Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Dandelions - A Great Detoxer and See What Else...


We think of dandelions as those nasty weeds that upset our beautiful lawns, but what we don't know, or perhaps forgot, is that they are highly nutritious, and we need them more than ever in early spring for CLEANSING SEASON!

In fact, dandelion roots and greens are used in culinary dishes and have been used medicinally all over the world. Some say that the most therapeutic form is as juice. Here are some of the proclaimed benefits of dandelion greens:

A natural diuretic, which enables the body to urinate excess fluids we held on to during the winter months.

Promotes liver detoxification

Great for losing weight

Supports the liver and kidneys, which are burdened by the breakdown of cells as the warmer weather thinks our blood and mucus.

High concentration of calcium, potassium, iron, Vitamin A (in the form of antioxidant carotenoid), Vitamin C, folate and other nutrients.

A great digestive aide and loaded with enzymes

An antiviral that may be useful in the treatment of AIDS and herpes

May also be useful in treating jaundice, cirrhosis, edema due to high blood pressure, gout, eczema and acne

Used to treat and prevent breast and lung tumors and premenstrual bloating

Contains the antioxidant lutein, which is important for healthy vision.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Spring is the Best Time to do a Cleanse and Shed the Winter Weight


Spring brings change, which can cause EXHAUSTION and STRESS!

At the same time, intuitively you should be desiring lighter and more cleansing foods.

While it's always a good time to cleanse, the transition from winter to spring is the best.

Winter is the time when we hibernate. We eat heavier, more fatty food to protect us from the cold. We may even gain a few extra pounds.

Spring is our wet season. It's the time we should avoid mucousy type foods like dairy and follow a cleansing diet high in detoxifying vegetables like celery, chard, dandelion greens and kale. This enables us to lighten up and shed the weight we gained during the winter.

If you really want to feel more uplifted and vibrant, shed off those extra pounds and kick start a healthy eating regimen, I strongly recommend that you do our JOOS Cleanse!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Xylitol may Help to Prevent Gum Disease and Tooth Decay


Xylitol is a natural occurring alcohol found in many plants, including fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. It is used as a sweetener and is acceptable for diabetic diets in some countries. Unlike sugar, it is not converted in the mouth into acids. It also supposedly diminishes decay causing bacteria in saliva and fights against other bacteria that causes ear infections.

Monday, March 15, 2010

JOOSuppers No. 12 This one is absolutely delicious, easy and nutritious!


We made a delicious supper tonight of Quorn meatballs, quinoa spaghetti, Trader Joe's organic tomato sauce with melted shredded mozzarella goat cheese mixed in and sprinkled with Himalayan pink crystal salt.

One word on cheese, as I've mentioned in other posts, cheese from goats and sheep are more similar to human milk in molecular structure and, therefore, more healthy for you than cow milk.

The problem is that many of us do not like the taste of cow and goat cheese. A lot of the reason is that we simply haven't grown up with these cheeses so they're foreign to our taste buds.

I found a shredded goat mozzarella cheese at Trader Joe's (referenced above) that tastes very similar to cows milk. I've been substituting it in grilled cheese sandwiches and the kids haven't tasted much of a difference. It also tastes delicious on salads.

Chard: The Spring Powerhouse


Spring is just around the corner and with it typically comes a bountiful harvest of chard, at least in the northeast. Like kale and collards, chard is a powerhouse food. Chard is often referred to as Swiss Chard. In my research, I couldn't find that much nutritional difference between green and red Chard. It is loaded with so many nutrients, including Vitamins K, A, C, B1, B2, B3, B6, folate, iron and sooooo much more. You guessed it, even more chard in your JOOS this spring!

Vote with Your Purse and Change Your Health


Last Saturday, I watched Food, Inc. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you do!

The movie features Daniel Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, Omnivore's Dilemma and others, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. Both are investigative reporters who have spoken out against the atrocities of our nation's food supply.

It is no coincidence that we are a nation of obesity and ridden with epidemic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. We've accepted these as realities. Many of us Americans are taking meds for long periods of time, perhaps the rest of our lives, with the belief that this is acceptable. It isn't!
What I took away from the movie is that we have the power to change the abuse that is taking place in the agricultural industrial farms. How? By voting with our wallets.

So, I appeal to you, for the sake of your children's and your health and our environment, to stop purchasing meat that comes from these industrial farms (which is approximately 70% of all meat - and probably a lot higher).
Here are some easy ways to vote with your wallet and improve your health at the same time:

1. Purchase organic meats or meat from local farms.

2. Eat meat fewer times per week.

3. Eat smaller portion sizes of meat. I was at a party this week at Capital Grille and each person's portion of meat was Fred Flinstone sized. Why are these large portions considered fashionable and socially acceptable, despite how incredibly unhealthy they are?

Yes, these are all obvious recommendations, but it doesn't hurt every now and again to be reminded that we do have a responsibility to contribute to the well being of our nation.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Fennel: A Great Digestive Aide and So Nutritious!


You have all had fennel in licorice or maybe you've eaten the seeds as you leave Indian restaurants. Do you know why these restaurants have them available for you? Because they aide digestion. There are so many health benefits to fennel, including anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects, excellent source of Vitamin C, folate and potassium (a mineral that helps lower high blood pressure). In addition, fennel is a good source of niacin as well as the minerals phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper.

Help Prevent Disease by Reducing Inflammation!


What's a big way to help prevent disease? Reduce inflammation!
Inflammation has a positive role in our body to fight against injury or infection, but if inflammation moves outside a contained area, it causes cells to multiply, which can result in tissue damage, obesity and disease.

Unfortunately, this unhealthy inflammation is rampant in our society because we eat too much acidic food (e.g., processed foods, animal proteins, coffee, to name a few), we eat too quickly, we eat too much, and we're stressed. This causes acid buildup in the body, which promotes inflammation, includsive of our waistline.

Here are ways to reduce it:
1. 70% of your diet should consist of alkaline foods - that is, vegetables, which you can get in abundance through drinking JOOS.
2. Reduce stress, whether by developing a regular yoga practice, meditation, prayer, breathing exercises, going out for a long run or having a satisfying workout.
3. Get ample sleep.
4. Follow the 90/10 rule of 90% whole foods and 10% whatever you like.
5. Consume greater amounts of anti-inflammatory foods like ginger and turmeric, which are both in your JOOS. Do you know that in India, where there is a high amount of turmeric consumption, there is one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer's in the world.
6. Consume high quality, oily fish like salmon or sardines or take a high quality fish oil, which is high in Omega 3. JOOS sells New Chapter's Wholemega, one of the best on the market at one of the lowest prices anywhere. If you don't eat fish, try flax seed oil or eat raw walnuts.

Please feel free to contact me with questions.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Parsely: A Great Diuretic and So Much More!!


In this week's newsletter, we wrote about the many benefits of parsley. Parsley is often thought of as a garnish, but it is power-pack filled with so many nutrients: Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Folate and so much more. Parsley also works as a diuretic so it can ease discomfort from overeating.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Simple Rules to Transform Your Diet and Yourself...


South Beach Diet? Zone Diet? Raw Diet? Atkins? Grapefruit? Weight Watchers? I could go on and on listing hundreds of different diets all guaranteed to make you lose weight. No wonder diet and nutrition seems so complicated, but it's really not. As I've said many times, the diet industry wants us to feel confused because that's what sells.

Some simple rules:

Rule No. 1: Eat 90% of your diet of whole foods. What are whole foods? Foods that are not processed or refined. In other words, foods that are in their most natural form.

I just met with a group who said they ate unprocessed foods and very little grains, just like the way we ate in Paleolithic times. I found out, however, that many of them are eating way too much meat, which is acidic. So, we have to add the second rule:

Rule No. 2: Eat 70% of your diet on alkaline foods; that is, fruits and vegetables. Disease does not grow in an alkaline environment.
These two rules focus on the WHAT to eat. Another important part about your diet is the HOW to eat, which leads to our third rule:

Rule No. 3: Eat 3 meals (with lunch being the biggest and dinner being the smallest) and watch your portions.

What's the easiest way to get you to reboot your system and get you on track: the
JOOS Cleanse!!!