Healthy food

The best advice I ever heard about eating healthy is this...

Try to eat mostly plants and as close to their natural state as possible.
(O magazine, October 2008)

If that sounds incredibly lame to you, trust me! As you add more of those gross veggies into your life, little by little you'll convert! Vegetables are more nutritious when they haven't been cooked or processed. And if everyone followed this advice we'd all be a lot healthier and happier. We'd look better and live longer.

How to avoid getting CANCER (healthy goodness)

"The American Cancer Society reports that one in two men and one in three women will develop cancer. Yet, the No.1 risk factor associated with cancer death is diet." (BetterNutrition.com, July 2008) If you already have cancer and are reading the title of the post, you're probably a little bugged right now. I know that most often when people are diagnosed with cancer or other chronic illnesses, it isn't a result of choices that they've made. I lived a very active, healthy life before I became ill. I also know what it's like to try to control every aspect of your environment (what you eat, how much you exercise, etc.) and still be very ill. There is nothing you did to cause your illness. BUT there are prevention steps everyone can take for some cancers, and if you're already sick, this advice will really help your body handle your illness. Better Nutrition.com recommends, based on research, the following...

1. Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit daily. (For example; fix yourself a big salad on most days of the week. If you have Crohn's disease, IBS, or a similar illness check with your doctor before adding a lot of raw veggies to your diet.)
2. Eat organic whenever possible to avoid harmful preservatives, pesticides, hormones, and other cancer-causing substances; new research also indicates that organic foods have higher nutritive value.
3. Drink more pure water (avoid sodas).
4.Choose essential fatty acids. Take an omega-3 product.

HEALTHY GOODNESS :)

In his book The Inflammation Cure, Dr. Megs explains how almost all chronic sicknesses are related to some sort of inflammation in the body. He says that -itis is a suffix that means inflammation. Any disease ending in -itis is inflammation related. Arthritis, aging, and allergies come from inflammation in the body. Even dementia can be accelerated from inflammation!

Dr. Meggs supports eating fish and/or take fish oil! There isn't a cure for most chronic physical illnesses, but research shows taking fish oil can drastically improve how your body is able to handle disease. Fish oil or other types of Omega-3s can help you life a longer and healthier life!

Always consult your doctor before trying any new supplements. Ask your doctor for guidelines on how much fish oil to take, and what brands are best to use. My doctor recommended EPA-DHA Complex (Ultra Pure Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids) made by Metagenics. Taking Omega-3 essential fatty acids has reduced the inflammation in my body and helped to lessen my chronic pain!

Foods that reduce inflammation include:
Turmeric
Ginger
Broccoli
Sweet Potato
Blueberries

I recommend reading The Inflammation Cure, by William Joel Meggs M.D., Ph.d. In his book, Dr. Meggs gives great examples of the benefits of eating an anti-inflammation diet. He recommends that you always eat lots of fruits and vegetables and add olive oil to your diet. Following this advice has been very beneficial in improving my health, pain, and need for medications!