Time for a Snack

Time for a Snack

BLOGGER:  RENEE FISHER

The inspiration for this column comes to you compliments of my friend Tracy.  Tracy is beautiful, svelte, and has a killer sense of humor.  It’s tough not to hate her sometimes.  But, I’ll get past that and move on.  Tracy is a die-hard Gym Rat. She has a trainer, who is a die-hard I’m-Here-For-You-And-To-Save-The-Planet-From-The-Ravages-Of-Junk Food-And-Anything-Else-Worth-Eating Trainer.  She, the Trainer, sends her clients helpful emails that will allow them to give up food entirely so they can fit into cute size 00 workout apparel.  I go to the gym daily, but I don’t presently have a trainer, and so I’m not receiving trainer emails.  I was curious to see what Tracy’s trainer sent her.

The one she sent me this morning was headed: “Fast Facts From Fitness Matters—Poolside Primer.”  There’s some really great alliteration going here.  I would have made it perfect by saying: “Fast Facts From Fitness Forum…”(or some other F word that I can’t print here).  That way there would be five F words and two P words.  Cool, huh.

She follows with “Are you ready to put on a bathing suit?”  This is not the way to get my attention, since I have been trying to prepare myself for putting on a bathing suit since 1993.  I’m still not ready, and I don’t like to be pushed.

Here is the trainer’s suggestion for weight loss: “In order to lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you expend on any given day.”  This is a brilliant suggestion, but flawed: I don’t know how many calories I have expended during the day until the day is over, when it is too late to do anything about it. For example, last week, I had a mini-crisis with my real estate business involving someone not returning a phone call as a deadline rapidly approached.  My response, an understandable response I might add, was to eat all of the chocolate we keep at the office for such emergencies.  It was not until the day was over that I realized (too late, of course) that I had not run to New Jersey and back during the day, which would have used up most of the calories I had consumed.

The Trainer provides a handy chart, showing a gradual decline from “Very Hungry” (starving/desperate) all the way to “Much Too Full” (stuffed). She advises that people should live somewhere in the middle, in the “desirable range” of “Moderately Hungry” to “Mildly Full.”  I have never, to my knowledge, visited this interesting, and desired, middle range.  When I get hungry, I go immediately to “Red Alert You Will Perish If You Do Not Eat Immediately Very Hungry.” And, since our culture has conveniently provided me with food on virtually every street corner, I can leap to “Why On Earth Did I Eat That Stupid Thing I Am Much Too Full” in the time it takes me to park my car, run into a Seven-11, get back into my car and start plowing into whatever I purchased.

Following this on the email is the extremely helpful statement: “The really important question to ask yourself before you eat anything is ‘Am I really hungry?’ Tune in to the physical sensations you’re experiencing.  Rate your hunger on the Hunger/Fullness Scale. If you aren’t really hungry, what else may be going on? You may be eating in response to emotions or stress.” I have done this many times.  But, by the time I have completed this extremely valuable analysis of my entire life as it impacts on my need for food at that particular moment in time, the bag of chocolate covered pretzels or pint of coffee Haagen-Dazs or large package of those yummy little chocolate covered donettes are a mere memory.

The trainer asks, “Ever notice that when you’re really stressed, you tend to crave comfort foods that are high in fat or sugar?”  Yes, I have actually noticed that, usually at that same aforementioned point in time when I am staring into the empty ice cream carton or candy wrapper or cookie box.

The trainer then informs us that Serotonin, Cortisol, and Neuropeptide Y are the three hormones that play a role in why we eat.  They are sort of the “Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” of the diet and hormone world.  I won’t say anything more about these, since they don’t come in a chocolate-covered edible version and so are really boring to talk about.

Come to think of it, I’m bored thinking about any of this.  Time for a snack.

Renee Fisher is a Realtor and writer who lives in the Washington, DC area.  She is the co-author of two award-winning books about life after 50 www.invisiblenomore.com and is the DC Boomer Humor columnist for examiner.com DC-Boomer-Humor-Examiner.

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5 Ideas for New Year’s Resolutions

BLOGGER: JULIE WEBSTER

We are always thinking of ways in which we can lose weight, eat better, exercise more, and so on.

How often do we think outside of that box? Here are some ideas for making our lives and the planet healthier!

1. Change the Way You Eat

Idea #1 – Make it a point to sit down with friends and family for at least three meals per week.

With the change in schedules and the availability of fast food, our society has moved far away from the relaxing social meals of the past. When eating with friends and family, we eat slower because we are talking and enjoying the conversation. Not only will we feel better physically but we will be filled much more emotionally.

Unfortunately it is not only our country that is compromising the way we eat. In John Robbins book, Healthy at 100 he notes the following:

“In almost every culture in the world, eating dinner together has been a place for families to strengthen bonds. The French in particular have long cherished mealtime as a family ritual, so much so that children have traditionally not been allowed to open the refrigerator between meals. But the days of sitting for hours around the table savoring small portions of several courses and relishing each other’s company seem to have passed. Instead, it has become commonplace for the French to eat in front of their television sets, while talking on the telephone, and even alone. As McDonald’s has become more popular in France than anywhere else in Europe, the average French meal, which twenty-five years ago lasted 88 minutes, has been reduced to only 38 minutes today.”

Idea #2 – Stop eating in the car, in front of the television, or standing at the counter.

Our digestive system is not meant to adapt under any of these circumstances! When we sit down, relax, focus on our food, and breathe, our bodies are prepared to produce the appropriate amount of digestive enzymes and we get the most benefit (nutrients) out of our food. Part of the reason we overeat is due to these unconscious methods of eating. We hardly chew our food and inhale it at such a rate that our brains have yet received signals that we are actually full. Consequently we overeat and feel bloated and gain weight. The crazy part about the whole process is we have no idea just how much this type of eating has compromised our health.

If this is you, maybe one of your resolutions is to make the time to sit down, relax, and take a few deep breaths before taking your first bite. Appreciate the amazing fact that food is our lifeline to health. Enjoy it fully.

Although this has sounded crazy to most people that know me, even if I am alone at home for dinner, I actually prepare a delicious nutritious meal, pour a nice glass of wine, set the table, light a candle or two and really enjoy the time of eating a wonderful meal in a relaxed setting. I am sure this sounds off the charts for many of you but I encourage you to try it once or twice. It is a great experience!

Idea #3 – Learn about Slow Food

Slow Food is a movement that counters fast food. It is about creating a way of eating and living that associates the pleasure of food with community and the environment. There are many Slow Food movements throughout the world. Here a some sites to learn more: http://slowfoodcu.wordpress.com/about/

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/

2. Change your Shopping Habits

Idea #1 – Stay out of the middle of the grocery store!

The most natural and healthy foods are found around the periphery of the store. You will find the most nutritious and least processed foods in this area. Not only is the food more processed as you wander down the aisles but can be more expensive. Plus the amount of packaging adds to the increase in waste products in our landfills.

Idea #2 – Take a list and Do NOT go when you are hungry!

I realize that neither of these ideas are new yet can save you a lot of money and keep you on a healthier track of food. Think about what you would like to make and jot down the ingredients you need. Make it an intention to get only those ingredients. Of course if you see some great sale on fruit or vegetables you might want to get extra while you are there. The main thing you want to avoid is picking up that junk snack food that you know isn’t good for you and yet is so tempting when you are hungry and just mindlessly wandering the aisles of the store.

Idea #3 – Change one/two buying habits into healthier choices.

Although eating organic and antibiotic free meats can be expensive, in the long run it is cheaper than eating a bunch of junk and ending up sick! Besides, by watching for specials in the produce, meat and fish section of the stores, you can find deals that are worth the purchase. For example, not too long ago the Whole Foods in Boulder had grass fed ground beef on sale at an amazingly cheap price. Now I don’t often eat ground beef but at that price it was worth purchasing it and keeping it in my freezer for that unexpected time I might want to make something with it.

The same goes for produce. Although you can’t necessarily store it, there are certain foods that I (now) only buy organic. The reason being is that certain plants are sprayed much more with pesticides and the produce absorbs more of it. Two examples are strawberries and spinach. I only buy these if they’re organic!

So start with one or two things that (you feel) are easy to change in your diet. Maybe it is organic produce or antibiotic free chicken, whatever it is, it will have a positive impact on your overall health over time.

3. Become a Part-Time or Full-Time Locavore!

What is that you ask? The term Locavore started in the San Francisco area not too many years ago. The premise was to encourage people to only purchase food that has been grown within a 100 mile radius of where you live.

Eating local foods is a great step towards saving our planet and increasing our health. When you purchase food that is grown within 100 miles of home, you are helping the environment. It requires much less fossil fuel to get it to the store! In addition, the food is much fresher as it is picked when ripe, thus allowing time for all the nutrients to get into the food. You are also eating foods that are in season; something we are designed to do.

Although this might not always be easy, start with your local Farmer’s Market. You will meet some great people – the farmers and ranchers. You will find you have a much greater connection to the person growing your food, the food will taste amazingly so much better, and you will feel a greater part of the whole food chain. If you are in a cold climate where this is only available in the summer, start there and get to talking to the farmers. Chances are that many of them will be able to provide you with food in the winter months as well.

I have found a local organic farmer, Jay Hill Farm that grows greens and various other produce all winter long. I just have to email her and it will be picked the following morning and ready for pick up after 11am. I have made salads with her mixed greens and arugula for many friends and family. I always get the same reaction, ‘wow this is the best salad I’ve ever had!’ In so much as I would like to think it is my amazing ability to make a salad, I know better. The main difference is the fresh and vibrant taste of the greens!

Want to learn more about the ‘locavore’ movement? Here is a link and quote:

“The “locavore” movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to grow or pick their own food, arguing that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Locavores also shun supermarket offerings as an environmentally friendly measure, since shipping food over long distances often requires more fuel for transportation.”

For the full description from Oxford, read this. http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/locavore/

For additional benefits on the locavore lifestyle, check out this site. http://www.locavores.com/how/

For ideas of the closest Farmer’s Market and where you can find local ranchers, here are some websites:

Local Harvest is a great source for finding food grown close to you.

http://www.localharvest.org/

This USDA site might offer you some farmer’s market information.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/FarmersMarkets

Eatwild.com is your source for safe, healthy, natural and nutritious grass-fed beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork, dairy and other wild edibles. You can go here to find ranchers in your area.

http://www.eatwild.com/

If you can’t find one, the U.S. Wellness Meats in an alternative place to get grass fed meat and more.

http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok

4. Change your Water Drinking Habits

Idea #1 – Purchase water in larger quantities and fill your own bottles.

To begin, water is life. Without it we will die and yet we don’t drink enough. Many people are walking around dehydrated and don’t even know it. For more details on signs of dehydration and more on the benefits of drinking water, read this article.

Meanwhile there are many more people drinking water-like products than ever before. First, many of those are processed and have various types of sugar and more. Rather than purchase these expensive products drink good water! Second, realize the environmental consequence of using all those bottles!

Last, if you do not have good water available in your area, purchase a water filter. There are many types on the market and are worth the cost.

Idea #2 – Purchase a healthy reusable bottle for your water.

BPA is a chemical that is found in hard plastic. It is very toxic and has been proven to cause cancer. Although more companies are aware of this and changing their bottles, not all are there yet. If using a plastic bottle, look for one that says, “BPA Free.”

One of the companies that have taken on this change is Nalgene. I really like their bottles as they have a variety of designs to meet everyone’s needs. If you cannot find them locally, here is their website. http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/

The second option is to use one of the Swiss made bottles. They are stainless steel on the inside so no worries about the plastic. Again you might be able to find these locally but if not, here is their website. http://mysigg.com/index.asp

5. Find Ways to Help Sustainability and Decrease your Carbon Footprint

In addition to the aforementioned, here are some relatively easy things you can do that have a positive effect on our environment.

Idea #1 – Decrease the amount of animal products you eat.

One of the ways we can have the greatest impact on our planet is to change our diet towards a vegetarian one. Now I am not proposing that we all give up animal products. I personally cannot imagine doing this and yet I am very impressed by those that have.

What I do realize is that even with eating grass fed and antibiotic free beef, cage free and natural chicken, and non-farmed fish, we are still using a great deal of the resources available on our planet. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, “Livestock production is responsible for more climate change gasses than all the motor vehicles in the world. In total, it is responsible for 18 percent of human induced greenhouse gas emissions. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.”

So what do we do about this? Well, my goal is to start by having one day a week that I eat no animal products. I will then work towards two days. If each of us gave up one or two days a week, we would have a huge impact on our planet. With this being said, I intend to put more vegetarian recipes on my website!

Idea #1 – Change your lIghtbulbs!

As your light bulbs burn out, replace them with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs. They are 75% more efficient and last 10 times as long. http://www.rodale.com/cfl-and-led-lightbulbs

Idea #2 – Start unplugging what you are not using!

Unplug lights, stereos, printers, heaters, and anything else when not in use. Even if the units are turned off, many of them continue to use energy. The only way you can be assured they are not is to unplug them from the wall. It only takes an extra second but can have a huge impact on our energy output.

Idea #3 – Recycle!!!

Make it a goal to have a minimal amount of non-recyclable trash. Last year I made my goal to not have more than one (kitchen) bag of trash for two weeks. So far I am there all but those times that I have a big party. Once you get in the habit it is really easy. If you have a local recycling program, learn about all that you can recycle. If you are lucky enough to live in a place like Boulder, then you also have compostable recycling. If not, get a bin and start composting. Here is some information on how:

Idea #4 – Buy products with the least amount of packaging.

As mentioned earlier, if you stay along the periphery of the store, you will find the packaging to be at a minimum. Even at this however you need to think! I do see these plastic containers for spinach and mixed greens. Don’t buy them! Instead buy in the bulk.

To support this concept even more, I just purchased some reusable vegetable bags. I haven’t tried them yet but am excited to decrease the amount of plastic bags I accumulate. Check out their website! http://www.3bbags.com/

Idea #5 – Use less paper products.

Two ways that are extremely easy is in the kitchen. Rather than purchasing paper napkins, get some really nice cloth ones. It is a much nicer feel on your mouth and hands and they last forever! I still have the original ones I bought about 25 years ago! (I use them for outside picnics and camping.)

The other easy change is in using dish towels rather than paper towels. Dish towels or sponges are great and can be reused for a long time. Of course we do still need some paper towels but not so many.

Idea #6 – When Purchasing Paper Products, Get Recyclable Products

You can avoid the bleaching process and save the trees! “ If every household in the United States replaced one roll of virgin-fiber paper towels with 100 percent recycled paper towels, we could save 1.4 million trees.” Source: Care2 http://www.care2.com/greenliving/paper-towels-and-napkins-vs-cloth.html

Idea #6 – See how you’re doing!

Calculate your Carbon Footprint now and then again every few months. There are a lot of different sites to figure out this process, just search for carbon footprint calculator. This one is pretty simple but a good place to start: http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/?src=l12

If you have information or ideas that are along these thoughts, please share them! I look forward to hearing from you and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

ulie Webster is a Certified Massage Therapist and Certified Health Counselor. She provides health education online and through seminars. In addition she has written a book titled “Regaining Good Posture” which is available as an ebook, with videos performing each of the stretches, through her website: www.julie-webster.com Julie is also available for presentations on posture and various health topics to corporations. To reach her visit her website or email her at info@julie-webster.com

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THE 12 POUNDS OF CHRISTMAS

THE 12 POUNDS OF CHRISTMAS: HOW TO BEAT BACK A BULGING HOLIDAY WAISTLINE

BLOGGER:  JARED DEFIFE, PHD

Did you pledge to slim your waistline in 2009, but find yourself packing on a few extra pounds this holiday season?  Here are a few ways to get your pants to fit again for 2010.

-Assess yourself
Put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and take a good look at your life and health habits over the past month. Were your holiday feasts a little too filling? Did you mindlessly graze through the sweets and snacks that were left out for the taking? Have too many cocktails at your cocktail parties? Were you less active than usual? Did feeling more down or depressed leave you with less motivation to take care of yourself? Have you been eating more as a way to cope with feelings of sadness or loneliness? Developing a meaningful measure and understanding of your behavior goes a long way towards effectively identifying goals for change. Keeping track with food logs or activity calendars is a great way to record your achievements and identify problem areas.

-Don’t repress yourself
Gaining weight can be disappointing, especially if you’ve spent a lot of effort trying to lose it. When people get upset or disappointed, I often hear them say that they know they should just “let it go”, “move past it”, or “forget about it”. I think that’s a load of hooey. Those are trite little psychobabble platitudes with the implicit message that feelings are bad and you shouldn’t have them. Anyone who has been hurt or disappointed knows that you don’t just “forget about it”. Feelings are inevitable; when you stop feeling, you stop living. How you choose to act on your feelings is the point where behavior becomes more or less adaptive. If you feel disappointed and angry over your holiday weight gain, you can choose to let those feelings shut you down, or you can let those feelings motivate you towards new behavior.

-To forgive is divine
Getting down on yourself for your holiday hedonism isn’t particularly helpful for anything. Regretfully ruminating about those two extra Christmas cookies you ate or that full day you spent on the couch watching football doesn’t burn cookie calories or turn couch surfing into cardio calisthenics. Feelings of shame and guilt about your holiday weight gain can quickly become demoralizing, undermining your motivation to eat wisely and stay active. Remember that when it comes to holiday weight gain, you are not alone. American adults gain on average around 1 to 2 lbs each year, mostly around the winter holidays. It’s not a crime to be a little self-indulgent. Try to look fondly on the parts of your holidays filled with good times and good food. Don’t let a couple extra pounds hold you down too much.

-…but don’t let yourself off the hook
Self-forgiveness does not mean shirking all personal responsibility. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own actions and indulgences. Take responsibility without blaming (yourself or anyone else).  There is a fine line between understanding the effects of a situation and blaming that situation for the consequences. For example, it may be a very useful insight to identify that a streak of bad weather prevented a couple of your daily runs. What you do with that insight is what makes all the difference. Blaming the weather for your inactivity and waiting for the sun to shine won’t do you any good. Knowing that winter weather keeps you housebound and preparing for that by planning indoor aerobic activities for when the snow hits turns an insightful understanding into effective behavior change.

-Make it about the process, not about the poundage
Scales can be useful diagnostic tools. However, scale watching is a lot like whale watching. Every now and then you get an exciting result, but there’s also a lot of inactivity and even disappointment. Staying active with regular exercise and eating a sensible daily diet should be much more important than the number at your feet on any given day.

-Get support
You should always let your physician know about your diet and exercise goals and routines. A psychotherapist can also work with you in developing your personal goals, tracking your progress, guiding your emotions away from self-loathing and towards self-achievement, and identifying if you’ve dipped below winter blues and into a more significant depression.  Enlist a few close and supportive friends for encouragement and the occasional reality check.  It takes a village to lose a pound, so groups like Weight Watchers, recreational clubs, and sports teams are great for guidance, support, and social networking.

Jared DeFife, Ph.D. is a research scientist in clinical psychology at Emory University and Associate Director of the Laboratory for Personality and Psychopathology. He writes a regular blog for Psychology Today at www.tinyurl.com/jdefife.

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“Eat Your Vegetables!” mother said…

BLOGGER:  JULIE WEBSTER

Did she really have all the information we do today or was this just instinct? What we really should eat hasn’t changed that much for a very long time. It is what we DO eat that has created the current health crisis. Not only have we gone away from real food and towards predominately eating processed food but the decrease in consumption of fruits and (especially) vegetables has increased tremendously!

More and more research is coming to the forefront about the importance of having fruits and vegetables as the major portion of our diets. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “At least one-third of annual cancer deaths in the United States are related to dietary factors. Increased fruit and vegetable consumption can reduce cancer risk, but less than one-third of U.S. adults eat the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables every day.” Yet, the idea is not new. Books have been written for years on this subject. Some say the concept goes back as far as Hippocrates!

So what exactly is the big deal? Why are these foods so much better for us?

To begin, fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are loaded with antioxidants which keep our cells from being broken down so easily by free radicals. They are nutrient dense. In other words they are loaded with lots of healthful ingredients and low in calories so you can eat a ton of them, be completely satisfied and still be way lower in calories than when eating other foods. Best of all, they provide your tissues with an alkaline environment.

Alkaline environment… what does that mean? When foods are metabolized or broken down by the body, they provide the body with energy and leave behind ash. That ash can either be alkaline-forming or acid-forming; based on the mineral content of the foods. The alkaline forming minerals are calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, and manganese. The acid forming minerals are phosphorous, sulfur, chlorine, iodine, bromine, fluorine, copper and silicon. So, those foods that are high in alkaline-forming ash will provide your body with a healthier environment.

If you consume too many foods that are acid-forming, it can wreak havoc on you. As said by Dr. Theodore A. Baroody, author of Alkalize or Die,” in my opinion, acid wastes literally attack the joints, tissues, muscles, organs and glands causing minor to major dysfunction. If they attack the muscles, you could possibly end up with myofibrosis (aching muscles). If they attack the organs and glands, a myriad of illnesses could occur.”

Amongst the biggest culprits for acid-forming ash are fast foods, processed foods, refined sugars, drugs, and chemicals. Proteins such as meat, dairy, and fish are also acid-forming and yet are important in the diet when taken in proper amounts. Grains and legumes are also acid-forming. Too many of any of these substances consequently leads to an acid environment in the body and can result in disease, infections and especially inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

In addition, we need to have an alkaline reserve in our body for other situations. Lack of exercise can be acid-forming for exercise helps to regulate the acid/alkaline balance via respiration. Stress is a big acid-forming condition. If we are stressed out or angry, our bodies produce large amounts of acid-forming ash. Since this is quite prevalent in today’s society, offering your body more of the alkaline-forming foods is that much more important.

As you can see, there is a fine balance. This balance is referred to as pH or the measure of concentration of hydrogen in the body. A pH above 7 is alkaline. Theories vary as to how alkaline our body (ash) needs to be and yet the range is narrow. Most say a pH of around 7.4 is ideal. Based on what I’ve read that number can vary slightly and how to measure your precise pH (in your body) is actually quite difficult to determine. Having said all this, we do need to be on the alkaline side of the chart and this is mostly determined by what we eat.

Before we get into the foods themselves, let us look at one other major factor – an acid called hydrochloric acid or HCL. This is the only acid our body actually produces and it is essential to life. It is the first substance in the stomach that breaks down our foods. Lack of it and our foods would just be a mass of undigested waste. Along with water and enzymes, HCL digests protein into the eight essential amino acids vital to life. Without it, we would not be able to absorb B12 or folic acid. In addition, this strong acid kills most bacteria that enters into our body with the food we eat. Last, it keeps us alive by maintaining the proper alkaline/acid balance and becomes alkaline itself after doing its job.

Lack of or excess amounts of hydrochloric acid have the same symptoms – heartburn, burning sensation in the stomach. Most times, people think it is ‘too much acid’ rather than not enough and end up taking anti-acid tablets, thus decreasing the amount of HCL even further. It is more common that there is not enough HCL. Hydrochloric acid production starts to decline around the age of 40. If you suffer from heartburn, are over 40 or have eaten poorly for an extended number of years, you might consider consulting with a nutritionist about taking a HCL supplement.

So now that we know all this, how are we supposed to eat? To begin, let us look at the side of food that is confusing. One of the greatest alkaline-forming foods is the lemon. We often think of a lemon as being very acid in nature and yet the end result is the opposite. Lemons produce a very alkaline-forming ash due to their mineral content. As mentioned before, the minerals calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, and manganese all end up creating an alkaline-forming ash. Well, lemons happen to be high in potassium, calcium and magnesium! See how it works?

Generally all fruits and vegetables are alkaline-forming while all other foods are acid-forming.  To maintain a healthy body, it is suggested that your diet is a minimum of 70% alkaline and 30% acid-forming foods.  This ratio is even better at 80% to 20% respectively.  If you suffer from any type of disease, inflammatory condition or have a great deal of stress in your life, you might consider upping the ratio to 90% and 10% respectively.  Also, based on the degree of alkalinity to acidity (for example some foods have a greater degree of alkaline or acid), you can play with what you eat.  I have provided a chart showing you most foods.  Simply download this pdf and keep it on your refrigerator.  Last, to make it easy when you are eating out, think about your plate being 70-90% full of vegetables and fruits with the rest of the plate being filled with protein.  You may think this is impossible but just ask.  I often ask for steamed spinach or extra vegetables instead of the bread or pasta they offer.  Usually they are glad to accommodate you.  (For thoughts on grains, listen to this podcast.)

For many of you this might be a new concept and very different way of eating. I strongly suggest you start slowly. Gradually add in more fruits and vegetables, with vegetables being the major addition. At the same time start decreasing the worst of the acid-forming foods first – such as junk food, fast food, processed food, and sugar. Give yourself several months to make the changes. Over time you will be amazed how much better you feel and how much more energy you have!

Julie Webster is a Certified Massage Therapist and Certified Health Counselor. She provides health education online and through seminars. In addition she has written a book titled “Regaining Good Posture” which is available as an ebook, with videos performing each of the stretches, through her website: www.julie-webster.com Julie is also available for presentations on posture and various health topics to corporations. To reach her visit her website or email her at info@julie-webster.com

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