Staying healthy on the Road

What an adventure! One month, 25 states, (plus the District of Columbia and Ontario) 7000 miles, friends, family and beautiful country.

In our travels across the country to the eastern seaboard my husband and I did not encounter too many good food choices. We were often in rural areas with no Whole Foods etc. We decided to eat veggie omelets the mornings that we ate in cafes, and most were quite delicious and fresh! We bought fresh produce along the way and ate many simple meals in the car, such as fresh Wisconsin cheese and apples.

We purchased a large BP free water container from REI in Santa Fe and filled it with our good filtered well water.   That lasted for about half the trip. We refilled it at Whole Foods in Bloomington, MN. We did not purchase 1 plastic water bottle in an entire month! I am a firm believer in staying well hydrated and we had NO excuse not to.

In addition we packed our green food powder, whey protein powder, B Complex and other supplements and did a pretty good job of maintaining our routine we have at home.

Keep in mind that we were not in an RV but traveling in Tom’s Four Runner. We stayed with many loving friends and family along the way. We even helped with the construction of my daughter’s family’s farm house in Wisconsin!  We did manage to go on hikes and walks along the way.

Our adventure began in Baltimore where Tom’s son lives, continued on through Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota to name a few places! We completed our last few days driving through the fabulous Rocky Mountains at the height of the Aspen color and then stayed our last night on the road at my favorite hot springs on the planet, Ojo Caliente!  ojospa.com

Seeing our grandson, Henry, was clearly a BIG highlight of the trip. This is Grandpa Tom hangin’ with him while he ate frozen raspberries from their garden. He loves them! That kid will eat any veggie you put in front of him…a great role model at 14 months!

We are so grateful to everyone’s hospitality along the way!

Needless to say it was great to get home. This is the sunrise that greeted us on October 1^st. Wow!

In Good Health!

In Good Health!  Nina

Things are going along nicely here in New Mexico.  We have been here 2 months today!  As you can imagine the sunrise/sunsets are pretty spectacular just about every day. This morning I found a good 7 mile loop on my bike with just enough hills to challenge but not kill me.  Tom and I did a 5 K last weekend which did just about kill both of us!  We helped the Pecos Cross Country Team raise some money.  It was a beautiful day but getting used to 8000 feet elevation takes some time.

Tom is on a fishing trip in Canada so I am going on a road trip to Taos tomorrow (taos.org/)and then onto Ojo Caliente Sunday.(www.ojospa.com/)

I had a productive morning making bone broth (which cooked over the last several days) and a delicious broccoli/tahini salad for my trip.

Here are the simple recipes.

For Chicken Bone Broth always use organic chicken, vegetables of choice such as celery, carrot, onion etc.  Cook a minimum of 10 hours.  I prepare mine over a few days in the morning when it is still cool.

For Broccoli Salad steam broccoli until bright green but still crunchy.  Mix one tab tahini with 2 tab bone broth or water.  Add a dash of either rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar and seasonings of choice.  I use sea salt and herbs.

Remember bone broth is one of the best ways to support your immune system.  I use it to cook veggies, make sauces, soups etc.  It is delicious and also very good for your skin!

The quail couple were spotted in my back courtyard yesterday.  I think they’re in love!

From mi casa to su casa…hope you are having a great summer!

Nina

Please check out the articles I have written for Senior Care at http://www.seniorcare.com/resources/foods-and-nutrition/are-you-over-50-you-may-need-this-nutrient/

This is one of many articles I have written for Senior Care.  

Please check out more articles at seniorcare.com

What is Inflammation and why is it so important to reduce it?

There are two kinds of inflammation. The first is the body’s response to an injury such as falling on a knee and having it swell as part of the healing response. The second is whole-body inflammation, which refers to chronic, imperceptible, low-level inflammation. Studies suggests that over time this kind of inflammation sets the foundation for many serious, age-related diseases including heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Please refer to this study about inflammation and Alzheimer’s. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10858586

There are many causes for this type of inflammation, such as a poor diet, low activity level, too much alcohol consumption, smoking and stress.

 Here are a number of ways to reduce inflammation:

Take omega-3 fatty acids. (fish oil)

Replace processed foods with fresh vegetables and some fresh fruit. (more on this later).

It is important to focus on green vegetables which are rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients and important nutrition. Below is a list of foods rich in antioxidants.

Eat a Low glycemic index foods (no processed, “white” foods etc.) which means that it is important to stop eating refined, processed and manufactured food.

Eat enough dietary fiber daily.

Consume Arginine-rich foods (fish, nuts) regularly.

Move your body, get some physical activity daily.

Restrict your alcohol intake.

Replace processed foods with fresh vegetables and some fresh fruit.

*It is important to focus on green vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients and necessary nutrition.

 Below is a list of some foods rich in antioxidants:

All berries

Small red beans, pinto and black beans

Prunes, plums and gala apples

Broccoli, cabbage, greens such as kale, spinach and swill chard

Tomatoes, watercress, red or sweet potatoes

“To exist is the change…to change is to mature…to mature is to

go on creating oneself…Endlessly…”   Samuel Aivital

Positive Aging is A Way of Being!     

Positive Aging is a Choice!

We all know that we are getting older by the minute.  I believe that our ability to age as healthy, energetic, loving and happy people is a matter of basic education.  We are bio-individuals; one size does not fit all.  It’s like a game or a maze that we have to solve for ourselves if our lifestyle choices are to be sustainable, enjoyable and positive.

Understanding that our food really is what heals or harms our bodies, here are a few guidelines that I recommend to all of my clients:

1. Stay hydrated with filtered water.  Avoid bottled water.  (put a link to water filter site here)

2. Use fresh, organic, locally grown food whenever possible.

3. Eat at least 50% of your food in raw form to ensure you are getting more nutrients such as antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals.

4. Reduce or eliminate gluten to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is the root cause of ALL disease.

5. Eliminate all artificial sweeteners, MSG, and other chemicals.  Read labels.  Beware of any packaged, bottled or processed food that contains more than six ingredients.

6. Choose your supplements well; they are not created equally.

 7. Eat slowly and mindfully. Enjoy. 

Look for my E-book on Positive Aging coming soon!

Our Tower Garden 8-20-2013

The Good Stuff!

Did you read the recent New York Times article by food writer, Mark Bitman?  Long story short, the Mediterranean diet really is all it’s cracked up to be.  Sounding rather un-American, this diet is low in red meat, low in sugar and processed carbs, low in junk food, and high in just about everything else: healthy fats, lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes and less-harmful proteins such as good fish and dairy (like feta and mozzarella cheese).

Bitman spoke to Dr. Walter Willet who was one the teachers at the Institute for Integratve Nutrition which I attended.  Dr. Willet said,”We have so many types of evidence that this kind of eating work”.

He goes on to report that “Most Americans eat so poorly that even a modest change in the direction of their diet is likely to benefit.”  I totally agree.

What I love about the Mediterranean diet is that it makes sense.  It is mostly whole foods, minimally processed, fresh and simply prepared. These fresh foods are packed with phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, good fats and fiber.   Meals are easy to prepare and relatively inexpensive.

The “Dirty Dozen”

The Incredible Edible Apple

These foods should be purchased organic whenever possible.  They are the most heavily pesticide laden fresh foods in our stores!

Apples

Celery

Strawberries

Peaches

Spinach

Nectarines

Grapes

Sweet bell peppers

Potatoes

Blueberries

Lettuce

Kale