevate moods

2. improve short-term memory, as well as increase work capacity and the ability to perform intellectual tasks more easily

3. improve physical endurance

4. reduce your risk of developing Parkinson's Disease, Alzeimer's, type 2 diabetes, and dementia

5. deliver heart-healthy antioxidants

6. reduce your risk of certain cancers

7. dilate your bronchial tubes, making it useful for asthma

8. naturally relieve pain, particularly headaches

9. increase your metabolism

10. reduce your risk of gallstones

That's the good news. Unfortunately, some of the very attributes that make it *good* for you can also have the opposite effect. Caffeine is a stimulant, which means that in addition to boosting moods, alertness, and performance, it may also raise blood pressure and respiration rate, and can cause heart palpitations in some people when consumed in excess. It can cause a jittery and anxious feeling. It increases the release of certain hormones. It can contribute to insomnia. And even in moderation it can be habit-forming, causing withdrawal symptoms such as headaches when you stop your use.

Everyone's body is different. As with any food or drug, if your body is telling you it doesn't like it, don't use it!

Avoid it completely if you have hormone imbalances, problems with colitis or ulcers, symptoms of Candida, anxiety or insomnia, or if you are taking contraindicated medications (ask your doctor)

A couple of final caveats:

~ Conventionally grown coffee beans are one of the most heavily sprayed crops, so it is always worth the time and money to find a good organic brand, especially if you drink it frequently.

~ Always use pure, filtered water.

~ Loading it up with cream and sugar not only adds unnecessary calories, but also adds its own health concerns. Non-dairy "creamers" such as Coffee Mate are nothing more than hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, and chemicals. Avoid those completely. The same goes for artificial sweeteners (Aspartame, Splenda, etc) Please don't use them... in coffee, or anything else.  If you really need it creamy, use real milk or half and half, and make it organic.  And if you have to have it sweet, a small amount of real sugar - while not the healthiest choice - is always a better option than its artificial counterparts.  You can also sweeten with stevia, and use non-dairy milks such as almond milk.

If you're conscientious about it, make good decisions and use moderation, then by all means:  drink up and enjoy your morning cup (or two) of java... guilt-free.

Hot and Spicy Tofu and Broccoli Stir-Fry

This is one of my favorite go-to vegan dinners. Lots of tender crisp broccoli and a spicy and flavorful sauce. It is also a great introduction to tofu, and one I'd even recommend to those with tofu trepidation. The key is to cook it until it has a skin on it, and is turning a nice golden brown.

The recipe as written does not make very much (2 to 3 servings), so I always at least double it for our family of 6.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
2 cups broccoli florets
1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup room temperature water
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
hot red pepper flakes, to taste (we serve it with more at the table too, so people can spice it up as much as they like)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 (or more) cloves garlic

In a medium sized skillet, saute the tofu in the oil over medium high heat until it is lightly browned. Remove from the pan, place it in a bowl, and saute the broccoli in the same pan for a couple of minutes, just till it is bright green and tender-crisp. (You can saute them together, but I like to do it in two steps because it keeps the tofu more intact) Remove the broccoli from the pan. Combine the remaining ingredients in the pan and cook on medium-low heat until simmering one minute. Return the tofu and broccoli to the pan with the sauce. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

What's Wrong With Our Food System

We can all learn something from this well-spoken and well-informed 11 year old.

Big Pharma

I have used prescription medications. My kids have used prescription medications. In all likelihood, we'll all use them again at some point in time. I think pharmacology has its place, even for those committed to living a natural, holistic lifestyle, but the business as a whole has turned into something ugly. Prescriptions are far too widely and freely handed out, and people are accepting it as status quo, instead of doing their own research.

What are you prescribing?
Why do I need it?
What are the side effects?
What are the alternatives?

This video is from a former pharmaceutical rep, who talks about the industry and its purpose (hint: it's not to make people well)

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Vitamin D and the Immune System

I am a firm believer in the power of supplements,  and think it's a good idea for everyone to educate themselves both on the merits and the proper use and precautions of available formulas.  In addition to a good multi, an antioxidant (containing A,C,E and selenium), and an EFA, my kids and I supplement with vitamin D, especially during cold and flu season.  Research is strongly in its favor, as briefly outlined by this short article from naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews) A new study out of Oxford University pinpoints vitamin D deficiency as a culprit in serious illnesses like cancer and autoimmune disorders. According to the report, which was recently published online in the journal Genome Research, genetic receptors throughout the body need adequate vitamin D levels to prevent these and other serious illnesses from developing.

Multiple sclerosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Chron's disease, leukemia -- these and many more diseases are often caused by a lack of vitamin D. Your genes literally have receptors that need vitamin D in order to properly express themselves. If there is not enough of the vitamin, serious illness is prone to develop.

The Oxford team made specific observations about the importance of vitamin D in the genome regions associated with autoimmune diseases and cancer, noting that the nutrient is absolutely vital in helping to prevent these diseases from forming.

"Considerations of vitamin D supplementation as a preventative measure for these diseases are strongly warranted," expressed Sreeram Ramagopalan, author of the study.

However, current recommendations for vitamin D intake are unacceptably low, and many nations are considering updating their guidelines. The U.S. Institute of Medicine, for example, recommends getting a mere 200 to 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day, an amount far too low to have much therapeutic effect.

Since summer sun exposure creates about 20,000 IU of vitamin D in the skin in just 15 minutes, supplementation with at least 5,000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin D daily, particularly during the winter, is preferable. Healthy blood levels of vitamin D are somewhere between 50 and 80 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml), so many natural health professionals recommend having a "25 OH Vitamin D" blood test performed to check these levels.

Sources for this story include:

http://health.usnews.com/health-new...

The original article can be found here.

 

Homemade Granola

Thanks to my friend Alice for sharing this awesome granola recipe. I followed it as written, except I added a splash of pure vanilla extract and I left out the pecans. DELICIOUS!

Full of fiber, and a good source of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. Definitely not low calorie though, so go easy if you're trying to lose weight (and don't make it when you're starving like I did!)

Granola

5 cups old fashioned whole oats
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg


Spread oats on rimmed baking sheet, bake at 350 for 10 min. Mix all other ingredients in large bowl, add warmed oats and mix well. Spread again on baking sheet and bake 13-15 min. Let cool and store in airtight container in fridge.