School Lunch Now A National Security Threat

School lunches have been called many things, when my kids were young GROSS was the phrase of choice. However, MSNBC reported this week that a group of retired military officers are giving the school lunch a new label: National Security Threat. That's not a reference to the mystery meat served up in the cafeteria line either. The retired officers are saying that school lunches have helped make the nation's young people so fat that fewer of them can meet the military's physical fitness standards.

Now whether you are pro military or against, those are some frightening statistics. The report MSNBC is referring to goes further to say, “more than 9 million young adults, or 27 percent of all Americans ages 17 to 24, are too overweight to join the military. Now, the officers are advocating for passage of a wide-ranging nutrition bill that aims to make the nation's school lunches healthier.”

Add to that a study conducted by the CDC that found that 9 out of 10 school kids are not meeting the suggested daily allowance of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet. Type 2 Diabetes and obesity are nearing epidemic proportions in our schools.

First of all, our responsibility not only as parents, but as members of the community, is to help kids make healthy choices. Anyone who has ever been around a child, tween, or teen should know better than to expect them to make the right decisions about health if they don’t have the education to do so, and especially if they don’t have healthy options to choose from. While the ultimate responsibility for that lies with the parent, there are changes that can and should be made in the schools, because bottom line, for many low-income children throughout the country, the school lunch program is a vital source of their overall nutrition.

Think about it though, it’s difficult for a child to turn down the hamburger and fries, chicken nuggets or greasy pizza from the cafeteria if the only other alternative is wilted salad that no one eats and has been sitting around for two days. And while many government agencies and school districts are contemplating change, and even the Obama administration is working to expel junk food from the nation’s schools, what can we as parents and community members do to either help that process along, or get something started?

Well, one great example would be in Nashville, where a new wellness program established by Metro public schools in December now has an enforcer: parents. Organized by the Healthy School Food Team, a grassroots group of parents promoting wellness initiatives in Nashville, gathered at the Farmer’s Market Thursday morning to discuss healthier food options in the city’s public school cafeterias. In addition to working to promote healthy lifestyle and eating habits in the schools, the group’s long-term vision includes food coming from local and regional farmers, and offering a variety of fresh fruit and produce instead of Fritos and the stuff that’s offered currently.

Not only are changes starting to come in thanks to the grassroots efforts of parents and educators, there is also some star power behind this push as Jamie Oliver is using fresh fruit and vegetables to try to win the hearts, or at least the fatty arteries, of a West Virginia city in his show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, and if you haven’t seen the show, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Rachael Ray is also working to reform school lunch, and Paula Deen, queen of Southern fried goodness, recently taught an auditorium of kids how to cook and eat healthy.

Hopefully these reports, and if nothing else this star-power, will help to further compel parents to find ways to make changes in their communities and schools. Because changes need to happen, they need to happen at home, and they need to happen at school, and truthfully, they can’t happen soon enough.

Natural Ways to Combat Spring Allergies

Pollen is off the charts in most of the US this week, and spring is in full force, in an almost crazy, accelerated way. Maybe your symptoms started early, when trees started blooming? Right now, for me, that continues. Pollen is my problem and the trees are letting it fly.

Spring allergies are common, and according to The Weather Channel, they are a result of pollen from trees, which can start pollinating anytime from January to April, depending on the climate and location. Trees that are known to cause severe allergies include oak, olive, elm, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress, and walnut. Generally this time of year there is more rain, here in the Midwest anyway, and the rain helps by reducing pollen counts.

Daniel More, MD, FACP, a board-certified allergist and About.com's allergies guide, says that it is difficult to avoid exposure to pollens, but he does have some tips to minimize exposure:

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* Keep windows closed prevent pollens from drifting into your home

* Minimize early morning activity when pollen is usually emitted between 5-10 a.m.

* Keep your car windows closed when traveling.

* Stay indoors when the pollen count is reported to be high, and on windy days when pollen may be present in higher amounts in the air

* Avoid freshly cut grass and mowing the lawn

Personally, I take enzymes to help me combat the woes of pollen, which believe me, have caused me plenty of difficulty in the past. A high amylase enzyme (a carbohydrate digesting enzyme) is what the immune system uses to fight airborne pathogens. When the body is low in amylase, in many cases allergens such as pollen, pet dander and other histamine inducing substances cause an immune system response, i.e. the creation of histamine. Histamine production is a reaction by the body to a perceived pathogen with the symptoms of watery, itchy eyes, runny nose, coughing etc in an effort to expel said pathogen. Amylase taken therapeutically on an empty stomach may relieve a person of such symptoms.

A few other tips I found while searching for some natural approaches to allergy relief today also included some things I could/should integrate in all year round, but especially during the weeks that my allergy symptoms can really take hold.

* Local honey. We’ve all heard the benefits of regularly including local honey in your allergy arsenal. But what many people don’t know is that many nutritionists recommend that you start eating about 1-2 teaspoons of locally grown natural honey BEFORE the allergy season starts. Why? Well, bees collect pollen from local plants, and their honey is known to have some low levels of pollen. Taking it before the season helps your body to get use to some pollen level in advance before the full-blown season strikes.

* Wash your hair at night. Rinse the pollen out, especially if you’re a gel or mousse fan because these products can trap pollen. And if you spend a lot of time outside, shower. Pollen and mold spores can fly into your hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, and skin. Be sure to wash your hands when you come inside and if your allergies cause a lot of watery eyes and itching, rinse your eyes out too.

* Eat foods to help your body fight allergy attacks. Green tea contains antioxidants that may help stop your body from reacting to allergens like pollen. Marshmallow Root is also a good decongestant. Onions, garlic, citrus fruits contain natural antihistamines. Prevention Magazine also recommends you drink plenty of fruit juices, because fruit juices are rich sources of antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, but read the label to make sure that it's real juice and not a bottle of corn syrup.

*Wear natural fibers. Reason number 5,769 to wear natural fibers is that by doing so, you are avoiding a personal pollen build up. When synthetic materials rub together, they can cause static electricity that makes like mini-magnets for pollen. Who knew your clothes could help you keep your allergies under control!

* Soak up the calm. In one study, seasonal allergy sufferers had a more extreme reaction the day after performing a stressful task. Stress raises cortisol and that can lead to a more extreme allergic response. Since pollen may be keeping you indoors, a few minutes of meditation or a soak in the tub should help.

If allergies aren’t a problem for you, go out and enjoy all that spring has to offer, and when the pollen count gets a bit more manageable, I’ll feel brave enough to meet you on the trail. In the meantime, I’ll just be here hoping for a nice spring rain!

Know Your Farmer - Local is the New Organic

Yesterday was the first day of a spring/summer ritual for many  - it was opening day of our local Spring/Summer Farmer’s Market. We arrived early and the parking lot was full, and it will be weeks before any hopes of fresh produce will become a reality. The money was changing hands anyway, and people were buying everything from meats to cheese and milk to bread to plant starts.  This year even brought not one but two local organic coffee roasters! And well, you know me; coffee is one of my favorite things!

We shop almost exclusively at the Farmer’s Market for a multitude of reasons – but putting those reasons aside, how has our Farmer’s Market, and those across the nation, managed to grow so popular, so fast?

In my opinion, it’s about the quality. People want to know WHERE their food comes from, and know that the food that they put on their tables is the best quality that it can possibly be.

The Organic Consumers Association reports that traditional farmer's markets are flourishing, and not only for the fresh, seasonal produce. As consumers begin to visit these local establishments they learn that food has a history and a taste, and that there are other members of their communities, from amateur growers to professional farmers, who are eager to talk about the food on display.

While many farmers in our Market are not certified “organic”, they are using clean, hormone and pesticide free farming methods. Certification is costly, but the story behind their techniques is just a short conversation. Over the years we have picked those that farm the way we like to eat, joined their CSA’s and refer them to friends. If you are unsure just say, “do you use pesticides” they will either say yes or no, you can decide from there.

We are committed to our Farmer’s Market year round, and every other Saturday all winter long we bundled up and braved the elements to buy fresh meat, eggs, milk and cheese. Yes, the farmers travel to be there, but usually no more than 30 miles. Our food is local, our farmer’s are local, we are supporting the local economy, and at the same time eating clean, ethically grown food.

It’s a fact that eating local means more for the local economy.  According to a study by the New Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy.  When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every transaction.

When you go to a conventional grocery store, how much of the food sold there is local? Probably not much. According to statistics in Brian Halweil's Eat Here: Reclaiming Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket, fruits and vegetables now travel between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to market, "an increase of roughly 20 percent in the last two decades." And that's just the produce within the U.S. Halweil says that 898 million tons of food are shipped around the planet each year, four times the amount that was shipped in 1961.

That’s mind-boggling and unsound on so many different levels that I’m not quite sure where to even start. The miles that organic food often travels to our plate creates environmental damage that outweighs the benefit of buying organic. And the environmental damage caused by corporate farming and the transport of conventional and organic food on every shelf in the supermarket is devastating.

Bottom line – local is the new organic. I feel good each and every week to go out and hand money to my local farmers in exchange for quality food. The money I hand them goes directly back into their operation, and their pocket. There is no middleman taking his cut, my money to the farmer. Period. And the quality I get in return? Priceless.

Fresher – tastier – and more nutritious, each and every time.

Know your farmer, and support your farmer’s market – your health and your community’s financial sustainability depend on it! To find a farmer’s market in your area, go to Local Harvest at http://www.localharvest.org/.

What is a Nutrition Coach?

We’ve all heard you need to eat right for your type. But do you know what your type is? Do you know what foods are working for your body, and what foods are actually working against it?

If you are physically not where you want to be, or you have health and fitness goals that appear to be just out of reach, Nutrition Coaching could be the solution. Nutrition Coaching is a unique concept, as it combines nutritional therapy with life coaching principles. A Nutrition Coach can help you incorporate change within your existing lifestyle rather than trying to direct you to make changes that are difficult to maintain.

Too often we are given a “one-size-fits-all” approach to nutrition, and I can tell you that seldom, if ever, works. Good nutrition is important for everyone. But what foods should you provide and in what quantity? Nutritional needs change throughout your lifetime and the foods and the amounts of specific nutrients required will vary based on many different factors. As a Nutrition Coach, I will offer guidance tailored to your needs using custom solutions to match your biochemistry, lifestyle, environment and outlook on life.

Through my work at Zen Life Solutions, I have seen firsthand that true health is attainable by facilitating the body's natural ability to heal itself with food, enzymes, minerals, and other nutrients that are missing from the modern diet. By identifying an ideal health-related goal, I work to help my clients develop a roadmap and support them as they take the actions necessary to reach that goal. Through lifestyle changes, dietary adaptations, and basic health-building principles, my clients are walking the path to reclaim their health and overall well-being, seeing results, and feeling better each and every day.

Nutrition Coaching has been proven to be the most effective way to achieve lasting health-building results. Through structured conversations and learning activities, you will build new eating habits that you can sustain. . . even when life gets in the way of the best intentions!

Best - Gary

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Aspartame Rebranding

When you think of the word “AminoSweet” what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it something not so bad for you perhaps, something that maybe, just maybe is even good? I mean – amino- sweet – two pretty innocuous terms, unless you have heard the latest health news through Dr. Mercola’s site, or you follow industry news through FoodBev 2010.

AminoSweet is the new brand name for aspartame. Aspartame is the most controversial food additive in history, and its approval for use in food was the most contested in FDA history. Aspartame producer Ajinomoto chose to rebrand it under the name AminoSweet, to “remind the industry that aspartame tastes just like sugar, and that it’s made from amino acids – the building blocks of protein that are abundant in our diet.”

A claim Dr. Mercola calls, “deception at its finest”. More than likely the choice to rebrand was made because people are becoming aware of the dangers of aspartame, and making healthier choices.

The fact is, the number one artificial sweetener that you need to watch out for is aspartame. Commonly sold under the brand names of NutraSweet, Spoonful, and Equal, aspartame will not help you feel better as you work so hard to do just that. Now I know what you're thinking, aspartame has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so surely it's safe right? After all, it is in practically EVERYTHING from diet soda to instant breakfasts and breath mints to multivitamins and many pharmaceuticals and over the counter medications.

Well, let's start by taking a look at some aspartame highlights. One of the key ingredients in aspartame is methanol, which besides being toxic is cumulative, converting to formaldehyde in the body. As a matter of fact, methanol, or wood alcohol is the very same thing that has blinded or killed so many skid-row alcoholics. See what that can of diet soda could cost you?

Just a few of the other key ingredients in aspartame are aspartic acid, and phenylalanine – which has been suggested that in high levels it actually lowers seratonin levels, and leads to emotional disorders. In also breaks down the seizure threshold, causing manic depression and panic attacks.

According to the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Fact Sheet, in the laboratory aspartame has produced brain tumors, breast tumors, uterine tumors, pancreatic tumors, seizures and deaths. Aspartame has also reportedly led to suicidal depressions, panic attacks and anxiety, sleep disorders, mood disorders, brain chemical imbalances, and personaility disorders. It has also been reported to exacerbate or trigger the onset of epilepsy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia, and that's just for starters.

Think about what aspartame, now known as “AminoSweet” has been reported to do next time you reach for that diet soda…and find a healthier alternative.

Chocolate – Yes, It Really IS Good For You!

The Mayans did it. The Aztecs did it. And now you can do it too – guilt free. What is it? One of my favorite things in the world – Chocolate.

Cocoa powder and chocolate are gaining recognition in the scientific community as a rich source of fiber, proteins, and vitamins including A, E, and folic acid. The compound in chocolate that is gaining the attention however, is flavonoids.

Flavonoids are naturally-occurring compounds found in plant-based foods recognized as providing certain health benefits. Flavonoids are found in a wide array of foods and beverages, like cranberries, apples, peanuts, chocolate, onions, tea and red wine. There are more than 4,000 flavonoid compounds; flavonoids are a subgroup of a large class called polyphenols. 

In terms of chocolate, ClevelandClinic.org writes that flavonoids provide important protective benefits to plants, such as in repairing damage and shielding from environmental toxins. When we consume plant-based foods rich in flavonoids, it appears that we also benefit from this “antioxidant” power because flavonoids may help reduce the cell damage that can spur tumor growth.

It doesn’t stop there; LiveScience.com reported today that a new study suggests that chocolate may decrease your risk of stroke as well as your risk of cardiovascular disease. Science Daily also writes that the "chocolate cure" for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research. It found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed.  

Okay, so we have a good source of fiber, proteins, and vitamins that contains flavonoids that have antioxidant properties AND can reduce your risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease and decrease your stress levels – and its in chocolate. Yes, chocolate.

Before you head out to the grocery store though, it’s important to note that not all chocolate is created equal. If you’re going to eat chocolate and you hope to get any health benefits out of it, you had better make it dark, like at least 70% dark. Which is also, coincidentally, my favorite!

Dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate. And standard chocolate manufacturing destroys up to half of the flavonoids. But chocolate companies have now learned to make dark chocolate that keeps up to 95% of its flavonoids, and generally, dark chocolate contains far fewer ingredients.

As with anything, make it organic, and if you doubt me on this one, check this out, unless chocolate is organic it contains pesticide residue and here is what some of those FDA approved levels of residues do to you – negatively affect digestive system tissue, genetic damage, effects on reproduction, carcinogenicity; can lead to acute toxicity, thyroid effects, nerve degeneration; not to mention an increased risk of central nervous system disruption. None of which sounds like a good time.

Eat your chocolate, and remember to make it dark – make it organic – and make it soon!

Here’s to your health!

Tip of the Week - New Year, New You?

People around the world see the new year as the perfect time for a new set of resolutions for change. For some, that could mean a new gym membership or treadmill for the spare bedroom. For others, more time and energy could be the goals, or maybe even focus or clarity to make changes or tackle a long neglected project or dream.

Bottom line, whether you want to lose weight or have more energy or focus, streamlining your foods is a crucial first step. True health, and the changes you need to make to attain it, can be found in your kitchen and the foods you buy to stock it.

The first step, or tip for this week, is to take the process out of your diet…and by process, I mean, processed foods.

Processed food is made from real food that has been put through devitalizing chemical processes and is infused with chemicals and preservatives. According to Reader’s Digest, ninety percent of Americans' household food budget is spent on processed foods, the majority of which are filled with additives and stripped of nutrients. As a matter of fact, most processed foods are laden with sweeteners, salts, artificial flavors, factory-created fats, colorings, chemicals that alter texture, and preservatives. But the trouble is not just what's been added, but what's been taken away. Processed foods are often stripped of nutrients designed by nature, such as soluble fiber, antioxidants, and "good" fats. Combine that with additives, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Tara Gidus RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association was recently quoted on WEB MD as saying, “We live in a society that eats so much processed and manufactured food, that I think there's some genuine confusion about what qualifies as a whole food. When you eat whole foods, you're getting the food in its natural state. You're getting it intact, with all of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are in the food."

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, or fat. Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains; fruits and vegetables; unprocessed meat, poultry, and fish; and non-homogenized milk.

In my experience, whole food is what my grandmother cooked. In a typical shopping trip, I buy staples - cheese, yogurt, potatoes, rice, fruits and vegetables, my meats thankfully come from a local farmer, as do many of my seasonal fruits and vegetables. And that’s what it is, staples, that’s what I buy, that’s what I cook.

It took some time, to take the process out of my diet – but the end result has been worth it. I have lost weight, have more energy, more focus, and less of the seasonal colds and flus. Eliminating every guilty pleasure in life is not the end goal here, and not a particularly realistic approach to making changes, especially in the beginning. I mean, let’s fact it, we all enjoy the occasional cheeseburger, order of fries, or bag of chips. This elimination of processed foods is a process. Moderation is the first step, and then you will find yourself moving from mainstay to moderation and eventually to elimination.

Keep it simple, look for things you can pronounce and maybe even recognize. Make sure it has the fewest ingredients, and when possible, go organic. You can easily avoid additives and the health problems they may cause by eating fresh, locally grown unprocessed foods. Make matters easier and try to cook most of your foods from scratch, using clean, natural or organic products. As you start to read the labels in the grocery stores, you will find yourself buying less convenience foods and more of the kinds of foods you cook, or better yet, incorporate more raw foods into your diet, as cooking removes many of the nutrients, including enzymes our body uses to actually digest the food we are eating. With increasing organic selections, you may put a little more work into your meal, but your body will definitely thank you for it. By taking the time to really feed your body with good, clean, foods, you will begin to feel better, faster. It truly is one of the best things you can do for yourself as you work to put your resolutions in action and reclaim your health, and your life.