Live Long Naturally

Who to believe on whether soy is good for us or wreaking havoc on us? I say go with your gut. As always, there is no one-size-fits-all and the key in eating most foods is moderation.

According to Ann Louise Gittleman, bestselling author of Fat Flush Plan, she suggests eating soy food that is either fermented soy or none at all. Her belief is that fermented soy contains anticancer agents and nutrients such as calcium, minerals, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and zinc. The microflora in fermented soy is also beneficial for its ability to help break down glucose in food. Gittleman recommends one to two servings a week of fermented tempeh or miso soy products.

Stephen T. Sinatra, author of Heart Sense For Women, believes consuming soy can help prevent breast cancer by lowering blood cholesterol, lowering serum estradiol levels, and prolonging the menstrual cycle. He refers to soy as an outstanding source of calcium and phytonutrients that help support bone mass. He does however, not recommend soy products to women with estrogen dependant tumors or one week before, during or after radiation. Sinatra’s Modified Mediterranean Diet recommends eating tofu, tempeh, soybeans, or soymilk one to two times a week.

Both Gittleman and Sinatra agree on the potential of soy to disrupt hormones and although both doctors recommend it, the type of soy product they recommend differs. Experience has shown me that my body digests sprouted or fermented soy better than regularly processed soy. Use your best judgement by listening to your body and any upset or bloated feelings. Above all, moderation is key.

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Not sure what constitutes a serving size? Super sized servings have practically become the norm these days. However, when real food is eaten, it takes a lot less real food to feel satisfied than it does processed food. The later leaves you wanting more – the chemicals in them were designed to not only make you fat, but get you addicted.

Ann Louise Gittleman, author of best selling Fat Flush Plan, has a clever way of eyeballing serving sizes. These are given to her clients as a way to recognize average sized portions. A deck of cards is the example she uses to approximate chicken, beef, or fish. The size of a tennis ball is used to imagine serving size for vegetables and starchy foods, such as corn, potatoes, or pasta. A three to one ratio is suggested for vegetables to starchy foods. Oil used in cooking can be seen as the size of a quarter being equal to one teaspoon. These visual estimates become second nature in helping a person eat a balanced meal.

And whatever you do when planning/serving your meals, aim to balance them with complex carbohydrates (the healthy grains), fat, and protein. A good rule of thumb and overall average based on several sources is 40-30-30 ratio to carbs, fats, and protein.

Bon Apetit!

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Volunteering at the L.A. Arboretum has opened up a whole new world for me – it has taught me to think outside the box and the bin. In learning to garden by way of permaculture, I went back and forth on how to build my own compost pile. In waiting for everything to be just right, I decided to just start piling on the ground. Wouldn’t you know, before long… I had my very own compost. No fancy bins, nothing! Here’s what worked for me:

I picked a site near the garden. A site near the kitchen and under the branches of a deciduous tree work well according to some gardeners. I just happened to start mine very near an orange tree. “They” say to alternate between brown and green ingredients for the ideal carbon/nitrogen balance. I didn’t so much alternate –  for brown ingredients… I’ve used straw, grass clippings, dead and broken tree branches, and lots of kitchen scraps. I’ve been told no potatoes or citrus, though, I’ve used the later simply because the citrus trees want it. A textbook of mine suggests layering 3” of straw, 1” to 6” moist green material, then a 1” layer of soil and repeat to 3-4 feet in height. The thickness of green material is dependent on the density of material. Loose open material, such as green bean vines or tomato stems can be applied thicker. Kitchen scraps and grass clippings are denser and can be applied thinner. The microorganisms in the soil help decompose organic matter.

Technical aspect aside – I merely toss my compost ingredients, mix thoroughly, and water almost daily. Pile sits atop the ground, so soil automatically gets mixed in. The soil underneath is where I scoop out my wonderfully smelling decomposed matter. It takes much less time than most people and/or textbooks state. However, temperature does play a role.

Happy composting!

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Losing my father in 1973 and my mother in 2004 has given me a passion and purpose to help prevent disease and needless suffering on myself and others for almost 2 decades now. I am mostly self-taught, however, I did study Nutrition at AZ State, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and I worked for Dr. Richard Schulze, a leader in the field of Natural Healing.

A credential I was blessed with and am most proud of took place in 2008. I became a single parent to 4 grand nieces and nephews (ages 1, 5, 8, and 10). Not only was it life enhancing, I went on to earn my stripes (gray hair) and I can now speak from first hand experience! Children are NOT the picky eaters parents make them out to be! My 4 lil ones actually embraced structure, a balanced meal, got relief from natural remedies, and appreciated it all, they thanked me for it… discipline, tonics, and all!

Writing about health can easily include at least HALF the alphabet. However, I give you just three… A, B, and C with a possible dash of D  

A – always read labels! The best way to avoid fake food and harmful chemicals is to buy food without labels – the outer walls of the grocery store is where most of the real food can be found. Some grocery stores have a bulk section; Whole Foods and Henry’s Markets are two. Here you can find many of your favorite items without the packaging price tag. For example… let’s say you like to buy Quaker Oats 3 pound container for approximately $4.00. In the bulk section, you can fill that container for about .60+ cents a pound. Nuts, seeds, beans, grains, cereals, raisins and more can also be found in the bulk section. Farmer’s Markets are another place to buy fresh local food, or… you can grow your own! You don’t need a yard, a whole lot of space, or even a green thumb!

B – belly bigger than your bottom? I thank God for my 3 built-in gauges. In case you’re wondering what they may be, they are disappearing eyelids, jowls, and my belly growing bigger than my bottom. These by the way… can and have happened overnight! However, if addressed sooner than later, they can be a thing of the past. It is becoming unfortunately more obvious that the consequences of poor eating habits do not end with adults.

When the 4 children were placed in my custody, I was required to take them in for physicals within days of “placement.” In doing this, the 5 and 10 year olds we’re diagnosed as being overweight. After just 2 follow-up visits with the doctor, the 2 children were at their optimal weight – this was achieved in a fun, easy, tasty and diet free way!

C – chew your food to a liquid! While growing up, my father always told us to chew our food 25 times before swallowing. What GREAT advice! Even better advice these days is to chew our food to a liquid! It’s not always easy, but a life-saving habit worth achieving! Chewing food to a liquid allows the enzymes in our saliva to begin breaking down the food. It’s easier on our digestion, elimination, and it helps prevent our organs from working overtime and wearing out sooner than later. Another advantage is we reach a satisfied point (and feel full) on less food. Savor thy taste to lessen thy waist!

There is more to living a long naturally healthy life, however, these are just 3 simple steps that help whittle the waist, widen the wallet, tame the taste buds, and help where health insurance won’t!

Had I covered 4 points, the letter “D” would have been DETOX. We change the oil and filter in our vehicles to keep the engine running. Our body is no different – with proper fuel and maintenance, it can run smoother and last us longer for days and decades to come!

Say yes on Prop YOU… get the waste out and the nutrition in!

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“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” ~~ Mohandas K. Gandhi~~

A positive effect of the  less than optimal economy has been Gardens and Recession Diets. Whether planting your own garden, being a part of a community garden, or buying from a Farmers’ Market or a CSA… REAL food can help keep you lean, clean, green, not to mention surviving & thriving! It can in fact help with finding your passion and purpose. Freeing the body of toxic waste frees the mind of toxic thoughts and vice versa. ”Forgetting ourselves” becomes unfortunately easier when the diet consists of cooked, processed, and/or fake food with labels.

Gardening will not only lower your grocery bill and whittle the waist,  it will add years to your life and life to your years! Think you don’t have a place to garden? Pots, wheelbarrows, and even lil red wagons serve quite well as a place to grow your own food. The beauty of growing in small moveable objects is you can follow the sun.

Consider giving your thumbs a try at gardening, you’ll be glad you did! Saving your seeds and or buying organic seeds or seedlings can feed you and your family for days and decades to come!

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