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Small Steps Towards Better Health - Natural Products That Work

Disclaimer: Most postings on this blog are opinion-based. Information on this blog is not meant to serve as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before implementing any opinions presented on this blog.

Plans for the Blog in 2011

 

Disclaimer: Most postings on this blog are opinion-based. Information on this blog is not meant to serve as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before implementing any opinions presented on this blog.

Reviving The Blog

Hi Everyone,

I know this blog has been inactive for a while now. Graduate school has been crazy, and I am starting to settle into things, so I will be excited to bring you all sorts of new posts in the near future.

Chris

Disclaimer: Most postings on this blog are opinion-based. Information on this blog is not meant to serve as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before implementing any opinions presented on this blog.

10 Creative, Quick and Easy Steps Towards Better Health

Change is never easy. It takes time and some patience to adapt to new lifestyle modifications. However, it is easier than you may think. A health overhaul is always a learning process. It is manageable if completed in small steps instead of one massive transformation. Here are some easy tips to slowly adopt a healthy lifestyle.

1. Look for organic / natural alternatives for your snacks. Most companies are starting to realize that "healthy" foods are profitable. Practically every snack food has a less-processed counterpart for a dollar more. If you have the resources, the health benefits are worth it. For example: Fig Newtons have an organic relative: Fig Newmans. Goldfish Crackers could be replaced by Annie's Cheddar Buddies. They taste exactly the same. 
2. Try to follow the "rule of 1900" as best you can. If anything was synthesized after 1900, it is probably not a good idea to consume it. If your great grandmother has no idea what that ingredient is on a food label, don't buy it. The FDA is constantly re-evaluating the safety of new food additives, preservatives, dyes, etc. The jury is out whether or not these substances are really safe at all. No one really knows. For instance, Aspartame is NOT safe. It was denied eight times by the FDA, over a period of 16 years. It was finally approved due to political interests.
3. If you do not have access to organic produce, or cannot afford it, buy a bottle of soaking solution. It will last you a long time. These solutions pull off a significant amount (up to 98%) more of pesticides and wax than simply rinsing produce under water. 
4. Learn about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and avoid them. How detrimental to our health is the practice of GMOs? We don't know the long-term effects yet. But I can tell you that injecting fish genes into strawberries to increase crop frost resistance probably won't fare well for us. The scary thing about GMOs is that most people are not even aware about which foods contain them. This is primarily because the food industry hides them from us. I highly recommend this website as a resource to learn about GMOs and how to avoid them. 
5. Start taking fish oil. It is fast. It is easy. It is available in many forms. Fish oil is (one of) the most bioavailable form of EPA / DHA (the active chemicals in fish oil) on the market (next to Krill Oil). The health benefits are staggering. Run a Google search to confirm this. Flax seed oil is about 16 times less effective than fish oil. Be certain to check out purity ratings from an independent third party such as Consumer Labs before purchasing an oil.
6. Want to make your sandwiches healthy? Make a few small changes. Purchase "light" meat. This usually cuts the sodium in half. If the meat tastes awful without the extra sodium, you might wonder about the quality of the meat itself. Find a brand that actually tastes decent when the sodium is reduced, such as Dietz & Watson. Purchase organic multi-grain bread, preferably with 5 ingredients or less, from a health store. Buy organic mayonnaise. 
7. Become aware of what ingredients are used in your cosmetics. Just because you aren't directly ingesting a product, does not mean it has no ill effects on your body. Your body readily absorbs many products applied to the skin. This is known as transdermal absorption. Try to eliminate Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Propylene Glycol from all your bathroom products. The cosmetic database is an excellent resource to run searches on the safety of all your products and find alternatives. Don't just throw away all your shampoo. Gradually start replacing your products, one at a time. When your toothpaste runs out, buy a healthier alternative, such as Tom's of Maine.
8. Make exercise fun. Keep a fresh, upbeat playlist on your music player. Alternate routines or classes throughout the week. Too busy? What works better with your schedule... Exercising one hour per day or being dead 24 hours per day? 
9. Meditate daily. The benefits of (mindful) meditation have been well-documented by science. A  regular meditation regimen has the potential to reduce anxiety, depressive symptoms, blood pressure, and worrysome thoughts. There are endless other benefits. Even more recently, well-designed studies have confirmed that meditation reduces perception of pain.
10. Purchase a reliable, cost effective water filter. It is well-known that our water contains an exhorbant amount of chemicals and byproducts. It might frighten you to learn that environmental agencies have found traces of Prozac, antibiotics, fecal steroids, hormones, and detergents in the average municipal water supply. For fractions of a penny per gallon, you can save yourself from unnecessary exposure to a lot of nasty things.     

Disclaimer: Most postings on this blog are opinion-based. Information on this blog is not meant to serve as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before implementing any opinions presented on this blog.

Introducing Green Smoothies Into Your Diet

By Chris Sovey
RN, BSN
OPINION PIECE

The American diet is severely lacking in greens. Most people are finding it increasingly difficult to consume enough vegetables on a daily basis (...more importantly green leafy vegetables), especially in our fast-pace culture. However, there is a way to significantly increase your intake of vegetables in a efficient manner.

Consider green smoothies. At first glance you might think they look repulsive. I get curious looks every time that I go to the gym with one of these smoothies, and I've heard just about every green smoothie comment that you can imagine. It has actually become a good conversation starter. But it made me realize how few people are harvesting the true power of these tasty drinks. The potential health benefits of green smoothies are endless. In my personal experience, I have noticed practically all my digestive issues have disappeared, my remaining acne has cleared up, my skin is softer, my systolic blood pressure has dropped by 15 points on average, and I have more energy. This isn't coincidence. This is because of a major lifestyle change I have made.

Green smoothies are mixed in a blender, which in a sense "pre-digests" them. This makes the nutrients more bio-available (absorbed) to your body. Green smoothies always contain a green-leafy vegetable, and should not contain starchy vegetables. You then add fruit, water, and other ingredients / supplements if you so desire. The smoothies taste much better than you can imagine if made properly. I have become so experienced making these drinks that I can almost cover up the taste of the vegetables entirely for people if I desire. One time I made one of these drinks for my brother-in-law who claimed to despise spinach. I put a lot of spinach in the drink, along with ice, a variety of fruits, and a touch of raw sugar. He loved it, and was completely unaware of the spinach. This is because certain green leafy vegetables complement particular fruits very well. They only take a few minutes to prepare too!

Start by using spinach. Spinach is nutrient dense in multiple essential vitamins and minerals. It is mild to the taste and mixes easily with fruits and other greens. After you have made a few smoothies using spinach, start rotating different types of lettuces, such as: Romaine, Boston, Green, etc. Then you can eventually move into some of the more feared green leafy vegetables such as Kale. (Just for your information, Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.)

There are thousands of recipes available online. Try to avoid adding too many additional ingredients to the smoothie. Keep it as basic as possible. If you feel the need to use a sweetener, use raw Turbinado sugar. I highly recommend reading Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko. She is the expert on this subject, and explains in great detail the benefits of consuming green smoothies. She also has over 200 recipes in this book. She even has recipes for kids and pets!

Here is a general green smoothie recipe I use to get you started:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch of fresh spinach
• 5-6 strawberries
• A few handfuls of blueberries
• 1 banana
• 1 apple
• 1.5 cups cold water

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Thoroughly wash all ingredients. Use organic produce if possible. Slice the apple using an apple slicer. Keep the skin intact. Add the greens to the blender first. Add all fruits. Add water. Blend well on a high speed until contents reach a smooth consistency. Pour and enjoy!

A FEW NOTES:

This is just a practical way to introduce more greens into your diet. It has become a lifestyle for me, and many others. Search the net for more information about green smoothies if you are interested. I highly recommend them.

Disclaimer: Most postings on this blog are opinion-based. Information on this blog is not meant to serve as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before implementing any opinions presented on this blog.

Conquering Depression Video Series

I have completed a new 3-part video series to enable those suffering from depression to find means to effectively treat the menacing disorder. Even if you are suffering from mild depression, I believe you can find some great options to uplift you in this video.

Chris Sovey,

RN, BSN

Disclaimer: Most postings on this blog are opinion-based. Information on this blog is not meant to serve as medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before implementing any opinions presented on this blog.