Other helpings of Primary Food on Thanksgiving

By Carol Harblin (CHHC)

Ever wonder why we get so full on Thanksgiving? Yes, we eat LOTS of food throughout the day, but there's other things that feed us too.

It's important to take notice at the primary foods on a day that is packed with so much nutritional food.

The four primary foods that also nourishes us are: Physical Activity, Relationship, Spirituality, Career.

I think most of us are going to have several helpings of Relationship. On Thanksgiving, we encounter several relationships as we communicate with cousins, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, grandparents, nieces, nephews, Uncles, Aunts, husbands, wives, boyfriends, and girlfriends. WOW! That's definitely several helpings right there! The energy and the communication (verbal and nonverbal) of all these relationships fill us just as turkey can physically fill our stomachs.

How many helpings of Activity will you get? With a massive amount of calories, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats this day, will you also take a walk before or after? Some people race in the Turkey Trot, while others walk with their families and friends after their meal.
Spirituality is sprinkled over mealtime as some people say grace before they eat. Some people take time to say what they are thankful for in their lives too. Throughout the day, whether we are conscious of it or not, we are under the guidance of our higher power too. Some go to church on Thanksgiving too.

The last helping of primary food is Career. This is the last thing people want to have on their mind on this day, but it always manages to come up. Most of us will be taking the day off (or weekend off) from this primary food...but others may still have to think it and do it. Believe it or not, there are places open on Thanksgiving Day. That means people have a serving of work/career this day too. Mothers and Fathers are always working on Thanksgiving. They have several servings of career this day too: kids, the food, the cleaning, and the camaraderie.
Whether we want to or not, we always think and talk about our careers before and during the meal. It just happens. Even those people who hate their jobs - it always ends up being on the table too.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day! Make it a full one with lots of nutritional food and loads more primary food.

Preparing the Turkey Day Feast

By Carol Harblin (CHHC)

It's time to start thinking about the Thanksgiving menu and all the trimmings. How can you maximize a thoroughly healthy feast? Think about what you get and think about the ingredients that are inside the food.

Don't just grab an item for the sake of convenience. Check it out first.
The number one easiest and yummiest item on the menu is cranberry sauce. But you have one of two ways to prepare it. Do you buy it in the can and slice it or do you make the homemade stuff?

Either way is very good, but watch out for the canned sauce. I would advise you to buy the Organic cranberry sauce because it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it.
Who wants to eat corn syrup sauce? I don't know about you, but I want to eat CRANBERRY sauce!

Those hors d' oeuvres such as the pickles and crackers can be loaded with high fructose corn syrup too. You're probably saying, "PICKLES too!!!???" Yep...Pickles! There are some brands that have not succumbed to the fructose craze. Just read the ingredients and you will be golden.
Egg nog is another seasonal treat. I love to have a cup of it. Just watch out for the high fructose corn syrup. Get the Organic stuff.

Any bread item may have high fructose corn syrup too...make sure yo read the ingredients.
How about the turkey itself? It is highly advisable to buy a turkey without growth hormone, and no antibiotics. I don't know about you but I want to leave the antibiotics for the pharmacist - not in my meat!!

If you use eggs, make sure they are free of antibiotics and hormone too.

Can you believe all the crap that the FDA has put into our foods? They certainly haven't made it easy on the healthy consumer to just go into the supermarket and gather the trimmings, eh?
And here is another healthy tip for your roast beast. Don't deep fry it. This may be faster, and involve less clean up and less hassle, but to deep fry a turkey isn't exactly healthy. You will be making a trip to the doctors office for your next heart medication!

Deep frying a turkey is a trend, and hopefully it is a dying trend....some Thanksgiving traditions are meant to be continued such as the old fashion oven use.
Have a wonderful time preparing for your Thanksgiving holiday. Make a game out of reading the ingredients. Know that your body is worth it. All the thought and consideration that you put into your dinner will make your body happier.

And after that wonderfully filling dinner, and before attacking the desserts, go for a walk and combat that Turkey exhaustion!
Happy Holistic Thanksgiving!

Damn that gluten

By Carol Harblin (CHHC)

I may have already spouted off about white flour and how it is damaging to the body.
But this is an important blog entry because it is very personal.

White flour products are not the best products to consume. Why? Because it's stripped of its bran.
White flour products contribute to inflammation. People may suffer itching, rashes, bloating, scratchy throat, even dry mouth.

Wheat has certainly made a name for itself within the past decade too. More and more people are becoming gluten intolerant. Why is this so?
The same reason most people become sensitive to something - over exposure. Gluten is not a very easy thing for the human body to digest. In fact, we cannot digest all of it completely. Our bodies were not made to metabolize gluten and therefore that gluten stays in the digestive tract for a long time and can cause inflammation and irritation!!!!

Even when we don't consume gluten, we can still have a sensitivity to it. Remember: if it is not fully digested, then it is still inside us. The pesticides and additives and chemicals in food can clash with that undigested gluten in our gut which can cause gastrointestinal upset!!

Those oh-so wonderful antibiotics that the doctor gives you doesn't help your digestive system any better.

I recently researched that physical stress on the body can actually bring on wheat intolerance!! This doesn't shock me too much because emotional trauma could cause an onset of dyslexia in some cases. This just proves that we are very very sensitive people. We are extremely chemically sensitive too.

But, yes, physical stress on the body could actually contribute to gluten sensitivity. Stress can effect the digestive system very easily.

With all the stress inflicted upon our emotional and physical states everyday, it's a wonder we aren't intolerant to more things!!

One of the number one symptoms of gluten intolerance is a rash.

How can we know for sure if we are intolerant to gluten? Try the anti-inflammatory diet for a week. Just one week. Dr. Weil has an anti-inflammatory food pyramid on his website. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02995/Dr-Weil-Anti-Inflammatory-Food-Pyramid.html

Consume anti-inflammatory foods. Consume cooling foods and foods closest to nature. Drink lots of water and maintain proper hydration.

Thankfully in today's world, it is getting easier to find gluten-free products. Restaurants are even getting on board and are adding gluten-free items to their menu. Chicago Uno is one of the restaurants that even has a gluten-free menu.

We should be lucky that gluten-free items are more popular. Just ten years ago, it was easier trying to find Waldo.

So, don't despair. Try an anti-inflammatory diet and a gluten-free diet for at least a week to see how your symptoms are doing.
I posted an anti-inflammatory post earlier with a recipe (for soup). Go ahead and try that recipe. Yummy!

Morning routines

By Carol Harblin (CHHC)

What do we all need when we wake up in the morning?

Some think that coffee is an important beginning to the morning and another may think orange juice is important.
Mornings are the most important part of the day and it is crucial that we start it with the best possible routine so that the rest of the day can be a highly productive day.

After a whole night of sleeping and fasting, our bodies require nourishing vitamins and minerals. A little A, D, E, K, and the B's...and some folate are some good examples of a good morning.

Enough rest from the night is also a good way to start off the morning too. Without enough sleep, the day will drag and you won't be the most productive.

Another part of the morning, after you go to the bathroom and drink some juice, is a few minutes of meditation.
Meditation in the morning helps to restore you and center you so that you have a clear vision for the day. Meditation has been known to balance the body and lower blood pressure. Brushing your teeth in the morning is essential so that you take the nightly plaque and germs out of your mouth...meditation in the morning is important so that you can find your center and start the day off on the right foot.

In the beginning, you may begin with 10 to 15 minutes...but as you practice, your meditation practice will lengthen. It becomes addictive and you begin to see its benefits.

A good way to stick to meditation is to find a mantra to repeat. Some have their own mantra, and others choose to repeat a phrase or affirmation. You repeat the mantra to yourself.

Meditation is as important as your water soluble vitamins and your non-water soluble vitamins. It is just as important as your morning coffee too. Everything in your morning has a certain significance. That morning coffee may help you read the paper. Your morning shower refreshes you from the night. Your juice of choice awakens your taste buds. Brushing your teeth rejuvenates your teeth and gums.
Meditation awakens your soul and stimulates your senses. It centers you and helps increase your productivity for the day. It gives you a more heightened sense of clarity.

Everyone has a morning routine, and it is as unique as your fingerprints. But, there is one thing that we can all do that is the same and that is by practicing a few minutes of meditation so that we can regroup, reboot, and recharge.

Have a beautiful day!

Fed up with flu and fear

By Carol Harblin (CHHC)

This whole week I have seen headine after headline about the flu. The flu has hit the papers everyday to some degree. It seems like all they want to do is pump fear and keep giving out those shots.

I love Obama. I'll admit it. But why is he all about this flu virus? He is aiding to the fear in this country. Obama has proven to be a competent and inteligent man, but when it comes to this flu virus...he looks as common and blind as the rest of the public.

WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!

The other evening I over heard a family talking at a restaurant. The mother said, "We have to get our flu shots...our doctor recommends it so we have to get it."

WHAT!?!

You don't have to get anything. And why does a doctor have to only recommend the shot? Does he work on commission or something?

Common conventional doctors are salesmen and high class drug pushers. They see no other alternative. It's their way or no way. WHAT!?!

Why does it look like the only way to prevent flu is by getting the shot?

Why is fear running rampant? Fear is the onset of most diseases and other illnesses. To have fear is to accept disease.

Learn the facts. Stay strong and say no. Don't give it to the doctors until you know what is about to be put into your body. Find out the alternatives. Find out the side effects.

Your body is the only body you are going to get - protect it from those chemicals.

Love yourself.

The anti-inflammatory treatment

By Carol Harblin (CHHC)

People are searching for a low-fat diet or foods that will help ease neurological impairments. They search for the right foods in the supermarket and are never successful. More often than not, people leave the market more frustrated.
Conventionally, dietitians will sit down with you and discuss your caloric, carbohydrate, fat, and protein intake. Well, this may be feasible to a degree, but it is missing a huge piece of the puzzle.
Simply put, food is our medicine.
It's not about the numbers that dietitians feed us, it's about the actual food. Let's look at whole food.
On a daily basis, people are inundated with processed foods and quick grab food. These foods could be low in calories and even fat, but it's not whole food! It's still processed. Anything you can just grab or that is instant is not going to be very good for your body. Your body will let you know this down the road. It may ache, let you feel pain or numbness, you may tire easily, and you may even have irregular bowel function.
People who are fighting multiple sclerosis are very strong people to be struggling such a difficult diagnosis. But let's look at their possible diet and lifestyle prior to diagnosis. Generally speaking, they were extremely active people and involved in every aspect of life. Being active usually means the body requires its stores to be adequately replenished. Drinking diet drinks with aspartame or other sweeteners is not a very wise decision. Any common soda is not something that should be consumed.
If anyone implements an active and overly busy life day-to-day, something going to give - unless you have been nutritionally balanced. Can your car drive a long distance with poor quality gas or on an empty gas tank? Your car can't drive anywhere unless all of its parts are equally running efficiently. The same goes for us. So why do we put anything into our bodies?

The solution: Anti-inflammatory foods

Whole foods are foods that are closest to nature. Eating whole foods and an anti-inflammatory diet does ease symptoms of multiple sclerosis and other ailments. Anti-inflammatory foods eases chronic diarrhea or constipation, aches, pains, and even arthritis.

Instead of applesauce, eat an apple...instead of potato chips, eat some cherry tomatoes or carrot sticks. Eat oatmeal instead of a granola bar.

It's not about the front of the package that says "low-fat" "zero fat" "all natural"...it's about reading the ingredient list on the back. Don't get caught just reading the front of a package!

Here's a recipe to get you started:

Tomato-gorgonzola soup
4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic (mince)
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp organic brown sugar
1/2 cup & 2 tbsp crumbled gorgonzola
1/2 cup organic plain yogurt
3 slices whole grain bread (remove crust and cut bread into cubes)

Heat 2 tbsp oil in large pan to medium-high; add onion and garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, brown sugar....simmer for 15 minutes

Add gorgonzola, stir. Remove soup from heat. Mix in yogurt.

Transfer soup (in small batches) to a food processor or blender and puree until creamy and smooth. Pour back into pan over medium heat.

While soup is heating, heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place cubed bread onto cookie sheet and toss remaining gorgonzola onto cubes as well as remaining oil. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes.
Serve soup with homemade croutons over soup.

Enjoy :-)

Got Vitamin F?

By Carol Harblin (CHHC)

There are a lot of vitamins out there. We all know about and have heard of Vitamins A, D, E, K and all the B's...but have you ever heard of Vitamin F?

It's a Vitamin that nourishes our hearts as well as our souls. Vitamin F is the vitamin of friends/family.

How do you know when you are getting enough Vitamin F? Have you ever gone out to dinner with a best friend and not eat that much food because you are eating up their presence? Even with family on Thanksgiving too, that is the most nourishing day of all. We always seem to complain how full we are and how we can't eat another bite, but the fact is it was more than just the food that we were "eating."

We are very social beings and we are fed off of other people through communication and even their touch. There are times when we feel like we don't want to be social and that is fine, but we always end up talking to or being with a friend one way or another.

Vitamin F helps enriches our hearts and allows us to relate and smile. Smiling multiplies our love inside and keeps our sanity in check too.

Ever see the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks? He was fulfilling his nutritional needs by eating the fish he caught and the food he found growing on the island, BUT even when he was fulfilled nutritionally he was still in need of one more: Vitamin F. He ultimately found his Vitamin F in his buddy Wilson. Remember his friend Wilson? If it wasn't for Wilson he wold have never have gotten off the island. Even his love for his girlfriend (Helen Hunt) helped him to get off of the island too. Good ol' Vitamin L, too.

Next time you eat with friends, look at how much more you are getting fed off of them more than you are from the actual food in front of you.