Add Brussels sprouts to your shopping list folks.  These veggies resembling mini cabbages are packed full of nutrients like Vitamin C and fiber and phytonutrient sulforaphane to enhance the body’s defense mechanism and help fight against disease.  Studies have also shown their ability to promote Liver function and detoxify the body.  My sister has been a fan for years.  She cooks Brussels sprouts in the steamer and dips them in ketchup… I discovered a slightly more tempting way to serve them.

Brussels Sprout Soup

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Brussels sprouts
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 carrot peeled and sliced thin
• 1 small chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves sliced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram
• dash of pepper and nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp dry white wine
• Optional – 3/4 lb cooked chicken
• Red pepper flakes

(Note: the butter, milk, egg and flour can be omitted for a more brothy soup)

Directions

Rinse the Brussels Sprouts and remove any loose leaves. Trim ends and cut large Brussels Sprouts in half.

In large saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add onion and carrot slices, and cook and stir until just tender about 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in flour and seasonings. Add chicken broth and stir, as you bring mixture to a boil.  Stir in Brussels sprouts.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer until Brussels sprouts are just tender, about 5 minutes.  In a small bowl, beat together egg, milk, and wine. Stir mixture into soup.  Add chicken.  Heat until soup returns to a boil.

Delicious!

This exercise is from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  I think it’s a good one.  In our busy days, we often forget to be thankful, or at least remember how blessed we are for those that love us.

Gratitude List
List 5 people in your life who totally support you. Next to each name write one reason that you are thankful for them. If one person on your list is someone you haven’t talked to in awhile, call them up and invite them out for lunch or tea. Start making time for the people who give you energy and give less time to the people who drain your energy.

I’d like to share my own Gratitude list for today.

1. Jo-Ann – for giving me the inspiration to accomplish my goals and believe in my talents

2. Michael - for teaching me not to take myself so seriously and to believe in science

3. John – for being my companion, no matter how ridiculous I may get

4. Loretta - for sending me the best mail and making me laugh

5. Theresa and Matt - for being my friends as well as my siblings

I know, I sorta did 6.  And I could do more.  I’m lucky to have so many people who love and care for me, most of them far away, but distance doesn’t mean much when you’re family.  They pick me up when I’m down, give me a nudge when I’m lagging behind, and pull me back to reality when my horse is too high.  My people make life better… and easier everyday.

We’re home from our holiday and it’s back to work, for me at least.  After our weekend in the mountains and a long drive through the desert, John found himself in bed with chest cold.  This afternoon he came to the office complaining of a dry cough and “super congestion” in his chest.  I decided that cupping would best in order to break up some of the mucus that was causing his congestion.  What is cupping you ask?  We all remember in 2004 when Gwyneth Paltrow showed up at that NY film premier with those alien-like markings on her back.  Well…that’s from cupping.  The papers described it then as “some kind of acupuncture.”  Talk about publicity for the art.

Cupping is just one of the modalities of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. The cups are applied by reducing the inside pressure, through either suction or flame, which draws the skin up into the cup and creates a hold.  I used a plastic cupping set with a suction pump.  This is much easier and safer than the classic glass fish bowl looking ones.  Cupping is often used for such ailments as respiratory illness, gynecological issues and pain.  The intention is to break up underlying stagnation that is causing the condition.

Since John was presenting with congestion or stagnation of phlegm in his chest that he could not cough up, cups seemed to be the perfect choice for treatment.  I first treated him with needles and let him rest for a while. I used mostly tonifying points in order to boost his immune system and help him fight the illness.

John showing off his freshly cupped back

After John’s acupuncture treatment, I applied cups on either side of his thoracic spine and slid them up and down his back as if I was giving him a massage.  What began to appear were the dark colored marks that you can see in this picture. He felt some slight tenderness but no pain. After a few minutes, I removed the cups and let him sit up.  Immediately he explained that his chest felt looser and he looked a lot less dreary.

Now as I write this he’s starting to cough up the phlegm which had been lodged in his lungs for two days. The marks will last about a week or so. No backless Halloween costumes for him. He has been careful to keep the area covered as he is now more susceptible to the elements. Tomorrow he’ll be able to take a warm shower and should be feeling much better. Hooray to acupuncture and its mysterious modalities.  Hooray to John for forgoing over-the-counter decongestants and seeking out a healthier method of treatment.

They may not seem like much but lentils are packed full of nutrients making them one of Health.com’s World’s Healthiest Food pick. Not only are they a good source of protein and fiber but they are high in iron as well.  What’s the best part about this superfood?  They are cheap!  A pound of lentils, which the following recipe calls for, is around 89¢.  That’s cheaper than anything on that value menu.  Enjoy!

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lentils -rinsed and drained (I like brown lentils)
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots -peeled & chopped
• 3 celery stalks -chopped
• 1 small onion -chopped
• 3 garlic cloves -sliced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• salt & pepper to taste
• optional – white vinegar and/or Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a large sauce pan heat olive oil.  Add onions, celery and garlic.  Cook until onions are slightly translucent.  Add lentils and carrots and stir to coat.  Carefully pour in stock and water and bring to boil.  Add herbs and spices, set temperature to low, cover and simmer for at least an hour.  (For a thicker soup cook longer.) Add salt and pepper to taste.  Optional: When ready, serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and/or a tsp of white vinegar.  Yum!

While hiking in the San Bernardino National Forest this weekend, we stumbled upon this little guy.  If you look closely you’ll notice that he’s missing part of his tail.  We know that most lizards are able to detach from their tails when caught by a predator.  The muscles of the tail easily pull apart and the blood vessels constrict in order to prevent loss of blood. (Talk about fight or flight).

While the tail can grow back in as quickly as three months, the loss of the tail is a loss indeed for the lizard.  The animal stores fat in its tail which is used as a resource for energy.  It is also observed that lizards that lose their tails also lose dominance over their territory.  I’m not sure this guy was worried about all that when he had his lost appendage in the mouth of a crow.

The lizard’s tail is an important part of him being a healthy and happy lizard, but if losing it means that he gets to live another day, he knows he can survive without it.  It may not be the easiest of days but eventually the tail will grow back, sometimes slower than he’d wish or not as brightly colored, but it will indeed return.  When it was in the clutches of a dangerous predator, he did not think.  His instincts instructed his body to let go and run to safety.  Nature installed this mechanism for his benefit.

What is your mechanism for survival??  When you’re caught in a snag, do your instincts kick in and set you free?  Or are you holding on to something that is keeping you from moving forward?  Like the lizard and his tail, we sometimes need to sacrifice in order to continue on our path.  The sacrifice may not be an easy one, (they rarely are), but have faith that you can forge ahead without it and if it’s something that you will once again need, over time it can return.  The important lesson to remember is that you will survive.  Your “tail” is just the extra that’s holding you back.  Let go of the extra!  It won’t mean that you lose everything, just enough for you to safely continue.

As some of you may know, I’m a born and raised New Yorker now living in Southern California.  While my friends and family back East have been taking their winter clothes out of storage and turning up the thermostats, I’m here still in shorts and flip-flops.  You might think I’m nuts to be wishing for the cold but I seem to be having a little bit of what I call “cabana fever.”  It’s like cabin fever only just the opposite.  I say, “drive me up to the mountains, dump 6 feet of snow on me and don’t come back until the crocus are in bloom.”  While the sunshine and warm weather were nice for a while, my body is saying that something ain’t right and my brain is starting to follow suit.

It took me a while to figure out what was wrong.  Random moments of stir crazy, putting on sweaters in hopes that I wouldn’t break a sweat.  You’d suspect I’d be running around in the sunshine, instead I’m curled up on the couch, hoping for rain.  On facebook my friends all beg to trade when my status updates are, “Another day teased with a 30% chance and not a cloud in the sky.”  It seems that my body still thinks it’s back East and is getting ready for winter.  They say you can take the girl out of the humid continental climate, but…well you know the rest.

photo by John Rivera

In an effort to regain my sanity, John and I decided to head North-East to the mountains that were calling to me like a beacon of replenishment. It was only a 2 hour drive AND a 20 degree temperature difference!  Woohoo!  Just what the doctor ordered.  To my delight, the leaves were a rainbow of color and waking up Sunday morning to the brisk and clean mountain air gave me the recharge I needed.  I even went for meditative walk by myself through the campground.

The lesson I learned from my weekend adventure is an important one.  I need to listen to my inner voice and the message it carries. This time, it was a call to the East for a real change of seasons.  Next time, it could something as simple as an extra dose of fresh veggies or a morning yoga class.  Being in touch with my “self” and my needs keeps me on my track towards wellness.  My body knows what it needs and as long as I’m listening, I have the power to make the difference.
What is your body saying today?

Left: normal bone, right: osteoporotic bone

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has declared October 20, 2009 – World Osteoporosis Day.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of bone deceases leading to a higher incidence of fracture, particularly of the hip, wrist and spine.

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation website, “one in three women over the age of 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will one in five men.”

An active lifestyle, a healthy diet rich in calcium, and maintaining a healthy weight are just some of the ways to reduce your risk of developing this common condition.

Take this one-minute online test to find out if you are at risk for osteoporosis and to learn more visit the International Osteoporosis Foundation website.

Today’s Los Angeles Times online Health section posted an article by Elena Conis entitled Poring over facts about milk: cow’s, goat’s, soy, almond, rice and hemp.  In this article Conis took the time to examine the seven types of milk common to today’s market.  Read the whole story…

What she found is there are pros and cons to each product.  Have a look at the chart below to see if you can decipher why one might be better than another.

What Colis found is that not every milk is good for every person.  Cow and goat’s milk are high in fat and cholesterol, and contain lactose, a common food allergen, but are also high in important nutrients such as protein and calcium.  Soy milk is a good source of protein but there is an ever growing concern over the estrogen-like compounds it contains.  Rice milk is another alternative, but is often filled with sweetener and lacks protein.

It seems that the best way to decide which to pour over your cereal is to understand your body’s individual needs.  Have your cholesterol levels checked, find out how many calories you need per day to maintain a healthy weight, be aware of your food sensitivities, and make sure you are getting your daily dose of recommended nutrients, whether they be from food or a supplemental source.

I’d like to switch gears for a moment and forgive me if my opinion is to loud  but I’m angry.  In an attempt to be a more educated and responsible citizen, I used my Saturday morning searching the internet for a clear and unbiased explanation of what the government is really planning to do with our health care.  My efforts ended in both disappointment and disgust with our system for their inability put it’s people in the know.  At first I got mad, really, really mad.  Now I’m going to write about it, not any more about how I’m mad, but how important it is, now more than ever, to take our health into our own hands.

You can make whatever decision you want about health care.  If you are among the fortunate who can afford a great plan, or were able to keep your jobs during the great unemployment debacle of ‘08, kudos to you.  But if you are among the 30 million Americans who don’t have health coverage, or if you’re like me, an average individual who pays an overpriced premium with a ridiculous deductible and all out of pocket, this post goes out to you.  No, I take that back.  This post goes out to everyone!

Health care reform should start in your home, not on capital hill.  Sure we need solutions for those who are old, or sick, or dying.  But what about you?  The intentions of this blog are and will always be about prevention.  I have made it my goal to bring to you all the information I can about living healthy lives and not making it a full time job to do so.  Let the congress and the senate fight over higher taxes for insurance companies and public health policies.  Give yourself the power to decide your fate and make the efforts to be healthy and stay healthy.  This means taking easy steps to prevent disease and, if you are able, to bring awareness to others.

Prevention is key.  I can’t stress this enough.  We don’t know what will be available to us tomorrow and  we can never predict an illness.  You could get hit by a car and the whole point would be moot but what if you live another 50 years?  Wouldn’t you rather those be 50 years of health and not of worry over whether your meds will be covered or if you’ve met your deductible?

Again, I have to apologize for the over-expression of my opinion and while you may be better able to argue in favor of the government’s reform, it is an inarguable fact that this country needs to start living healthier and for two important reasons.  The first: so we can have fulfilling lives without such a concern about where the money is for health care, and two: to save money for others who are not as fortunate.

Let me give you an example:

• -Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States.¹
• -In 2009, heart disease is projected to cost more than $304.6 billion, including health care services, medications, and lost productivity.²
• -In 2003, approximately 37% of adults reported having two or more of six risk factors for heart disease and stroke (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, current smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity).³
• -A healthy diet, 30 minutes of daily exercise and eliminating and reducing harmful risks such as alcohol consumption and tobacco are proven to greatly reduce the risk for heart disease.

Now, how can you argue with those facts?  By taking charge of our health, we can help to eliminate some major concerns over health care.  I, like you, would rather have peace of mind.  I certainly can’t argue with that.  The government must help our country and provide us with a better system, but until that day comes, it is up to us to take care of our selves.

Thanks for listening.  I feel better now and I wish to all of you a better today and a healthier tomorrow.

Resources:

¹Kung HC, Hoyert DL, Xu J, Murphy SL. Deaths: final data for 2005. National Vital Statistics Reports. 2008;56(10).

²American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2009 Update. Dallas; AHA:2009. Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation. 2008 Dec 15.

³Hayes DK, Greenlund KJ, Denny CH, Keenan NL, Croft JB. Disparities in multiple risk factors for heart disease and stroke, 2003. MMWR. 2005;54:113–116.

The battle against breast cancer continues.  Each year nearly 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 lose their battle.  It is the number one cancer occurring in women in the U.S. and it occurs in men as well.  While there is still no cure, education and early detection can help against the fight.  To find out the facts about breast cancer, early detection and how you can help, as well as support for those with the disease, please visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s website.