I am not a fan of reality shows but last night I tuned into the premiere of Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution”, since this show offered a topic that I am passionate about. I applaud Jamie Oliver for promoting healthy eating in particular trying to reform school lunches. Have you recently looked at a school lunch menu? While schools “try” to promote healthy eating choices the food is heavily processed and aims at getting children to eat what is on their plate. If you saw the show it was no surprise that when offered two lunch choices: pizza or chicken and brown rice, majority of the children chose the pizza. Most adults would choose the pizza over the chicken as well.  “You are what you eat”, as the adage goes.  If you primarily eat procesed foods that are full of preservatives, hidden sugars, and additives you will get addicted to that type of food.   If you switch to a diet that is mostly based on whole foods and organic you will cleanse your body and then crave those foods. I actually have a difficult time eating in most restaurants because I can taste the preservatives in most of the foods even the chemicals on the nonorganic produce. 

 I really hope Jamie has some success with his campaign and can start a reform for the school lunch program and help educate parents about what should be going into their child’s body. Providing your child with a balanced diet with real food, (food made from nature) will help them develop a taste for it. The best you can do is to set a good example, children learn from experience, if they see you eating healthy they will to. The habits young children develop will stay with them for life.  Sometimes you need to get creative with getting children to eat healthy. Involving children in menu planning and in cooking, will often entice them to take more of an interest in eating healthy.  Spark their interest by each week sampling a different fruit, vegetable or protein. Or plant a garden and allow them to grow their own wonderful gifts from nature.

Health Benefits of Chocolate 

With Valentine’s day fast approaching many of you may be considering giving chocolates to your loved ones.  Did you know chocolate not only tastes great but has many health benefits. Chocolate helps the immune system, reduces the risk of some cancers,  promotes a healthy cardiovascular system and best of all boosts our spirit.  The only catch is you need to eat  organic dark chocolate to truly experience the  many health benefits. Read the rest of this entry »

Healthy Benefits of Coconut

I could easily live on a desert island living on coconuts.

I love the taste of the sweet meat , the luscious water and creamy milk that coconut produces.  Coconuts in fact may be considered the “perfect” food. It is   high in nutritional value, containing vitamins, minerals and vital nutrients. Coconut is easily digested making it a good source of nutrition for those with compromised health, and it also is a good food source for babies. Coconuts are high in protein,  healthy fats and in the following nutrients: manganese, iron, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, calcium, and magnesium.  Let’s take a look at the nutritional benefits of all the components of a coconut. Read the rest of this entry »

As a natural health advocate I have several favorite remedies that I believe everyone should take and have in their “medicine chest”.  One of these is elderberries.

Elderberries are a member of the honeysuckle family and have  been used as a natural remedy for centuries.   The first recorded use was by Hippocrates and used extensively by the Native Americans. Elderberries have recently regained popularity and become well known as an immune boosting supplement. These deep purple berries contain a large amount of vitamin C, vitamin A and B and are rich in flavonoids which include quercetin and  anthocyanins. Flavonoids have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and can activate immune cells that help the body to fight off viruses. The elderberry fruit also contains components known as lectins which have been shown in the laboratory to stop replication of ten different strains of the flu virus.  Read the rest of this entry »

Nutritional Supplements have become increasingly popular over the past decade. Almost every magazine you pick up has an article related to the latest “”fad”" supplement. Sometimes these articles are written to promote the sales of a specific supplement or to discourage the use of one. Vitamins and herbal products are found in almost all types of stores and via the internet. 

People reach out to supplements for different reasons: to ease symptoms, to treat a medical condition, even to just help nourish the body. I often hear people say “” I tried natural supplements and they don’t work, don’t waste your money!”" The key to success with using natural supplements begins with making sure you take the correct one for you. Just because your neighbor has had success taking the herb Echinacea to boost her immune system, does not mean that Echinacea would be the most successful supplement for you. Our bodies are all different and therefore we process and assimilate supplements differently. I suggest you do your research, get in touch with how your body feels and consult with a qualified health practitioner, preferably someone who really knows about natural supplements. I have found many conventional doctors who don’t know which natural supplements are best for their patients.

Ask yourself this: do I always eat organic food, exercise, avoid stress, get plenty of fresh air and sunshine, and allow myself time for pleasure on a daily basis?  Most of you will say NO.   Even with the best of intentions it is close to impossible to do all of the above everyday.  Following a healthy lifestyle most of the time does not  mean you are guaranteed health. Environmental toxins and emotional stressors challenge our well-being everyday. It is imperative in today’s society we support our bodies with good-quality natural supplements.

Many health problems are related to nutrient deficiency, quite often vitamins and minerals can improve these conditions. Vitamins are vital if our body is to function normally and they are absolutely necessary for cellular growth, our general-well being and vitalit.

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 Many people start out the new year with the best intentions: plans to improve eating habits and determined to exercise more. Within weeks most people fall back into their old lifestyle patterns. They either get bored with their new health regimen or become frustrated because they cannot lose weight and their health does not improve. The key to accomplishing your New Year’s resolution lies in setting  realistic goals for yourself.
It saddens me as a natural health practitioner that most people choose being thin over being healthy. Many of the popular “diets” emphasize quick weight loss rather than promote overall health.  Quite often these fad diets  eliminate food groups and deprive individuals from vital nutrients which hurts their health in the long run. 
I encourage everyone’s New Year’s resolution to improve upon their health and make the new year their healthiest one yet. This can be achieved  by:

  Read the rest of this entry »