Sunday, May 11, 2008

Eating A Rainbow & Other Helpful Advice




Turns out your mother was right - eating your veggies does improve your health.
Eating the full rainbow assortment of fresh raw fruits and vegetables on a regular basis—in addition to eating whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes while moderating intake of animal fat, refined flour, sugar, and stimulants is the key to giving your body the nutrients it needs to build cells right and strengthening your immune and detoxification systems so they can do a better job of fighting off disease and aging.

Most of us are aware that food choices are important to health but few people realize that proper nutrition can promote health. Research has shown that diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases.

I don't believe in diets. Everything needs to be in moderation. If you live that way, you will not have to deny yourself anything (within reason). If you strive to have a balanced life where you eat healthy, exercise, manage stress,have faith in something larger than yourself, daydream and at the top of my list - laugh - then you will have a happy life. I have a sign in my livingroom that my sister bought for me on my birthday and that is exactly what is says.."Laugh" and I look at it every day. You have to be aware of the funny things that happen every day and be able to laugh at yourself. I read somewhere the other day that the average adult laughs something like once every two weeks or something crazy like that. The article went on to say that most children have bouts of laughter several times a day. I laugh every day and I think it is great medicine. Laughter can help you through a lot of difficult situations and most things in life that stress you out are just temporary events that really won't matter in the long haul.

I would suggest doing something outside every day. For me, it is walking. I used to jog but have temporarily had to put that on hold while I get control over my arthritis. I have been able to have a few jogs so far this spring but walking can be just as beneficial and I think anyone who can do it, should.

When you are feeling positive and energized, you draw more of that to yourself. Do whatever you can to get there. I love to spend time with positive people and I read books and watch videos and like I said earlier, laugh.

One thing that I have learned is that doing what you are passionate about makes you happy. I know this may be a simple thing, but having this blog to write in and to share my thoughts and my advice gives me happiness. This is proof that it doesn't need to be something grand to bring you happiness. I had forgotten how much I enjoy writing. I did it a lot when I was a kid. I also loved to get my hands dirty digging in the dirt and I still love to do this is the spring by doing some planting even though I only plant a few buckets. I love to look at the buckets every day and see how they are growing. When I was a kid I loved the woods and hiking around just looking at everything - you know what, I still do but somehow for so many years I got away from it. I think we just get busy with our lives, going to work, looking after kids, doing our chores and we forget.

Visiting markets that are loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables is one of my favourite things to do. It has always been that way. I would encourage you to think about what you loved as a child. Happy Mother's Day!!!
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Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating

How it all began

When I was a child my grandfather always had the most amazing garden. His whole back yard was the garden and it was wonderful. I loved every vegetable that he grew - he even grew his own summer savory which apparently isn't that easy to do. Anyway, Grampy helped me put in my first garden and gave me all the tips. I couldn't believe how much work it was. It takes a lot of dedication and love. Sadly, he is gone now but I remember all the love that went into the garden and how even when I was a bit older and I would visit, he would fill the trunk of my car with veggies and I would have to go around my apartment building and share with others as there was no way I could eat all of it before it went bad.

I think my interest in health was part Grampy and part my father. My dad was a health nut when no one else was (that I knew of anyway) I am talking back in the 1970's. I don't think a lot of people knew about some of the stuff that my dad would talk about. He referred to white sugar as "poison"..ok, a little extreme but you get the point. Dad would eat a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of bran every day. I think this is important because my father was given six months to live when he was 19 years old and he managed to live until he was 44 with many health complications. I cannot say for sure but paying attention to what he put into his body as far as his food went, may have bought him some very valuable time.

Then comes my mom who was so devoted to my father and continues to be even though he passed away in 1981. I witnessed her nurse him back to health many times and she was the rock that held everything together. She is an amazing woman and I know he would be very proud of her for how she handled everything when he had to leave. My mom had to experiment with recipes to make them adaptable for dad's diet. He was on dialysis and could not consume any salt. If you have never had regular food without any salt - take it from me, it can be pretty bland. She was very creative and she did it with lots of love....

So for Grampy, Dad and for my mom who helped create that passion in me.............

Me with my mom in the garden 40+ years ago

Getting Started


This blogspot is titled "Fiber Fanatic" because after a lot of reading and research (there is so much out there) I think our lifestyles need to focus more on our fiber intake. Eating foods that are high in fiber are the ones that are better for you anyway. Also, you need to keep in mind that 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories, 1 gram of protein= 4 calories, 1 gram of fat = 9 calories, 1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories and 1 gram of fiber = 0 calories. We don't often hear this...seems like everyone is counting calories and fat grams. Don't get me wrong, you still need to have a reasonable intake of calories divided into carbs, proteins, fat, etc but you can be full for much longer if you eat fiber rich foods. Fiber is the part of food that cannot be digested...that is why it has no calories. It is a type of complex carbohydrate. Fiber can be found in vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, legumes and grains.It is well known that Canadians eat too little fiber (on average 12 grams per day) and we should be eating 35 grams a day. It is possible to go as high as 60 but I don't ever get close to that...35 is fine but shoot for 35 each and every day. To begin...increase a bit each day and drink lots of water and if you like, herbal teas. If you increase too quickly, you may experience gas and bloating. I would suggest switching from white pasta to whole wheat pasta, white bread to 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat bread and switch from white rice to brown. Making small changes will make a big difference and it may be easier to change gradually instead of all at once.