Category: Healthy Living

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Building Healthy Bones

In the last twenty years, osteoporosis has morphed from a relatively rare (albeit serious) condition affecting elderly women into an epidemic threatening close to half of all post-menopausal women and almost one-third of men in the United States. What’s changed? Frankly, not much except the hype. Unfortunately, I believe this is yet another case of the medical establishment and drug companies creating disease diagnoses by manipulating diagnostic criteria. The more medications prescribed for osteoporosis and osteopenia, the more profits for the corporations. And not a lot of doctors are offering healthy, natural solutions prior to doling out prescriptions, either.

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More On The Blue Zones

A recent article published in The New York Times is entitled “The Island Where People Forget To Die.” In this fascinating true story, the author writes about Stamatis Moraitis, a Greek American who returned to his native island of Ikaria after a diagnosis of terminal lung cancer in his mid-60’s. That was in 1976; although Moraitis hoped for nothing more than a peaceful death on the island that he loved, he instead found his way back to health. Today, at 97, Moraitis continues to thrive on Ikaria.

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Food Labeling: We Have The Right To Know

I strongly believe that we have the right to know that the food we are consuming is safe. It seems like this should be a basic right, and in this day and age, I believe we MUST pay attention and be educated about any potential risks to our health. It’s hard to understand why people choose to eat fried foods laden with dangerous fats, or drink beverages filled with sweeteners and artificial ingredients. But at least we can read the ingredient labels, educate ourselves about the possible health risks, and choose NOT to consume these processed foods. Unfortunately, in the case of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), there are big corporations that are spending millions of dollars in the attempt to keep us in the dark about what’s in our food.

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Secrets of the Blue Zones: The World’s Hot Spots of Longevity

I’m intrigued by research on the Blue Zones, which are essentially hot spots of longevity. In these areas of the world, it’s not uncommon for people to still be living active, healthy lives beyond the age of one hundred. So far, researchers have identified five Blue Zones:

These areas are diverse geographically, culturally, and spiritually. But what they have in common is a lifestyle that naturally supports all of the facets of good health: physical, emotional, and spiritual. People fortunate enough to be born in Blue Zones eat healthfully (a plant based diet, accented with small amounts of animal protein). Continue reading “Secrets of the Blue Zones: The World’s Hot Spots of Longevity”

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You Are What You Eat…

Simple and pithy, this adage pretty much sums up a healthful approach to nutrition. Our bodies are designed to thrive on a varied diet of whole, unprocessed foods—fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs; proteins from sea and land animals; naturally grown and processed grains and beans; and fermented foods. Despite regional and cultural differences, traditional diets throughout the world are all based on some combination of these basic healthy foods. These are the foods that humans have evolved eating and that have kept us healthy for eons.

Every calorie we ingest either fuels the inward energy that creates, nourishes, and heals every cell in our bodies, or is used to generate the outward energy that helps us act in the world. In the process of transforming food into inward or outward energy, toxic byproducts are formed that are oxidative and pro-inflammatory. Nutrient dense, healthful foods can efficiently make healthy cells, produce balanced energy, and at the same time reduce the creation of waste byproducts.

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