Archive for February, 2009
February 23rd, 2009
The Philosophy of Regeneration is a means of feeding the body the right combination of whole natural foods consistently over a period of time and achieving optimum health & well beiing. One needs to nourish, balance and cleanse to achieve optimal health. Often times people want to change a variety things including their energy, weight, health, appearance, lifestyle and/or finances. Changing your health varies from person to person and for some it may be achieving and maintaining a good balance of physical, mental, social and spiritual well being. Diet related diseases cost Americans over two hundred billion dollars a year. Americans spent upward of six hundred billion dollars annually for food and most of that is snack food and highly processed packaged convenience foods. Consider what you spend on sweets, fried foods, fast foods, coffee, soda, alcohol, donuts, chips, snacks, breath mints and gum? How many toxic substances are you putting on and breathing in your home? You may be surprised to learn how many cosmetics & toiletries play a role in this. The
United States leads the world in degenerative diseases. Processed foods account for about 70% of our diet and encourages over consumption and a lack of nutrition. These foods contribute to major chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, fibromyalgia, fatigue and a breakdown of the immune system. We all have the ability to make choices. Habits, especially our diets contribute to poor health, state of mind & moods and low energy. Discover how to: Increase Your Stamina and Energy, Bring Your Body Back into Balance, Strengthen Your Immune System, Nourish Your Body with Live Whole Foods, Increase Your Levels of Vitality and Well Being, Lose Weight, Fat & Inches and Eat Your Way to Thinness Instead of Starving Yourself to Fatness, Balance your hormones & stop suffering from PMS. Learn more about how to regenerate your life and nutrient dense regenerative foods & nontoxic substances. Attend a presentation, “Achieving Optimal Health” March 11th, 6:00pm. $15.00 per person. ($20 after March 4th). Call or email Raw Energy at 815-543-1207 or myrawenergy@yahoo.com. Pre-registeration required by March 4th.
February 16th, 2009
Cooking destroys much of the nutrition in our food so naturally raw fruits & vegetables provide more nutrition. Raw fruits & vegetables are also very alkaline. Better nutrition and beiing alkaline are key to the prevention and reversal of degenerative health and are also great for weight loss and maintaining an ideal weight. Although fruits & vegetables have a valuable role to play in our diet, incorporating a moderate amount of fats is important as well. The kind of fat and how it is consumed also affects our health as well as our energy levels. Heated fats cause blockages in our arteries and our digestive track.
Raw sources of omega 3 fats, also called alpha-linoleic acid, include flax, hemp seed and green leafy greens which have three double bonds and are considered good or healthy fats and are polyunsaturated fats, however they do not hold up well to heat, oxygen or light and are best eaten raw.
Other sources of fat may include fish which have two fats called EPA & DHA and have five & six double bonds which means they are more susceptible to heat and easily damaged by it. Heat destroys many of those beneficial fats. There are a number of healthy raw algae products on the market that contain Omega-3 fats, DHA & EPA. Many people are not aware that fish actually get their DHA from the algae that they eat. For a tasty learning experience and to expand your horizons on the possibilities of raw foods including fruits, vegetables & natural fats, sign up for a class and take your dining pleasure to a new level, rawliciously. For a class schedule, check out my blog at www.blogs.e-rockford.com/goodforyou or call 815-543-1207 or email me at myrawenergy@yahoo.com for questions & details.
February 10th, 2009
If you’re reading this with a cup of coffee within reach, evidence suggests you can probably take another sip without worry. Caffeine’s effects on health have been scrutinized from every angle, making it one of the most well-studied food ingredients. When it comes to unexplained health problems, it’s easy to point a finger at caffeine, especially since caffeine does have effects in the body. In fact, many people welcome caffeine’s mild stimulant effects, which have been shown to increase alertness and delay fatigue.
But the age-old question is “how much is too much”? Most experts agree that the prudent approach for consuming caffeine is moderation and common sense. Moderate caffeine consumption is generally considered to be about 300 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to about 3 cups of coffee. However, setting limits on caffeine should be an individual matter because one person may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than another. Caffeine sensitivity is influenced by factors such as the amount and frequency of caffeine you consume and your body’s metabolism, weight, and physical health.
Most people naturally self-regulate their intake of caffeine. In other words, they know how many cups of coffee or soda it takes before feeling unwanted effects, like jitteriness, stomach upset, or insomnia. Experts agree that caffeine in moderation does not pose health risks for most people. Read about caffeine and health and find out how much caffeine is in your favorite drinks and foods. Energy drinks are another story– stay tuned for more on the potential dangers of these popular drinks.
February 8th, 2009
The Raw Food Diet is simply a means of incorporating more raw fruits & vegetables into your diet. Raw fruits & vegetables are highly alkalizing and offer more nutrition than cooked food because cooking destroys most many of the vitamins & nutrients in your food. Raw foods cover all your nutritional needs and more! Although eating a high raw food diet is very beneficial, beiing 100% raw is not practical or easy to do for most people, especially in colder climates, areas that are less “green” and beiing surrounded by a Standard American Diet. Eating raw is not an all or nothing deal. Sometimes people are close minded and negative to raw foods and do not understand the concept, or consider the great taste & wonderful dishes & desserts that are created with raw foods and the benefits that follow. Others may also be a victim of The Standard American Diet as it is highly concentrated and addictive, including processed & packaged foods, fried foods, refined sugar, flour, caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol and cooked dead foods. Beiing open to new possibilities and change is what gives us Life. Although some may ridicule or comment on this healthier lifestyle one may want to consider those who eat more raw fruits & vegetables are the ones reaping the benefits. Benefits are great and may include more energy, no more sore joints, a happier you, a slender physique, beiing allergy free, clearer skin, preventing or reversing illness or DIS-ease in the body, faster recovery from colds, illness or surgery, a stronger immune system, overcoming the taste & desire for addictive foods and naturally desiring a taste & craving for healthier foods and more!
Whether you want to eat more raw, having warming raw foods or eat healthy non-raw cooked foods, it is all do-able whether it is cold outside and you crave comforting warming foods, you are goiing to a restaurant or have a family & friends that want more of the Standard American Diet. Raw foods can save you time while also creating meals that are more delicious than cooked! Interested in learning more about RAW, beiing practical and making it do-able? Come to a “Why Raw” talk Feb. 10th and/or sign up for a class and take your dining pleasure to a new level RAWliciously, for a tasting & learning experience. For a class schedule, check out my blog at www.blogs.e-rockford.com/goodforyou. You may also call 815-543-1207 or email me at myrawenergy@yahoo.com for questions & details. Pre-registration required for all “Why Raw” talks & RAW ENERGY classes.
The “Why Raw” talk will be held at Our Saviors Lutheran Church located at
3300 Rural Street, Rockford
. 7:30pm. This event is a monthly meeting for Vegetarians in Motion. The cost is $4.00 for nonmembers of VIM or $2.00 for members. You may come at 6:30pm and bring a vegetarian dish or just come for the “Why Raw” talk that starts at about 7:30pm. If you are interested in raw food classes, you qualify for a discount if you take all 4 classes between Feb 11th & March 4th.
February 8th, 2009
Some may believe incorporating more raw fruits & vegetables into your diet is difficult when you have a husband, wife and/or kids who aren’t necessarily on board with you. Some of the easiest things one can do for yourself and/or your family is breakfast. Smoothies are fast, portable, filling, very nutritious and easier on the digestive system which gives you more energy. Including greens into your smoothie enables you to get more of those nutritious greens into your diet, cuts the sugar content, while also adds additional substance to your smoothie, you won’t even notice the taste of the greens. If you need something that is more substantial, try raw oatmeal or cinnamon rolls or take it to go for that mid-morning break. Pack a salad for lunch with a pate’ or pizza flax crackers for fun and it fills you up.
If your family likes to get involved in preparing food there are always things to learn and they may find it to be enjoyable and enlightening. Kids love to make noodles with the spirooli and get there hands into mixing the food. Pretty bowls and little kitchen gadgets can also make food prep more enjoyable.
Goiing to a farmers market with your spouse & kids or perhaps signing up for a weekly organic vegetable box exposes you and your loved ones to new vegetables and also encourages you to try new things while also getting food that may be fresher and nutritious than what is found in stores. These are great ways to share with your loved ones the benefits associated with raw foods. Mindful ways to encourage more raw foods is to not make a big deal out of it. Keep food conversation positive instead of expressing negative comments. Try not to force raw food choices. Incorporate a raw food dish into the evening meal. Although your family may still want the standard American food choices, be sure to include a raw vegetabe dish. The person who chooses to eat more raw can make this raw vegetable dish his or her main course and a have a taste of the other foods, while the family may select to make the raw entrée as a side dish. Alternatively serving a hearty raw dish like lasagna, (no meat, dairy or pasta noodles), can be served as the main dish and then offer a side of garlic bread. It’s a family pleaser! Whatever version you choose, it is a great way of being a good role model and making it clear how enjoyable your food is. Be sure not to forget dessert when the mood strikes! It’s easy to replace traditional desserts with raw versions and many of them may not only save you time in preparing them but can also be frozen and are filling and rawlicious! Chocolate mousse tort, fruit pies, ice creams, cookies, truffles and cheesecake are wonderful and are all raw and do not include any dairy, flour, eggs, cream or butter! Raw food classes available. See my class schedule at www.blogse-rockford.com/goodforyou. You may also call Brenda at 815-543-1207 or email her at myrawenergy@yahoo.com for more information.
February 4th, 2009
Remember the last time you were at your favorite Spa or Beauty Counter and the person tried to sell you more than one product? One product was probably a moisturizer and the other a serum. The reasoning is they work in conjunction with each other. Your moisturizer is only working at half speed without a serum.
Serums are essential to your skin care regime. They are typically clear and absorb into your skin. They prepare your cells to absorb your moisturizer. Serums allow your moisturizer to work at its optimal level.
If you are going to buy a moisturizer, you need to get a serum with it. Still need convincing…..for one week use only your moisturizer. The following week use your moisturizer with your favorite serum. You’ll never use one without the other again!
See you at the Spa……
February 3rd, 2009
We are all familiar with the saying “Laughter is the best medicine” and I would personally like to add, “It is the only medicine with no side effects”. Over the years, and especially in the last 3 decades, the notion that laughter can make us feel better is rapidly growing, supported by over 350 research papers from around the world coming from the best universities.Most people are certainly aware of the benefits of hearty laughter, but when it comes down to using it they are so careful, concerned about the way they might be perceived, and therefore they do not take the time to laugh. Life is a serious business. Why?If we wish to understand this seeming contradiction, we owe it to ourselves to give it another look. Our present life in the twentieth and twenty first century is becoming more and more structured. Juggling the responsibilities of running a house hold, caring for our family, going to work, managing finances and relationships, we find it very comfortable to compartmentalize our lives into different chapters, or files (borrowing from the computer world), so they become easier to manage. We are a society of managers. The amount of information and responsibilities we encounter on a daily basis is virtually impossible to deal with, so we have to manage it. We establish stringent rules, regulations and social systems that require us to invest considerable effort in order to meet our goals and “keep up” with the rest of the world. The general assumption is that we do not have a choice but to conform. We don’t take the time to listen to the natural voices that come from within us. We are experts in finding excuses like: I will do it later; It’s not the right time; Things are too serious now; It’s a waste of time, etc. We view our time in this life as a business, and we all know that time is money. So what do we do? We manage the time we allocate for laughter. Forgetting laughter is built into our system we outsource our laughter to external comedians. We make a special time for this activity, like doing the laundry and washing dishes. Did someone say managers?But, we have discovered that laughter is a serious and vital component in our busy lives. Actually life without laughter is a walk in the dessert in mid-day. Laughter is the oil that runs the amazing machine called the human body. Like a car, you cannot drive it without oil, and trying to avoid an oil change will not get you very far. Laughter is the cooling system of our body that lubricates the moving parts so they don’t overheat. Laughter helps to insure us that our body is tuned and ready to deal with the harshest road conditions or, in human terms, with our emotions. Laughter serves as a kind of preventative medicine to protect our body and keep it healthy.Next time we will explore laughter from the medical perspective and discover how our body can benefit from it.Roni Golan is an artist, owner of the Golan Liberman Art Gallery in Rockford, freethinker, leader of the first Rockford Laughing Club and a self hypnosis teacher.
