Healthy Holiday Eating
from Smart Choices

by the Nutrition Twins Tammy Lakotos Shames, RDand Lyssie Lakotos, RD authors of Fire Up Your Metabolisms written in REMEDY November 2004

They tell us to start by making smart choices at the grocery store.

Great Holiday feasting does not depend on less than healthful foods. We do not need fatty eggnog, cheese balls and fried delights.
Just try not to overeat! Enjoy the blessings of food and fellowship.

Relax!

Daytime fatigue and fuzzy thinking is caused by dehydration. That is lack of pure water. Our immune systems want to be well hydrated.

Stay well and drink pure water. Reverse Osmosis or distilled water are the best. If you must use tap water boil it. If you must drink a hot drink, Green tea will serve your immune system best.

Healthy digestion
The types of food you eat, the amount of exercise you get, the pace of your day and your level of stress all can affect the health of your digestive system. Good lifestyle habits can go a long way toward keeping your digestive system on track:

• Practice good eating habits.
• Maintain healthy weight.
• Get regular exercise.
• Control stress.
• Limit alcohol and tobacco.
• Use medications cautiously.

Prevent Cold and Flu

Follow your bodies own defenses.
Live defensively. It is the Key to staying well.

1. Adequate sleep. 8-10 hours for adults is best. The body regenerates and heals during sleep. Sleep before 10PM is a deeper, more restful sleep.

2. Alkalize your bloodstream. Disease thrives in an acid bloodstream. Many foods raise the acid level. Green foods help keep the blood stream more alkaline, and have detoxifying properties which fight many illnesses.

3. Exercise Regularly. Do not overdo. Too much may stress your body so eat adequate protein and other quality food and get adequate rest between exercises.

4. De-Stress your lifestyle. Avoid violence on TV, video games, etc. Nightly news is often too much stress on your spirit. Concentrate on the positve and good things daily. Prioritize your schedule and learn to say "No". Take regular food supplements and take extra vitamin C, B complex when under additional stress. Be Stress free.

5. Fresh Air. EPA says the air in our homes is worse than that outside. An air purifier will decrease pollutants and the presence of bacteria, molds and viruses in the air.

6. Healthy Foods. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies. dut them up for snacks. Make pots of homemade vegetable or chicken soup with plenty of garlic (a natural antibiotic), and only organic chicken or beef stock if used at all.

7. Plenty of Pure Water. Water flushes out the toxins. A Minimum of water should be our body weigh divided by 2. Drink that many oz. for a very minimum. If fighting an illness we must drink more to flush out all the toxins. We need 1 quart of water for every 40 pounds of weight to be well hydrated.

8. Pray and Trust God - Not last but First. Meditate and pray regularly.

9. Regularly Wash Hands. Keep hands away from eyes and mouth. Disinfect doorknobs, phones, computer keyboards.

10. Replace lost electrolytes in a drink to boost the immune system. Shaklee Performance™ is a good one and Innerlight Supergreens™ another.

11. Routine. Regular habits for meals, bedtime, etc., create a structure for a peaceful home. Constant change and disruption creates stress and weakens the immune system.

12. Surround yourself and family with people you love. Do some kindness everyday.

13. Supplement with Pure Whole Food Concentrates. Boost immune system with vitamins, minerals, and proteins from a reputable source. I have found Shaklee and Innerlight able to keep the immune system strong. Always supplement with nutritious meals. Stay away from a habit of eating sugar, alcohol, caffeine's, diet drinks and foods and heavy meats which form acid in your body.

14. Take Time for Music, Beauty, and Quiet. Simplify your lifestyle. Get a massage at home or hire a professional. Massage your own reflexes on your feet or hands. Take a nice long bath using essential oils. Walk, putter, Count your Blessings!

Eat to Beat the Flu

Nutrition plays a starring role in fighting off illness.

by Gloria McVeigh

http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-1-77-60-4738-1,00.html/

Believe it or not, some of the most delicious foods can decrease your risk of developing all sorts of nasty diseases--or even halt their progression.

 “A healthy diet has an incredible potential to prevent heart disease, various forms of cancer, and other health problems, such as diabetes,” says David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Yale Prevention Research Center and author of The Way to Eat. “Healthy living, including a healthy diet and regular physical activity, is powerful medicine. By optimizing nutrition, you can influence your ability to have a long and healthy life.”

 Read on to find out how to eat to combat four major health problems.

Protect Your Heart

Consuming a diet that contains lots of fish (especially cold-water types--like salmon, tuna and sardines--which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids), nuts, olive oil, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, grape juice and red wine can help keep your ticker healthy for years to come. A recent meta-analysis at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine found that regular fish consumption is associated with a 17 percent lower risk of developing fatal heart disease. 

 “I think heart disease is very close to being an eradicable condition through diet and lifestyle,” Dr. Katz says. 

Preserve Your Sight

To protect yourself from macular degeneration, a progressive eye disorder that causes gradual loss of vision, eat lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, Dr. Katz suggests, and drink green tea. What’s more, recent research from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that people who consume three or more servings of fruit a day have a 36 percent lower risk of age-related maculopathy, another eye disease that can cause blindness.

Other foods that are good for the eyes include broccoli, spinach, oranges, carrots and sweet potatoes--all rich sources of photochemical (plant-based compounds that boost health and can protect your eyes). 

Cut Cancer Risks

If you consume lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, not only will you get a great many phytochemicals such as flavonoids, lutein and lycopene, which can protect you against certain forms of cancer, but you’ll also lower your chances of gaining weight, Dr. Katz notes. This is significant because women who are overweight have more than a 50 percent higher risk of developing cervical, breast, uterine or ovarian cancer, while overweight men have a 40 percent higher chance of developing colon or prostate cancer, according to the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention. 

Foods that fight cancer include fruits and vegetables (particularly garlic and onions), high-fiber items (such as bran and beans), red wine, green tea and low fat dairy products. Items to avoid include smoked, charred and pickled foods, as well as foods that are high in saturated fat or trans fats.

Sharp Mind

When it comes to cognitive decline and dementia, “most of it is related to vascular disease,” Dr. Katz says, “so you need to take good care of the blood vessels that supply the brain.” 

 Best ways to do this: Consume lots of vegetables and fruits, especially blueberries, whole grains, low fat protein (which helps manufacture neurotransmitters in the brain) and green tea. Eating lots of fish is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline; high fat intake appears to increase the risk.

Check out www.Remedyonline.com

 The key to weight management and balanced nutrition is Portion control.  In a recent study at Cornell University, researchers found that the more people are served on their plates, the more they eat: 

Apart from watching fat and calorie intake, consuming certain foods can actually protect your body and mind from the ravages of time. Here, David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., author of The Way to Eat, recommends five foods that can help keep you young

In particular, foods that are potent sources of antioxidants--nutrients that protect the body and brain from dangerous, unstable molecules called free radicals--have assumed a starring role among health-protective foods. 

“If each meal contains antioxidants, which are abundant in fruits and vegetables, they will help counter the harm caused by saturated fat and other harmful substances that you may also be consuming,” says Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., a spokes-person for the American Dietetic Association and an adjunct professor in the School of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Grapefruit Salsa, Fresh Start Recipe Contest Winner