Good Health is Like a Garden

This is a photo of my little herb garden.  When I dug out the space, I found rocks, sand, debris...you name it, it was there in the soil.  Not very hearty and healthy soil for planting, but I was convinced this little space had plenty of potential.  Partial sunlight, protection from trees and other wildly growning shrubs that also create a nice breeze when working in the space surrounded and protected the garden from too much sun.  The right type of plant food, a few fat juciy worms, some weeding, and loving care all have made a pretty crummy space on the planet into a nice herbal garden that has been yielding a bounty of wonderfully scented organic additions to each and every meal made this summer.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Your body is like a garden.  It needs good nutrition, exercise, an occassional weeding out of mental garbage, love and affection.  If you take all these factors seriously into your lifestyle, you too, will be beautiful (inside and outside), have vibrant enery and stand out in the crowd of poorly maintained bodies.  Get with the Wellness Program today and be healthy and beautiful!

The Freshness of Foods

Just back from holiday on the beautiful Southern California coast, I enjoyed the freshest fruits, vegetables and the freshest fish...all straight from the plants and ocean.  There's nothing that beats fresh food; what's the expression?   "there's nothing like a mother's love and a homegrown tomato"... 80 degrees, little or no humidity, cool ocean breeze and blue skies...I have to ask myself why I live in the grey, humid and monochromatic city of New York.  After being spoiled for a week with such wonderful fresh food, I trekked up to Eataly yesterday to do a little old-fashioned food marketing.  Fresh whole sea trout, seabeans, chanterelle mushrooms, fresh octopus, tomatoes that actually look, smell and taste like tomatoes, fresh herbs, greens and spring onions, real artisinal cheese, butter and the freshest bread....it was better than king's gold.  Preparing a wonderful meal with these ingredients took time to be sure, but it was all worth it.  A good bottle of wine to accompany the dinner, a long walk afterward....life is good.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Everyday, pretend you are on holiday.   Do something special during your day.  For your evening meal, buy the freshest of ingredients.  You might pay a bit more, but you don't need to eat as much.  At the end of the day, your groceries will cost more or less the same, but the quality of your ingredients will give you so much more nutritional value, sensory satiety, and to share this with another person makes life more divine.

Please Stop Using Pesticides

Pesticides are harmful to the environment and seriously bad news for every living being's health.  Here are a few steps you can take to help make OUR world a better, safer and healthier place to live:

Stop using weed killers.  Toxic chemicals in household herbicides are carcinogens.  Don't be lazy - do it the old fashioned wayt and pull up your weeds by hand; you most likely could use a little more exercise.  Natural weed killers such as vinegar and salt can be utilized as well.
Choose organic produce.  The most heavily laden with pesticidesproduce are:  grapes, peaches, lettuce, strawberries, apples, pears, bell peppers, kale, carrots, celery, and nectarines.  So, if budget is a concern, make sure you  choose organic for these produce items.

Have mice?  Get a cat or use old-fashioned snap traps for rodents.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Although some could argue that we've all been exposed to hazardous materials for most of our lives and 'what's the difference?', by detoxing your immediate environment means you will most likely live a healthier and happier life.  By doing your part means you're making the worldwide environment a safer and healthier place for all the animals and humans that exist here.  Whether we like it or not, we're all stuck here on this planet, so we'd all better get busy preserving what is left of it!

Wall Street Journal Reports on Gluten Intolerance

Why are so many people sensitive to gluten in recent years?  The journal BMC Medicine recently released a study that may give some insight to the question.  The study showed that gluten can trigger a distinct reaction in the intestines and the immune system that can affect people who are not diagnosed with celiac disease.

"For the first time, we have scientific evidence that indeed, gluten sensitivity not only exists, but is very different from celiac disease," says lead author Alessio Fasano, medical director of the University of Maryland's Center for Celiac Research.  Gluten has been a staple of human diets for 10,000 years; it now triggers an immune response like an enemy invader in some modern humans.

The symptoms of gluten intolerance include:  hives, congestion, nausea or in serious cases, potentially fatal anaphylaxis. Less than 1% of children have the allergy and most outgrow it by age five. A small number of adults have similar symptoms if they exercise shortly after eating wheat.
The symptoms of celiac disease (the case in which the immune system to mistakenly attack the body's own tissue) include: cramping, bloating and diarrhea, and can cause malnutrition, osteoporosis. Celiac's can be diagnosed with a blood test, but an intestinal biopsy will confirm the diagnosis.
The incidence of celiac disease is on the rise affecting 1 in 133 Americans. It's also being diagnosed in people as old as 70 who have eaten gluten safely all their lives.   At the present time, a gluten-free diet is the only treatment recommended for gluten sensitivity, though some may be able to tolerate small amounts
Courtesy: WSJ online 3.15.11
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, your first order of business is to eliminate gluten from your diet for at least 2 weeks and re-evaluate how you feel.  Here's some food for thought:  perhaps mankind is metamorphosizing as a species and that is the reason for this intolerance after milleniums??  Would anyone like to share their own thoughts??
I'm taking tomorrow off from blogging.  Have a great weekend and I'll be back with more healthy tips on Monday!

Plant Something Positive and Just Wait and See What Happens

I've been missing the 'zen of gardening' for many years.  Every weekend, I help a friend at his Harley Davidson dealership in the Catskills...basically, I'm the social liason.  This past weekend, I decided to do something social for the dealership - I planted an herb garden in back of an old shed they own just across the road.  The area is rocky and surrounded by overgrown bushes and brush, but, in my eyes (as a seasoned gardener from way back in the day), this spot has lots of sun, lots of drainage and is unmolested by human traffic.  This was the perfect spot for the official dealership community herb garden!
My cousin donated several plants from her own garden up in Columbia County for this project.   Chocolate mint, peppermint, spearmint, pergamon and another lovely ______cherry plant (oops, I forgot!) were in the lineup.  Next stop was Home Depot for a pair of cotton gardening gloves, a short handled shovel (size matters when you're a small person digging) and a great spade.  It took about 2 hours to dig out a rectangular space, pull indigenous roots, weed and discard a boatload of rocks, but viola!  The herbs were planted and one of the owners of the dealership donated metal brackets to create a border.  The next day, it was off to the local farmers' market where the Cornell Agricultural School liason took an interest in what I was doing and pointed me in the direction to where I could purchase basil, thyme, rosemary and parsley.  At the end of the day, O'Toole's Harley Davidson of Wurtsboro, NY had its very own herbal garden.  Everyone at the store was curious and excited to see me going back and forth with a shovel and spade (aside from the 'burying the dead body jokes') and buckets of water and even more excited to know that this garden is for everyone to share.  In a few weeks, we will all be able to cut our own mint, parsley and other herbs for various uses. 

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Plant something positive today.  Whether it's a pot of herbs for your office to share, or a positive idea that can impact others or just a positive attitude for the day....like a garden, the good vibes will spread and like a little community garden, you'll put a smile on other people's faces.  At the end of the day, you'll feel really good!  I got to dig in the soil, create a garden and got some great exercise.  I've got big plans for an expanded garden for next year, but for the meanwhile, I'm going to enjoy some fresh mint tea today!

Lower Your Blood Pressure and Pulse The Organic Way

Everyone needs a timeout every once in a while...even the dog.  A day or two in the country with no newspapers, radio, television, unnecessary human interaction can do wonders for your blood pressure, your heart rate and your overall wellbeing.  I thought I'd take the advice I give my own patients and try it out for myself.  After two days of doing nothing but sitting under a tree watching the dog observe the horse playing with the pony who was studying the deer outside the paddock guarding her foal who was playfully paracing around a chipmunk eating a nut - I began to relax, and center myself to the natural environment.  We took short walks around the perimeter of my cousin's farm, munching on wild berries, observing wildlife in the pond; we picked greens and squash blossoms for our breakfast that were prepared with eggs from the chickens down the road.  The afternoon was much the same...say nothing, do nothing; just sit and absorb the sights, smells and sounds around us.  Dinner was very much the same - fresh greens accompanied by organic goat burgers from another farm in the area.  Bed by 10 and up at 5am to the singing of the birds.

There's something to be said for the quiet, naturalness of a farm.  Nothing goes to waste and when nature is allowed to 'do it's thing', all is right in the world.  We returned from the farm with a goodie bag filled with greens from the garden (a little bag of fairy dust you might say); the dog is walking around with her old bounce to her step, and I'm feeling more relaxed and rested; we're ready to meet and greet our Monday morning patients with a smile and another fine story.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you can manage to stay on a farm like I did for 2 days, it'll do you a lot of good.  You'll sleep better, eat better and feel better.  Appreciate that there are still little 'heavens' out there and support your local farmers.  And while you're sitting on a chair under a tree soaking up the sights, smells and sounds, remember what an old friend of mine would tell me:  Relax, Absorb, Participate, Share and Enjoy.  Pay it forward.

With gratitude to Connie Rovigo and John DiGregorio of Cavallo Jewellers, Red Hook, New York. http://www.yessy.com/cavallojewelers

Fitness Buddies

Sometimes, it's a bit difficult to stay with your fitness program.  Many people join gyms, Weight Watchers, hire personal trainers, nutritionists...just so that the road to wellville isn't a lonesome journey.  The patients that enroll in my wellness program are given an individualized program that encompasses the psychology of wellness to what exercises and food choices over the longrun will create better health and overall wellness in their lives.
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  There's a SECRET WEAPON that's FREE and readily available for you to use on your fitness journey.  It's called A BUDDY!  What's a buddy?  It's your dog that needs his/her exercise that's the cheapest and most fun exercise machine.  A buddy is a friend who also wants to get healthy and joins you for a pot luck healthy dinner on your rooftop garden, while you both plot your wellness plan for the upcoming week.  Your buddy is someone you see in the park or gym everyday, also alone, who you might engage into a fitness session together.  Your buddy is your personal computer which is a plethora of worldwide information on exercise, nutrition and other healthy information.  Ever go onto Twitter and explore organic food groups?  There are people all over the world willing to share their experiences and knowledge.
Get a buddy and get fit!

Gluten, Wheat, Dairy Egg, Yeast, GMO FREE and VEGAN Link

Here's a Great Healthy Tip for the Day:  If you have food allergies or Celiac's, here's a great company to order products and obtain wonderful tasty and nutritous recipes for you and your family.
Orgran is a leading brand totally focused on health and nutrition. It was founded from sound philosophy to assist people improve their health and provide nutritional alternatives for those with special dietary requirements. For people on special diets, Orgran is an easy and convenient choice without having to read complex ingredients listings. All products are Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Egg free, Yeast Free, GMO Free and Vegan.
Check it out and let me know what you think!  Happy Eats!!

http://www.orgran.com/home/index.php

12 Food Additives You Should Avoid

Jean Weiss for MSN Health & Fitness has written a great piece on the 12 food additives we should avoid.

She writes,  "Whoever coined the term food additives had it all wrong. Including something new in a food doesn't always add up to more, at least when it comes to your health. Studies that test the safety of additives are based on animal trials. It is difficult to deduce whether the results of an animal study equate to human health, though many of these studies show that some additives could be cancer-causing. "

Read all about these food additives on my nutrition page and bookmark it in your blackberry.  The next time you go food shopping, you'll have the list at your fingertips, and you can avoid purchasing foods containing these additives.
Here's your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Better Education Leads to Better Health!  And, let's not forget to say 'thank you' to Jean for sharing!!
http://www.kmondesire.com/nutrition.html

Organic Food...Some Facts You Should Know

Organic Foods - Worth Buying Or Not?


Organic foods are more expensive than nonorganic because these foods are more labor-intensive to grow and do not receive government farm subsidies.
Consumer Reports recently published a list itemizing of organic foods and some guidelines when considering spending that extra cash to purchase them. The criterium included the government standards required for certified ‘organic‘ - use of pesticides, antibiotics or hormones in the raising or production of organic food products. Environmental issues were not considered:

Organic foods to purchase as often as possible: Apples, baby food, bell peppers, celery, cherries, dairy, eggs, imported grapes, meat, nectarines, peaches, pears, poultry, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries.

Organic foods if you‘ve got deep pockets: Asparagus, avocados, bananas, bread, broccoli, cauliflower, cereals, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, oils, onions, papaya, pasta, pineapples, potato chips, and sweet peas, canned vegetables and dried fruit.

Organic foods not worth the money: seafood and cosmetics. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has no set standards for organic seafood; wild and/or farmed seafood can be labeled "organic" even if they contain contaminants (mercury and PCBs).

Cosmetics typically contain a mélange of ingredients that do not necessarily originate from organic agriculture.

The Cost ($$$)
50% is the average extra cost for organic food, but 100% extra is the norm for milk and meat.

Consumer Reports listed the following ideas to cut costs of organic foods:
• Comparison shop
• Buy locally produced organic foods from farmer’s markets
• Buy a share in a community-supported organic farm or food co-op to get a regular supply of seasonal organic produce
• Order by mail

Misting of foods in your local market can allow pesticide residue to run from nonorganic to organic foods. Be sure that your organic food choices are not placed on the shelves in too close proximity to the nonorganic foods.

Did You Know?
Widespread use of antibiotics in conventionally raised animals may cause drug resistance. Synthetic growth hormones may cause cancer or accelerate puberty for girls.
Synthetic growth hormones are banned for poultry and any organically raised animals. Something to consider for anyone planning to become pregnant, pregnant or nursing women. The criticism: The National Dairy Council's web site states that “milk from hormone-treated cows has repeatedly been shown to be safe for human consumption." You choose…we live in a democratic union….

What's 'Organic?'
• "100% organic": No synthetic ingredients are allowed by law.
• "Organic": At least 95% of ingredients are organically produced.
• "Made with Organic Ingredients": At least 70% of ingredients are organic; the other 30% are from a list approved by the USDA.
• "Free-range" or "free-roaming": Animals had an undetermined amount of daily outdoor access.
• "Natural" or "All Natural": Doesn't mean organic. Claims aren't checked.

Drug-free, pesticide-free, chemical-free….equals GOOD QI! Do the best you can when selecting your food choices. Not everyone can afford the prices of organic foods, but whatever your budget - buy as fresh and 100% organic as you possibly can! You’ll eat better and feel better!