Does your food do more than fill you up?

Spices improved their health

I was standing in the spice isle, admiring all the varieties and colors, when, out of nowhere, an elderly woman began speaking to me about her husband's past health issues. Evidently, he suffered for years with arthritis, circulation problems, and heart disease. She recalled someone telling her, when she was a young woman, that spices were very healing. So, she began to add them to every meal. She claimed that, after years of spicing up their meals, her husband's health issues went away and they both enjoyed excellent health and vitality.

That wasn't the first time that I was introduced to the idea that food was more than just how it tasted.

Orange peels have health benefits

As a child, my paternal grandmother suggested, as she watched me peel an orange, that I eat a bite of the peel. What?? Take a bite of that bitter peel? When I asked her why, she merely said that it was healthy ... so I followed her advice and still do to this day. In later years, I learned that the skin of an orange has properties which have been shown to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar levels, and inhibit the growth of several forms of cancer cells.

We all know that whole, non-processed foods are Eco-friendly and have nutritional value (vitamins, minerals, etc.). Many of them can also help us prevent illness, heal, and even keep us warm/cool. Let's take a look at some of them:

Foods that help prevent illness

Tomatoes may slow degenerative diseases

• Tomatoes contain lycopene, a potent antioxidant which stimulates immune function.
• Spinach contains vitamins A and C, folic acid, and magnesium.  In addition to reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, it blocks free radicals and may help prevent osteoporosis.
• Oatmeal contains both soluble and insoluble fiber which may reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Foods that heal

Rosemary might stop tumors

• Rosemary contains carnosol and rosemarinic acid, powerful antioxidants which destroy HCAs (heterocyclic amines). HCAs are potent carcinogens which are associated with several cancers and, when they bind with DNA, are the first step in tumor formation.
• Apricots have fiber, sodium, and potassium which help prevent minerals from accumulating in urine and forming calcium oxalate stones (Kidney stones).
• Ginger cures nausea by blocking the effects of serotonin (a chemical produced by the brain and stomach when you are nauseated) and by stopping the production of free radicals, a common cause of stomach upset. Because ginger regulates blood flow, it might also decrease blood pressure, arthritis pain, and cancer risk.

Foods that warm us up

Cinnamon increases metabolism

• Cinnamon increases blood, oxygen, and nutrient circulation, thereby increasing metabolism. Increased metabolism makes us feel warmer.
• Root vegetables (carrots, turnips, potatoes, etc.) require more energy to digest than other vegetables. As the body works to break down these foods, the energy generated keeps us warm.
• Turmeric increases metabolism in two ways: 1) by cleansing the body of waste which can damage cells, and 2) by producing bile, which stimulates the gallbladder and improves digestion. Increased metabolism generates warming energy.

Foods that cool us down

Cucumbers reduce body heat

• Cucumbers contain a lot of water and help to keep our cells hydrated. This, in turn, helps the body keep cool.
• Green leafy vegetables are packed with calcium which acts as a thermoregulator in the body. Basically, signals are sent, between your body and brain, which help regulate your temperature.
• Lentils, which contain tannins, are an astringent food. They cause the tissues of your body to shrink and increase water absorption. As the tissues absorb water, your body feels cooler.

We choose foods because they taste good and nourish our bodies. Holistic living looks for products which do more than simply fill our stomachs. It looks for high nutritional density and properties which assist our bodies to realize maximum health and comfort.

It's a fascinating thought that food can do so much!

What are the health benefits of the foods you enjoy?

Tomorrow we present another challenging Eco-friendly activity. Will you join us and change the world?


The information presented in our holistic living series is not, and should not be used as, a substitute for medical advice.

Posted at Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Hop, Small Footprint Fridays, From the Farm and Natural Family Friday

Friday Film Fest ...

Here are some ideas for growing your own whole foods ... in limited space:











Have a great weekend!

Grow your own whole foods ...

Happy Spring! We are now officially past winter (I can hear the applause). Increasingly the days will be become warmer and we'll see more sunshine. It's the time of year when my thoughts turn to planting a vegetable garden and anticipating whole foods at my finger tips.

Last week we talked a bit about whole foods ... how they are an Eco-friendly alternative to processed foods. Here are a few interesting facts:

• Eating whole foods, preferably organic, results in a lower risk of many types of cancers and chronic diseases, and promotes healthy aging and higher energy levels.
  
  
• Consuming fruits, vegetables and whole grains rich in antioxidants translates into a lower incidence of cataracts.
  
  
• Whole foods contain high levels of minerals and vitamins.
  
  
• They are loaded with antioxidants which protect the body from free radicals (these are the culprits which promote diseases).
  
  
• Plant based whole foods contain Phytoestrogens, a special class of phytonutrients that include isoflavones and lignans. Phytoestrogens have been found to protect against certain cancers, most notably breast cancer.
  
  
• They are loaded with dietary fiber and resistant starches making them essential to intestinal health and help prevent colon cancer.
  
  
• Whole foods contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives.
  
  
• The healing properties of whole foods are non-toxic and inexpensive. For example: apples help reduce cholesterol, bananas strengthen the stomach lining against acid and ulcers, and bell peppers help to fight off colds.

Eating whole foods is definitely healthy! So, how do we get them? We can shop the perimeter of a supermarket or get them at a farmer's market. Or, we can grow them. Growing them has some definite advantages ... read on:

• It's economical ... for the price of a package of seeds (approximately $2.00), you'll get fresh produce throughout the summer. If you share seeds or use ones from previously grown crops ... the price is even less. Imagine ... for the price of one head of lettuce in the market, you can get an entire season of lettuce.
  
  
• It's healthy ... growing your own veggies means you control what goes on them. You get to decide if chemicals touch your food and, hopefully, you'll opt for organic gardening methods such as the use of lady bugs to control aphids and other pests.
  
  
• It's good for the earth ... rather than traveling across country to reach your grocer's shelves and adding to air pollution, your veggies reside just outside your kitchen door. And no processing such as chlorine washes for your veggies ... just pick them, rinse them and eat.
  
  
• It's educational ... children love to garden and watch things grow. Having a garden is a wonderful family activity and one which teaches children about sustainability.
  
  
• It's fun ... we loved digging in the dirt as children and I'm betting that most of us (perhaps secretly) love it as adults.
  
  
• And ... if we compost, we recognize an additional advantage: composting reduces waste. It's a wonderful way to nourish a home garden and it saves landfills and waterways.

This spring, consider growing your own whole foods .. it'll be good for you and the earth!

As always, I would love to hear from you!

Do those Twinkies hurt the earth?

We all know that some ingredients in our food are less than healthy. For example:

Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Oils create trans fats which increase LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood and decrease HDL (good) cholesterol. They have been linked to heart disease, strokes, and contribute to diabetes. A 2% increase in calories from trans fats can result in a 23% increase in the risk for heart disease.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has been linked to insulin and leptin resistance. Insulin resistance is when your body doesn’t use the sugars that you eat correctly. Leptin resistance is when your body no longer recognizes when it is full. HFCS has been linked to Diabetes and Obesity.

Inorganic phosphates, chemical additives designed to improve the texture of foods such as meats, cheeses, beverages and bakery goods, have been linked to lung cancer.

The list could go on and on! Artificial ingredients pose potential health risks. That, in itself, is enough to steer clear of them. But wait ... there's more ...

These ingredients, found in most processed foods, hurt the environment as well. Yes, processed foods require a lot of natural resources to make them attractive and convenient ... but the problem we're talking about today is the danger to the environment when these artificial ingredients end up in our landfills and leach into the soil and waterways. What happens when animals ingest these chemical additives?

Higher than normal levels of phosphates can make aquatic systems so productive that they choke themselves out. Hydrogenated & partially hydrogenated oils have been known to cause emphysema, respiratory distress, anemia, constipation, irritability, and blindness in animals. Mice who have ingested high fructose corn syrup have shown reproduction problems and heart disease.

The fact is that artificial ingredients hurt everything ... our health, the environment and everything that lives.

So ... today's tip is easy ... eat whole foods ... foods which are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. Eat fruits, vegetables and foods as close to their natural form as possible. Shop the perimeter of the supermarket rather than the center (most processed foods are located in the center of the store).

We no longer have the luxury of making our food choices based simply on our health ... we now must consider the environment and all living creatures when we decide between processed foods and whole foods.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!