"Many Americans assume that the United States is the world's healthiest nation. Unfortunately, statistics show that we are not as healthy as we might think. We do enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world, with extraordinary emergency medical technology and trauma care. But this fact doesn't make us healthy. When we learn what good health really means, and we begin to practice the good health habits God has set in place, we will experience the abundant life that He has for us."

Dr. Jordan S. Rubin (The Maker's Diet Daily Reminders)

Raw Milk is Real Milk

Real feed for cows is green grass in Spring, Summer and Fall; stored dry hay, silage, hay and root vegetables in Winter. It is not soy meal, cottonseed meal or other commercial feeds, nor is it bakery waste, chicken manure or citrus peel cake, laced with pesticides. Vital nutrients like vitamins A and D, and Price's "Activator X" (a fat-soluble catalyst that promotes optimum mineral assimilation, now believed to be vitamin K₂) are greatest in milk from cows eating green grass, especially rapidly growing green grass in the spring and fall. Vitamins A and D are greatly diminished, and Activator X disappears, when milk cows are fed commercial feed. Soy meal has the wrong protein profile for the dairy cow, resulting in a short burst of high milk production followed by premature death. Most milk (even most milk labeled "organic") comes from dairy cows that are kept in confinement their entire lives and never see green grass!

Buy only milk products from herds allowed to graze on green pasture.

Name that Food

What's for breakfast?

Did you have cereal for breakfast this morning? If you have children I'll bet you're familiar with this breakfast staple. Well, last week's partially hydrogenated sunflower oil and corn syrup food was: Post Honey Bunches of Oats

Now for this week:

Whole wheat, sugar, tricalcium and dicalcium, salt, malt extract, corn syrup, vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), zinc and iron (mineral nutrients), vitamin E (tocopherol acetate), trisodium phosphate, a B vitamin (niacinamide), a B vitamin (calcium pantothenate), annatto extract color, vitamin A (palmitate), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), a B vitamin (folic acid), vitamin B12, and vitamin D. Freshness preserved with BHT.

What is this food? Check back soon for the answer!

Answer: General Mills Whole Grain Total

Recipe of the Week

Mexican Rice Casserole (serves 8)

4 cups basic brown rice (recipe in previous post)

1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

2 bunches green onions, chopped

1/2 cup pitted black olives, chopped

2 small cans green chile peppers, chopped

1 cup creme fraiche

Combine all ingredients except 1/2 cup grated cheese and pour into a buttered casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Slightly spicy, this dish may not be your child's favorite, but it does bring life to your mouth!

Enjoy!

Motion Is Life

LEARN TO BREATHE PROPERLY ON A RUN
Breathing is a very natural activity--and so is getting out of breath when you run.By Hal Higdon
PUBLISHED 08/28/2001
When you run, you get out of breath. This is normal. This is natural. Your body runs on oxygen, just as your automobile runs on gasoline. When you start to exercise--whether running, walking or any other physical activity--your muscles need more oxygen. The body meets this need by supplying oxygen-rich blood to the muscles. The lungs work harder to absorb this oxygen out of the air.You get out of breath.Without giving it much conscious thought, most runners breathe in a 2/2 rhythmic ratio. They take two steps as they inhale; they take two more steps as they exhale. While running very slowly, they often breathe in a 3/3 ratio. While running very fast, they might breathe 2/1, or 1/1, but 2/2 is much more common.If you count breaths in and out and discover you are breathing with a different rhythm, don't worry about it. Adjusting your breathing pattern will not make you a better runner.The same with whether you breathe through your nose or your mouth. Most runners naturally breathe through both. Famed New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard, when asked how runners should breathe, once replied: "Breathe through your mouth. Breathe through your nose. Suck the air in through your ears, if you can."Your jaw should be relaxed, your mouth slightly open. The oxygen will come through your nose and mouth to your lungs, to your blood and to your muscles without you needing to give it a lot of thought. Breathing is a very natural activity--and so is getting out of breath when you run.

Source: (www.runnersworld.com)

How To Get Sick

Use fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash, and drink fluoridated water.

"Fluoride is extremely poisonous - especially the salt-based form used in toothpaste and mouthwash. A top EPA scientific advisor voiced the opinion that "since recent federal government tests have shown that fluoride appears to cause cancers at levels less than ten times the present maximum contamination level, this would ordinarily require that all additions of fluoride to water supplies be suspended and treatment be instituted to remove naturally occurring flouride."

Well, that's a pretty good warning if you ask me. My family chooses nonflouridated alternatives for oral hygiene and yours should too.

Recipe of the Week

Yoghurt Herb Bread

3 cups whole wheat flour (you can also use organick, unbleached all-purpose if you'd rather)

2 cups plain whole-milk yoghurt

1/2 cup filtered water

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 stick melted butter

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. dried dill

1/2 tsp. each of dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, and dried tarragon

Mix flour with yoghurt and water, cover and leave in a warm place for 12 -24 hours. Place flour mixture in food processor and process for several minutes to knead the dough. Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended. Pour into a well-buttered and floured loaf pan (preferrably stoneware). Bake at 350 degrees for at least 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Name that Food

I'll bet you'll be surprised to know that last week's food was Weight Watchers Beef Broth Mix.

Now for this week: Can you name this food?

Corn, whole wheat, sugar, rolled oats, brown sugar, rice, partially hydrogenated sunflower oil, malted barley, salt, corn syrup, whey, malt syrup, hoeny, artificial flavor, and annatto extract (for color). BHT added to packaging material to preserve freshness.

Motion Is Life

On a personal note, my first run this week was only 4 miles. It was a very difficult 4 miles, unnecessarily. I've run farther than 4 miles, much more easily, in the past. I discovered a few things that could've caused the difficulty: improper nutrition (that day), lack of sleep, improper stretching from a previous run, and add to that the difficulty of pushing a double running stroller. Anyway, a few things I learned and wanted to share:

* It is so important to eat the right foods all the time, especially before a run. Many runners feel that it's important to load up on carbs, but that's not necessarily the case. If you're running 3-5 miles, and you feel hungry before, eat something bland and easily digested. Drink plenty of water and maybe eat a bowl of oatmeal about and hour or so before your run. This will give you the energy you need without all the carbs you don't. I am guilty of eating a bite or two here and there throughout the day, as I'm feeding my three girls; never actually taking the time to properly nourish myself.

* It's also important to try to get as much sleep as possible. 10 hours would just be great wouldn't it? I can't remember the last time I slept for 10 hours straight. I probably won't get 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep until all my little girls are older. However, I have tried to set a bedtime for myself. I get caught up trying to finish all the things I didn't finish during the day and end going to bed way too late.

* Pre-run warm-up and post-run stretching is crucial to a successful run. Slack off on these two things and you'll pay the price eventually.

* Now about the running stroller...pushing the stroller (with about 50lbs.) is definitely more challenging. Studies show that you can burn up to 20% more calories (depeding on the weight in the stroller) while pushing a stroller at a given pace. You'll work your cardiovascular system harder, and pushing the stroller will strengthen several muscle groups. Well, I'm not sure I enjoy the added challenge! Oh well...mommy of three doesn't have a choice sometimes, so I'll just suck it up and try harder next time.

On a positive note, I ran another 4 miles today. Much better than the last. I find that running in the early morning or late evening is better for me. Afternoon runs catch me at my weakest. So, since 8pm runs are less likely to be convenient, it looks like I'll be getting an early start on run days. That's ok though; the days are getting hotter and flying insects are getting worse. I say "bring on the 7am run!"

Recipe of the Week

Broccoli Timbales

1 large bunch broccoli

4 tblsp. butter, softened

4 tblsp. creme fraiche

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 small onion, very finely chopped

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Steam broccoli according to the master recipe.  Place in a food processor and pulse a few times until well chopped.  Add butter, cream, eggs and onion and blend well.  Season to taste. Pour into six well-buttered conical timbale molds.  Place in a pan of hot water and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Loosen timbales with a knife and turn onto a warmed platter or individual plates.

I found these very easy to make, but did have to adjust the cooking time a bit.  Just a little longer than the recipe calls seemed to be successful.  Also, if you don't have a food processor, a good blender should be fine.

Name that Food

So, did you figure out what last week's food was?  Remember that hydrolyzed vegetable protein, monosodium glutamate (MSG), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, etc...  Well, you may be surprised to know that the answer is:  Rice-a-Roni, Long Grain and Wild

What is This?

Salt, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, sugar, monosodium glutamate, dehydrated onion, maltodextrin, dextrin (with beef extract and partially hydrogenated soybean oil), caramel color, autolyzed yeast, corn oil, dry malt syrup, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, natural flavoring, not more than 2% silicon diozide added as an anti-caking agent.

Whew, good grief.....that's certainly a lot of junk!  So what is this food (or product, I should say...it's a far cry from food)?  Find out next week...

Soy Dangers

There's plenty yet that you didn't know about soy!

"Soy contains several naturally occurring compounds that are toxic to humans and animals.  The soy industry frequently refers to these toxins as anti-nutrients, which implies that they somehow act to prevent the body getting the complete nutrition it needs from a food.  The soy toxins (such as phytic acid) can certainly act in this manner, but they also have the ability to target specific organs, cells and enzyme pathways and their effects can be devastating.

The soy toxins that Soy Online Service have concerns about are protease inhibitors, phytic acid, soy lectins (or haemagglutins), nitrosamines, manganese concentrations and the mysterious soyatoxin.  Nitrosamines are not naturally occurring in soybeans but form during the processing of products such as isolated soy protein (ISP).

As with any toxin there will be a dose at which negative effects are not observed.  Soy Online Services have examined the scientific data on the soy toxins and have uncovered several alarming truths:

	There is no legislation to protect consumers from soy toxins in raw soy products.
	With the possible exception of soy lecithin, all soy products, no matter how well treated, contain low to moderate levels of soy toxins; processing cannot remove them all of any of them.
	The soy industry has little in the way of quality control to protect consumers from exposure to inadequately treated soy products."

Motion Is Life

Alright, those of you following the "yes you can" plan from last month, how are you feeling?  This running thing is starting to work for you isn't it.  Well, it's time to bump it up a notch. It's about time to move forward to weeks 5-8.  Here's the plan, in case you forgot:

Walk for 5 minutes, Run/Walk for 20 minutes, Walk another 5 minutes.  Now remember, I like to warm up a little more after the first 5 minutes of walking.  So you may want to stop and stretch your sides a bit, try some jumping jacks and air squats, just to get things moving a little more before you start moving a little more (running).  Do this routine 3 days a week and don't forget to walk for 30 minutes the other 2 days.  

Aren't you proud of what you've accomplished?  You're doing great...keep it up!  One of my favorite verses in the Bible simply says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  I found (find) myself repeating this verse so many times when I run.  It's true, though.  God has given me strength to accomplish things I never thought I'd be able to accomplish...including running.  Next time you run, think about it as you feel the cooling breeze on a hot day or the misting rain that's keeping the bugs away....and thank God for these little things.

Now let's move on a bit and talk more about strength training.  This is such an important aspect of good running; I don't want us to forget to incorporate strength training into our weekly routine.  You're probably thinking, "My week is full, when am I supposed to add strength training?"  Don't forget there's 7 days in the week, not just 5, or you can also do your strength training on your walking days.  "The science behind strength training for runners is simple. Stronger muscles mean your body will find running at a steady pace easier."  You can keep it simple, but well-rounded, without setting foot in a health club or gym.  So here's some ideas to get you started:

Dumbbells are very effective at isolating muscle groups, and they're versatile enough to allow you to work just about every muscle in your body.  The push press is an exercise to train your core and upper body to channel more power into your running stride.  Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing out.  Sit down into a half-squat position, then immediately stand up with an explosive extension of the hips and knees.  Finish the movement by pressing the weights overhead.  Try repeating this 10 times.

Kettlebells have large handles that make them awkward to lift.  "This forces you to establish an offcentered weight and work more muscles than you would with dumbbells."  I like vinyl-coated kettlebells because they're eaiser on my floors.  The one-arm swing is a great way to strengthen weak hamstrings.  Start by squatting with your butt back and knees bent, holding the kettlebell between your feet with one hand.  While looking straight ahead, swing the weight back between your legs like your hiking a football.  Then swing it out in front of you while standing up and pushing your hips forward, bringing the kettlebell up to shoulder height.  Finsh the move by letting the weight swing back between your legs.  Try this move 10 times with each arm.

"If you're strength training for the first time, err on the side of caution when selecting weights for a new exercise.  If you complete your reps and could do two more, the weight is too light.  If you can't complete the reps in good form, it's too heavy.  Strength training requires the same sort of structure you give your weekly miles.  You should plan steady increases to your lifting just like you'd plot increasing mileage over a month."

I'll post some more exercises to try with your kettlebells and dumbbells next week.  By the way, if you've never tried (or heard of "kettlebells") they're great and you can find them at Dick's, Target, and maybe even Wal-Mart, or order them online.  Don't forget to start small.

Whatever you do, get out and get moving!  Have fun!

How to get Sick

Take Megavitamins

"The use of massive amounts of vitamins and minerals is very unnatural - especially the popular and cheap synthetic and isolated "vitamins" created in chemical plants and widely sold in discount retail strores."

Our bodies were not designed to consume these artificial products, especially in such large amounts.  "Nature prevents us from consuming 20,000 mg of vitamin C in one day because it's impossible to consume three hundred oranges (a natural source of vitamin C) in one day....Vitamins and minerals that have not been incorporated into an organic matrix - a natural food form containing all necessary cofactors - may actually be very harmful to the body.  It is better to supplement healthy food and beverage choices with living food supplements known as homeostatic nutrients rich in vitamins and minerals.  This is a balanced form the body can absorb and utilize."

--The Maker's Diet