CoronaVirus—Fortify Your Immune System

There is lots of fear and angst about the Corona Virus spreading through out the world. You can read/watch all about the disease, its spread, and projections on its length of stay in our midst in many places. Most of us, especially in the US are sheltering in place to minimize the spread—we are in our fourth week in North-East California. 

Many health officials refer to "underlying conditions" as reasons why many get very sick and some succumb to the virus as a result. Senior citizens are often in that category, at least they likely have a weaker immune system just because of age.

We're urged to stay at home and if we go out, stay 6 feet away from anyone plus wash our hands and sanitize everywhere we touch.

BUT—Here's the BIGGY that none of our leaders are talking about. Fortify Your Immune System!

Check this article to learn about the immune system.

No matter the age, we can have a robust immune system that gets us through an illness or helps us completely avoid it. That's what a healthy immune system does. That's how our bodies were designed.

It takes an investment in time and effort. We've got time now so make the effort.

If you stocked up on junk food for your isolation time, you are not going to be prepared to handle the virus. While we're fighting an invader to our body, we need nutrition (and a few other things) to fortify the immune system

Steps to Fortify Your Immune System

• Eat a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grains and beans. If you've been following me, you know I eat Whole-Food, Plant-Based (WFPB). No processed food, dairy and meat. I notice that the produce section is very well stocked in the grocery stores. No empty shelves there. Also the vegan food section is fully stocked. Good for me and my fellow WFPB eaters, but a dire picture of a populace making bad food choices.

Time to eat food that nourishes our body. Here's a great post from an investment group I belong to. It lays out the specifics of a healthy diet: How to Beat the Coronavirus.

There is evidence-based science galore on the matter of whole food, plant-based nutrition and its effect on health. Time to get on the bandwagon. It WILL save your life!

• Get plenty of sleep. It's nonsense that you can get away with 6 hours a night of sleep. Sleep is a necessary requirement for a healthy immune system. I call it Body Repair. While you sleep your cells are going through repair mode. That cannot happen while we're awake because the body is busy creating energy for activity, digestion, addressing stress and other functions in the body. Get 8 to 9 hours of sleep. You need it!

• Take targeted supplements that enhance your immune system. Here are the main ones in adult dosages—reduce dose for children based on weight:
• Vitamin C—I take 2,000 milligrams of Vitamin C everyday. Vitamin C has been used for treatment of many diseases including respiratory virus infections. You might take 3,000 milligrams daily in divided doses.
• Zinc—This mineral has shown to help your body fight viruses, bacteria and disease. See The Role of Zinc in Antiviral Immunity. 20 mg daily is a helpful dose.
• Vitamin D—You can take 3,000 International Units daily.
• Selenium—You can take 100 micrograms daily. Or as I do, eat two organic Brazil Nuts daily because they are rich in selenium.
• Magnesium—You can take 400mg daily in citrate, malate, chelate or chloride form.

• Get exercise. Outside is best. During our Shelter in Place (SIP) order, I've seen lots of people out walking the trails in the area where I live. Great! Fresh air, elevated heart rate and being immersed in nature is good for your body. Exercise will cause immune cells to muster to  regions that are susceptible to infection (e.g., lungs and guts) for a few hours after exercise.

• Avoid sugar. It is death to the body. It weakens the immune system and causes so much other damage. 

• Be grateful, practice kindness, offer grace, keep your amends list small, think positive and live in the moment. Pray for the world, our country and the healing of people with the virus. These practices will keep your stress levels down. Increased stress takes a toll on our immune system. Attitude is everything.

If you Get Sick...

If you do get the CoronaVirus, take care of yourself by continuing to do all of the above. Increase your rest and sleep so your body can tackle the virus.

Embrace the fever unless it reaches 103º F (39.4º C) or higher). Fever is your innate immune response attacking the invader. The high heat helps kill the invading virus or bacteria. Following the theme that heat kills disease, there is evidence that using saunas (17.25 minutes into video) can help kill the virus. Similarly, you can use a hot tub/spa.

Drink lots of water—filtered of course.

Keep in mind that most who succumb to the CoronaVirus have underlying conditions particularly obesity. 70% of those admitted to intensive care are obese and 61% of those die. This video covers the latest numbers and demographics.

Bottom Line 

If you take care of your body it will get you through this pandemic with no or minimal effects.

Tell me what you are doing to prevent the CoronaVirus from infecting you.

Stay safe and be cautious. Follow the President's Guidelines and we'll #GetThroughThisTogether.

Original Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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Week 4 March Makeover 28-Day Challenge

Week Four (March 21 - March 28)

We're at the home stretch. Now that you've locked in a new healthy lifestyle doing the Challenge, what do you do when you’re on vacation and eating out? Good news! Over the last 10 years, I’ve seen lots of changes in restaurant menus that accommodate vegan diets.

Besides avoiding fast food, here are 10 Survival Tips to make eating out work for your Healthy Lifestyle:

1. Plan ahead. Where will you be eating? Consider what meal options are available.
2. Go online and explore the menu to discover possible selections. Look for a section of healthier choices.
3. Ask for smaller portions. Restaurant portions are typically too large.
4. Split your order. Share with a friend or spouse or take half home for another meal.
5. For a lighter meal, check out the appetizers. I find many a yummy, healthy meal in the appetizer section. Warning! That's where all the fried stuff can be, so be wise.
6. Order toppings and dressings on the side. Most dressings have added sugar, so drizzle on sparingly.
7. Don't be afraid to make special requests. Keep them simple. At a 5-star restaurant I asked the waiter to have the chef lightly steam whatever veggies they had. They brought me a huge plate of lovely, assorted veggies.
8. Tell the waiter to nix the bread or just take one piece and have the rest removed from the table. Remember! Bread is like sugar, especially white bread, and it ends up around your middle in the long run.
9. If you've eaten healthy for the day (sticking to plant-based, non-processed foods) then don't fret too much over your meal out. It's not the amount of calories you consume, but the KIND of calories that matter. All calories are not equal.
10. Limit any alcohol to one drink. It's empty calories and tends to increase your appetite.

It's not the amount of calories you consume, but the KIND of calories that matter.

For vacations and other occasions, bring your own food:

• Bring homemade Trail Mix and healthy plant-based meal bars (e.g. Epic, GoMacro, Amazing Grass) on trips.
• For potlucks, bring a dish that fits your eating needs so you have at least one thing you can eat.
• Eat something before going to events so you’re not hungry. You can pick and choose appetizers and plate items that fit your diet.

Do a search for vegan restaurants in your area. You may be surprised to find a few you never knew existed. Then go out and support them.

This is the last step in the March Makeover 28-Day Challenge. If you stuck with the plan, CONGRATULATIONS! If you did this Challenge to make health changes (heal a chronic disease or lower your cholesterol or blood pressure), you might want to make an appointment with your doctor and have your "numbers" checked. The results could make your doctor a believer—Food is Medicine. 

For further reading and education, you might want to pick up Dr. Greger's book How Not To Die and his cookbook by the same name. Also, watch movies and videos on the subject on NetFlicks, Amazon Prime Video and iTunes. Watch movies like Eating You Alive, Plant Pure Nation, Chow Down and if you have not seen it, the classic Forks One Knives.

And with that, I hereby claim you are now plant-based certified. Go and spread the word.

Tell me what did you find most difficult during the challenge and what did you find was easy?

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Week 3 March Makeover 28-Day Challenge

By now in the challenge, you should be feeling pretty good. You may have lost some weight. No longer have headaches. Your foggy thinking is gone. That's what happens when you clean up your diet.

If you feel you’ve been bad, don’t beat yourself up. Keep going. Change happens with baby steps and persistence.

If you haven’t already downloaded Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen app on the App Store or Google Play, get it now to help you add more plant-based foods to your meals and snacks. Add one or two more vegetables to your meal and only fruit for dessert. Steam, stir-fry, or roast veggies or use raw in a salad or smoothie.

Example:
If you like avocado, toast a whole grain sprouted or sour dough slice and spread with avocado. Don’t stop there. Add cucumber, tomatoes, greens, sprouts, onion and top with a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Mmmmmm!

Example:
Have you made a Buddah Bowl? Start with a grain/seed (e.g., quinoa, farro, freeka, teff, barley, millet, etc.), add toppings (grated carrots, beans, chopped peppers, pepperoncini, sauerkraut, anything goes). Drizzle with apple cider vinegar and oil.

What About Smoothies?
Everyone loves smoothies, but do you drink veggie smoothies? Start by adding a handful of spinach to your fruit smoothie. BE CREATIVE. Build up to adding more and different veggies to acclimate your taste buds to more green. Here’s a basic recipe to start with:

Basic Green Smoothie
1 Banana
1 C Berries (frozen or fresh)
Lemon wedge (skin and seeds included)
Spinach (big handful)
1 Tbsp Fresh mint
1 C of ice, cold water or coconut water
Blend all ingredients. Optional: Add 1/2 Tbsp fresh ground flaxseed to thicken.

A note about the detox effect. You may feel pretty bad during the initial phase of your lifestyle change. Headaches, diarrhea, achy muscles—these are all symptoms of your body releasing toxins that have built-up in your tissues. Keep going. You really need this Makeover. You'll begin to feel so good, you'll never look back.

So let's review.

Week 1:
Clean-out your pantry and fridge. Eliminate unhealthy, processed foods. Begin a clean diet by eliminating dairy and meat. Dump household chemicals.

Week 2:
Restock your pantry with organic, healthy basics. Stock your refrigerator with organic plant-based food. Begin adding healthy recipes to your daily eating that include plenty of veggies, beans, nuts and seeds, and whole intact grains.

Keep it going! Your body will thank you with great health.

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Week 2 March Makeover 28-Day Challenge

Welcome to Week Two (March 7 - March 14)

Did you have fun throwing out all that bad food. I would not even use the word "food" to describe anything with artificial ingredients that interfere with your body's metabolism and function plus cause inflammation and weight gain. 

Now that you've cleaned out your pantry, time to shop. Here is a list of items to restock it:

Stocking a Healthy Pantry

Buy organic, no sulfites, non-gmo’s as much as possible.

Artichoke hearts (jarred or frozen)

Beans (dried and canned) black beans, chickpeas/garbanzo beans, kidney beans, navy beans, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, lentils, split peas, and cannellini beans (When buying canned beans look for products without preservatives, such as calcium disodium EDTA, use low-sodium, and without added sugar)

Chipotle chilies in adobo (if you like spicy)

Cocoa powder/cacao (unsweetened)

Dried fruits: dates, raisins, apricots, goji berries, figs, papaya

Flour: chickpea, coconut, almond, sprouted wheat, spelt

Grains: red, brown, or black rice, red or black quinoa, old-fashioned rolled oats/steel cut, millet, barley, bulgar

Miso paste (white)

Nut butters and tahini

Nutritional yeast

Nuts and seeds: raw almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, hulled hemp seeds (hemp hearts), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds 

Organic veggie broth (low sodium)

Pasta and noodles: 100% whole-grain or bean-based spaghetti, linguine, lasagna, soba

Roasted red peppers (jarred)

Spices and dried herbs

Sauces and Condiments: hot sauce, coconut aminos, tamari, mustard, olives, pickles, sauerkraut

Sweeteners: Pure maple syrup, dates, raw honey

Tomato products: salt-free jarred, BPA-free canned, or Tetra Pak tomato products (diced, whole, puree’, paste, marinara sauce)

Tortillas: 100% whole-grain and corn, sprouted wheat

Vanilla beans/vanilla

Vinegars (apple cider, balsamic, rice)

Superfoods: hemp seeds, maca powder, flax seeds, chia seeds, spirulina

Stock your refrigerator with plant-based food:

• Use Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides and Produce from EWG to pick healthy produce.
• If you eat meat (I recommend that you go 100% plant-based for at least a month), buy meats that are 100% organic and grass-fed. Buy fish that is wild-caught (not farm-raised).
• Buy ingredients for basic juice: 
• Carrots
• Kale, Cabbage or Broccoli
• Celery
• Apple
• Ginger (optional)
• Buy veggies for making healthy, chunky salad:
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Beans (black or garbanzo)
• Red onion
• Cilantro

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Healthy Chunky Salad

Ingredients:

Carrot

Cucumber

Celery

Kale

Cabbage

Onion

Black or garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)

Prep:

Cut veggies into bite-size pieces. Add beans. Dress with Apple Cider Vinegar and Olive Oil and your choice of spices—optional: add lemon juice and/or Balsamic Vinegar. Mix together and ENJOY!

Add walnuts, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, apple or pear chunks for variation. BE CREATIVE!

Make a healthy Super Food Green Smoothie. Click here for the recipe.

Prepare juice drinks, big veggie (Healthy Chunky) salad and Super Food Green Smoothie to eat/drink as you adjust to a plant-based, clean eating routine. Note: do not juice fruit—it concentrates the sugars. Juice vegetables then add to blender and add fruit if you find the taste too green. This will help you adjust your palate as you eat more veggies.

There are plenty of recipes to explore on this site for your new healthy lifestyle. So start exploring.

Continue your healthy makeover and see you here next week.

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Week 1 March Makeover 28-Day Challenge

Boy have I been busy. I recently moved to a 55+ retirement community and since many baby-boomers live here, I figured I must share my passion for health. Last summer we kicked off a club called Healthy Lifestyle Living and many people came to find out what keeps me healthy. After all they see me running on the trails in the community—I'm one of only a few residents who run.

My brother and sister-in-law moved to the community as well. Last year they went through a detox program with a naturopathic doctor and as those programs have a tendency to do—they lost significant weight and look amazing now. That fact has not been lost on the other residents of the community. My sister-in-law, Marion, is my team partner in the Healthy Lifestyle Living Club.

We've had many who come to out meetings, but only a few have taken our teaching to heart and changed their lifestyle to get healthy. Wanting to up the game, I decided to create a challenge for the month of March.

I'm sharing this with you in case you wanted to take the challenge and get healthy too. I'll post the action guide for each week and you can comment with questions and achievements.

Welcome to WEEK 1!

Week One (February 28 - March 7)

• Clean-out your pantry and fridge. Eliminate unhealthy, processed foods. Here are 11 unhealthy food additives to look for:

1. Artificial Sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, etc.), generally food called Diet…
2. High Fructose Corn Syrup
3. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)—oftentimes masked as "natural flavors"
4. Trans Fats/Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Oils
5. Food Dyes
6. Sodium Sulfite
7. Sodium Nitrate/Sodium Nitrite
8. BHA and BHT
9. Sulphur Dioxide
10. Potassium Bromate
11. Sugar 

Here’s a post on my website to help you — Eliminating Unhealthy Food

• Begin a clean diet by eliminating dairy. No cheese, milk, cream, etc. Don’t panic! Often dairy causes a number of issues especially gut problems and inflammation. You may find you feel better in a short time. After a month without dairy, you could begin to add it back, but ONLY organic, grass-fed dairy. However, you’re better off without the dairy.

• Dump household chemicals.Throw out any cleaning products that have harmful ingredients. You may need to take them to a hazardous waste disposal facility. Replace with more Green products (brands like Planet and 7th Generation). Don’t forget white vinegar mixed with water is a good all-around cleaner. 

Re-stock with healthy items. For good prices, shop Thrive Market (https://thrivemarket.com). They offer free shipping and free gifts.

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Let me know how Week 1 is going in the comments below.

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Book Review: Chris Beat Cancer by Chris Wark

First let me say, EVERYONE needs to read this book: Chris Beat Cancer. Seems we all hear of a friend, family or acquaintance just diagnosed with cancer every month—even every week. You have to ask, "Am I next."

Then you hear of so many dying of the disease... or is it the disease? I had two family members recently tell me that their loved one died from the treatment—notably the chemotherapy. One actually heard this from the oncologist.

So what does one do? Answer: Be informed and ready to take massive action if the diagnosis hits home. I did and many of you know my story. I'm a living testament to the information in this book. Information that Chris so expertly lays out. His direct, yet folksy style makes reading the book an easy exercise.

Chris' Cancer Story
Chapter 1 covers Chris' story in detail not previously told. If you've ever heard Chris speak (listen to the many great video interviews of cancer conquerers on his site Chris Beat Cancer) you'll "hear" his voice throughout the book, but especially when telling about his personal experience. Chris followed his gut and paid attention to things placed in his path as he went against the normal treatment direction and his doctor's warning. His story might be summed up by this quote from the book:

"I eliminated everything in my life that may have contributed to my disease, and changed the internal terrain of my body—making it a place where cancer could not thrive." 

Current Standard Treatment
Chapter 2 addresses the history of disease and the contributing factors, such as poor quality food stripped of nutrition and pumped with artificial ingredients, added to our lack of activity. The sad facts about treatments that result in death because of mistakes, communication errors and over diagnosis are looked at in Chapter 3. Plus, studies show that treating cancer with chemotherapy does not extend life any significant amount, but can do permanent damage to the patient.

Throughout the book, information is marked with references to copious endnotes that back up Chris' points and facts. There are 34 pages of endnotes!

Chapters 4, 5 and 6 cover the dirty details of our overmedicated population enriching the pharmaceutical industry, which creates new drugs that cost more yet do not affect the patient outcome. The drug Avastin was fast tracked to treat metastatic breast cancer, but later clinical trials revealed the drug maker could not back up its claims. Despite its dismal record, Avastin is still being used. Cancer screening and cancer treatment can cause cancer—yep. Cancer is big business and despite insurance, costly to the patient. The cost of creating new drugs is enormous and safety studies are conducted/funded by the drug companies—not an independent third party. Stats for cancer are skewed and twisted to make you think things are getting better. What you'll read should help you decide if what you hear about cancer treatment results is meaningful or deceptive.

"Endless rounds of radiation and chemo treatments may keep the cancer under control for a while, but destroy the patient in the process." 

The Plan to Heal
Chapter 7 sets the stage for healing by deciding to live—yes, LIVE! Okay? Once you decide to live, there are 5 steps Chris lays out that require action on your part. Cancer is your body's warning light. Don't believe you can smash the light, remove it or poison it (and your body) and you'll be all better. You must:

1. Accept total responsibility for your health.
2. Be willing to do whatever it takes.
3. Take massive action.
4. Make plans for the future.
5. Enjoy your life and the process.

The blueprint to rebuild your body begins in Chapter 8, 9 and 10. There is so much great information here including key foods that are anti-cancer, super foods that build your immune system and prevent damage, warnings about eating foods sprayed with pesticides (HINT: eat organic) and reminders that real food is your medicine. You'll get recipes for Chris' basic juices and his Giant Cancer-Fighting Salad. All to give your body concentrated nutrition so it can heal. He emphasizes simplicity, a feature I need, which makes it achievable for all. What you're doing for the next year is building a new body—cell by cell. While doing this, there are warnings to limit or eliminate meat. Learn why and how meat is harmful to our bodies and why if you eat meat it must be "clean" (pasture-raised or wild caught).

A word here... Chris goes into some technical talk about certain things. I love reading and knowing that kind of stuff, but you don't need to know it to get better. Follow the food protocol Chris puts out and get nutrition in your body. That's your job.

Chapter 11 addresses the issue of toxicity from various sources, the importance of water, the assault toxins make on the liver and what to clear out of your life, home, and body. The importance of exercise, rest, sunlight and sleep are covered in Chapter 12. Chris zeros in on the problems with stress and how it can affect your healing (Chapter 13). He gives you helpful ideas to neutralize stress, but in the end, being a person of faith, what's out of our control are things God can handle.

Speaking of faith, the final Chapter (14) is about spiritual healing, dealing with fear and doubt, attitude and forgiveness. I saw what unforgiveness does to a person. It eats you alive until you die. Harsh words, but true. Dealing with these things is just as important as feeding your body concentrated good nutrition to heal.

The Bottom Line
I believe this book is the best and most comprehensive book on cancer. If you or a loved one is dealing with cancer, this book is a must read. Learn the truth about current treatments with citations and studies to back it up. Plus you'll be armed with information to help you take massive action to heal your body and restore your health. If you have been passive about your health, Chris Beat Cancer will educate you and help you change your life and launch you into action.

Buy it! Read it! Give it!

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Wisdom Wednesday

Myth:
If you want to lose weight, you need to eat less and exercise more.

Fact:
Losing weight isn't about eating less. It's about eating healthy—cutting out the sugar, breads and artificial ingredients. It's not about counting calories, but choosing the right calories. Dump the processed foods and eat fresh, plant-based foods (vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts and seeds), which are full of nutrients. You'll shrink to a healthier weight with whatever exercise you do.

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Time for a Lifestyle Change? Keep It Clean

We live in a very different world today from when I grew up in the 50's and 60's. Even though there were issues with pollution and toxicity, it seemed nothing like the saturation point it appears we have reached today.

We are surrounded by chemicals that cause cancer. Chemicals are in our food, clothing, furniture, water and air.

Is it any wonder cancer is so pervasive today? It used to be few knew anyone with cancer. Today, we all have family, friends and neighbors confronted with the horrible diagnosis of cancer. In the Us vs. Them War on Cancer, clearly cancer has won.

So what can we do?

First, make the choice and act to go CLEAN.

The foundation of a healthy lifestyle starts with living clean. Simply speaking, it means removing chemicals from every part of our lives that we control—in and around our homes, in our food, what we put on our bodies, furniture we buy... you get the picture.

Start With Your Food

Open your pantry and refrigerator and throw out anything that has artificial sweeteners, corn syrup (sometimes it may appear as "flavor"), trans fat or hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors and artificial colors. Those might be the obvious ingredients to look for on the label. For a more comprehensive list, check out Eliminating Unhealthy Foods for a list of more ingredients to guide you in your decision.

Nix GMO Ingredients
Anything with corn, canola or soy that is NOT organic is 98% likely a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). Throw it out! GMO food will contribute to destroying your gut health, add weight particularly around the stomach and overall compromise your immune system causing you to be sick more often. Oh and cause cancer.

Nix Sugar
Once you start reading food labels, you'll realize that sugar has been added to everything in the processed food aisle in the grocery store. Bread, canned beans, dressings, sauces... everything! And if it's listed as simply "sugar" (rather than cane sugar, coconut sugar, etc.) it's likely corn syrup, therefore GMO. Bye-bye! Seriously! Throw it out.

Don't buy anything if sugar is listed on the label. Sugar definitely makes you... ahem... fat and is the cause of the "life-preserver" (not at all preserving your life) around your middle.

Sugar is BAAAAAAD! Don't buy it.

NOTE: I realize this can be an overwhelming project. It's okay to take it in reasonable "bites." Start with a few shelves at a time. Some things you should not be replacing because you really want to eat more real food not from a box or can.

If you eat meat, you have other issues to deal with. Unless the animal is wild (such as wild-caught fish—the only meat I eat) or fed its natural food it will be loaded with antibiotics (because they live in horrible disease-ridden conditions), given hormones (for growth), fed cheap GMO grains and corn (grass is real food for cows—greens, seeds, worms and bugs is real food for chickens, etc).

Also, consider buying only organic produce because it will not be laden with pesticides which cause cancer and upset your gut balance. And organic food cannot be GMO.

Be a Smart Consumer

Furniture is often sprayed with fire retardant. While I don't expect you to throw away your furniture, if you buy or replace something, you should make sure it is not going to add to your home's toxic load. Buy low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds: unhealthy solvents that evaporate from a product into the air) paints, cleaners and materials. VOC's are toxic and using them should require a respirator, but no-one ever does that.

If you buy something that has a strong chemical smell, leave it outside or in the garage for a few days to let it out-gas before you bring it in the house.

We recently purchased the most comfortable bed we've ever had. It's manufactured by Loom & Leaf and made from organic cotton, plant-based foam and no chemical flame retardant. Ahhhhh! Blissful sleep.

Detox Your Home

Reduce or eliminate chemical cleaning products. There are cleaning products for every type of cleaning job and most are toxic. Do you really need all those cleaning products? I use water and white vinegar in a spray bottle for most of my cleaning. It's cheap and gets the job done. If I need something a bit stronger I use a "green" cleaning product made from plant material. Same for laundry, automatic dishwasher soap and dish soap.

Some good brands for green cleaning include Planet, Ecover and 7th Generation.

More ways to detox your home:

• Filter your drinking water. 
• Install a chlorine filter in your shower. 
• Don't use a pest control service. 
• Use only organic fertilizers and pesticides.

Check out 5 Tips to Detox Your Home for more details on making your home Clean.

Stop Bathing Your Body in Chemicals

Let's talk shower and bath products, hair-care products, makeup, cosmetics, skin care and dental care products. These can be a toxic soup of chemicals that add to our body's toxic load. The skin is the largest organ in the body so anything put on our skin is quickly absorbed into the blood. These chemicals interfere with our hormones and can contribute to an inflammatory response. Do you have headaches? Could be that perfume you spayed on or that skin lotion you rubbed in.

I buy hand-crafted skin care products that are made in the city where I live. Rachelle Neal the owner of Abundant Life Healing offers salves, tinctures and teas that have pure ingredients with no preservatives. Check out her product line. I LOVE her skin care products and double LOVE the Lemon Lime Deodorant—it is amazing. Don't leave home without it!

Once you've thrown out all the icky stuff, look for products that are less harmful. Check for green products on Amazon, Whole Foods, and Thrive Market or look up DIY solutions on Google.

If you do all of the above, you'll be clean as a whistle—figuratively and literally. And you'll feel and look better.

Welcome to CLEAN living! The foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

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My Take on Meal Delivery Services

It is my experience that you come to a point in your life when cooking and all that goes with it (coming up with a recipe, making a list, shopping, measuring, chopping, cooking and then plating your creation) is a burden. A necessary burden none the less. We need to eat. And since I'm all about eating healthy, I eat to live.

Entrepreneur chefs to the rescue. You might see a commercial for Hello Fresh or Blue Apron while watching your favorite tv show. There are lots of services to choose from today in the meal delivery services arena. And they are constantly changing aspects of their business to attract you to their service.

If eating healthy is a priority for you, why not try a Meal Delivery Service?

I was first motivated to try a service early last summer when I noticed a colorful box for Sun Basket on a neighbor's porch. I checked them out online and found they used organic and sustainable produce—a must for me and it should be for you. I decided to give it a try. At the time they only had a vegetarian option in addition to Lean & Clean, Paleo and more. Sun Basket now offers a vegan meal choice and a pescatarian meal choice.

Since I eat organic eggs, the vegetarian option kinda worked until I found I was throwing away too much cheese or yogurt. Not all recipes had dairy, but overall I also found some of the meals not very flavorful.

After reading a comparison of other meal delivery services, I discovered Green Chef. 100% organic with a vegan meal choice. I signed up for Green Chef and so far I like the recipes. The portions are large enough that we always have left-overs and the meals are a bit easier to put together than my experience with Sun Basket.

Sun Basket packages their recipe ingredients in paper bags that make it convenient to stash in the refrigerator, however you can't see the ingredients inside without opening the bags. Whereas Green Chef has color-coded labels on each menu ingredient. I spend a few minutes gathering the three menu ingredients together—separating the refrigerated ingredients from pantry ingredients (e.g., spices, cans, potatoes, etc). I purchased some containers at the Dollar Store and put each menu's ingredients in a container and store it in the refrigerator or pantry.

The menu cards that come with the services are all very pretty with step by step instructions and pictures to make the cooking go smoothly. Sun Basket includes a cook book each week of all their recipes because they offer the flexibility of ordering a meal (out of your 3 meals/week option) from any of their meal choices. For example, you can order two vegan meals and one pescatarian meal for your three meals.

So far I'm happy with Green Chef's vegan meals and their easy to follow menu cards. I've gotten so used to the process that I don't need to read the menu ahead of time. I can cook the meal and have it plated and ready to eat in the time indicated on the menu card.

Oh... the cost for those three delivered vegan meals is $81. It comes out of my grocery budget. I end up shopping less and wasting less. The beauty of the delivered meals is that the ingredients come as pre-measured spices, finished sauces, many cut-up ingredients (like julienned carrots)—only what you'll need to make the dish. No waste. Consider the service a sous chef for your meals.

I would grimace with envy when watching a recipe video. Wouldn't you love to have someone pre-measure and prepare the ingredients for a recipe you were making? Every ingredient in nice little bowls ready to be thrown into the pot. The recipe looks so easy because someone spent all that time ahead chopping and measuring everything.

Yup... Well you can have that too!

So here are my take-away points for subscribing to a Meal Delivery Service:

1. Great way to stick to a healthy diet
2. Reduces grocery shopping
3. Reduces food thrown away due to spoilage
4. No stress cooking
5. What's for dinner is a no-brainer
6. Save on monthly grocery budget
7. More time in your life
8. Flexible delivery and skipping weeks
9. You now have your very own sous chef...

I think there's more that can be added to this list. Are their any you can think of?

If you want to give any of these two services a try, here are links to sign up:

Sun Basket *

Green Chef **

*First-time users get $40 off their first order and I get $40 credit on my meals.

**First-time users get 4 free meals. If you order another week, I get $25 credit on my meals.

If you like any of these services, you can refer your friends for bonus credit too. Think of it as Yelp with a $$ bonus.

I am currently using both Sun Basket and Green Chef services. I skip one service while I get meals from the other. I usually do it for several weeks at a time so I can stay on top of it. I also skip meal delivery all together on some weeks if I'm going away or I just want a break from delivery. You can make it fit your style.

If you have any questions, leave a comment below.

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Invasion of the Fruit Flies

Ewww! Right? There seems to be an invasion of fruit flies in the Northern California region. Do you have a problem where you live?

We recently moved into our new home and found fruit flies constantly plaguing us. You can never catch them. They're so wispy and tiny. As soon as you try to swat or clap them, they seem to be jetted away by the action. Those little buggers have a short life cycle. 24-hours after eggs are laid, new flies hatch and soon begin their harassment, which lasts up to 50 days.

After noticing they were everywhere—other homeowners complained about them and you'd see them in stores and other establishments over a wide geographic area—I realized it was time to get serious about getting them out of our house.

A simple trap is all you need to entice the little bug-eyes to their last drink. You'll be amazed at how many you catch. And you thought there were only a few in your home. Ha! They were about to take over!

Throw out any overripe fruit which become breeding fields for the flies. Also, take care when you shop. If you see fruit flies around the produce, you can be sure you are bringing more home if you buy any fruit there.

Get a large mason jar and fill it with about a half a cup of apple cider vinegar. Add a drop or two of dish soap to break the surface tension of the cider so the pests fall into the liquid and expire. Using a sheet of paper, create a funnel with a half-inch opening, then drop it into the mason jar and make sure there are no cracks where a fly can escape. They will be attracted to the vinegar, fly into the jar and be unable to get out. They can't do a helicopter maneuver—thankfully.

Leave the trap out until you complete a full life cycle for the pesky flies and then some. You don't need to change the vinegar, but it gets so full of flies. Yuck! I throw it out and start with fresh about every 4 days. You should wait until the trap is clear of flies before you consider your home free from them.

Can't wait for the next plague of pests. Hope it's not voles. Those vermin infested the foothills in huge numbers in 2001. Whole landscapes were destroyed. I guess a few fruit flies aren't that bad.

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Wisdom Wednesday

I recently watched the Essential Oils Revolution Online Event. Wow! Lots to learn. I hope you all took advantage of this awesome educational forum on essential oils. I'm certainly behind on understanding what, when and how to use essential oils myself.

Here is a gem from the summit—A liver cleanse formula to rub on your skin over the liver.  The application location is below the right breast at the lower right rib cage. The caster oil is a carrier oil used to deliver the oils to the area. You can also use coconut oil or vegetable glycerin as a replacement for the caster oil (which is sticky and can stain clothing).

Use 1 teaspoon of carrier oil for the total 20 drops in this formula. That is a 20% dilution allowing the oils to be massaged into a larger area and absorb slowly. The dilution does not reduce the effectiveness of the oils—they simply enhance the oils and soften any reaction that a straight oil may have on the body.

This formula is great for cancer conquerers, whether you are doing conventional or alternative treatments. The liver needs to release toxins in order to heal.

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Look for the Butterfly ~ Non-GMO Verified

Last month President Obama signed weak and flawed legislation into federal law that addresses GMOs in foods. It is called the DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) act by those of us who believe we have the right to know what's in our food. It is a win for big chemical and biotech corporations, but a blow to the American family and the hope for a food supply that is healthy and transparent.

It is also a stain on our republic as it erases any laws that states enacted (like Vermont) that require food labels to identify GMO ingredients. Plus it seems to be a clear violation of the 14th Amendment, as it would allow corporations to use QR codes instead of clear packaging on labels.

Basics of the GMO Labeling Bill (aka DARK Act)
Let's break it down:

• The words "GMO" or "genetic engineering" will NOT be required to be anywhere on the package.
• 95% of the ingredients that are GMO will NOT be included in the "labeling."
• The "labeling" that will be "required" is an option of a QR code, a telephone number, website or symbol. 
• There will be no fines for not complying, so claims that this law is "mandatory" are simply false.
• Vermont's state law (which which would have gone into effect his year) to label GMOs is pre-empted.
• CT, ME and VA that have pending GMO labeling laws have also been pre-empted.

The law is highly discriminatory as well. Many senior citizens, minorities, low income and rural residents do not have access to wi-fi, Smart phones or cell reception. Thus it appears to be a violation of the 14th Amendment.

So you see just how bad and empty this law is? Pathetic comes to mind.

Did someone say, "The system is rigged"?

So much for the rights of the American citizenry vs Big Business. It is very sad indeed.

Read a more thorough analysis by the Cornucopia Institute and how the Organic Trade Association (OTA) betrayed consumers, organic farmers and the many organic-related industry associations, plus what might happen going forward.

Meanwhile, the Non-GMO Project, a non-profit organization, created with the cooperation of food manufactures wanting to demonstrate that their foods do not contain GMO ingredients has been growing its list of Verified products.

What to Look For To Protect Your Family
Even though the battle to clearly label is lost, there is plenty to be thankful for. The process of putting forth federal and state legislation has brought widespread public awareness of GMO foods and what it is.

So what do you do now?

1. Look for the Non GMO Project Butterfly on foods you choose.
2. Buy foods labeled Organic which must be free of GMO ingredients.
3. Eat a clean diet (food that contains NO artificial ingredients—chemicals, preservatives, additives, colors and GMOs)
4. Buy produce from the Organic section.
5. Buy from local farmers, but ask them about their farming practices (what do they put on the crops and when) 

This business of food is big in our world today. With cancer and other disease on the rise and so much in our environment we cannot control, we must be vigilant to put the purest and best into our bodies—It's the fuel (mostly plant-based) that makes our bodies healthy and able to heal from disease.

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Listen & Learn to Be Healthy

This past spring I listened to the 2016 Food Revolution Summit created by bestselling author John Robbins and his son Ocean Robbins. At the summit, John interviewed 24 of the world’s top food experts, including 16 medical doctors. More than 230,000 summit participants heard these enlightening interviews. For me they were very instructional and I learned new stuff. For others it was surely helpful for discovering a healthy lifestyle.

For the next week (and maybe longer), the Food Revolution Network is replaying for FREE three of those interviews—In fact, the three most popular presentations from the summit.

• You’ll hear Joel Fuhrman, M.D. offer penetrating insights into exactly what foods to eat to achieve optimum nutritional excellence.

• Mark Hyman, M.D. will tell you about the science of nutrition and how to take advantage of the best elements of paleo and vegan diets.

• And Neal Barnard, M.D. will share breakthroughs in scientific understanding of how to not only prevent disease, but also to expand vitality and joy.

These interviews are available to listen to FREE for the next week.

Enjoy and be enlightened.

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Wisdom Wednesday

There are 14 million new cancer cases each year with an expected 70% increase in the next 20 years. But did you know that 90% of cancers are preventable?

Natural cancer treatment and prevention is possible.

In the post Health Sites You Should Subscribe To, I identified six websites you should sign-up to receive email updates. Here's another to add to that list: Cancer Tutor. The “Cancer Tutor” website is a product of the natural medicine cancer researchers of the Independent Cancer Research Foundation, Inc. (ICRF). Every one of the 350+ articles and chapters was written by a natural medicine cancer researcher.

If you are in the throes of dealing with cancer, discover your natural cancer treatment on Cancer Tutor. As background, check out 14 Questions and Answers About Cancer that could save your life.

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Making Smoothies with Seasonal Fruit

Recently I changed my juicing/smoothie routine to maximize the nutrition I get. Seasonal fruit boosts the nutrition of your smoothies with added fiber and antioxidants.

First, I juice veggies (kale, chard, mixed baby lettuce, carrots, celery, cilantro, beets, ginger, etc). Then I transfer the juice to my blender and add a piece or two of fruit (apple, cantaloupe, mango, pears, fresh berries, etc) and blend for one minute.

What this combination accomplishes is a highly nutritious drink with concentrated nutrients from the veggies and blended fruit with all the benefits of eating whole fruit.

Adding a variety of fruits to your diet has great benefits. They provide essential nutrients and vitamins including potassium, Vitamin C, and folate. Fruits also provide necessary fiber, which helps moderate the effect their sugar has on insulin, thus reducing diabetes and heart disease. In addition, fruit adds such beautiful color to any meal!

Best to get fruit from a local source and in season, which assures the fruit has optimum nutrition. Check out this seasonal fruit chart created by Shari's Berries showing over 50 fruits by peak season.

Keep in mind that seasonal fruits can vary from year to year depending on the weather. An area with extreme cold or heat could have a shorter availability and growing season. Best to check with the grocer to learn which fruits are in season. You are especially likely to get fruit in season at your local farmer's market.

Happy 4th of July!

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Wisdom Wednesday

Tip
Turmeric and Black Pepper is a cancer-fighting dynamic duo. Turmeric is naturally high in a powerful anti-inflammatory compound called curcumin. Black Pepper contains an alkaloid called piperine that significantly enhances the bioavailability of curcumin. Spice up your food with these two power house health condiments, which is found in curries and thus many recipes in Indian cuisine.

(Source: foodmatters.tv)

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Health Sites You Should Subscribe To

In a March post Learn How to Heal Cancer Naturally, I outlined what you can expect in the future from this blog to help you be more knowledgable about your health—how you can achieve it and maintain it. Become your own advocate for health. All while feeling amazing and loving the food you eat.

Truly! There's nothing more delicious than REAL food—plant-based (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, intact grains, spices and herbs).

...But I digress.

The following are sites that I subscribe to and I recommend you do too:

The Truth About Cancer
I hope you had a chance to view the 9-part video series The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest. If you did, you were likely blown away with all the non-harmful treatments and protocols out there that can heal cancer (and BTW often heal any other health issues you might have).

Ty Bollinger and his team continue to bring you health articles, doctor interviews and occasional recipes. Subscribe to their email newsletter at The Truth About Cancer at the top (a premium newsletter with monthly fee) or bottom (free newsletter) of the page.


Dr. Mercola
Mercola.com is the world's #1 natural health website. Doctor Mercola's motivation is to "make you as healthy as you can possibly be" by providing the most up-to-date natural health information and resources. He also exposes corporate, government, and mass media hype that diverts you from what is best for your health and often leads straight into an early grave. The New York Times best-selling author states his passion is to transform the traditional medical paradigm in the United States.

Subscribe to his site by entering your email at the top of the page

Food Matters
I love the health tips and recipes from the Food Matters folks. You may know them from the wildly popular documentary films Food Matters and Hungry for Change. If you have not seen them, you must as part of your education. These documentaries are available to watch on a subscription basis. Check their online streaming channel FMTV.

Subscribe to the Food Matters email newsletter. Check the side bar under Springtime Cleanse and enter your name and email to subscribe. You'll get a FREE ebook of 10 juice recipes. Yum!

Also I must tell you about their 3-Day Summer Detox program going on June 24th - 26th. You'll receive a daily recipe video as your guide each day. Join me and tons of others detoxing to start the summer!

The Food Revolution Network
John and Ocean Robbins are the force behind The Food Revolution Network. The recent 5th Annual Food Revolution Summit featured interviews with 24 of the top food experts on the planet. I always learn by listening to these series. John and Ocean talk much about how food politics, manufactured foods and factory farms have taken food hostage and made our food supply anything but food. In fact it's making us sick.

Check out the video of John Robbins making an impassioned plea for the cause of taking back food so we can be a healthy planet and culture.

Chris Beat Cancer
Chris Wark is the young man behind this powerful website: chrisbeatcancer.com Chris found himself
with stage 3 colon cancer at the age of 26. This self-described junk-food eater turned himself around after they removed a third of his colon. He shunned the recommended chemo and radiation and embarked on a healing journey using real food.

I urge you to spend some time exploring Chris' site. There are lots of great resources and truth there to help you on your journey. His videos of natural cancer survivor stories are legend. Have a look.

Subscribe to his email newsletter at the top or sidebar of his site. Also be sure to get his FREE guide 20 Questions for Your Oncologist.

Nutrition Facts by Dr. Greger M.D.
Internationally-recognized lecturer, physician and New York Times bestselling author doctor Michael Greger scours the world's nutrition research to bring you free daily videos and articles. Dr Greger promotes a plant-based diet which he enjoys for his own health.

Doctor Greger's bestselling book How Not to Die examines the fifteen top causes of death in America—heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, and more—and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives.

Subscribe to Nutrition Facts on the sidebar below Dr. Greger's profile. I promise you'll enjoy his brief articles and videos, often sprinkled with a dose of humor, which highlight studies that support his title question or statement. Plus you'll learn so much.

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Okay, you now have your assignment. Subscribe to these websites and prepare to be educated. I'd love to hear from you on things you are learning. Comment or send me an email chris[dot]pedersen[at]healthyjourneycafe[dot]com

Please feel free to share this with others especially those who have cancer. They need help.

Onward to Optimum Wellness!

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