Posted By admin on May 14, 2013

Please welcome guest blogger Cole Millen with some tips to keep it healthy while traveling. Although personally I am an avid Blood Type Dieter, Cole has some great suggestions for staying fit while on the road.

And now, here's Cole!

Many times, travelers who are flying on planes or taking long road trips will not have access to healthy foods. This can lead to junk food binges or visiting convenience stores for unhealthy snacks. A bit of planning can help prevent these kinds of temptations. You can pack some snacks in advance. Good choices are fruit, nuts, granola bars, and trail mix. These will help you feel full until your next meal and will not ruin your plans to eat healthy.
When you are planning your vacation, do not forget to bring along any multivitamins or nutritional supplements you are currently taking. This ensures that you keep your dietary routine even when you are away from home. This also makes it easier to resume when you come back from your trip. Also make sure to pack along some healthy snacks that will keep you from eating impulsive meals that are loaded with fat and calories.
Before you leave on your trip, do some planning. Try to book hotels that offer healthy choices on their menu, gyms, and exercise options. Some hotels have jogging and biking trails nearby that you can take advantage of. This is an aspect that is often overlooked by travelers that ultimately pay the biggest price, an increased waistline. I have found that a little due diligence goes a long way in this aspect. Recently, on a trip to Sin City I was able to find a great site that listed reviews for hotels in Las Vegas regarding the different services and amenities as well as the restaurants in the nearby area. This made it easier than ever to plan out my stay to cater to my healthy lifestyle.
When eating out on your vacation, think about what you are ordering. Opt for leaner cuts of meat than you might otherwise choose. Avoid steaks, pork, and chicken with the fat on. Instead, try lean meats like skinless chicken, turkey, and fish. Most fish also has needed omega-3 fatty acids that promote heart and brain health. Just be sure that the fish is not fried or smothered in a fattening sauce.
Another thing to avoid with your vacation meals is food heavy with carbohydrates. Carbs like white bread, pasta, and pastries are notorious for packing on the pounds. They also give you quick energy, but you will crash later. The sudden blood sugar spikes they provide also increase your risk of developing diseases like Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Instead of white bread, choose meals that have whole grains. Many people are unaware that white bread is very unhealthy because the outer shell of the grain has been stripped away. This deprives the finished product of its fiber. Fiber is important because it makes you feel full for a longer time, preventing blood sugar spikes and providing bulk to your digestion.

Keeping an eye on your portion sizes during your vacation meals is another way to eat healthy when traveling. In the past, parents told their children, "Eat everything on your plate." Well, this turned out to be bad advice. And if you follow this advice when eating out, it can be bad for your health. This is because many restaurants offer huge portions.
Just because it happens to be on your plate does not mean you have to eat it. Eat healthy portions and box the rest for a later meal. You can often make two or more meals out of one restaurant-sized meal.
When you return from your trip, be sure to weigh yourself. This will let you know if you have, in spite of your precautions, put on a pound or two. Then hit the gym.

Category: Healthy Living | No Comments »
Tags: healthy eating, planning, supplements, traveling, vacation, vitamins, whole foods

Posted By admin on November 4, 2012

The crisp days of autumn are a perfect calling for slow cooked dishes that warm the soul and soothe the chill.  Braised Rose Veal Stew is slowly cooked on low heat resulting in tender meat immersed in flavorful juices.

Keepsake Farms in Nazareth, PA offers the following explanation of Rose Veal.

“Rose Veal is raised in a manner that is both humane and healthy for the animal.  Our calves are raised on pasture at their dam’s (mom) side.  This traditional and natural method of raising calves yields a delicious product with great texture and flavor as well as a natural “rose” color. This is a true delicacy!”

Ingredients:

2 pounds Rose veal cubes

2 tablespoons spelt flour (or flour of your choice)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups turnips or rutabagas  cubed

1 can white beans, drained

2 cups broth

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

8 oz. rough chopped spinach or other leafy green

sea salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sprinkle veal with sea salt and dredge in flour. Preheat a dutch oven or  oven proof pot and coat with olive oil.  Lightly brown veal in batches.

Remove veal from pot and saute onions until softened, about three minutes. Return all veal cubes to the pot and add turnips, beans, broth and dried rosemary.

Cover the pot and cook in the oven for 1 to 1.5 hours or until tender.

Note: Rose veal will become tender in less cooking time than other types of veal.

Add spinach when stew is nearly done and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Enjoy this savory stew through fall, winter and early spring!

Category: Recipes | 2 Comments »
Tags: Blood Type Diet recipe, Blood Type O and B compliant, braised, humane, kale, Keepsake Farms, Nazareth PA, potato, rose veal, rosemary, rutabaga, spinach, stew, swisss chard, turnips, white beans

Posted By admin on June 12, 2012

Please welcome guest blogger Jill McKee as she shares important information on the relationship between nutrition and cancer recovery.

When an individual receives an initial cancer diagnosis, they may tend to experience a multitude of emotions and concerns. One major concern is the severity of the diagnosis and another is the course of treatment. Although cancer is quite a daunting experience to undergo, the actual treatment for the cancer itself can render the most discomfort to a patient. As a result, a number of experts recommend that cancer patients, whether recently diagnosed or in remission, take steps to ensure a healthy diet in order to enhance the healing process. 

Nutrition for mesothelioma and many other cancers includes a high protein diet with a dense concentration of other essential nutrients. This can help in the prevention of muscle and bone loss, which is quite common among cancer patients.  Although it has not been proven that nutrition alone can cure cancer, it can have a major impact on the effectiveness of treatment. Here are a few reasons why one should invest in a healthier lifestyle if diagnosed with cancer:

Maintenance of Strength, Stamina, and Energy

Maintaining a proper diet helps keep the patient from becoming malnourished. Malnourishment occurs when a person’s body is not receiving the nutrition that it needs in order to function at an optimal level. Many cancer patients state chronic fatigue as a symptom of not only the cancer, but also of the treatment. A healthy diet will give the patient the vitamins and minerals in order to function on a daily basis.

Decrease Side Effects During Treatment

Choosing to eat nutritious foods can also help to decrease the impact of side effects normally experienced by patients. Even though it can be difficult to completely eradicate them as a whole, the severity of the side effect can be diminished when buffered by a nutritious diet.

Enhancement of the Immune System

It is imperative that the human body is able to fight off infection. Many take for granted the natural ability of the immune system to fight off the many viruses and bacterial strains that we come into contact with each day. However, for a cancer patient with a compromised or suppressed immune system, a common germ can start a cascade of problems that the body is not equipped to handle. Eating nutritious foods give the body the building blocks that it needs to fuel the immune system when it needs to go into overdrive.

Overall Quality of Life

Cancer treatment takes a toll on a patient physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. As such, anything that can be done to improve one’s quality of life regardless of cancer stage is ideal. Preventing malnourishment by proactively choosing healthy food options as a form of nutritive therapy allows patients to concentrate their energies on healing and recovery.

Category: Healthy Living | No Comments »
Tags: cancer, healing, healthy diet, mesothelioma, nutrition

Posted By admin on May 31, 2012

With strawberry season peaking in the Northeast and festivals in full swing, our favorite petite red treat is tempting palettes everywhere!

Did you know?

Our favorite red berry was once a luxury only available to royalty.

The strawberry is the only fruit with seeds on the outside, averaging about 200 seeds per berry.

Strawberries will not continue to ripen once picked, so choose carefully!

Medium size strawberries often are the most flavorful.

The U.S. (mainly California) is among the largest producers of strawberries in the world and they are grown in every state. No reason not to partake in your own local variety!

Strawberries have an impressive nutritional profile, mainly due to their flavonoids which protect against inflammation, heart disease and cancer.

Fresh strawberries are very perishable and should be eaten within a few days of refrigerated storage.

It is best to rinse whole strawberries just before eating to prevent spoilage.

Strawberries can be frozen and enjoyed throughout the year. Click here to learn how to properly freeze strawberries.

In addition to the famed Strawberry Shortcake and chocolate covered strawberries, they make a great addition to salads, smoothies, juices and cereal.

For a fabulous topping to pancakes, waffles, angel food cake or pound cake, sauté sliced strawberries in butter in a small skillet and pour over your favorite treat.

Strawberries are eaten in over 90% of US households!

Warnings:

Strawberries often top the list of foods high in pesticides. Choose organic or locally grown without chemicals whenever possible.

Strawberries are high on the food list for causing allergic reactions.

Category: Healthy Living | No Comments »
Tags: facts, Farmers Market, healthy, local, organic, strawberries, trivia

Posted By admin on April 25, 2012

I recall a conversation last spring in the produce section of the supermarket where I noticed a woman purchasing organic strawberries. Earlier in the day, I had been to Reeder Farms, where owners Nadine and Russ Reeder grow pesticide-free produce, meticulously wiped free of dirt and handsomely displayed. Being strawberry season, I delighted in the selection of “just picked” beauties. Now at my local grocers only a few miles away, I couldn’t help asking a perfect stranger as she reached for a quart of strawberries if she was familiar with Reeder Farms, where strawberries are grown locally and “non-certified” organic.

She paused for a moment, as if vaguely familiar with the name but trying to place it. “Oh yes,” she replied, “they are right down the street from me and I didn’t even think to go there.” She seemed puzzled by her own response and I wondered how many locals are zipping by farms, farmers markets and farm stands to head to the supermarket in a habitual daze for one stop shopping. Is all the care and love that pours into responsibly grown local food relegated to an occasional treat or infrequent family activity? For many folks, it might be. I am often amazed at the produce left unsold at the end of the day at my local farmers market. While large quantities of food are passionately sought after by loyal and committed foodies, the display tables, baskets and buckets should be wiped clean, feeding the masses.

My personal observations have led me to conclude that much (if not most) of what we do is out of habit. One stop supermarket shopping is convenient, familiar and time-saving. Many who would like to enjoy the freshness of local foods on a consistent basis are challenged to make a habit of including time for healthier living; shopping as well as preparing the food.

Farmers Markets and farms across the country are continuously expanding to offer shopping opportunities beyond the usual produce, and have included grass fed meats, free range poultry, cheeses, eggs, freshly baked bread, local wine, prepared food from local ingredients, fresh cut flowers, hand made gifts and more – all in one stop. Although the growing season is not year round in most areas, with some resourcefulness, we can experience the first sprouts to the last roots. I was amazed last season to discover I could still purchase local rutabagas as late December 31st!

Visiting a farm, farmers market or farm stand offers unique opportunities to learn, grow and experience a sense of community. In addition to knowing your grower, often are opportunities to sample fresh tastes, watch cooking demos, participate in contests, view local art, pet the animals, view the green valleys, listen to music, watch crafters at work, breath the fresh air, hear some great stories and make new friends.

So ask yourself if there is room in your life for a “locavore awakening.” A creation of space that encourages a conscious and consistent commitment to exploring what is available in your community while supporting sustainable living and growing practices.

As we brink on the opening days of Farmers Markets throughout the Northeast, many of us will intend to adopt more locavore lifestyles. We also know that to incorporate favorable behaviors into our lives they must become habitual. For centuries, “locavore” wasn’t the new found buzz word of today but an assumed way of life that needed no verbal reference. We drifted as far away as we could from local living, going from backyard growing to food imported from the farthest ends of the earth. We are coming full circle, back to basics, back to our communities to sustain our most basic needs.  Although we may not yet be completely sustainable locally, we can certainly embrace all that is available.

Make this season the beginning of a long and consistent relationship to local sustainability. Make it a habit. For me that means going food shopping every Saturday morning at the Easton Farmers Market, with stops at a few local farms in-between. Meals are planned around local availability with the supermarket serving as a “filler” for whatever else is needed. I prefer to bite into a strawberry lovingly grown by my local farmer instead of one that traveled a cross country trip supervised from start to finish by a large conglomerate. See you at the market!

Category: Healthy Living | No Comments »
Tags: Easton Farmers Market, locavore, non-certified organic, organic, Pennsylvania, Reeder Farms, sustainability

Posted By admin on March 29, 2012

On a recent trip to Southwest Florida, I visited beautiful Pine Island, also known as “Florida’s Creative Coast.” The senses are nurtured and inspired here, through visual art, musicians and authors.

Lovegrove Gallery and Gardens is one of the many brightly colored alluring havens in the village of Matlacha. Leoma Lovegrove, artist extraordinaire, is zipping through her gallery covered in paint, sporting funky white sunglasses, and carrying a blue glass bottle in her hand. She pauses long enough for me to snap a photo. Her creative energy and active imagination weave a presence through the wildly vivid paintings and freeform designs.

Much of the gallery is devoted to her admiration for the Beatles, the most striking being a colossal brush-stroke recreation of our favorite foursome as the focal point to her garden of glass trees. Most of the garden trees are constructed from blue glass bottles and my interest in her original and inspiring creations allows me a brief conversation before she is summoned for a phone call.

Leoma lost her sister to cancer, and the glass bottles make a statement against the plastic drinking bottles her sister was so fond of. Leoma believes the toxins in plastic as well as her sister’s frequent use of the microwave may have been contributing factors to the illness. Plenty of glass bottles are collected for Leoma’s innovative designs. In addition to her personal commitment to healthier living and concerns for the environment, she offers the glass bottled water for sale to her patrons.  Her growing glass garden offers plenty of creative opportunity for Leoma, an internationally recognized artist.

Upon returning home, I desired a deeper connection to the bursts of artistic creativity sprouting from Leoma Lovegrove. Who among us hasn’t dreamed of picking up a brush and offering something brilliant? For those of us not destined to create such pleasures, we are blessed to share in the genius of those who can.

To learn more about Leoma Lovegrove, visit her website.

Category: Healthy Living | 1 Comment »
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