It's all a matter of perspective!

My daughter, Julia, sent me this picture this morning. She wrote, "I hope this makes you smile, Mommy." It did, but then I took another glimpse at the picture and saw an even bigger hidden meaning: We are a product of how we view ourselves. If we view ourselves as heavy and fat, we are. If we view ourselves as jolly, that's what we are. My boyfriend, Bill, of 5 1/2 years, may kill me for writing this, but he is on the, let's say, more jolly side. He is the biggest epicurean I know. He absolutely loves being social and eating. Knock on wood, he's as solid as an ox. Seriously, he's never sick or injured. Everyone knows him for his sense of humor. Often I half joke and say, "how am I going to get this JOOS business off the ground when you look like like this?" Then I think again what life is truly about: it's not about how fat or thin we are, it's about how we view ourselves and how much laughter we bring into our lives. A good sense of humor can go a very long way...and even can cure illness and disease.

Julie & Julia - The Art of Mindful Eating

I just watched Julie & Julia and I have to say, it was highly uplifting. I love the way both women thoroughly appreciated their food. In one of the first scenes while Julia is in Paris, a waiter filets a fish for her. She leans into the fish as he removes the bones, unable to wait another moment to dive her fork into the flesh. She places the plate just under her husband's nose. "Not bad," he seems to say, but Julia is beaming while she licks her fingers with each bite. How many times have we sat down and taken a moment to smell the aromas of the food we're eating? What are the spices that are used? How do the meld together?

We are so fixated on what we're supposed to eat that we often forget that one of the purposes of eating is to enjoy the experience.

If we took just a moment, just a pause, to bring the fork up to our mouth, smell the food and chew it...that is, appreciate the simple act of eating...I venture to bet that maybe, just maybe, that we wouldn't have such an obesity problem

So, during this holiday season, sit back, relax, chew your food and enjoy your company. This is the start to mindful eating and, through mindfulness, you will learn to trust what your body tells you it needs.

Have a Happy, Joyous and Healthy Holiday filled with laughter and delicious food!

Prevent Emotional Eating - Here's how!!!

I hear from countless people that their downfall around eating is boredom. We need to develop strategies to prevent us from turning to food when we're feeling bored, frustrated or angry.

There is a reason we turn to food - COMFORT! As I wrote in a previous newsletter, food doesn't talk back to us and it can be delicious. So, why not indulge? We all know the answer: In the short term, it tastes so good, but in the long term, our lack of control makes us feel miserable.

We need to develop mindfulness so that we don't binge and emotionally eat. This is one of the biggest goals of our JOOS Cleanse. The more mindful we become, the less impulse we are to eat emotionally. We need to increase the time between the impulse and the action, which, in this case is the eating.

Meditation is one of the key ways to develop mindfulness. Here are some other strategies:

1. Pause before you eat. Don't shove anything in your mouth. Taste the food. Is this something you really want to be eating or are you eating out of a negative emotion you're feeling?

2. Drink a glass of water before you eat. If you're going to a holiday party, have a few glasses of water before hand so you feel full when you arrive.

3. Each morning, take 2 minutes to write down an eating schedule for that day. We plan our meetings, kids activities, but how many of us plan for what we're going to eat during each meal? Be realistic in this plan.

4. Don't deprive yourself because deprivation leads to binging. The more alkaline forming foods we eat (i.e., fruits and vegetables), the less of an urge and impulse we have to eat processed, refined, sugary and fried foods. Alkaline forming foods should ultimately compose 60% to 70% of our diet.

5. Don't strive for perfection. If you fall off track, no big deal. Just get back on.

6. Do a 21 day JOOS Cleanse! It will reboot your system and help you to develop mindfulness.

I'd love to hear your ideas and strategies.

Also, I can help coach you through this. For a complimentary health history to get started on your path to more mindful eating,
Contact Lauri by Clicking Here.

Is breakfast really that necessary?

We've all heard how essential breakfast is for us, but I just came back from a seminar on Ayurvedic medicine with one of the top Ayurvedic practitioners in our country, Robert Svodoba, who made me think twice about this..in certain situations.

As human beings, we ingest food and eliminate the waste. That's our natual flow. If we don't eliminate, that means there's a blockage somewhere in our system. Dr. Svoboda suggested that we should not eat any food until we “eliminate” in the morning. Instead, he recommended to drink ginger tea.

This makes inherent sense to me. If we continue to eat when we're blocked, aren't we just adding to the blockage? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

What do your kids eat for breakfast?

Breakfast means to "break the fast" from an entire night of not eating. This means it's a very important meal and can set our mood for the entire day. In Ayurveda, if you skip breakfast, you could end up being irritable throughout the day. Breakfast should be on the lighter side to stimulate your digestive system. By the way, the heavier meal should be at around noon when the digestive fire is at full force. This is the time to eat heavier proteins and larger amounts of food.

My children typically have for breakfast:

• Fruit
• Toast with ghee (Trader Joe’s has a bread called California Style Complete Protein, which means that it has the same complete protein structure as does animal meat. Ezekial bread is another brand we recommend that is also a complete protein.)
• a Vega Shake with a banana and almond milk.

I’d love to hear your healthy breakfast ideas.

Is the cardboard box more nutritious than the cereal?

The cold cereals we eat undergo a process called extrusion. An extruder is an industrial machine that produces little flakes, O's and other shapes and puffed grains using high temperatures and pressures. As you will read in these studies, rats that ate the cardboard boxes and another group that ate nothing lived longer than the rats that ate the extruded cereals. Even worse, the whole grain cereals may be even worse for us than the typical supermarket brands.

http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/puffed-grains-should-we-eat-them

Here is too much information, but a really great overview of cereals, described by the EPA. What bothered me also was the toxic emissions (volatile organic compound, air, particulate matter) involed in the production of cereal.

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch09/final/c9s09-2.pdf

I would love to hear your comments on this because I'm finding the information I'm finding disturbing.

Questioning the Health Benefits of Agave

I read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal the other day. It talked about agave syrup and the skepticism doctors have about the product. Before I comment, read the article for yourself:

Agave Syrup May Not Be So Simple
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704335904574497622806733800.html

So what do you think? Confusing? It sure is. Well let me tell you I used to use a lot of agave and literally bought it by the cases. Maybe I was over doing it, but every time I had it, I felt like it was rotting my gums and it gave me a very heavy feeling in my stomach. After that, I started reading articles, similar to this WSJ article, that were critical of agave. For me -- I don't use agave syrup anymore, but instead use honey and sometimes organic turbinado raw sugar. I feel better using those "sweeteners." For you, just remember, everything in moderation and if you are using something that just does not make you feel right -- switch -- there are lots of alternatives out there. Just ask!

With this JOOS blog, I hope that we can share stories and recipes, and also ask questions of each other. We all have a lot to share! What are your thoughts?

Here's Another Incredibly Easy Meal to make

I just had a delicious and nutritious meal that I wanted to share with you because it literally took 3 minutes to make:

1/4 package Trader Joe's Steamed Six Bean Medley
1/2 cup organic brown rice (or any grain)
Heat up in 2 tbsp Trader Joe's Eggplant Garlic Spread

Done.

It's filling because it's nutrient dense and loaded with fiber.

I recommend to drink a lot of water after the meal.

Please continue to share your recipes.

Enjoy

Lauri

Please Contribute Your Healthy and Cleansing Recipes!

Many of you have been asking me to share very easy, cleansing recipes.. And, while I have a few recipes to share, I'm sure you do, too.

My thought is to compile a "cookbook" with our favorite recipes. As part of the book, we can include an index with your name, occupation, contact info. and a short bio, and, if you'd like we can place your name beside your contributed recipes. This is for all of us so I really hope you'll contribute!

Here's my first very simple and highly nutritious Power Salad recipe:

Romaine lettuce (or other dark, leafy green) and other raw veggies
A handful of grated dulse (a sea vegetable that is alkalizing and nutritious)
A handful of Brewer's Yeast (high in protein and fermented, which is good for our intestines)
Sautéed tempeh (also high in protein and fermented)

Dressing:
Mix together a high quality balsamic (or apple cider) vinegar with olive oil, mustard and crushed garlic.
Add raw pine nuts (optional)
Mix the salad into the dressing

Notice that I didn't add proportions to this one, but I recommend not to be shy with the olive oil.

I look forward to hearing your ideas. Post them to the blog!

Take Responsiblity for your health and actively prevent disease and illness!

How many of us are taking responsibility for our health? Do we take a passive approach and let illness happen, then go to the doctor and ask him/her to treat it with medicine, or do we take action to prevent it from happening in the first place? If you are on a diet that is high in processed and acidic foods and low in fruits and vegetables, you are putting incredible strain on your immune system. Chances are, you are a prime candidate for illness.

It is impossible to avoid hearing news these days about the flu, breast cancer and so many other illnesses. I invite you to take charge of you life. Load your system with highly rich nutrient dense foods!!

Here’s a simple test to see if you’re getting enough fruits and vegetables: take a sip of JOOS, one of the most nutrient dense foods/beverages anywhere! If you can’t tolerate it, chances are that your system is highly acidic and you are a prime candidate for disease and illness.

One of the best ways to prevent disease and illness and to put your system on track is to do the Mission JOOS Cleanse. The results of people who have participated have been overwhelmingly successful. Plus, there’s the added benefit of weight loss if this is one of your goals.

A quick, nutritious and delicious meal idea

I wanted to give you an idea just how easy this cleanse can be, even when you feel like you’re constantly on the run and have no time. I just had a dinner of quinoa (that I made a big batch of 3 days ago in my rice cooker) with Trader Joe’s Eggplant Garlic Spread. This spread was so good that I had it on a couple more Mary’s Gone Crackers. So delicious and I’m stuffed! Moreover, it took me all of 3 minutes to make. Make certain to wash it down with lots of water.
Enjoy

Boost your metabolism

In keeping with our theme to boost our metabolism and relieve stress and tiredness, I invite you to do just 10 minutes of cardio every morning when you wake up using the diaphragmatic breathing we discussed in last week’s newsletter. Exercising in the morning stimulates your metabolism and the diaphragmatic breathing enables you to exercise more efficiently; therefore, you’re actually getting more from your work out.

Here is a brief review of diaphragmatic breathing: Put your hand on your stomach and inhale through your nose. Your diaphragm should extend (expand). Then take a deep exhale and your diaphragm should contract (move in). Do not open your mouth. The 10-minute exercise could involve a brisk walk, rebounder, exercise bike, elliptical, anything to get your heart moving.

Make sure to try this at least once a day and let us know how you feel after a week.

A Letter From Lauri: Weight Control

"Patience gives peace, haste regret."
- Ibn Gabirol

Dear All,

Weight is obviously a big topic for many of us. I invite you to think about what you perceive is your ideal weight, not the ideal weight you were when you were 20-something, but the ideal weight right now. At what weight do you feel your best? Why is it important for you to be at that weight? Maybe you’re already at that weight.

If your intent is to lose weight, I invite you to visualize yourself at that weight? What do you need to do to achieve your goal? How important is it to be at that weight? How can you modify your diet? Are you eating when you’re hungry or when you’re nervous or stressed or tired? Is eating that extra piece of chocolate cake more important to you than being at your ideal weight? Are we making our choices with haste, or are we making mindful decisions about how to nourish our bodies?

In many religions, it is customary to say a prayer before eating. There’s a good reason for doing this: saying a prayer makes us stop before we eat and appreciate what we have. Perhaps this doesn’t feel right to you, but I invite you to develop some sort of ritual around your food in order to bring more mindfulness, and patience into your life.

Produce Weekly Highlight: Komatsuna, (Japanese spinach mustard)!

Was your JOOS on the bitter side on Monday? The bitterness was due to komatsuna. Once again, here is another super food loaded with nutrients (i.e., calcium, iron, etc.) and cancer-fighting properties. An unlikely relative of the turnip family, this large leafy green is has been grown almost exclusively in Japan, Taiwan and Korea, until now. We grow it at our local farm. Komatsuna is also called spinach mustard. They can be harvested at any stage and prepared like spinach in the early stages and more like cabbage as they mature. The flavor grows stronger and hotter the longer the leaves mature.

In JOOS News: Modified JOOS delivery schedule over the next 3 weeks!

Here is our schedule for the next 2 weeks:
Week of August 10th: Monday delivery only
Week of August 17th: No delivery

I will get back to you with delivery dates for the rest of August.
We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

Tip of the week: Brewers Yeast!

Brewers Yeast could be the unsung power food. For years, I made the mistake in thinking that all yeast is the same, but it’s not. Brewer’s yeast is packed with vitamins (including the Bs), minerals, folic acid, antioxidants, protein (16 g per 2 rounded tbs.) and fiber (6g per 2 rounded tbs). Plus, it’s fermented, which helps support our immunity, and a lot more.

Sprinkle it on salads or freshly popped popcorn. Kids love it so much that many of my kids’ friends ask me to make this “special” popcorn when they come over. This makes a great after-school/camp snack.

A Letter From Lauri: How much variety of foods do you eat?

"You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created."
- Albert Einstein

Dear Readers,

I invite you to take a moment and think about your diet. How much variety of foods do you eat? Do you find yourself eating the same foods? One of the biggest goals of JOOS is to introduce you continually to new types of produce. Why? Because each fruit and vegetable offers its own unique set of nutrients.

We take medicines to cure us of physical and psychological illnesses, but almost all the remedies are found in produce. An added benefit is fruits and vegetables don’t contain the toxicity that the medicines do.

Another big benefit is that more fruits and vegetables you consume, the healthier your diet will naturally become. More on this in another news letter.

Produce Weekly Highlight: Galangal!

I am very excited to add galangal root to your JOOS this week. How did I learn about galangal? One day, I was listening to a radio ad about a product guaranteed to make you lose weight. Curious, I called the company and asked them what the secret was in their product. Answer: galangal.

Galangal is native to Eastern Asia and is very popular in Thai food. Galangal root strongly resembles ginger, but it is more white and creamy than ginger and it also has a distinct peppery flavor which is more like mustard than ginger. In fact, while not exactly "hot" like a chili, galangal has a sharp pungency to it that will make you gasp and perhaps cough a little. So, if you find it too spicy, please let me know and I will take it out of your JOOS. I invite you, though, to bear with the taste because the nutritional benefits are truly incredible. Like turmeric, galangal has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. It also may benefit people at risk of cancer, contain lipid-lowering benefits, help emesis and aide in digestion. It is also a source of sodium, iron, vitamins A and C.

Please refer to the link below about galangal, which also includes numerous studies:
http://www.zhion.com/herb/Galangal.html

In JOOS News: New Chapter Unbounded Energy – A Powerhouse of a Vitamin!

We make contact with unbounded energy every day, through our food, our breath, and our relationships. It flows down to Earth in endless sunlight, captured in organic fruits, roots, and flowers; medicinal mushrooms drink it from the moonlight in a forest. It is there all around us in Nature, and now it is here, in New Chapter's Unbounded Energy. We deliver in this formulation twenty-two of the most essential, bio-available, and active vitamin and mineral nutrients.

Unbounded Energy also includes seven natural energy sources from extracts of tonic mushrooms, fruits, flowers, leaves, roots, barks, and probiotics. Moon Energy from Reishi and Cordyceps mushrooms is married to the Sun Energy from antioxidant-rich botanicals like schizandra, rhodiola, cherry and blueberry to provide balanced and sustained energy – for all phases of life.

JOOS sells Unbounded Energy at 40% less than Whole Foods. We will be happy to deliver it to you.

Tip of the week: Brown Rice Pasta

Serve your kids rice pasta instead of white pasta. Some organic brands at Trader Joes cost just under $2.00.There are countless benefits to serving rice pasta over white pasta, and to name just one, it is less processed.