Cure for Sinus Infection...It's in the JOOS!

This morning, I reaffirmed my belief in JOOSing. I was away last week and wasn't able to JOOS. When I came back to this relatively cold New England weather two days ago, I contracted a sinus infection. I was up all night last night using the neti pot, Nasya oil; basically anything I could think that would cure this.

This morning, I dragged myself out of bed feeling like I was walking through hair gel. Fortunately, we made a pure root concoction of ginger, turmeric and celery root mixed with celery. I literally had half a glass and my sinus infection was almost instantaneously gone.

Bok Choy: Another Powerhouse!

Barry Sears, MD, creator of the Zone Diet and author of The Top 100 Zone Foods, says that bok choy is the healthiest of all cabbages, which says a lot because cabbage is already so incredibly healthy.

Bok Choy has long been a staple in Asian cuisine, and has been making it's way into mainstream America. We JOOS bok choy daily because we fervently believe in it's many nutritional benefits.

Bok Choy is a member of the brassica family, a genus of plants known as mustards or cabbage. It is rich in folate, Vitamin C, beta-carotene (1 cup contains nearly the entire RDA), calcium (i cup contains approximately the same as 1/2 cup milk) and potassium. It also containes nitrogen known as indoles, which are phytochemicals that are said to prevent breast cancer.

As I asked about kale, when is the last time you ate a bowl of raw bok choy? Well, if you're a JOOSer, you're getting it in almost every JOOS.

Is it Because We're Spoiled that we are Overweight?

Thomas Jefferson said, I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." These words very much apply to diet and health. Having a great figure and being at your ideal weight isn't just about luck; it's about working hard day in and day out.

I hear so many people complain about having a slow metabolism. Do you know there is an evolutionary reason for this? When the Pilgrims came to America, the people who died during the winter where those with fast metabolisms because they required a greater food intake. People with slow metabolisms survived.

The issue is that there is so much abundance around us that we've grown accustomed to having food whenever we want it. We as Americans are not used to feeling the sensation of pain or hunger. When we feel pain, we take a pill. When we feel the first hunger pang, we eat. Then we wonder why we're overweight and unhappy.

As I've written about in past newsletters, when I've lived in Europe, Asia or Latin America, people eat 3 meals per day and sometimes a small afternoon snack. That's it! We are the only country that grazes and we're also the only country that suffers with an epidemic rate of hypoglycemia, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Not a coincidence.

People who have the most success on the JOOS Cleanse and lose weight permanently are those who follow the cleanse. For some people, the weight doesn't pour off immediately. We as Americans are so used to instant gratification that if something doesn't work immediately, we give up and look for the next solution.

We Americans have lost the virtue of patience and mindfulness. If you truly follow the JOOS Cleanse, it will work. You can realize your weight loss goals. The JOOS Cleanse is about rebooting your system and establishing healthy eating habits to that you will take off the weight permanently.

Please contact me for questions, advice and thoughts. I'd LOVE to hear from you at lauri@drinkjoos.com.

With So Many Diets to Choose, Which Do You Think Is The Best For You?

With all these diets and so many different diet companies, no wonder we're all so confused about what we should eat. Below is just a small sampling of the many probably thousands of different diets and corresponding URLs. Please contact me if you need help sifting through all of this confusion!

The Banana Morning Diet. Can you believe it? http://morningbananadiet.com/

The Candida Diet: http://www.wholeapproach.com/, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEEfWRZ_tIA

The Cheater's Diet http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-cheaters-diet?action=related_link&src=rss_cbsnewsfull

The Low Cholesterol Diet: Low Cholesterol Diet: http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/checklist-your-low-cholesterol-diet

Flavor Point Diet? http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-flavor-point-diet http://drinkjoos.com/blog.htm

The High Fat Diet: High Fat Diet: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/

Low Fat Diet: http://www.ediets.com/diet/low-fat-diet/

The Flavor Point Diet: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-flavor-point-diet

The High Protein Diet: http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/high-protein-diet-weight-loss

The Rainbow Food Diet: http://store.naturalnirvana.com/ragrlicu.html

The Raw Food Diet: http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/Raw_Food.htm

The Sugar Busters Diet: http://www.webmd.com/diet/sugar-busters-what-it-is

The Three Seasons Diet: http://www.lifespa.com/Default.aspx

The Ultrametabolism Diet: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-ultrametabolism-diet

The Vegan Diet: vegan diet right for you? http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm

The Volumetrics Eating Plan: http://www.webmd.com/diet/volumetrics-what-it-is

The Zone Diet: http://www.zonediet.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

JOOSuppers No. 11

Here is one we did in 5 minutes, like many of our meals. I have to say that a must for fast, easy meals is the George Foreman Grill (GFG) and the rice cooker. I know the latter isn't macrobiotically correct, it is 100% acceptable for us very busy moms. I also need to note that we do not use the micro. I'll get into why in another blog.

So, here was our quick, easy meal:

Salmon with Miso Tamari sauce, a dab of basmati vinegar and lemon grilled on GFG
Prepackaged frozen organic sweet potato fries, also on GFG
Steamed broccoli

Done! Easy can be healthy and healthy can be easy!!!

Nutmeg: A Cure for Insomnia?

Since we are using nutmeg in Pulp Cakes, I thought this was a good opportunity to discuss its medicinal properties. You may recognize nutmeg because it is used in cola drinks, in confectionary and holiday dishes, such as eggnog. Besides being known as an aphrodisiac, nutmeg is a valuable remedy for insomnia, irritability and depression. It is also known as a digestive aide and helps cure diarrhea. In ayurveda, it is used as a natural sleep aid.

JOOSuppers No. 10 - Quick and Simple

The challenge for me has been to keep up with the JOOSuppers, even more so than preparing them.

Here is our quick and easy supper for tonight:

2 cans organic black beans fried with 1/2 an onion and Dorot garlic (this is a pre-packaged, frozen garlic I purchased at Trader Joes - they have all different spices like basil, cilantro, etc. I highly recommend them for fast, easy cooking)

Brown rice

Steamed organic veggies (1 frozen package)

As usual, hummus, crackers and carrot sticks on the table

Serve

Kale: My Favorite Vegetable!

The number one staple in JOOS! The more I study the nutrients in our food, the more I love kale. People have told me about some fault with one produce or another. For example, people on a macrobiotic diet have told me that spinach can be acidic. Parsley is high in oxalic acid, which is fine, as long as you don't have a kidney problem. No one, though, has been able to tell me one fault with kale. It's rich in practically everything, including most of the nutrients. It also lessens the occurrence of cancer, including breast and ovarian, and even helps our moods, helps prevent osteoporosis.

When is the last time you ate a bowl of raw kale? Well, if you're a JOOSer, you're getting it daily.

New Yorkers: More Health Conscious?

New Yorkers are so fortunate for many reasons. One is, rarely do you see an obese New Yorker because they walk instead of drive. Second, there is a prevalence of healthy restaurants and juice bars on almost every corner. Just walking down one block, there was an organic market that contained a juice bar, a fast food organic restaurant and a vegetarian restaurant. True, New York is fast paced and stressful. I lived there for 14 years so I know, but I also find New Yorkers to be highly accepting and knowledgeable about vegetarianism and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Last week I wrote in the newsletter about French women maintaining a balanced lifestyle and “don’t get fat.” We don’t have to kill ourselves to look great by exercising two hours a day. In fact ,too much exercise could cause a build up in lactic acid, which means our systems can become too acidic, which could actually promote weight gain.

Here are some simple suggestions that I observed in New Yorkers and the French (and the Chinese, the Spanish, the Italians and the Latins, for that matter):

· Exercise half hour per day or one hour three to four times per week.
· Eat 70% of your diet alkaline - which means fruits and vegetables (easy to accomplish through JOOSing)
· Follow the 90/10 rule - that is, 90% of your diet should consist of whole foods.
· Drink half your body weight in ounces of water.
· Get plenty of sleep.
· Find a way throughout the day to relax and take a breath, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.

An Extremely Simple, but Powerful Way to Stop Grazing and Binging

Yesterday morning at a meeting I had with my business consultant, he commented, "Did you ever notice that when you think, you don't breathe." I made a conscious effort throughout the day to notice if I stopped breathing at certain times and, sure enough, I noticed I did. In fact, the more I took notice, the calmer I became. I also lost the impulse to graze...amazing how simple, but extremely powerful, breathing is.

Turmeric: The Power Root!

The feedback from some JOOSers has been to abstain from including turmeric in your drinks. Here's a little bit about turmeric that may entice you to reconsider: acts as an anti-histamine, has been considered good as an expectorant for children’s irritating cough, helps heal skin disorders like spots, acne, dryness or discoloration of any kind, helps remove adipose tissue and cuts through cellulite from the body (LADIES DID YOU JUST READ THAT!) by cleansing the toxins and water retention, making the body look slimmer and toned, is an excellent cure for stomach disorders, rejuvenates the liver. The list of its uses is endless. Google turmeric medicinal and you will see.

JOOSuppers No. 10 - Meal Prepared by my 12-Year-Old

Here is Sasha's supper she made for the 4 children last night:

Boca Burgers
Hummus
Gluten Free Crackers
Steamed organic vegetables

How easy is that!