Superfruit: Goji Berries!

Goji berries – pronounced “go-gee” – are a recent hot commodity in the increasingly trendy high-end health food industry. They are a nutritious powerhouse, packed with antioxidants and are so very tasty! Discovered in the Himalayan Mountains, Goji berries are regarded in the Orient as an anti-aging, strength-building superfood. This sacred Goji berry is so cherished by Tibetan monks that they traditionally honor it for a two-week celebration at the end of every year. Dried Goji berries are a deep-red fruit, about the same size as a raisin. It is very sweet, slightly sour and tastes somewhat like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry. They have a similar shape and chewy texture as raisins. A good daily intake of Goji berries is 3-4 tablespoons. Read below for 10 great ways to incorporate them into your diet!

Benefits of Goji Berries

Goji berries have been used for 6,000 years by herbalists in China, Tibet and India to protect the liver, help eyesight, improve sexual function and fertility, strengthen the legs, boost immune function, improve circulation and promote longevity.

Goji berries contain the complete spectrum of food antioxidant carotenoids, including beta-carotene (a better source than even carrots) and zeaxanthin (supports the eyes). The Goji berry is among the highest source of carotenoids of all known common foods. Gojis contain 500 times the amount of vitamin C, by weight, than oranges making them second only to camu camu berries as the richest known vitamin C source on earth. Plus vitamins B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E are bountiful. About 11mg of iron per 100 grams can be found in the Gojis, as well as betasisterol, sesquiterpenoids (cyperone, solavetivone, an anti fungal compound), tetraterpenoids and betaine for digestion. Goji berries also contain polysaccharides, which support the immune system. Goji berries are high in essential fatty acids, the healthy omegas, which are required for the body's production of hormones and the smooth functioning of the brain and nervous systems. In particular, linoleic acid is abundant.

Also, goji berries are safe and healthy for kids!!! Yay!

10 Ways to Add Goji Berries to Your Diet:

1. Eat Them Up!
Delicious by the handful. Eat as little as 1-2 tablespoons of dried fruits every morning and evening. Keep some dried Goji berries at work, it is a healthy snack to eat in between meals. To soften the dried berries, soak the berries overnight in a glass of water and drink the water as well as eating the soaked berries.

2. Goji Juice
Add a handful of dried Goji berries to a glass of water and let them sit and hydrate for a few minutes or all day as you drink your own Goji berry juice, chewing the Gojis as you drink. It is a great pick-me up between meals and the most delightful way to enjoy a glass of water.

3. Goji Shake
Blend 2 tablespoons of berries with your favorite juice to make a healthy drink. Use your imagination. Blend together equal amounts of dried Goji berries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, apples, raspberries and blackberries. Put in a blender and add a cup of water or orange juice for easier blending.

4. Goji Tea
Boil 1 tablespoon of Goji berries, make a Goji berry tea and drink it every day. It helps to alleviate the effects of high blood pressure and high blood sugar. It also helps you to loose weight.

5. Goji Stew
Stew (organic, free-range) pork, beef, chicken or fish, add 1-2 tablespoons of Goji berries 10 minutes before the meat is done.

6. Goji Breakfasts
Mix 1 tablespoon of Goji berries with your cereal/muesli or yogurt to make a healthy breakfast.

7. Goji Salad

Add some pre soaked dried Goji berries to your salad mix. Or throw them on dried for some texture.

8. Goji Rice Dishes

Add a handful of Goji berries to rice dishes and stir-fries. The warmth helps them soften and expand, adding a sweet burst of flavor to your meals!

9. Goji Breads
Use dried Goji berries to make banana bread, muffins or fruit cakes just like raisins. Goji berries provide much more nutrients than raisins.

10. Goji Energy Bar
1 cup of dried Goji berries
½ cup nuts (almonds or cashews are good)
½ tablespoon of honey or maple syrup
mix in food processor. Then press into pan and refrigerate.

For a variation, add any of the following:

½ tablespoon coconut oil
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
3-4 dates
1-2 tablespoons cacao beans or cacao powder
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
1 teaspoon spirulina or chlorella
a dash of vanilla extract

Depending on your choice of ingredients, you may add more sweetener, dates, or coconut oil to better hold the mixture together.

Possible drug interactions - Goji berries may interact with anticoagulant drugs (commonly called "blood-thinners"), such as warfarin (Coumadin®). There was one case report published in the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy of a 61-year old woman who had an increased risk of bleeding, indicated by an elevated international normalized ratio (INR). She had been drinking 3-4 cups daily of goji berry tea. Her blood work returned to normal after discontinuing the goji berry tea.

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren

January Vision Board Workshop

This January 3HC will be holding aVision Board workshop! Come Join us to create your vision of a healthier, happier you in 2011!! We will supply everything you need, but feel free to bring anything additional that inspires you!

Join us on Saturday, January 29th from 12 - 2pm at Fair Haven Yoga Studio.

January Lunch 'N Learn

ATTENTION: The folowing Friday Lunch 'N Learn at Fair Haven has been moved to 11:30am! The Colts Neck lunch will still be held at 12pm on Saturday. Sorry for the inconvenience.

3HC will be holding TWO Lunch N' Learn workshops next weekend! Come join us and we will feed your brain with lots of yummy information. Bring a healthy (teehee) bagged lunch to feed your belly.

First join us on Friday, January 14th at **11:30am** at Fair Haven Yoga Studio. The topic du jour will be Weigh Less, Live More. Come learn why diets don't work and learn lasting, safe and effective ways to loose weight while feeling satisfied!

Next join us on Saturday, January 15th at Colts Neck Recreation and Parks for a lesson in NUTRITION 101.

Is your New Year's resolution to get healthy but you don't know where to start? Come join us to learn the basics of following a healthier and happier lifestyle!

The Conscious Connection: 3HCs, Interview with Lauren Forney

The other night I had the pleasure of meeting Anthony, the head publisher and founder of the Conscious Connection. We immediately got along since we share a similar passion for enlightened living. He interviewed me about 3 Healthy Chicks! Please click on link below-

3 Healthy Chicks: An Interview with Lauren Forney

The Conscious Connection is a digital magazine for 21st century cultural creatives. They represent the next great leap in the evolution of media. Their vision is an enlightened world where human beings recognize their inherent oneness with one another and can become empowered to co-create a future of peace & social harmony.

Keep it Fresh!

- Lauren

January Healthy Happy Hour: The Downtown

Natural Awakenings January 2011 with 3HC Shout Out!

3 Healthy Chicks are starting the year off right, with a fresh write up about us in NJ's Natural Awakenings Magazine!! Snag a copy of this FREE informative health magazine the next time you're out grocery shopping and turn to page 9 to see us!

Lunch N' Learn 12/10: SUGAR BLUES

3HC's Lunch N' Learn will be this Friday, December 10th at 12pm at Fair Haven Yoga Studio and it will be on SUGAR BLUES.

White stuff have you down? Learn how to replace harmful refined and processed sugars with natural and healthier alternatives!

Bring a healthy (teehee) bagged lunch if you'd like!

Ka Saatha @ Yoga Basin

Hey healthy chickadees!!!!

3 Healthy Chicks will have a lovely table set up at Yoga Basin in Asbury Park this Saturday, December 4th from 6 - 10pm for their Ka Saatha charity event. We will be selling our handmade crafts and yummy baked goodies! Ka Saatha is hindi and translates to "together with." This charity event will be a night of yoga, art, fashion, local designers, delicious food and great people! 3 Healthy Chicks will be raffling off a group seminar of your choice!!!! If you win, you can gather a few of your friends (3 or more people) and we'll give you a FREE seminar on whatever topic you'd like (ask us for details on topics).

We really hope you can stop in to say hi!

Keep it Fresh!

- 3HCs

November's Healthy Happy Hour!

Breast Cancer: Risk Factors Rarely Mentioned

Annemarie Colbin was one of my favorite guest speakers while attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. This information was in her e-newsletter last month (October) for cancer awareness month and I thought it was worth sharing.

Breast Cancer: Risk Factors Rarely Mentioned

By Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D.

We have been told that women have a 1-in-8 lifetime risk of getting breast cancer. To the statistically naive, that appears to mean that one in eight women will be stricken at some point in her life. Scary? Well, it's not that simple. Here is a more accurate description of the statistical chances of contracting breast cancer according to ages:

WOMAN'S BREAST CANCER STATISTICS:

At age 20: 1 in 2500

At age 30: 1 in 233

At age 40: 1 in 63

At age 50: 1 in 41

At age 60: 1 in 28

At age 70: 1 in 24

At age 80: 1 in 16

At age 90: 1 in 8

Looks quite different, doesn't it? The risk increases with age, and 1-in-8 figure applies only if you live to be 95. That gives us some time. As Mark Twain once said, "there are lies, damn lies, and statistics."

Let's now look at the variables that affect breast health, and I'm going to focus on some of the lesser discussed ones:

Number of children. Having children is protective against breast cancer; in fact, the more children, the higher the protection. One study found that women who have seven or more children had a 47% less chance of developing the disease than women who'd had only one child. This probably has to do with the fact that with more children a woman has less menstrual periods, thus less up- and-down estrogen fluctuations.

Breast-feeding. The function of a woman's breasts is to secrete milk for her newborn, especially if she has actually been pregnant. Pregnancy initiates changes in the breasts, preparing them for lactation. If that process is interrupted or not allowed to proceed, through miscarriage or by bottle-feeding, the body has to deal with the aftermath. Plugged milk ducts can result in lumps; while these would start off generally benign, over time, with other risk factors, they could become cancerous. In fact, all breast cancers arise in the milk ducts. Short breast-feeding has not shown any protective effect; what counts is the accumulated time of breast-feeding during the whole of a woman's life. In the study mentioned, women with a lifetime total of 25 or more months of breast-feeding had a 33% lower risk for contracting breast cancer as compared to women with natural children who had never breast-fed. I will assume that suppressing lactation with drugs can also have serious adverse effects on the breast.

Environmental causes. There are a number of external factors that may affect a woman's hormonal health. The main ones are pesticides, particularly organochlorides, and living near nuclear reactors. Many petroleum-based pesticides imitate the form of estrogen, and confuse the body into accepting them into their cells. They are sprayed on fruits, vegetables, and animal feed; when these are consumed, the pesticides then are stored in human and animal fat, which, according to Connecticut nutritionist Phyllis Herman, may explain the link between a high animal fat diet and breast cancer. A 1990 study in Israel found a strong link: between 1976 and 1986, the rate of breast cancer declined 20% after a number of organochlorine-type pesticides were banned. Industrial countries where breast cancer mortality declined between 1971 and 1986 had no large commercial nuclear reactors operating within or near their borders; the other 12 industrial powers did, and breast cancer rose in them all. It is thought that low-level radioactive contamination enters the groundwater, affecting produce, and is also carried downwind, affecting both animals and people. These environmental reasons are perhaps why breast cancer mortality rates for Long Island went up 39% between 1970 and 1989.

Use of antiperspirants. Here is a very intriguing thought. Kerri Bodner, publisher of the excellent Women's Health Letter, points out that 50% of breast cancer tumors appear on the upper quadrant of the breast closest to the underarm. Antiperspirants are strong chemicals, usually containing aluminum, which prevent sweating. Now sweating is a way for the body to eliminate toxins and unwanted materials with the help of the lymphatic system. Preventing this activity is, in Bodner's words, "like damming up a river." Sweat backs up into the lymphatic ducts, and the toxins become trapped in the under-arm lymphatic area. The fatty breast tissue allows for efficient storage of these unwanted toxins. Breast cancer often involves the lymph nodes. Could there be a connection?

Tight and underwire bras. I remember reading an article that pointed out an increased risk of breast cancer for women who used tight bras, particularly if they wore them for more than 12 hours. Tight bras also interfere with breathing, which may in turn cause oxygen deprivation in the cells. I personally have great antipathy to underwire bras: the metal in them crosses the body's acupuncture meridians, and so can block the normal flow of Chi which in turn can cause stagnation and disease. Why do women through the ages feel they have to mold themselves into some shape dictated by social whim?

The use of oral contraceptives. Numerous studies have shown the direct correlation between hormone-based drugs and female cancers. The latest is a study published in The Lancet, the prestigious British medical journal, on the effects of The Pill on 150,000 women. It found that all users face an increased risk, even 10 years after stopping. Women on the Pill had a 25% higher risk of contracting breast cancer. A study in 1994 had found that women who started on the Pill before the age of 20 had a 3 ½ times higher risk, while 97% of the women who got cancer before the age of 36 had used birth control pills at one time or another of their lives. Note that this does NOT mean that 97% of the women who took birth control pills got cancer; it's the other way around. Obviously there are other variables triggering the disease.

Diet. Fat is suspect, but studies give conflicting results and the issue is not conclusive. It is often mentioned that Japanese women eating their traditional low-fat diets have little if any breast cancer, but when they come to the US they soon catch up. I maintain that fat is not the issue: milk products are. The Japanese diet has no milk products, but now that they are picking up "Western" dietary habits, their use of these products is going up and so is their breast cancer. The highest rates of the disease are in Northern Europe (Finland, Sweden, Holland), the UK, the US, and Canada -- all countries where cow's milk is a major food. Frequent consumption of whole milk has been found to be a risk factor in cancers of the lung, bladder, breast, and cervix; even more interesting, breast cancer patients were found to have twice as high a consumption of Vitamin D (usually added to milk) as cancer-free controls.

What foods protect against cancer? Cruciferous vegetables clearly do: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi. Soybeans have also been developing a good reputation as anti-cancer foods. Miso and tofu are excellent additions to your diet.

Here is a simple recipe:

MISO - TOFU SPREAD

½ block soft tofu, steamed for 3 minutes and cooled (about 5 oz)

1 tablespoon brown rice or barley miso

1 tablespoon flaxseed or extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons grated onion

Mash all the ingredients together in a bowl, and serve on wholegrain bread or rye crackers.

About Annemarie Colbin:

Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D,

founded the Natural Gourmet in 1977 and is currently its CEO. She has been called a "maverick nutritional theorist", and is an internationally recognized health educator, author, consultant and speaker, specializing in food and its effects on health. She is the author of Food and Healing, which has been translated into six languages, The Natural Gourmet (both from Ballentine Books) and her latest book, The Whole-Food Guide to Strong Bones (New Harbinger Publications, 2009).

Dr. Colbin writes a regular column for New York Spirit magazine, lectures widely, and does personal nutritional counseling for individuals and families. She has won awards for her teaching, writing, educational work and business activities. Her personal website here.

Keep it Fresh!

- Lauren

Perky Posture

Don't be a slouch! Sit or stand tall, confident and strong. Sitting or standing up straight will allow the prana (breath) to flow smoother, providing you with more energy while improving the health of your spine. Practice mindfulness of your posture at all hours of your day, in all situations for a taller, prouder you!

1. Take a break. Most office jobs leaves us sitting at a desk for long periods of time, allowing us to sink into our chairs. Set your computer to ding every hour as a signal to stand up, stretch, roll your neck/shoulders and readjust. Get up to grab a drink of water too, it will help get the blood circulating, give your eyes a rest and rehydrate you.

2. Raise your car's rear-view mirror. Angling your mirror up slightly teaches you to sit up straighter behind the wheel and elsewhere.

3. Move your monitor. Your neck is an extension of your spine so tilting your noggin down or back to see your screen can promote poor posture. Adjust your screen's position at your desk so that you gaze straight ahead. Also, be mindful of your position as you use gadgets such as laptops, iPads, even gadgets such as phones for long periods of time.

4. Stand tall in mountain pose. Practice tadasana (the mountain pose) by balancing your weight equally between both feel and imagine they're rooted to the floor. Visualize the crown of your head being pulled from above and you keep your abs tight. An easy way to bring yourself into a correct posture at any time is to tightening your abs, that will always align your spine correctly.

5. Do kegals. Contract your pelvis as if stopping a flow of urine. Working the pelvic floor and other muscles of the core stimulates muscles along the spine that encourages it to lift and elongate. It also is a great exercise to help prevent incontinence.

A regular yoga practice will help correct your posture. In yoga we work on lengthening the spine, increasing the space between each vertebrate, resulting in a taller, prouder you!

Keep it Fresh!

- Lauren

Pumpkin Seeds!

I have vivid memories from my childhood of carving and painting pumpkins in the weeks leading up to Halloween. While the creative aspect of it was fun, what I remember most was my mom scooping out the seeds for roasting. It was such a fun and delicious treat then, and still is now. Sure, trick-or-treating is an exciting adventure for kids but some moms don’t really want their kids to come home with a bag full of goodies just to gorge on candy and sweets all night! I know a lot of moms who say that they allow their kids to choose a few of their favorite pieces of candy from their baskets and then they donate the rest. Well, what better way to compliment this healthy decision with a healthier treat for the kids so they don’t feel deprived?? I, for one, think that toasted pumpkin and squash seeds is the perfect way to do just that!

What many people don’t know is that you can roast and eat the seeds of most pumpkins and squashes, not just the typical carving or pie pumpkins. For dinner tonight I am having spaghetti squash with veggies and tomato sauce and I am topping it with its very own seeds (pictured here). You can use seeds from spaghetti squash, pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash, kabocha... whatever you choose to make for dinner! Many people toss the seeds when cooking with squash but they are such a useful and healthy food too and should not be neglected! They make a great crunchy on-the-go snack for kids and adults alike. You can also throw them in salads, wraps or trail mix. I like to put them out at holiday parties and social gatherings as a great alternative to nuts.

To roast your seeds:
1) Pre-heat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees.

2) Scoop the seeds out of the squash, removing any flesh. Clean and dry thoroughly.

3) Place the seeds in a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil. Mix until well coated. Be careful not to over do it. You want them to be lightly coated, not drenched.

4) Stir in sea salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning until well coated.

5) Cook for 8-10 minutes or until desired crunchiness!

The best part is that you can make so many variations. Tonight I made the simple and traditional version, using just sea salt and pepper, but you can dress them up any way you like. Try using cayenne pepper, turmeric, curry pouder or wasabi powder for a spicy version. You can also make a sweet treat and use cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Or, if you are really daring go for some garlic powder. Experiment with your favorite spices and herbs!

So what makes these little babies such a healthy snack? They are loaded with omega 3 fatty acids for one, making them a heart healthy source or unsaturated fat, as well as a great anti-inflammatory. They are also a good meat-free source of protein, as well as a great source of zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, iron just to name a few. Their anti-oxidant carotenoid content means they help protect against harmful free radicals and promote cellular functions too. Overall what all that means is that they help lower cholesterol, boost immunity and protect against cancer, heart disease and other disease such as those of the prostate.

Powerful little suckers, huh? So you can see why they’d make a great alternative to candy for your kids on Halloween night!

Keep it Fresh!
-Jill

Jenny McCarthy Is My Hero

Seriously. Yesterday I went to the library and brought home her book Mother Warriors. I sat down and read it cover to cover, crying my eyes out the whole time. Today, I went back to the library, returned that book and took out Louder Than Words, brought it home, read it cover to cover, crying my eyes out the whole time.

Let me back up a little bit. As some of you may know, a few years ago I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder. An illness caused by your immune system attacking itself. I sat in a small exam room of a doctor I had never been to before, waiting for her to return with some blood test results. She walked in, said “you have such and such, there is no cure but here is a prescription. You will have to stay on this for the rest of your life. Come back in six months.” That’s it. Literally. There was no explanation of the disease or what to expect, no sympathy for the news I just received, no discussion about the medication. Nothing.

Needless to say I never saw that doctor again. After probably a year of suffering, hopelessness, finding new doctors and taking medication twice daily that didn’t seem to be doing anything except make my hair fall out, I just knew there had to be another way and I knew that I was going to have to figure it out myself. I enrolled in what Jenny calls in her books the University of Google. I searched for answers, alternative treatments, whatever I could find. I downloaded online books, tried eliminating things from my diet, and found out about different doctors and different books to read. All of that led me to changing my diet completely and I started to feel better. Eventually, I went off my medication and never looked back.

You may be wondering what any of this has to do with Jenny McCarthy. No, she hasn’t (as far as I know) been diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder. But she does have a son that was diagnosed on the Autism spectrum and has written books and spoken out about her journey with her son, Evan. I learned in these books that Jenny wasn’t content to hear that there was no cure and that there was not much she could do to help her son other than use medications to help some of the health problems associated with Autism, such as seizures. She knew in her gut that there was more she could do and she would not stop until she figured out what that was. She spent endless nights researching online to learn everything she could. She tried conventional, holistic and biomedical treatments even when doctors told her that some were ‘bullshit’.

I am not a parent of a child with Autism, I am not even a parent at all. I endured a much less difficult, but similar battle though and it is that to which I can relate. She went against the norm, despite what people said or thought because she had faith that it would help, and it did. What baffles me is that story after story in her book parents talk about how doctors told them that changing their kids’ diet was too dangerous. Dangerous?!?! How is something as simple as removing dairy or wheat (foods that may be toxic to some people, especially autistic children) or whatever from someone’s diet dangerous, but pumping them full of drugs, chemicals and toxic levels of heavy metals is perfectly safe??? This is something I will NEVER understand about the medical profession. Don’t get me wrong, we as a society would not be half of where we are today without modern medicine, but at some point we need to be realistic and we need to draw the line!

Ok, I will step down from my soap box to get to the point of why I started this blog in the first place... My journey with my own health issues has lead me down a path to wanting to help people heal from modern diseases, especially auto-immune ones in the same way that Jenny’s journey lead her to be the unofficial voice of parents of Autism. And so in my journey I have had some interest in the theories behind what causes Autism and have paid some attention to what Jenny has brought to the table, but I had not focused on it too much. Fortunately some recent circumstances have peaked my interest, which is why I ended up at the local library seeking out Jenny’s books and a few others. I have to say that I already have a new found interest in this epidemic, and i am actually amazed at its similarities to mine and other auto-immune diseases in its digestive and immune issues as well as causes. And so I am not at all surprised in the success of the more non traditional treatments that many parents are trying in reversing Autism, the way that I feel that some auto-immune diseases can be reversed. Yes, I said reversed.

My point is this: If you are a parent of children on the Autism spectrum, or parents of kids with even ADD/ADHD or you yourself are suffering some type of auto-immunity, please please please do not accept the ‘there is no cure and not much can be done’ answer. I am not a doctor, and I will say that not everything works for everybody. There is no one-size-fits-all answer (which is how I feel doctors treat these things) but if there is even the slightest hope that something as simple as trying a gluten-free diet or taking a natural anti-fungal can help, don’t we owe it to ourselves and our kids to try it? Is going to the health food store and looking for alternative food choices really more inconvenient and unbearable than accepting and suffering from disease?

I am going to continue to read and learn about Autism and other similar disorders simply because I am so interested and would love the opportunity to one day help people suffering from them in any way I can. But, please know there are tons of resources out there for us and we should take advantage of them! Here are two that I learned about from reading Jenny’s books that I find inspiring:

http://www.defeatautismnow.com/
http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org

Keep it fresh!
-Jill

3HC's October Newsletter

Check out our October newsletter for information about cancer prevention and going veg!
Keep it Fresh!
- 3HCs

October = Non GMO Month

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. The most frequent use of the term GMO is in relation to the food that we eat, in that many crops and factory-made foods are created from genetically modified ingredients. Genes from other plants, viruses, bacteria, animals, etc. are inserted into the genes of certain products such as corn to make them more stable and resistant to drought, disease and pesticides. However, because of this cross-breeding, the safety of such foods has not been able to have been proven and other countries (and some counties in the U.S.) have banned the modified foods from being imported and/or grown.

Now on to the health aspects of GMO’s. Though the goal of GMO crops is to make them less susceptible to pests, more resistant to drought and stronger overall, the actual result is that stronger pesticides will be needed for the stronger weeds and disease, just as overuse of antibiotics has created stronger strains of disease in humans. Do we really want stronger pesticides to be used on the food that we eat? I sure don’t, and that’s why I try to do as much shopping as possible at my local farmer’s market here in Red Bank, NJ. Even though the items are still not 100% organic, at least they aren't grown conventionally (with possibility of GMOs and harmful conventional pesticides). But still there are boxed foods in the grocery store that also have GMO ingredients in them, and as of today there are no rules that say that they must be labeled as such.

More and more consumers are becoming concerned about GMOs, yet most people don't know how to avoid them because the United States doesn't require GMOs to be labeled. Check out these 4 simple tips to avoiding GMOs, from the informative Non-GMO Shopping Guide.

How to Avoid GMOs:

Buy Organic. The USDA Organic certification prohibits GMOs. All the more reason to buy organic food!

Look for "Non-GMO" Labels. But remember: You won't just be looking for one. There are dozens of labels out there, be a food detective!

Avoid At-Risk Ingredients. These include corn (corn flour, meal, oil, starch, gluten, and syrups; sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose, and glucose; and modified food starch), soybeans (soy flour, lecithin, protein, isolate, and isoflavone, vegetable oil, and vegetable protein), canola oil (also called rapaseed oil), cottonseed, and sugar (avoid anything not listed as 100 percent cane sugar, as well as aspartame).

Buy Products Listed in the Non-GMO Shopping Guide. Check out the downloadable guide here. They even have an app for your phone/iPod.

Keep it Fresh!
- Lauren

Information adapted from www.the goodhuman.com, www.deliciousliving.com, and www.nongmoshoppingguide.com

Healthy Happy Hour - 10/28 at Jamian's

Please join us for this month's Healthy Happy Hour at Jamian's in Red Bank!

Keep it Fresh!

Restore Your Health Through Digestion

Heartburn, bloating, irritability, depression, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, indigestion, constipation, gas, allergies…the list goes on and on. Digestion is everything. Gut health is crucial to good overall health. Below are some smart ways to keep your belly happy and healthy.

1. Eat Real Foods. Shop the perimeter of grocery stores in the refrigerated sections for real food. Fresh fruits and vegetables are foods that are “alive” and contain the healthy enzymes that your body needs to digest foods properly. Foods that are found in packages on the inside aisles of the store are “dead” foods that contain NO enzymes that your body needs to digest.

2. Fermented Foods/Probiotics. Consuming fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt, kefir and tempeh keeps the gut flora healthy because they contain natural probiotics that our guts need to stay healthy.

3. Eat Seasonally. Our body can assimilate produce better when eaten during its peak season. When we eat in harmony with nature, all systems of the body are more at ease.

4. Stay Hydrated. Keeping your system hydrated is key for overall health, especially with digestion. Water helps to lubricate your organs allowing them to help guide your digestion and elimination smoothly along.

5. Eat Your Fiber. Be sure to include plenty of fiber in your diet. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are some of the best sources of dietary fiber that will keep your gut healthy and may help to rid you of some diseases and illnesses.

6. Trust Your Gut. Connect with that instinctual “gut feeling” when you have one and trust it. Be true to yourself, to others and in every other aspect of your life.

7. Take 3 Deep Breaths. Eating in a relaxed environment as often as possible is important for healthy digestion. Sit down before you eat and pause to take a few deep breaths before you begin eating. Slow down, relax.

8. Chew Your Food. Try to chew your food at least 10 – 20 times before swallowing. Digestion begins in your mouth and will flow a lot smoother through your digestive tract when food is chewed properly.

9. Avoid Sugar. Limit your sugar intake, especially any artificial sugars.

10. Have a Cup of Tea. Calm your belly and digestion with a cup of hot, herbal tea. Chamomile, ginger, peppermint or fennel tea are very soothing to the stomach.

Keep it Fresh!
- Lauren

Doggies Like Healthy Foods Too!

It happens all the time when I'm at my parents house. I sit down to eat and Stanley sits quietly next to my chair and stares up at me with his big brown eyes longing for my food. Since what I'm eating is almost always healthy, whole foods I can't help but save a few small pieces for him. When I'm finished, I slowly feed him what's left. The picture of him on the right is exactly the face and position of him in begging mode. He's sitting on his hamburger bed (yes, he's a hot dog with a hamburger bed) and waiting anxiously for me to feed him some carrots. Wouldn't you cave too?!

I'm a big believer that if you’re going to feed your dogs “people” food, you should feed them something that’s actually good for them! Here are some healthy, easily obtainable options straight from the food store that can be added to spice up your doggies regular fare. There are, of course, a few cautions to keep in mind. First, none of these items by themselves constitutes a “complete and balanced” meal, and if your dog has health or weight issues, check with your vet before introducing them. Next, considering that many dogs are willing to eat almost anything they find, they can be surprisingly fussy about new things in their food bowls; start with a small portion to see if it’s a go… or no. And finally, always introduce new foods gradually.

10 Healthy "People" Foods for Doggies

1. Banana
. High in potassium (great for muscle and blood vessel function as well as for regulating the acidity of body fluids), fiber (a handy home remedy for the occasional bout of doggy diarrhea or constipation) and magnesium (important for energy transport and protein building in the body). Bananas have lots of pyridoxine (Vitamin B6), which helps metabolize proteins and regulates blood cell function so the blood can bring more oxygen to the brain and muscle. They also contain Vitamin C, an antioxidant that protects cells from damage and helps build cartilage. Pup Prep: Mash a banana and mix it in with your dog’s food. Be forewarned that the compounds in bananas that make them smell banana-y are offensive to some canines.

2. Rutabaga
. A sorely ignored veggie, similar to a turnip. Rutabagas are very good boiled and mashed. They’re available year-round in most grocery stores and keep well. Their high levels of Vitamin C, potassium and carotenoids (precursors to Vitamin A) aid eye health and maintenance of DNA activation in cells. They are also important in immune system function and have a number of lesser-known phytochemicals, which are shown to reduce the risk of several chronic diseases associated with aging. Pup Prep: Peel, boil and mash the rutabaga, then add a little bit of safflower or olive oil; these oils are not harmful to dogs, who need fats and handle them far better than do humans.

3. Sweet Potato. 
Loaded with nutrients, such as the carotenoids and Vitamin C, in addition to some lesser known antioxidants and phytochemicals. They are high in pyridoxine, potassium, fiber and magnesium. They also are good sources of copper, iron and manganese–all essential minerals that perform myriad functions in cells, from transporting oxygen to assisting in the assembly of proteins. Pup Prep: As with rutabaga, boil, mash and add a bit of good oil.

4. Flaxseeds
. Small seeds–known for their alpha linolenic acid (ALA) content and benefits to coat, skin, bone and brain function–that pack a big nutritional punch. These seeds are also high in fiber and lignans (a fiber type), which may be beneficial for insulin action. They are a great source of manganese, pyridoxine, magnesium, phosphorus and copper. They also contain the B vitamin folate, which is important for cell regulation. Pup Prep: Grind fresh flaxseeds, which are nutty and crunchy; flaxseed oil is also available in most health food stores and contains a more concentrated amount of ALA. Add the ground seeds or a teaspoon of oil to your dog’s food and increase the nutrient density of any meal. (Note: Store in refrigerator to maintain freshness.)

5. Yogurt. 
Active cultures known as probiotics (necessary, friendly bacteria) help keep the bad bacteria away. Yogurt, which may improve gut function, contains a number of nutrients, including protein, calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin B12, potassium, zinc and iodine. It is also a fair source of other B vitamins such as riboflavin and pantothenic acid (required for enzyme action and energy production, as well as other cellular functions). Pup Prep: A dollop of plain yogurt (with very little sugar of course) is a great way to disguise some yucky medicines.

6. Salmon. 
Bursting with Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s do wonders for skin, coat and brain as well as limit inflammatory processes that cause arthritic pain and other chronic canine conditions. (If your dog has any of these conditions, ask your vet if fish oil in capsule form might help.) Salmon is also an excellent protein source, with many essential vitamins and minerals.* Pup Prep: When you’re cooking salmon steaks for yourself, toss a few extra on the barbie for your dog. Refrigerate or dehydrate the grilled chunks and serve them cold.

7. Nori. 
Dried edible seaweed (red algae species), a Japanese staple. Often associated with sushi, nori is available in some supermarkets, and certainly in those with Asian food items. It has protein, galactans (a soluble fiber), Vitamins C, E and all the Bs, and minerals such as zinc and copper. It also contains some lesser-known sterols and chlorophyll, which have been investigated for their effects on regulating metabolism. Nori may have beneficial effects on fat metabolism, immune function and anti-tumor response. Pup Prep: Nori does not have a strong odor or flavor, and the paper-thin sheets can be torn and soaked in broth, then added to food, or just added dry. Puppy sushi, anyone?

8. Blueberries. 
Member of the Heath family and loaded with phytochemicals. Available year round either fresh or frozen, blueberries are a great treat for your dog. The deep blue color comes from anthocyanidins, which are potent antioxidants, and the berries also supply Vitamin C, Vitamin E, manganese and fiber. Slow introduction in small quantities is particularly essential here; as anyone who has ever gorged on this tasty fruit knows, the blueberry “trots” are most unpleasant (and you’re the one who will be cleaning up!). Be judicious. Pup Prep: Rinse and serve whole, or mash lightly.

9. Rosemary
Aromatic mint relative. Rosemary provides some fiber, iron and calcium in addition to several phytochemicals thought to improve immune function and act as anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants. Pup Prep: Wash a sprig of fresh rosemary and add the minced needles (leaves) to foods.

10. Swiss Chard.
 A pretty veggie known as a “green.” Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and has tons of nutrients, which are best maintained by blanching and not boiling the leaves and stalks to mush. (Some feel that, in order to lap up any leeched nutrients, the water in which chard is blanched should be consumed too.) Blanching sweetens the leaves and frees up some of the oxalates, which can bind minerals. Chard’s nutrients have the potential to maintain bone health, blood vessel integrity, eye health and immune function and benefit optimal muscle function and energy production. Pup Prep: Offer your dog some blanched, chopped chard enhanced with a bit of olive oil; if you’re lucky, your best friend will want the blanching water too!

Information adapted from www.care2.com/greenliving.com

3HC's Lunch N' Learn will be this Friday, October 8th at 12pm at Fair Haven Yoga Studio and it will be on Nutrition 101.
Confused about health and nutrition? 3HC's can help!
Come and learn everything you need to know to get started with a healthy lifestyle.
Bring a healthy (teehee) bagged lunch if you'd like!

Top ways to GLOW!

Hey guys! Long time no blog. I know. I'm sorry. I have no real excuse other than, well life is crazy busy. Sprouting Wellness is running full steam, and apparently I am planning a wedding as well. :) So excuses, excuses, excuses.

Besides my humble apologies, this blog does have a little content as well. Last week I gave a FREE teleclass called Dazzling Healthy Divas: How to GLOW from the inside out. The teleclass was a lot of fun and went over really well, so I thought I would share a bit of it here!

A Dazzling, Healthy Diva is a woman who glows. Regardless of her age, you see a spark of youthfulness in her eyes, her skin glows, her nails and hair shine and she had a spring of energy in her step. She’s got a magnetic glow. Men are attracted to her and women want to be her. Some of you may think that magnetism is something that some women just “have” and some don’t. In reality, every woman can have it you just have to follow a few key tips!

I have broken down the word GLOW into four quick tips so you can remember to glow. They are: Get Real and Get Fresh, Love yourself up, Organic is Outstanding and Workout and feel Wonderful! Totally simple and easy! Now break them down and see what each is really all about and what it can do to make you GLOW!

Get Real and Get Fresh! The fastest way to GLOW is to Get Real and Get Fresh! I am talking about the foods that you put into your body. Get fresh and get real about food. Crowd out the processed sugary foods with brightly colored fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat the rainbow. Whole fruits and vegetables contain energy from the sun. When consumed, they not only give us the energy for our bodies to run, but they help us glow like the sun as well.

Love yourself up! Pay kind, loving attention to yourself. There are two parts to loving yourself up, you will GLOW when you love yourself up physically and mentally.

Organic is Outstanding! Besides being free of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, these fruits and vegetables have better textures and are consistently better tasting. Because organic produces isn't waxed or chemically treated, it must be sold fresh, and the fresher produce is, the more nutritious and tasty it is! If you can't afford to go organic, buy locally grown fruits and vegetables when possible. They're bound to be fresher than produce that has been shipped long distances.

Work out and love doing it!

It’s all about the exercise baby. When we move our bodies, we improve circulation, our skin releases toxins, our muscles work and grow strong, our bones hold their density we burn away our excess and the best part…we feel great! It’ doesn’t matter what you do, just move your body and sweat daily.

And there you have it. Simple tips to help you glow and become a dazzling healthy diva. Get Real and Get Fresh, Love up on Yourself, Organic is Outstanding and Work out and love doing it. If you follow these guidelines, not only will your health improve, but you’ll have more energy and you’ll begin to glow from the inside out!

Keep it Fresh!

~Terra