NEWSLETTER: July 2012 |
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Picnic Your Way to Better Health Raw Foods Summer Salad with Mint Vitamin E Peppermint Nutritional Counseling
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Picnic Your Way to Better Health
1. Mother Nature Boosts Mood. A study published in 2010 showed that as little as 5 minutes of outdoor activity in the beauty of mother nature boosted the mood and self-esteem of men and women of all age groups. So walk to a park, garden, or other natural setting to set up your picnic. 2. Take a Breath of Fresh Air. While you are out surrounded by nature, make sure to take some slow, deep breaths and appreciate being in the moment. By slowing your breath to a steady, deep rhythm, you can increase feelings of joy and wellbeing. 3. Eat Local Produce. To prepare for your picnic, go to the local farmers market to pick up some fresh, locally-grown, organic produce. In-season produce will have traveled shorter distances from farm to table, making it more nutrient rich. It will also have been allowed to ripen on the vine longer, increasing its levels of nutrients such as Vitamin C. 4. Eating in Full Color. Fill your picnic basket up with the colors of the rainbow. Each color has its own blend of phytochemicals in the form of antioxidants, flavonoids, phytonutrients and more. So, eating a spectrum of colorful produce will help give your body healing and vital nutrients. Some great picnic foods are: carrot sticks, apple wedges, purple grapes, melons, celery sticks, and cherry tomatoes. 5. Lean into the Protein. A picnic is a great time to get in some lean proteins, which are essential building blocks for muscles and tissue regeneration. Lean protein consists of poultry, fish, nuts and seeds. Some picnic protein ideas are chicken salad, chicken kabobs, grilled or canned salmon, trail mix, or roasted almonds. 6. Friends and Family as Medicine. Research has shown that social connection, strong relationships and healthy family ties have a stress-relieving effect on the body as well as increasing long term health. Picnics are a great way to spend time with loved ones. Bring along games to encourage play and interaction like croquet, Frisbee, horse shoes, jump ropes or hula hoops. Not only will it be fun, it will help increase your cardiovascular health. References:
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The best way to increase your levels of Vitamin E is to eat more vitamin rich foods. Oils such as wheat germ, sunflower, and safflower, nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and peanuts, and vegetables such as tomatoes and spinach all contain high-levels of Vitamin E. This food-based Vitamin E is better for the body than supplementation because it contains all eight forms of the vitamin. If you are going to consume your Vitamin E through food, make sure to eat the nuts and leafy greens raw. Heat can kill up to 2/3 of the available vitamins and nutrients. Sometimes your Naturopathic Doctor may want you to add additional supplementation to your diet. If this is the case, look for supplements that contain mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols. Some of the best supplements will also have gamma-tocopherol. Because Vitamin E is fat soluble, doses at too high of a level can be toxic. For an average adult, levels should not exceed 1000 mg. Because Vitamin E can effect blood coagulation, it should not be taken before surgery. And, as with any supplementation, it is important to consult with your physician. References:
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Some nutritional counselors may use lab tests to determine your nutrition levels such as blood tests, hair analysis, and food allergy testing. It is important to seek the help of a qualified healthcare professional. Having a certification in nutritional counseling may not be enough to ensure you are working with an experienced professional based on the licensing laws of individual states. Look for professionals that have attended a four-year accredited Naturopathic Medical School, have a Masters or PhD in nutrition, have an integrative medical degree, or are licensed Nutritionists. | ||||||||||
Picnics are a great way to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine of summer, while indulging in local in-season produce. Here are 6 ways to improve your health this summer while enjoying a picnic.
Consuming raw foods can be an excellent way to increase your nutritional intake. The heat used during cooking can destroy healthy nutrients in food such as the cancer-fighting sulforaphanes found in Kale or Vitamin C found in many vegetables. However, it is a myth that all foods should be eaten raw. Tomatoes, for example, become 3 to 4 times more lycopene-rich after they are cooked. Nuts are another food group that need preparation to become more nutrient rich. Soaking and germinating legumes such as mung beans or cashews helps make the enzymes and nutrients more absorbable in your body by helping to break down the fiber casing that protects the nutrients. It is a good idea to consult with your healthcare practitioner about what foods are best consumed raw. Kidney beans, for example, should never be eaten raw. Other precautions when eating a raw food diet includes eating produce that has been treated with pesticides, or consuming high-sugar fruits and fruit juices if you have blood glucose regulation problems as with diabetes. A good rule of thumb is to eat a rainbow of colors when consuming produce. This will help ensure you get the full spectrum of healthy phytochemicals. If you decide to eat a 100% raw food diet, it is critical to seek the input of a licensed and experienced nutritionist or Naturopathic Doctor to make sure you are meeting all your nutritional needs.
Vitamin E is a fat soluble cluster of compounds that comes in eight different forms, all of which are essential to the overall health of your body. One of its major functions in the body is as an antioxidant, which helps protect your cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin E is also responsible for immune function, skin health, cell signaling and regulation of gene expression. Research has shown Vitamin E can help improve Diabetes, and protect against bladder cancer. 
Peppermint is a potent herb that is a good source of Vitamin A, Manganese and Vitamin C. Clinical research shows that is can be used as a digestive aid. The compounds in peppermint have a calming effect on smooth muscles such as the intestines, which can sooth spasms that aggravate Irritable Bowel Syndrome and cause indigestion. The phytonutrients have also been shown to inhibit cancer growth in pancreatic, mammary, and liver cells. Peppermint oil has antimicrobial properties that can be used to fight bacteria strains such as salmonella and MRSA. It is best to consume mint fresh from the leaves. Skip the dry form of the herb such as those found in teas, and instead choose fresh sprigs from the local farmers market or your own garden that are vivid green with no yellow or brown spots on the leaves. To incorporate more peppermint in your diet try:
Nutritional counseling is a type of health assessment that looks at your diet and lifestyle to determine if you are meeting your vitamin and mineral needs. Current research is showing that improved nutrition can benefit almost every chronic health condition from heart disease to diabetes. Vitamin E, for example, has been shown to help bladder cancer and is more effective when consumed through food rather than supplementation. Diabetes is another condition that can be strongly impacted by diet and nutritional intake. Nutritional counseling will help you determine if you are meeting your basic nutritional needs, and assess where you may need to increase your nutritional intake based on your individual picture of health.