Living It With Lisa

Don’t feel guilty … you can have chocolate everyday!  That doesn’t mean a candy bar everyday.  It’s all about moderation.  One ounce will do it.  Studies show that dark chocolate has several health benefits and it now considered a superfood.

A significant reason is because dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids.   Flavonoids are commonly known for their antioxidant activity.  Dark Chocolate is not processed as much and contains at least 65% cacao.    I personally love 80% or more!

There are several delicious reasons to eat dark chocolate and here are my top three:

Dark chocolate fights free radicals and free radicals are responsible for aging and some diseases like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.  I totally forgot to add Dark Chocolate to my new book  “101 Best Ways to Feel Younger and Live Longer”.  What was I thinking!

Some studies are showing that dark chocolate may help prevent cancer.  Why?  Because antioxidant rich foods contain cancer fighting properties.  I say great…. Instead of “an apple a day … “ we can say “an ounce a day keeps the doctor away!”

We know it makes us feel good … right?   Joy DuBost, PhD, RD says “The theory is that chocolate stimulates the neural activity in the regions of the brain associated with pleasure and reward.”

My suggestion … find 1 ounce pieces of dark chocolate that you can nibble on to satisfy that need for chocolate.  The perfect healthy indulgent bite!

My husband and I just returned from Barcelona, Spain where we sampled our share of Tapas Restaurants. Tapas refer to a type of Spanish cuisine used more broadly to describe a style of dining known as small plates.  Anything can come on a small plate.  You can order several different tapas and share them.  Mini appetizers if you will.  It’s a great way to try a variety of flavorful dishes in creating your dining experience.

During my time in the world of Tapas, I learned a few great lessons that put a twist into my daily eating routine:

Twist #1:  Use small plates.  Use no larger than a 9-inch plate, like a salad plate.  Studies show that food psychology works.  So whether it is a dinner plate or a salad plate, your eyes tell you it is a plate full of food!

Twist #2:  Rate Your Plate.  Your proportions on ANY size plate should be 50% non-starchy vegetable, 25% starch or grain, and 25% protein. With mixed dishes like casseroles, soups and stews, think of the ingredients separately to see if the proportions are correct.  All you may need to do is add a fresh salad. Avoid seconds at any meal. Save what remains for another meal and you have maximized your time in the kitchen.

Twist #3: Get colorful! Your plate should be a rainbow of color. Use fresh herbs and spices to kick up the flavors. Remember we eat visually with our eyes first.  If your plate looks boring and all one color it will not be very appealing to the eyes or to the palate.

The result?  A beautiful plate with balanced portions of healthy, fresh, and tasty food, just waiting to dance on your taste buds!

So if it’s time to lose a few pounds or make healthier food choices, try a smaller plate this year and you’ll SEE the difference.

Remember: Small Plates = Smart Plates!

Since Carter was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes it is even more important that he understands portion control.  But the real truth is that we ALL should be aware of not only the food /fuel that we are putting in our bodies but the portion size.  That is just as important for the obesity epidemic in this country as well as any other food related disease.

Quality AND quantity are essential to our health.

Tweak of the Week:  Portion Distortion

As we enter the holiday season we are suseptable to getting sick.  Our immune system is lower.  One reason could be the amount of sugar we eat in all those extra carbs and calories at Thanksgiving and then Christmas.

I found this article to be simple and straight forward in helping us to understand exactly what happens in different areas of our bodies.  The article is short and to the point and EASY to implement.

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their “Spotlight on the Home” series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog & provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent Undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the Collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential Nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won’t leave streaks and won’t harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

As I have read more about diabetes, obesity and food related diseases it is important that we identify the food that make a difference in everyday health along with the superfoods.

Making those foods a staple in our pantry will make a difference in not only a change in what we reach for but the quality of our life now and 25 years from now.  So what are you going to tweak in your diet this week?

Tweak of the Week:  Foods to Eat Every Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! This is a saying that has stayed with us for many years. It is believed to have come from an ancient Roman proverb. The Romans truly believed the apple had magical powers to cure illnesses. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why this might be true.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028061_apple_doctor.html

I ran across this information and have not confirmed that it came from Johns Hopkins.  However it is information that is widely known and now compiled in one article.

To remain healthier and/or if I was diagnosed with cancer, I would want to understand everything possible.  I believe we are only as healthy as the food we choose to eat.  I liken our bodies to a Ferrari.  If I owned one I would never put substandard oil, gas, fluids in that vehicle.  Why?  It would not run at its full potential and would make the parts wear out quicker.  Our bodies are our God given Ferrari that will eventually wear out, of that we are certain.  But does it have to work overtime combating the chemicals and substandard food that we choose to eat?  It only makes our parts break down faster and sometime they cannot be repaired.

It is imperative that we become conscious eaters. Pay attention to the quality and the quantity of the food you eat.  You will be healthier for it!

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AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO COMBAT CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINSIS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY.

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime.

3. When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc., and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

a)   Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg’s aminos or sea salt.

b)   Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soymilk, cancer cells are being starved.

c)   Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d)   A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

e)   To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

f)     Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water–best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.  Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

Now you didn’t think that I would write about drinking water without a follow up on the MANY reasons I have HUGE aversion to Soda.

Now also realize that my husband HAS to have a Diet Coke Fountain Drink every day!  And not 8 oz. either.   And not in a can or bottle.  FOUNTAIN DRINK ONLY!  Tori brings him one in the morning when she arrives for work.  On the weekend, he will trot off to the store to get his ‘devil drink’.  And he will drive extra mlles if the fountain machine is better somewhere else.  Now that is an addiction!

I do not keep soda in our home except when we have a party and then there is VERY little of it.  I used to supply 1 liter each of Coke and Diet Coke.  When I started having leftovers, I switched to the 6 pack pony size.  I am still having leftovers.  Why?  I make sure to provide several other healthier options.  It also may be that most of our guest realize they won’t find sodas so enjoy the other options that they may not have at home.

So when I read this article by  Kathleen Aicardi, M.Ed. at eDiets, I really enjoyed what she had to share. Some I knew and some was new information.  I have posted part of it here with a link to the article at the bottom of this post.

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SODA:  7 Things You Didn’t Know

Soda consumption has more than quadrupled in the last 40 years.  The average American consumes five cans of soda each day.  A typical serving of a soft drink once was 8 ounces, today a small is 12 ounces and a large soft drink is 32 ounces.

Soda is not a replacement for water.  Water makes up about 70 percent of our body composition.  Pure water is what we need to replenish our body’s requirements.  Water transports substances throughout the body.  It helps to regulate body temperature and remove wastes from the body. Water is also needed for the digestive process.

Approximately 73 percent of all Americans are chronically dehydrated.  Signs of dehydration of just 2 percent can result in fatigue and fuzzy thinking.  A loss of 4 percent results in a decrease of muscle strength and endurance.  A loss of 10 percent results in weakness and decreased tolerance for heat.  Finally, a loss of 20 percent can result in coma or death.

Here are some interesting facts about soda you may want to keep in mind:

1.  The sugar in soda can increase insulin levels in the blood, which over time can lead to type 2 diabetes, as well as high blood pressure, heart disease and weight gain.  Consuming just one can of soda a day can increase your weight by 18 pounds per year.

2. Phosphoric acid found in many types of soda inhibits the proper absorption of calcium causing bones to become week and teeth to become soft.  Is it any wonder the incidence of osteoporosis continues to increase in America?  Additionally, Americans have the highest incidence of osteoporosis in the world.

3. Many sodas contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and energy enhancer.  However, caffeine increases urine output further contributing to water losses.

4. Diet sodas contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener.  Aspartame has been challenged by many people who claim they have had serious side affects, such as headaches, dizziness, seizures and nausea, from its use. For those who drink diet soda as an alternative to sugary soda, aspartame can interfere with the body’s ability to reach weight loss goals.

5. Soda also contains sodium, a nutrient that promotes water retention.  When sodium levels are excessive in the body, the resulting water retention can cause other health risks, such as increased blood pressure.

6. Drinking soda can lead to other health problems because large amounts of soda can decrease your appetite for fruits, vegetable and essential nutrients.

7. It has been widely accepted that Coke can also be used to; loosen rusted bolts, clean up blood stains, clean corrosion off battery terminals and remove stubborn toilet bowls stains.

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So I say,why even waste your tastebuds or your more importantly your health on Soda.

Link to the rest of the eDiets article