One way we can spend less AND eat healthier is by storing our fresh food properly, so we can avoid throwing out over-ripe or rotting fruits and vegetables.

Because of this, I would like to share some tips I’ve learned over the years for storing fresh food in the best possible way in order to preserve its freshness.

Many times we go to the store and see all of the beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables in season and on sale, and we over buy.
So, first try to only buy what you truly feel you are going to eat in the next few days.

Don’t try to buy produce to last for a week. It may not last that long. Some root vegetables can last a month if stored properly, but fresher, more fragile fruits and vegetables will only last about 2-5 days.

In regards to freshness and how long organic fruits and vegetables might last, I need to address a new chemical coating (Apeel) that some organic growers are now using on their fresh organic produce.

Apeel is classified as a food additive. This means it goes through a different approval process than a pesticide.

In addition to this, under the FDA’s present system, each of these companies can determine whether the substance they are using is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) and are allowed to police themselves, without even notifying the FDA.

The company (that makes Apeel) gets to decide if it’s safe. It’s completely self-regulating!

A report by the National Resources Defense Council found major gaps in the system that allow unsafe additives to reach consumers. (1)

So, what is Apeel? Apeel is a film that goes on produce to make it last longer, and it’s approved by the USDA Organics Department. It’s made by a Bill & Melinda Gates partnered company called Apeel Sciences, and they claim it’s safe to consume.

Some things you may wish to know:

1. Apeel is a coating to place on fresh fruits and vegetables that is supposedly tasteless, odorless, and invisible, and its reason for being used is to reduce food spoilage. You cannot wash it off.

2. The reason they are using it, is to extend the shelf life of produce, and to make the produce look fresh even if it’s been in a warehouse for weeks.

3. There are various versions of Apeel that can be applied before or after harvest. It’s on foods in over 65 countries, including organics in the U.S.

Here is a quote from an article: “Is Apeel Appealing?” by the Weston A. Price Foundation.

“Apeel already has approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). “

There are two apeel products. The first product, Invisipeel, can be applied by growers to crops in the field. The second one, Edipeel , growers can apply after harvest. “The two products will be marketed as preserving agents (keeping the outward appearance of freshness of the fruit or vegetable), as pesticides (creating a physical barrier for pests) or even as fungicides (such as preventing the anthracnose fungus from shriveling up avocados).”

The post How To Properly Store Fresh Fruits & Vegetables So They Last Longer appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the pigments are called carotenoids. “Carotenoids are pigments that give fruits and veggies their color and are antioxidants that protect your cells from free radicals. These powerful antioxidants help protect your immune system and your vision.”

I am a salad aficionado, and I thought I would share some of my favorite salad dressing recipes with you in this “recipe of the month” newsletter.

To make a salad healthier and more interesting, I like to add some nutritious raisins, cranberries, various fresh sprouts, or sprouted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, as well as sprouted nuts (like cashews or pecans) to my salad.

When my son was young, he did not like salads. When I started adding slices of orange or tangerine to the salads, he started eating them eagerly! I was thrilled! My daughter-in-law puts raspberries and other berries in their salads and my son and grandchildren just love them.

I have searched extensively at the grocery store for organic salad dressings without preservatives, canola oil, or GMO ingredients, but they are simply not easy to find.

When I make my own homemade dressings, I know they are organic, and without preservatives, chemical additives, canola oil, artificial substances, sugar, or GMO ingredients.

Oil and vinegar dressing is always delicious, and it’s a French basic, which has become a beloved recipe.

Homemade vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Because of that, I feel it’s worth the few minutes it takes to mix it up by hand.

Traditional French vinaigrette recipes call for 1 tablespoon vinegar (like Balsamic vinegar, which adds just a touch of sweetness, or red wine vinegar) for every 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. In addition to that combination, I love to add a dash of unprocessed, raw, probiotic-rich apple cider vinegar to mine for the additional health benefits. I also add a tiny bit of organic Dijon mustard to the mixture, which adds just a hint of creaminess and flavor.

I love garlic, and it’s incredible what it can do for our health, especially when we eat it fresh. Fresh garlic is packed with antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and manganese.

When fresh garlic is chopped or cut, it activates an enzyme called alliinase. When the alliinase is left to rest for 10 to 15 minutes, it converts into alliin (an organosulfur compound) that has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and cardioprotective properties.

Because of the extraordinary health benefits of fresh garlic, I add a bit of freshly minced garlic to this mixture, creating a rich, health benefiting dressing.

This vinaigrette dressing is a wonderful dressing to use on stronger flavored leafy greens, like kale, or dandelion, arugula, or spinach. You may choose to leave out the mustard and/or garlic if the salad consists of very light, mild-flavored leafy greens.

Nancy’s Vinaigrette

This classic dressing is delicious.

I encourage you to make this ahead of time, so the dressing flavors can meld together before you add them to the salad. This recipe makes ½ cup.

Ingredients:

6 to 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or you can use red or white wine vinegar)

½ tsp. raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon fine pink mineral-rich salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove finely minced or chopped garlic

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Let the mixture stand 10 minutes.

2. Next, whisk in the mustard.

3. Then add the oil in a very slow, thin, steady stream, whisking constantly until the dressing is emulsified.

4. Season with the remaining fine pink salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The next two salad dressing recipes need to be combined in a blender, and they take a little more time, but they add a depth of flavor and creamy richness to the salads, and I love them.

These salad dressings will keep refrigerated for 2 days.

All are 2 servings.

Note: Serve over a variety of greens and/or chopped-up vegetables. Some examples of good nutritious greens are: green lettuces, baby spinach, baby kale, watercress, and red leaf lettuce.

Cucumber Dressing

This was one of Larry Hagman’s favorites when I was his chef/nutritionist.

Ingredients:

1 cucumber (chopped into chunks with skin)

1 avocado (peeled, pitted and diced)

1 -2 tsp. unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.

¼ tsp. unrefined sea salt

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

2. You can store this dressing in the refrigerator in a glass jar with a tight lid for a day or two..

Creamy Avocado Dressing

This is a rich, creamy dressing.

Ingredients:

1 avocado

1 clove garlic, freshly minced

1/2 cucumber, chopped

1/4 tsp. unrefined, pink salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin, organic olive oil

1 T. lime or lemon juice (fresh)

¼ tsp. raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Combine avocado, garlic, cucumber, lime or lemon juice, vinegar, and salt in a blender until creamy.

2. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream into the blender on low.
It will create a creamy salad dressing.

Variation:

Substitute balsamic vinegar for lemon juice

copyright@nancyaddison2024

Nancy’s 7 books on Amazon are also in Audio and some of them are in large print:
 https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Addison/e/B00E6K5KGY/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
Nancy’s website is: https://www.organichealthylife.com

Support Nancy’s work – Donate on venmo – @Nancy-Addison

Medical Disclaimer:

Information provided in this podcast, blog, article, video is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Nancy Addison CHC. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.

Do not use the information provided in this blog, audio podcast, article, video  for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this email.

Information provided in this video or audio and the use of any products or services related to this video by you DOES NOT create a health counselor-client relationship between you and Nancy Addison, certified health counselor. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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I believe that everyone wants to be radiantly healthy. Our skin reflects our health and is the first impression people have of us when we meet, so it’s no surprise that many of us want to have the best and healthiest skin possible. Every 2 to 4 weeks, our skin replaces itself and our body makes new cells from the food we eat. I consider food to be my medicine, and as it becomes our cells, tissue and blood, it is only logical to try to eat the best foods for skin health and overall well-being.

Good nutrition is the fundamental key to protecting the cells of our skin on a cellular level. I feel the body is amazing, and it can do miraculous things if given the right tools. Making the decision to eat healthier can be the way to rejuvenate the skin and your overall health.

I want to age gracefully and have my skin look as youthful as possible, and I’ve researched this topic considerably. I believe it’s a combination of things that helps us look and feel our best, including our skin. Getting enough sleep, exercise, reducing stress, staying hydrated, consuming a whole, fresh, antioxidant-rich diet, and using non-toxic body care lotions and soaps all play a part in our skin health and appearance.

Here are 7 of my top choices for the best foods for healthy skin:

1. Foods with Omega-3 fatty acids can help with more youthful looking skin, because they contain the crucial nutrients needed to help repair damaged skin cells. Their anti-inflammatory properties may lead to smoother, younger-looking skin and a reduction of inflammatory skin conditions like acne or psoriasis. Some of the top sources for omega-3’s are: cold-pressed, organic hemp or flax seed oil, hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and certain fish like sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna, anchovies, and black cod.

2. Foods rich in Vitamin A, C and E will provide the antioxidants that can help protect the cells from free radicals that can damage skin and cause wrinkles. Organic, fresh, and unprocessed food will provide the most nutrition. Always consume fruits in their whole form with the fiber, and never drink pure or processed fruit juice. (Fruit juice goes straight into the bloodstream too quickly, and it’s much better to have the fiber of the whole fruit to slow down the sugar.)

a. Vitamin A – rich foods include: apricots, Goji berries, Acai berries, butternut squash, carrots, cantaloupe, leafy greens (especially kale, Swiss Chard, romaine, as well as sprouts and wheat grass), mangoes, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, and tomatoes. (Not only are tomatoes high in Vitamin A, but they are also high in lycopene, which can act as a natural sun protection and help prevent sun damage to the skin. In a study, “Volunteers who consumed 5 tablespoons of high-in-lycopene tomato paste daily for 3 months had nearly 25% more protection against sunburn. Even better, skin had more collagen, which prevents sagging. German scientists report that higher skin levels of this antioxidant correlate to fewer fine lines and furrows).”

b. Vitamin C – rich foods include: apricots, Goji berries, blueberries, strawberries, bilberries, cranberries, raspberries, grapes, oranges, grapefruits, papayas, strawberries, kiwis, red, yellow and orange bell peppers, cantaloupes, tomatoes, broccoli, mangoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, leafy greens (including kale), sprouts, and wheat grass.

c. Vitamin E – rich foods include: avocado, sprouted nuts (examples: almond, Brazil, pine, hazelnuts), sprouted seeds (like sunflower seeds), olives, raw red sweet pepper, turnip greens, spinach, asparagus, mango, kiwi, wheat germ and wheat grass. (Sprouted seeds and nuts makes them easier to digest and more nutrient dense. I explain more about this in my nutrition/cookbooks).

3. Wheatgrass has many benefits, either taken internally or used topically. Wheatgrass is the young grass shoot of the common wheat plant, which is commonly taken as a juice. It can be taken in a capsule or tablet form as well. You may want to ease into taking wheatgrass, because it is such a powerful food.

Wheatgrass juice is a great detoxifier, but if it’s consumed too much too quickly or with a meal, it may make you feel nauseous or headachy. So, start off slowly and add a little more to your diet gradually as you can.

I recommend starting with one ounce a day and slowly adding a bit more to your the diet as you get used to it. Take wheatgrass on an empty stomach or in addition to fresh fruits and vegetables. (I take mine first thing in the morning with a dash of Ceylon Cinnamon and a pinch of mineral-rich pink salt. I think it makes it taste better and also adds some health benefits.)

You can also use the wheat grass in your non-chlorinated bath water or put it on your skin topically as a wash in it’s purest form. It’s been shown to help detoxify the cells, oxygenate the blood, and have antiviral effects. In addition to this, wheat grass has been researched and found to help with lowering the risk of various cancers.

Wheatgrass juice is an excellent source of concentrated chlorophyll (rich in antioxidants), Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as containing about 98 of 102 of the earth elements found in soil (which include phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, selenium, iron, and potassium), electrolytes, 19 amino acids and powerful enzymes.

Wheatgrass juice is a powerhouse of nutrition.

4. Walnuts – are high in omega-3 fatty acids and protein, as well as alpha-linolenic acid. The alpha-linolenic acid helps keep the skin moist and supple. Walnuts also have been found to help with sleep. Getting enough sleep is great for healthy skin. Our body rests and heals when it is truly resting at night in a deep sleep. Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center discovered that walnuts contain melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep.

I recommend buying organic, sprouted, raw walnuts. Sprouting nuts removes the phytic acid. This removes the enzyme inhibitors and makes them more digestible.

5. Cacao – Yes, you can eat dark chocolate for your skin’s health! Cacao is one of the highest antioxidant and flavonoid-containing foods. It is wonderful at improving circulation, and is a great source of flavonols, which is a group of plant metabolites that have excellent antioxidant effects. These flavonols can fight against skin damage. Flavonoids also fight free radicals (molecules that have lost an electron and attack the DNA, enzymes and proteins or cell membranes) in the bloodstream.

Women who drank 1/2 cup of “dark cacao” cocoa every day for 12 weeks in a study had significantly softer, smoother, and better hydrated skin. The British study had the volunteers consume an 8-ounce cup of cocoa, and found that they had improved blood flow to the brain for 2 hours. Besides better functioning on complex tasks, participants also showed more brain activity in MRI scans–an indication of enhanced brain function that may reduce the risk of dementia.

6. Avocado – is a super powerhouse food! This fruit is packed with nutritional benefits and has a delicious creamy rich flavor. What could be better? Avocados contain monounsaturated fat, which is a “good fat.” According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “Unsaturated fats are called good fats because they can ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles.”

Healthy fat, like the fat in avocados, is essential for every cell in our body. It can support our brain, boost our immune system, increase our nutrient absorption and best of all, it can create a glowing complexion.

7. Coconut – (including the meat, water, and oil) can be used in many ways as a food, lotion and beverage. Talk about a health food… coconut oil is one of my favorites.

Coconut oil contains a high amount of saturated fats, but these are very different from the saturated fats that come from creature meats. The saturated fat of coconut oil contains Medium-Chain Triglycerides. These medium-chained fatty acids are absorbed differently by the body. These fatty acids go straight to the liver from the digestive tract and are then turned into ketone bodies. These ketones have a therapeutic effect on the brain, by allowing the brain to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. Coconut oil has been studied for its positive effect on brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.

Coconut water also has Cytokinins, kinetin and trans-zeatin, which have antithrombotic, anti-carcinogenic and anti-aging effects on the body. Coconut water is delicious, and can be a good alternative to drinking regular water.

I cook with coconut oil, add it to my recipes and use it as a body lotion. Topically, coconut oil is able to penetrate your skin on a deeper level, and thus it helps create richly nourished radiant skin. If you have a problem with dry skin, using coconut oil as your body lotion is a very effective remedy. Coconut oil is very stable and will be either hard or more liquid depending on the temperature. If it’s hard, simply rub the coconut oil in your hands to warm it up and smooth it over your body and any dry, rough areas. Avoid fractionated coconut oil (a coconut oil that is always liquid), as it is a trans-fat.

Conclusion

So, now that you have an idea of the best food for your skin and overall health and well-being, let’s get you started on your rejuvenation-eating plan. The following recipe is a delicious and satisfying smoothie that packs a powerhouse of nutrition and feeds your skin. Prepare to become radiantly healthy!

copyright@nancyaddison2025

For more information, go to Nancy’s website to sign up for her monthly newsletter or see her 6 international award-winning, best-selling, health, nutrition, recipe cookbooks: www.organichealthylife.com

Green Smoothie

Use organic, non-GMO ingredients if possible.
Serves 1

Ingredients

1 banana, washed well, chopped into chunks including the skin.
½ cup of fresh, baby spinach or kale
1 teaspoon wheatgrass powder or 1 ounce wheatgrass juice
1 tsp. cold-pressed hemp or flax seed oil
1 peeled and pitted avocado
2 Medjool dates, pitted
1 T. fresh lemon or lime juice
¼ tsp. grated lemon or lime rind.
Dash of Ceylon ground cinnamon
1 cup of coconut water or pure non-chlorinated water

Directions

1. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. (Add more water, if it’s too thick.)
2. Drink immediately, or within 20 minutes.

Variation: Add a cup of berries or mango to this smoothie for extra anti-oxidants.

copyright@nancyaddison2024

Nancy’s 7 books on Amazon are also in Audio and some of them are in large print:
 https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Addison/e/B00E6K5KGY/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
Nancy’s website is: https://www.organichealthylife.com

Support Nancy’s work – Donate on venmo – @Nancy-Addison

Medical Disclaimer:

Information provided in this podcast, blog, article, video is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Nancy Addison CHC. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.
Do not use the information provided in this blog, audio podcast, article, video  for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this email.

Information provided in this video or audio and the use of any products or services related to this video by you DOES NOT create a health counselor-client relationship between you and Nancy Addison, certified health counselor. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The post 7 Anti-Aging Foods That Will Help Your Skin Glow With Health (No Spa Required!) appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

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We all want to be our healthiest and have radiance from the inside out. We may also wish to get in shape for the warmer weather, when we wear shorts or a swimsuit.

So, where to start?

Eating locally grown, fresh organic foods has many benefits for health and weight loss. When we get healthier, our weight usually adjusts itself.

Local, fresh, organic food that has been ripened on the tree or vine is packed with salvestrols. These have natural cancer-fighting properties and more nutrients. For example, Vitamin C, chromium, and sulfur are a few critical nutrients that are very fragile and often get damaged in storage, packing, and transport.

I am always encouraging you to purchase organic, non-GMO foods because chemical fertilizers and pesticides destroy these critical nutrients in the soil and food, as well as add high synthetic estrogen to the foods, which can seriously throw off your hormone levels. This high level of synthetic estrogen is especially harmful to children, particularly male children.

Glyphosate (an herbicide and known carcinogen), the commonly used toxic poison that kills all life it touches, is harmful for many reasons. The most harmful reason is that glyphosate blocks the shikimate pathway, which is critical for the body to obtain “essential” aromatic amino acids, which are vital for health.

Even in the colder months, I’ve found that the local farmers have an abundance of fresh, organic vine-ripened foods from their greenhouses.

Find a local farmers market and enjoy a weekend outing to stock up on fresh food for the next few days or week, and meet a local farmer.

You can look up Farmers Markets near you by using the Local Harvest website and the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council’s) Local Food website to see what markets are near you.

By eating more fresh, whole, organic, non-GMO food in its natural form, you can restore your health, vitality, and a healthy weight.

This can be as simple as having a diet that is 80 percent whole, raw, organic, non-GMO, unprocessed food. It can have life-changing results.

Whole, raw, organic foods will feed the body on a deep, cellular level without stressing it as much as cooked food does.

People who consume fresh, uncooked foods find they don’t need to eat as much and they feel more satisfied. I think it is because their body is truly getting the nutrition it needs.

One big reason that fresh, whole plant-based foods are so beneficial to health is because they are high in fiber. Fiber adds bulk to your diet and fills you up more effectively than refined, processed foods. Many of the thicker, denser fibers in foods, like cruciferous vegetables, are called pre-biotics, because they support the health of the immune system, which is made up mostly of probiotics (good bacteria).

Eating more fiber-rich foods can help control your appetite so you take in fewer calories. Studies show that a diet that is high in fiber, made up of fresh fruits and veggies, can also help the body reverse diabetes, heart disease, and many cancers.

So, buy a rainbow of colorful, fresh, organic fruits and veggies for your meals this month. Give your body the nutrients it needs to create the health and vitality you desire.

Our body is our temple. Let’s honor that temple and give it the quality food it truly deserves. In this way, you will have radiant health from the inside out!

copyright@nancyaddison2019

Nancy’s 7 books on Amazon are also in Audio and some of them are in large print:

 https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Addison/e/B00E6K5KGY/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

Nancy’s website is: http://www.organichealthylife.com

Support Nancy’s work – Donate on venmo – @Nancy-Addison

Medical Disclaimer: Information provided in this podcast, blog, article, video is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Nancy Addison CHC. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.

Do not use the information provided in this blog, audio podcast, article, video  for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this email.

Information provided in this video or audio and the use of any products or services related to this video by you DOES NOT create a health counselor-client relationship between you and Nancy Addison, certified health counselor. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The post Create A Program For Health & Vitality! appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

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Between work, school, events, family, kids, and everything concerning life, it may seem impossible to eat healthy.

Here are my top tips for maintaining your healthy eating and health, while on the go with an busy schedule.

1. Start your day by eating a good nutritious breakfast. Your body needs fuel to function. It’s like a car that requires gas or electricity to function. Your body needs to eat. When we eat early, it revs up our metabolism.

Make a quick smoothie (I have some smoothie recipes in my books), or prepare some toast with avocado, or have some plain, organic yogurt and fruit or granola that you keep available in your kitchen. Eating a healthy breakfast is vitally important for maintaining optimum energy for your whole day.

I can still remember my daughter saying, “I am not leaving for school without having my smoothie!” She knew she felt better, could think more effectively, and could thrive until lunchtime (which was late in the day), if she had her power smoothie that I prepared for my family every morning. Invest in the time to do this, because it is well worth the effort. With healthy ingredients, this alone can transform your life.

2. Another one of my top recommendations is that if you know you shouldn’t eat something, then don’t buy it. Don’t have it in the house or office. I see people with candy and cookies sitting on their desks or in their offices. Sugar or artificial sugar (which is worse), acts like a drug and it will destroy your immune system.

One teaspoon of sugar can shut down your immune system for up to 5 hours. It is also addictive and it takes more sugar each time to satisfy that craving, because you build up a tolerance. The mind is very suggestible, so keep it out of sight and therefore out of your thoughts. I’ve found that it’s much easier to eat in a healthy way if you only have healthy foods from which to choose.

3. I really don’t believe in snacking, because it makes your body dependent on a constant intake of food. I think this leads to obesity and diabetes, because it never allows the body time to rest or the ability to use its storage of fat that it has put away for extra energy. Try to eat only at meal time.

What we think of as a meal doesn’t necessarily have to be what the advertisers or movies would have us believe. We really need just a small amount of nutrient-dense food, not a huge amount of food with empty calories and no nutrition.

Serving sizes have grown over the years and they really aren’t healthy. My son or daughter would say, “Mom doesn’t eat hardly anything.” But in reality I eat very well. I eat sitting down, slowly chewing my nutritious food that feeds my body on a deep cellular level. In this way, I feel satisfied and my body gets what it requires to feel energized and healthy.

One thing that works for me is to pick one day in advance to prepare my foods for the week ahead. I buy the ingredients the day before, and then have a day of fun, music, and the creation of my healthy dishes for the week. I find this day of food preparation to be very enjoyable, relaxing, and therapeutic.

If you have family, do it together and share the fun and healthy food preparation! Children learn by watching, and they are also more inclined to eat what they help prepare, so get everyone involved! My children now prepare amazingly healthy meals for work, school, and travel, because they learned how to do this when they were growing up.

What I know is that nutrient-dense foods give you more energy, make you feel fuller and more satisfied than nutrient-deficient foods. So, go for the nutrition that feeds the body on a deep cellular level.

The meals I eat are small but nutritious, and they are eaten slowly and chewed well, without liquids that would water down my digestive enzymes. Remember to have your liquids at least 2 hours after a meal or 30 minutes before a meal, but NEVER with a meal. You need to digest your food fully and completely. If you water down your digestive enzymes and aren’t chewing your food until it’s liquid before swallowing it, then your body won’t be able to digest your food effectively. Digestion-related issues are a major cause of many health problems.

Some healthy meal suggestions:

Combine some slices of apples, pears, peaches, or other fruits or vegetables, with some sprouted seed or nut butter of your choice to have as a light meal.

Cut up some vegetables to use with hummus. This makes a delicious, easy, and satisfying meal. I cut up cucumber, red bell pepper, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and put them in a good glass container to take with me for meals. Be sure to put the hummus in a separate container, so the vegetables stay fresher.

My daughter was telling me about her “jar salads” that she is making. You can make salads in large jars in advance, and set them in the refrigerator, to have ready for utilizing another day. Put the salad dressing on the bottom of the jar, then stack your salad ingredients on top of it. I would place things like small whole tomatoes, olives, or radishes, or something not too absorbable on the first layer over the dressing. This way the salad dressing doesn’t make your salad soggy before you are ready to enjoy it. When you are ready for your salad, simply shake it up in the jar and eat it out of the jar, or you can pour it out into a bowl or plate to combine and enjoy.

My son makes his salads for work in transportable containers. He places his dressing in a separate small container to add to his salad later. Use your favorite veggies or greens.

For any of your meals, (hummus, nut butters, smoothies, salads), you can even add some Indoor Organic Gardens Of Poughkeepsie’s broccoli powder to it for extra nutrition. (Put my name “Nancy”  in the discount code box for a discount.)

Mix the broccoli powder in the food (hummus, butter, potatoes, salad, smoothie, avocado, etc.) for the magnificent sulforaphane nutrition. New studies show that if you add broccoli to your diet a few times a week, it can reduce the chance of cancer by up to 40%. Remember it’s all about the quality of your nutritious food.

The Indoor Organic Gardens Of Poughkeepsie, makes this powder from organic, freshly grown sprouts which are even more nutrient-dense than full-grown broccoli. They can overnight them to you also!

4. Beware of buying things that are pre-chopped. Many of my clients go for these, but when I show them that they are usually not organic, and are conventionally grown with GMO seeds or glyphosate (an antibiotic used on foods as a drying agent and/or herbicide chemical to kill weeds, but really kills all life), which is one of the main reasons they are having health challenges, they decide to try a different approach.

Most of these pre-cut or pre-prepared meals and foods are NOT organic, have canola oil in them (or other unhealthy ingredients), and are very high priced and tough on the budget.

Another thing to be aware of is that when foods are cut, they start to lose their nutrients as soon as they are exposed to oxygen. So, chop them yourself and have control over how long they are cut and if they are organic.

What I do is take them whole and just cut them up as I eat them. I find it easy, and it also slows me down from eating my food too fast. I sit and cut a bite at a time and eat it. Take a plate and silverware with you. Eat with dignity. You deserve it.

5. Make time for yourself and your health. As I mentioned earlier, choose a day to make a large pot of soup, beans, rice, quinoa, stew, lasagna, or pizza to have for meals in the coming week. Make it an event that is fun, with music, candlelight, and family or friends. Put it on your calendar like it is a business appointment with the Doctor, only it is a health appointment with yourself that is going to give you a higher quality of life, more energy, less sick days, and more vitality!

Decide on two to four main dishes you will have for the coming week and cook them on a weekend day or a day you have off from work.

You can also get a recipe prepared and use a crock-pot to cook it during the day while you are at work, and have a meal ready when you get home. It can be a marvelous dinner and enough left over to save for another day.

Once you do that, put it into a variety of single-serving bowls you can put in the refrigerator or freezer, and take them out as needed for meals at work, home, or school.

6. One thing I recommend for everyone, is to make an investment in a set of glass “Oven to Freezer” single or double serving containers with snug-fitting lids. This will make your life so easy! Make large amounts of foods, then store them in these containers for use later in stir-fries, side dishes, meals, etc. If you come home late and are tired, take one of these out of the freezer, remove the lid, and put it in the oven to heat it up while you take a shower, walk the dog, or are going through your mail.
7. I understand that not everyone has access to a work refrigerator, but many folks do. I recommend utilizing the office fridge and freezer to optimize your diet and keep your healthy foods available for your meals.
8. Just remember to NEVER use a microwave to heat ANYTHING! Microwaves destroy the molecular structure of your food and destroy the nutrients. Don’t even heat water in them. Please, I care about you. Use a little hot plate to put your warm drink on so you don’t have to reheat it. Try using a little warming oven or toaster oven, or don’t heat it, and eat it at room temperature.

I’ve worked with movie stars, models, CEO’s, doctors, lawyers, etc. Most of them were sick quite often, or had “allergy” problems, autoimmune, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Once they decided to make their health a priority, and actually started taking control of the quality of their food and what went into their body, their health transformed.

Usually within a week or two, they had improved quality of sleep, higher amounts of energy, sharper mental focus, and better blood tests, and they became believers.

What goes into our body turns into our cells, our tissues, and our blood. How could our food and drink not affect our overall health and well-being.

So, take control of your life!

I have many wonderful easy recipes in my six cookbooks. I also have a lot of recipes in my blog, and on my Youtube videos. Preparing healthy food is easier than you think.

Oftentimes when I do a pantry make-over for a health counseling client, I find out what a person likes to eat, and then we go together on a grocery store shopping trip. We replace their favorite foods with better, more nutritious versions that support their health and well-being.

Let’s turn those tired sick days into energetic healthy days!

You can do this!

It is a choice.

It can be easy, delicious, and fun!

If you would like to ask a question, please email me at nancy.g.addison@gmail.com.

I will pick one question each month to answer.

Please forward this newsletter to friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it, or share it with your social media! Then they will be getting these great tips and yummy recipes!

If you like this newsletter, you may like my books,

which are also now in audio!

To view my books, go to this Universal author link: Author.to/nancyaddison

copyright@nancyaddison2019

You can reach her on her website, Organic Healthy Life .com, or find easy, healthy recipes in Nancy’s books (which are half cookbook).

Here is her author page on Amazon. Author.to/nancyaddison

Nancy’s social media links:

Twitter – Nancygaddison https://twitter.com/nancygaddison

Linked In – Nancy Addison https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyaddison/

Facebook – Nancy – organic healthy life https://www.facebook.com/authornancyaddison/

Instagram – Nancy- organic Healthy Life https://www.instagram.com/nancy.organichealthylife/

I Heart Radio Show Podcasts Organic Healthy Lifestyle https://www.iheart.com/show/209-Organic-Healthy-Lifestyle/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancyaddison/

The information from Nancy Alisa Gibbons Addison, Organic Healthy Lifestyle is not offered for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease or disorder nor have any statements herein been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We strongly encourage you to discuss topics of concern with your health care provider.

Medical Disclaimer: Information provided in this article, book, podcast, website, email, etc. is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Nancy Addison CHC, AADP. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professionals, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.

Limits of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty

The author and publisher are not liable for the misuse of this material. This article, website, podcasts, and books are strictly for informational and educational purposes. Nancy Alisa Gibbons Addison offers information and opinions, not a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or healthcare provider before taking any home remedies or supplements, or following any treatment suggested by Nancy Addison or by anyone listed in the books, articles, or other information contained here. Only your healthcare provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.

Nancy’s website: https://www.organichealthylife.com

For more information about Nancy Addison and her work please visit her website at www.organichealthylifestyle.com

The post How To Eat Healthy With A Busy Schedule appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

Storing it properly is important. We go to the store and buy delicious-looking food. But then we get home and end up storing it improperly, or we get busy and forget about it. Then we find our refrigerator having the aroma of over-ripe or rotting fruits and vegetables. One way we can spend less AND eat healthier is by storing our fresh food properly.

Many times we go to the store and see all of the beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables in season and on sale, and we overbuy. So, first, try to only buy what you truly feel you are going to eat in the next few days. Don’t try to buy produce to last for a week. It may not last that long. Some root vegetables can last a month if stored properly, but fresher, more fragile fruits and vegetables will only last about 2-5 days.

If you do buy too much, you can think about making a pie, or doing some canning, or freezing some of your more fragile fruits and vegetables before they spoil. Always store your food in its complete wholeness.

According to food scientist Barry Swanson at Washington State University, if you pull fruits and vegetables apart, you have broken the cells, and microorganisms will immediately begin to grow. Avoid breaking the skin and leave the stem intact.

He also says you should never place fruits and vegetables in airtight bags. That actually will speed up the decay. Be mindful that mold will proliferate quickly in airtight bags and can spoil the whole group of fruits or vegetables. Toss out any spoiled produce immediately, or put it into your compost bin.

Next, make sure you are storing the various types of fruits and vegetables with the right partners. Some give off high levels of ethylene gas (a ripening agent), which makes them and everything around them ripens or decay quickly. You want to keep these types of foods separate from each other.

Put things like kale and spinach in the same bin, and peaches and apples in another. If you put fruit with greens, it will cause the greens to rot or turn yellow in a few days. Greens are very sensitive to the ethylene gas. I have a little product called an E.G.G. (Ethylene Gas Guardian, which is shaped like an egg), and it absorbs the ethylene. I just put it in my bin with the fruits and/or greens.

Of course, if you need something to ripen faster, then you can use this knowledge to your advantage. You can put the one you need to ripen with a fruit that gives off the highest level of ethylene gas.

I also use produce bags by Bio-Fresh and Ever-Fresh. They will absorb ethylene gas and help your produce stay fresher longer. Keep root vegetables (including all kinds of potatoes) in a cool, dark, dry place. They can last up to a month if kept properly. Never store potatoes in the refrigerator, because they will develop a much higher sugar content.

Here is a list of fruits and vegetables, showing the best way to store them. These are high ethylene producers, and you can refrigerate them: apples, apricots, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherimoyas, cranberries, figs, green onions, guavas, grapes, honeydew, kiwifruit, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, passion fruit, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums, prunes, quince, and tomatoes.

The banana is a high releaser and should be stored in a cool dark place outside of the refrigerator.

The following fruits and vegetables are very sensitive to ethylene gas: asparagus, bananas (unripe), blackberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, garlic, green beans, kale, leafy greens, leeks, lettuce, okra, onions, parsley, peas, peppers, raspberries, spinach, squash, strawberries, watercress, and watermelon. Keep them separate from the high ethylene gas-producing foods.

Mushrooms should be stored in a dry paper bag or breathable container and put in a cool place. I’ve been told to gently brush them off under water to clean them before preparing them for consumption.

Try to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables that have been ripened on the vine or on the tree. Tree or vine-ripened foods contain salvestrols, which are compounds that have natural anti-cancer properties. (1)

In fact, the word salvestrol comes from the Latin word “save.” So, growing your own food or buying from a local farmer is one way of getting food that is vine or tree-ripened. Food that is picked green and then ripened on the way to market does not contain these salvestrols.

Organic food is best because it is more nutrient-dense. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides can destroy nutrients in the soil, like sulfur, chromium, minerals, and probiotics, which are vital for our health.

“The Organic Center study found that organic foods were more nutritionally dense in 61% of the cases” and they “found conventional foods to contain higher nitrates, which are widely considered a potential health hazard.” (2)

Farmers’ markets are one of the oldest forms of direct marketing by small farmers. The fresh, organic produce is local, in season, less expensive, fresher, and it’s fun to meet your local farmers. Find a local farmer’s market near you with Local Harvest. Click here for Local Harvest link.

With all the fresh fruits and vegetables enticing us from their bins at the farmer’s market or grocery store, now we can make those delicious meals with our properly stored produce!

Bon Appétit!

Source:

1. Johnson, Dr. Ben. Qtd. in Bollinger, Ty. (2014). The quest for the cures… continues. (Film transcript). TTAC Publishing.
2. Steury, Tim. (Winter, 2009). “Is organic more nutritious?” Washington State Magazine.

copyright@nancyaddison2020

Nancy Addison is a certified health counselor, nutritionist, chef, as well as a radio show host, who teaches people about living a healthier, happier life through nutrition and lifestyle. She has appeared on NBC, Fox, CBS, and in documentaries ( “Eating You Alive”).

You can reach her on her website, Organic Healthy Life, or find easy, healthy recipes in Nancy’s books (which are half cookbook).

Here is her author page on Amazon. Author.to/nancyaddison

Nancy’s social media links:

Twitter – Nancygaddison – https://twitter.com/nancygaddison

Linked In – Nancy Addison https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyaddison/

Facebook – Nancy – organic healthy life

https://www.facebook.com/authornancyaddison/

You Tube Channel – Nancy Addison

https://www.youtube.com/user/nancyaddison

Instagram – Nancy- organic Healthy Life

https://www.instagram.com/nancy.organichealthylife/

I Heart Radio Show Podcasts

Organic Healthy Lifestyle

https://www.iheart.com/show/209-Organic-Healthy-Lifestyle/

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/nancyaddison/

The information from Nancy Addison and Organic Healthy Lifestyle LLC is not offered for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease or disorder nor have any statements herein been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We strongly encourage you to discuss topics of concern with your health care provider.

Medical Disclaimer: Information provided in this email, article, book, podcast, website, email, etc. is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Nancy Addison CHC, AADP. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professionals, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. I make no claims about healing anything.

Limits of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty

The author and publisher are not liable for the misuse of this material. This article, website, podcasts, and books are strictly for informational and educational purposes. Nancy Alisa Gibbons Addison offers information and opinions, not a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or healthcare provider before taking any home remedies or supplements, or following any treatment suggested by Nancy Addison or by anyone listed in the books, articles, or other information contained here. Only your healthcare provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.

Nancy’s website: https://www.organichealthylife.com

The post Choosing Quality Fresh Produce And Proper Storage For Better Budgeting appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

A national survey for nutrition and health reported  the US population is on average anywhere from 3% to 6% low in the B vitamins and may be a silent epidemic and more pervasive than they thought. (1)

How much do you need? It depends on your age, medical conditions, and your diet. If you have had weight loss surgery, celiac, Crohn’s Disease, taken commonly prescribed heartburn medications, or are eating a mainly vegetarian or vegan diet, these can all lead to vitamin B deficiencies.

This month I’m going to share some ways you can make certain you are getting an adequate amount of all the B vitamins.

Thiamine (Vitamin B1), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), and niacin (Vitamin B3), are necessary for energy production.

Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, helps the body use fats and proteins in food, and turns carbohydrates into blood sugar for energy. Foods that contain Vitamin B5 are whole grains, legumes, eggs, nuts, avocados, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and tomatoes.

Vitamin B6 helps your body process protein, as well as supporting the nervous system and immune system. Vitamin B6 is in avocados, bananas, and eggs.

Biotin (Vitamin B7) helps the body produce hormones and aids in converting food into energy.

Folate (Vitamin B9) is found in citrus fruits, peanuts, and some mushrooms. Along with Vitamin A, it is concentrated in green vegetables like romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, parsley, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, and lentils. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say expectant mothers need 400 mcg of folate daily before and during pregnancy to prevent birth defects in their babies’ brain and spine.(2)

The synthetic form of folate is folic acid. High intakes of folic acid have been associated with higher risks of cancer, as well as masking B12 deficiencies. So, if you use a B vitamin supplement, make sure it contains folate in a whole-food form of Vitamin B9.

Look for 5-methyltetrahydrofolate or 5-MTHF as the folate, and avoid supplements that contain folic acid.

Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is unique in that it is almost exclusively found in animal sources such as meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. It is the B vitamin I have found to be vitally important for vegetarians in particular. As Dr. Joseph Mercola notes, “microorganisms, primarily bacteria, are the only known organisms that manufacture B12. These bacteria often live in bodies of water and soil. Animals get B12 by eating food and soil contaminated with these microorganisms.”(3)  The bacteria require cobalt to produce B12, which is why it is also known as cobalamin. Plant food can provide Vitamin B12 if it is taken from soil containing cobalt and is not cleaned, leaving the bacteria on it.

People eating a mostly plant-based diet should have their blood checked by a doctor to make certain they are getting enough B12 and other B vitamins, including folate. Vegans, who eat no animal products at all, should consistently eat foods fortified with Vitamin B12—such as breakfast cereals—two or three times each day to get at least 3 mcg of B12 daily. For example, if a fortified plant milk contains 1 mcg of Vitamin B12 per serving, then consuming three servings a day will provide adequate Vitamin B12. Other vegans may find the use of Vitamin B12 supplements more convenient and economical.

The less frequently you obtain Vitamin B12, the more you need to take, as Vitamin B12 is best absorbed in small amounts. A daily supplement of 10 mcg is required. But, the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12 from dietary supplements is limited. “For example, only about 10 mcg of a 500 mcg oral supplement is actually absorbed in healthy people.”(4)

I have been using a new type of vitamin B12 called Methylcobalamin. You take it by spraying it under your tongue. This type of sprayable vitamin supplement is more absorbable.

Methylcobalamin “is the most active form of B12 in the human body. It converts homocysteine into methionine, which helps protect the cardiovascular system. Methylcobalamin also offers overall protection to the nervous system.

This Methylcobalamin B12 form can also cross the blood- brain barrier–without assistance–to protect brain cells. It contributes essential methyl groups needed for detoxification and to start the body’s biochemical reactions.”(5)

Look for this type of supplement. When taking vitamins, you want to thrive, not just survive.

Symptoms of deficiency include energy loss, tingling, numbness, reduced sensitivity to pain or pressure, blurred vision, abnormal gait, sore tongue, poor memory, confusion, hallucinations, and personality changes. Often these symptoms develop gradually over several months to a year before they are recognized as being due to a B12 deficiency, and they are usually reversible upon the administration of B12.(6)

When I read this list of symptoms, I was really surprised. Lack of Vitamin B could have been one of the contributing factors to the vision problems I had battled all of my life.

According to Optometrist Ben C. Lane of the Optical Society, there is a link between nearsightedness, and chromium and calcium levels, which are lowered by sugar and protein consumption. The excessive intake of sugar and overcooked proteins exhausts the body’s supplies of chromium and B vitamins. Fluid pressure in the eye, a contributing factor of nearsightedness, is regulated by the B vitamins.(7)

Make certain you are getting adequate amounts of all of the B vitamins.

Sources:

1. Agricultural Research magazine.

B12 Deficiency May Be More Widespread Than Thought By Judy McBride, August 2, 2000

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Folic Acid.” http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/index.html

3. Mercola, Joseph. (2002, January 30). “Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?” http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/01/30/vitamin-b12-part-three.aspx

4..  Carmel, R. (2008). “How I treat cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency.” Blood, 112: 2214-21.

5..  Group, Edward. (November 11, 2014). “Vitamin B12 Benefits: 4 Types and Their Health Benefits.”

6. Norris, Jack. “Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?” Vegan Health. http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12

7. . Goulart, Frances Sheridan. (1991, March 1). “Are You Sugar Smart? Linked to Heart Attacks, Kidney Disease, Diabetes and Other Diseases, Sugar Is to the ’90s What Cholesterol Was to the ’80s (Includes 9 ways to Cope with Sugar Cravings).” American Fitness. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-10722552.html

By Nancy Addison

copyright@nancyaddison2017

If you like this information, check out Nancy’s award-winning, #1 best-selling books/cookbooks: Author.to/nancyaddison

I would love a comment! Join in the conversation!

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Don’t try to buy produce to last for a week. It may not last that long. Some root veggies can last a month, if stored properly, but fresher, more fragile fruits and veggies will only last about 2 -5 days. If you do buy too much, you can think about making a pie, or doing some canning, or freezing some of your more fragile fruits and veggies before they spoil.

Always store your food in its complete wholeness. Never place fruits and veggies in airtight bags. That actually will speed up the decay. You do want to be mindful that mold will proliferate quickly and can spoil the whole group of fruits or veggies. So, toss out any spoiled produce immediately, or put it into your compost bin.

Next, make sure you are storing the various types of fruits and veggies with the right partners. Some give off high levels of ethylene gas (a ripening agent), which makes them and everything around them ripen or decay quickly. You want to keep these types of foods separate from each other. Put things like kale and spinach in the same bin, and peaches and apples in another. If you put fruit with greens, it will cause the greens to rot or turn yellow in a few days.

Greens are very sensitive to the ethylene gas. There are a product called the Bluapple  and it absorbs the ethylene gas. I just put it in my bin with the fruits and/or greens. Of course, if you need something to ripen faster, then you can use this knowledge to your advantage.

You can put the one you need to ripen with a fruit that gives off the high level of ethylene gas. I also use produce bags by Evert-Fresh. They will absorb ethylene gas and help your produce stay fresher longer.

Keep root veggies (including all kinds of potatoes) in a cool, dark, dry place. They can last up to a month if kept properly. Never store potatoes in the refrigerator, because they will develop much higher sugar content.

Here is a list of fruits and veggies, showing the best way to store them. These are high ethylene producers, and you can refrigerate them: apples, apricots, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherimoyas, cranberries, figs, green onions, guavas, grapes, honeydew, kiwifruit, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, passion fruit, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums, prunes, quince, and tomatoes.

This is a high releaser, but should be stored in a cool dark place outside of the refrigerator: banana.

There are very sensitive to ethylene gas: asparagus, bananas (unripe), blackberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, garlic, green beans, kale, leafy greens, leeks, lettuce, okra, onions, parsley, peas, peppers, raspberries, spinach, squash, strawberries, watercress, and watermelon. Keep them separate from the high ethylene gas producing foods.

Try to purchase fresh fruits and veggies that have been ripened on the vine or on the tree. Tree or vine-ripened foods contain salvestrols, which are compounds that have natural anti-cancer properties.(1)In fact, the word salvestrol comes from the Latin word “save.” So, growing your own food or buying from a local farmer is one way of getting food that is vine or tree-ripened. Food that is picked green and then ripened on the way to market does not contain these salvestrols.

Organic food is best, because it is more nutrient dense. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides can destroy nutrients in the soil, like sulfur and chromium, which are vital for our health. “The Organic Center study found that organic foods were more nutritionally dense in 61% of the cases” and they “found conventional foods to contain higher nitrates, which are widely considered a potential health hazard. (2)

With all the fresh fruits and vegetables enticing us from their bins at the farmer’s market or grocery store, now we can make those delicious meals with our properly stored produce!

Bon Appétit!

Copyright@nancyaddison2015

The post Fresh Produce Storage Tips appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

Food For The Soul Retreat

April 6- 13th, 2016 (sold out);

July 28 – Aug. 4;

Aug. 7 – Aug. 14;

Nov. 13 – Nov 20, 2016.

A Certificate Of Basic Intensive In Healthy Food Cuisine is given to all participants

when you come and attend my classes on preparing healthy food at the retreat!

This Retreat is For Those Who Really Want To Have A New Lease On Life!

We have been concentrating on truly manifesting joy, prosperity, health and well-being in our life!

Only a short flight (about a 2 1/2 hour flight from Miami) from the USA to Central America.

Nicaragua. Is a magical world rich in culture and spectacular nature.

The accommodation for the retreat is a beautiful home on the highest point above the Pacific Ocean of Nicaragua outside a gentle fishing village.
Charlotte’s amazing 3 story home, with balconies all around, nestled in the trees – some first floor bedrooms available
We take time to get our vitamin D and have fun, while learning and exploring the wonderful country of Nicaragua!

The whole retreat is to be taken at your own pace and with  your own discretion. If you wish to simply nap in the ocean breeze and read a book,  that is perfectly wonderful.
We have a lady come and give us private massages, pedicures and facials at Charlotte’s home. It is great having her there all day, so we can get a massage when we truly want to have one without having to get dressed and go out to a spa for one.
Included in our retreat is:

Personal Time With Nancy All Week!
Nancy’s Health, Nutrition, Cooking, Meditation & Life Skills Discussions/Talks

Transportation to and from the Managua airport.
All lodging at the retreat center, including a night in the beautiful, historic city of Granada.
All meals in Granada with the group
Guided Tour of Granada
Hotel room and breakfast at the
luxury hotel, Tribal, in Granada

Yoga every morning

Swimming or kayaking at the beach.
Healthy meals of fresh local food.
Cooking Lessons by Nancy
Meditation and energy building lessons
Lymphatic exercises
water aerobics classes
personal health and nutrition talks – discussions and information 
with Nancy
aromatherapy lessons
adventures in Nicaragua
Retreat located just above Aqua Resort
Just a few minutes walk
down the hill.

Abundant exotic wildlife.

Four Beautiful Beaches

Optional but not included in the price:

Incredible Deep Sea Fishing,

Surfing on a World Class Beach

Mukul’s Resort and Spa, rated best Spa in the World
is 5 minutes away
and it has golf and
an incredible restaurant, beach and various things in their huge spa including sessions
with a Shaman.
Aqua resort and spa.
The price is the amazing amount of
$3, 397.00

Price does not include airfare.

Contact Nancy Today about our next retreat: April 7- 14th, 2016

We saw this and 2 other rainbows at the last retreat, as well as an abundance of wildlife, including: mating sea turtles, an abundance of monkeys, red and orange crabs, silver flying fish, eagles, pelicans, geckos, butterflies, etc.

What people are saying about the retreat:

Click here to hear Amber Lynn’s testimony.

Click here to watch Janet Amador’s Testimony about Nancy’s conference at retreat.

What a fabulous week!   It was a “Trip of a life time”.
Nicaragua and the Emerald Coast were so magical!   Not only did we have fabulous food, adventures and a wonderful time; we all were blessed to have three incredible  rainbows.  In the evening the stars were spectacular.   We saw the Milky Way.   I have not seen that in over 20 years!

Also, the wild life in the forest was a treat!  We saw monkeys, turtles, fish, crabs, white squirrels, eagles, many beautiful birds and donkeys and cattle crossing the roads right in front of us.    The nature in Nicaragua was beautiful!

Wasn’t ready to go home after 7 days.   Wish I could have stayed longer!
Being with Nancy Addison on one her Nutritional Retreats in Nicaragua was a blessing for me.   She is a terrific teacher and food expert!   Actually “mind/body” wellness would better describe the week.   Learning to breathe, relax, meditate as well as taking time in life to choose what we put in our mouths and to prepare it! 

Nancy is truly amazing.   She has the patience and experience to listen and to teach people how to eat a healthier and balanced diet!   Teaching our group how to eat healthy with fresh and organic foods and showing our group how to prepare and make healthy meals!  Everyone has health and diet issues and she was able to balance those needs specifically to each person on the retreat. 

Nancy has written wonderful books with the recipes included to help people with all sorts of diet and lifestyle needs.  Having to plug back into the real world and the time restrictions we all have – Nancy showed us how to balance our diets and to listen to our bodies more. 

I would highly recommend anyone to read her books, go on one of her retreats, or contact her for improving ones health and diet! 

Thank you Nancy! 

With Love, 
Mary Jo Rausch

I just received a super review on my latest book: How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian – second edition:

Best health book of this century!

By Amazon Customer on January 28, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition

“How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian” second edition, is an excellent book. Having had the opportunity to assist and promote health and nutrition with world-class athletes over the last 25 years; it is my opinion that Nancy Addison’s book is a formula for high-level performance in our daily lives. I can’t imagine a more informative book for the person looking to improve their health. The chapter about sugar is the most complete information available. Nancy is an expert in Nutrition. What you put on the end of your fork is more powerful medicine than anything you will find at the bottom of a pill bottle.”
Gary L. Massad M.D.
-First National Corporate Medical Director and founder of Occupational Health Centers in America. Attending physician to the Iron Man Hawaii; Attending Physician, United States Triathlon Association; Attending Physician United States Tae Kwon Do Association, Attending Physician United States Cycling Federation.

http://amzn.to/1ZYqUo1

Please leave a comment and join the conversation!

I love to hear what you think!

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Live enzymes in food play a crucial role in our health because we have a limited supply of digestive enzymes in our system.

When we are young, we have a natural abundance of enzymes. By the time we are elderly, we have lost over half of our enzymes. When our enzymes are gone, we die.

Making new ones becomes more and more difficult, if not impossible.

Eating certain foods like meats, not properly chewing our food, exposure to pathogenic microbes, and chewing gum all make our body utilize more of our digestive enzymes and deplete the amount we have to use.

(Do you chew gum? Why would this matter? Well, chewing gum is a waste of your precious enzymes, because you are not consuming and not needing to digest any food and you are using up your limited number of enzymes!) 

According to Dr. Howell, our digestive system is only able to digest about half of the food we eat.[1] A raw apple that has not been irradiated (which destroys the enzymes) contains enough live enzymes to break down about 40–60 percent of the apple when it is consumed. Our body has to produce the enzymes or acid to complete the digestion process.

Cooked food, on the other hand, has no living enzymes in it to help the body digest it. Therefore, the body is forced to use its precious supply of digestive enzymes to break down the food and utilize the nutrients. This causes stress on the digestive system, the pancreas, and the immune system.

In his book Enzyme Nutrition, Dr. Howell said, “We know that decreased enzyme levels are found in a number of chronic ailments, such as allergies, skin disease, and even serious diseases like diabetes and other severe diseases.”[2]

An interesting observation I made, when I was in Brazil, at John of God’s Casa last month, was that I met many people with cancer, who had gone there seeking to be healed. Not from nutrition.

What I found interesting is that there was a very high number of the people who had cancer,  also chewed gum. This gum chewing depleted their precious enzymes.

In his studies, Dr. Howell found that rats fed a raw, living food diet lived about 50 percent longer than rats that ate cooked food.

His studies with people in a sanitarium led him to conclude it was “impossible to get people fat on raw foods. . . regardless of the calorie intake.”[3] Along with that conclusion, Dr. Anthony Cheung, FRCP, noted:

Dr. Howell’s use of food enzymes suggests that the supply of human enzymes is limited at birth. The faster we consume our enzymes, the shorter our life span will be.

Raw food and/or living food (which is food that is not processed and/or cooked over 115 -118 degrees) is a good source of food enzymes. Ingestion of raw food or enzyme supplements will lessen the work of our digestive system, so that more energy is reserved for other metabolic activities.[4]

Raw and/or Living Food has live enzymes in it.

This study that follows, using cats as the subject of the study,  is quite interesting:

The Pottinger Cat Study was an extensive, 10-year study of approximately 900 cats. Conducted by Dr. Francis Pottinger, the study examined the effects of raw food versus cooked food on the health and well-being of two groups of cats.

One group was fed a diet of raw meat and milk (which naturally contained live enzymes and probiotics), and the other group was given cooked meat and pasteurized milk (whose enzymes and probiotic nature had been destroyed with heat). 

Dr. Pottinger found the cats eating raw food remained healthy and disease-free for generation after generation. But the cats on the cooked food diet started to get lazy and have degenerative diseases. The second generation of cats on the cooked food diet developed mid-life degenerative diseases.

Cats in the third generation of the cooked-food diet developed diseases, blindness, shorter lifespans, and infertility.

That’s Food For Thought!

Please leave a comment and join the conversation!

resources:

[1 & 2] Howell, Edward. (1985). Enzyme Nutrition. Avery Publishing Group Inc.

[3 & 4) Cheung, Anthony. “Digestive Enzymes.” Enerex. Retrieved from http://www.enerexusa.com/articles/digestive_enzymes.htm

I have lots of delicious, healthy, raw and living food recipes in my books!

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This nutrition packed cookbook, has everything you need to know from the best vegan, vegetarian recipes, protein for vegetarians, the best fats, the best sweeteners, protein rich vegetarian foods, quick easy vegetarian recipes, etc. It shows how to make recipes vegan, what is the best vegan protein, how to prepare carbohydrates so they are healthy.

This book gives vegetarians the power of healthy choices and assists them in creating long-term, sustainable, and life-enhancing strategies for being a healthy vegetarian, vegan or raw foodist. In this book, #1 bestselling Author Nancy Addison inspires, motivates, and teaches easy-to-implement suggestions for leading a nutritious lifestyle. She also offers incredible insight into health and wellness for people of all ages. The book includes over 110 easy recipes, many of which are gluten-free, raw and vegan! Get your copy of “How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian” Second Edition today!

You will find out why Celebrity Chef and Nutrition Expert Nancy Addison has been sought out by Doctors from all over the world as well as celebrities and other famous people like Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Suzie Humphreys, Maryann De Leo, Bob Fanucci, Sir Earl Toon, Bill Booth, Beth Morgan, and many others.

“How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian” 2^nd edition is an excellent book. Having had the opportunity to assist and promote health and nutrition with world-class athletes over the last 25 years; it is my opinion that Nancy Addison’s book is a formula for high-level performance in our daily lives. I can’t imagine a more informative book for the person looking to improve their health. Nancy is one of the top nutrition experts I’ve ever known. What you put on the end of your fork is more powerful medicine than anything you will find at the bottom of a pill bottle.”
– Gary L. Massad, M.D. FACOM, FAASM, FAC, LM. Past attending physician to the 1984 and 1996 Olympic Games, attending physician to United States Cycling Federation, USTAA, and USMAA

Nancy Addison is a Dallas native and raised her two children on an organic, whole-grain, vegetarian diet.

“Eat like a cow and you’ll be as strong as an ox!” – Nancy Addison

Do you want to know quick easy vegetarian recipes? This book has over 115 quick vegan and  vegetarian meals, extensive information and recipes for protein rich foods for vegetarians, information about probiotics, the thyroid, and extensive amount of other importanit information you will be thrilled to read about. Because this book is about being healthy. Making this lifestyle easy and healthy.

This book is recommended by leading Medical Doctors as a great resource for medical professionals.

It is easy to understand and easy to implement!

Nancy is an expert at making cutting edge science easy to understand and even easier to implement with her delicious quick easy vegetarian recipes and easy to implement lifestyle suggestions.

An Amazon Best Seller!

Order your copy today!  Click here!

Nancy Addison is available for interviews and appearances.

For more information, please visit www.organichealthylifestyle.com,

Nancy on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube and follow her on Twitter @nancygaddison. Contact Nancy at Nancy@organicheatlhylifestyle.com

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“Grilling, frying, broiling, and other cooking methods that expose meat to extremely high temperatures, creates potential cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs).

This is especially true when the meat is charred or overcooked.

Moreover, when fat drips on the heat source, the plumes of smoke can coat meat with other dangerous chemicals. 

The worst offenders are fatty, well-done beef, pork and lamb, but even poultry and fish produce HCAs when seared.”

If you love grilling, here are a few ways to reduce the dangers:

• Buy lean types of meat and trim off all visible fat.

• “Marinate meat. Researchers have found that this can decrease HCAs by more than 90 percent. Use combinations of beer, cider, vinegar, citrus juices, mustard, herbs, and brown sugar.”

• Precook meat in an oven, and then finish on the grill.

•Try using a lower heat. Don’t put the meat right over the fire. Put the meat to the side of the grill where the heat isn’t as hot.

• Turn the meat more frequently, and grill the meat just until it is cooked and safe to eat.  Don’t cook it until it is charred. You can use a meat thermometer to check and make sure it is done.

• Avoid breathing in smoke, which also has risks.  

• Veggie burgers, seitan (a protein-rich food made of wheat gluten, used as a meat substitute in vegetarian dishes),

Portobello mushrooms and vegetables have little or no formation of HCA’s when grilled.

Try going vegetarian once in a while!  It tastes good, and is good for you!

Resources and quotes are taken from the Berkeley Wellness Alert University of California - 5/24/2011

GRILLED VEGETABLE PITA SANDWICH

My son, Gibbons,  makes delicious sandwiches during the summer. Sometimes he grills and sometimes he roasts his veggies. I like mine to have only sliced and grilled portobello mushrooms.

This recipe is great any of those ways!

When preparing the veggies, slice them about 1/4 of an inch thick. You don’t want them too thick.

This recipe makes one serving.

Ingredients:

1 whole-grain pita bread, warmed

½ zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

¼ c. red or yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

½ c. hummus

Directions:

1. Heat the grill.

2. We put our veggies in a grilling rack that is then placed on the hot grill. The rack is optional.

3. Grill the vegetables 10 to 15 minutes, until they are slightly soft and

warm. Then remove from heat.

4. Spread hummus in the warm pita bread.

5. Lay slices of grilled vegetables in layers inside warm pita bread

on top of hummus.

Variations:

1. Coat vegetables with a little coconut oil and sea salt before

grilling for a richer and moister flavor.

2. Add slices of portobello mushroom, for a meatier flavor and texture.

3. Substitute sliced avocado or mayonnaise for hummus.

The post Safe & Healthy Tips for Grilling This Summer appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

He never lived to see his grandchildren grow up.

That doesn’t have to be you.

This article tells you how you can easily prevent and even reverse the effects of heart disease.

Heart Health

The Benefits of Being A Vegetarian

Today is Father’s Day.

My father had heart disease. The picture above,  is a picture of him with my daughter and my mother. I miss him.

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death of men in the United States. Over 307, 225 deaths per year of men in the United States, that is 1 in every 4 male deaths. Half of the men who die suddenly have had no previous symptoms. Heart disease kills 1,100 women a day. One in every 4 deaths a year are from heart disease. My own father had a heart attach when I was in college. He survived it, but I don’t think he ever fully recovered. That was a major reason that I changed the way I eat and live. Because of this being Father’s Day, I am going to address heart disease.

I’m a vegetarian and wrote the book, “How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian.”  I have been a vegetarian for over 27 years, because I had a great many family members die of heart disease, strokes and cancer. So, honoring him today, I thought I would discuss this briefly.

Years ago, I took a Cornell University course on the plant-based diet. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, who participated in the China Study and wrote “The China Study” and Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. M. D. who wrote “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” were two of the professors that taught the course.

Dr. T. Colin Campbell as well as Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn (a former surgeon, researcher and clinician at the Cleveland Clinic, -known as the number one heart clinic in the world) believes that by changing the diet, heart disease can be completely cured and prevented.  In our class Dr. Esselstyn explained that cardiology has only focused on treating the symptoms and not the cause.

Dr. Esselstyn explained that a plant-based diet with only a minimum of limited/low healthy fats can not only prevent and stop progression of heart disease, but also reverse it. He explained that his scientific studies show with irrefutable scientific evidence that by changing to a plant based diet, heart disease can be prevented and the epidemic eradicated.

His drew evidence in his results testing with his own patients. He taught that despite the treatments the patients had already received, like bypass surgery or angioplasties, 5 of the original group of 17 had been told by their physicians that they would probably only have about a year to live.  Of the group of 17, there had been at least 49 cardiac events leading up to this study.

Dr. Esselstyn’s 20 year clinical study comprised of 17 compliant patients on his plant based/low fat diet program the health improvement was dramatic. The patients cholesterol dropped, their anginia symptoms and blood flow improved dramatically. Within the 12 years, his 17 patients had no further cardiac events. The patients that stuck with the program survived beyond 20 years, free of symptoms. Anglograms taken of the patients showed a widening of the coronary arteries thus, a reversal of the disease. This study showed one of the most profound drop in cholesterol ever documented in a medical study.

So, if you think that heart disease just happens and that there is nothing you can do about it, then try switching to a plant based / low fat diet and see if that would work for you. It is a lot easier than you think. It just takes a new mindset, a few guide-lines, good recipes and a will to do it.

Last year was my 40^th high school reunion. One of my classmates who had heart disease was told by his physician, that if he switched to a plant based diet he would never have to worry about having a heart attack again. He bought my book and has made some changes to move toward a plant-based diet.

I am so happy for him.  Here is what he said about my book, “How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian:“

“Two years ago I had a quadruple bi-pass, and my cardiologist told me that if I changed to a plant based diet, I would never have this problem again. Being from Texas, I grew up on meat and potatoes, and I was not compliant with his advice. I came across Nancy Addison’s book and it made perfect sense to me with the simple and understandable approach. I’m started off dropping all animal meat, including chicken, which has as much unhealthy fat as steak. Within a month I dropped 17 lbs, just doing that. My system is functioning a lot better, I’ve added more fruits and vegetables, and doubled my energy. I haven’t given up seafood, but maybe down the road I will take the next step. Brava Nancy for getting me to take the first step, and helping me create a new, healthier life!!!!!”
– Ben McKinley – Naples, FL

So, in closing, what we eat in life is a choice. If you have heart disease, you may think about how the food you are eating is directly affecting your health.

I think of everyone who receives my newsletter as my dear friend and I love keeping in touch with you and adore hearing from you. Today, I am sending you big hugs and blessings for a healthy, loving heart this February and may you have a wonderful month full of health and love.

For more information on Nancy’s nutrition and health counseling go to : www.organichealthylifestyle.com

To order Nancy’s book on Amazon:  click here!

Please leave a comment and join the conversation!

Everyone would love to hear what you think!

Copyright@nancyaddison2015

More Reviews of Nancy’s book:

 Surprise content!

I am not a vegetarian but I am keenly interested in nutritional health and wellness. I found Nancy’s chapter topics to be generally relevant and she writes directly to her point so well that I am keeping this book handy as a reference for many kinds of wellness questions, including diet and lifestyle recommendations. I would title this book “How To Be Healthy” and recommend it to anyone interested in making healthier life choices- not just choosing vegetables.      by Christopher Sharp , attorney in Dallas, TX

“How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian” is an excellent book. Having had the opportunity to assist and promote health and nutrition with world-class athletes over the last 25 years; it is my opinion that Nancy Addison’s book is a formula for high-level performance in our daily lives. I can’t imagine a more informative book for the person looking to improve their health. The chapter about sugar is the most complete information available. Nancy is an expert in Nutrition, Healthy Cooking, Raw Food, Living a Healthy Lifestyle and making it all work together. What you put on the end of your fork is more powerful medicine than anything you will find at the bottom of a pill bottle.”

by  Gary L. Massad M.D.

-First National Corporate Medical Director and founder of Occupational Health Centers in America. Attending physician to the Iron Man Hawaii; Attending Physician, United States Triathlon Association; Attending Physician United States Tae Kwon Do Association, Attending Physician United States Cycling Federation.

The post Have A Healthy Heart, The Benefits of Being Vegetarian appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

Recent studies by French scientists on the Toxicity of Roundup and Glyphosate found this herbicide carcinogenic. (3) They found:

• “Causes cell cycle dysregulation, which is a hallmark of tumor cells and human cancers
• Inhibits DNA synthesis in certain parts of the cell cycle—the process by which cells reproduce that underlies the growth and development of all living organisms.
• Impedes the hatchings of sea urchins. (Sea urchins were used because they constitute an appropriate model for the identification of undesirable cellular and molecular targets of pollutants.) The delay was found to be dose dependent on the concentration of Roundup. The surfactant polyoxyethylene amine (POEA), another major component of Roundup, was also found to be highly toxic to the embryos when tested alone, and could therefore be a contributing factor” (4)

These are just more reasons why I don’t eat or drink soy, if I can possibly avoid it or any other genetically modified food or non-organically grown food.

Recently (May 12, 2015), Germany’s state consumer protection ministers are calling for a European Union -wide ban on the leading global pesticide Glyphosate, since it was categorized as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. (5) Glyphosate is marketed under the name of Round-up. This is one of the reasons we as consumers need to demand labeling of genetically modified foods in everything and everywhere. I highly recommend reading more about glyphosate herbicide if you are eating non-certified organic foods.

Just recently, the country of Bermuda banned Round-up. Here is the news release: http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20150511/NEWS/150519966

Beware that soy is added to tortillas, breads, fake meats, and many other foods, supposedly for the “health” benefit. In my opinion it is really used just used as cheap filler.

Health and nutrition expert Dr. Joseph Mercola writes that the advertising industry has really misled the public about the safety and health benefits of soy, as well as the widespread use of it in the Asian diet. He states: “A study of the history of soy use in Asia shows that the poor used it during times of extreme food shortage, and only when the soybeans were carefully prepared (e.g. by lengthy fermentation) to destroy the soy toxins.”(6) He goes on to say that contrary to some reports in the West, it is not the usual practice in Asian countries to feed soy milk to infants.(7)

There is a billion-dollar industry that advertises soy as a health answer to many health issues. Soy is frequently touted as being the answer to women’s menopause problems, heart disease, and weight problems, as well as a great protein source. Be aware of this when you are reading food labels that refer to soy having health benefits, even those that display an FDA-approved statement that soy can help lower the risk of heart disease. In 2000, two FDA employees, Daniel Doerge and Daniel Sheehan, were worried enough about the danger of soy that they wrote a controversial letter to their employer, protesting the positive health claims for soy that the FDA was approving at the time.(8)

They wrote: “There is abundant evidence that some of the isoflavones found in soy, including genistein and equol, a metabolite of daidzen, demonstrate toxicity in estrogen sensitive tissues and in the thyroid. This is true for a number of species, including humans. Additionally, isoflavones are inhibitors of the thyroid peroxidase which makes T3 and T4. Inhibition can be expected to generate thyroid abnormalities, including goiter and autoimmune thyroiditis. There exists a significant body of animal data that demonstrates goitrogenic and even carcinogenic effects of soy products. Moreover, there are significant reports of goitrogenic effects from soy consumption in human infants.”(9)

Think carefully about the effects that soy can have on the thyroid, (one of our master glands, which affect almost all aspects of our health) and estrogen. So many doctors and nutritionists are soy proponents. Be careful, and research this yourself if you are concerned.

“One of the reasons soy is touted as a great health food is because it is said to help with menopause hormone imbalances. This is one of the reasons why so many doctors and older women were so happy to embrace it. Soy and soy-based products contain isoflavones or phytoestrogens, which are plant-based estrogens. Soy is not the only food that contains phytoestrogens. There are other, less controversial, and more digestible foods with phytoestrogens that you can include in your diet. (For more information on phytoestrogens, see “Phytoestrogens and Breast Cancer—Fact Sheet #01” in “Resources.”)

For men, eating soy isoflavones can significantly reduce testicular function and lower luteinizing hormone (LH) production, which is what signals the testicles to work. A high soy intake and potentially lower level of LH increases the probability of estrogen dominance in men, contributing to hair loss, swollen and cancerous prostates, and insulin resistance. Doris Rapp, MD, a leading pediatric allergist, asserts that environmental and food estrogens are responsible for the worldwide reduction in male fertility.”(10)

Soy consumption has been linked with cancer in adults, notably breast cancer, as I read in an article by Jim Rutz. He went on to say:

That’s why the governments of Israel, the UK, France and New Zealand are already cracking down hard on soy. . . .

In sad contrast, 60 percent of the refined foods in U.S. supermarkets now contain soy. Worse, soy use may double in the next few years because (last I heard) the out-of-touch medicrats in the FDA hierarchy are considering allowing manufacturers of cereal, energy bars, fake milk, fake yogurt, etc., to claim that “soy prevents cancer.” It doesn’t. . . .

P.S.: Organic, non gmo soy sauce is fine. Unlike soy milk, it’s perfectly safe because it’s fermented, which changes its molecular structure. Miso, natto and tempeh are also OK, but avoid tofu.(11)

It is also important to be aware that soy can create allergic reactions. In 1986, Stuart Berger, MD, placed soy among the top seven allergens, one of the “sinister seven.”

These are all reasons why I don’t consume soy.

This is food for thought.

copyright@nancyaddison2013

Check our Nancy’s Award-winning books on Amazon.

Please leave a comment and join the conversation!

Other sources:

1 & 2 -[i] Fallon, Sallon. “Soy’s Dark Side.”

3 -Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B: Critical Reviews Volume 15, Issue 4, 2012, R. Bellé^abc*, J. Marc^abc, J. Morales^abc, P. Cormier^abc & O. Mulner-Lorillon^abc, pages 233-237, Publishing models and article dates explained, Published online: 09 May 2012, Article Views: 332, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10937404.2012.672149

4- Mercola, Dr. Joseph, New Evidence Against These Cancer-Causing Foods – And the Massive Cover-Up Effort, Dr. Mercola’s website, June 09, 2012 ‘

5.German states call for ban on household pesticide

UR Active support, Germany, May 12, 2015, Dario Sarmadi translated from German by Erika Körner

6- Mercola, Dr. Joseph. “Learn the Truth About Soy: Just How Much Soy Do Asians Eat?” Dr. Mercola’s website. January 9, 2000. articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/01/09/truth-about-soy.aspx.

7- Fallon and Enig, “Soy’s Dark Side.”

8- Sheegan, Daniel M., and Daniel R. Doerge. Letter to Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305). February 18, 1999. The letter was posted on the abcnews.com website as “Scientists Protest Soy Approval.”

9-Bellatti, Andy. “You Ask, I Answer: Soy Portein Isolate.” Medpedia.com website. April 16, 2011. www.medpedia.com/news_analysis/98-Small-Bites/entries/71677-You-Ask-I-Answer-Soy-Protein-Isolate.

10 & 11- Rutz, Jim. “The Trouble with Soy.” World Net Daily website. www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53327. 2010. This article was originally titled “Soy Is Making Kids ‘Gay’,” but after a huge backlash he re-titled it “The Trouble with Soy.”

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The Plight of the Bee

I became aware of the plight of the bee 27 years ago.  I avidly read all kinds of environmental, gardening, and wildlife articles and books, and it makes me sad that it’s only now becoming a widely recognized issue. The large bumblebees were becoming extinct over 28 years ago, because the genetically engineered plants apparently had flowers that didn’t have any nectar. I read that the bees were literally starving to death. Over time, I noticed that more and more flowers in the florist shops and in gardens didn’t have a fragrance. No fragrance, no nectar. What a shame. I love the fragrance, and I love the bees.    

The intricate web of our lives depends on every little aspect of life, and when one is taken out, it can start a downward spiral effect. I find this situation alarming.

Bees are natural to our earthly environment, and our very lives depend on them.  The world’s production of food is dependent on the pollination provided by honey bees.  Some estimates range from 50-80% of the world’s food supply being directly or indirectly affected by honey bee pollination.  Honey bees have been managed and have sustained farming practices as far back as 4500 years.  Without the honey bee, food prices would be astronomical, with the little food that would be available.   

I also recently became aware that the bee colonies have become threatened by the widespread use of a pesticide-coated seed, used for many of the corn and soy crops. It is a seed that has been coated with an neonicotinoid insecticide.   Studies are showing that the bees are actually drawn to the nectar of this plant, and that colonies are in volatile situations because of this toxin.  Seed producing companies are allowed to make and sell seeds that are coated with this pesticide, which has been shown in numerous research studies to contribute to bee and bee colony deaths, even though the Environmental Protection Agency says the product doesn’t increase yields.

How much evidence will it take before the EPA, or other companies involved, stop the use, and protect our fragile web of life? 

Do we really need a more catastrophic sign than 37 million bees being found dead, after the planting of a corn crop in which they used this type of toxic seed?

Isn’t it a moral obligation of industry to stop making things they know are harmful to the environment and therefore to humanity? Isn’t it the job of the EPA to protect us from companies that don’t voluntarily stop doing things that are harmful to the environment and/or humanity? 

In addition to the pesticides, an article in Forbes magazine in 2012, stated that it’s not surprising bees are dying off in huge numbers, because of the increase in genetically modified foods. “As of 2012, it is estimated that over 70 percent of the food on the U.S. market contains genetically modified organisms, which are ingredients that have been scientifically engineered in laboratories.” (1)   

I also understand that genetically engineered plants are escaping into the wild, and interbreeding with our wild plants.  The repercussions of this alarm me too. The future of our earth, and the future of food for our children and grandchildren is at stake.

Why are GMO foods harmful?  

Tests using three types of GMO corn that was fed to rats, showed these results: “Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, which are the dietary detoxifying organs, although results were different between the 3 GMOs. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system.  (The haematopoietic system is the bodily system of organs and tissues, primarily the bone marrow, spleen, tonsils, and lymph nodes, involved in the production of blood).  We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, (or kidney failure), possibly due to the new pesticides, which are specific to each GM corn.” (2) During the tests, the rats also developed large tumors.

Taking Action

The combination of GMO plants, the decline of the bee, and the resulting health risks alarmed me so much,  I raised money for an organic hummingbird and butterfly garden at my son’s elementary school (this was 15 years ago!).  I wanted to help educate the community about the importance of our pollinators. Today, the Science, Art, and English departments are still using that garden. In fact, they have recently added an organic food garden—all organic and free of GMOs (genetically modified organisms)—and they are teaching the children to be “master gardeners.”  Chip Clint (the organic gardening expert who designed the hummingbird and butterfly garden for me at the elementary school), and I have continued to be consulted concerning the garden. I am blessed to have been instrumental in this school program that is now in place.

I understand that elementary schools that have a garden in which children can work, report that students have much higher math and science scores than schools without gardens. It makes the children happy to have an outdoor hands-on type of learning experience.

Petition

Bees and the future of our environment are in need of protection from these toxic and harmful poisons.

Given the enormous number of bee deaths already, the enormous amounts of neonicotinoid insecticide-coated seeds that are already being planted, the fragile state of the bee colonies, and the mounting evidence that shows this neonicotinoid insecticide-coated seed is a danger to the bee colonies, don’t you agree that the EPA should stop the manufacturing and planting of this toxic seed? What can we do?

Please join me in calling for an end to the manufacturing, selling and planting of this  neonicotinoid insecticide-coated seed.  Please boycott the purchase, use and selling of this seed.  Please sign my petition to the EPA, calling for action to stop the manufacturing, selling and use of the neonicotinoid insecticide-coated seed, or any other type of toxin that can cause death to pollinators in our environment.  The next life you save may be your own.

Click Here to sign the petition!

Please leave a comment and also sign the petition!

 Watch this talk on TED talks by Maria Spivak. Click here.

Nancy Addison  talks with Richard Kemp on the Farm & Ranch USA Report

KLGD 106.9fm, The Country Giant about the bees –  Click Here to listen to the Radio Show Segment on the Bees.

Sited sources:

(1) Rachel Hennessey. “GMO Food Debate In The National Spotlight.” Forbes 11/03/2014. http://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelhennessey/2012/11/03/gmo-food-debate-in-the-national-spotlight/2/

(2) Joël Spiroux de Vendômois et al. “A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health.” Research paper. Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5(7):706-726. doi:10.7150/ijbs.5.706.

University studies:

Purdue (http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2012/120111KrupkeBees.html),

Harvard (http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/04/pesticide-tied-to-bee-colony-collapse/) ,

and Oxford ( http://marketbusinessnews.com/bees-crave-neonicotinoid-pesticides-like-humans-with-nicotine/58089)

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Monday,  I found out we lost a very dear person, Tom Spicer.

We all knew Tom. He was not known as a big man in terms of physical stature, but he was a big man in that he was extremely smart and talented, had a wonderful sense of humor, a big heart, was a good father, a great brother, a great friend, and I’m sure much, much more that I’m not even aware of.

It took me some time to write this, I was so incredibly heart sad. But I’m writing this as a tribute to my friend, who will be greatly missed.

He left a big impact on Dallas and on those who knew him. He knew something about everything, and a lot about a lot of things.  You couldn’t help but respect him. He quite literally led a movement in Dallas for living healthier lives and eating a healthier, fresher, more plant-based diet. He had a passion for gardening, food and life. He was incredibly genuine, generous and kind.

He was a self-made man who’d risen to a very impressive level in life in many ways, in the mere years he had with us.

I hadn’t known Tom that long, but I worked on some projects with him, and we had joined forces in our love of growing and consuming beautiful, healthy plants. He was an enormous force in Dallas, providing healthy fresh food for all of us to enjoy and thrive from. He had a gift for fun, laughter, making plants grow and creating exceptional gourmet food.

When I was Larry Hagman’s chef and nutritionist, I’d go to Tom’s to get the freshest organic foods I could. It was always such a delight to go back into his garden and see what he was growing at the time. It was a magical garden. I just felt better every time I went there.

At special times he’d be… on his hand-made musical instrument, playing the most beautiful music and sweeping everyone away into another world.

He was such a dear person, and I enjoyed his company so much. He was unique and rare. His place (one being – FM 1410) was always filled with conversation, music, and laughter.  It made me think that this must be what it was like in France, when the Impressionist artists and writers were together. Tom was magical in creating a space for everyone to feel relaxed, accepted and free to share their thoughts, dreams, art and aspirations. He was like the Gertrude Stein of Dallas. A rare and cherished person.

The picture I added above was one taken when he gave me a book signing (my book is: How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian)  party at his place FM1410. ( Thai’s Tom in the middle. I’m in the blue dress on the right with my mother next to me.) It was a joyous event and he was so dear to make food using recipes from my book. He had also contributed some recipes to my book. He was a such a dear friend.

He was the leader of a movement.

He will be greatly missed.

He has my respect and admiration.

I will miss my dear friend immensely.

I was working on a book with him and I happen to have a biography of his that we were putting in our book. I don’t think he would mind if I shared this with you.

Tom “Spiceman” Spicer’s food and music have always been intertwined. They are ripe, delicious, and sexy like homegrown, Creole tomatoes.

The Spiceman grew up in the Crescent City ,New Orleans, Louisiana into a family of five sisters, Doris, Diana, Bettina, Alice and Susan, and one, macho brother, Hank. Tom was raised by his right-brained mother, Alice, and his left-brained father, Captain Henry C. Spicer, Jr. Somehow his Danish mother managed to meet and marry his Dad, from Waycross, Georgia in Venezuela. Now that’s a spicy melting pot!

Tom entered at the tail end of the family and of his father’s naval tour of duty. Born in New Port, RI in 1956, he traveled with his family to Holland where they resided for 3 years. When Tom was 4 years old, Capt. Spicer and family were transferred to New Orleans where the Captain became Commandant of the 8th Naval District in 1960.

The two major influences and loves in Tom’s life are music and the land. The love of music comes via his dad. The love of the land comes via his mom. They are uniquely combined in The Spiceman.

As a young man Tom’s dad was a Jazz violinist and played gigs on the east coast that helped feed his family during the depression. One of the bands he was part of was called “The Georgia Jazz Babies”. His dad also entertained his large family by playing the piano at home.

Tom Spicer formalized his love of music by studying and playing bass at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He then worked for many great musicians such as Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Robert Ely, Tracy Nelson, and Zachary Richard. He toured with Zachary Richard through France and Canada where he was introduced to the best food and freshest markets he’d ever experienced.

As a child Tom gardened with his mother in the lush, fertile soil near the Mississippi River. He frequented the French Market near Jackson Square as a child with his parents and later as a produce merchant. At the French Market he procured fresh Creole tomatoes, bay leaves, peppers and satsumas to sell to his Crescent City clients. One special client was his sister, Susan Spicer, chef/owner of Bayona restaurant in New Orleans.

Arthur Griffin, Tom’s great-grandfather, was a horticulturalist extraordinaire imported from England to New England in the early 1900’s by the Vanderbilts. Arthur grew hothouse melons and strawberries in the dead of winter for the Vanderbilts. However, he was more noted for his flowers winning trophies like the “Gardeners Chronicle” for his breed of “Gloriossa Rothchildsianna”.

In 1979 Tom’s connection to the land was enhanced when he was recruited by an oil and gas lease acquisition firm in Lafayette, LA. He trained to become a Louisiana, Oil & Gas Landman, which enabled Tom to rightfully say… “I’m a Looziana landman….dat’s de lease I can do”.

Upon returning to New Orleans after the oil crunch, Tom’s long time friend and peer, Jim Bremer, recruited him to work for a specialty produce company where Spiceman truly began to blossom.

Tom moved to Dallas, Texas in 1984 to expand his field of dreams. He was recruited by a failing hothouse tomato operation. Tom turned it into one of the most successful fresh herb and specialty greens operations in the state. At the same time he continued to play bass guitar and join the Dennis Cavalier Band every Mardi Gras where his bass playing was like file to gumbo.

When Tom’s imaginative bass playing styles and creative, New Orleans musicality got a hold of the flea market kalimba his sons, Erik and Maxwell, brought home, the Seque Kalimbass was born. Tom was able to join his bass with the African thumb piano and some great music has come alive.

The people who have had the delight of experiencing Tom “Spiceman” Spicer’s food and music keep coming back for more.

I will miss Tom very much. He leaves a huge void in many of our lives.

– Nancy Addison

This is Tom Spicer and Anne Oliver Lewis at their booth at the Chefs For Farmers Event at Lee Park in Dallas.

Click here if you want to watch Tom teach us how to cut green onions in the proper way.

Click here to watch an interview with Tom and SMU Reporter.

Click here to watch him play his unique musical instrument!

The post Tom Spicer – The Spiceman appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

I released my new book today on Raising Healthy Children!

It made the best seller’s list!

Raising Healthy Children is a comprehensive book full of encyclopedic information! This book is filled not only recipes and information about how you can raise your children in the healthiest possible way, but also includes resources, references and endnotes to give you the most comprehensive book on how to raise healthy children on the market today. Nancy Addison walks you through the grocery store, shares natural remedies, discusses the health benefits of breastfeeding, shares recipes for non-toxic body products, supplements, vitamins, minerals, and so much more.

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Cooking Cambodian Style

My daughter was working for the Office of the Co-Prosecutors at the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Trials at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, in Phnom Penh. When I went to spend the holidays with her there, last month, we did some really fun things.

We also took a deliciously fun cooking class, where we learned the secrets to Khmer cooking. I loved learning how to make bowls with banana leaves and how to make a chili paste Khmer style. It’s very different from chili paste in Texas! We made some curry and put it in banana leaf bowls before they were steamed. Our are the ones at the top that look different. We made our vegetarian. The other people made their dish with fish and chicken.

We made quite a few recipes and it was quite an experience. I highly recommend cooking classes when traveling. It adds a little something extra special to the meal you have that day!

My daughter and I love curry and other spices used in Asian Cooking. Khmer is different from Thailand cooking and it was fun to learn all the little nuances involved with the recipes and our food. We went on a shopping tour of the local farmer’s market, which was very educational.

I decided to put a lot of these recipes in my next book, From Earth To Table. This book will celebrate our global connection with the earth, family and food.

On Christmas Day, we went up to the northern part of Cambodia. We went to an elephant rescue and spent the day with rescued elephants and even were lucky enough to get to bathe, Princess, the elephant in the beautiful river in the forest preserve. Amanda and I had never bathed an elephant before. it was such a fun day. Princess loved getting her bath, which made it that much more enjoyable!

I love to travel with my family. My daughter and I now have lovely memories of being together over the holidays and doing some cool things together.

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Recipes For Super Smoothie and Quinoa Milk

I love smoothies. They are a fast and easy way to get super, nutrient dense food in an efficient manner. I always felt that breakfast was one of the most important meals of the day.

When my children were growing up, I made smoothies for my children almost every morning before they left for school. If they were racing out the door, I knew that they could drink this on the way to school, and it would sustain them until lunch. I didn’t want them going off without some kind of food in their stomach.

Fruity Protein Power Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 c. fresh, organic fruit of choice (freshly pitted cherries or blueberries are good)

1 banana

1½-2 c. organic quinoa milk

1 scoop (4 T.) Vanilla Protein Powder

1 tsp. cold pressed, organic hemp seed oil

1 T. organic, pure coconut oil

2 dates, pitted and softened by soaking them in water for about 20 -30 minutes.

¼ tsp. fresh, soft bee pollen (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Drink at room temperature immediately.

Variation: Substitute a few drops of stevia or ½ tsp. of xylitol for the dates, if you have high blood sugar.

Serves one.

Quinoa Milk

Ingredients:

1 vanilla bean or ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. organic, whole (freshly-cooked) quinoa

2 c. non-chlorinated water

Stevia to taste (optional)

Dash of sea salt

Directions:

1. Split vanilla bean and use a sharp knife to scrape out the inside of the bean. Put scrapings in a blender.
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well.
3. Strain through a nut milk bag, or simply drink it as a thicker version. (The more quinoa you add, the thicker the milk will be.)

Notes:

1. You can omit or use an alternative vanilla flavor for this milk.

Toffee or vanilla-flavored stevia (by Sweet Leaf) is one I sometimes use instead of the vanilla bean.

2. You can add a soaked date for sweetening.

Serves one.

By Nancy Addison CHC, AADP. For more information go to:www.organichealthylifestyle.com

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I have a large family and dearly love getting to see them and catch up on what everyone is doing. With everyone coming over, the house will smell fabulous with the aroma of freshly, baked breads and casserole dishes. Since we all want to nibble a little while we are waiting for everyone to arrive, I will have some nut pate stuffed celery sticks as appetizers and some warm spiced, apple cider.

When it is finally time for our meal and the blessing, we will be filling our plates with a variety of delicious foods. People traditionally like to have a chewy, meaty type of main dish for Thanksgiving that would be in place of the traditional turkey. So, I make a Seitan Stroganoff, which is an old recipe of my mother’s that I have remade to be vegetarian. It is very hearty with a kind of gravy type of flavor and sauce. I would have a big, mixed green salad and the side dishes would be my squash casserole, Tom Spicer’s brown rice and chestnuts, stuffed tomatoes, green peas and Sweet potatoes with cranberries and apples. Then of course we have to have the traditional cornbread dressing. I make mine with my homemade cornbread recipe that is combined with vegetable broth, celery, sautéed onions and some herbs to create a wonderful cornbread stuffing.

Traditionally, for the last 27 years, my mother would divide her dressing when she was making it and make one with chicken broth for everyone else and then one with a vegetarian broth for my family and me. I always appreciated that from my mother. She is so thoughtful about trying to make sure everyone is able to enjoy a festive Thanksgiving Dinner together.

Then for the bread, I make my Great Aunt Katherine’s homemade yeast rolls, which are always a favorite and are the traditional bread at our holiday family feasts. Then for the grand finale, there would be pumpkin and pecan pies for dessert.

I am so thankful for my family and our meals together. This Thanksgiving I will be eating these comforting foods that are my special veggie Thanksgiving feast.

I hope this gives you some idea of what to serve the vegetarians that grace your table.

Bless you and your family and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

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Chef Stephan loves my book, “How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian” 2nd edition!

I had a great time at Lisa Endicott’s anniversary party of her Endicott PR* business. It was given at Chef Stephan Pyles’ restaurant, San Salvaje. It was an evening of great people, food, music and conversation.

Stephan owns the following restaurants: Stephan Pyles, Stampede 66, San Salvaje and Flora St. Cafe in Dallas, TX.

Thank you Chef Stephan!

* Lisa Endicott is the owner and president of Endicott & Company Public Relations.  Endicott & Company specializes in corporate communications, media relations, marketing and branding strategy, and event publicity for entertainment, financial, technology, hospitality and travel, nonprofit, real estate, and retail clients. You can visit her website here.

You can get your copy of How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian at Amazon, Barnes or Our Store.

Nancy’s website is: Organic Healthy Life.com

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Study Reveals That A Plant Based Diet

Is A Powerful Treatment For Diabetics

More than 100 million people today have diabetes or pre-diabetes.  A recent study conducted by a team of American and Japanese researchers shows that people who have diabetes can vastly improve their health by eating an entirely plant-based diet. (1) During my work with people who have diabetes, I have found that they show remarkable improvement in their health and well-being from consuming a plant-based, and almost completely raw food diet.

Researchers have done a meta-analysis (considered the highest level of scientific evidence), in which they compared six significant prior research studies, and they found that a plant-based diet significantly improved blood sugar control in Type-2 diabetes.  The results were that plant-based diets improved a key indicator of blood sugar control.  The blood sugar control indicator is called Hemoglobin A1c.  The results improved as much as 1.2 points, which is much greater than the effect of typical oral diabetes medicines. (2)

The new study focused on combining the results of all of the available studies.  The benefits of excluding meat, cheese, and eggs from the diet was as much as 0.7 points in some studies, and averaged 0.4 points overall. (3) This study also focused on long-term effects.  Participants in most of these studies were not required to reduce their calorie or carbohydrate consumption.  (4)

Diabetics who would like to reduce their medications can now understand that the type of food that they are consuming DOES have a direct impact on their health.

This new study is published in Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy.  It is called “Vegetarian Diets and Glycemic Control in Diabetes:  A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”.

By Nancy Addison CHC, AADP

You may want to check out my diabetes and vegetarian cookbook on Amazon!

It’s a great place to start for easy, delicious vegetarian food and nutritional advice!

Click here to see my books on Amazon!

Source:
1, 2, 3, & 4 – Yokoyama Y, Barnard ND, Levin SM, Watanabe M. Vegetarian diets and glycemic control in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther 2014;[4:37]3-382.

Please leave a comment and join the conversation!

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It’s up on my banner of this website!

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        Smell is one of our strongest senses and it invokes all kinds of memories and feelings. That is one of the reasons we crave certain foods at various times. When we smell or eat these certain foods, it gives us that feeling of comfort we may have felt at a special time in our life.

         Well, the State Fair of Texas was here these last few weeks. For all of you that don’t know what it is, the State Fair of Texas is a big festival located in Dallas every year. It provides various kinds of entertainment, crafts, competitions, exotic food (like fried oreo cookies), games, shows, displays, vendors, a midway and animals It is the largest state fair in the US and runs for about 3 weeks.

         I always loved eating the corn dogs that they sell there. Eating those corn dogs was a once a year special treat. It is one of my “comfort” foods from my childhood, because it reminds me of being with my family and friends at the fair.

        When I became a vegetarian 27 years ago, I couldn’t eat the ones that they sell at the fair; so I decided to create my own! These are healthier, because they are baked and made from whole grain, healthier fats and organic ingredients.

        The cornbread recipe for this dish can be made on it’s own as a delicious corn bread that can be served with your meal. Being from Texas and part of the south, my grandmother always made me cornbread and black eyed peas for dinner, when I would visit her; so it reminds me of my grandmother.

        This may be a reason I like to make this bread or dish when my children are home visiting. Making this cornbread, as a part of the corn dogs, makes it special and a lot more fun as a meal or snack.

A great side bonus, is that it also makes the house smell great and feel comforting!

Nancy’s Texas Corn Dogs

        Home-made corn dogs! These are delicious and became one of my children’s favorite meals when they were growing up! These are a fun food to make for occasions like football watching parties. Be sure to buy certified, organic cornmeal. This recipe is fairly quick and easy, and, because it calls for quinoa flour, it is gluten-free. I added some options for a vegan version of this recipe in the ingredient list.

        Serve these warm with a little mustard or ketchup on the side.

        This recipe calls for: tiny single loaf baking pans. I bought a bunch of them to use just for this recipe. If you have some large muffin pans or cups, you could use them instead.

Ingredients:
2 T. extra-virgin, pure coconut oil
1 c. whole grain, organic, non-GMO cornmeal
½ c. whole grain quinoa flour
1½ T. baking powder (non-aluminum)
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
2 eggs (substitute a mashed up banana for a vegan version)
1½ c. buttermilk (you can use a thick coconut yogurt instead for a vegan version)
2 T. ghee, melted (you can use coconut oil instead for a vegan version)
2 T. honey
1 pack your choice of hot dogs (I use a vegetarian version)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Place coconut oil in the tiniest loaf pans you can find, and let it melt in the oven for a couple of minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. Sift together cornmeal, quinoa flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.

4. In a large bowl, beat eggs.

5. Add buttermilk, melted ghee, honey, and melted coconut oil to beaten eggs, and beat together.

6. Place a tiny piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan.
Coat with coconut oil, and then turn it over and leave it in the bottom of the pan. (This will make it much easier to take out of the pan when it is finished.)

7. Cut hot dogs to fit into the pan lengthwise. Leave a little space at each end for the cornbread to cover it.

8. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

9. Pour batter into the pans over parchment paper.

10. Cut the hot dogs; so that they will fit into the pan neatly in the middle of the corn bread. Place hot dogs in the center of the pan, so that they are surrounded by the corn bread on all sides.

11. Bake about 35 minutes.

Tops should be golden brown and sides should have pulled away from the sides of the pan. (You can do the toothpick test to see if the center is done.)

This recipe will make about 12 mini corn dogs.

Notes:
1. Have hot dogs ready. When the batter is ready, it is best to get it
into the pans and then the oven very quickly.

2. Larger-sized hot dogs usually taste better.

3. This recipe calls for tiny loaf pans that are made for baking bread. They are sold separately or as a large pan with individual, mini-loaf spaces. Many stores, including Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and Target, sell the pans. If you don’t want to buy one, simply use a small cooking container that is about an inch and a half deep and longer than it is wide.

4. You can buy the sticks to put the corn dogs on at those stores as well!

Remember to put in the main ingredient.

The Main Ingredient is Always Love!

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I’ve been hosting my Rejuvenation Retreat this month in Redonda Bay Nicaragua with Charlotte Ammerman.

This week we had a local Nicaraguan Mid Wife/Healing Woman come and give a cooking class for our group. She made a healing green drink, native cookies, home make tortillas and a stir fry.

We got to use some of my healthier ingredients that I had brought from the US.

I had her make her dishes with some of my healthier ingredients and her incredibly fresh local ingredients.

We got to work with her and make the dishes with her. It was so much fun for our group.

She was so precious and had the sweetest smile.

We are so blessed to be in such an exotic central American Country with so many dear sweet people who are sharing their culture with us.

Here is her recipe for the healing green drink she made for us.

Nicaraguan Anti-Inflammatory Drink

This is a green drink that fortifies the blood and helps those with anemia.

Ingredients:

Jicote leaves

Spinach leaves

Lemon/lime juice

Directions:

Combine in a blender or juice.

Serve immediately.

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I was on KTXD TV channel 47, The Broadcast, yesterday with Lisa Pineiro talking about Healthy Children’s Snacks.
We were shooting off site at the Parks Mall in Arlington, Tx.
Here is the link for the show segment.

http://www.ktxdtv.com/story/26226420/packing-healthy-school-lunches

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I had a wonderful time at the Taste of NFL last night at the fundraiser for the North Texas Food Bank. Beautiful evening with some of the best restaurants in town serving up some delicious food at Lake Grapevine.

I met Jason Garrett, the coach of the Dallas Cowboys. It was a night of fun with many of the Dallas Cowboys there to support the North Dallas Food Bank.

The post Raising Money For the North Texas Food Bank – Nancy Addison with Dallas Cowboy’s Coach Jason Garrett at Taste of NFL, Tackle Hunger appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

I was so excited to see such wonderful reviews of my book on Amazon, that I thought I would share them with you!

Customer Reviews
How to Be a Healthy Vegetarian