Positive Aging is A Way of Being!     

Positive Aging is a Choice!

We all know that we are getting older by the minute.  I believe that our ability to age as healthy, energetic, loving and happy people is a matter of basic education.  We are bio-individuals; one size does not fit all.  It’s like a game or a maze that we have to solve for ourselves if our lifestyle choices are to be sustainable, enjoyable and positive.

Understanding that our food really is what heals or harms our bodies, here are a few guidelines that I recommend to all of my clients:

1. Stay hydrated with filtered water.  Avoid bottled water.  (put a link to water filter site here)

2. Use fresh, organic, locally grown food whenever possible.

3. Eat at least 50% of your food in raw form to ensure you are getting more nutrients such as antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals.

4. Reduce or eliminate gluten to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is the root cause of ALL disease.

5. Eliminate all artificial sweeteners, MSG, and other chemicals.  Read labels.  Beware of any packaged, bottled or processed food that contains more than six ingredients.

6. Choose your supplements well; they are not created equally.

 7. Eat slowly and mindfully. Enjoy. 

Look for my E-book on Positive Aging coming soon!

Our Tower Garden 8-20-2013

The Good Stuff!

Did you read the recent New York Times article by food writer, Mark Bitman?  Long story short, the Mediterranean diet really is all it’s cracked up to be.  Sounding rather un-American, this diet is low in red meat, low in sugar and processed carbs, low in junk food, and high in just about everything else: healthy fats, lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes and less-harmful proteins such as good fish and dairy (like feta and mozzarella cheese).

Bitman spoke to Dr. Walter Willet who was one the teachers at the Institute for Integratve Nutrition which I attended.  Dr. Willet said,”We have so many types of evidence that this kind of eating work”.

He goes on to report that “Most Americans eat so poorly that even a modest change in the direction of their diet is likely to benefit.”  I totally agree.

What I love about the Mediterranean diet is that it makes sense.  It is mostly whole foods, minimally processed, fresh and simply prepared. These fresh foods are packed with phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, good fats and fiber.   Meals are easy to prepare and relatively inexpensive.

The “Dirty Dozen”

The Incredible Edible Apple

These foods should be purchased organic whenever possible.  They are the most heavily pesticide laden fresh foods in our stores!

Apples

Celery

Strawberries

Peaches

Spinach

Nectarines

Grapes

Sweet bell peppers

Potatoes

Blueberries

Lettuce

Kale

New Year, New Start

The New Year

Have you considered making a “stop doing” list instead of your annual New Years resolutions?   A “stop doing” list can help you to discipline your thoughts and actions and allocate the most precious of all resources: time.

Last year I bought my first piano and proceeded to re-learn how to play it.  The most essential piece of that was making the time to practice of course.  That meant I had to find the time and space to do just that.

There are times in our lives when we are forced to prioritize, re-evaluate and most important, to make different choices.  A “stop doing” list can provide a framework for better decision making.

What if you approach your life as a creative work of art?

A great piece of music or art is composed not just of what is in the final piece, but equally important, what is not. It is the discipline to discard what does not fit — to cut out what might have already cost days or even years of effort — that distinguishes the truly exceptional artist and marks the ideal piece of work, be it a symphony, a novel, a painting, or most important of all, a life.

Consider making that “stop doing” list.

•  Focus on the essential, not the important:
• The essentials are emotional; the important is rational. The essentials go on a to-die-for list; the important you put on the to-do list.
• What are you passionate about?  Why not “Do it”? What is stopping you?
• Are you afraid of disappointing someone?
• What keeps you from making the necessary choices to change?

This year why not make time for your self and honor your deepest dreams.  The time is NOW.

If we are to realize our intentions, what we stop doing is just as important as what we start and continue to do. Stopping = the white space. Stopping = room to run free and create from the deepest place of being without restraint or compromise. Stopping = more time for what matters most.

I know how to make things happen… Stopping, I’ve learned is the real challenge

A few tips:

• Doing less is sometimes better than doing more
• Learn to say “No”
• Cut back or “stop” a behavior that doesn’t support health
• STOP PROCRASTINATING! (my favorite)

1. 

   Eat your Fruits by themselves!

   Eat a high fiber diet.  Fiber helps prevent constipation, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive issues.  It can help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight.  Insoluble fiber, also known as roughage, is just as important.  Good sources are: vegetables, oat bran, chia or flax seed, nuts and legumes.

2. Limit foods high in fat. Eat the good fats.  Pairing high fat foods with high-fiber foods helps with digestion.   Make your fat count!  Consume good quality oils such as olive, grapeseed cold pressed flax seed oil, or coconut oil in moderation.
3. If you eat meat, make it lean, organic and infrequent.  Think of consuming animal protein as a condiment…small amounts can go a long way.
4. Eat or take probiotics and digestive enzymes.  Eat these in “whole food” form when possible.  Probiotics are found in cultured foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, or plain Greek style yogurt.  Digestive enzymes are abundant in raw fruit and vegetables.  When you eat cooked food, digestive enzymes supplements can and should be taken.  Try to eat raw foods daily.
5. Stay hydrated!  Your body depends on it.  If you are taking any medication it is even more important. As we age we become more dehydrated.  Fatigue, confusion, constipation are just a few results of dehydration.  Try to drink clean, filtered water, instead of bottled.  Plastic contains estrogenic compounds that mimic estrogen (you don’t want this!).
6. Exercise regularly.  We have all heard this million time but our bodies were meant to move.  Lack of movement contributes to aging and disease.  Find something you enjoy…and do it!
7. Eat on schedule.  Many of us are hypoglycemic and eating small meals/snacks frequently, (every 2 to 3 hours), helps to maintain blood sugar levels.  Eat until 80% full, leaving 20% for digestion.  You will have more energy and metal clarity.  Stay away from the sugar and caffeine!
8. Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants.  Avoid processed foods when possible.  This includes of course hight gructose soda’s and “fitness.”  Whole, organic, fresh food contains the nutrients your digestive system needs.
9. Decrease or eliminate bad habits.  Do your best to let go of bad habits such as smoking, excessive drinking or alcohol or caffeine.  Clean house when it comes to your attitude and your thoughts.  Gratitude and positivity can go a long way!
10. Combine foods properly. ( this is a complex subject so I have listed just a few tips)  Try to drink your liquid before you eat.   The digestive enzymes in your mouth, stomach and intestines will work better.   The typical American meal wreaks havoc on our digestive system.

• Eat protein and not starchy vegies at same meal (no starch with protein)
• Eat melons alone.  All fruit should be eaten alone, unless combined with probiotic plain yogurt.
• Eat starchy foods and sugars separately.
• Forget the desserts.  Eaten on top of a meal they require no digestion and ferment.  Bacteria turn the into alcohols, acetic acid and viniger.