Saturday, January 31, 2009

Start saving your pennies


I heard a woman on the radio a few weeks ago say that her husband saved all his change in a bucket. He decided to count it all up to take to the bank and had over a thousand dollars! I can't remember how long he'd been saving it up, but that was pretty impressive. I want to recommend to all my friends and family to get Dr. Fuhrman's Eat for Health book set, but it's pretty expensive for most people right now. It's almost $50 for the set. (It's $46.99 at Amazon with the free super-saver shipping or $39.99 + shipping on Dr. Furhman's site). You can get the audio download or audio CD for just over $20, but I think the book is better to have if you have to choose just one. I bought the CD first and loved listening to it on trips (or on my cellphone -- I downloaded it there and it's nice to listen to in chunks too). But it left me wanting to see the information in print for a reference. I'm really happy to have the books by my bed at night.

So start saving your pennies or other change now if you can't afford it just yet. Maybe it will add up faster than you realize and you'll be learning from Dr. Furhman yourself. His Eat to Live book is great too, but I love Eat for Health even better. In Eat to Live, he spells out all the scientific studies about nutrition and explains the healthiest way to eat. But in Eat for Health, I think it's more user-friendly because he tells you how to start eating healthier without giving up too much of the foods you may be attached to. You'll later find that you can't possibly fit all that food into your body each day and will hopefully give up the other food that just harms your body. I know it's worked better for me this way.

Maybe I'm just a crazy person who can't get enough of Dr. Furhman's writings. :) I do love to read nutritional advice that actually makes sense though. And everything he writes does. Sometimes it's sad to learn that what you're doing isn't the best for your body. But eventually you end up appreciating it.

P.S. (I added on some quotes from Dr. Fuhrman to my last post, so if you haven't read them yet, scroll down to the bottom and relish in his wisdom :))

Friday, January 30, 2009

Are you afraid of getting cancer?

At the back of my mind when I'm endeavoring to eat better, I'm thinking that I want to avoid my chances of getting cancer as much as I can. Same with providing food for my husband and family. I want to help them be strong and cancer free too. Well, last night I was reading this new magazine I just started getting (Natural Health) and saw an article about women avoiding heart disease. It said that women die of heart disease more than twice as much as they do with all forms of cancer combined! I was stunned by that statistic. I hear of men in their 40's, 50's, and older dying of heart attacks all the time, but not women. I thought cancer was the number one killer. But no, it's only 1/2 as deadly as heart disease.

The sad thing is that all of these diseases are preventable! They're not contagious. They're caused my diet and lifestyle. Crazy! Here we live in a time where we have sophisticated medical practices, yet we're dying the most from diseases that we can prevent! We don't need the medical world's help in avoiding these diseases like we do with infectious diseases. We just need to start making our bodies stronger by eating nutrient dense foods. We also need to exercise and give up the other vices (smoking, drugs, yes, even saturated fats!) that do our bodies harm.

Here are a few ideas from the Natural Health article:

Stressful emotions account for roughly 30% of all heart attacks.

The main ways women channel stress are through anger, anxiety, and depression -- each has a profound effect on the heart.

Depression causing heart disease? Sounds strange at first, but studies show that depression revs up stress hormones, which cause platelets in the blood to become stick. Over time, the blood packed with these platelets damages the blood vessels and causes the artery walls to harden and thicken.

As for anger, I thought this was a bigger problem for males (at least it was in my family growing up), but the article states that women channel their anger through sarcasm, gossip, or passive-aggressive behavior. Even though women don't show their anger outwardly the same way as men do, it's still defined as hostility. And no matter how you express it, it still puts an incredible strain on the blood vessels and damages your heart.

When you worry or become anxious, blood pressure rises, the heart beats faster, and the blood vessels dilate. Your body thinks that you're in danger and reacts accordingly. Yoga teaches ways to slow down the breathing and subsequently the heart rate. Yogic breathing can reduce those stress hormones better than just relaxing or lying down (I'll write another whole post about that. I have so much to say about yoga and have yet to say it!)

The article talks about ways to lift depression, assess your anger, and calm your anxiety (and stop worrying), but I've got to tell you that if you are eating primarily nutrient dense foods, whether it's a raw food diet (high raw or all raw) or a vegetable-based diet along the Eat to Live guidelines, you will most likely not have to work with managing these emotions. When I'm eating only whole foods, getting the nutrients that Dr. Furhman says our bodies run the way they were designed to perform, I am almost giddily happy. I chuckle at thing that would normally make me angry. I want to skip when I walk. The crazy things in life just don't ruffle my feathers. It always comes back to nutrition for me, which makes sense. If you want a car to run well, you give it the right kind of fuel.

Here are a few quotes I found in Dr. Furhman's Eat for Health book about reversing disease or preventing it by healthy eating:

"Fifty years of scientific studies indicate that most diseases seen in modern countries, as well as the leading causes of death, are the result of dietary and lifestyle choices. Scientists have determined that inadequate consumption of plant-derived nutrients results in cellular toxicity, DNA damage, and immune system dysfunction. This in turn leads to increaded susceptibility to infections, allergies, and even the development of cancer."

"Despite medical advances, 85% of Americans (85%!!!) will still die from heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. The real key to longevity is not better treatment; it is prevention. By comparison with our sickly nation, people who survive past 100 years are remarkably disease-free. They are generally physically active, independent, adn socially connected. They are not the feeble stereotypes that we often associate with getting old. This is not merely abnuot living longer; is is also about staying younger and healthier into your later years, so life can be enjoyed to its fullest. Once you grasp the possibilities, your entire way of thinking will change. You do not have to be a victim. You can experience a long, disease-free life!"

I love this because I came to healthy eating because I had the hope that I wouldn't continue on the rest of my life with the awful health problems I already had AND I didn't want to get worse. Look around and I'm sure you have many friends and relatives who are getting sicker as they age. Isn't it wonderful to know that it doesn't have to be that way? Our bodies weren't designed to age that way. Dr. Fuhrman has seen his patients reverse disease and prevent disease. He says as they get older and follow his eating guidelines, they get healthier instead of falling victim to what so many think are age-related diseases. Now that's what I call hope and change!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Starting without stopping


I've started posting twice in the past week and haven't finished what I've begun. (I'm writing about Hilary Burnett's Pilates and Steve Ross's Yoga if you're curious). I've had ideas pop into my head at least twice in the past week that I've REALLY wanted to just sit down and post about, but somehow I got distracted and never got to it. I actually had time to write about the first one that seemed so complete in my head when I first thought of it. But later on, I couldn't remember what on earth I'd thought of. I still can't remember. I've forgotten the second topic from yesterday too.

I'm thinking I might need to write these things down, don't you? It's like when people say they have these great ideas in the middle of the night -- or even really cool dreams. They're so sure they'll remember it the next morning, but they don't. So some keep a pen and paper by their beds to record these thoughts. I'll have to do the same, but in the kitchen. Most of my ideas come to me in the kitchen (is that any surprise? :))

Another starting and stopping pattern I've seen myself repeat for years is in goal setting. I tend to overreach my eating goals at the end of the day if I haven't eaten as well as I know I should. So I'll tell myself, "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to start . . . " Then the next morning comes and I think "What was I thinking last night? I don't need to do that" and nothing improves.

The area in which I see the greatest need to improve (for my eating anyway) is basing my diet on vegetables. Dr. Fuhrman says in his Eat for Health book that just adding more fruits and vegetables like every diet suggests isn't enough to have optimum health. We need to center ou diets around vegetables (especially the green ones). Vegetables have more nutrients than any other foods. Just look at the ANDI scores -- it's quite evident that we need to have these foods as the basis for our diets. I've done it before and feel great eating that way. But I haven't done it enough to have it happen without much effort. I know I can though. I've grown so much with my other healthful habits that I know I just have to really put this at the forefront of my brain and MAKE myself do it so I can develop this habit.

When I say "make myself do it" I'm not talking about the eating. I will eat vegetables no problem if they're ready in front of me. I enjoy them as much as I once enjoyed pizza or cheesecake (and that's saying something!) It's just getting myself to make the soup or the salad or the green smoothie that's the problem. I enjoy the whole process once I get going. It's just that initial nudge that I need. I just need to start without stopping. Once I get going, I'm just fine.

I realized last night that this will be my year-long journey -- to develop this habit of eating plenty, and I mean PLENTY of vegetables each day instead of watching them rot in the fridge. I've done it before and I can do it again. I can do it right now, in fact. Hmmm, what should I make? I think I'll pull out the cabbage and make this salad that has almonds and sesame seeds in it. It's so yummy. Once it's made, I'll have no problem eating it.

I guess I can rejoice in that one little vegetable victory. I used to think the only good vegetables were potatoes and corn -- probably like so many other kids do. Dr. Fuhrman says the number one vegetable eaten by children today is french fries! For some reason, all this vegetable talk has me singing the Captain Vegetable song in my head. You know the one from Sesame Street? We used to listen to Sesame Street tapes all the time when my older girls were little. Anyway, here it is from YouTube for your vegetable viewing pleasure :).



I'll be journaling in my other blog about my progress with vegetables from here on out. I hope you do too. Here's to eating our vegetables, crunch, crunch cru---unnnch!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Never Stop Learning


I've been thinking lately about the need to surround myself in nutrition information in order to eat well. I ate a very unhealthy diet for nearly 40 years of my life and was only able to change it because I kept reading and reading until I found some nutritional truths that finally sunk in. You probably know that I esteem Dr. Furhman quite highly for my nutritional information and I first discovered his writings in a newsletter called "Healthy Times." There were articles written by several doctors, but Dr. Furhman's name showed up repeatedly. My eating wasn't anywhere close to what they were recommending, but I liked the whole concept of eating nutritious foods in order to have excellent health. I learned so much each time I read.


A friend loaned me about 20 of these newsletters and I'd read them every time I had a chance over a period of months. The more I read them, the better I ate. At first I was thinking things like "How could anyone live without dairy?" or "The last thing I could give up is milk." Then I'd read more and would wonder if that would help ME like it had helped others with allergies and asthma. I'd read about all the health-promoting phytonutrients in vegetables and would first think, "But I don't like vegetables!" Then I'd read more and would remember a few salads or soups I'd had that were good -- perhaps I could try eating more vegetables -- perhaps I could even center my diet around vegetables.

I continue to need to surround myself with sound nutritional information. I read the same books and articles over and over. Why? Do I forget? Well, kind of. I don't remember things nearly as well as I once did. But I think the bigger issue is that I have soooooooo many years of habits ground into my brain and body that I need to keep reminding my body of a healthier way. I also live in a world where most people don't value nutritional truths. They may say "I probably shouldn't be eating this" or "I know I need to eat more healthy foods," but more than anything I see people who simply don't care what they eat. They don't want to change and don't want to hear about the need to change. So the eating events I go to (and there are many) fall more in line with my previous eating habits and in order for me to step away from those, I need to feed my brain with good information.

I continually read Dr. Furhman's books. I re-read other nutrition books I have too. I grab the magazines at the dentist office that have articles about eating and usually end up seeing what they have right and where they need to learn more. I think some experts know the full picture of what's needed for health, but only state certain guidelines because they know that most people will only change so much and will give up or turn back before taking (what they think are) drastic measures.

My dad could have very easily had a heart attack on Christmas day. (I think I mentioned this a bit in an earlier post -- sorry!) He went to a cardiologist a few days before Christmas because he was feeling compression and was told an artery was 99% closed. 99%! Many people would hope to be so lucky to be in the doctor's office at that point instead of finding out afterwards of their problems. Anyway, when I saw my parents last weekend, my dad was thumbing through a Reader's Digest at my grandma's house and said, "These are the things they say you should eat for a healthy heart" and started reading them aloud. I added my editorials to a few of the foods listed (like olive oil -- better to eat an olive, walnuts, or flax seed than to add oil to your food). But overall, it would be an improvement to how my parents eat. I told him, "That's just what that one book you have says" (that my mom ordered for them a few years before). My mom nodded her head and mouthed, "But he discovered THIS on his own." My dad looked up and caught a glimpse of what was going on, but it hit me that most people do have to seek out the knowledge on their own to really be able to absorb it and use it to better their lives. I know I did. And I still do.

Businesses know that it's vital to spend a chunk of their money on advertisement because we will be influenced by what we see. It's much like our family does with reading the scriptures. We know when we're reading them daily, we feel closer to God and the way he would have us live. If you want to improve your eating, continue to surround yourself with good nutritional information. Let it marinate in your mind a bit until it really sinks in and becomes a part of you. Do it over and over throughout your life in order to align yourself with healthier habits.


The best books on eating I've read so far are Dr. Fuhrman's Eat for Health books. Eat to Live comes in a close second. I also like Dr. Andrew Weil's books. I used to get his newsletter. (I like Dr. Furhman's newsletter better though). Dr. Mehmet Oz has good information too, but I think he's one who holds back a bit for the public interest. He wrote the foreward to Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live book. That made me think if Dr. Oz understood Dr. Fuhrman's information and agreed with it, why he didn't write a similar book -- why he advises or allows some foods on his program that aren't that great for your body. But it's fun to read and compare -- to learn as I go.

You can also browse websites, watch experts on YouTube or read my old posts on my blog. I'm trying to figure out how to list my posts by subject so you can find them easier. I've added labels to them all, but can't find the way to get them on my side bar. If you know how, let me know. There are also come great podcasts online that interview authors of these books or experts in the field. You can listen to them on your computer while you work. One I used to listen to often was RawVeganRadio.com . There's some conflicting information out there in the raw food world, but some are excellent. I particularly liked the podcasts from Victoria Boutenko (I need to write a whole post about her to explain her background -- her whole family went raw after coming to America and adopting our ways of eating and our severe health problems that go with it) and John Robbins (heir to Baskin-Robbins, but turned it down once he learned what ice cream does to our bodies).

I've got to stop writing. I'm teaching yoga to some friends in 25 minutes and it will take me 15 minutes to get there. I guess I don't get to shower first. I just want to end by saying I didn't write this to preach and tell you to do exactly what I'm doing. I wrote it to show you that if you're struggling with eating better, just surround yourself with good information and you'll eventually eat healthier than you ever thought possible. TTFN!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

These are the moments for big chunks of chocolate

I thought my kids were settled and about ready for bed. Well, most of them. The oldest two are at a high school basketball game (not counting the very oldest one away at college -- have to include her in case she's out there reading this. :)). The younger three were either supposed to be in bed or were finishing up homework, reading books, etc.

Long gone are the days that my school children are in bed asleep by 8:00. I think my oldest girls used to get in bed at 7:00. Now with teenagers in the house, it's hard to get anyone to sleep before 9:00 at night. Our 12 year old son has never required much sleep and is up till about 11:00 every night. I learned when he was about 2 years old that if he took a nap, he'd be awake past midnight. Once we went to sleep and he was still awake. I woke up around 2:30 and he was playing in his room, walking around in circles with toys all around. Thankfully, he likes to read late at night, so it's not too disruptive, but I really like my quiet time at night.

I grew up with 4 brothers and had my own room since I was at least 8 years old. I'm used to solitude at night. You'd think I could get that out of my system. I've been married longer than I was a child growing up in my home, but the habits of enjoying a quiet room all by myself are ingrained deeply. I loved to read until my eyes wanted to close. My mom would tell us that all the lights had to be out, but she knew I liked to read. So she'd just ask me to put a towel along the bottom of the door so the light wouldn't shine out into the hallway for my brothers to see. I guess she just wanted peace and quiet like I do now.


That leads me to now, wanting a little solitude tonight. I came down here to the computer to write a blog entry about yoga, but I found not long after pulling up my chair that all 3 children were up and about, asking me for an apple or orange, trying to find a highlighter for homework, or telling me what time it was (the clock matched her birthday right at that moment). It took some energy (understatement) to help them each get back to where they were supposed to be and the resulting reaction was "Oh, I wish I had some chocolate in the cupboard!" Like that solves anything. It sure is a strong feeling though. I guess it's that pattern of stress and seeking a soothing stress reliever. Chocolate has been found to provide that relief in studies and in my life (not to mention the lives of countless others -- especially women). But it really doesn't change anything. It is like jumping into a pool on a hot day. It feels good. (I guess that wasn't a good example because a pool really does change things -- gets me cooled off AND wet. But then again, the chocolate changes things too -- it quite often sends me on a sugar cycle of wanting sugar around the clock, prevents me from eating foods with vital nutrients, causes me to gain weight, and if it has dairy in it, can give me allergy and asthma problems).

Enough of my rambling thoughts. It sounds like the house is quieter now; I think I'll go up and read. Just as I type those final words, my older kids walk in the door -- their team lost, but they have other fun news to share. Time to be a mom just a little bit more. No chocolate needed.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Brown Rice -- Yum!


I'm surprised that so many of my friends still eat white rice instead of brown. It takes a little longer to cook brown rice, but it tastes so much better and is nutritionally superior to white rice. I could list the nutrients and fiber content side by side, but the bottom line is if it's come that way in nature, it's not only going to be better for you than the version that man has tampered with, but it will also be better assimilated into your body, meaning your body will use more of the nutrients provided. If you're still curious about the comparison, here's a great article called "Why Brown Rice is Better" from Hinduism Today magazine.

Some people don't buy brown rice because they've heard that the oils will go rancid and it doesn't have a long shelf life. So stick it in your freezer. I have several Foodsaver bags of brown rice in my freezer stored from a 25 pound bag I bought in bulk. Whenever I open a Foodsaver bag, I just pour it into a gallon-size Ziploc bag to take from in my fridge. A glass jar could work too. In fact, as soon as my husband finishes up his humongous pickle jar from Costco, I'll clean it out and start using that. (I'll have to REALLY clean it out though -- I can't stand the smell of pickles). Anyway, don't let the oil thing scare you. I've kept brown rice for a few years in the freezer without any problems of rancidity.

If you don't have a rice maker, I highly recommend you getting one. If you're only eating raw foods, then you wouldn't have much use for it, but if you cook your grains, you'll love it. I just made some brown rice tonight with a ton of veggies (summer squash, zucchini, broccoli, celery, white onions, brown mushrooms, and carrots) and am still feeling the joys of satisfaction.

Whenever I tried making rice before, it would turn out too sticky or burnt or something. All I do with the rice maker is put in 2 cups of rice, 2 1/2 cups of water, press "Cook" and wait until it switches to "Warm." (I actually like it better when it has sat warm for at least 10 minutes).

I've also used my rice maker to make cracked wheat in the morning. It's been awhile since I've made it, but I think I doubled the water to whatever amount of wheat I used. (Wheat uses a ton of water to cook). Then I add raisins, cinnamon, and some ground flax seed. Mmmm, it's hearty and warm. Now that I think of it, my friend adds flax seed to her rice too. I'll have to remember to do that next time. It adds a nice little crunch like you get with wild rice.

I got my rice maker at Target for around $15 on sale, but I don't think they're much more than $25 regularly. You don't have to use that cute little spoon that comes with it (in fact I think I lost mine). But it's fun how it fits in the handle (which is probably supposed to keep you from losing it :)).

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Clif Bar Mania


It was probably about 12 years ago that I tasted my first Clif bar. I'm not sure who introduced them to me. I may have just seen the big box at Costco. I probably took a sample of the Crunchy Peanut Butter Clif bar from a little lady with a white net on her hair. I do know that I bought a whole case of them and didn't have much money at the time. I didn't just chow down on them like I'd do now if they were in the house. It was always fun to read the little story about Clif on the back of the wrapper. The usual assumption was the bar was made for climbing cliffs (and they just spelled it wrong). Not so!

At the time, I was just starting out with exercising in the morning. I'd finally gotten in the habit of working out to exercise videos and started out doing it in the evenings after the kids went to bed. But I read Oprah's book that she wrote with her trainer, Bob Greene and he assured me that if I exercised in the morning, I'd raise my metabolism and would burn more calories all day long (as opposed to raising it in the evening and then letting it slow down soon after when I went to bed). Anyway, the morning workout habit was born and I found myself not able to work out on an empty stomach, yet not able to eat much without getting cramps in my sides. So I bought a case of Clif bars and would eat 1/2 half while getting dressed in my workout gear and it would give me enough energy to plug away through my beloved Denise Austin video . Since money was tight, I didn't allow myself to eat the other 1/2 until the next day. I kept them in my top dresser drawer and I was so diciplined about not eating them too fast. (I eventually grew past the need to eat before my workouts. Now I just drink a big glass of water and I'm good to go).

Flash forward a few years. I learned about a few other fun flavors (Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch, Cool Mint Chocolate) and found them on sale from time to time at WinCo for 88 cents a piece. Of course, I'd buy so many that I was spending more than just the case price at Costco, but I was enjoying having them on hand. One day I was in my husband's work place and his friend, Tim saw me eating a Clif Bar. He asked me if I'd heard about the new Luna Bar made just for women. "Just for women?" I thought. "What wonders could it behold?" He let me sample his and it was pretty tasty. I believe it was Chocolate Pecan Pie. It tasted like a Rice Krispie treat with chocolate on top. (I used to be the queen of making super soft Rice Krispie treats). It was a little strong, but fun to eat.

When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter in 1999, a friend who owns an outdoor store told me there were several new Luna flavors. He brought me samples and I ordered 2 cases from him of Peppermint Peppermint Stick and Cookies & Cream Delight (oh dear, my affinity for sugar is so obvious here). It was kind of funny because for a few days in a row I ate several of these Luna bars. As common in many pregnancies, I hit my limit and knew I could never eat another one again. Those cases sat in my pantry for months (so unusual for any Clif product in my house). I've since had the Nuts Over Chocolate on occasion, but never any flavor that has the white chocolate on top like those two I got sick of while pregnant. Blech!

This same friend brought home some cases of Clif Builder Bars to his children. I was there one day and was intrigued. I found some at the store and ate one while driving home. (I know Dr. Phil says not to eat in the car -- *sigh*). I actually verbally oooohed and ahhhhhed while eating it. It reminded me of that Reese's peanut butter candy bar (that I hadn't eaten in years). I've tried a few more flavors and the Mint Chocolate is by far my favorite.

And now they make a Clif bar for kids -- Z Bars. Z Bars are actually the only bar made by all food manufacturers (including granola bars) that meets the nutrition standards for schools in California. These yummy Chocolate Brownie bars are as good as those giant chocolate Costco muffins (but much smaller and with whole grains/no dairy). It's nice that they take care in their ingredients and for the most part, are vegan. Here's their statement about that: "All CLIF Bar products are made from ingredients that do not come from animals except Mojo (contains organic honey and traces of dairy), CLIF SHOT Recovery Drink contains whey), and LUNA Tea Cakes (contain traces of dairy)."

However, I must say that as nice as it is that Clif makes so many tasty products that provide chocolate delight and some nutrients without refined sugar, dairy or wheat, they are not whole foods. They are not health foods. I tend to get sucked into the idea that anything I buy at the health food store is excellent nutrition for my body. That's simply not the case. These might be nice treats to have occasionally, but I'm learning to not stock them in my pantry, and to not buy them in bulk. I used to buy them weeks before Easter or Christmas to put in Easter baskets of stockings. I'd find that I'd eat them all and would have to buy them all over again. I also found that I had digestion problems when I ate too many Clif bars or Luna bars because my body couldn't handle all that soy. Soy protein isolate is a refined food. It's not as good as eating the soybean itself (or any bowl of beans for that matter -- I'm not sure why so many people think that soybeans are the most nutritious -- perhaps since so many non-dairy products are made with soy).

So be cautious with your consumption if you enjoy Clif bars like I do. They're convenient and yummy, but still don't compare nutritionally to the almighty fruit and vegetable. I try to just buy them for special occasions (like holidays) or when I travel. I have to avoid the Clif aisle at Target these days and get my brain out of the mindset that if they're at the health food store, they must be calling my name.

Monday, January 12, 2009

The high cost of food

Since food prices went up this past year, I've paused a few times to wonder if I should cut back on purchasing so much produce. Fruit, especially, seems so much more expensive to buy. I've come to a few conclusions. First, keep shopping the sales. Even though the food market hasn't been hit as hard as the rest, there's still a struggle for businesses to stay in business. There are great sales every week. Watch for them and buy what you can when you can. I'm learning that I don't *always* have to have bananas on hand (as much as I'd love to). I'm also learning that if I wait even just one day longer to go to the store when we're out of something I think we need (or more likely, my kids are telling me we need), I'm saving some money by stretching it out another day or two.



Second of all, I don't need to eat so much all the time. I'm used to eating, eating, eating. On the days that I don't eat as much, I'm just fine too. My body actually feels better. I think it was Bryan Kest (yoga instructor) who talks about this silly notion that we need to feel full and content so often. It's actually good for our bodies to run on less than 1/2 a tank and to even get down to empty here and there before filling up again.

Dr. Fuhrman talks about true hunger in his books and says that most of us have rarely (if ever) experienced it. When we think we're hungry, he says that we are actually just experiencing "a period of withdrawal from excessive eating of unhealthy foods and caffeine." He says that true hunger never is felt in the stomach or through lightheadedness, head aches, or fatigue. Those are withdrawal or detox symptoms. Once your body is digesting only healthy foods and has nothing to detoxify, you can go longer without eating and will only experience true hunger (which is felt in the mouth and throat and isn't nearly as uncomfortable).

Also, Dr. Fuhrman discourages snacking. Not a fun idea for a self-proclaimed grazer like I am. He's not super strict about the timing, but makes some pretty good points against eating around the clock:
"You should not eat because you are tired, you should eat when you are hungry. Most people eat more calories than they need. Eating when you are not hungry makes it more likely you will eat too many calories, not less likely, and when you use hunger to guide you to the amount and frequency of feeding, you will most likely reach the perfect weight for you. Some preconceived notion of 5 or 6 small meals a day or 2 to 3 meals a day is not the issue, the main issue is not to overeat. But eating too frequently keeps the body in a digestive mode all the time and that is not optimal for proper digestion, elimination and longevity."

So back to the money issue, save some money (or at least don't spend so much) by experiencing eating less and experiencing true hunger throughout the day. You'll have more energy and won't be as consumed with what you're going to eat next all the time.


photo courtesy of nbcmeissner

Sunday, January 11, 2009

1-11-11

Today's my Grandpa Southwick's birthday. He was born in 1911 on January 11th. 1-11-11. I love that. He died many years ago, but I think of him on every January 11th and think of what it was like to have him in my life and what my life would be like if he'd lived any longer. He died a year before I graduated from college, two years before I met my husband, and five years before I had any children. I imagine he met my children before they came to earth though. He loved children.

My grandpa loved children more than any other grandpa I've seen. He loved to take the little ones up onto his knee, hug them, and kiss their cheeks. He'd look at what they were doing and would comment on how precious they were to everyone else. You always felt loved by grandpa and you always sensed his love for everyone else.

He broke his neck when he was young and suffered head aches when he was older as a result. Severe headaches. Headaches that no doctor or no medication could remedy. But when there was a child in the room, my grandpa would say, "This is the best medicine there is" and would feel relieve and joy from his pain as he beheld his granddaughter or grandson. It makes me think of Jesus gathering the children around him and saying "Behold your little ones." My grandpa loved us that much.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Nutrient per Calorie Density in Various Foods

The Nutrient density scores or Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) were assigned by Dr. Furhman to foods based on how many nutrients they give to your body in each calorie you consume. The food scores are out of a possible score of 1,000. The food labels you see in the store (or on your shelves) don't even give a glimpse of this vital information in the foods that you're eating. We seem to understand as a society that natural foods have more nutrients, but there is a huge range in nutrient density amongst even whole foods.

Here's the list computed according to serving size, (all fruits and vegetables tested were raw, unless specified as "cooked"):

Kale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1000
Mustard Greens, cooked . . . . .1000
Watercress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1000
Collard Greens, cooked . . . . . .1000
Bok Choy, cookied . . . . . . . . . . 824
Spinach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 739
Spinach, cooked . . . . . . . . . . . .697
Brussels Sprouts . . . . . . . . . . . 672
Swiss Chard, cooked . . . . . . . . 670
Arugula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .560
Radish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Bean Sprouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Red Pepper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .420
Cabbage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Romaine Lettuce . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Broccoli. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..376
Vegetable Juice . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Boston Lettuce . . . . . . . . . . . . .353
Carrot Juice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Broccoli, cooked . . . . . . . . . . . .342
Cauliflower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285
Green Pepper . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Tomato Sauce, cooked . . . . . . .248
Artichoke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
Carrots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Salsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..236
Asparagus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Zucchini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Strawberries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Pomegranate Juice . . . . . . . . . . 193
Tomato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Butternut Squash . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Plums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
Raspberries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Celery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Mushrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Blueberries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Brazil Nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Iceberg Lettuce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Orange. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Grapefruit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Cantaloupe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Kiwi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Beets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Eggplant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Watermelon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Orange Juice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Tofu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Sweet Potato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Apple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Peach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Green Peas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Cherries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Lentils...............................................68
Pineapple..........................................64
Apricots............................................64
Black Beans......................................58
Edamame.........................................58
Kidney Beans...................................56
Oats, cooked....................................53
Mango...............................................51
Cucumber.........................................50
Soybeans..........................................48
Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans)............48
Onions..............................................47
Prunes..............................................47
Pears................................................46
Sunflower Seeds................................46
Tuna.................................................46
Honeydew Melon...........................45
Soy Burgers........................................45
Flax Seeds.......................................44
Brown Rice, Cooked.......................41
Sesame Seeds.................................41
Flounder/Sole.................................41
Salmon.............................................39
Sprouted Grain Bread...................39
Avocado...........................................38
Swordfish........................................38
Pumpkin Seeds..............................36
Canned Tuna, in water.................36
Skim Milk.......................................36
Pecans.............................................34
Soy Milk..........................................33
Deli Turkey Breast........................33
Tahini Butter..................................32
Barley, cooked................................32
Grapes.............................................31
Potato..............................................31
Cod...................................................31
Banana.............................................30
Walnuts...........................................29
Pistachios........................................29
Eggs.................................................28
Chicken Breast...............................27
Soy Cheese (ick!)...........................27
London Broil...................................26
Plain Yogurt, low fat......................26
Almonds..........................................25
Figs..................................................25
Corn.................................................25
Whole Wheat Bread......................25
Feta Cheese....................................23
Pork Loin........................................23
Milk Chocolate...............................21
Quinoa, cooked..............................21
Ground Beef...................................20
Whole Milk.....................................20
Dates...............................................19
Peanuts...........................................19
Whole Wheat Pasta, cooked.........19
White Pasta, cooked......................18
White Bread....................................18
Bagel, whole grain..........................18
Peanut Butter.................................18
Cottage Cheese, low-fat.................18
Pizza.................................................17
Popcorn............................................16
Raisins..............................................16
Cashews...........................................15
McDonald's Cheeseburger............15
Fruit Yogurt, low-fat.....................14
Pretzels............................................13
Cashew Butter................................13
Bologna............................................13
White Rice, cooked.........................12
Potato Chips....................................11
Saltine Crackers..............................11
Granola Bar, chocolate chip...........11
Cheddar Cheese..............................11
Pine Nuts.........................................10
Macadamias....................................10
American Cheese...........................10
Vanilla Ice Cream............................9
Vanilla Frozen Yogurt.....................9
Hot Dog, beef...................................8
Sugar Cookies..................................5
Cream Cheese.................................4
Corn Oil............................................3
Olive Oil............................................2
Honey................................................1
Cola.................................................. 1/2


Isn't it amazing that most of the food we eat is under a score of 100. It's crazy how most Americans base their diets on the lowest scoring foods. I was just thinking as I typed the frozen yogurt score that I fell HARD for that trend when it first came out -- thinking that frozen yogurt must be so much healthier and less fattening than ice cream. Several times a week, I'd stop by the Yogurt Station while in college, would look at the menu, see that I could get much more in a medium for only 20 cents more. But why stop there, an extra large was over double the size of a medium and not that much more money. I'd eat those extra larges (peanut butter chocolate and some orange/tangerine maybe? were my regular flavors) all the time, thinking I was eating something healthy -- something that wouldn't make me fat. If I had just looked in the mirror, I would have known that wasn't the case. Oh well. Glad I grew past that addiction.

I do want to add that just because some foods score lower than 100, they are still healthy (like the fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes). They just pack in more calories, so you don't want to eat them in large quantities. The fruit has enough water (and the legumes enough bulk) that you'd probably never overeat them anyway. Just watch it with the nuts and seeds (but enjoy when you do eat them!) I try to keep to 1/4 cup a day, maybe 1/3 cup at times. Dr. Fuhrman says a little less, but I exercise each day and have never gained weight eating that many nuts. In fact, I've lost weight at times eating more, especially when I'm eating all raw and lots of greens. I think my body functions well with healthy oils from nuts and seeds.