Margarine

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, rather than waste all that money spent on the research they found they could make it taste similar to butter. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. Both have the same amount of calories. 
Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study. Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
 Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added! Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods. 

Margarine is.......Very High in Trans fatty acids, triples risk of coronary heart disease, increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol), increases the risk of cancers up to five times, lowers quality of breast milk, decreases immune response, decreases insulin response, and here's the most disturbing fact.......Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT.

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:


1) no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)


2)  it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.

Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Butter may add fat to your body; however, in moderation, it won't kill you!

NOTE: There are some whole food margarines on the market now that are not harmful. Please read your labels very carefully. 

Are you NORMAL?

I have been a vegetarian all my life…so I must be  healthy, right? Then why, in my mid 40s, was I low on energy, having joint pain, and allergies? I was getting older so those things are normal, right? They are not  NORMAL, they are COMMON. About 15 years ago I decided I needed to be healthier than just a vegetarian. I started eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, stepped up my exercise (I parked further from the store and  danced while I vacuumed), and I purposefully removed the junk from my diet.  Within weeks I had more energy, within months my joint pain went away and my allergies practically disappeared. As a bonus my hair was thicker and my nails were no longer splitting.  Getting the junk out consisted of removing toxins from my diet: white flour, white sugar, white chemicals (MSG, Aspartame), white oils (hydrogenated oils) and dairy. Nobody is perfect and these still slip into my diet on occasion;  however, if I am able to keep them out of my daily life, the old ailments do not  return. I am now NORMAL, which, it seems, is very UNCOMMON. Won't you join me?

***To stay 'Normal' I added Juice Plus to my daily life. "Eating" 26 fruits, vegetables, grains and berries every day, consistently, has given my body what it needs to thrive. I am feeling younger and more energetic as I age.*** For more information about Juice Plus go to: www.gale4.juiceplus.com

Never too old to start......

Yesterday I was encouraging my mom to purchase raw sugar instead of processed white sugar. She asked the question: "Does it really make that much difference at my age?" Good question. I had to think about that. If you have made it to 80, do you really need to follow ALL those "rules" of healthy eating? Or have you earned a "pass"? Lets look at this: If what you are eating makes you feel bad, then it has diminished the quality of your life - at any age. Healthy living is important at all ages. Being able to enjoy good health into your 80s and 90s is a gift you have given yourself with a healthy lifestyle. Changing the little things like sugar will make a difference in how you feel and increase the quality of your life now. So Mom, yes, it does make a difference!  If there is something unhealthy that you enjoy, and the enjoyment outweighs the ill effects, than by all means ENJOY! (once in a while)

Chew your Food

Chew your food!!!

Digestion is a very demanding task for your body, requiring a great deal of energy, especially if forced to digest improperly chewed food. Chewing properly allows your stomach to work more efficiently and break down your food faster. The chewing process serves as the first step in your digestive process. It takes time (generally about 20 minutes) for your brain to signal to your stomach that you are full. Saliva contains digestive enzymes, so the longer you chew, the more time these enzymes have to start breaking down your food, making digestion easier on your stomach and small intestine. This "predigestion" that starts in the mouth make digestion in the gut so much easier on your body. (This is one reason juicing is suggested for people who are ill and need to conserve their energy for healing.) So give your body a break, slow down and chew your food slowly until it starts to liquify. Remember, you only have one set of teeth in your body and this is your only chance to chew your food! Such a simple change that makes a world of difference in how you feel. 

Exercise

As a rule, I put the most attention on the nutrition side of health. I guess because that is where my interests lie. But if truth be known, EXERCISE gets more points in the overall scheme of things. What you put into your mouth is very important, however, you will get just as much (ok, maybe more) results from adding more exercise to your daily routine. Exercise equals movement. Thirty minutes a day is recommended, however small spurts of exercise throughout the day can be just as beneficial. Our lifestyles have become so sedentary. We sit for longer periods of time. Studies are showing that sitting for long periods is the worst thing you can do. Taking just 1 minute 40 seconds every 30 minutes (yes, someone did a study to come up with that number) to do a little exercise will increase your productivity, clear your brain, increase your circulation, lift your mood and prolong your life. Pretty good return on a couple of minutes! Set the alarm on the phone you never go anywhere without for every 30 minutes and add joy to your day and longevity to your life!

One minute 40 second Exercise: stretch arms high...stretch left, then right. Bend at waist and reach to the floor (just as far as is comfortable). Hang out there for a few seconds - blood to the brain is a good thing. Do this 3-4 times. Squat like you are going to sit in a chair and up - do this 10-15 times. Walk in place, knees high, about 30 steps (or find a flight of stairs!). Hips in place, swivel arms around to stretch behind you - both sides. All that should take over a minute. Find the routine that works for you and get that heart pumping a bit.

As always, get the junk food out of your life, put whole foods into your body, and MOVE! Understand that something is always better than nothing!

Celery

Celery is a strongly alkaline food that helps to counteract acidosis, purify the bloodstream, aid in digestion, prevent migraines, relax the nerves, reduce blood pressure, and clear up skin problems. Celery contains compounds called coumarins which are known to enhance the activity of certain white blood cells and support the vascular system. Celery’s rich organic sodium content has the ability to dislodge calcium deposits from the joints and holds them in solution until they can be eliminated safely from the kidneys. Celery is a well known natural diuretic and has ample ability to flush toxins out of the body. Celery also has significant anti-inflammatory properties making it an essential food for those who suffer from auto-immune illnesses. It also contains significant amounts of calcium and silicon which can aid in the repair of damaged 
ligaments and bones. Celery is rich in vitamin A,  magnesium, and iron which all help to nourish the  blood and aid those suffering from rheumatism, high blood pressure, arthritis, and  anemia.  Fresh celery juice is one of the most powerful and healing juices one can  drink. Just 16 oz of fresh celery juice a day can transform your health and digestion in as little as one week. Celery has always been on top of my most disliked vegetable list (yes, even I have a list), however, I have found that it actually tastes good in a drink....so if you also do not like celery, try to work it into your diet somewhere. It is an obvious purifier that we can all benefit from. I'll try if you will :)

Air Fresheners

Air Fresheners are very unhealthy for  your body and the environment. The common  air freshener is made with formaldehyde (a  known carcinogen), naphthalene (a suspected  carcinogen), toluene (known to cause liver and  kidney damage) and xylene (a neurotoxin).  They are a major source of indoor air  pollution.  What’s more disturbing is how synthetic air fresheners work: “Many mask  an undesirable scent, but some use a nerve-deadening chemical that  interferes with our sense of smell. Others coat your nasal passage with an  oily film. Many air fresheners can trigger asthma attacks and affect our  central nervous system," says David Suzuki, science broadcaster and  environmental activist. Some brands that tested positive for phthalates didn’t even include  phthalates in their list of ingredients and some brands labeled as being all- natural and unscented had phthalates in them. A study entitled, Clearing the  Air: Hidden Hazards of Air Fresheners, found 86 percent of air fresheners  tested contained dangerous phthalates. Exposure to phthalates can  increase your risk of endocrine, reproductive, and developmental  problems. Choose wisely what you breathe. We are exposed to so many toxins  everyday, why bring them purposely into our homes?