Disease - It is not what you think it is. Or - I shoulda listened to my Gramma

My name is Dean Sandoval and I am a Wellness Warrior. My stated objective is to help people in some way live a healthier life. I want to be clear on something. I am not a doctor nor have I ever studied medicine. I am a lay person on a mission. I am not a health nut either. I am a pragmatist. I believe in a practical approach to health and wellness. If I can help one person make positive changes in their life, I have made a difference.


A few weeks ago, a Chiroprator talked about Good Health. He defined it as operating at 100% in body and mind. I would like to add that it is optimal operation in mind, body and spirit. It is a sense of balance in our physical, chemical and emotional selves.

We all know we should exercise – that is the physical. We all know that we should eat healthy foods – That is the chemical. We all know that stress in our lives can lead to illness – that is the emotional. Ironically we all know these things but it is pretty safe to say that almost no one reading this is at 100% in all these areas.

Too often in our culture we go along happily, not thinking about the long term effects of our bad habits. We don’t exercise enough, we eat some pretty awful foods and we stress out on a daily basis.

I want to talk about disease. I would like to call it dis-ease (or lack of ease)



Our health is viewed from the Physical – Chemical – Emotional

Dis-Ease

 Asymptomatic Pathology (deviation from our normal condition)

 Pathology (stress in our system)

 Sickness (some sort of inflamation)   Rx (See the doctor, get a pill, repeat)

All diseases start with an asymptomatic pathology. This, left unchecked will lead to a pathology which will lead to a sickness. In lay terms, all deisease is caused by inflamation.  All inflamation is caused by stress. All stress comes from either the chemical, physical or emotional state of our bodies.

I want ask a question. When do we first see signs of an ulcer? When we have an ulcer. When do we see the symptoms of cancer? When we have cancer. Diabetes? High Blood Pressure? Same thing. Do you see a trend?

What happens is we don’t notice anything until we are at the sickness stage. Then we run to the doctor and demand him or her to fix us. Too often the doctor is more concerned with the symptoms, not the causes, and tries to heal us with drugs (Rx). What do drugs do? They go after the symptoms and most times get good results. But what do all drugs have in common? Side effects.

Joe Public has a very stressful life. He is behind on his bills, he works way too many hours and is having family troubles. But he keeps chugging on and tries to get through life pounding Rolaids for the heartburn until one day he gets an ulcer. The pain is intense so he goes to a doctor. The doctor wants to try out the latest new drug that the pharmaceutical salesman gave him and tells Joe to take them for a couple of weeks. No talk of what led to the ulcer in the first place. But what do all the drug commercials say? “ Side effects may include nausea, diarrhea or chest pain. Do not take this medicine if you have high blood pressure, liver disease or are diabetic.”

The process repeats. Before you know it Joe is on 4 medications and feels like crap most of the time.

I am here to help SHATTER this cycle. If we can get to the step before Asymptomatic, maybe we can start on a path toward optimal health.

My focus today will be on the chemical. The foods we eat. The adage is we are what we eat. But I want to modify the adage we are what we digest or don’t digest. I have two sworn enemies that I am fighting and I need your help. They are high fructose corn syrup and processed white foods, flour and sugar. These are known as dead foods. They are dominant in our culture and we don’t think anything about them. But obesity has reached 30% in this country and diabetes is hitting more people than ever. McDonalds started the use of these foods and it has mushroomed to a state of being ubiquitous in our society. These two foods are processed to a point where their basic chemistry is changed. Our digestive systems cannot process them properly. So the liver is given the task to metabolize them making the liver work overtime. Another side effect of eating over processed foods is the storage of fat in our bodies. But this is not good fat. It cannot simply provide energy when we cut down on calories. So when we go on a diet, we struggle to lose weight. There are two other bad guys in this fight. Artificial sweeteners and vegetable oils. They add to the problem in many of the same ways.

This is a lot of information thrown at you all at once. I created this blog called Wellness Warrior Dean to help people take this information in at a pace where you can absorb it and ponder on it. But here is how you can help. Make a commitment to make one small change in your lives. If you don’t exercise go on long walks. If you are stressed out in your lives, take time to smell the roses and reflect on why you are here. If you are eating too much processed foods, make a promise to yourself to cut way back. It is easy. A chiropractor friend of mine once told me that she suggests her patients shop the perimeter of the store. You miss all those processed foods and you get fresh meats and vegetables. Read labels, educate yourselves. You can start today to living an abundant life free of poisons and chemicals and insure that good ol’ Rx stays out of your life. CLICK HERE for a website that has lots of chemical free and organic products.

Please keep reading my blog and the archives. I touch on quite a few subjects – Like stress, foods, exercise and more. I have had fun writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Small Steps You Can Take to Living a Healthier Life

You may have heard the expression “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Or How do you take a long journey? One step at a time. So how can we change our lifestyles to live healthier? Same way, one little step at a time. The first thing we need is awareness. Hence I am writing this blog to help educate folks on the bad things we do and eat without even thinking about it. But old habits die hard. We automatically reach for the salt shaker or that coke. It is pretty well known that it takes 21 days to break or create a new habit.

I suggest we do new things one habit at a time instead of a complete across the board clean sweep of old habits. For example, I gave up Breakfast sausage about 10 years ago. It was just one step toward eating less fat. It took a while to quit missing it but now I have no desire for such an unhealthy product. I’ll admit, I am having a hard time entirely quitting coffee. What I do is drink green tea five days a week and then the coffee becomes a Saturday, Sunday treat.

Some things have been easier to do. I have not eaten at McDonalds for quite a while. All it took was watching the movie “Supersize Me”. CLICK HERE to see this movie for free. Maybe you will see fast food in a new light.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is in just about everything these days. I have been working hard on eliminating it from my diet. But this has proven difficult. All restaurant chains serve it up in some fashion or another. Fruit juice which seems healthy on the surface is loaded with processed sugars. So I try to make almost all the food I eat. This way I can control the amount of processed sugars my family and I are eating. If you can’t eliminate it completely, how about moderation.

How about you take one step starting right now. Commit to eliminating one bad food from your diet. Maybe Coke or Diet Coke. Maybe donuts or candy. Just quit. You will miss it for a while. But your resolve will make it easier to take the next step. If you want to exercise more, start by going on a walk with a special person in your life. You get exercise and quality time with a loved one. Don’t delay – Start Today!!

What is pH in our body and Why is it important?

“pH” actually stands for potential-Hydrogen. Did you know that? We might be familiar with the pool guy measuring the pH of our pool, looking for yellow in his test bottle. We may know about Acid and Base (Alkaline) from some chemistry or biology class. Well I am here to tell you that pH is a big deal. Maintaining a neutral body chemistry (neither acid nor alkaline) is very very important.

We measure pH on a logarithmic scale like this:

0=Acid and 14=Base. Our bodies are in optimum pH at 7.4. And it is not bad to be in the high 7's

In America we tend to collectively be too acid. It is from the foods we eat. Fast food and processed food all tend to be very acid in their make-up. Are you surprised? If you have been reading my articles you should not be. “You are what you eat” has never been more true.

When our body is acidic it tends to make more fat cells to ward off the acids. This combined with excess calories from eating too much processed food is dangerous because the body also produces fat from those foods. Eating too much out of balance food means storage of FAT.

People who have acidic make-up tend to be overweight, shorter tempered, arthritic, or sickly. When you measure the pH of cancer patients they are 100% acid pH.

How do we know what our pH is? We can easily measure it. A pH test kit is easy to use. You can get the test paper at any health food store. Just put some saliva on a piece of test paper and compare it to this chart ( Some doctors say you should test your urine but enough sources say saliva is OK) :

Yellow and blue are bad. A greenish blue is ideal.

How do we Balance Our pH? Alkalinity can be increased by eating less meat, processed foods and sweets and eating more vegetables and fruits. Although eating fruit to increase alkalinity may seem to be a contradiction because some fruits (especially citrus) are acidic outside the body, digestion uses up their acidic components, leaving an alkaline residue (ash). Thus the net effect is alkaline-producing in the system.

These foods rank among the best for neutral pH:
Melons
Asparagus
Pineapple
Fresh Fruit Juices
Avocados
Citrus Fruits
Most Vegetables
Potatoes with Skin
Almonds

Plain old baking soda can be taken as a supplement to help balance your pH.  Just a couple of tea spoons a day will help increase alkalinity.

Hippocrates, the worlds most famous doctor said: “Let food by your medicine. Let medicine be your food.  CLICK HERE for a look at food supplements that have very good pH balance and will help you balance yours. 

What the Heck is an Antioxidant Anyway?

We are hearing a lot about antioxidants these days. The latest craze is pomegranates, very high in antioxidants. Now I have touted green tea, lemons and bananas, all vey high in antioxidants. So just what is an antioxidant?

Not to bore you with too much science but there is an irony about oxygen. We need it to survive but that molecule likes to hang out in twos. Oxygen in the air is actually O2 because there is a free electron in the molecule and it attaches itself easily to other molecules. This O2 molecule corrodes (actually oxidizes) metals and the fruits you cut open turn brown due to this molecule.

In our bodies that oxidation causes aging and is linked to a score of diseases like heart disease, macular degeneration and cancer. So as the name implies an antioxidant is the opposite. It keeps the damage from oxidants away and can actually repair damaged cells. In a very simple sense, antioxidants are anti-aging.

You’ll hear about “Free-radicals” which are damage causing and antioxidants as free radical killers or absorbers. Free-radicals come from all those processed foods that I have been talking about, as well as processed oils, smoking, and excessive sun exposure.

Back to that fruit turning brown. A little lemon or lime juice on an apple or avocado will prevent the fruit from turning brown. That is antioxidants at work.

So where do we get these antioxidants? They are found in many foods. A variety of fruits and vegetables have them as well as red meat, fish , eggs.

There are more than one kind of antioxidant because our bodies are very complex and an overabundance of one kind or another of antioxidants can actually be harmful to the body. So we need a variety of them to meet up with the complexity of our bodies. Common types are Vitamins A, C and E. Selenium, Phytochemicals, Flavonoids, polypherols and lycopene to name a few more. CLICK HERE  for a very nice link to a page from Healthcastle.com with all the antioxidants listed with lots of examples and pictures of the various foods in each category.

The simplest way to get antioxidants is to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Experts agree that we need a minimum of 5 servings a day. Most people do not meet the minimum, either through laziness or lack of knowledge. Supplements can be dangerous if large doses are taken. So downing lots of pills to make up for proper eating is probably not so good. CLICK HERE to learn about a liquid supplement that has been proven to be quite high in antioxidants. So everyone, eats lots of fruits and vegetables and let’s all stay young together.

How Natural Are Natural Flavors?

As a rule I have been able to cook only foods from scratch. You might not think you have time to cook and it is easier to buy some prepared food but it is not as time consuming as you think. Watch the 30 Minute meals by Rachel Ray and you will see.
The mysteries you are buying anytime you buy something in a package are simply scary. First off there is a laundry list of chemicals and most of us have no idea what they are. Second, high fructose corn syrup is pervasive in almost all packaged foods. Then there are the “Natural Flavorings”.


So, exactly how “Natural” are these flavorings. Well they are the same mystery as the chemicals listed on the package. They only need to be the essence of a real food but they are mixed and formulated in a lab and essentially only simulate a real flavor.

The exact definition of natural flavorings & flavors from Title 21, Section 101, part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations is as follows:

"The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional."

In other words, natural flavors can be pretty much anything approved for use in food

Do you know what is in a box of instant pudding? Do you want to know? If you make it from scratch you need: Milk, Sugar, Cornstarch, Salt, Vanilla Extract, Butter. No Chemicals and no mysteries. And you can make it in about 20 minutes. Now do you want to feed your precious children mysterious substances or something you can identify and control?

You say you don’t have time to cook from scratch? I say you are not making time to cook from scratch. Your priorities have not lined up with healthy eating.

Do you know what causes cancer? Likely not. Can we say that all the chemicals, “Natural Flavorings”. High Fructose corn syrup, pesticides and preservatives cause cancer? Well no one knows, but why chance it. Home made food is not only better, it TASTES better and you get to control exactly what goes in it.

To Read More Check out Phil Lempert, The Super Market Guru – He writes great articles on food and healthy eating. His “Natural Flavoring” article is a little more comprehensive than mine. Ckick Here To See Phil’s Article

Very Healthy Breathing Exercises – The 1st Step to Meditation

On an earlier post I reminded everyone to breathe. But remembering to breath properly in stress situations is only part of healthy breathing. We should all do deep, cleansing, breathing exercises daily for optimum health.


Be Honest, are you getting the exercise you should be doing? If not, why not start with some deep breathing? The health benefits have been shown to help out with the stress related illnesses I talked about in my last post.

Here are all the technical reasons why we should be doing these exercises.

Breathing serves as the pump for the lymphatic system just as the heart serves the circulatory system. Your cells must have oxygen to survive moment to moment. To thrive, they rely on a complex exchange between the circulatory system and the lymphatic system. Blood flow carries nutrients and ample amounts of oxygen into the capillaries, while a healthy lymphatic system carries away destructive toxins. Proper breathing is the moderator of this exchange.

We don’t often think about our lymph nodes unless we hear about someone with cancer, which is surprising, because we have twice as much lymphatic fluid as blood in our bodies.

So what is the lymphatic system? It could be likened to the body’s sewer system. Lymph vessels form a drainage system throughout the body. Our cells swim in an ocean of lymphatic fluid that carries away the detritus of our immune system, including dead white blood cells, unused plasma protein and toxins.

Blood is pumped around the body by the heart, transporting nutrients and oxygen to the cells. Once the cells have absorbed what they need, they excrete debris and toxins, which then get flushed and deactivated by lymphatic fluid.

The lymph fluid then drains into the circulatory system through two ducts at the base of your neck (the thoracic duct), and becomes part of the blood and plasma that pass through the kidneys and liver. But unlike your circulatory system, your lymph system does not have a built-in pump. It relies on the act of breathing and bodily movement to move all that waste fluid around.

The consequence of a sluggish lymphatic system is that you cannot detoxify properly. And if you aren’t breathing deeply or moving regularly, chances are your lymph fluid is not flowing as well as it could. As you can well imagine, this can lead to health concerns over time, including weight gain, muscle loss, high blood pressure, fatigue, and inflammation.

But the great news is that you can improve your lymph system cleansing by learning to practice deep breathing. The expansion and contraction of the diaphragm actually stimulates your lymphatic system and massages your internal organs, helping the body rid itself of toxins, and leaving more room in the cells for an optimal exchange of oxygen.

And while you are helping your body to clean house, you’ll also be fighting stress.

I could go on and on but my fingers are getting tired. CLICK HERE for a great link from Women to Women Web that takes the reasons a little further. But credit where it’s do. CLICK HERE for a link to The University of Missouri where some bright student posted some great breathing exercises.

Remembering to breathe, so I can see you later.

Stress In Our Lives And What We Can Do About It

I was at work toiling away in my engineering job when a co-worker came up to me and said, “You looked stressed. You should take my stress test.” He handed me a plastic card that you press your thumb against and it changes color according to your body temperature. Sort of like the mood rings. Well the accompanying chart said I was maxed out on stress levels. I took this personally and became determined to control my stress and pass his test. It took about a week but I came out green (the good color) on demand.

I recognized that I was stressing out on the job. I fixed it by being aware of my stress, breathing and remembering to relax.

We all suffer from stress. It comes from our work, relationships, big decisions, the air we breathe and the food and water we ingest.

Stress has a lot of effects on the body. In a fight or flight situation our bodies start to do a lot things. Our adrenaline gets going, our digestion shuts down, our immune system turns off. All these responses are so the body can have the reserves it needs to survive. Chronic stress leads to the body being confused and shutting down other systems to prepare for fight or flight.

Certain illnesses, like high blood pressure and ulcers, can be directly linked to chronic stress.
The food we eat can be a stressor. Foods that are high in sugars offer empty calories that we don’t digest properly and the body is put in a stress situation. Start watching the foods you eat and be careful to get balanced nutrition. And please avoid the processed foods like sugars and white flour.

Polution in the air and water are also stressors. We can’t always control our outer environment but we can be aware.

Ways to offset stress. First be aware. Our body tells us we just need to be in tune. Relax. Remember to breathe (please read my blog on breathing). Do simple meditation daily. Exercise regularly. Choose to eat a healthier diet.

We have more control than we think. Practice good health by reducing stress in your lives. When stress occurs, try to be aware and take measures to minimize the impact. Click Here to read some great stuff on Stress from About.com

Stevia – One of the best kept secrets

I found a zero calorie sugar substitute that is all natural, safe, good tasting, and NOT a poison like the artificial sweeteners found in too many of our foods. STEVIA! If you have known about this, Great! But I’ll bet most of you haven’t, yet. Well I’m about to let the cat out of the bag.
This plant grows native in Paraguay and the Guarni Indians from that part of the world have been using it a tea, medicine and sweetener for centuries. It was only discovered by westerners about 100 years ago.

Here is good news. Stevia has just been approved by the FDA as a food additive. Now big brands will be popping up. No surprise that both Coke and Pepsico are rolling out their own brands. But the path to FDA approval was not easy. The makers of Nutri-Sweet and Equal have been fighting it for over 20 years. Hmmm, I wonder why.

Here are some great links to Stevia articles so you can read all about its history and great uses. Click Here for Health Freedom Resources. Click Here for Stevia.com. And Click here for a wonderful article about those mean folks over at Nutrisweet from a lady named Gail Davis.

You can buy Stevia at all health food stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts and Trader Joes. It is a little more expensive than the artificial stuff but it won’t kill you.

How do I know it is safe? Well I searched around a lot and I can’t find any bad news about it. All the health pages I checked out say good things. But most important, the Ayurvedic doctors that I know and trust, recommend its use as a sugar substitute. How cool is that?

Green Eggs and Ham? No Thanks Sam I Am, But Green Tea – That’s for Me!

This is a reprint from about.com – Author unknown

Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years.

Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
· cancer
· rheumatoid arthritis
· high cholesterol levels
· cariovascular disease
· infection
· impaired immune function


What makes green tea so special?
The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.

Why don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.

Other Benefits

New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

Harmful Effects?

To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.

There is more on the page and many more links to green tea. Click Here.

Remember My Banana Blog? Check out the Lemon

Lemons - Are They a Medical Miracle?By Janet B Pearson


Martha Stewart showed up at Manhattan FBI Headquarters to have her finger prints taken and pose for a mug shot. Then Martha explained how to get ink off your fingers using seltzer water and lemon juice," said Conan O'Brien.

Ok, Conan meant that as a joke, but thrifty and smart families know some of the real (and sometimes surprising) uses for lemons - the special fruit with practical and health benefits dating back centuries.

Ancient Egyptians believed that lemons provided protection against a variety of poisons. Today it's known that lemons have antibacterial and immune-boosting powers, can help with weight loss and digestion problems, and make a thrifty natural cleaning product.

Here are a few of the medicinal uses for lemons and lemon juice:

A few drops of juice in hot water are believed to clear the digestive system and purify the liver.
Lemon juice makes an effective mouthwash. It removes plaque, whitens teeth and strengthens the enamel.
Added with a pinch of salt in warm water lowers cholesterol levels and aids in weight loss.
Apply to the sites of bites and stings of certain insects relieves its poison and pain.
Use as a hair rinse controls dandruff and makes hair shiny and soft.
Lemon juice can be used to treat acne.
Remove odors, such as fish, onion, or bleach by rubbing with fresh lemon.
Lemon juice for cleaning:
Clean pots and pans with a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda.
Mix with olive oil to make a great furniture polish.
Brighten your white laundry by adding to the wash.
Use to remove soap scum in your bath and shower.
Lemon juice can be used to clean and shine brass and copper
Better known uses for lemons - cooking and garnishing:
Old-Fashioned Lemonade!
Lemon cake.
Lemon chicken.
Garnish for drinks, soups, and desserts.
Used as a marinade to help tenderize tougher cuts of meat.
Help vegetables such as potatoes and turnips maintain their white color.
Lemons are versatile - having many more uses than included here. Remember they need to be stored in the refrigerator.

Maybe it's actually a lemon a day that keeps the doctor away!

Janet B Pearson is the editor of http://www.thrifty411.com/. She is married and a mother of 2 with a grand-daughter, and a new grandson! She recently completed an ebook "Thrifty Living: Be Thrifty, Make A Budget, and Save Money!"

Her website, http://www.thrifty411.com/ offers thrifty living tips, money saving ideas, and help on how to create a personal budget.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_B_Pearson
Janet B PearsonLevel: BasicI'm married and a mother of 2 with a grand-daughter, and a new grandson! I am a long time IT professional, with a passion for ... ...

Sea Salt vs Table Salt. Why should we care?

We might all agree that Americans eat too much salt. It is in quantities too high in most processed foods and all fast food. But we who like to cook and know how to use it in moderation, want to be able to use some salt, right?

The TV chefs like to use course sea salt in lieu of table salt. Is it for taste or is it because sea salt is healthier or both?

Well I have done some research and the general consensus is that natural unrefined sea salt is better for us. Where as table salt has been stripped of all minerals except sodium chloride and has additives like iodine and anti-caking agents, sea salt has lots of trace elements and the iodine is simply not necessary. Here is the best web page I could find with a thorough explanation of all the salt processes.

It seems like anytime the factories want to refine some food they strip it of all the good stuff. So why be surprised when the same thing happens with salt.

But not all people are convinced. The Mayo-Clinic says there is basically no difference. Click the link and read for yourself. I am beginning to have less faith in modern medicine and their web pages. Here is one more link stating that sea salt is better.

As to the chefs on TV, I wrote Emerill a note and asked him. All he had to say about sea salt was BAM!! They all swear it tastes better and after a while of using it you will be a convert too.

So make the healthy conversion to course, unrefined, sea salt. Aye Aye Matey.

Today I made a clean dirty rice – isn’t that an oxymoron?

Here is the rice part. Get a multi grain rice with wild, brown, long grain etc. at your favorite health food store or grocery store.

2 parts water to rice. So one cup of rice will need 2 cups of water. In a large frying pan with a lid. Stir one cup of rice around in 2 tbs butter on a low heat for about 5 minutes. I would say until brown but it is mostly brown already. So go to about that same equivalent. Add 2 cups chicken broth. Bring the mixture to boil. Just before putting the lid on it, sprinkle some parsley flakes over the top of the rice. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until cooked. Wild rice needs about twice as long as white rice.

So why is my dirty rice not so dirty. The way I know how to make it calls for sausage, red peppers, onions, tomatoes and what ever else might be sitting in your fridge. So let’s substitute sausage for chicken.

Get 1 pound boneless chicken breast and cut them into one inch wide strips. Season with pepper and sea salt. In a very hot skillet, sear the chicken on all sides. Then set on a cutting board and cut into small cubes about 1 inch or smaller. Set aside.

Dice into small pieces, ½ large onion. ½ red bell pepper, ½ yellow bell pepper, one large tomato.

Sauté the onion in a skillet on medium heat until the onion just starts to get soft. Add the pepper and continue to sauté for about 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and keep cooking for about 5 more minutes. The tomatoes will make the whole thing juicy.

Combine the chicken with the vegetable medley and serve on top of that wonderful rice. Or for the dirty rice effect, just mix it all up. Season with some really hot sauce like Tobasco or similar.

This is a great meal for about 4 people and healthy because you know what went in it. More importantly what did not go in it.

My Karma ran over your Dogma

Or Is Karma inconsistent with Christianity?

Deepak Chopra posts on his web page: Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind . . . what we sow is what we reap. And when we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our karma is happiness and success.

Now that is a wonderful passage, isn’t it?

Chopra Follows with:

I will put the Law of Karma into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:
1. Today I will witness the choices I make in each moment. And in the mere witnessing of these choices, I will bring them to my conscious awareness. I will know that the best way to prepare for any moment in the future is to be fully conscious in the present.

2. Whenever I make a choice, I will ask myself two questions: “What are the consequences of this choice that I’m making?” and “Will this choice bring fulfillment and happiness to me and also to those who are affected by this choice?”

3. I will then ask my heart for guidance and be guided by its message of comfort or discomfort. If the choice feels comfortable, I will plunge ahead with abandon. If the choice feels uncomfortable, I will pause and see the consequences of my action with my inner vision. This guidance will enable me to make spontaneously correct choices for myself and for all those around me.

A Christian might say #3 a little differently: I will pray to the Lord for guidance…. But this is great stuff, regardless of its origins. So does Karma get in the way of Dagma? No. We have been saying for years, What goes around comes around. As a Christian, I see no conflict with a belief in Karma and the values espoused by Religion. If we are helping people, we are doing a universal good. I know my Pastor has asked us to do acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. When you do a good turn, you feel good. And that has to be healthy.

I highly recommend the movie “Pay it Forward” with Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey. It is a tear jerker but in a good way.

Do You Have High Blood Pressure?

You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without a single symptom. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

High blood pressure typically develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.

I am lucky or I take good care of myself (not sure which). My blood pressure runs about 120 over 70 consistently. My wife has been struggling with high blood pressure for the past 5 years or so. She was not overweight 5 years ago when the doctor put her on a medicine (diovan) and she gained 20 pounds in 2 months. This does not sit well with her because now she is overweight with high blood pressure. So she switched pills (lisinopril) and the new ones made her cough incessantly. Another unwanted side effect. I suggested she get off the pills all together and we get her blood pressure down with diet and exercise. Well we never got it down but it got no worse and we are both eating much better.

We have a good friend, male, age 30 with chronic high blood pressure. He has also tried the gamut of pills and had many of the same side effects. He decided to go strict vegetarian and was able to get his pressure in check. He has had high blood pressure for so long that he can tell you when it is rising and begin doing breathing and meditation techniques to bring it down. He settled on a low dosage of the pill that has the least side effects for him and he is in great shape and a good eater by any standard.

I have never worried about high blood pressure so I did not even know what it was. Yeah! The Internet!! Here is a great page with a very layman’s definition of blood pressure and why we should be concerned about it. Blood Pressure Page

I want feed back folks. Tell me what works specifically with diet and exercise and meditation to help lower blood pressure. I want a holistic approach to high blood pressure. Again, pills might be nice but, alas, those dreaded side effects.
Here is a page with all the medicines, how they work and side effects.

A Basic Introduction Into Ayurveda By a Layman

There is Chinese Medicine and there is Ayurveda. Ayurveda was first, it is 5000 years old coming from India. Chinese medicine is old too but it borrowed from Ayurveda and has minor differences. I am looking for help on the differences and that will be a different post.

Ayurveda translates to the Science of life. Again, it is a comprehensive, natural and holistic medicine dating back over 5000 years. It originates from the Himalayan parts of India.
There are 2 Aspects of Ayurveda: A true simple life style system, A complete natural and holistic medicine which treats all diseases.

If you read my Vata post the other day you’ll remember the 3 Doshas. Everything in the world is composed of the 3 doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Vata is a combination of primarily Ether and Air. It governs all movement. Functions of Vata include: movement of thoughts, ingestion, circulation, respiration, peristalsis, elimination. Gumas or qualities of Vata: dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile. Imbalanced Vata exhibits: worry, fear, anxiety, indecisiveness, dryness, gas, bloating, constipation, muscle cramps, joint pain, insomnia. Balanced Vata exhibits: Creativity, Enthusiasm, Flexibility.

Pitta is a combination primarily of Fire and Water. It governs transformation. Functions of Pitta include: metabolism, digestion, body, temperature, appetite, thirst, color. Gumas of Pitta: Oily, sharp, hot, light, spreading, liquid. Imbalanced Pitta exhibits: anger, criticism, judgment, indigestion, heartburn, inflammation, diarrhea, eye problems, skin problems. Balanced Pitta Exhibits: Understanding, Intelligence, Courage, Positive thinking.

Kapha is a combination primarily of Earth & Water. It governs structure. Functions of Kapha include: lubrication, nourishment, support, stability, growth, strength, retention, taste. Gumas of Kapha: heavy, slow, cool, oily, smooth, dense, soft, stable. Imbalanced Kapha exhibits: attachment, greed, possessiveness, slow digestion, colds, cough, congestion, mucous, a tendency for loose ligaments, weight gain. Balanced Kapha exhibits: Love, Compassion, Forgiveness, strength, stability, durability, courage.

7 Tissues: According to Ayurveda the human body consists of 7 tissues: Blood fluid, blood cells, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow, and reproductive tissue.
Agni – Digestion power
Ama – impurities which are formed in the intestine and penetrates into the body

Perfect Health Definition – One who has healthy appetite (agni), balanced Doshas, balanced tissues, good elimination, and his senses, mind and soul are always full of bliss is a healthy person (Sushruita) – And this is recognized by the World Health Organization.
Food Can Bring Balance or imbalance to our mind-body system.

In Ayurveda we classify food into 6 tastes: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter, Astringent. Food that contains all 6 tastes in a balanced way gives maximum balance to the mind and body.
When we eat, we take materials from the outer world and assimilate them in the inner world (Our body). This is an interaction between the inner world (micro cosmos) and the outer world (macro cosmos).

The main principle of Ayurveda is: “I am the universe – The universe is me” or put a little differently – “ As is the human spirit so is the world spirit. As is the human body so is the world body” This is a little deep for us Westerners but it is older than our society. Please remember what the Wellness Warrior asks about thinking outside the box. (Himalayan sages say it “Aham Brahmasmi” )

Man and the Cosmos have infinite internal pure intelligence, which reflects and creates the laws of nature. Spirit: Man and the cosmos are built from the same natural laws. – same laws of physics, chemistry, biology, magnetism, etc. Material: The human body is built of 60% water and the globe is covered with 60% oceans. As Ayurveda is a very practical science it gives us tools to understand the world and the human body.

This just touches the surface. There are many good books on Ayurveda and the internet has some great intros. This is one of the areas that Deepak Chopra specializes in. Personally I am just learning this stuff but I have been very impressed so far. It is practical and it does not always conflict with Western thinking. Remember – Take good care of yourself and you can avoid Western doctors. Also Doctors want to cure you with pills. All pills go to symptoms and have side affects. Ayurveda goes to our habits and imbalances and helps us change our ways to get better.

Eat well be well.

How We Can Drink Water and Help Save the Environment

Deepak Chopra wants us all to help protect our environment, noble. Now I am not a tree hugger but I do believe we owe it to ourselves to help keep this precious resource called Earth in the best possible condition. This is not a political piece nor an environmental piece. It is about IRONY.

OK, Do you drink bottled water? Why? Convenient? Tastes good? Handy? Filtered? When some of us were kids we drank water straight from a garden hose. What changed? MARKETING!! PLUS the fact that the news only gives us HYSTERIA!! Tap water is not bad for us. With some exceptions of some bad chemicals found in some drinking water it is very safe. SOLUTION: Filter it yourself.

What is the irony? Well let’s take a look at that bottled water. I have been to the factory. They simply filter TAP WATER!!! Then they bottle it, put it on a truck and deliver it to your store and have the nerve to charge a dollar or more for 12 ounces. We buy $Billions of dollars a year in bottled water. We are filling our landfills with empty bottles. Trucks drive long distances carrying that water to you and burning lots of Diesel and polluting our air. The bottles are made from crude oil, so the trucks and the bottles increase our dependence on foreign oil. So why are you drinking it? Because you have been sold a bill of goods? Because HYSTERIA and MARKETING work?

You don’t believe me? Maybe Penn and Teller can convince you

So, we don’t like chlorine and the water tastes bad. Get a simple carbon filter and filter your own water for pennies a gallon. Here are all the benefits. We save lots of money. We help conserve our environment. Who does not want to do that?

In our house, we have a Britta. It is a pitcher sized carbon filter that goes in the fridge. Out of pocket = about $20.00, cost for a gallon of water - pennies. There are carbon filters for the water dispenser on your fridge. There are sink side filters that anyone can install and you can start drinking great tasting water, without the chlorine for pennies a gallon. More adventurous people get whole house systems and bathe in filtered water as well as drink it and wash their clothes with it.

Repeat: Net result, we get to drink great tasting water. We can save a lot of money and help protect our environment and – NO more IRONY.

Take a Hike!! No I mean go on a walk

The Amish from Pennsylvania are among the trimmest fittest people in America. How is that? Well doctors wanted to find out and went a studied some of their habits and, no surprise, found out that they walk way more than the average American.

A good morning or evening walk of about 20 minutes a day plus is very good for you and low impact, so minimal wear and tear on your body.

But there are ways to move more and you might be surprised at the cumulative effect.

Park far away from the store at the grocery or the mall

Walk a flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator.

Take your dog for a walk – Added benefit of meeting your neighbors.

Treat yourself to a scoop of ice cream or sorbet but walk back and forth to the store. It is ½ mile one way for us to do something like that.

Go to a mall and simply window shop. Some malls are huge and that could be a nice walk. And use the stairs instead of that huge escalator.

If you are a Soccer Mom or Dad (or other sport) instead of sitting around reading, Walk around the park a few times.

Instead of a coffee break at work, get a few folks together and go on a 15 minute walk, Added benefit of getting out of the office and increasing your circulation in what might otherwise be a sedentary environment

Dance anytime you get the mood.

You if are a hiker, Take a Hike! – no insult intended

Get creative: Find ways to keep moving - Post a comment and give us some more ideas.

Remember to Breathe!!

This may seem elementary but I want to remind you to remember to breathe. You may think I’m silly because you are breathing right now, but when we are stressed or scared we generally forget to breathe. The calm person in a tense situation is the one who remembered to breathe. So, the next time you are confronted with a stressful or tense situation, ask yourself, Am I breathing properly. The breaths should be fairly deep and with a steady rhythm.

Hyperventilating comes from sudden stress. When we panic we hold our breaths. This is the exact opposite of how we should react. For some reason our natural reaction is NOT to breathe properly. So think about breathing next time you are in a stress reaction. Or laying on a chiropractors table.

Power of breathing: Meditation starts with proper breathing - Slow, methodic, deep breathing.
Pregnant woman are taught proper breathing for pain management in Lamaze classes.
Athletes are trained in proper breathing for maximum performance.

OK, here is a nice relaxing exercise. Read this through and DO it. You won’t be sorry. Close your eyes and relax. Take 3 deep breaths without holding it. Then, keeping your eyes closed, relax for a few more seconds. Not TELL me you don’t feel better!!

Final remark. Every day take a series of very deep breaths without holding them. This is very good for the lungs and your peace of mind. If you are working out, then you are already doing this.

Ode to a Banana

Ode to a Banana

Oh, the banana a totally wondrous fruit.
You are so cool you come in your own suit.
Who Doesn’t love a Banana?
Send the numbskull to Havana

Stop!! You’re killing me!!

Ok What follows is not my text. I would love to give credit where it is due. So if you wrote this let me know. Please don’t mind If I share this with the world. Thanks to Mike Sweeny for forwarding this info to me. Everyone -

Eat more bananas!!!

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! This is interesting.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again..

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and Pressure at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood Enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit!!!

Alas! My Ode to a Banana is finished. Don't slip on the peel

A Few Salsa Recipes (and a bonus) to enjoy and share with your friends.

I love to cook. I love to share recipes and experiences. Among my most popular dishes is my salsa. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone who’s tried my salsa. Because they are so healthy I decided to share my salsas with everyone. Here we go. Don’t forget to wash the tomatoes.

Basic ingredients of all of them:
Tomatoes
Chiles – either Serrano or Jalapeno (really adventurous people will use the dreaded Habanero)
Onion
Salt
Lime juice – Try orange juice as an exciting substitute
Cilantro to taste

That’s it. Simpler is better.


Basic recipe number one, Pico de Gallo
Three small or two large tomatoes
1/3 of a large onion
2 serrano chiles (or three or four)
salt
cilantro
lime juice of one small lime or keylime

The labor intensive way. Dice all the above and salt to taste.

The easy way. Dice the chile and add all ingredients into a food processor. Churn until all parts are broken up.

Here is a fun video where I show you how to make the Pico de Gallo

Basic recipe number two, Blended salsa

Three small or two large tomatoes
1/3 of a large onion
2 serrano chiles (or three or four)
salt
cilantro

Pop all these ingredients in a blender and puree. It may not hurt to cut them into ¼’s or so beforehand. Oh Baby!!!

Variation number one, GARLIC!!!!
Three small or two large tomatoes
1/3 of a large onion
1 large jalapeno chile or ½ or ¾ to hotness taste
salt
cilantro
juice of one half orange (preferably without seeds)
Three or four garlic cloves

The labor intensive way. Dice all the above and salt to taste.
The easy way. Add all ingredients into a food processor. Churn until all parts are broken up.


Oh the Green!!!

Six to ten small tomatillos (these are those green tomatoes with the leaf wrapped around them)
1/2 of a large onion
2 serrano chiles or three or four
salt
cilantro

Blanche the tomatillos (without the leaves) in boiling water for about five minutes. We don’t want the tomatillos boiled just blanched. Let those babies cool down a while.
Mean time dice up real fine about ¼ of an onion or about ½ cup. And chop just a few sprigs of cilantro. Save these two ingredients for later.
Once your tomatillos have cooled a bit. Toss them in the blender and add 1/3 onion, the chiles, about 1/3 of the water from the pan and a little bit of cilantro. Puree this mixture and be careful for hot exploding blenders.

Add your diced cilantro and onion, salt to taste and let the mixture cool or refrigerate. The diced products give your recipe a little texture and presentation. MMMM GOOD!!!!


Neat little variations:

Roast red chiles on a hot griddle and use recipe one or two.
Blanche your red tomatoes for the blended variety.
Use five to ten red dried chiles for blended salsa for a very potent mixture. Soak the chiles first or let salsa stand for a day before eating.


BONUS The best Guacamole!!!
Two Haas Avocados. There is no substitute!!!!!
Cut your avocados in half with a good chef’s knife. Use the knife to remove those giant pits. (What a waste of space!!) Spoon out the fruit into a medium to large bowl. Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt and the juice of ½ lime onto the avocado. Use a fork to lightly mash the avocado. Never, never, never puree the avocado. Add about three heaping tablespoons of the Pico de Gallo (recipe number one). Stir. Voila!! The perfect guacamole.

I just found out that I’m a Vata – a What???

I want to talk a little bit about Deepak Chopra. He is a health wellness guru. He is the master of Mind Body Spirit. Contrary to popular belief he is NOT “The Love Guru” He studied modern medicine and became prominent in his field. But, being from India he started looking back to his Indian roots and also mastered the science of Ayurveda. Today he is huge. He is the “Tiger Woods” of health and wellness gurus. He is the doctor to many of the stars and very wealthy people. Recently he was seeing Michael Jackson before he died. I deeply admire and esteem the man.

What is Ayurveda? It is a 5000 year old practice of health and wellness that says basically we all have an inner pharmacy. Through herbs and botanicals we can awaken the inner pharmacy and heal the common ailments that strike us. I will write more on Ayurveda later. I need to research it and boil it down to a few good thoughts. In the mean time Wikipedia has a great write up on Ayurveda. But there are other web pages as well.

According to Ayurveda we have 3 doshas - Vata - Pitta – Kapha, but we are dominant in one with tendencies leaning toward another. Vata associates with air, Pitta with fire and Kapha from water and earth. Each has physical characteristics like our body frames and demeanor. People who practice this can tell you what you are by just seeing and talking to you.
Back to Deepak Chopra. He has over 40 books and numerous audio courses. He is great to listen to in the car. His theme is balance of Mind, Body and Spirit. Who couldn’t use a little of that? His web page is simply www.Chopra.com . He runs a wellness center in Carlsbad just North of San Diego.

So how did I find out about my dosha being a Vata? He has a simple quiz on Chopra’s web page, free of charge that will tell which of the three you are dominant and how the other 2 stack up. To learn more about Doshas, visit this page: Ayurveda – Body Type. The Quiz is fun and Ayurveda is amazing. More to come on Ayurveda soon.

Wellness Warrior Says Chiropractors are Good

OK I’ll say it. I go, often, to a chiropractor. They are the secret doctors of the world. They are the forefront of hollistic medicine. I, like you, had heard the stories of things going wrong at chiropractic visits and I was a scared as the next guy. But my fears have been allayed.

My first visit had nothing to do with my back and everything to do with a holistic approach to addressing some gall bladder problems I am experiencing.

But I found that there is a direct relation between the spine and the rest of the body. So getting my spine adjusted has positive affects around the rest of my body. If you live in the Phoenix area you may look my chiropractor up. He is Dr JJ Levine. Doing Practice in Tempe on Southern near the 101 fwy.

I want to tell you about another blog I found called Anatomy Notes. I have already linked his blog on smiling and now I want to link his blog on Chiropractice. He is a medical student and takes a fair viewpoint on chiropractors. I showed it to Dr JJ and he said it was good. So that sold me. So click on this blog: A med students view of chiropractors.

Tell me if you go to a chiropractor and what benefits you have gained from your experience.

Wellness Warrior wants us all to smile

The phrase “It takes 16 muscles to smile and 32 to frown” might be a myth. See the attached blog.

Muscles to smile vs Muscles to Frown

However, we all know a simple smile goes a long way. A smile is contagious. We all feel better when we smile. I have no proof but I think smiling keeps you younger. Imagine what we all do when we meet someone for the first time. We a smile even if we have to muster one up. But imagine what happens when see a friend or loved one that we haven’t seen in a while. Our grins go ear to ear. Without any forcing it. I bet you’re smiling right now just thinking about it.

We have the same obligation to be happy and smiling around people as we do to have personal hygiene when we are around people. No one wants to be around a fuddy duddy or a curmudgeon.

Would you rather be with someone who is frowning or moping or someone who is happy and smiling? So Here is an adage to help you get there. “Fake it ‘til you make it.” It is amazing if you force yourself to smile you instantly feel better.

Here is another approach. Adopt a sense of gratitude. Smiling comes easy after that.

Wellness Warrior Dean Hypes Honey

Honey – God’s gift to those of us with a sweet tooth.

Honey is the BEST possible sweetener. All natural. It even has health benefits. Honey has an unlimited shelf life. Isn’t that amazing. Wellness habit number 4 – Replace all your sweeteners with honey. It may seem a little strange at first, but you could get used to it.

Allen Estrin is the producer for a talk radio show, Dennis Prager. He is a honey guru. He samples honey from around the world and has written a blog. Attached is issue 25 with links to all of his blogs on honey. I strongly reccoment that you check out his page.

http://townhall.com/blog/g/7dad8a85-d364-4eed-96da-a1137e7fbd6b

Butter Vs Margarine ( or Oh No! It’s Oleo!!)

OK so how did the pancake recipe go?

Now our dilemma is can we put butter or margarine on those cakes? I pick butter but here is an article that goes both ways. You decide. Let me know. We’ll have a poll. Butter vs Margarine. I start with one vote for butter.

The following link is a very nice comparison. It comes out pretty even. Please check it out.
http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/margarine.html


So the Jury is out on this one. It seems moderation is the key, which ever you choose.

Wellness Warrior is done bad mouthing foods. Let’s have some fun.

I went to Sprout’s and found a 9 grain flour in the bulk foods section. (Wholefoods and Trader Joe’s have it also) . It is finely ground and can replace white flour in your recipes and it is way healthy. Now I love Aunt Jemima pancakes but I do not love the chemistry store that comes along with each box. So here is a simple healthy recipe from scratch for 9 grain pancakes. They actually taste good so don’t be afraid.
1 ¼ Cups 9 grain flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ Teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk ( a little more milk if you like thinner pancakes)
2 Tablespoons canola oil (or vegetable oil if that is all you have)
Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Separately mix egg, milk and oil and stir up. Then pour wet mixture into the dry and stir with a spoon until lumps go away.
Bake on hot griddle – makes about 6 saucer sized pancakes. Need more… double the recipe.
Healthier suggestions for what to put on top. You can use Honey or even Real Maple syrup. But please don’t use Aunt Jemima or Mrs Butterworth’s or Eggo. They are nothing but chemicals and HFCS. And for fun I would like to take a poll on butter or margarine to go with those pancakes. Personally I like butter.

Pet Peeve #3 - Paraffin on our fruit

Too often we don’t think about illness until we are sick. Then we scramble to the doctors to fix us. There is a better way. I was asked to keep these a little shorter. So right to the point
Today’s Topic: Wax on your apples.
Did you know that grocery stores put paraffin on your apples, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, in fact, any fruit or vegetable that is smooth on the surface? Why do they do that, you may ask? Well, it makes them look pretty and sellable. Problem. Our bodies do not digest the paraffin. It sticks to the walls of your intestines and It can kill you. A few solutions. Peel your fruit and veggies. Wash them with soap (not very appealing) Buy organic – no paraffin on organic fruits and vegetables. But please be aware and stop eating the paraffin. Don’t just grab an apple, wipe it on your sleeve and eat it. Wash it or peel it or do not buy it in the first place.

Think outside the box. Change your habits. New habit number three: Eliminate unwanted paraffin from your diet. Or just eat a candle, it will kill you quicker.

Pet Peeve #2 High Fructose Corn Syrup

Why am I doing this? I can only hope to have one person see the light and make some positive changes in their life. I have seen some of the big diseases hit the people close to me and I wonder what we can do to improve our own habits. Knowledge is key. If you are well informed then you can make wise choices. If you choose status quo that is OK. Just remember you can work at being healthy or you can work with being sick. Which one do you want?

Pet Peeve #2 High Fructose Corn syrup – The great American poison. Problem: It is everywhere. Another problem: It is highly addicting. Well maybe no one has been struck with cancer due to HFCS but there are other diseases that hit Americans that I would like to avoid. How about heart disease, diabetes, to name a couple. Why is it dangerous? It is a processed sugar. Our body has difficulty digesting processed sugars because the molecular structure has been changed and our bodies want to turn them into fat. Then the fat stays there because our bodies can’t process the very fat it created. HFCS is everywhere. Don’t believe me – just read the label on a can or box of any food. If it is item number one, two or three, then it is huge.

I know it is not easy but I implore you to get this horrible sugar out of your diet. How? Greatly reduce your consumption of Fast Food. Their marketing guys figured out a long time ago the addictive nature of HFCS. It is in everything they make. Watch the movie “Supersize Me” by Morgan Spurlock (2004). Click here to watch it for free. http://freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=98 You will be enlightened. Also Chain restaurants use high amounts of HFCS. It can’t be avoided. Shop the perimeter of your grocery store ( no pre-packaged foods). You will take a great step toward reducing the poisonous sugars that we are being fed.
Think outside the box. Change your habits. New habit number two: Eliminate or greatly reduce High Fructose Corn Syrup from your diet. Or adopt the slogan – “I’m high on fructose”

Wellness Warrior Has 3 pet peeves (#1)

I am Dean. A Wellness Warrior. This is my very first post. I need to get a few pet peeves out of the way then I am going to work hard at presenting Wellness in a very positive light.

So Here is number 1: Feel Free to Comment

A wellness warrior understands that health and wellness go beyond seeing a doctor when something is wrong with you. It is a lifestyle based on good eating habits, exercise and spiritual fulfillment to create a healthy environment for oneself. I know a few wellness warriors and I am going to employ their help in a series of articles I am about to write. My son, Ian, is a wellness warrior. I am grateful to him for opening my eyes to the dangers of common foods that we buy in our grocery store. The people of Zrii are wellness warriors. They are helping to create a mindset of health, wellness and prosperity and I am very happy I found them.

I want to warn my friends and family about 3 poisons we buy on a daily basis. Things like nutra-sweet (aspartame), paraffin and high fructose corn syrup. I will provide recipes for easy, fun healthy eating so we all may begin to get on the path to wellness. I will have links to pages that help encourage us to start thinking outside the box. I am not here to badmouth doctors. There is a place for modern medicine and we all may need the service of a doctor. But doctors like pills and pills have side effects. Wellness is the art of living healthy and if problems occur, getting to the root of the problem and changing our habits to get better. High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease are all symptoms of life styles that are bad for us. A pill goes to the symptom. Wellness has you create new habits for better living.

Pet Peeve number 1. Diet Soda. Folks, this is a poison. Please stop drinking it!!! Ironically the “diet” in diet soda fools the body into thinking that there is sugar in the system. Then the pancreas starts secreting insulin, even though there is no sugar. On top of that you are drinking chemicals when you drink diet anything. Has anyone seen the ingredients in a diet coke? No. And if you did you would need a chemist to tell you all the bad stuff you are drinking. So why do we drink it? Some think there is no harm in it but they have been fooled by marketing. Some feel a need for effervescence. OK drink a real coke. At least we know that there is sugar, and some syrup in one. Mix club soda with fruit juice. Do anything but PLEASE stop drinking diet. Don’t just believe me. Look it up. There are plenty of articles about the dangers of diet sodas.

Think outside the box. Change your habits. New habit number one: No more diet sodas.