How to Dehydrate Spinach and Swiss Chard

Lay spinach or Swiss chard leaves on dehydrator tray

I always seems to have more fresh spinach and Swiss chard than I can use in a week or so. I belong to an organic food coop and have a standing order for both these nutritious veggies but I need to use them fairly quickly to get the most value from them.

I use lots of Swiss chard and spinach in my daily green smoothie so I wondered if perhaps I could just dehydrate them and add them in dried form. It turns out I can easily dehydrate both spinach and Swiss chard.

Dehydrating veggies and fruits retains much of the nutritional value of these foods, plus dried fruit and vegetables takes up much less space in your pantry.

How to Dehydrate Spinach and Swiss chard.

These leafy vegetables are easy to dehydrate. 

• Wash with water and pat dry
• Cut thick stems from leafy parts
• Chop stems into one inch pieces - You can dehydrate these too and toss them into soups and stews!
• Lay leaves loosely on the trays of your dehydrator, allowing space for air flow around leaves. I usually put the stems and thicker pieces on the bottom rack so they get the most heat.
• Set your dehydrator on 105 degrees
• Allow veggies to dry for several hours. Check after about 4 hours and then every hour or so thereafter to find the time when they are crisp and all the moisture is evaporated.
• Once your spinach or Swiss chard is dried, put it into a zip lock plastic bag and store out of sunlight. I usually label my bags with the contents and date so I use the oldest first.

It's easy to grow spinach and Swiss chard in a small garden space.

How to Use Dehydrated Spinach and Swiss Chard

• Add dehydrated veggies to your morning smoothie like I do. I usually crumble them into powdery form first.
• Add to soups and stews, then add a little more water to the broth because the dried veggies will absorb some liquid.
• Add to stir fry
• Crumble and add to bread or muffin mixes before you bake them
• Crumble and add to salads as a topping.

Just about anyplace you'd use fresh spinach or Swiss chard, you can also use the dehydrated version.

Every since I learned how to dehydrate spinach and Swiss chard, I have a constant fresh supply of these nutritious veggies.  It's easy to grow these cold weather crops in a small garden area too. In this small bed pictured, I have some beets, collards, Swiss chard, mustard, parsley and fennel growing.

How to Prevent, or Possibly Cure Heart Disease

Is is possible to cure heart disease? Most of us know that a very healthy lifestyle can help prevent heart disease. In fact, heart disease is called a "lifestyle disease" because, even if you have genetic factors in your background, a healthy lifestyle can still keep you from getting heart disease.


Recently, I was told, despite living a very healthy life, that I had carotid artery disease. How could this happen when I exercise, eat right, and have low cholesterol and blood pressure? Plus, I have no family history of heart disease either.

I had a swelling in my neck and a Doppler of the area revealed "minimal" atherosclerosis.

A visit to a cardiologist helped to clarify the situation. He said that even though I'd lived a very healthy life for the past 10 years, plaque begins building up in the arteries in our late teens. My lifestyle choices had no doubt kept the plaque from getting worse.

He recommended just following up in a year or two but no medications. However, this episode led me to research heart disease a little more. I'd never felt I was at risk but now I was more interested.

What I found in my research is that many do think heart disease can be prevented certainly, but some think it can even be reversed once its established. Through diet, exercise, decreasing stress and different supplements, there are many things you can do, even if you've had a heart attack, have had heart surgery or are on various medications for heart disease.

I found a wonderful ebook, titled How to Prevent, or Even Cure Heart Disease, by cardiologist Robert D. Wilcox, Jr. Dr Wilcox was a conventional cardiac surgeon for 7 years but became discouraged with how little he saw conventional heart medicine really helping patients. He pioneered the use of alternative, natural treatments for heart disease and built a successful practice from this.

Dr. Wilcox explains in his ebook why diet and exercise is important and exactly what you should do. He also discusses different natural remedies for heart health and some that remove plaque from veins and explains the dosages he gives his own patients.

These remedies and natural solutions to heart disease are not expensive but your own cardiologist probably won't tell you about them, beyond the usual advice to improve diet and exercise habits. These natural remedies discussed in How to Prevent or Even Cure Heart Disease can be used in conjunction with conventional medical treatments as well and in fact, you should discuss them with your doctor if you have heart disease.

If you would like to prevent heart disease as you get older or if you already have heart disease, it's never too late to begin taking better care of yourself and being proactive about your health.

Natural Remedies for Bronchitis

Although I'm only very rarely sick, I recently I took a trip to visit family and came down with a cold which quickly went to my chest. Whenever I do happen to get a cold or something, I usually run through the phases in a matter of a day or two. However, if it goes to my chest, then I have a larger problem as I've been told by a doctor I have chronic bronchitis. If I want to protect my lungs, I know I have to avoid letting any cold get that far.

Having been through this before, as soon as I felt that familiar tightness and pain in my chest, I knew that I had to act fast to keep the severe congestion from taking hold. I started doing my usual immune boosting things but I also checked on Amazon.com to see what products people recommended. People with many different lung problems, from bronchitis to asthma to emphysema recommended a product called Clear Lungs. 

Since I needed it immediately, I went to the local herb shop to see if they had some, which they did.

Clear Lungs is a blend of Chinese herbs and the directions say to use it every 4 hours but that relief should be felt immediately. I took it every 4 hours the first and second day and then went to twice a day. I actually felt a lessening of congestion and the tightness in my chest within the first few hours.

I also added some Nutribiotic - Grapeseed Extract Liquid Concentrate, which kills bacteria and acts like a natural antibiotic. I just used it as directed. If you try Grapeseed extract, be sure and take some yogurt or probiotics with it, as it has the same effect as an antibiotic and kills all bacteria, both good and bad. Good bacteria is essential for proper immunity and digestion.

Another thing I did to get rid of the congestion fast was to use a vaporizer for two nights, along with the Clear Lungs and GSE taken orally. Within 2 days, I felt completely normal. If you've ever suffered from bronchitis, you know that many times the symptoms can stretch on for days or weeks.

Clear Lungs can be taken daily to maintain lung health. Many of the reviewers on Amazon said it helped them use an inhaler less for asthma and helped bronchitis and emphysema. I ordered some through Amazon so I can take it daily.

The best way to avoid illness is to keep your immune system in the healthiest condition possible. However, if you to feel you're coming down with any type of lung congestion, I highly recommend Clear Lungs. If you have a case of bronchitis, try Clear Lungs with Grapeseed extract and see if it doesn't help clear up the condition.

Raspberry Keytones for Weightloss

Have you tried raspberry keytones for weighloss? I saw this weight loss tip on Dr. Oz a couple months ago and decided to try it as it's an all natural weightloss solution. Myhusband and I started taking the 250 mg capsules daily and for us, it has been working.
Recently, we went on a 7 day cruise where there were huge amounts of delicious food. I'd just lost about 9 pounds and, even though the food was terrific, I didn't want to gain weight again. We took our raspberry keytone capsules with breakfast and lunch and walked after every meal and I didn't gain a pound!

If you want to try raspberry keytones for weightloss, I'd suggest also eating a healthy diet and cutting back portions. I became a vegetarian about 3 months ago and started cutting portions before I tried the raspberry keytones so I was already on my way to losing weight. If you eat large portions and don't cut back, I'm not sure if the keytones work as well.

These are the raspberry keytones I use, which you can buy on Amazon. They are also available from other online sources. I have a local Vitamin Shoppe and didn't find them there so Amazon was the easiest place for me to order.

Genetic Solutions Raspberry Ketones 100% Natural Weight Loss Supplement - 120 Capsules, 250 Mg (As Featured on Dr. Oz)

Chyawanprash - Boosts Energy and Immunity

About six months ago, my nutritionist introduced me to Chyanwanprash, a 2500 year old Ayurvedic formula which is a powerful combination of herbs and plant extracts in a base of Amla fruit pulp. Imagine my surprise when I saw Deepak Chopra recommend Chyanwanprash on the Dr. Oz Show. It's such an odd name that I didn't think anyone outside my nutritionist had ever heard of it!

Chyanwanprash is a mixture of herbs, spices and other ingredients, made into a jam-like consistency almost like molasses. You can eat it from a spoon or put into tea or a smoothie. My husband and I just eat a spoonful each morning and evening. This Ayurvedic formula is widely used in India as a longevity tonic.

The primary ingredient to Chyanwanprash is amla, a type of gooseberry which is very high in vitamin C.

Deepak Chopra recommends Chyanwanprash as part of a four step plan to reduce stress but other things that this powerful formula is good for are:

• Improved digestion - Ayurvedic tradition believes that all disease stems from digestive problems and Chyanwanprash improves digestion so that disease and health troubles don't arise. With proper digestion, we can assimilate nutrients better from the food we eat so it makes sense that any health program should address digestion first.
• Longevity-Good digestion enhances tissue regeneration, brings the body back into balance and helps us to live longer, healthier lives
• Increased memory and brain function
• Improved immunity
• Improved energy

How much Chyanwanprash should you eat? Most recommend 1-3 teaspoons per day but it would be hard to consume too much and there are no known side effects.

One important thing I learned about Chyanwanprash from Dr. Oz's show is that the cost is only about $10 a bottle. I was paying three times that for the brand I was using at the time. After doing some research, I found Dabur Chyawanprash, 2.2-Pound Bottles (Pack of 2) Amazon.com for about this price. And the bottle is much bigger than the one I was paying $30 for as well.

If you're looking for an inexpensive remedy which will improve overall health and energy and help you to live longer, Chyanwanprash is certainly something you should add to your health program. Since I've started taking it twice a day, I have seen a reduction in stress and improved energy. I used to have a hard time waking up in the mornings but now I wake up before the alarm feeling refreshed.

If you decide to try Chyanwanprash, let me know what you think!

Get a Glass Pitcher to Replace Plastic

Glass pitchers in various sizes aren't easy to find, but I decided some time ago to replace my old plastic pitchers with glass for health and safety reasons. Unless you get a BPA free plastic pitcher, this toxic chemical can leach into the liquids you put into a plastic pitcher, plus after years of throwing this plastic into the dishwasher, even more chemicals leach out.

It's been several months since I threw out all my old plastic containers and bought glass ones for food storage but it was only recently that I decided my plasitc pitchers would have to go. Each morning I make a pitcher of healthful Calli tea and was putting it into a plastic container. The tea is warm to hot, which is probably even worse for leaching chemicals from the plastic.

I use pitchers for various other things besides my Calli Tea too-such as keeping green tea or Fortune Delight on hand in frig, for instance. Since glass is a healthier option than plastic, I purchased 3 one quart glass pitchers and one half gallon glass pitcher. This Frigoverre Glass Pitcher, One Liter, which is pictured, comes with a lid that screws down tightly to keep contents fresh and it's one that I can recommend highly for price and convenience. This Frigoverre glass pitcher is available from Amazon.com.

I love these little glass pitchers because they are nice heavy glass and the handle is sturdy and makes it easy to handle. The spout pours nicely and doesn't slop and spill.

As a 2 quart pitcher, I bought the Luminarc Quadro 2-Liter Glass Pitcher with Lid, which I like ok but not as much as the one liter Frigoverre. The indented handle isn't as easy to manage as the Frigoverre's handle and the lid doesn't screw in tightly, although it seems to be airtight as well. Two quart glass pitchers are more difficult to find than one quart.

With all the talk about how bad BPA is for our bodies, I think replacing plastic pitchers with glass pitchers is a smart move. It gets expensive to throw out all your plastic at once but purchase a little as you go and it's more affordable.

For my glass food storage containers, I purchased this  Rubbermaid 8-Piece Glass Food Storage Container Set with Easy Find Lid, which Amazon also carries and it's filled all my container needs. I prefer glass pitchers and food storage containers because they are easy to clean and are much healthier than plastic. Replacing plastic in your food and beverage storage containers and pitchers would make a wonderful health resolution for the new year!

Brown Seaweed for Weightloss and Health

My favorite brown seaweed

I've written about the benefits of brown seaweed before but I recently learned it's also good for weigh loss. I pick up many weight loss tips from Dr. Oz and the other day he recommended brown seaweed.

Brown Seaweed and Weight Loss

Brown seaweed and weight loss were studied in Japan in 2006. Science Daily reports on the seaweed nutrient, fucoxanthin, which appears to reduce fat accumulation.

Health Benefits of Brown Seaweed

Besides aiding weight loss, brown seaweed is being researched for it's anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory abilities. Brown seaweed nourishes the thyroid so is important for those with thyroid conditions, like my husband.

Brown seaweed also improves the hair and nails. My husband was just noticing the other day that his nails were much stronger than they had been. One symptom of thyroid condition is brittle nails so if his nails are getting stronger, then his thryroid is being nourished as well.

Brown seaweed also boosts the immune system and helps lower cholesterol. Since cholesterol is another issue my husband is working on at present, we'll see how the brown seaweed affects his results on the next blood test.

Radioactivity exposure has been in the news since Japan's tsunami and brown seaweed contains Alginate, which naturally absorbs radioactive material, as well as other heavy metals we may be exposed to in our daily life. Brown seaweed also absorbs the free radicals in our body which age us and cause health issues as we get older.

One thing you have to be careful of when buying brown seaweed supplements is their purity. Since seaweed comes from the ocean, there is a chance of heavy metal contamination, unless it is taken from pure ocean waters.

I've researched several brands of brown seaweed and the two I recommend as being the most pure are Body Ecology's Ocean Plant Extract, available on the Body Ecology website and Mo
and Modiflan, 100% pure kombu extract, which is available on Amazon.com.

Both of these brands of brown seaweed contain an ocean vegetable called  Laminaria japonica and they come from a very pure source.

If you decide to try brown seaweed for weight loss and health, check the bottle for instructions. Most advise 3-6 capsules first thing in the morning with a glass of water. Be sure and check your source for purity. This is one place you don't want to skimp on quality. Dr. Oz recommended at least 500mg per day of brown seaweed to reduce belly fat and promote weight loss.

If you are trying to reduce belly fat or lose weight, brown seaweed might be worth a try, especially since it also offers many other health benefits as well.

Learn where you can buy edible seaweed.to use in recipes.

Want to Lose Belly Fat? Give Safslim a Try

Like many of you, I saw the Safslim Diet on Dr. Oz's show with Montel Williams. Montel was so impressed with his results in getting rid of belly fat, he offered to become a spokesperson for the safflower oil product. Safslim is available on Amazon and other health food outlets. I ordered 2 bottles so my husband and I could try it for a month.

What I got from reviews is that Safslim works wonderfully to reduce belly fat for many people but some do get a digestive upset from it or don't like the taste so they quit taking it after one or two doses. I personally felt Safslim was worth a try after hearing what Montel Williams and Dr. Oz had to say. So far, my husband and I have liked the taste of the berry flavor and have had no upsets in our digestion.

Dr. Oz does not endorse Safslim but he did have his experts look at the product, as well as the idea that safflower oil can help reduce belly fat. The jury is out on safflower oil, however some of his experts did think it could work.

The directions say to use Safslim for one month for best results that's what we're doing and I'll report back on one month on my results. Safslim is made from non-GMO, expeller pressed, high-linoleic safflower oil.

Other ways to get Safflower oil are in sunflower seeds, which we've started eating as a snack and on salads, and safflower oil. I don't want to give up my coconut oil and olive oil so haven't purchased any safflower oil but that's an alternative to Safslim also.

Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, wraps around your internal organs and increases your chances of heart attack and stroke, cancer, diabetes and other major illnesses. If Safslim works, then it is well worth the money to reduce this belly fat.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings

How do you stop sugar cravings when, with the holidays approaching, sugar cravings sometimes get the best of us? All those candies and cookies, plus sugary dishes like sweet potatoes with marshmallows, are standard fare during this time of the year. There are natural ways to stop sugar cravings so you can enjoy just a little of your favorite dishes, without going overboard.


What Causes Sugar Cravings?

There are lots of theories about what causes sugar cravings. One possible include candida yeast overgrowth. Yeast feeds on sugar and if you have excess yeast in your system, you'll be craving the sugar it needs to survive.

If candida yeast is your problem, try The Body Ecology Diet, which focuses on building good bacteria in your system, which kills off the yeast. Eating fermented or cultured veggies both kills off the yeast and stops sugar cravings like nothing else. You can also try products like kefir, which is fermented milk. You can purchase kefir in the store or make your own very easily.

Make Your Own Cultured Vegetables

Make Your Own Kefir

Sugar is addicting so another cause of sugar cravings is simply that you start eating it and crave more. Try cutting sugar from your diet and adding lots of veggies. Be aware of hidden sources of sugar in foods, check labels for high fructose corn syrup and other names which mean sugar. Don't forget that natural sugars such as honey, are still sugar.

Hormone imbalances can also cause us to crave sugar, which is why many women need a sugar fix around the time of their period. Try substituting fruit so you're getting some natural sugar but also some super nutrition. Or drink the stevia drink below.

Other tips to stop sugar cravings

Try Stevia to beat sugar cravings. Stevia is a natural plant with zero calories and does not feed yeast. NuNaturals, available on Amazon, is my favorite brand.

Drink lots of water to keep hydrated. Sometimes when you think you are craving sugar, you are really dehydrated. Add a little lemon juice and stevia if you crave a sweet drink.

Next time you have a sugar craving, try a 6 oz glass of water with 2 tsp of raw, organic apple cider vinegar in it. Apple cider vinegar helps balance your body's ph, cleans toxins from your system, helps to kill off yeast overgrowth and stops sugar cravings!

So over the holidays, or anytime you want to stop sugar cravings, these simple, easy and inexpensive tips will keep you from over-indulging.

Benefits of Glutamine

If you're a body builder, you probably know the benefits of glutamine but did you know that it's also a great supplement for those of us who aren't body builders. Glutamine also offers benefits to people suffering from certain health conditions, such as autoimmune disorders because it helps to repair "leaky gut syndrome" which often occurs in autoimmune.

L-Glutamine is an amino acid and it does indeed build muscle but it also helps build the immune system, increase our digestive efficiency (which leads to using the nutrients in your food more efficiently), and improve kidney function. Improving memory and brain function are also benefits of using L-glutamine.

My husband has been taking glutamine for several months for an autoimmune disorder and he has gained muscle mass even though he isn't really working out. He also has reported that the aches and pains in his joints have diminished as well. His digestion has improved so we are hoping his leaky gut syndrome is healing as well.

 My husband takes his glutamine daily in grapefruit juice with some tart cherry juice mixed in. Tartcherry juice also benefits joint pain. 

I also watch Dr. Oz every afternoon for the great health tips he provides and he recommended adding glutamine to juice or a smoothie for added energy, instead of drinking energy drinks which are loaded with sugar and caffeine.

If you like smoothies, you can also add glutamine to your morning smoothie to enjoy its benefits. Otherwise take in juice or water once a day. 

L-Glutamine Dosage and Side Effects

Glutamine dosage is 4,500 mg per day and no side effects have been reported at the proper dosage. When people exceed the recommended dosage of L-glutamine, they have reported digestive upsets and even more serious such as elevated liver enzymes or aggravation of bi-polar disorder, if you have this condition. 

L-Glutamine isn't recommended for pregnant or nursing women either as any possible side effects are unknown. 

If you suffer from an autoimmune disorder, you probably do have leaky gut syndrome where your intestines become permeable and food particles leak out into your body's systems. Thinking this food is a toxin and a foreign object in the body, the body attacks it, causing severe allergic reactions. The benefits of glutamine can help repair this damage.

You can purchase L-Glutamine and enjoy it's benefits from Amazon.com

BodyTech - Glutamine Powder Bt, 4500 mg, 16 oz powder is the glutamine product we use. Each teaspoon offers the recommended dosage.

Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Weightloss

You may have read that apple cider vinegar is great for weightloss and I think I've figured out why. Many people gain weight or can't lose weight, because they aren't digesting and absorbing their food properly. If you eat lots of healthy food and still don't lose weight, maybe your body just isn't digesting and using the nutrients. Apple cider vinegar vinegar assists with digestion, making sure you get the most out of your food.

Many people suffer from indigestion and use antacids for relief. However, many times the trouble isn't too much stomach acid, but too little. If you want to lose weight, the next time you get indigestion, try adding a couple of teaspoons of ACV to a small glass of water and drinking it down. Add a little stevia to sweeten if necessary. If this cures your indigestion, it's because you didn't have enough stomach acid to begin with and taking antacids was exactly the wrong thing to do.

If you have constant indigestion, then your body isn't digesting the foods you eat properly and you aren't getting optimum nutrition from even the healthiest diet. Apple cider vinegar helps you lose weight by making sure you digest all the food you eat and actually use it, so it isn't stored as fat.

I've been using apple cider vinegar for weightloss, drinking a tablespoon mixed with water every evening after dinner and sometimes at other times during the day as well and so far, I've lost 3 pounds without doing anything else different in my diet.

Apple cider vinegar is a simple and inexpensive weightloss tool. It's nutritious and good for so many things.

Read more about apple cider vinegar benefits here.

If you'd like to read more about healthy digestion and health, check out The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates. In it she talks about apple cider vinegar too.

How to Make Alkaline Water

You may know about the benefits of alkaline water and you'd like to find out where to buy alkaline water or how to make your own. Actually, it's easier than you think. 

I recently read the book The Baby Boomer Diet: Body Ecology's Guide to Growing Younger: Anti-Aging Wisdom for Every Generation by Donna Gates and Lyndi Schrecengos and discovered the importance of keeping my body alkaline. The standard American diet, filled with fast foods, processed foods, and lots of meat and sugar, keep our bodies in a very acid state, which invites degenerative diseases such as arthritis and causes us to age faster than we should.

Benefits of Alkaline Water

Ph levels, or the measure of alkaline/acid in our body can range from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Its easy to measure your own ph levels with ph test strips which can test either your saliva or your urine. These are available in the pool section of stores like Home Depot and are very inexpensive. 

The benefits of drinking alkaline water haven't been established but if your body is very acidic, it stands to reason that drinking alkaline water can help balance your own body's ph levels. Many water alkalizing machines cost thousands of dollars but you make your own with a less expensive portable alkaline water IonPod for under $50.

The Original IonPod® Portable Alkalizing Water Bottle

My own body tests super-alkaline, which is not a good thing either. Since my body is too acidic, it's trying to balance itself by working hard to become very alkaline. I'm working on my diet, cutting out acidic foods, drinking quality water and eating more alkaline foods to bring my body to a neutral ph level. I ordered an IonPod to help me with the balancing process and have been very pleased with it. 

All you do is add water, let it set for 5 minutes, turning the bottle upside down a couple times and you have a glass of water. I make sure to use good, clear water and not tap water. When it's been in the IonPod for 5 minutes, the water ph tested 9.0. (You also get a ph testing kit with your bottle.)

When you compare this portable alkalizing bottle costing $49.95, with free shipping, to a unit costing $2500, there is no comparison. You can also buy bottled alkaline water but you don't find it in most stores so you have to order it. I'd rather have my own source right at hand.

If you'd like to make your own alkaline water so you can enjoy it's benefits, I'd recommend the IonPod highly.

Health Benefits of Gouda Cheese - Enjoy Cheese Again!

Add Gouda to your daily diet.

Did you know that Gouda Cheese and other hard cheeses, such as Jarlsburg and Edam cheese are actually good for your heart? After years of avoiding cheese for it's high cholesterol content, eating just two slices a day of a hard cheese like Gouda can increase your intake of Vitamin K2, which protects you from hardening of the arteries.

Those two slices of Gouda or other hard cheese will also cut your risk of getting any type of cancer, but it is especially effective against lung cancer and prostate cancer.

Vitamin K2 also helps protect you from osteoporosis.

Why Vitamin K2 Works

Vitamin K2 helps the calcium in your body end up where it belongs, which is in your bones, not in your blood, where it can block arteries. Calcification, or calcium in the body in the wrong place also causes bone spurs, which are very painful.

Besides hard cheese such as Gouda, you can get vitamin K2 in cultured or fermented veggies or cultured products like kefir, which contain beneficial probiotic bacteria - the "good bacteria." To get the proper amount of Vitamin K2, add probiotics or cultured products to your daily diet. This helps you to have a healthy GI tract, good digestion and better absorption of nutrients from the food you eat.

Antibiotics, sugar, processed and fast food all interfere with the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria and as a result, impair vitamin K absorption and production in the intestines.

For more information on cultured vegetables, visit Path 2 Health Living.

Read about the Health Benefits of Kefir.

In her book, The Body Ecology Diet, Donna Gates explains the benefits of eating cultured food products and offers recipes and background information on the acid/alkaline diet, which keeps us young and healthy all of our lives. With Body Ecology's Kefir starter, you can make your own Kefir at home quickly and easily and save money too!

So enjoy the benefits of Gouda cheese by adding a couple of slices to your daily menu, along with cultured vegetables or kefir. It's one easy step on the Path2HealthyLiving.

Mind Body Blast - Six Week Health and Fitness Program

Would you like to look and feel better in just six weeks? I'm excited to participate in Luci Gabel's Mind Body Blast, an upcoming online health and fitness program which begins September 26. The two things everybody needs when starting on a health and fitness program is motivation and information. Luci's program will provide all this and more so I'm looking forward to being healthier by the end of the program.

One thing I've always thought important is that you can make small healthy changes over time, stick with them, and be healthier in the long run as opposed to starting some fad diet or excessive workout routine, only to drop it a week or month down the road. The idea of making healthy changes in your life is to realize that in the process you're giving up your old unhealthy ways and embracing something new, different and better. In the end you'll likely lose weight, feel more energetic and be much healthier.

The Mind Body Blast is the creation of Luci Gabel, who has an impressive array of fitness certifications, as well as master’s degree in exercise physiology from the University of Maryland (UMD) and a master’s in business management from John Hopkins’ University. Luci also has an extensive nutrition background. All of this points to the fact that her health and fitness program is based on sound research and not fad diets or workouts.

This six week health and fitness program includes:

• Your own health and fitness coach so you can ask questions, get advice and stay motivated. There will be 7 conference calls of about 30 minutes each to keep you in contact with Luci.
• There will be seven podcasts, filled with information, which you can watch to suit your own schedule. Keep these podcasts long after the class is over too!
• Six exercise videos to help you get the most from your workouts in the least amount of time.
• Supplemental reading to to re-enforce the healthy new habits you'll learn about on the conference calls.
• You get access for six weeks to a private, members-only forum to discuss anything you like about your challenges, get motivation and advice.

On Luci Gabel's website, you'll find a great list of articles she's written on health and fitness, as well as a free 20 minute workout video with a total body workout you can do pretty much anywhere. You can also sign up for 6 weeks of mind/body fitness tips delivered right to your email.

This six week health and fitness program with Luci Gabel begins September 26 and ends November 7. There is still time to sign up at the early bird rate. 

If you've always wanted your own personal health and fitness coach, now is the time to get more information on the Mind Body Blast with Luci Gabel.

Where to Buy Coconut Water

Coconut water is a great post workout recovery drink but if you have to pay $2 to $3 per bottle, buying it at your local yoga studio or fitness center, it can add up. One way to save money, once you you know where to buy coconut water, is to purchase a case at a time. 

The benefit of coconut water as an after work out drink is that it contains lots of potassium, a mineral you need to replenish after exercising to prevent leg cramps. Coconut water also contains other minerals your body needs, but is fat free and replenishes electrolytes naturally, and with less sugar and calories than most sports drinks. It's also natural. There aren't any additives or flavorings if you stick to plain coconut water.

What is Coconut Water?

Inside a coconut, you have the meat and the liquid at the center, known as coconut water. If you wanted to make your own coconut water, you'd need to have access to whole coconuts, which you could then break open and drink the liquid. In the Philippines and Asia, where coconuts are plentiful, this is a common practice.

Where to Buy Coconut Water and Get the Best Price

I recently found a case of 12 bottles of coconut water at Costco for about $18, which is a great price, but I hadn't seen it there before. With Costco, you don't know if they will always have a certain product each time you shop.

Amazon.com carries several different kinds of coconut water, either as a single bottle, or by the case. If you drink a lot of it, you can always "subscribe and save" to have it automatically shipped, either each month, or every 2-3 months. Shipping is free for most brands, especially if you use the subscribe and save.

You can also buy coconut water by the bottle at many local supermarkets, health food stores, yoga studios or fitness centers but you'll pay a premium for them that way. The more economical way is to buy a case to keep at home and carry a bottle with you when you work out.

Coconut water is a light and refreshing change from drinking water after a heavy workout and once you learn where to buy coconut water at a budget price, you can enjoy it without breaking the budget.

Weightloss Tip - Eat Watermelon this Summer

Delicious, juicy watermelon is a terrific weightloss food and summer is the time to get watermelon in season.  Now that watermelons come in every size and are seedless, there is no reason not to enjoy them often. We all know watermelon is delicious but why is Watermelon nutrition so good for your weightloss program?

Calories in Watermelon

First of all, watermelon calories are almost non-existent. There are only 46 calories in a cup of watermelon and only two of watermelon's calories come from fat.

Watermelon Nutrition

Besides having few calories, watermelons are packed with valuable nutrients. When you give your body the nutrients it needs on a daily basis, losing weight or maintaining weight will be much easier, plus you'll be healthier and more energetic.

Watermelon nutrients:

• Vitamins A, C and B6, B1
• Iron
• Calcium and Magnesium
• Potassium
• And fiber

Other watermelon nutrients include lycopene, the same nutrient that gives tomatoes their red color. Watermelon actually contains about double the amount of lycopene that you'll find in a tomato, even though it's tomatoes which get all the attention. Lycopene helps prevent cancers such of the breast, endometriam, lung and colon, and it's also good for your eyes, helping to prevent eye conditions like cataracts and macular degeneration.

Watermelon nutrition is great for an anti-inflammatory diet, helping to protect the body from diseases caused by inflammation such asthma, colon cancer, arthritis and diabetes. The antixoidants in watermelon also help prevent heart disease and high blood pressure.


Other Benefits of Watermelon

Watermelon is also about 92% water, which makes it a real thirst quencher. The water and fiber content in watermelon, combined with the low calories make this fruity treat a real weightloss bonus! If you eat a cup of watermelon, you'll feel full so you won't want to overeat other, higher calorie foods, and you'll hydrate your body so it can cope with summer time heat.

All these things combined make watermelon a delicious weightloss food.

Just What are Hot Dogs Made of? About Hot Dog Nutrition

A new billboard in Indianapolis compares hots dogs to cigarettes, so what are hot dogs made of? How many calories are in a hot dog? Are hot dogs really bad for you?

How Many Calories in a Hot Dog?

One part of this question is easy. A standard 57 gram hot dog has 188 calories.  Of course since it's usually served on a white bread bun, which has little nutrition and 110 calories, plus about 50+ calories in condiments, you're looking at about 350 calories in a hot dog.

Hot Dog Nutrition

The calories in a typical hot dog aren't really the problem as a typical hamburger is about 400 (This isn't counting supersizing anything, either the hot dog or the burger.) A hot dog's nutrition contains:

13 grams of fat, which is about 150 calories out of the whole
5 grams of protein
513 mg of sodium (you need less than 2300 grams of sodium a day, 1500 if you're a over age 51)


What are Hot Dogs Made of? Hot Dog Ingredients

The hot dog nutrition shows it's mostly fat and sodium but that probably isn't enough to convince most people that a hot dog isn't good for them. What are hot dogs other ingredients?

Contrary to rumors about hot dogs, they don't contain tails, hooves and snouts of pigs or meat that was thrown on the cutting room floor. You can get got dogs made of pork, chicken, turkey or all beef. Meat fat is added, plus cereal filler to bind it together, along with egg white and seasonings. This is put into a casing and precooked, packaged and sent out to stores.

The hot dog nutrition above doesn't sound so bad either, does it? However, it isn't the meat and other ingredients which make hot dogs bad for us but the preservatives, ingredients such as sodium lactate, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate and the nitrates and nitrites found in not only hot dogs, but any cured meat like bacon, ham, sausage and lunch meats. Some studies have found that there is a link between nitrates and cancer but other studies don't support that.

Nitrates, in fact, also occur naturally in fruits and vegetables. However, in the presence of protein, like meat, they are more likely to be converted into a harmful substance in the body. In the presence of Vitamin C, such as the case with fruits and veggies, they appear to be harmless.

More on the Health Risk of Nitrates

Are Hot Dogs Good for You?

The bottom line is that, unless you consume hot dogs, along with cold cuts every day, you probably aren't at an increased risk of developing cancer from eating hot dogs. However, as with anything, moderation is the key.

If you do choose to enjoy a hot dog now and then, make sure you also consume plenty of fruits and vegetables during the day. If you're pregnant, I'd suggest avoiding hot dogs altogether. Some studies have linked eating hot dogs during pregnancy to brain tumors in babies and why take the chance? Also, if you have kids, buy them the nitrate free hot dogs.

If you opt for "all natural hot dogs" be sure to read the label, as they may still contain the typical hot dog ingredients such assodium lactate, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbat.

The bottom line on what are hot dogs made of and are they good for you depends on what sort of health and diet decisions you make on a daily basis. In our family, we've cut out all cold cuts, hot dogs and bacon because of the ingredients and the fat content. We're trying to eat a more natural diet of organic meats, fruits and veggies and hot dog nutrition just doesn't fit in for us.

I realize that these days, many parents have trouble just putting food on the table at all and if the kids get hot dogs a couple times a week, at least they are eating. If this is you, just try and make sure you save a little room in the budget for fruits like apples or oranges and veggies like carrots and peas. Most kids will eat those as well. Just do the best you can, one small decision at a time.


Read about the Indianapolis billboard comparing hot dogs to cigarettes.

Where Can I Buy Edible Seaweed?

Many people ask, "Where can I buy edible seaweed?" and this nutritious food isn't always readily available. When we were visiting in California recently, I tried Annie Chun's Roasted Sesame Seaweed Snacks and loved them. My husband, who has hypothyroidism and needs to eat more kelp, really liked them too. When we returned to Texas, though, I couldn't find this tasty edible seaweed snack anyplace.

Amazon.com came to the rescue on that one. I ordered one box with a subscription to be delivered once a month and got a good discount. Then I went looking for other eidble seaweed products I could buy online and found
Seaweed Vegetables on Amazon, which includes tasty additions to recipes like kelp noodles, kombu and dulse flakes which are needed for Japanese recipes. These ingredients are hard to find locally but easy to order online. Most offer free shipping with Amazon orders over $25 too.

I recently read Seaweed: Nature's Secret to Balancing Your Metabolism, Fighting Disease, and Revitalizing Body and Soul by Valerie Cooksley, R.N.and I've decided to add more edible seaweed to our diet, besides eating the seafood snacks.Valerie's book discusses seaweed nutrition, and how it's used to help balance our metabolism and increase good health. Her book also includes delicious seaweed recipes so it's an all around great guide to sea vegetables.


Edible Seaweed Nutrition

Edible seaweed is great for your digestion and contains fiber and many trace minerals essential to good health. Seaweed soothes and heals the body, is anti-cancer and boosts the immune system by protecting the body from bacterial and viral infections.

Eating seaweed every day provides optimum nutrition for the hormonal, lymphatic, urinary, and nervous systems. Seaweed nutrients help to repair tissue and build new cells, as well as helping to regulate blood pressure and strengthen the heart and build good circulation. If you suffer from hypothyroidism, like my husband does, then adding edible seaweed to your diet will greatly enhance your thyroid function.

If you'd like to try more edible seaweed in your diet but aren't sure how to use it, try The New Seaweed Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Discovering the Deep Flavors of the Sea by Crystal June Maderia. In Crystal's book, you'll find dozens of recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts, all using edible seaweed. She also discusses several companies which sell sea vegetables so you can try her recommendations on where to buy edible seaweed as well. Many of these products are also available on Amazon.

If you don't want to buy seaweed online, you can check in your area for Asian grocery stores and even Kroger is starting to carry more hard to find Asian ingredients.

Find some delicious seaweed recipes online at Cooks.com and Whole Foods


Seaweed Vegetables on Amazon

The Body Ecology Diet - Improve Health and Vitality

The Body Ecology Diet was recommended to me by a friend who is a nutritionist and 
some of its principle elements were familiar to me. We've cut out processed foods and sugar from our diet. We use Kefir to get our probiotics and natural sweetener Stevia instead of artificial sweeteners.

Other elements of the Body Ecology Diet, such as the importance of creating an alkaline atmosphere in the body, I had heard of but never implemented in our diet.The Body Ecology Diet explains acid systems create many of our modern illnesses such as inflammation in the body. she also talks about the importance of food combining and the order to eat foods to improve digestion.
Since a healthy body begins with a healthy gut, our digestion is one of the most important aspects of improving any health condition or having great health and vitality. A healthy digestive system means food is properly digested and vital nutrients are absorbed. The probiotics of fermented vegetables and Kefir can help create that healthy gut we all need.

The Body Ecology Diet is written for those with Candida yeast overgrowth, a health concern affecting thousands. Due to eating excess sugar, processed foods and not enough fermented foods, and health veggies, Candida yeast overgrowth can cause weight gain, decreased energy and many other health problems.

Although I don't think I suffer from Candida yeast overgrowth, I did greatly benefit from the Diet, which improved my digestion and energy. It helped me lose a few pounds too! Although we were using Kefir, I added fermented veggies to our diet as well.

No matter what your health concern, or if you'd just like renewed energy, clearer skin, better digestion or to lose some weight, the Body Ecology Diet is worth investigating. The Body Ecology Diet Book explains why this diet is important in today's world, how to do the diet step by step and lots of delicious recipes to tempt your pallet. After all, if this way of eating isn't pleasurable, we couldn't easily stick to it and give up our chips, coke and candy.

You can purchase fermented vegetables at a local store such as whole foods and Kefir is available at many grocery stores, like Kroger. However, these products are very easy to make yourself and it will save you quite a bit of money to make your own.

I've been making my own Kefir for about a year for around 70 cents a quart with Body Ecology Kefir Starter. One box makes up to 42 gallons of Kefir! I keep it on hand to put into our morning smoothies so we can start our day with probiotics.

Although we are now adding raw sauerkraut to our dinner each night, so far it's commercial. I have ordered the Culture Starter by Body Ecology so when I make my first batch of fermented veggies, I'll write a post on how it worked out. Sauerkraut isn't just cabbage but cultured vegetables can be made of carrots, broccoli or other veggies.
If you purchase the newest version of the Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates, you can go to the Body Ecology website, put in your Amazon order number and receive free gifts, including an audio on weightloss and one on detoxing, a pdf quick start guide to the Diet and a 25% off coupon for Body Ecology Products.

More information on Making Your Own Fermented Vegetables.

The Health Benefits of Kefir in Your Diet.

Easy Way to Drink More Water - The Fruit Infusion Pitcher

I just discovered the fruit infusion pitcher, a handy device that is going to help me drink more water. I have trouble drinking all the water I'm supposed to drink every day. I have a green smoothie for breakfast and a couple cups of coffee, then a Shakeology shake for lunch, and I need green tea in my diet as well, so all this drinking doesn't leave much time to think about drinking more water.The fruit infusion pitcher provides an easy way to drink water flavored naturally with fruit.

The pitcher I got this weekend was the Prodyne Iced Fruit Infusion Pitcher, which is a 3 quart size, just perfect for fitting into a crowded frig. It also has a removable tube where you can add water and stick into the freezer. This attaches to the lid and you can keep your water or tea cold for hours.

The fruit infusion piece fits easily into the side of the pitcher and has slots so water and fruit can blend. For my first pitcher, I put lemon and mango into the slotted infusion spot because that's what I had on hand. I added water, put in the frig for a few hours and the water was delicious.

I can see other great fruit infusion combos in my future too, strawberry or raspberry with mint from my backyard mint plants, peaches, kiwi, just about any type of fruit.

My husband loves fruit teas also and it will be easy to make these in the fruit infusion pitcher. You can also use it without the fruit infusion for tea, lemonade or other drinks and the center frozen core will keep the liquid cold during a picnic or barbecue.

There are a few other fruit infusion pitchers on Amazon.com, including the Prodyne Fruit Infusion 93-Ounce Natural Fruit Flavor Pitcher or the Bodum Ceylon 102-Ounce Iced-Tea Maker and Water Infuser
if you need an extra large one for gatherings with family and friends.

Drinking more water each day can help you cut calories and keeps you body hydrated for more energy, detoxing from harmful substances in the environment and more. If you have trouble drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water each day, maybe the fruit infusion pitcher is just what you need so you look forward to those 8 glasses.