…these guys took on the challenge, and wow, that must have been intense!

As you probably know, based on the premise of this blog, my biggest find over the last 10 years in my quest to eat & live healthy was primarily eating single ingredient foods (i.e. fruits, and vegetables, true fruit juices – thank you SunHarvest!, and sticking with grains, nuts, and so forth).

I do a fairly good job of sticking to that routine, but I’m realistic when it comes to eating out, or at parties.

It’s my goal to eat ‘real food’ at least 80% of the time…

With that in mind, I’m not 100% sure I could stick to a 28 day Real Food Challenge, could you?

Be sure to read the entire CNN article for more information.

…to feel the best I can.

I’ve realized over the last few years, that there are multiple things to consider — such as:

• Assuring I get enough sleep.
• Assuring I eat the ‘good for you foods’.
• Assuring I continually have balance (work, and play!)

Recently, I’ve discovered three web sites that have really helped me gain a higher level of understanding of taking my quest to the next level.

I’m going to share them with you, here’s 3 Sure Fire Ways to Feel Better:

1. www.Lef.org – LifeExtension – specifically visit the Health Concerns section, they have top-notch health information.
2. www.VRP.com – Vitamin Research Articles – be sure to visit the Research Center, they’re passionate about nutritional science.
3. www.SparkPeople.com – This is still one of my favorites, because not only does it have great resources, it has a great community you can get involved in as well.

Do you have any other web sites that you reference for hints, tips or techniques on feeling the best you can?  Please share them below!

Thanks so much,

Charly

…and your family?

Who isn’t, right?

Kristin Doyle, an RN, has created a wonderful book called the “Therapeutic Chef” that provides recipes to prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

This book will, quite literally, transform your life.

It is packed full of information on what foods are helpful for preventing illness and disease.

There are over 300 recipes that range from super simple to more complex.  While you’re cooking you’ll get to learn about the medicinal value of the ingredients used, and that, my friends, is invaluable.

There is:

• a pantry list,
• an equipment list,
• a glossary of Powerfoods,
• a section on Herbal Remedies for First Aid, and
• a list of Gluten-Free Recipes.

Every recipe was created to help prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

There is an explanation of what foods are the very best for helping to fight those conditions and what foods you’ll want to avoid.

I think the biggest bonus is that you’ll learn why eating this way is also beneficial for our planet!

Take a look, it’s on Amazon.com, and it’s called the Therapeutic Chef!

Enjoy,

Charly

…called FitBit, and it tests & measures all crucial data regarding fitness & sleep!

FitBit tracks:

• calories burned,
• steps taken,
• distance traveled, and
• sleep quality.

It contains a 3D motion sensor (like the ones found in the Wii controllers) and tracks your motion in three dimensions and converts this into useful information about your daily activities.

You can wear the FitBit on your waist, in your pocket, or on your undergarments.

At night, you simply need to wear the included wristband to track your sleeping patterns.

The coolest part?

Anytime you walk by the included wireless base station (within 15′), data from the FitBit is silently uploaded to the base station!

Learn all about the FitBit by visiting their web site at: www.FitBit.com.

…it’s been clear that with most of my findings, it happens to others as well!

With that in mind, here’s five foods that will help you sleep:

1. Turkey – it has very high levels of tryptophan, which is a known sleep inducer.  Also, seafood, chicken and soybeans will do the trick too.
2. Yogurt – it is also high in tryptophan.
3. Almonds, and other nuts – they’re also loaded with tryptophan, and the calming magnesium.
4. Beans and soy are high in magnesium & tryptophan.
5. Spinach – loaded with B vitamins, and magnesium.

You’ve probably experienced that sleepy sensation after Thanksgiving Dinner, you’re totally on to something!

Do you have any foods that make you tired?   Let me know by commenting below, I’ll give them a try!

Thanks so much,

Charly

it’s been loud and clear…

I’ve proven it to myself, as have millions of others:

Regular physical activity gives you energy, levels your body out, and most importantly, cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke!

Here’s 5 Ways to take care of your heart (and live longer!) through exercise:

1. Document your exercise goals – in writing!  Look at them daily, try for 30 to 60 minutes three days a week of biking, brisk walking, or running.
2. Use visualization – keep an ideal image of yourself in mind, and readily accessible.  I found my f#$(*1@ inspiration, and it’s really helped me!
3. Make exercise a priority – many times, this is easier said than done.  The big thing that’s changed in my mindset is the fact then I don’t think about doing it, I just DO it.
4. Take action and start moving – keep in mind, a body at rest, tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion.
5. Buy a pedometer – “you can’t change what don’t measure” and this plays a key role in elping you understand how much you walk per day, aim for 10,000 steps a day.

Another approach that’s worked very well for me is disguising my exercise – for example, I’ll:

• walk to the bookstore (about a mile away),
• ride my bike to work (about 3.5 miles away),
• walk to a restaurant (about a mile away), and
• take the stairs.

If you’d like to learn more, here are some great books I’ve found.

Take care, and I hope this helps you!

Charly

web site provided by the US Government is a great start!

MyPyramid Blast Off is an interactive computer game where kids can reach Planet Power by fueling their rock with food and activity.  The game assures they understand what food goes in what food group, and helps them understand how their choices fit into the pyramid of what you’re supposed to eat.

It’s a great way to help kids understand the value of different food.

If you’re looking for other uplifting, education material online, be sure to check out HaveFunTeaching.com, ColorMeGood.com, and Free-Worksheets.com.

Mark, the founder of HaveFunTeaching.com, also has a “Songs for Kids” CD available on Amazon.   My girls love “Hey Bully“, “The Noun Song“, and their absolute favorite is “The Verb Rap Song“.

Enjoy!

Charly

Here’s 9 proven ways to beat stress:

1. Socialize – see friends, relatives, go to club meetings.  Stay connected.
2. Talk, laugh, cry, get angry – let it out!
3. Exercise regularly – studies show exercise reduces anxiety, releases tension and makes your brain pump out endorphins, which are chemicals that create a sense of well-being.  Try for 30 to 60 minutes three times a week.
4. Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
5. Block stress by losing yourself in activities you enjoy – shopping, reading, visiting friends, watching a movie, playing video games.
6. Get perspective – remember the past, learn from it, think about how you made it through tough times.
7. Live in the moment – go for a walk, count your blessings, play with kids.
8. Practice slow, deep breaths.
9. Do yoga or meditation – there’s an amazing feeling that will overcome you once you get going.

I hope this helps you, it sure has me!

Charly

Like me, you probably need a reminder every once in a while about what NOT to eat.

ThisIsWhyYoureFat.com is the perfect place for that reminder!

Primarily showing:

• highly processed foods,
• hefty quantities (definitely an American thing!),
• loads of cheeses,
• tons of potatoes,
• lots of refined sugars, and
• tons of white bread…

‘This is why you’re fat’ seems to sum up one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the last 10 years – eating these types of things continuously really did make me fat.

If you’re interested in learning more about what to eat, and what not to eat (and most importantly, WHY), be sure to check out these books:

• Eat This Not That
• Eat This Not That for Kids!
• Eat This Not That – Supermarket Survival Guide

I’ve read each of these, and find them very informative for letting you know why certain foods may seem better for helping you maintain or lose weight, but in reality, aren’t!

Here’s to living healthy, having energy, and getting most out of each day!

Charly

Only eat the foods that have an ingredient list you completely understand!

It gets really easy really quickly, when you realize you know what’s in the following foods:

• bananas,
• lettuce,
• green & red peppers,
• carrots,
• celery,
• blueberries,
• strawberries
• apples,
• oranges,
• pears,
• plums,
• apricots, and
• onions.

To name a few…

What gets more interesting is going on a search to find foods, such as crackers, snack bars, and so forth that have an ingredient list you can understand.

If you do this exercise for one day, I think you’ll start to see the world a little differently.

Let me know how it goes for you, okay?

Here’s to eatin’ simple, healthy foods that are just downright good for you!

I had THE WORST hemorrhoids ever.

I couldn’t:

• concentrate on anything,
  
• sit,
  
• walk, or
• enjoy life.
  

Keep in mind, at the time, I’d think nothing of eating a entire Papa Johns large pizza in sitting, while drinking a least a liter of Coke, and finishing it off with some of that lovely cheesy bread!

I had to do something, and do it fast.

I consider it my first real attempt at testing a new lifestyle, my problem, little did I know at the time, was that I was doing it reactively.

It didn’t last.

After talking with my doctor, and others who had similar issues – it became apparent that fiber (both insoluble and soluble) were my new best friends!

Over the course of one week, I followed this diet:

• ate primarily fruits & vegetables,
• stayed away from fried foods,
• stayed away from cheeses,
• drank a LOT of water, and
  
• stayed far away from refined sugar (white bread, etc).

I started to feel much better, within two weeks, I was feeling like myself again, and didn’t DREAD having to go to the bathroom.

Fiber is not only great for getting your system back in operation, here’s more of the benefits of fiber.  Fiber:

• improves your body’s digestive function,
• regulates blood sugar levels, and
• promotes long-term cardiovascular health.

It’s found in oatmeal and green, leafy vegetables as well as in bottled form. It is found mostly in carbohydrates, which is another reason not to deprive yourself of carbs.

If you, or someone you know, has hemmoroids, this may help them out.

Researchers at the University of Washington have discovered that a compound derived from Wormwood (Artemisia annua L), an ancient herb used in Chinese medicine and asian salad dishes, is 1,000 times more specific in killing certain kinds of cancer cells that currently available drugs.

You can learn all about Wormwood by following these links:

• Wikipedia – Wormwood (Artemisa annua)
• Natural Alternatives for Fighting Cancer…
  
• A Google search for “wormwood cancer fighter“

Here’s to livin’ healthy and enjoyin’ life!

That’s what I used to say…

Now, I know there’s a world of difference!

White bread is usually made from white flour, which quickly turns into (refined) sugar in the body.  Refined sugar fuels cancer growth and triggers inflammation.

100% Whole Wheat bread (especially 100% Whole Grain bread), on the other hand, is filled with phytochemicals and antioxidants — and packed, naturally, with B & E vitamins, along with magnesium, iron and fiber.

It’s really important when you pick a wheat bread that it says “100% Whole Wheat” or “100% Whole Grain”, watch out for phrases like:

• multi-grain,
• seven grain,
• bran, and
• stone ground.

Even if a bread is brown, it doesn’t mean it’s 100% Whole.

Here’s to eating what’s what best for you, and your body!

I know I have, and I know many people who have as well.

Here’s a list of fierce foods for fighting & preventing cancer:

• Herbs and spices – thyme, rosemary, mint, basil, sage, tumeric, and ginger,
• Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids – salmon, sardines, mackerel, walnuts, and green vegetables,
• Cruciferous vegetables – brocolli, cauliflower, and cabbage
• Garlic, onions and leeks,
• Raspberries, blueberries, and black berries,
• Dark Chocolate (oh yeah!!),
• Drinks – green tea, pomegranate juice, and red wine in moderation.

Do you have any other foods you’ve learned are cancer fighters?   Please share with us below.

My old lifestyle consisted of a lunch like this:

and it was very common to find me passed out, napping, about 45 minutes after lunch.

I was riding a constant roller coaster throughout the day, and after I discovered it, I’d know:

• I was most productive from 10a to lunch,
• After lunch (while I was on a sugar high), I felt like I had attention deficit disorder – I just couldn’t concentrate on any task,
• I’d crash about 1pm, and come back to life about 2:30pm or 3pm,
• I was fairly productive from 3pm to dinner,
• After dinner, the whole thing started again, UNTIL…
• It was about 10pm, and I was a Coke or two into the evening – I was very productive from 11pm to usually about 1 or 2 in the morning.

I imagine I was riding on sugar high throughout the night…

Once I read a blog post titled “What Happens To Your Body Within an Hour of Drinking Coke“, I felt incredibly enlightened, and knew it was time.

It was that very evening, at my dad’s house in Atlanta Georgia, that I sipped my very last Coke, dug in and made my commitment.

It was time.

I decided to make fruits & vegetables my mainstay, and minimize everything else.   Notice, I didn’t say “stop eating everything else”.  My primary focus was (and is) the simple, colorful, healthy foods that humans haven’t monkey’d around with (well, too much, anyway!)

My biggest find?

I saw my energy level stay up, all throughout the day.   Amazing!

I was so programmed to shutting down around 2pm that it took a while to unlearn that unproductive time & behavior at that point in the day.

If you’re looking to bump your energy levels, you should at least test a new lifestyle in which you minimize the bad foods, and maximize the good ones.

Try it for a few days, see how you do – eat fruits & vegetables to see your energy go up!

It comes down to three things – what you put:

1. in your mouth,
2. on your skin, and
3. in your lungs.

If you want to find safe, healthy, green products for you and your family — you have to check out:

GoodGuide.com.

GoodGuide offers you the ability to:

• see ratings,
• find the best products, and
• compare & save!

It also provides a great way to learn about issues, news and product recalls — AND, they even have iPhone App!

Here’s to living the good life, and being an informed consumer!

Thanks, GoodGuide!

How you ask?

It’s a known fact that tracking what you eat results in weight loss.  I’ve lived it, as have thousands of others…

If you’re overweight, and are looking for a way to lose weight now – tweet what you eat!

To get started:

1. Create your Twitter account.
2. Notify your friends and family that you’re on Twitter (have them join, this will work much better if you’re accountable to more than just yourself!)
3. (Optional) Register yourself on Tweet What You Eat (this will help you be even more accountable)!
4. Configure your cell phone (if possible) to Tweet.
5. Everytime you eat, send out a tweet!

If you’re a calorie counter, be sure to create your tweets like this:

Kashi Roasted Almond Crunch Bar – 180
(name of food – calories)

at the end of the day, you’ll be able to quickly tally your total calories by reviewing your Twitter feed.

Remember, you’ll have to document everything (no sneakin’ in a candy bar, or snack on the side .

I suggest trying this lifestyle for a few days, and seeing how you do.

Here’s to being the best you can be!

I’ve been eating much less read meat (maybe once or twice a month), overall, I’ve found:

• It’s not really that good for you (there’s so many other things that are better, too!)
• It takes a lot of energy & resources to create.
• The process of creating meat is a fairly upsetting one (aside from the slaughtering of an animal, it has quality control issues that in many cases are unmonitored).

One thing I’ve been paying particular attention to is how food is grown, and…

When it comes to meat – I’ve wondered “What’s the difference in meat?” such as the differences between grass-fed, all-natural, etc..

Tim Ferriss, author of one of my favorite books “The Four Hour Workweek“, recently discussed the differences of meat on his blog –

It’s a great post, be sure to check it out!

“I’m going to try to stick to foods we (humans) haven’t screwed with”

Fortunately for me, I already really liked most of those types of foods, such as:

• Carrots,
• Blueberries,
• Strawberries,
• Whole Grain Breads,
• Nuts, and
• Edamame.

As any who knows me really well will tell you — I forced myself to like raw tomatoes — simply for their beneficial value (lycopene among others).  Now I love them!

Just recently I’ve been reading articles & web sites about the anti-cancer, or cancer killing superfoods, and they basically take these forms:

• Vegetables,
• Omega-3 acids,
• Citrus Fruit,
• Dark Chocolate,
• Vitamin D,
• Green Tea,
• Mushrooms,
• Herbs & Spices,
• Berries, and
• Soy.

Their benefits to our bodies are amazing, for example:

Broccoli & Cauliflower contain molecules that can help stop cancer causing cells develop into malignant tumors.

Brightly colored fruit and vegetables, such as carrots, yams and apricots, contain Vitamin A and Lycopene which can inhibit growth of several cancer types, a process initiated by the immune system as a response to an injury or an infection.  This reduces cancel cell growth in tumors of the lung, breast, kidney and colon.

Citrus fruits such as grapefruits, oranges and tangerines have been shown to penetrate brain cancer cells & lower their potential for invading nearby tissues.

Dark chocolate (who would have thought!) contains a cocktail of anti-oxidants that inhibit growth of cancer cells and limit blood vessel formation around tumors.  Go for 70% or higher cocoa & 20g a day!

Carnosol, found in Rosemary, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

The antioxidant, ellagic acid, found in strawberries, blueberries and raspberries stimulates the elimination of cancerous substances — they also reduce the development of new blood vessels that supply tumors.

Soy, found in edamame & soy milk, reduces the effect of testosterone & estrogen in stimulating cancer cells.

Amazing stuff in simple, healthy foods, isn’t there?

I continually feel as though the more we screw with food, the more damage we do to ourselves.

that prompted my amazingly talented wife (aka chef!) to create this version:

which I now eat usually 3 times a week.

This colorful, delicious salad contains all kinds of good for you foods (and yes, aside from the feta cheese, they’re single ingredient, simple, healthy foods!), and it definitely helps me lose weight.

The ingredients are:

• Green peppers,
• Red peppers,
• Red onions,
• Tomatoes, and,
• Olive oil!

Not only is this salad good for me, it’s packed with fiber, too!

I usually have this salad with a peanut butter & jelly sandwich (on whole wheat bread) — one of my favorites!

It makes for a great lunch, or light dinner.

Do you have a good-for-you salad that you’ve created?  Please share it with us, we’ll have to give it a try!