Processed Meat Linked to Heart Disease and Diabetes | Worldhealth.net Anti-Aging News

Processed Meat Linked to Heart Disease and Diabetes
| Worldhealth.net Anti-Aging News

Not So Sexy: Hidden Chemicals in Perfume and Cologne | Environmental Working Group

Not So Sexy: Hidden Chemicals in Perfume and Cologne | Environmental Working Group

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Basic Health Protocol

This is just for starting out. You might want to maintain the level of health you have now, or you want to be healthier but don't have a specific problem. I have an aversion to recommending too many supplements to any one person. I believe if you need more than 10 on a daily basis, you must really be ignoring your diet and lifestyle. If you look in my cabinets, you will see way more than 10 bottles, but that's because I use supplements for many things, and there are some I like to have around, in case I need them. (Some might tell you I'm in denial about why I have so many, but I am getting much better about it!)

There are a lot of loopholes that allow companies to sell absolute crap and call it good on the label, so I am specific about what I recommend based on my experience with the product or company. There are many companies I am not familiar with or have never tried, and that doesn't mean I think they aren't good, so write me a note if you are wondering about something you already have.

1. Multi-vitamin and mineral formula. I love the basic InVite 3-pill for this purpose, as it has many of the right things and none of the wrong things. I also really like Pure Encapsulations (PE from here on out) Nutrient formulae, fairly specific to what your needs are, and New Chapter food-based multis. Ask me about the difference (I am dying for comments here folks, can't you tell?). PE is a professional line that is not easily available, but I can send it to you if you so desire...

2. Omega 3 fatty acids. My favorites are pricey, unfortunately, but well worth it. PE and New Chapter are at the top, closely followed by Physician Recommended Nutraceuticals (PRN) and Nordic Naturals. We are talking fish oil here, in case you were wondering. Non-fish sources are not the same as some people might try and tell you. However, you can get great vegan DHA from algae oil.

3. Vitamin D3, because there is rarely enough in the multi, regardless of who makes it. And if you spend as much time in the sun as you need to make the right amount of vitamin D, you are increasing your risk of skin damage. Even though technically you only need 15 minutes, depending on your skin color and the amount of ozone where you are, that could still be too much. Or if you are like me, you forget to time the 15 minutes and end up with a sunburn! Anyway, the RDI (recommended daily intake) is quite low and it takes a long time to get the levels up when you are deficient. This is especially an issue with pregnant and nursing women, babies, and the elderly. However, the research on vitamin D shows it is highly beneficial for men and women of all ages, so don't forget about this one!

4. Probiotics. Eat them, drink them, take them in a pill. The more the merrier! You can't replace the effect probiotics have on your body with anything else. We are talking about establishing a healthy ecosystem in your body, and it is just as (if not more) sensitive as any other ecosystem. I say the more the merrier because there are so many strains of good bugs, and who am I to tell you which are best? There is a lot of research on individual strains, but to me that means we know more about some than others. It doesn't mean you should only take the researched strains. I have recently become a huge fan of Good Belly (too bad they use sugar; make sure to dilute it with water and don't drink more than 4oz at a time). Food sources are very important, but usually not enough by themselves, especially if you are just starting out iwth probiotics, or you've taken antibiotics (ever, even a long time ago!). Great food sources include kombucha, yogurt, and raw, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut.

That is my short list. If you are not supplementing at all right now, and you add these 4 things into your daily routine, you might notice some changes for the good. I am not promising anything. Some people are sensitive and notice a difference right away, and others taking the exact same things might not feel any different. But here are some of the benefits to possibly look forward to: Improved energy, skin tone, memory, digestion, sleep, immune function, nail strength, fertility, and more. It might be subtle, like at the end of winter you look back and realize you didn't get sick. Or it might be drastic, like you used to fall asleep on the train everyday coming home from work, and suddenly you don't. Everybody is different.

Do you wonder if you need to supplement at all? Who doesn't? Here is a concise list written by my colleague, Simone Gloger, that sums it up. If you know the answer to all of these unknowns, well by all means, please let me know.

Starting up again....

After 3 years of creating personalized protocols for clients at InVite Health, I left my job thinking I would become a wildly successful freelance wellness consultant. However, that path apparently wasn't the right one for me. Now, I have a daughter who is almost one year old, and I find that even when I want to do the work, the most convenient time for me is unpredictable during the day, or simply too late at night to be conducting business. So I decided to blog about about health. In fact, I am going to put my protocols on here, because I believe that knowledge is freedom and freedom is power, so the more you know about your own health, the better off you are.

I will make a format as I go, but if you have an opinion, let me know! I would like to set up a link to donate, and an option to order certain supplements through me. I will also post recipes, and product recommendations, because it seems that I often search for those things myself, and find them on other people's blogs! What a great resource. I hope I can be a resource as well.

If you are reading this, please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. I AM WRITING ABOUT THINGS WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HELP YOU. I AM NOT GUARANTEEING RESULTS, NOTHING I SAY IS FDA APPROVED, AND IF YOU DON'T TALK TO YOUR OWN DOCTOR OR MIDWIFE OR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT OR NURSE PRACTITIONER, THAT IS YOUR OWN DECISION. IF YOU ARE TAKING MEDICATION OR ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING PLEASE TALK TO YOUR PROVIDERS!!!!!!

Super nutritious curry-in-a-hurry

I was faced with a dilemma. Nearing bathtime (for my baby), no leftovers to speak of, and trying to save money, I did a refrigerator/cupboard challenge and discovered that delicious curry can be only moments away!

Here is what I had available to me:

1 cup leftover white rice, cooked Latin-style with sauteed onions and salt

Partial bag of dried red lentils - about 1/2 cup or so

Turmeric powder

Garam Masala spice blend

2 small cloves of garlic

1 inch of fresh ginger

1/3 qt of vegetable or chicken stock

Baby spinach, prewashed

Fresh cilantro

Salt and Pepper

I was desperate for time, so I rinsed the lentils (ideally you should sort them as well, although at that particular moment I can't confirm I did that), and started some oil in a pot. While it was heating, I prepped the garlic and ginger. I think I cut off the ginger peel for speed, but normally, I like to peel ginger with a spoon, so I don't waste as much as I do with a peeler or knife. If you have old, shriveled ginger, the spoon won't work. Cut the ginger as you like it- for a small amount, you can smash it with the side if the knife just like garlic, and then chop or mince from there. For garlic, I used the classic smash-peel-chop technique. I added them to the pot together, and a soon as they became nice and fragrant, but before they burned, I added the spices. Now this is also based on how you like it, but if you are new to curry, keep this general rule in mind: use just a small amount of garam masala - too much overpowers the dish- and don't go overboard with the turmeric either. It is very mild tasting until you put too much, and then it just doesn't taste very good. For such a small batch of lentils, I used about 2 or 3 tsps of curry, 1 tsp of turmeric, and 1/2 tsp of garam masala. Stir the spices into the pot, and fry for a minute, until fragrant. Add the lentils and broth or water. Usually you want the water to be about 2 or 3 times as much as the lentils, depending on how thin you like it. You can always add more liquid, but if it's cold, it will slow down the cooking time. It's better to add more water and just cook it off. However, a 2:1 ratio should be adequate for red lentils. Bring the pot to a boil, and then lower the flame, allowing it to simmer for about 15 minutes. If you like your lentils spicy, you can add cayenne or red chili flakes while cooking, or just in your bowl.

While the lentils are cooking, rinse and chop cilantro, and if you want, chop or tear the pre-washed spinach. I usually keep the spinach whole. The more you increase the surface area of the food, the more nutrient loss there is from the processing. I only coarsely chop the cilantro, but do it to your liking. Dill is also delicious in this recipe, if you are not a cilantro fan, or have one of those massive bunches of dill from the store you are trying to use up. When the lentils are completely soft, you can turn off the flame, toss in the spinach and cilantro, and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve with rice or bread.

A note on the greens: The more you use, the better the nutrition content. Spinach cooks down quite a bit, so I usually add what looks like way too much, about 3 or 4 cups, and by the time it wilts, it looks very reasonable in the pot. Cilantro is one of the best detoxifying herbs, being very high in chlorophyll. Plus, the more greens you add, the more alkalinizing the recipe becomes. I use about 1/2-1 cup of chopped cilantro or dill.

Here is a nutritional analysis for the recipe. My favorite thing about www.nutritiondata.com is that it gives an anti-inflammatory rating as well as a glycemic load number. It doesn't account for the spices, which are anti-inflammatory, but this recipe still has a great score. Check it out! http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/recipe/1304568/2?quantity=4.0&nc=1&autosave=form.info.autosave