Are Enzymes the Missing Link in Your Health Plan?

Enzymes are energized, active protein compounds.  Scientists have learned that high levels of enzymes in the body coincide with youthful vigor and health.  With a loss of enzymes, aging and disease can result.  The knowledge of the role of enzymes in the body has brought about the widespread use of enzyme supplementation, which is used successfully by many holistic health practitioners and nutritionists to help with a variety of conditions such as allergies, arthritis, neurological conditions, digestive issues, weight gain, pain and others.  Some holistic physicians, like New York-based Dr. Nicholas Gonzales, are using enzyme supplementation as a cornerstone in their drug-free cancer treatment programs. 

Enzymes are involved with every aspect of digestion and all cellular metabolism throughout our bodies.

Enzymes play a role in:

- creating cellular energy
- building bone and muscle
- hormonal production and distribution
- thought and cognition

In fact, every activity in our body is governed by enzymes.  When a person's body is depleted of enzymes, taking vitamin and mineral supplements- or even eating healthy foods- does not work as well as it should because enzymes are needed to convert these materials into healthy tissue and energy. 

Enzyme supplementation is one way to increase your body's enzyme supply when it's depleted, but it's not the only way.

You can preserve and enhance your body's enzymatic activity to achieve optimal health and vitality (even in your later years) using the following strategies: 

1. Including raw food in your diet, especially sprouts and lacto-fermented foods/beverages like sauerkraut, kombucha tea, and kefir.  Raw honey is another extremely highly enzymatic food, which researchers theorize is the reason its consumption is associated with longevity.

2.  Chew your food well to maximize your saliva enzymatic production, which removes the burden from your pancreas to produce proteolytic enzymes. 

3.  Minimize your consumption of meat and pasteurized dairy products as these require more enzymes to digest than vegetable  foods or organically produced raw dairy products. 

4.  Relax and enjoy your meals.

5.  Enjoy plenty of sunlight (without wearing sunglasses) as the full spectrum sunlight triggers the production of thousands of enzymes in your body.

Sources:

1.  "Digestive enzymes enhance nutrient absorption, gut health and longevity"  by PF Louis, www.naturalnews.com.
2.  Eat Fat and Look Thin:  A Safe and Natural Way to Lose Weight Permanently by Bruce Fife
3.  The Warrior Diet  by Ori Hofmekler
4.  Enzyme Nutrition by Edward Howell

Natural Solutions for Seasonal Allergies

Natural solutions for seasonal allergies work on the causes of seasonal allergies in order to reduce symptoms.   What causes allergies?  In people without allergies, inhaled pollen and dust are trapped by the mucosal lining of the respiratory tract and either expelled forcefully through the mouth or nostrils, or broken down internally. In people with seasonal allergies, the protective ability of this mucosal barrier is compromised, and the body compensates by increasing the production of mucus to facilitate expulsion of the allergen. This reaction is followed by other common symptoms associated with allergies and can make even breathing difficult.

Here are a few tips and tools you can use to help eliminate allergy symptoms naturally:

1.  Eat very light foods such as hot, clear, soup made with fresh ginger and steamed rice.  Avoid anything cold, including fruit.  This helps your digestive system to begin to eliminate toxins and allergens more efficiently. 

2.  To build healthy epithelial and mucousal linings throughout your body, ingest quality oils on a daily basis.  Unrefined coconut, sesame, and olive oil are good choices.  (Externally, warm coconut or sesame ois should be massaged over the body before showering to aid detoxification through the skin.)

3.  Use an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement like flax, chia, or fish oil to modulate your immune system and reduce general inflammation associated with allergies. 

4.   Take a teaspoon of local raw honey mixed with bee pollen a couple of times a day starting a few months prior to allergy season.  

5.  Drink ginger tea with raw honey added.  This home made tonic works to break up chest congestion and loosen phlegm. It strengthens the immune system and acts as a natural antihistamine.

6.  Drink green tea.  It blocks the production of histamine and is one of the best immune boosters known.

7.  Drink peppermint tea.  It is known to relieve nasal and sinus congestion. Drinking it cold can help sooth coughing associated with hay fever and allergies.

8.  Reduce or eliminate pasteurized/homogeonized commercial dairy products, refined sugar, white flour, and excessive amounts of meat from your diet as diets rich in these foods are associated with the development of allergies.  Diets high in fruits and vegetables and relatively lower in animal products are associated with a much lower incidence of allergies and increased immunity. 


References:

"Still looking for a cure to allergies? Ayurveda offers an alternative solution," by Jessica Vellela: www.naturalnews.com.

"The benefits of raw honey," by Luella May:  www.naturalnews.com.

"The best homemade remedies to treat hay fever and seasonal allergies," by JB Bardot:  www.naturalnews.com.

http://www.drfuhrman.com/children

Practical Tips for Avoiding Genetically Modified Foods

Genetically modified foods are not labeled and have made their way into produce departments and grocery shelves in the form of thousands of processed food items.  However, multiple scientific studies have demonstrated that genetically modified foods benefit corporations yet are of great detriment to consumers. 

According to results from a 10-year long feeding study on rats, mice, pigs and salmon, genetically engineered feed causes obesity, along with significant changes in the digestive system and major organs, including the liver, kidneys, pancreas, genitals and more.  In other multiple generational animal studies, genetically modified foods resulted in fewer, smaller offspring and sterility by the third generation.  Rodents fed genetically modified corn and soy showed immune system responses and signs of toxicity.  In addition, the stomach lining of rats fed genetically modified potatoes showed excessive cell growth, a condition that may lead to cancer.  It is also unknown whether the antibiotic gene inserted into most GM crops can transfer, which could also lead to the proliferation of diseases resistant to antibiotics. 

Increased allergies are another health concern associated with genetic modification.  For example, cooked genetically modified soy contains as much as 7-times the amount of a known soy allergen.  And, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK soon after GM soy was introduced.


One way to avoid genetically modified foods is to buy organic.  Organic foods are by definition  not genetically modified. 

To avoid genetically modified foods, avoid the following conventionally grown foods:

1. Corn

2. Soy (found in tofu, vegetarian products, soybean oil, soy flour, and numerous other products)

3. Sugar 

4. Aspartame (technically a food additive, this sweetener has numerous side effects and is created using genetically modified bacteria)

5.  Hawaiian Papayas

6.  Canola oil

7.  Cotton

8.  Commercial Dairy (which contains growth hormones)

9 & 10.  Zucchini and Yellow Squash (both of which are genetically modified to resist viruses)

References:

"Decade-Long Feeding Study Reveals Significant Health Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods," by Dr. Mercola available from www.mercola.com.

"Top 10 GMO Foods to Avoid," by Elizabeth Renter available from www.oneradionetwork.com.

"Genetically Modified Foods:  Are They Safe?" Institute for Responsible Technology, available from www.responsibletechnology.org.

Arame Sesame Brown Rice and the Health Benefits of Eating Seaweed

One of the healthiest, yet often overlooked vegetables in Americans' kitchens, is edible seaweed.  Though the thought of eating seaweed is less than appetizing for most people, edible seaweeds are very different from the stuff you see floating around in lakes!  A staple of Japanese cuisine, they are actually quite tender, chewy, sweet tasting and delicious!  I prefer them to "land" lettuces, for their taste and denser nutritional profiles. 

Edible Seaweeds: 

- are high in essential amino acids, which makes them valuable sources of vegetable protein in a vegetarian or mostly meatless diets.
 - contain vitamins A (beta carotene) and C
- are rich in potassium, iron, calcium, iodine and magnesium because these minerals are concentrated in sea water.
- help balance blood sugar because their soluble fiber content helps slow the rate at which foods are digested and absorbed into the bloodstream
- may have an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effect (based on laboratory studies done on animals).


Arame Sesame Brown Rice

Makes 4 servings

2 T. cold pressed sesame oil
1/2 c. bell peppers, diced
3 T. toasted arame seaweed
4 c. cooked rice
2 scallions, chopped, for garnish
2 T. sesame seeds, for garnish

1.  In a saucepan, heat the sesame oil, then add the peppers and arame and saute for 1 minute on medium-high heat.
2.  Add rice and stir well until heated thoroughly.
3.  Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. 
Additional Tip:  Another easy way to get more seaweed in your diet is by mixing some strips of dulse in your guacamole.  Serve this with your favorite kind of tortilla chips. 

Where can you buy edible seaweeds such as dulse, arame, hijiki, and nori?

Your local health food store or Whole Foods Market
In the Asian section of some supermarkets
www.amazon.com
www.mountainroseherbs.com
www.seaveg.com

Sources: 

Thrive Foods, Brendan Brazier
"What are the Health Benefits of Eating

Seaweed," Molly McAdams, www.livestrong.com.

Sun Exposure May Prevent Skin Cancer

Doctors and the media have long been spreading the message that sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer.  However, the current research does not support this conclusion.  Several studies have shown that appropriate sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer.

Melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure and can be increased by sunscreens.  Research has revealed that melanoma is actually more common in indoor workers than in outdoor workers.  It is also more common on regions of the body that are not exposed to sunlight at all.

Even after a person has melanoma, sunlight can be beneficial.  One study on this subject revealed that melanoma patients with higher levels of sun exposure were actually less likely to die than other melanoma patients.  Patients who already had melanoma and got a lot of sun exposure were also prone to a less aggressive tumor type. 

Another Italian study, published in the European Journal of Cancer in June 2008, also confirms and supports earlier studies showing improved survival rates in melanoma patients who were exposed to sunlight more frequently in the time before their melanoma was diagnosed.  Further, UVB radiation has been found to delay the appearance of melanoma if you are genetically predisposed or prone to skin cancer.

The aformentioned research begs the question, "Why is the sun so beneficial, even in cases of melanoma?"   Because it is through sunlight exposure that your body is able to produce vitamin D, and healthy vitamin D levels are key to preventing numerous types of cancer-including melanoma.

To use the sun to maximize your vitamin D production and minimize your risk of malignant melanoma, sunbathe in the middle of the day (roughly between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.). During this time you need the shortest exposure time to produce vitamin D.  You only need enough exposure to turn your skin the lightest shade of pink.  Once you reach this point your body will not make any additional vitamin D and could become damaged (burned).  If you have fair skin, this may be only 10-20 minutes.  The darker your skin pigmentation is, the longer your body needs to optimize your vitamin D levels. 

Source: 

"Sun CAN Actually Help Protect You Against Skin Cancer," www.mercola.com.

Sauted Carrots and Asparagus over Baked Red Potato Wedges with Rosemary and Fennel

This is a lovely late-spring/early summer meal to eat on your front porch while you watch the world go by...

Aspagus and Carrot Saute Over Baked New Potatoes with Rosemary and Fennel  

Ingredients:

5 medium sized new or red potatoes, cut into wedges
coconut oil and/or ghee
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 1/2" pieces
4 to five carrots, cut into rounds
fennel seeds
rosemary
sea salt
lemon juice


Directions:

1.  Lightly coat the potato wedges in coconut oil or ghee and place in a 350 degree oven.  Sprinkle generously with fennel seeds and rosemary.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown (baking time depends upon the oven and the size of the potatoes).
2.  In a large saute pan, saute the carrots in a heaping tsp. of ghee for 2-3 minutes.  Add in the asparagus and rosemary.  Continue to saute until the vegetables are pleasantly flavored and soft.  Add a few tablespoons of water and allow then to cook on medium-low covered for about 5 minutes. 
3.  When the potatoes are done, place them in serving bowls and top with the sauteed asparagus and carrots.  Sprinkle all with sea salt and a healthy squirt of lemon juice. 
4.  Serve.

Osho on Vegetarianism

Osho was an internationally known Indian mystic and spiritual teacher.  According to Osho, every human being is a Buddha with the capacity for enlightenment, capable of unconditional love and of responding rather than reacting to life.  In his teachings, Osho often touched upon the relationship between diet and the mind.  Here, he describes how he has seen that a vegetarian diet flowers in individuals as a result of regular meditation practice.  By the same token, it is possible to calm a turbulent mind and create a more peaceful consciousness for yourself by becoming vegetarian.  In Ayurveda, the diet recommended for mental equilibrium consists of predominantly sattvic foods, including various appropriately cooked fruits, vegetables, certain legumes, grains (including rice), and fresh dairy. 

Question - Beloved Osho, Why are all your Disciples Vegetarian?

Osho - I do not believe in vegetarianism, because I do not believe in anything. My disciples are vegetarian not as a cult, not as a creed. They are vegetarians because their meditations make them more human, more of the heart, and they can see the whole stupidity of people killing living beings for their food. It is their sensitivity, their aesthetic awareness that makes them vegetarians.

I don't teach vegetarianism; it is a by-product of meditation. Wherever meditation has happened, people have become vegetarian, always, for thousands of years.
The oldest religion in the world is Jainism. It is a small religion, that's why not much is known to the outside world; it exists only in India. Jainism has no God; hence, there is no possibility of prayer.

When God and prayer are discarded, then what is left for a religion? God is somewhere outside, your prayer is addressed to someone outside. Discarding God and prayer you are really saying, "I would like now to go inward." And meditation is a way of going inward.
For thousands of years Jainas have been vegetarians. You have to know this fact, that all their twenty-four teachers -- they call them tirthankaras, their messiahs -- came from the warrior caste. They were all meat-eaters. They were professional warriors. What happened to these people?

Meditation transformed their whole vision. Not only did their swords fall from their hands, their warriorhood disappeared, but a new phenomenon started happening: a tremendous feeling of love towards existence. They became absolutely one with the whole. Vegetarianism is just a small part of that great revolution. The same happened in Buddhism. Buddha did not believe in God, did not believe in prayer.

I want you to understand it: the moment God and prayer are discarded, the only thing that is left is to go in. Buddha also was from the warrior caste, son of a king, trained to kill. He was not a vegetarian. But when meditation started blossoming in him, just as a by-product the vegetarian idea came into his being: you cannot kill animals for eating, you cannot destroy life. While every kind of delicious food is available, what is the need to kill living beings?

This is nothing to do with religion. This is simply to do with your sensitiveness, your aesthetic understanding. Jainism and Buddhism are the only religions without God and without prayer, and both automatically became vegetarian. The same is happening to sannyasins. Christianity is not vegetarian, Mohammedanism is not vegetarian, Judaism is not vegetarian -- for the simple reason that these religions never came across the revolution that meditation brings. They never became aware of meditation.

They went on praying to a fictitious God -- which brings no transformation in life, because he does not exist. Your prayers are just addressed to the empty sky. They never reach anywhere, they are never heard by anyone, they are never going to be answered. There is nobody to answer them. All the religions that have remained hooked with the idea of God have remained meat-eaters. So this is a simple phenomenon to understand.

Why are my sannyasins vegetarians? We don't enforce vegetarianism, we are not concerned with it. My sannyasins are not like George Bernard Shaw and his Fabian Society, where vegetarianism was a religion. Neither George Bernard Shaw knows  anything about meditation, nor does his Fabian Society. They are just eccentric people who want to do something different from everybody else so they look better, they look higher, they look holier. Vegetarianism is their philosophy.

It is not my philosophy, it is simply a by-product. I don't insist upon it. I insist upon meditation. Be more alert, more silent, more joyful, more ecstatic, and find your innermost center. Many things will follow of their own accord; and when they come of their own accord, there is no repression, there is no fight, no hardship, no torture.
But if you live vegetarianism as a religion or a philosophy, you will be continually hankering for meat, continually thinking, dreaming of meat, and your vegetarianism will be just a decoration for your ego. With me, meditation is the only essential religion.

And everything that follows it is virtue, because it comes of its own accord. You don't have to drag it, you don't have to discipline yourself for it. I have nothing to do with vegetarianism, but I know that if you meditate you are going to grow new perceptivity, new sensitivity, and you cannot kill animals.

Have you observed one fact? -- that the vegetarian societies have the most delicious kinds of foods. The Buddhists, the Jainas -- they have the best dishes in the world, for the simple reason that through their meditations they had to drop meat-eating. They became more inquiring into delicious food so they didn't miss meat, on which they had been brought up from their childhood -- it had become almost their second nature.

There are millions of people who have never thought of vegetarianism. From the very childhood they have been killing living animals. It is not different from cannibalism. And since Charles Darwin it is absolutely a scientific fact that man has come, evolved, from the animals -- so you are killing your own forefathers and eating them joyously. Don't do such a nasty thing!

And the earth is capable, man is capable of creating enough vegetarian food -- vegetables, fruits, new fruits which have never existed before. Just crossbreeding is needed, and we can have the best kind of food available for everybody.
Your sensitivity and perceptivity, your aesthetic understanding is immediately understood by the animals. Here you can find so many deer -- they have come because this is the only place in the whole of America where they are absolutely safe. Nobody is going to hunt them.

In Oregon, for ten days per year, the government allows people to hunt deer. The deer are such beautiful animals, so agile, so lovely.... We stopped hunting on our own ground, so from other ranches deer have moved to our place. And now they must be the best-fed deer in the whole world, because we are taking care of them. We are growing grass that they like, specially for them.

They would never have thought that people would be so considerate. They like a certain grass called alfalfa, and I have told my people, "Grow as much alfalfa as possible, so all the deer of the whole of Oregon by and by start moving to our commune. And they will be respected as members of the commune."

And they already understand it. They stand on the road -- you go on honking your horn, they don't care; they are meditating in the middle of the road. And they understand one thing: that you are not going to do harm, so there is no need to be in a hurry.
In my garden I have three hundred peacocks. The moment they see my car, they all start moving in front of it. They know that they cannot be hurt, that nobody is going to run over them. They will not move; sometimes Vivek has to get out and push them. They are enjoying!

There are a few really crazy ones -- the moment they see my car they come running from far away, just to stand in front of my car. I will move slowly, and they will move slowly backwards, but they will not move away from the road. They understand something, their hearts have felt something, that "these people are not enemies; these people are part of us, friends."

And the whole animal kingdom is part of us, even the trees. Now the scientists have come to an established conclusion that trees are living beings. Not only that, they have a very fine sensitivity, far more sensitive than you have. They have placed machines around trees, plugged wires into the trees -- machines like a cardiograph which shows your heartbeat. It shows the heartbeat of the tree, and if somebody is coming to chop the tree, immediately the graph on the cardiogram goes crazy. The tree is feeling really afraid and trembling.

Not only that, other trees around also go crazy, although they are not going to be cut. But someone, some friend is going to be cut and they have a great feeling for it.
And the most strange thing that has come to the knowledge of the scientists is that if the person who is coming with an axe is just pretending -- he is not really going to cut the tree -- the graph remains harmonious. This is something unbelievable, that the tree knows whether the man intends to cut it or is just pretending.

They are more sensitive than you. You will not be able to figure it out: if somebody comes with a sword at you, you will not be able to figure out whether he is really going to hit you or is just pretending, acting. You will not be able to find out through your sensitivity. The reason is, man has lived for millions of years so insensitively that he has lost one of the greatest qualities of his being. Meditation slowly slowly gives you back your sensitivity; and a man who has reached to the ultimate ecstasy of meditation is as sensitive as any tree, any animal, anything in the whole existence.

This sensitivity makes my people vegetarians. And it is a gain, not a loss. It will make you simultaneously more loving, more compassionate, more feeling, more understanding of beauty. It will make you aware of great music, even the music that happens when the wind blows through the pine trees, or the sound of the running water-even the music that happens, that is happening, in this gap, in this silence.
Silence is the highest music. It is soundless, but it can be felt. Can't you feel the silence here? Can't you feel that the people who are here are all one, pulsating in the same rhythm, their hearts beating in the same rhythm? Vegetarianism is a small thing. We have to create a world of really sensitive people, who can understand music, poetry, paintings, who can understand nature, who can understand human beauty, who can understand the world that surrounds them: the stars, the moon, the sun. Just a bird on the wing can fill you with immense rejoicing. The freedom of the small bird, the song of the small bird, may make you dance, sing. Humanity has lost its heart, and we have to give it back to everyone who is willing. That's the meaning of my sannyas.

Source : From Death to Deathlessness by OSHO

Gluten Free, Vegan Pasta with Jalapeno Pesto, Criminis, and Carmelized Onions

Have you ever heard of Jalapeno pesto?  Neither had I!...  until I tuned into the Rachel Ray show one  morning and saw Mario Batali demonstrating how to make it.  Amazingly, considering its source, this recipe is very healthy- even healing.  I have altered it only slightly and added mushrooms and carmelized onions to it, which I believe was a flavor match made in heaven!  I hope you enjoy it too :) 

Ingredients: 

For the Pasta: 

1 pckg. gluten free whole grain brown rice noodles
1 16 ounce package of Crimini mushrooms
1-2 white onions 

For the Jalapeño Pesto:

• 6 fresh jalapeño peppers, cored and seeded
• 5 fresh Serrano chiles, cored and seeded
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• the juice of one lemon

Instructions- 

1.  To prepare the pesto, place all ingredients in a food processor and then process into a smooth paste.
2.  Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions.
3.  Saute the onions slowly over medium heat until carmelized (about 10 minutes).
4.  About halfway through the onion cooking process, add the mushrooms.  Cook until both are very soft and flavorful. 
5.  To serve, combine the onion/mushroom mixture with the pasta.  Add some jalapeno pesto and toss until the pasta and vegetables are well-coated.  Add more or less pesto depending upon how concentrated you desire the flavor of your finished pesto to be.

Jalapenos offer a wide array of health benefits, including:

• Providing pain relief, due to the capsaicin content.
• Relieving congestion and preventing sinusitus, due to their mucus-clearing and anti-bacterial properties.
• Heart protection, due to their ability to prevent blood clots, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, and richness in vitamins A and C (both blood vessel strengtheners).
• Prevention of cancer, as a result of their flavanoids, vitamins, and high antioxidant content.
• Fighting inflammation, also as a result of their capsaicin content.
• Promoting weight loss, due to their thermogenic effect.  (Thermogenic foods burn calories and fat.)
• Creating a natural high by releasing endorphins and increasing seratonin levels

Jalapenos are a wonderful food to eat in the Spring and Summer seasons as this is the time that we naturally detox from a winter's diet of more warming foods that can accumulate and congest if we do not eat a seasonally lighter and more detoxifying diet during the warmer months.  They can literally "clear out the cobwebs," helping you to feel lighter and more energized.

References:

"6 Health Benefits of Jalapenos,"  Eat This!:

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/6-health-benefits-of-jalapenos.html.

"Natural Ways to Increase Seratonin," by Kimberly Heit:

http://www.helium.com/items/977637-natural-ways-to-increase-serotonin-and-endorphins.


http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/mario-batalis-linguine-jalapeno-pesto/

Raw Divine Coconut Smoothie

I will cut to the chase.  This is how you make this divine drink!...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 T. Artisana Raw Coconut Butter (this is a concentrate of coconut milk basically)
1 c. Spring Water
1/4 tsp. vanilla bean powder
1 tsp. raw honey
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 or 1 1/2 c. frozen bananas, depending on how thick you would like your drink.  (Non-frozen bananas could also be used for a room-temp. shake.)

Step 1-  In a high powered blender, blend the water with the coconut butter.  This creates a raw coconut milk for the base of the drink. 

Step 2- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend to your desired thickness.  Particularly if you have a Vitamix, it is possible to make this a thick, ice-cream like drink with the help of the plunger tool. 

This drink is particularly good on a hot day.  And, it's a great substitute if you are transitioning away from fast food desserts of any kind.  Or, it can serve as a fantastic breakfast.  When I made this this morning, both my husband and my 12 month old baby loved it! 

Healing honey, top notch cinnamon, and Artisana coconut butter can all be purchased on-line from:




It's no secret that the coconut is a food/medicine of the highest order.  Glance over the following excerpt from the Coconut Research Center website to learn a little bit about this truly amazing food:

Coconut In Modern Medicine
Modern medical science is now confirming the use of coconut in treating many of the above conditions. Published studies in medical journals show that coconut, in one form or another, may provide a wide range of health benefits. Some of these are summarized below:

1. Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.
2. Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases.
3. Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
4. Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
5. Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
6. Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
7. Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
8. Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
9. Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
10. Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
11. Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.
12. Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
13. Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
14. Helps protect against osteoporosis.
15. Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
16. Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
17. Improves digestion and bowel function.
18. Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.
19. Reduces inflammation.
20. Supports tissue healing and repair.
21. Supports and aids immune system function.
22. Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
23. Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
24. Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.
25. Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
26. Functions as a protective antioxidant.
27. Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
28. Does not deplete the body's antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
29. Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
30. Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
31. Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
32. Reduces epileptic seizures.
33. Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
34. Dissolves kidney stones.
35. Helps prevent liver disease.
36. Is lower in calories than all other fats.
37. Supports thyroid function.
38. Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
39. Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
40. Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
41. Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
42. Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
43. Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
44. Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
45. Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
46. Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
47. Provides protection from damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
48. Helps control dandruff.
49. Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetabl oils do.
50. Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
51. Is completely non-toxic to humans.

The Sweet Benefits of Raw Honey

Honey is a divine tasting sweetener that has been used as medicine since ancient times.  In fact, honey has been found (intact) in 2000 year old Egyptian tombs.

Honey:

Is antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal, and antibacterial

Is a natural preservative and can be mixed with fresh juices to preserve their nutrition content longer

Assists in alleviating allergies, bladder infections, bad breath, sore throats, and arthritis

Has been reported to help slow their hair loss

Is one of the highest natural sources of enzymes, used by our bodies internally for repair and rejuvenation of all tissues and organs

Aids in digestion

Assists in healing ulcers

Has anti-tumor and pronounced anti-metastatic effects

Is associated with longevity according to Russian research

Consumed daily, raises blood levels of protective antioxidant compounds

Is a healthy source of quickly metabolized energy. Its easily digested carbohydrates supply us with energy and strength, while boosting endurance and reducing muscle fatigue.

Mixed with lemon, works to shift your body into using excess fat stores, thus making it usable energy for regular body functions

Can be mixed with apple cider vinegar for therapeutic benefit in cases of stomach aches, constipation, migraines, and more

Understanding Leptin (the Hunger Hormone) is Key to Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Leptin, also known as the hunger hormone, was discovered about 10 years ago and has totally changed our scientific understanding of metabolism and the body fat storage process in general.  Leptin is produced by fat cells, and it signals to your brain whether you should be hungry, eat and store more fat, or to increase metabolism and as a result release excess unnecessary body fat. 

Both insulin and leptin work together to control the quality of one's metabolism and, to a significant extent, the rate of metabolism via nervous system control.  Insulin and leptin are the major hormones regulating metabolism.


A problem with leptin arises when one becomes leptin resistant.  When this occurs, the brain does not properly receive leptin signals, which would normally make a person feel full and thus prevent overeating.  The causes of leptin resistance are known, as well as methods that work to restore its normal activity. 

Inactivity, drinking alcohol, and taking pharmaceutical drugs (like birth-control pills, steriods, and diuretics) all contribute to leptin resistance.  So too do diets high in sugars like white bread, pasta, cereals, doughnuts, sodas, white rice, etc.  When sugars are not burned immediately as energy, they create triglycerides.  High triglycerides block leptin from entering the brain and creating a sense of fullness.   The standard American diet itself, rich in these types of refined foods, predisposes people to overeat, even if they have the best of intentions to cut back on their intake.

Calorie restricted diets also interfere with leptin.  These diets' interference with leptin explains their lack of success for many over the long term- as well as why their tendency to cause "rebound" weight gain once the restrictive diet is over.

According to Dr. Neal Barnard, noted nutritional expert and researcher, the best ways to optimize or boost your leptin level and sensitivity include:

1. Following the Rule of 10 :  Take your ideal body weight and multiply by 10. This will give you the minimum amount of calories you need to eat each day.

2. Eating low fat whole foods:   Low fat foods will reduce overall fat which helps your Leptin work better.  Beans, rice and vegetables are good examples. 

3. Exercising:  A simple exercise routine such as walking or jogging 15-30 minutes per day will help your Leptin work better.


References:

"What you don't know about leptin can make you fat," interview with Dr. Rosedale by Dr. Mercola, www.mercola.com.

The Baby Boomer Diet, by Donna Gates.

Breaking the Food Seduction by Dr. Neal Barnard

Why "Going Organic" is more Important for Children than for Any Other Age Group

Choosing organic foods over conventional foods benefits any age group.  However, for children, it is exceedingly important.  Organic foods are produced without using genetically modified organisms or pesticides.  Most pesticides and herbicides are in fact neurotoxins, which is why they successfully kill insects  Because children's nervous systems are in development, they are especially vulnerable to their effects. 

Presently, more than 20% of the pesticides currently registered in the U.S. are linked to cancer, birth defects, developmental harm, or central nervous system damage.  (Others may have side effects that are yet to be discovered.  Pesticides are generally not tested for their long term, cumulative health consequences- or the effect they have in the combinations consumed today.)  Cancer rates steadily rising among children have also been correlated with the increase in the use of pesticides, herbicides, and genetically engineered foods.  Cancer is now the second leading cause of death among children under 15.  Most children, unless their parents' happen to shop at co-ops or health food stores, are heavily exposed to these unnatural substances:  More than half of the food on the typical grocery store shelves contains genetically engineered ingredients, for example, and nearly 100% of it contains pesticide residues. 

One of the most eye-opening studies of the result of pesticide exposure on children was done on preschool children in Mexico and published in Environmental Health Perspectives.  The study compared the development of children heavily exposed to pesticides to children who were not exposed.  The children exposed to elevated levels of pesticides:

- engaged in cooperative (group) play less frequently
- appeared less creative in their play
- exhibited more aggressive behavior
- became more easily upset or angry with minor corrective comments from parents
- tested lower on memorization skills
- showed less physical stamina
- had decreased hand-eye coordination

(In both areas where children were studied, mothers were generally home on a full-time basis and showed interest in their children, indicating that other factors were not a major cause of difference between the two groups.)

Research investigating the link between pesticide exposure and common health issues in children today has also shown promise for the power of organic foods as an aid in reversing damage caused by "chemical overload."  According to Gabriel Cousens, MD, "Some research has shown that when [hyperactive and attention deficit diagnosed] children are put on an organic diet there is a 50% cure rate, without doing anything else." Beyond that, he says, there are supplements and superfoods that can assist with nourishing and restoring brain and nervous system functioning to normal.  Detoxification of heavy metals and chemicals stored in tissues of the body of affected children, according the Cousens, also assists in helping their bodies to heal. 

Children have a higher need for nutrition because they are growing.  The USDA periodically publishes data on the nutritional content of food.  Since the 1940's, along with the increase in chemical farming methods, the average nutritional content of fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods has been steadily declining.  Thus, it is not only the presence of pesticides that makes conventional produce less desirable, it is also the distinct lack of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants in conventional produce that children require for optimal growth and development.  Organic produce tests significantly higher in all four of these categories.  All things considered, naturally grown food is a more nourishing choice for our next generation. 

Resource:

Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine by Gabriel Cousens, M.D.

Blueberry Corn Cake and Maca Almond Mylk

I was looking for a way to use some local organic corn meal I obtained at a Vermont Co-op when I stumbled upon a recipe for corn cake from Bob's Red Mill.  I adapted a little bit and added some blueberries to it to add some additional flavor and antioxidants.

Corn is a very interesting, nourishing grain in its organic, natural state (much of today's corn is genetically modified).  According to Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods, corn:

• Nourishes the physical heart
• Influences the stomach, improving appetite 
• Regulates digestion
• Promotes healthy teeth and gums
• Tonifies the kidneys and helps to increase a low libido

Did you know that corn is the only commonly used native grain of the Western Hemisphere?  According to Macrobiotic theory, food that is grown in your local area (and even mores so, indigenous to your local area) is especially balancing and strengthening.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Corn Cake
makes 18 servings

1 c. organic corn flour
1 c. brown rice flour
4 T. palm (coconut) sugar or whole cane sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt or himalayan salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. xanthan gum
4 T. flax seeds mixed with 5 T. water
1/2 c. rice milk or water
2 T. melted ghee or coconut oil
about 8 oz. fresh or frozen blueberries, preferably wild!

Instructions:

1- Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, and then add the remaining ingredients.
2- Pour batter into two greased 9-inch square pans.
3- Fold in blueberries.
4- Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Maca Almond Mylk

1 c. almonds
spring water
2 T. raw honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 generous pinches of dry ginger powder
2T. tocotrienols (rice bran solubles)
2 tsp. maca powder
one pinch of sea salt
1/4 tsp. raw vanilla bean powder
2 T. coconut oil

Instructions:

1- Place the almonds in a blender.
2- Fill the blender up with water to the 4 c. mark.
3- Blend until creamy and then pour the liquid through a nut milk bag or a fine strainer.
4- Return the strained liquid to the blender and add in the additional ingredients.
5- Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Add probiotics to almond mylk to add friendly, healing flora to your drink and to make it last longer in the fridge. 

Sweet & Sour Vegetarian Kabocha Sandwich

This sandwich is a seemingly unusual combination of ingredients, however, the sweet taste of the kabocha squash is a perfect foil to the sour taste of the sauerkraut... Together they make sandwich magic happen!

Ingredients:

Steamed Kabocha Squash
Raw Sauerkraut
Avocado
Wilderness Family Naturals Mayo (or another natural brand of your choice)
Sami's Bakery Sourdough Millet Bread

Instructions:

1.  Toast the bread and spread mayo on it.
2.  Mush the kabocha squash in a thick layer on one slice.
3.  Add a few slices of avocado.
4.  Add the raw sauerkraut (which is full of enzymes that aid digestion and friendly probiotics!).


5.  Enjoy! 

Raw Vegan Lucuma-Kissed Donut Holes

 

This recipe is full of super foods- almonds, dates, pineapple, sea salt, lucuma, and coconut... And,  it's amazing how their flavors and textures come together to create a healthier version of a favorite food- donut holes!  Bon Appetit! 

Inspired from a recipe in Ani's Raw Food Kitchen by Ani Phyo. 

Ingredients: 
1 and 3/4 c. raw almonds
1/2 tsp. sea or himalayan salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 tsp. extract
2 c. dried, unsulphured pineapple
2 c. pitted dates
3-4 T. lucuma powder
1 heaping scoop Sun Warrior Brown brand Sprouted Rice Vanilla protein powder
1 heaping T. coconut oil
2 T. Really Raw brand agave nectar
1/4 c. shredded coconut

Instructions:  In a food processor, place almonds, salt, and vanilla.  Process into a fine powder.  Slowly add chopped pineapple and dates, mixing well.  Add the protein powder, coconut oil, agave and agave nectar, continuing to mix until well incorporated.  Place the "dough" in a large bowl. 

To serve, use an ice cream scooper or spoon to form donut holes.  Roll holes into a small bowl of 1/4 c. shredded coconut. 

Enjoy!

Serving idea:  Have these with Gynostemma tea instead of traditional coffee- or even Teecino for a more reminiscent flavor!

The Sugar-Depression Connection

It's no secret that white sugar is detrimental to health.  It has been linked with diabetes, cancer, obesity, heart disease and chronic inflammation.  But did you know that sugar has also been linked with depression?  Diet has an intimate connection with brain health and mood, for better or for worse.  Sugar is top on the list of offenders when it comes to throwing off the biochemical balance that keeps us healthy and happy.

Refined sugar and carbohydrates (white sugar, white flour, white pasta, etc.) are incomplete foods.  Rather than providing your body with nutrients, they actually nutrients from your body as they are digested.  In the case of sugar, these include B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and trace minerals.  The same nutrients that sugar consumption depletes are responsible for the production of serotonin  Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in many body processes, including mood.  Without adequate levels, depression results. 

Even though most people know that sugar is detrimental, they continue to consume it.  The reason why has to do with more than just its sweet taste.  Sugar triggers pleasurable dopamine and opiod signals in the brain, lifting one's mood.  The problem is, the brain can become addicted to stimulating the release of its own opiods just as it would to morphine.  The abnormally high stimulation of the receptors by refined sugars generates excessive reward signals in the brain.  The use of sugar can usurp the brain's natural processes enough that it can become dependent on sugar to feel good.


The solution?  Use whole food carbohydrate sources.  Whole foods contain necessary co-factors- minerals, B Vitamins, fiber and antioxidants- along with the sugars they contain, which means they nourish rather than deplete you.   Good examples are fruits, brown rice, amaranth, raw honey, quinoa or sweet potatoes.  A study of 3,456 middle-aged civil servants, published in British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who had a diet high in processed foods had a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas those whose diet contained more whole foods instead had a 26% reduced risk for depression.  Remember, even small changes in sugar eating habits make a big difference.

References:

"The Most Unhappy of Pleasures:  This is Your Brain on Sugar," by Dr. Mercola

"Depression," available from www.foodforthebrain.org

The Sugar Blues by William Duffy

Raw Pasta Alfredo

It's meals like this that remind me that I'm a health nut.... 

Ingredients:

Raw Green Tea Kelp Noodles
Zucchini, chopped into small pieces
Baby Bella Mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
Grape Tomatoes, halved
Alf"raw"do sauce (recipe follows)

Alfredo-   (Adapted from a recipe in Living on Live Food by Alissa Cohen.)
1 c. cashews
1 c. macadamia nuts
1 c. pine nuts
3 T. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. coconut aminos
2 T. water

* To make the Alfredo, place all of the ingredients in a high speed blender (such as a BlendTec or Vitamix), and blend until creamy.

1.  Rinse the Green Tea Kelp Noodles and combine with the pasta veggies.
2.  Massage the alfredo sauce into the noodles and veggies until well-combined.
3.  For an extra-special touch, you can add some fresh grated pepper, sliced Kalamata olives, or fresh basil... or, what the heck-  all of the above!

*Raw foods and nuts are best taken midday, when your digestion is the strongest- so this makes a great lunch.  Enjoy!  Let me know how you like it :)

Raw "Lime in the Coconut" Green Tea Ice Cream

Put the lime in the coconut!

When it comes to desserts, nothing (in my humble opinion) beats raw vegan.  They are by far the healthiest desserts around, as well as the best tasting.  In this particular creation, I've combined a recipe for vanilla ice cream with a gourmet green tea called Lime in the Coconut from the California Tea House.  As you may be aware, green tea has a long and remarkable list of health benefits, which only add to the healthy glow you'll get from eating this dessert!

According to the World's Healthiest Foods, "Green tea has always been, and remains today, the most popular type of tea from China where most historians and botanists believe the tea plant originated throughout all of Asia."  Green tea's antioxidants, called catechins, can help to prevent cancer, blood clots, and atherosclerosis.  Some research has also indicated that green tea can assist with weight loss- in particular, belly weight loss.  The Mayo Clinic notes that research indicates that weight stored around the belly is indicative of the presence of visceral fat.  Although any type of excess weight can be detrimental to health, visceral fat produces hormones and other substances that can raise blood pressure, negatively alter good and bad cholesterol levels and impair the body's ability to use insulin (insulin resistance).

RAW (VEGAN) LIME IN THE COCONUT GREEN TEA ICE CREAM


Recipe adapted from Sarma Melgailis's Living Raw Food recipe book- with recipes from Pure Food and Wine in NYC.

Ingredients:

2 c. raw cashews, soaked 4 hours or more
2 c. young coconut meat
1 c. steeped lime in the coconut green tea
juice from 1 lime, plus 1 tsp. zest
1 c. raw honey or Robert Cassar's raw agave nectar
2 tsp. raw vanilla bean powder or 2 T. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 c. coconut oil, warmed to liquefy


In a high-speed blender, blend all the ice cream ingredients except the coconut oil until completely smooth.  With the blender on low speed, slowly add the coconut oil.  Blend until the coconut oil is incorporated.  Chill thoroughly in the fridge, then process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.  

A Late Winter's Meal in a Bowl: Indian Spiced Red Lentil Soup with Arugula and Basmati Rice

Since we've had a child, I've become a HUGE fan of the "meal in a bowl."  The simpler, the better!  This recipe is richly spiced, totally warming, and delish' - adapted from a recipe in Feeding the Whole Family :  Cooking with Whole Foods  by Cynthia Lair.  If you have a cold or congestion of any kind, the spices in this soup can help to gently clear your head!

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 T. ghee or coconut oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 T. minced garlic
2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 c. dried red lentils, washed and drained
4 c. spring water
1 tsp. Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. mustard seeds
a few handfuls of fresh arugula


 Instructions:
1.  Place all ingredients in a VitaClay or Slow Cooker.   On a VitaClay, use the "soup" setting.  On a slow cooker, follow the manufacturer's instructions.  Cook until the beans are soft and the flavors are "ripe" and well incorporated.
2.  Place a handful of fresh arugula in the bottom of each serving bowl.  Ladle the steaming hot soup on top.  The heat of the soup will gently cook/wilt the arugula.
3.  Serve with a heap of basmati or jasmine rice, plus avocado. 

Rainbow Salad and Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Mushrooms and Eggplant

Rainbow Salad

Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Portabello Mushrooms, Eggplant, and Pumpkin Seeds

Vegetarian diets in general have a more cooling effect on the body.  However, using an oven to cook your meals can add a more of a warming quality to your food than steaming or simmering.  It also enhances sweet flavors.  Concentrated proteins, such as the goat cheese in this dish, are deeply nourishing and also add more heat to the body, building resistance to the cold- even in January! 

This meal features quinoa, sacred grain of the Incas.  It was believed to have been brought from heaven by a bird.   According to the Baby Boomer Diet by Donna Gates:

     

"During the European conquest of South America, quinoa was scorned by the Spanish colonists as   "food for Indians" and even actively suppressed.  Because it imparted so much energy and strength, growing it was forbidden, on pain of death.  Instead, the Spaniards introduced rice, wheat, and barley.  Fortunately, quinoa still grew wild in the higher altitudes, where it could be hidden from the Spaniards, and small amounts were consumed in secret.  But its ban had an irrevocable impact on the Incan culture.  The grain fell into obscurity for centuries." 

Salad Tip:  For wonderful salads all week, make a few cups of shredded carrots and beets in your food processor and then store in an airtight container to use any time! 

Rainbow Salad: 
Mesculin Salad Greens
shredded carrot/beet mix
thinly sliced red or white onions
dried cranberries
raw goat feta cheese
a sprinkle of dill and black pepper


Dressing: 
Cold pressed sesame oil mixed with Balsamic Vinegar to taste with a little honey if desired

Instructions:  Toss the salad.  Add the dressing.  You're done!


Quinoa Pasta:
one box of quinoa spaghetti
your favorite spaghetti sauce
2 portabello mushrooms
1/2 of a medium sized eggplant
1 leek
pumpkin seeds


Step 1:  Follow the instructions on the box to make the quinoa pasta.  Place in a serving bowl and add a dash of olive oil to prevent it from sticking. 

Step 2:  Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Slice the portobello mushrooms about 1" thick.  Slice and quarter the eggplant into 1/2" thick slices.  Slice the leek into 1/2" slices.  Then, mix all the vegetables together in a roasting pan.  Lightly coat with melted ghee, coconut oil, or palm oil.  Place in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes (but keep an eye on 'em!), stirring once during the process.  

Step 3:  Layer the pasta, tomato sauce, and roasted veggies.  Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and fresh, chopped parsley.  

Step 4:  Enjoy your beautiful meal.  

Corn Chowder Even Your Baby Will Love

Corn Chowder

I made this corn chowder for my husband, my 7 month old, and myself the other night, and it went over very well with everyone...  Its warmth was a great contrast to the chilly January evening we were having here in Western Massachusetts.  Plus, I love serving potato based dishes for dinner because the minerals and starches they contain naturally relax the body, making sleep come more easily.


Ingredients:

3 cups ORGANIC corn kernels (conventionally grown corn is mostly Genetically modified these days)
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
3-4 yellow potato, such as Yukon Gold, cubed (leave the skins on for more nutrients/fiber)
4 c. vegetable stock (I like Pacific brand)
1 c. almond milk (blend 1/4 c. almonds with 1 c. water to make your own!)
sea salt and black pepper to taste

3 T. fresh chopped basil, for garnish
Organic Butter or Flax Oil

Instructions:

Toss the first 6 ingredients into your slow cooker.  When the potatoes are soft, the soup is done.  You can serve this corn chowder as-is- Or, blend it with a handy dandy hand blender to create a creamier consistency. 

Garnish with fresh basil and Flax Oil (for a vegan meal) or Organic Butter (for a Vegetarian one).  To round out the meal, a massaged kale salad would be lovely- or even some steamed broccoli sprinkled with oregano!  Enjoy :)

Resolve to Succeed in 2012! Reframing your health resolution can help you succeed long-term

Do you have a health-related New Year's resolution?  How you frame your resolution can make the difference between failure to stick with them and long-term success that ripples into positive changes in your life.  Here are a few tips for reframing your resolutions for success!

Tip #1:  Pick up a slimming habit.  Instead of resolving to lose weight this year, choose a specific "slimming" habit to adopt instead.  For example, you could resolve to eat all of your meals/snacks before 8 p.m., squeeze a walk in every day, try interval training, enroll in a yoga class, or make the switch to eating organic foods.

Tip #2:  Never say never.  It is a part of human nature that, when we're told we can't have something, we want it even more. Instead of dropping a less than healthy habit, a smarter approach would be to upgrade it.  For example, if you love chocolate ice cream, find a healthier alternative to it (such as organic Coconut Bliss chocolate ice cream), rather than resolving to never eat it again!

Tip #3:  Get specific.  A resolution to "eat better," is too vague.  A resolution to try one new, healthy recipe per week will garner better long term success in changing your eating habits.

Tip #4:  Take Baby Steps.  Did you know that breaking larger tasks into smaller ones can help you succeed?  According to Steven Covey's book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, the habit of chunking- or breaking larger tasks into smaller ones- is a habit of highly successful people!  By focusing on achieving one small step at a time, one can achieve a larger goal much more easily.  If you'd like to shrink from a size 12 to a size 4, resolve instead to slim down to a size 10 first.  The feeling of success you'll have from reaching your initial goal will give you the fuel to continue moving towards achieving your larger one.

Tip #5:  Cultivate self-love first.  At the core of anyone's ability to follow through with a health resolution is an inner feeling of self-love that inspires them to live as fully, long, and healthfully as possible.