Creating Meals to Heal?

Let's take a journey together down a side path that not many Americans travel.  I lived in Asia for many years and find their cultures fascinating and so much more advanced (or should I say steeped in history) when it comes to food than ours. 

MOST Americans eat for pleasure.  There is no other way to put it.  We don't eat for nutrients, we don't eat for health, we don't eat for healing.  If we have a craving - we fulfill it.  Managing how we eat, and what we eat is quite important for that second pillar of health - diet. 

I guess part of the reason I love Asian food so much is that they don't use a lot of fillers, sugars, or straight salt in their foods.  No substitutions.  Lots of herbs, fish, and fresh vegetables.  They eat very little in the way of "bread" and instead eat quite a bit of rice - rice is their base in almost every meal.  Their deserts are based around fruits and enhancing their flavors. 

Asians shop daily for the freshest foods - both meat, freshly slaughtered; and fruits and vegetables, pulled in fresh from the fields.  They have small refrigerators, because they have no need to store things for long periods of time.  Everything is eaten fresh.

We have known for a LONG time that Asians live longer than Americans.  They have far less heart disease, obesity, strokes, cancer, ADD / ADHD, and high cholesterol.  Part of it can be contributed to the fact that most Asians live a much less hectic lifestyle than Americans, but that is only a small contribution.  Their diet plays a much larger part.

Vegetables should be the core to all our meals.  If you are like my nieces that only eat "certain color" vegetables - and none of them are green, you are weakening your system.  It is important to remember that we have one body - and however we feed it will be returned to us when we get into our 60s - 70s - 80s - and hopefully beyond.  If you feed your body processed foods, processed sugar, processed pre-prepared foods - you are not giving your body anything to help it heal itself - grow new cells - help your existing cells live longer... we all would love to look 10 years younger - but if you feed your body trash - it has no way of rejuvenating itself to create a longer life for your body.  Not only do these vegetables help your physical body - they help your mental well being too.  They make you happier, calmer, energized, relaxed... all the things you need to live a long healthy, happy life!

Try your vegetables in different preparations.  Try them raw - all of them.  Even the ones you aren't used to eating raw - you may like them better this way.  There are certain vegetables I won't eat cooked, but I will raw.  Try both baby vegetables and fully grown to see if you like the sweetness of the young vegetables better than their robust flavor when fully grown.  Try them stir-fried or sauteed - again all of them.  I love stir frying my vegetables.  I prepare in the morning - julienning my carrots, chopping my vegetables, and setting them aside in three separate bowls - foods that take 2 - 3 minutes (cauliflower / broccoli / carrots / asparagus), foods that take 1 - 2 minutes to cook (mushrooms, pea pods, red cabbage), and then foods that just need to get a kiss of heat (bok choy, Chinese cabbage, spinach, bean sprouts).  Add some fresh cilantro, basil, garlic, onion, or any other herbs that you might like to try.  Experiment!  You will know that you have cooked them long enough as soon as they change color.

Try vegetables that you didn't like as a child.  Our taste buds change constantly.  And as you remove the processed foods, artificial colors and flavors, you may find that certain foods you didn't like five years ago, you now crave!  Asparagus and Avocados are two of them for me.  I can't get enough of them now - but I use them very differently than I did many years ago too. 

Herbs are just as important for your diet.  The more herbs you use the less salt and flavorings you will need.  I am quite heavy handed when it comes to herbs in my foods.  I also like lots of heat - cayenne is a standard in almost all my meals. 

Dr Hyman also has some good reasons to try the Asian diet style.  In this article he provides detailed benefits of certain Asian vegetables, herbs, roots.  http://drhyman.com/eat-your-medicine-food-as-pharmacology-7716/?utm_source=Publicaster&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman%20newsletter%20issue%20#37&utm_content=Get+the+story

Blessings... E

A Mother's Health

Good Morning,
This will be a short post today as I got in late last night and am off again today... tomorrow... and Friday.  I must find some time to write in between all my meetings!! 

I usually don't watch TV, so the only way I get my news is via MSN or Google - I don't like listening to all the negativity in the world... prefer to hear the blessings, changes, and positive things in the world.  yes, sometimes that means I am an ostrich that needs to pull my head out of the sand... and I do!  :)

So, I happened across an article prepping for the ones I have written this week and I came across one that has stayed with me.  it is funny - the article was about animal rights - but the part that struck me was what they were doing with the animals and why.  Now, don't get up in arms with me because I didn't focus on the animal rights issue - I think I have shown you that I am 100% for all things natural - saving the earth - including its animals.  But they were using these monkeys to test a theory about a mother's health during pregnancy.  I guess this strikes me specifically right now because my daughter is pregnant.  And I have told her over and over that it is no longer her - how she wants that child to think, eat, behave all is being formed right now by her actions.  How she eats, how she thinks, how she behaves... if she wants a healthy child, she needs to be healthy... she is teaching our little Sophie right now. 

What they found in these tests, were that the monkeys that had a high carb / high fat content diet during their pregnancy bore weak offspring that were prone to medical problems, and obesity.  DUH!!  The monkeys with a good healthy diet bore strong offspring that were active, interactive, happy, low (if any) medical problems THROUGHOUT their life, and normal weight.  But I want to take this a step further...

Not only does our food affect our offspring, so does our mental attitude, our exercise plan, and all the things we come into contact with during that pregnancy.  You are not thinking, eating, or exercising for one... there are two of you connected.... you are the one thing that can affect that child more than anything else.

I will look for the article and attach if I can find.  Blessings.. E

Time to Make a Change!

We have discussed a variety of "warning signs" that our bodies flash at us to get us to make changes.  I hope you have begun to see how different foods really affect your body.  Eating the right foods makes a HUGE difference in your day to day life. 

It isn't all about eating food to manage your symptoms... it is about changing your attitude about food... about your life.. about exercise... In the United States we have been conditioned to allopatic medicine - you get sick, you go to the doctor.  Naturopathic medicine is a completely different mindset... it is feeding your body good things so that it (your body) can heal itself... and listening to the "warning signs" your body gives you ... and get better at reading the little ones before they get to be blaring ones!

That old adage, "you are what you eat," is so very true.  How you feed your body directly relates back to how healthy your life will be.  Feed your body good healthy fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts... and it will reward you by being stronger.  Your mind will reward you with being more positive, remembering more things, being faster, and learning new things.  Your organs will be less susceptible to disease.  In short, you will have a longer, more productive, healthier life. 

So, I challenge you - this week when you go get groceries, spend a little more time in the produce department.  Find something new - different than you have ever tried - or something you have always wanted to try, but have never taken that step.  Ask the grocer how to know when it is ripe and how to serve.  Go on line and find a recipe.  And experiment. 

Next - GET OUTSIDE!  Go for a walk.  Listen to the trees, birds, rivers, kids.... sit on a hill and just be!  Your body needs sunshine... we will start for just one day a week... eventually you will need to try to get 30 minutes every day.

And lastly - I know I am asking a lot.  We will start again with once a week.. and build to every morning... go out and find a quote that is motivational, work to change one negative into a positive, say hi and smile at a stranger... do something to make one person's day better.

Here's to a new healthier, happier you! 

Stressing over Anxiety...

I got a question about anxiety from my cousin last week.  I know several people - adults, teens, and adolescents that suffer from anxiety.  To a certain extent we all do - new situations, having to confess something we are guilty of doing, leaving behind an old life, etc.  And like a lot of things, different people call the same thing different names - anxiety, stress, depression, worry, fear... we are going to talk about real anxiety - the type that can cause phobias, panic attacks, and potentially some life threatening issues.

About 4m people suffer from the most common type of Anxiety - GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) in any given year and more women are typically affected than men.  There isn't any one thing that causes anxiety most agree that genetics, brain chemistry, and life experiences all play a part.  While we can't change anything with genetics - we can make the most of our life experiences (mental attitude) and brain chemistry (diet/exercise).

You will find several things repeated in my blog over and over again.  The three premises of natural medicine are mental well being, diet, and exercise.  As you see, this is a prefect example of this.  Every facet of our lives contain all three of these aspects.  If one is out of whack, you are not well.  Make sense? 

Mental attitude.  Did you know that a positive attitude releases dopamine, tryptophan, and serotonin in the brain - these are "happy" chemicals.  A negative attitude breaks down cells and changes the body chemistry into a more acidic rather than alkaline - which is what you need it to be.  We have all heard that positive people live longer than negative ones.  Music can help with attitude too - too often we don't realize how much music affects us.  Next time you have some quiet, private time (I know - I am dreaming) listen to different types of music and pay attention to your reaction to it... how does it make you feel, what thoughts does it provoke, what colors do you think of, what do you smell... Scent also plays a huge part in a positive attitude.  My favorite scent is cinnamon, it makes me happy.  When I need a quick pick me up - I light some cinnamon candles and relax... it never fails to bring a smile to my face.  My favorite saying to my kids is, "What will be, will be" or "it is what it is."  When a stressful situation arises that I can't change, I repeat that to remind myself that there are things in life that I can't change, and that I have to let go.  It works.  Most people with anxiety disorders allow their every day stresses to manifest into larger issues.  Learning to let go, is very important.  When we get to exercise, we will have some additional help with "letting go."

Diet.  Let's start with the things NOT to eat - Caffeine, chocolate, sodas, processed foods, fried foods, junk food, and dairy.  These are pretty standard for everyone, not just those affected by anxiety - but they WILL exacerbate the situation more radically than for other people.  Everything is building blocks - so don't feel that you must remove all of these things on day one.  So... what should you be eating.  Foods rich in Vitamin B - Tuna, Salmon, Snapper, Scallops, Mushrooms, Sunflower Seeds, Black Beans and other legumes, Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, Bananas, Edamame, and Nuts,  And then our herbs - fresh Basil, Passion Flower, St. John's Wort, Ginkgo Biloba, Meadow Sweet, and Kava Kava.  Now, with herbs - if you are unfamiliar with the herb and how much to take, I urge you STRONGLY to get a book about herbs and understand potential allergies, interactions, etc... like pharmaceutical drugs, some herbs can be dangerous in large doses or when mixed with other herbs and drugs.  In addition, you will need to try them out and see what works best for you.

Exercise.  I am addicted to exercise.  As a child, I hated gym class and exercise in general.  My whole world changed when we moved to Hawaii and I was able to exercise every day.  We hiked, biked, bladed, swam and walked every day.  And then when I started studying martial arts... I couldn't believe how addicted I was.  I never realized that exercise was a natural high for me.  The more I did, the happier and healthier I was.  For people suffering from anxiety, you may just need some quiet time and not the full intense workouts that I am used to doing.  Yoga techniques.  Deep breathing techniques. Tai Chi.  These are FABULOUS helps for both stress and anxiety.  You need to really start changing your mental attitude - replace the "I can't" with "Let's see what we can do" and "I think I can."

I KNOW you can make a change... think positively!