Chris Pedersen's Blog, page 13

Have a Healthy Halloween

I love the dress-up part of Halloween. When our son was young, I enjoyed coming up with fun costumes. One year I made a tyrannosaurus rex costume and my husband and I dressed as cave man and woman. We won best group costume at our community Halloween Festival as the Prehistoric Family.
What I don't like is all the candy.
Lots of sugar gets consumed even before we hand out candy to trick or treaters calling at our door (of course not in my household). Seeing all those tiny (and some not so tiny) kids dressed as their favorite hero, princess or ghoulish figure at your door is part of the fun of Halloween. But we don't have to give them candy.

We get lots of kids to our door from the neighborhood, but they get something different from us—fun/playful treats.

I'm not about to contribute to the sugar addiction of a new generation.

I went to the Dollar Store and spent $10 getting multi-packs of erasers, pencils, bling rings, dinosaurs, bugs and glow-in-the-dark bats.

It's all in a bowl ready to hand out. Non-consumable, sugar-less treats that kids can appreciate and enjoy long after the sugar high is gone.

Parents and kids like coming to our door on Halloween.

What do you do to break the tradition of giving out candy to Trick or Treaters?

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Have a Healthy Halloween

I love the dress-up part of Halloween. When our son was young, I enjoyed coming up with fun costumes. One year I made a tyrannosaurus rex costume and my husband and I dressed as cave man and woman. We won best group costume at our community Halloween Festival as the Prehistoric Family.
What I don't like is all the candy.
Lots of sugar gets consumed even before we hand out candy to trick or treaters calling at our door (of course not in my household). Seeing all those tiny (and some not so tiny) kids dressed as their favorite hero, princess or ghoulish figure at your door is part of the fun of Halloween. But we don't have to give them candy.

We get lots of kids to our door from the neighborhood, but they get something different from us—fun/playful treats.

I'm not about to contribute to the sugar addiction of a new generation.

I went to the Dollar Store and spent $10 getting multi-packs of erasers, pencils, bling rings, dinosaurs, bugs and glow-in-the-dark bats.

It's all in a bowl ready to hand out. Non-consumable, sugar-less treats that kids can appreciate and enjoy long after the sugar high is gone.

Parents and kids like coming to our door on Halloween.

What do you do to break the tradition of giving out candy to Trick or Treaters?

Wisdom Wednesday

Tip:
More food for thought on the Death By Sugar post. Pass this on to anyone receiving conventional cancer treatments.

What do they use to "light up" cancer in the body during a CT Scan? That's right! Sugar! Glucose is used to carry the radioactive material to any sights with cancer. It's known that cancer feeds on sugar. So why would oncologists NOT tell their cancer patients they need to eliminate sugar in their diets to help starve the tumor? And why do they serve sugary treats to patients receiving their chemo infusions?

Did you know that most cancer patients don't die of cancer? They die of starvation. Doesn't it all make sense? If you feed the cancer with a diet of sugar (from breads & pastas, products with added sugar, desserts, sodas, etc.) you do so at the expense of healthy cells.

Death By Sugar—6 Ways Sugar Damages Your Body

Sugar Will Kill YouSugar can be as addictive as cocaine. It activates the brain’s reward system causing pleasure-inducing chemicals (dopamine) to flood the body. The result is a craving for more… and more.


Sugar damages your health on several levels. For starters we now know that fructose/sugar elevates blood pressure and potentially damages your kidneys. It increases uric acid which leads to chronic, low-level inflammation—the foundation for most disease. For example, chronically inflamed blood vessels can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Let's look at the what happens in the body when you consume a 20 oz soda:

Within 20 minutes—Your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar (17 teaspoons full on average) into fat.
Within 40 minutes—Caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.

Around 45 minutes—Your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin.

After 60 minutes—You’ll start to have a blood sugar crash, and you may be tempted to reach for another sweet snack or beverage.

Sugar Damages Your Body Let's Count the damage sugar does:

#1 Weakens the Immune System
The immune system primarily resides in the digestive tract—from the mouth to the rectum. Regularly pouring sugar down your pipes upsets the balance of microbes and causes the bad bugs to grow and thrive. A weakened immune system makes you vulnerable to illness and disease.

#2 Feeds Cancer
There are 19 times more sugar receptors on a cancer cell than a healthy human cell. Did you get that? You are feeding your cancer at the expense of healthy cells in your body when you eat sugar. It is tantamount to criminal that cancer patients are given cookies and other sugary things during chemo infusions. Guarantees your patients will return (cynicism intended).

#3 Causes Premature Aging
This week the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) published a study showing that daily consumption of a 20-ounce soda causes 4.6 years of additional biological aging. That's as bad as smoking.

#4 Creates an Addiction
Don't need to belabor this. The evidence is there. BTW, if you have a craving for chocolate, you should consider what is it you really crave. I know... chocolate was simply my sugar of choice.

#5 Causes Inflammation
The beginning of all disease starts with inflammation. When the body has inflammation it is programmed to heal, but lack of proper nutrients and healthy cells results in a less than optimum healing process. For example, inflammation of the blood vessels triggers tiny tears in the vessel walls, which the body patches up with cholesterol. And, of course, you know that cholesterol build-up can cause heart attack or stroke.

#6 Makes You Fat
It's sugar that makes you fat. Not fat. Not too many calories. Not lack of exercise. Nothing has more of an effect on your weight than the intake of sugar. And because sugar is in everything, it's no wonder we have become the fatest nation on planet earth. More than one-third of adults in the US are obese.

If sodas are your sugar of choice, there are other dangers besides sugar lurking there. Recently a Consumer Report identified the caramel coloring in most sodas as cancer-causing.

As a standard recommendation, TOTAL sugar consumption should be under 25 grams per day. Recently Coca Cola re-introduced a drink they discontinued in the late 90's called Surge. With 65 grams of sugar in a 16 oz can, Surge sold out on Amazon during the September 15th introduction. Yikes!

For most people it would also be wise to limit your sugar from fruit (aka fructose) to 15 grams or less, as you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" sources of sugar/fructose if you drink beverages other than water and eat processed food. Of course, I'd advise that you cut out all processed food and any drink other than filtered water, green tea and Kombucha.

Why So Much Sugar?Years ago it was wrongly suggested we eat less or no fat—because fats were bad and made us fat they said. Sugar was added to processed food to make up for the perceived loss of taste as a result of reducing the fat. From that point forward we've seen sugar added to virtually every processed food (including organic health foods). And Americans have gotten fatter and sicker.

The proliferation of GMO corn (>88% of all corn is genetically modified) translates to cheap sugar (aka high-fructose corn syrup) for the food industry to add more flavor to their foods. Anything tastes good with sugar. Now besides the dangers of sugar, add to that the hazards of GMOs.

In a quick trip to the store to pick up a can of organic beans I needed for a recipe, I glanced at the ingredients and found... yup... sugar added. Disgusting! What is sugar doing in a can of beans that should be beans? Only beans.

Sugar is in breads, crackers, every kind of boxed and processed food... then you have the artificial ingredients, preservatives and trans fats (hydrogenated oils). Read labels and don't buy it if it has sugar. Even if it's organic evaporated cane juice. It's sugar! It reacts the same in the body.

Prepare and eat real, fresh food from the earth.

In what food were you surprised to find sugar lately? Have you reduced or eliminated sugar in your diet? What was the effect?
 
*http://articles.mercola.com/sites/art...

Death By Sugar

Sugar Will Kill YouSugar can be as addictive as cocaine. It activates the brain’s reward system causing pleasure-inducing chemicals (dopamine) to flood the body. The result is a craving for more… and more.


Sugar damages your health on several levels. For starters we now know that fructose/sugar elevates blood pressure and potentially damages your kidneys. It increases uric acid which leads to chronic, low-level inflammation—the foundation for most disease. For example, chronically inflamed blood vessels can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Let's look at the what happens in the body when you consume a 20 oz soda:

Within 20 minutes—Your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar (17 teaspoons full on average) into fat.
Within 40 minutes—Caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.

Around 45 minutes—Your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin.

After 60 minutes—You’ll start to have a blood sugar crash, and you may be tempted to reach for another sweet snack or beverage.

Sugar Damages Your Body Let's Count the damage sugar does:

#1 Weakens the Immune System
The immune system primarily resides in the digestive tract—from the mouth to the rectum. Regularly pouring sugar down your pipes upsets the balance of microbes and causes the bad bugs to grow and thrive. A weakened immune system makes you vulnerable to illness and disease.

#2 Feeds Cancer
There are 19 times more sugar receptors on a cancer cell than a healthy human cell. Did you get that? You are feeding your cancer at the expense of healthy cells in your body when you eat sugar. It is tantamount to criminal that cancer patients are given cookies and other sugary things during chemo infusions. Guarantees your patients will return (cynicism intended).

#3 Causes Premature Aging
This week the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) published a study showing that daily consumption of a 20-ounce soda causes 4.6 years of additional biological aging. That's as bad as smoking.

#4 Creates an Addiction
Don't need to belabor this. The evidence is there. BTW, if you have a craving for chocolate, you should consider what is it you really crave. I know... chocolate was simply my sugar of choice.

#5 Causes Inflammation
The beginning of all disease starts with inflammation. When the body has inflammation it is programmed to heal, but lack of proper nutrients and healthy cells results in a less than optimum healing process. For example, inflammation of the blood vessels triggers tiny tears in the vessel walls, which the body patches up with cholesterol. And, of course, you know that cholesterol build-up can cause heart attack or stroke.

#6 Makes You Fat
It's sugar that makes you fat. Not fat. Not too many calories. Not lack of exercise. Nothing has more of an effect on your weight than the intake of sugar. And because sugar is in everything, it's no wonder we have become the fatest nation on planet earth. More than one-third of adults in the US are obese.

If sodas are your sugar of choice, there are other dangers besides sugar lurking there. Recently a Consumer Report identified the caramel coloring in most sodas as cancer-causing.

As a standard recommendation, TOTAL sugar consumption should be under 25 grams per day. Recently Coca Cola re-introduced a drink they discontinued in the late 90's called Surge. With 65 grams of sugar in a 16 oz can, Surge sold out on Amazon during the September 15th introduction. Yikes!

For most people it would also be wise to limit your sugar from fruit (aka fructose) to 15 grams or less, as you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" sources of sugar/fructose if you drink beverages other than water and eat processed food. Of course, I'd advise that you cut out all processed food and any drink other than filtered water, green tea and Kombucha.

Why So Much Sugar?Years ago it was wrongly suggested we eat less or no fat—because fats were bad and made us fat they said. Sugar was added to processed food to make up for the perceived loss of taste as a result of reducing the fat. From that point forward we've seen sugar added to virtually every processed food (including organic health foods). And Americans have gotten fatter and sicker.

The proliferation of GMO corn (>88% of all corn is genetically modified) translates to cheap sugar (aka high-fructose corn syrup) for the food industry to add more flavor to their foods. Anything tastes good with sugar. Now besides the dangers of sugar, add to that the hazards of GMOs.

In a quick trip to the store to pick up a can of organic beans I needed for a recipe, I glanced at the ingredients and found... yup... sugar added. Disgusting! What is sugar doing in a can of beans that should be beans? Only beans.

Sugar is in breads, crackers, every kind of boxed and processed food... then you have the artificial ingredients, preservatives and trans fats (hydrogenated oils). Read labels and don't buy it if it has sugar. Even if it's organic evaporated cane juice. It's sugar! It reacts the same in the body.

Prepare and eat real, fresh food from the earth.

In what food were you surprised to find sugar lately? Have you reduced or eliminated sugar in your diet? What was the effect?
 
*http://articles.mercola.com/sites/art...

Wisdom Wednesday

Tip:
I hate to burst anyones' bubble, but I must set the record straight about chocolate. The news regularly reports that chocolate is healthy for you... BUT that is NOT the whole story. What is healthy for you is the raw form of chocolate called cacao, which is dried and unsweetened. Cacao nibs are cacao bean pieces that can be ground to make a powder for recipes.

Known as a super food, the health benefits of raw cacao include:
Powerful antioxidant—high in resveratrol, the potent antioxidant found in red wine.Rich in minerals—magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper and manganese.Boosts your mood.Reduces your risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.Cocoa, the basis of virtually all chocolate sold including the unsweetened powder you buy for baking, is the result of roasting cacao, which destroys the enzymes and reduces the nutritional value. No more super food. :(
Don't fall for the idea you can eat lots of chocolate because you read that its good for you. That chocolate you're eating is loaded with sugar, which negates even further the healthy goodness of what started as raw cacao.

Life is Fragile—Live It with No Regrets

Have you ever listened to Tim McGraw's song Live Like You Were Dyin' and wondered what it meant to you? McGraw's song speaks of skydiving, mechanical bull riding and dispensing forgiveness previously denied. Living a life of optimum wellness encompasses living a life with no regrets.

Bronnie Ware, a hospice nurse for many years, discovered that people faced with death experienced many emotions, but eventually came to an acceptance and peace. When asked if there were regrets or things they would do differently, she found five common themes.
Live a Life True to Myself
The regret heard most often was wishing they were true to themselves. Not bending at the whim and expectation of others, keeps you at peace with who you really are. The extreme of this regret is a pleaser—a person that does things to make others happy. Learn to be your authentic self. Don't rush to do or be what others expect of you—or what you think others expect.

Don't Work So HardDon't be that person always working for fear you won't make enough money or may lose your job if you don't put in those extra hours. In this down economy, many have learned to live with less and found a new freedom with more time to enjoy family and friends. Less is more is not just a slogan its a healthy state of mind. Working long hours robs you of precious time. And at what expense?

Express My Feelings
Suppressing your feelings to keep peace is not a healthy reaction. It often leads to bitterness and resentment, which can lead to illness. Those who love you won't abandon you if you express your honest feelings. Go ahead have a good cry, get angry, be frustrated and tell a good friend what you're feeling—get it out of your system.
Stay in Touch With Friends
Don't be so caught up in your own life that you lose connection with good friends. After all, when we come to the end of life, the only thing that matters will be our relationships. Now open your address book and connect with old friends and make new ones. Get on Facebook.
Be Happier
Be Happier Give yourself permission to be happy. Don't let others dictate how you feel—happiness is a choice. Are you stuck in old patterns that prevent you from choosing to be happy? Look for the positive in situations, develop patience and check your complaint meter. No one likes to be around a complainer, or negative person. And being impatient is not an attractive character trait. Choose to be happy.

All of these concepts are important to optimum wellness. So where do you start? Back to Tim McGraw's song. Although not mentioned in the list of most common regrets, I believe denying forgiveness is a damaging emotion that can eat you alive. I've seen the damage it can do. Are there people you have not been able to forgive? Time to grant grace and lift the weight off your shoulders.  

If you find any issue overwhelming, seek help from a licensed therapist or your pastor. If you live your life with these principles, you should arrive at the end of life with little regrets.

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

What do you want to change before you die? What are you waiting for?

October is National Vegetarian Month

Whatever it takes to eat more veggies, whether thats eating vegan (no dairy, vegan or processed foods), cutting out meat (vegetarian), adding another serving of veggies each day or like me (vegan, but eat wild fish and organic eggs), eat like your life depends on it. Because it does!

Your mind will clear, the scales will dip, your skin will look amazing, you'll sleep better and you can say good-bye to those pesky colds and flues.

Graphic Source: Fix.com

Yam, Chickpea & Spinach Curry Soup

Here's a great soup to get your fall in gear. It's simple (if I make it, you can bet it's easy to prepare). I made this soup while visiting a friend who moved away.

Two other friends and I flew to Southern California to enjoy a few days with a girlfriend who moved closer to her grandkids—her son needed help and she rose to the challenge. I offered to cook all the meals during the visit because I've learned that I won't get decent food (or any food... hello, breakfast is the most important meal of the day) unless I step up. Thrilled about having me cook for them, they were eager to see what and how I cooked.

It's just easier for me to cook than give the cook instruction for my eating lifestyle. In this case, the cook was primarily my friend's husband and he wanted to learn more about eating healthier.
I sent a shopping list of groceries to get ahead of us arriving. We would stop for the rest of the items on the way from the airport at their local Trader Joe's.

One thing I didn't plan on was the lack of cooking utensils and pans. Yikes! Who doesn't have a spatula in their kitchen? Well... apparently quite a few. I made due with what I had, but I had to get creative when I steamed the broccoli without a steamer—I do not use a microwave for cooking. Microwaves don't cook—they agitate molecules. I'm not eating agitated foods.

I cooked quinoa for breakfast, preparing it the way I eat it at home on a regular basis. I brought a large bag of my homemade trail mix for snacking and adding to breakfast. Since we went out for Mexican food one night, I only needed to cook two dinners. Roasted salmon with raw veggie salad and steamed broccoli was on the menu one night. The other I cooked Yam, Chickpea & Spinach Curry Soup.

Yam, Chickpea & Spinach Curry Soup
from Chris Pedersenyield 4-6 servings
category Soupcuisine Vegan, Vegetarian
We visited Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside ingredients1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained OR 1 1/2 C cooked chickpeas2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 large onion, diced3 cloves of garlic, minced1 Tbsp of finely diced ginger4 C (32 oz carton) low-sodium vegetable broth2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, fire roasted or regular1 tsp cumin1 tsp ground coriander1 tsp ground tumericsea salt to taste2 C yams, peeled and chopped to 1" thick cubes2 C fresh baby spinach
directions1. If using dried chickpeas, soak in water over night and pressure-cook with salt for about 10 minutes before using in the recipe.2. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger then cook until onions are translucent—about 5 minutes.3. Add vegetable broth, tomatoes, seasonings and chickpeas. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes—until flavors combine. Stir occasionally.4. Add yams and cook another 15 minutes until yams begin to soften. Test with a fork.5. Add spinach and stir to wilt—about 1-2 minutes6. Serve

My girlfriends (and one happy husband/cook) were amazed at how good the food tasted and vowed to continue eating more plant-based meals. Here's to your health.

Have you ever had someone cook for you and made adjustments to your eating/cooking as a result?

Wisdom Wednesday

Studies continue to expose the ill-effects of artificial sweeteners. Besides research that claims these fake sugars add weight rather than help you lose weight, the latest study shows that artificial sweeteners (saccharin — in the pink packets of Sweet’N Low, sucralose—yellow packets of Splenda, and aspartame —blue packets of Equal) caused a change in gut bacteria that led to a glucose intolerance.

In plain talk that means you can be on your way to getting Type II diabetes. Not to mention that disrupting the gut bacteria (the essence of your immune system) is dangerous business.

Do you need any more evidence that diet drinks and using artificial sweetener instead of real sugar* is NOT okay? The issue should be settled. Stay away!

*We'll tackle real sugar in another post.