Hopefully you read last weeks’ article on bone health as it provides a great deal of background information to better understand what the scientific research is showing. As I mentioned, Osteoporosis is more an issue of calcium loss than it is an issue of calcium absorption.  What causes calcium loss?  Calcium loss occurs when our blood PH is too acidic, as a result of too much accumulation of acid waste in the body.

As I explained last week, our bodies work hard to balance the PH of our blood between acid and alkaline.  The blood in the human body is designed to be slightly alkaline at a ph between 7.35 and 7.45.  Some of the foods that we eat cause the blood to be highly acidic (this is acid residue that foods leave, not the acidity of foods such as citrus).  When the blood PH within our body is out of balance, meaning too acidic, the body will do everything in its power to maintain this range.  How does it maintain the blood PH within range?  It draws minerals from your bones, such as calcium, to help alkalize your blood!!!!

What is the solution to this? 

• The solution is so easy.  By including more fresh fruits and vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, into your diet, and cutting back on animal protein, your blood will be properly alkaline and therefore help you to maintain strong bones.  Don’t forget, as we mentioned last week, weight bearing exercise is also key to bone health.

• The foods we eat are both the cause of highly acidic blood and the solution. Eating acid forming modern diets high in animal protein, starches, processed foods and chemicals, cause the body to use the available calcium from the bones to neutralize the acid. Many scientific studies prove that diets high in animal protein show calcium residues in the urine and confirm that calcium is depleted from the bones to alkalize the acidic effect of those foods.

• Blood that is highly acidic also causes inflammation in the body.  So, maintaining the proper acid/alkaline balance in our bodies will promote not only strong bones, but overall good health as well.

Which other foods are highly acidic?

• Soda pop is a disaster for bone health as it is very acidic due to its high content of phosphoric acid.  It is so acidic that it is highly unlikely that a soda drinker would consume enough alkalizing minerals to correct the tremendous acidic attack it produces.  Please note also that smoking causes rapid bone loss as well.

Now for the most surprising culprit!

• Have you ever wondered why we have increased our overall consumption of dairy and calcium, but our osteoporosis rates are sky rocketing?  The PH of pasteurized milk and dairy products is 2 – 4, the lowest being pasteurized milk, sweetened yogurts and other processed dairy products. Even though dairy contains calcium, due to the acidic PH, they actually cause bone loss.

• Vivian Goldschmidt, bone health researcher who has turned around her own state of osteoporosis, believes “Like soda, cow’s milk is rich in phosphorous which prevent the absorption of calcium present in other foods you’re eating. To make matters worse, the milk protein, like all animal proteins, also accelerates calcium excretion because of their acidic nature.”

• There are many great alternatives to dairy available today.  Try non-dairy milks such as almond, rice, hemp, oat, coconut, or soy.  There are also cheese alternatives available at the health food stores made from rice, almonds or soy etc…  If you prefer creamy dressings and desserts, be sure to see my recipe book, “Fabulous Recipes for Vibrant Health” by visiting www.janetmckee.com for many creamy solutions without the cream!!

In summary, to prevent osteoporosis, you need to maintain body tissues in an alkaline state.  A healthy and natural diet that has the proper acid/alkaline balance is the simple solution.

So, how do you protect bones?

1. Exercise is essential for bone health, especially weight bearing.
2. Vitamin D is important for bone health too.  Be sure to get the real thing from the sun during the warmer months and consider supplementing during the cooler ones.
3. Eat mostly fruits and vegetables which provide vitamin C to build collagen, which forms the basic network of tissues within your bones.  Fruits and vegetables are also high in potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, and boron which are all key to bone health.
4. Cut back on animal protein, even dairy, and processed foods
   • What about calcium?  Yes, you do need calcium and luckily the best sources of calcium are the very vegetables we are recommending. Cabbage, broccoli, spinach, lima beans, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, sesame seeds, flax seeds and almonds and more are great sources of calcium.  My favorite is kale.  Be sure to see my book “Fabulous Recipes for Vibrant Health” for great recipes such as Greens with Tahini Sauce, Creamy Cucumber Dressing and my favorite, Fresh Kale Salad.
   • How much calcium do you need? According to Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, you need 600 mg per day.  It is so easy to meet this requirement by including lots of vegetables, nuts and seeds in your diet.
5. Chew your food well as saliva contains an alkalizing enzyme
6. Reducing stress is key too.  Stress in our lives, or actually not being able to handle stress properly, may cause our blood to be acidic too.  Be sure to take many deep breaths throughout the day, get good quality sleep to help you better handle the stress of the day and keep positive thoughts flowing by having gratitude for all that is good in your life.  Learn to smile and laugh more so that a long, healthy and happy life will be your experience!

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of speaking on the topic, “Healthy Bones for Life” for the Healthy Women’s Expo at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, in Pittsburgh.  In preparing for my talk, I did some further research on a topic that I have been speaking about for several years.  So for my blog this week, I am pleased to share this fascinating and useful information with you to help you protect the health of your bones and those of your loved ones.

Well, we have all been told that you need milk for your bones.  It makes sense that doctor’s have recommended this for many years because our bones are made up of minerals such as calcium, and milk is high in calcium.  Being a holistic health practitioner, I find it interesting that doctor’s will NOT recommend specific nutrients for specific health concerns unless the theory is put through rigorous scientific controlled studies.  For many years, however, they openly have recommended milk for bone health with no studies to back up the claim.

New studies are now pointing out that milk has no benefit on bone health.  Actually, there are aspects of milk and other dairy foods that can be harmful to the health of your bones. According to Harvard studies, the recommendation to consume dairy products ignores the fact that there is a lack of evidence for a link between consumption of dairy products and the prevention of osteoporosis.

One Harvard study of postmenopausal women actually showed that dairy sources provided no protection from hip fractures. What was found is that post menopausal women, in America, who consume dairy products have over 3 times more osteoporosis than those who do not. And, women who drink two or more glasses of milk per day have a higher risk of fractures than those who drink less than one glass per week.  Yogurt, cheese and other dairy products increase the risk of fractures too.

Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the countries that consume the most dairy foods have the highest rates of heart disease and osteoporosis. And the countries that consume virtually no dairy foods, such as Japan, have the lowest levels of osteoporosis, heart disease and even cancer.  Also, Asian women in the US eat 60% more dairy than Asian women in Asia and have 9 times more osteoporosis.  Local studies have proven the same. Researchers at Penn State University found that girls in their peak bone building years getting extra calcium made no difference at all in bone growth. Exercise worked much better at stimulating bone growth.

Yes it’s true, but don’t be upset. I was also surprised when I first discovered this information years ago.  It took me days to recover from the shock.  Stick with me on reading this article, and the one for next week, and you will learn why this is so and what foods and lifestyle choices ARE far better for your bones.

First, it is great to know that bones are living tissues that are constantly regenerating themselves.  This means that you can improve the health of your bones at any point in your life.  Bones cells are continuously dying off so that new cells can replace them.  About 5-10% of your bone tissue is replaced and regenerated each year.  Knowing this, you want to do everything you can to insure that the process of this regeneration takes place and the health of the new cells is the best possible.

Bones are made up of 65% mineralized collagen that gives bones their solid infrastructure and 35% collagen matrix that is made up of nutrients and minerals that give flexibility to the bones so they can resist breaking.  When bones are not bearing weight, bone cell production diminishes and the net result is bone density loss.  As mentioned above, it is a known fact that weight bearing exercises prevent bone loss.

The truth is that bones become weak when there is too much accumulation of acid waste in the body. Our bodies work hard to balance the PH of our blood between acid and alkaline.  The blood in the human body is designed to be slightly alkaline at a ph between 7.35 and 7.45.  Some of the foods that we eat cause the blood to be highly acidic (this is acid residue that foods leave, not the acidity of foods such as citrus).  When the blood PH within our body is out of balance (meaning too acidic), the body will do everything in its power to maintain this range.  How does it maintain the blood PH within range?  It draws minerals from your bones, such as calcium, to help alkalize  your blood!!!!

Osteoporosis is more an issue of calcium loss than it is an issue of calcium absorption. What is the solution to this?  Join me next week as I outline which foods are best for insuring that you have healthy bones for life.

Produce Choices You Should Certainly Buy Organic:

Now I am one to try to support the organic farmer as much as possible with all of my food purchase decisions.  It is good to know, however, which produce items are more critically important to buy organic.  So, make sure you purchase only organic varieties of the produce listed below. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), common growing practices make these crops the most likely to contain pesticide residues.  This more comprehensive list includes recommended additional items from Dr. Andew Weil and Dr. John La Puma.

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes (Imported)
11. Carrots
12. Pears

Plus two others recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. John La Puma

13. Potatoes
14. Spinach

The best way to reap the health benefits of fruits and vegetables without exposing yourself to potentially harmful pesticides is to choose organic produce whenever possible, especially those varieties which are more likely to be contaminated. But if organic produce is either too expensive for your budget or is simply not available, the following list may provide some peace of mind.  The non-organic varieties of the fruits and vegetables listed below tend to contain the least amount of pesticides.

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Bananas
4. Broccoli
5. Cabbage
6. Corn (sweet, frozen)
7. Kiwi
8. Mangos
9. Onions
10. Pineapples
11. Peas (sweet, frozen)
12. Eggplant
13. Papaya
14. Watermelon
15. Tomatoes (except see the note above on lycopene content of organics over non)
16. Sweet Potatoes

Whether the produce you purchase is organic or conventionally grown, please do remember to always wash them thoroughly before eating to remove any dirt and bacteria.

In summary, fresh organic foods are important not only for what they give you, higher levels of antioxidants and nutrients, but also for what they don’t give you… exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and non-organic fertilizers.

www.janetmckee.com

Many people who are paying more attention to the foods they eat and the sources of these foods are aware of the Environmental Working Group’s dirty dozen.  This is a list of foods that you should certainly buy organic, if you choose to eat them.  These are the fruits and vegetables that have been found to have the greatest amount of pesticide residue.  Well, my analysis goes a bit further to what may be called the organic dirty baker’s dozen plus one!

We all have heard, and hopefully by now know, that eating your fruits and veggies is the key to health and longevity.  There has been growing concern, however, on the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides on the conventionally grown produce and how that may impact our health.  Choosing organic, when selecting your produce, is one way to avoid exposing yourself and your family to potentially harmful chemicals, especially from the produce list in Part 2, which includes those that are more likely to be contaminated.  The choice to go organic, however, benefits you far more than just pesticide avoidance.

According to John La Puma MD, going organic on these fruits and vegetables may cut your risk of exposure to pesticides by 90%.  This will not only cut your risk to pesticide exposure, it will be healthier overall.  According to Dr. La Puma, some organic produce is higher in nutrients than those grown conventionally.  Organically grown produce has been found to be higher in cancer fighting antioxidants as well.

Lycopene and flavonoids, for example, are nutrients that have been associated with reduced rates of cancer.  According to The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (of which I am the local representative), lycopene is the bright red pigment found in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit.  Lycopene is in the carotenoid family, but it is actually more powerful.  A Harvard University study showed that men who had just two servings of tomato sauce per week had 23% less prostate cancer risk.  Men who had 10 servings had 35% reduced risk.

There is substantial evidence to suggest that flavonoids, which are more plentiful in organic than conventional foods, are effective in the fight against illness. Diseases such as cancer, heart disease and age-related neurological dysfunctions such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, have been associated with long-term oxidative stress. Flavonoids are plant by-products believed to protect the plant from insects, bacterial and fungal infection and photo-oxidation. Flavonoids work by protecting the cell against damage caused by active oxygen free radicals. Free radicals can cause cancer and are also associated with cardiovascular disease and age-related nerve cell damage.

Researchers speculate that organic produce may have more flavonoids because plants use flavonoids to defend themselves against pests and diseases. Produce grown with pesticides have less need for flavonoids, and thus may produce less of them. However, organically grown produce will need to produce more flavonoids to protect itself from bugs and diseases.

In the February 26, 2003 issue of the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, it was stated that according to researchers, supporters of genetically modified foods often deny or ignore this large body of evidence (that organic produce is higher in disease fighting nutrients).

Pay attention to not only your fresh produce, but other foods made from organic fruits and vegetables.  Consider condiments which are made from fresh produce too.  Ketchup, for example, is a popular condiment that is widely used.   Organic ketchup packs three times more lycopene than the regular stuff and almost twice the level of flavonoids.  Researchers who recently tested the antioxidant content of corn that had been grown with and without the use of pesticides found that the corn grown without the chemicals had almost 60% more flavonoids compared to the corn grown with pesticides.

Check back next week for Part 2 of “What You Need to Know About Organic – Much More Than the Dirty Dozen”, where I talk about produce that you should certainly consider buying organic.

www.janetmckee.com

Well don’t fret, I have some great solutions.

I actually can’t wait each year to be inundated with these beautiful end of summer foods.  It gives me the inspiration and motivation to cook up several batches of my favorite tomato basil soup to enjoy now and store the extra batches in the freezer.  There is nothing more wonderful then enjoying a warm bowl of soup in the middle of the winter made from fresh seasonal ingredients from the summer before.  It brings back the tastes of the season in a way that is so comforting and delicious.

This soup is certainly one of my family favorites that we enjoy with a wonderful salad and some good whole grain crusty bread.

“CREAMY” TOMATO BASIL SOUP

Adapted from “The Simply Great Cookbook:  Recipes and the Experience of Fine Dining from the Kitchens of Chuck Muer
Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 1 cup of celery, finely diced
• 1 cup of onions, finely diced
• 1 cup of carrots, finely diced
• 4 T of fresh basil or 1tsp dried
• 1 T of fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
• ½ bay leaf
• 3 cups of whole tomatoes ground in a food processor with juice
• 4 cups of vegetable broth (or water with two large vegetable bullion cubes)
• 2 T butter or coconut oil
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup of vegan Parmesan or Parmesan/Romano cheese, finely grated (optional)
• 2 cups of rice, soy or nut milk
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a 4-quart soup pot, add celery, onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Add basil, oregano and bay leaf. Add ground tomatoes and broth.
3. Bring the soup to a boil, simmer and cook for 15 minutes until carrots are tender.
4. As the soup cooks, prepare a roux: melt the butter or coconut oil in a sauce pan, add flour, and cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
5. Ladle 1 cup of the soup into the roux and stir well.  Continue stirring soup into roux until a total of 4 cups have been added.
6. Add the roux mixture back into the soup pot and simmer.
7. Add the Parmesan and whisk well.
8. Add warm milk.  Season with salt and white pepper.
9. Simmer soup gently for 15 – 20 minutes.

What about the zucchini?
I planted a zucchini plant in my garden this year for the first time.  I didn’t know what to expect but what I got was a plant that grew so big, it practically took over the entire garden.  Most exciting of all, however, were the huge zucchinis that seemed almost to just appear on the plant if I checked it every few days.

There is so much to do with zucchini such as sauté with other veggies as a side dish, add to vegetable soups (like the Farmer’s Market Broccoli Soup from my recipe book), and chop up and add to tomato sauce for pasta.  We also enjoy dipping slices in flour or bread crumbs and sautéing in a bit of olive oil for a fried zucchini side dish.  These go great with some tomato sauce or a tahini dressing (see my recipe book).

One way to use zucchini in the most wonderful way is with my Raw Zucchini Hummus recipe.  This is surprisingly simple and surprisingly delicious.  Instead of the typical type of hummus which is made with garbanzo beans, this is a lighter version that uses zucchini instead.  This creates an amazing dip to be used with pita bread, fresh veggies or whole grain crackers.  It can also be used as a spread for sandwiches or wraps.  Don’t hesitate to give this odd twist to traditional hummus a try.  You’ll not only have a new way to use up those huge monster zucchinis from the garden, but you’ll have a delicious treat for your whole family to enjoy.

Please see Janet’s recipe book titled, “Fabulous Recipes for Vibrant Health” by visiting www.janetmckee.com to see these and many more wonderful delicious and healthy recipe ideas.

ZUCCHINI HUMMUS

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini peeled and chopped (you don’t need to peel if the green color is acceptable)
• 2 T raw tahini
• 2 T lemon juice
• ½ tsp crushed garlic (1 clove)
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor using the S blade and process.
2. This will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days.
3. Serve this with fresh pita bread, fresh veggies or whole grain crackers to dip or use it as a spread for sandwiches and wraps.

I really enjoy the last few weeks or so of summer.  It seems like the buzz and excitement of summer activities and travel have all passed and now is the time to sit back and relax and enjoy the nice weather before school and work activities begin to pick up again.  My family and I love to share meals on the back deck as the weather is comfortable, less humid, and the fresh air gives you a sense that fall is right around the corner.

Well, it is certainly not too late to enjoy some sweet summer refreshments from things that are bountiful this time of year.  It is particularly enjoyable when the refreshments are sweet and delicious and happen to be healthy too.  One of my favorite summer fruits is watermelon.  Of course just eating it straight is enjoyable as it is, but I have created a fun treat that I really enjoy this time of year which you will see below.

What’s really surprising to many is that watermelon is not just a lot of water; it is packed with amazing health benefits.  Watermelon is rich with nutrients like vitamins A, C, B6, potassium and thiamine.  As a matter of fact, a big slice of watermelon contains almost half of your daily needs for vitamin C (so be sure to have two slices!).  Besides vitamin C, watermelon is rich with other important antioxidants such as beta carotene and lycopene.  Tomatoes are thought to be the richest source of lycopene but actually, I’ve read that watermelon has about 40% more of this important antioxidant than tomatoes!!  What’s really great is that watermelon is low in calories, fat, and sodium, making it a sweet treat that provides zero guilt.

So, what do I like to do with watermelon that is so fun and different?

The simplest thing that I love to do with watermelon, is to cut it up in pieces and add it to a blender with a good quality cocoa powder or raw cocoa powder.  It creates the most sweet, refreshing, chocolate drink that can be enjoyed on a hot afternoon.  This fun, refreshing and decadent drink is super rich with antioxidants as additional ones are gained by adding the cocoa.  You may choose to take some of the watermelon cubes and freeze them first.  By adding some fresh and some frozen cubes to the blender, it makes the drink colder and even more refreshing and fun.

If you are not in the mood for chocolate, then add mint or a squeeze of lime to the watermelon in the blender.  You may also choose to add fresh or frozen berries of choice for a nice twist and even try adding a small piece of ginger, for added health benefits and flavor.

What about Cantaloupe?

Again, blending cantaloupe is a fun twist to this common summer fruit.

I love to just cut up the melon and put it in a blender with a pinch of cinnamon.  This bright peachy colored frothy drink is so very satisfying and refreshing (and of course healthy).

“Milk” Shake Anyone?

What kid, or adult, would pass up a creamy cold satisfying yummy milk shake on a hot afternoon?  There was a time when I would, because I didn’t want to consume something so fattening and unhealthy.  Well, now I can enjoy milk shakes anytime I want and when I make them for my son, I feel good knowing that I am serving him something healthy and delicious.

Of course I insist on using non-dairy milk.  You may choose anyone you like such as rice, almond, soy, coconut, hemp, or oat.  I place the non-dairy milk in a blender with frozen bananas and your flavor of choice.  If you want a chocolate milk shake, add a good quality cocoa powder.  If it is strawberry you crave, add frozen or fresh strawberries.  If you want something really special this time of year, add fresh peaches!!!  You may choose to add a bit of vanilla to boost the flavor to any milk shake too.

There is no limit to my ideas for healthy sweet treats.  Please see my recipe collection book titled, “Fabulous Recipes for Vibrant Health” by visiting www.janetmckee.com, for even more healthy and delicious ideas to enjoy.

I recently received a request from one of my readers asking me to share my best tips on lowering blood pressure.  There are several things you can do including the following:

1. Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.  Brisk walks in the sun are highly recommended as they will help you to alleviate stress, provide resistance exercise for your legs and hips, and enable the absorption of vitamin D on your skin from exposure to the sun.
2. Reduce your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, both of which come from animal foods.  You should reduce your overall fat intake but when you do incorporate added fat, consume a minimal amount of healthy fats only.
3. Avoid red meat, sweets, sugar, caffeine and processed foods.
4. Reduce your intake of alcohol and salt.
5. Enjoy plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and a bit of dark chocolate.  Include fruit and vegetable juices (especially beet juice).
6. Enjoy plenty of garlic with the foods that you eat.
7. Increase your intake of potassium by eating sweet potatoes, tomatoes or tomato sauce, beans, bananas, peaches, cantaloupes and honeydew.
8. Increase your intake of omega-3 fats from walnuts, flax seeds and flax oil, hemp seeds, wild-caught salmon and sardines to reduce inflammation.
9. Increase your intake of calcium from kale, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, arugula, dandelion greens, parsley, chives, watercress, lambs-quarters, cabbage, sea vegetables, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, brazil nuts, hazel nuts, walnuts, salmon, sardines (canned with the bones particularly), quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, buckwheat, peanuts, whole (non-GMO) soybeans and tempeh, kidney beans, pinto beans and azuki beans.
10. Increase your intake of magnesium from chives, parsley, sea vegetables, shitake mushrooms, navy beans, lima beans, soybeans, peas, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, nuts and seeds (like above) and many types of fish.
11. Enjoy plenty of celery.  Celery contains a heart-healthy pytochemical compound called phthalide.  It has been found to help relax artery walls and prevent your arteries from hardening.  In early research, a daily extract providing the nutritional equivalent of about four stalks, helped to reduce blood pressure by 12-14%.
12. Reduce stress by learning to live a happier, more balanced and more joyful life.
13. Consider taking a COQ10 supplement.

Healthy lifestyle choices can have a big impact on your blood pressure.  Incorporating as many of my suggestions as possible will help you to stay heart healthy and enjoy a full and rewarding life.

www.janetmckee.com

Earlier in June, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the annual conference for the Association of Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP).  Many of you may know that I study with a local lead psychologist on this subject.  The term holistic health means mind-body health and wellness.  Studying energy psychology is one of the most effective ways I have seen to help my clients with the mind/emotion portion of their health and wellness goals.  It provides me with the ability to help people to overcome health challenges that are often triggered by emotional patterns or issues.  By unblocking their energy meridians (ancient system used by acupuncturists), my clients are able to open up to the healing power of food and lifestyle improvements.

Energy methods take the perspective of ancient Eastern traditions and bring this wisdom into the modern Western world.  These methods apply principles and techniques for working with the body’s physical energies to bring about positive changes to emotions and the physical flow of energy throughout the body.  The technique to improve the body’s energy system include doing certain movements with the body and tapping on specific meridian points on the body.  When you tap on these points throughout the body, it affects your nervous system in positive ways and helps to unblock any energy that may have become kinked due to stress or other emotional challenges.

Some of the practices of energy medicine, that I learned from Donna Eden and David Feinstein, Ph.D., specifically help to boost your energy and vitality which also boosts your immune system.  Through normal everyday life experiences, the nervous system can become a bit disorganized.  When this happens, it can become difficult to feel and be your best.  This may not only affect your level of energy, but it may have an impact on your ability to think clearly and have a productive day.

So, the following are some exercises to help rebalance and boost your energy system.  Consider bringing them into your daily routine:

1. In either a standing or sitting position, cross your left foot over your right foot, put your arms straight out in front of you with the backs of your hands touching, cross your right hand over your left hand, lock your fingers together and pull your arms forward to your heart.  Hold that position while you breath deeply in and out.
2. This next exercise will ensure that your energy is flowing in the right direction. Swing one arm out front while you lift the opposite knee.  Then swing that arm back while you swing the other arm forward and lift the other knee.  Do this in sort of a marching in place pattern.  If after doing this about a dozen times, you still don’t feel balance and clarity, then add this next series of movements.  After doing the march a dozen times, switch so that the same knee and arm are raising at the same time.  Do this for a dozen times and be sure to switch back to raising the opposite arm and leg for another dozen times.
3. To boost your positive emotions and energy, begin by making the shape of a heart by moving your fingers around your heart.  The motion should come up first and then around.  Continue to do this and each time make the heart larger and larger until you are finally bending over toward the ground and coming up the center of your body and swinging your arms out fully extended.  Once you’ve gotten as large as you can with your motions, end the last movement up your body and leave your hands and arms reaching up and out to the sky.  It feels so good!!!

Please see my next YouTube video later this week for a demonstration of these great yet simple exercises to balance and boost your mood and energy.

Once you know some simple tricks!

Aloha from the big island of Hawaii! I’m writing this week’s blog article on a grassy hill overlooking the beautiful deep blue Pacific and the blue sky above! I felt the topic of the week is well timed for summer traveling.

Every time I teach nutrition and cooking classes, I always get the question, “What do you eat when you are traveling or eating out at restaurants if you want to continue a healthful lifestyle?”  And of course, I always say it is easy.  Everyone always thinks that to live a healthy and vibrant life that they have to be deprived or must spend endless hours shopping and cooking.  Well, being that I love to travel and love to eat out, I have gained a lot of experience in learning how to best handle the concern.

As we move into our summer season, road trips most likely will become a common theme.  The world is filled with the most amazing sites, both in your back yard and at far distances alike.  So hit the road and take in all of the wonderful sights and sounds and local flavors of the towns you are visiting.

Here are some tips.  Be sure to visit my website to see the full article packed with lots of easy but delicious and nutritious ideas:

• The first thing I always do BEFORE I hit the road is pack some easy to grab healthy foods.  The choices I make depend on whether or not I am flying or driving.  I have some additional tips in case you are dealing with a serious digestive disorder.

• Seek out local health food stores or other sources of great things to keep in your hotel room once you arrive at your destination.

• Look for local vegetarian friendly restaurants, even if you’re not a vegetarian.  They typically serve healthier options.  Ethnic restaurants such as Italian, Mexican, Japanese, and Chinese are great venues for plant-based meals.  And don’t be afraid to order side dishes or ask the waiter for options from the menu or modifications from the chef.

So, don’t be anxious to travel or eat out because you are trying to stay on the path of healthful eating.  Travel the globe and enjoy experimenting with options as this is all part of living a vibrant and happy life!

Mahalo!

www.janetmckee.com

Happiness… It’s what we all want out of life.  Being vibrant, healthy and full of vitality is the key to not only a good life, but one that is happy and fulfilling.  Well it is certainly difficult to be happy when our health is challenged, but understanding the major role food plays and knowing that choosing foods that support our health can be fun, delicious and satisfying puts us in control.

Food choices have a profound effect on mood, energy, clarity and overall well-being.  Wise choices provide the body with sustainable energy, enabling it to better deal with challenges and opportunities.  Poor food choices, on the other hand, often made when tired, grumpy, irritable or even depressed, “feed” the problem instead of helping to overcome it.  These decisions can lead to a downward spiral of poor food choices and cravings and less than positive mood swings, fatigue and depression.  Remember, food and mood go hand in hand.

Which foods affect body chemistry most dramatically?  Well, we know that when we eat foods that are high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, our bodies go through radical chemical fluctuations, throwing us into unbalanced swings of energy and mood.  Conversely, when we eat foods that are complex in nature, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, or whole grains like brown rice or steel cut oatmeal, changes to our blood chemistry are slow and stable thus keeping us in balance.  From a nutritional perspective, staying in balance is key.

How to balance your body chemistry and thus your emotions to support a happy life:

1. Walk away from overdoing sugar or caffeine or alcohol.
2. Choose complex carbohydrates to balance blood sugar and boost your feel good chemical. 
3. Include healthy fats and vegetables or lean proteins.
4. Drink plenty of water. 
5. Reduce stress. 
6.  Get a wide variety of whole foods and consider a whole food multi-vitamin to insure that you are getting a balance of nutrients to prevent deficiency.
7.  Get exercise, fresh air and sun – (the real vitamin D).
8. Eat a healthy breakfast.
9. Eat more chocolate!  Finally a fun suggestion that we can really sink out teeth into.  Well, I am not talking about high dairy fat, high sugar laden chocolate.  We already discussed the blood chemistry issues with those foods.  What I am talking about is good quality sugar free or low sugar dark chocolate or cocoa powders.   Be sure to see my book, “Fabulous Recipes for Vibrant Health” on my web site at www.janetmckee.com, for many great healthy chocolate dessert ideas!!

It’s simple really… nourish your body with the foods Mother Nature has given you.  When you feed your body in a healthy and balanced way, your moods become healthy and balanced.    Living in balance brings about true freedom and joy.  There is much pleasure in experiencing fabulously delicious foods that support your health and well-being, both physical and emotional.  Life is a gift and should be enjoyed by all – with a healthy body, mind and spirit.

The above is an excerpt/summary of a full article I wrote last year for Dr. Nancy Mramor’s Happiest Year of Your Life program.  Please see my upcoming newsletter for the full article.