Live Long Naturally ©2012

Getting plenty of nutrients in your food is easy if you simply make your meals colorful. The more color, the more vitamins! I continue my list from last week. As you’ll notice, this list is not entirely for vegans, though I do know you can get plenty protein from plants – a high animal protein diet is responsible for much of the disease today. Whereas, a high plant based diet will not only keep weight off, it will keep you alive AND WELL longer.

Real food allows us to eat more and weigh less!

Dandelion/kale: I tried choosing one over the other, but found that difficult. Aside from both being green and a great source of fiber, both are great detoxifiers. Dandelion is excellent for the liver, which is critical for health; it is also a diuretic – there aren’t many natural diuretics. Both help the eyes; kale is a great source of iron, while dandelion is great for indigestion and enhancing mood. They both provide sources of calcium, Vitamin A & K; Kale also has Vitamin C, which is great for cancer. Dandelion is also great B.P., bowel, cholesterol, diabetes and enzymes. Kale is an antioxidant, something we can all use. Dandelion can grow on it’s own as a weed – it is harsh plant, with a bitter taste to help fight major diseases.

Eggs: Are a common easy to find food that do not cost a lot, they can be used in many ways to provide the protein, omega-3’s, and B-12 we all need. They are beneficial for breast cancer, heart, brain, eyes, and liver. Since the liver is often considered the “first line of defense” in keeping us well, we can all benefit from nourishing it.

Green Tea: This just happens to be a favorite of mine for it’s ability to enhance my mood, increase my metabolism, and help keep my weight down. Knowing it is an antioxidant makes it that much more tasty. It is great for cancer, heart, stroke, hormone balancing (for women), cholesterol, and Alzheimer’s. It is also an anti-inflammatory.

Olive Oil: Aside from olive oil being good for us, I felt I needed to include something we can use to cook with. It is anti-cancer/oxidant and a great source of omega-3’s. It is also great for the heart, blood pressure, and cholesterol. I also use it (organic variety) to remove my eye makeup.

List was taken from a project I did earlier this year. Previous post gives the details of how and why this list came about.

Cheers!

There are many “Top 10″ lists out there, and like most things… there is no one-size-fits-all. I compiled this list for a project I worked on earlier this year. One thing is certain… Our Food Can Be Our Pharmacy!

Choosing only ten foods was not an easy task. However, I narrowed it down and grouped one or more together for the purpose of this article. I did not include water on this list, simply because, I could only hope this is a “no brainer,” so a verbal reminder may be all that’s needed to help others eat healthier.

I weighed the pros and cons after looking at over a dozen expert lists. My decision is based on the following:

• Colors – I tried to include a variety of color, more color, more vitamins.
• Cost – not everyone can afford organic or specialty items.
• Most common – easy to find in any neighborhood.
• Seasonal – what’s in season.
• Disease specific – selected my list based on the leading causes of death in America.
• “Worth Knowing” – avoided any that may cause adverse side effects on certain health conditions or allergic reactions. I also omitted those most contaminated with pesticides since many (think they) cannot afford organic.

My list of “Top 10 Healthiest Foods” (listed in alphabetical order) are:

Avocado: Aside from these making a great cheese replacement, they are a good source of fiber… something cheese is far from. They can be used a variety of ways, and they help protect the eyes, skin, and heart. They are cholesterol friendly because of their healthy fat. Avocados a great source antioxidant, mineral, folate, and Vitamin A.

Blueberries: These seem to come up on most everyone’s list of healthy foods, for good reason. They are considered anti-cancer/inflammatory/oxidant, much  of what’s missing in this day and age of fast everything (food and technology). They are beneficial for the brain, heart, and eyes.

Broccoli: Even non-vegetable eaters tend to eat these. They are an antioxidant and great for cancer. They are loaded with fiber, protein, minerals, calcium, Vitamin A & C, and folate. They are considered a detoxifier because they help your body rid itself of toxins. Broccoli is also good for hormonal health for women.

The last 7 will appear in the following 2 posts…

As we age, it is crucial we supply our body with the needed, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, etc. The easiest and best way to do this is by eating 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. One serving equals 1/2 to 1 cup, depending on the food. Example… lettuce/salad would be 1 cup versus, an apple, which is more dense would be 1/2 cup.

Whether at home or on-the-go, the time to prevent any and all illness and disease is now WITH WHAT IS AT THE END OF YOUR FORK! An added benefit to eating more healthily… weight loss will no longer be an issue!

Do you find yourself telling your “story” over and over to anyone that will listen. Why live in the past, especially if it wasn’t so great? Want a better life? Stop complaining about what you don’t like! It is not your higher self thinking.

If you are out of balance in body, mind, or spirit, your chances of overeating, over shopping, over medicating, over complaining, and even more self-destructive behaviors are greater. Using something outside yourself to change your emotion is setting yourself up for an addiction and/or a constant state of living in past woes. We all have a story, it’s up to us to move on to the next exciting chapter! Having a purpose can literally take years off our face and add them to our life. Decide to Age Less, On Purpose and don’t look back – only then can we Live Long Naturally the way nature intended.

Time waits for nobody. Money comes and goes, but time only goes. We cannot make more time; once it’s gone it’s gone. Isn’t it time you change the thoughts that weaken you?

Vitality and beauty are gifts of nature for those who live according to its laws. Leonardo da Vinci

Often tired, never thin? Sick and tired of looking and feeling sick and tired? Baffled why losing weight doesn’t come easy and seems to get harder with age? It could be what’s at the end of your fork, the size of your spoon and how well you chew your food.

Today’s over consumption of fast and processed food has left many malnourished, overweight, sick, tired, and walking around looking and feeling far from their best. Many are dying a slow suicide by feeding their taste buds and not their body. Aging less AND weighing less is no secret when you take care of yourself.

Prolonging life for me includes:

• eating healthy (most days of the week and hours of the day)
• regular exercise (and bowel movements)
• seasonal cleansing – just like our vehicle every few months…

These are what keep me jowl-less, my eyelids visible, and my belly smaller than my bottom. These three parts of my body always let me know when I am overdoing it – thank God for built in gauges!

Savor the taste to lessen thy waist…

Most people lead lives of quiet desperation.    Emerson

The cost of desperation, like cheap food is our health on every level (body, mind, spirit). Limiting beliefs and worry make our world, hopes, and dreams smaller – we do not grow in our comfort zone.

Feeling fat or fatigued? Our thoughts create the feelings, the feelings create the action, the actions decide whether we remain fat and fatigued, stressed or depressed. The energy put into negative thinking rob us of our energy. As listed in the last post… a lack of self-love is the root cause of much “self-induced” suffering. A few ways around that include:

• Taking responsibility for where we are – we made our bed, we can remake it.
• Create our life rather than react to it.
• Respect our body, build it up through nutrition – it will respond favorably.
• Get involved with things that matter.
• Embrace our uniqueness.
• Do what makes our heart sing.
• Keep our word with our self.
• and lastly… enjoy the journey.

We do have a choice on how well (and attractively) we age. Take a step in the bright direction (and don’t look back)!