What goes in not always comes out

When was the last time you ate beets?  This naturally red and sweet root provides many benefits to your body.  It s loaded with anti oxidants (which help neutralize free radicals), vitamins and minerals such manganese, copper and potassium (which is particularly helpful to lower heart rate). Beets also helps with the absorption of iron, so beet juice is recommended for people with low hemoglobin and anemia, as it improves blood circulation and red blood cell count.  It helps lower blood pressure and prevents heart related problems.

When was the last time you tried some asparagus?  Besides being extremely tasty, asparagus are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, and chromium, which enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells (very helpful to fight diabetes).   It also has diuretic properties that will help the body release excess salts through urine, which is also very good for people suffering cardiovascular problems.

These two vegetables are just an example of products available on any grocery store that you can consciously add to your diet and thus, improve your health in a natural way.

When was the last time you or your family consumed some colorful cereal for breakfast or dinner?  How about some very red ketchup? Or perhaps that brightly yellow mustard accompanied by a juicy frank and fries?  

All these are examples of highly processed foods that do not add any nutritional value to our daily lives.  On the contrary, they deplete our immune system and contribute to heart problems, liver diseases, diabetes and high cholesterol.  The examples above also contain artificial coloring such as Red 40, Yellow 5 or Blue 2, just to mention a few.   

There is evidence that these artificial colors are linked to ADD, ADHD… And our children are the primarily target market (just think about those lollipops that would leave them with blue tongues…)

You will remember you ate beets when you see “the evidence,” after using the restroom.  Why? Because the human body disposes of the waste naturally. When some natural color cannot be metabolized by the body, it simply goes “down the drain” to be eliminated.  You will remember you consumed asparagus the same way;  if you pay attention, your nose will recognize the strong scent impregnated in your urine. It may sound disgusting but this is a prime example of how the human body works.

But what happens when you drink a cola soda or consume some artificially colored food? All those artificial colors and additives are metabolized by your body too; they are broken down and some of them will be eliminated as waste, but some others will remain in your body stored in the colon tissue. Sometimes what goes in does not come out.

So, our recommendation is to avoid highly processed foods with artificial colors, flavors and preservatives as much as you can. Check the list of ingredients of the product and try to stay away from names such as "Allura Red" (Red # 40), "Tatrazine" (Yellow # 5) or "Indigotine" (Blue # 2).  Just by doing this, you  will improve the nutritional value of your family’s diet.  

You are what you eat

Being aware of the things you eat regularly is a good way to start implementing a series of changes in your life.  “You are what you eat” is a popular saying, and there is a great amount of truth on it, as it is a proven fact that frequent consumption of fast food increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. “Knowledge is power” is another saying and once again,  what we are trying to say is that by knowing what you eat, you will be able to understand the outcome of your choices, which ultimately will be reflected in your body and in  your long term health.

The refined sugars contained in sodas and other highly processed foods are one of the most important factors that create an unbalance in the pH levels of your body, turning it into acidic levels. Human body always keeps blood pH level at 6.5.  But what happens when your body is too acidic as a consequence of what you eat  or drink? Blood pH balance must be kept, so the body responds by drawing minerals and nutrients from other parts of the system, such as bones and tissues, in order to restore the natural pH balance of the blood.  When this happens, you start feeling tired, probably with aching muscles, headaches or perhaps suffering lack of concentration.  You tend to overlook the signals because you can quickly  remedy the situation by taking some over the counter pain relievers, which will make you feel better... And you will continue taking OTC medication as needed perpetuating the problem.  But it is very important to note that you are not addressing the root cause of the problem!  A few changes in your eating habits will help you feel better in a natural way.  Remember:  You are what you eat.  

Consciously modifying your eating habits, reducing the consumption of fast foods and highly processed products and at the same time incorporating more whole grains, green leaf vegetables and more fruits to your diet will have an immediate effect in your health.  Diseases develop faster in an acidic environments, but they cannot survive in an alkaline system. So if you start choosing alkaline foods when you eat, you are reinforcing your immune system, making it stronger.

So next time you go to a restaurant, do yourself a favor and skip the soda.   Iced tea is a much better choice, because tea contains antioxidants which are good to fight free radicals.  If you don’t like iced tea, just go ahead and add some lemon to regular tap water.  Lemon although acid per se, has alkalinizing properties when absorbed by the body (potassium, sodium and other minerals). Just by doing something as simple as drinking lemon water every day, you are helping maintain a healthy pH balance in your organism.

Power to choose

We live in a busy world and we are always on the rush.  Because of this we  frequently skip breakfast in the morning but then reward ourselves by super sizing the combo meal at lunch time. Several times a week we consume meals with enormous amounts of sugar, sodium, and trans fats. In addition our jobs require that we sit behind a desk all day long with little or no exercise at all.  But unfortunately it doesn’t stop there. What is happening with our families?  Do you know what is inside your children lunch boxes or what kind of food is offered at the school cafeteria? Over time, these are some of the main causes of obesity and diseases such as diabetes, heart problems or even stroke. Did you know that diabetes is the number one disease here in El Paso affecting more than 85,000 people? (El Paso Diabetic Association, 2011). In a city of 830K people that is roughly almost 10% of the population.

Is there anything we can do to help revert this situation?  Absolutely.  We can start by bringing awareness. If you are reading this blog chances are that you are interested in being part of the solution, and for that we want to say thank you.

To more specific actions, let’s start with small goals which in time will let you accomplish bigger goals.  Last time we spoke about consciously changing our eating habits, so let’s apply what we’ve learned so far.  If you want to eat healthier and feel better about yourself please remember that you have the power to choose what you put into your body. You can decide what is good for you and what is not. So in a very simplistic way you can start by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Choose to eat your chicken grilled instead of deep-fried or ask for steamed veggies instead of the loaded baked potato.  Avoid diet soda, because artificial sweeteners cause more damage than good to your body (you are better off drinking iced tea with a couple spoons of real sugar than drinking any dietetic beverage).  Every time you make a decision at a conscious level you can be proud of yourself because that means that you are in total control of your actions. And this is valid even if for whatever reason you choose to eat junk food, because you are completely aware of the consequences of the choice you made... And that is OK, because perhaps you are already thinking in walking an extra mile to compensate for the poor choice.

If you can do something as simple as that, you already won your first victory. Now  pass the message to your loved ones. Let’s start changing El Paso.

Your body will thank you sooner than you think...

Okay, the first month of the year is officially gone.  Remember that a few weeks ago you made a series of promises to yourself?  Promises such as eating less junk food or exercising more to be able to lose some weight.  All of them very well intended and plausible intentions but... Where are you today in regards with your promises?  

We want to help you with your quest! Last time we talked about a couple of things we could do to start off the year in a good way and hopefully at this point you are already looking at things in a different way.  You know that it is healthier for you to choose meals with few ingredients (the fewer the better). We understand that there are occasions where eating fast food is unavoidable but if given a choice it is better to avoid fast food if possible because it usually contains a long list of components, most of which are highly processed and artificially created. 

Eating whole foods is a much better choice because this way you will put your body to work breaking down the components of the food you eat.  If you make a small change in your diet and you start consuming whole foods regularly, it will make a big difference to your body because it will help you change your metabolism: Did you know that eating whole foods forces your body to burn calories when it breaks down the food? And you get the benefits of the fiber, controlling cholesterol and improving your digestive system. But when you consume refined products the body does not have to work as much because most of the sugars are already processed and go directly to the blood stream; so instead of burning calories the response of the organism is to transform the excess sugar into fat. Let’s remember that 3,500 calories equals one pound of fat.

So, if we understand what we do, we are empowered to consciously change our eating habits, and because of that, we have a better chance of succeed in our intentions.  It is a good choice to choose to eat vegetables usually in a form of a salad, but we can make it a better choice - healthier and smarter- if we choose to eat a green leaf salad. Spinach or kale contains loads of iron and calcium which are good for you.  An iceberg lettuce salad is not a very good choice because  lettuce has a very low nutritional value (mostly composed of water).  Make it even better by seasoning it simply with oil and vinegar instead of a heavier blue cheese or ranch dressing.  Your body will thank you sooner than you think.

Better Living With The Green Ingredient Eatery

Greetings to all and happy New Year. I am very excited to launch this e- newsletter where I will share tips to help you gain confidence around healthy eating.
Congratulations on stepping into my hands-on, nutrition education where the skills you learn will open up your eyes on a better living for you and your family.

Two important points to start off your year is by:

1.- Enjoyment and not deprivation, is the best way to make a fresh start on a healthy you. When you deprive yourself of things you like, you end up eating more down the line. Learn to pass up overly processed foods and concentrate on simple foods and drinks as the New Year begins. Look at the ingredients on the label, if you can’t pronounce half of what it contains, guess what? It’s not really healthy.

2.- Balancing a meal: The easiest way to know if you are eating healthy is to look down at your plate and determine if it is balanced. Sometimes determining 'balance' can be tricky though! Divide your plate in HALF. Half number one should be fruits and veggies. Half number two should have grains

and protein. The same goes for your kids. Take a look at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ for more tips.

That’s it! If you can do these two things, then you can give yourself a big pat on the back.