blog

Our food choices matter, in so many ways and emphasizing health-promoting foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds can be effective! Regardless of where you are on your journey to being healthier, you can begin by adding more of these foods, which will crowd out the health-damaging foods. Focus on real, whole plant foods that have only one ingredient on the label, or no label at all! And it is SO important to know that not only is a plant-based diet safe for children, but they are more likely to meet their nutritional needs than if eating our standard American diet. It is meatless Monday everyone and have a great one!

Most of us want to get healthier, feel great, function better and live longer. Let us face it though, it is hard to know how to change life-long habits and trade them in for healthier choices. There are some “quick wins” you can achieve, trying each one for a week, then adding another. Today is about breakfast. What is your “go to” and how can it be healthier? Try replacing it with oatmeal with walnuts, pecans or almonds mixed in, a tablespoon of ground flax seeds or chia seeds then raisins or dried fruit and lastly cinnamon, cloves, or any other spice you would like. Use plant-based milks instead of cow’s milk to make it, and for your mornings to be super-fast and easy, mix it all up the night before then eat it cold – overnight oats are fabulous! It is meatless Monday, and their website is loaded with great breakfast ideas for you and your kiddo’s! Have a marvelous Monday everyone!

Many times, we have discussed the link between eating plant-based foods and reducing the risk of cancer which is well established in large studies across the world. More fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains can not only prevent cancer but help with cancer patient survivorship. The foods we choose have an impact on our gene expression – extremely exciting! And of course, we ALL want to avoid cancer, but it may be hard to know where to begin. There are some “easy wins” you can start with: swap refined grains and cereals for whole grains; trade out milk for soy, oat or almond milk; add at least one portion of green, leafy vegetables a day; use fruits for snacks instead of processed salty or sugary foods. On this meatless Monday, try one new recipe that is plant-based and make it a marvelous, cancer-fighting Monday too!

Monday’s healthy habit is about Physical Education and Sports Week! And in the Blue Zones, those areas where people live longer, stronger and better, they do not do so much “fitness” as much as they play and move and have fun together. Plus, they do it outside – in the fresh air and sunshine, and grass! Think about the ways you and your family can make your own “PE” that is fun! Walk with friends, find “hill climbs” to race up with your children, and find ways throughout the day to get up and move. Blue Zones people “move” every 20 minutes! And remember that deep breathing outdoor air in the sunshine helps us process those nutrients we are eating, too!

There is only one diet that has ever been proven to reverse heart disease, which is one centered around whole plant foods. Heart disease is the #1 reason that you and your loved ones will die – so the ability to reverse it is exciting news! And that is not all it can do – it can also be effective in preventing, stopping and reversing other killers like type 2 diabetes and hypertension. There is a growing movement toward plant-based eating, yet it has been slow. Keep in mind, it took 25 years and more than 7,000 studies that linked smoking to premature death before it was widely accepted. The physician who just became President of the American College of Cardiology was asked why he follows his own patient advice by eating a plant-based diet. He responded that he does not mind dying, he just does not want it to be his own fault:) On this Meatless Monday, you too can be on the leading edge of our country becoming healthier by increasing your plant-slant!

Meatless Monday’s healthy habit is all about SPRING CLEANING – we “clean house”, like washing the windows and lots more when we do spring cleaning, but why not cleanse this wonderful body of ours by doing some simple and natural detox steps? Our bodies are designed to clean out toxins on their own, but we have overloaded those systems with our lifestyles, and the environment we live in – so stay tuned all week to learn simple hacks to detox! First, jump start your spring-cleaning detox with a great 1-, 2- or 3-day juice cleanse from Fresh Healthy Cafe’!

You may remember that in 2020, the FDA called for the immediate withdrawal of a popular acid reflux medication called Zantac because it had high levels of NDMA, a contaminant that has a cancer risk exceeding many potent carcinogens, including asbestos. In the FDA’s decision to pull Zantac off the shelves, they stated that the NDMA levels were like what you would expect to be exposed to if you ate grilled or smoked meats…. what?!! Yes, they feel ninety-six nanograms a day is acceptable, and Zantac had one hundred. Half a chicken breast contains 110. :/ It is a great reason to give meatless Monday a try today! Go to meatlessmonday.com for great ways to make it happen.

If you’re like most people, you’ve likely crafted your own New Year’s resolution. One common goal people commit to is making healthier choices – from hitting the gym regularly to changing your diet altogether.

When people go to the gym, they focus on which routines can improve certain parts of their bodies. When it comes to eating healthy, however, people tend to think about the food they should be avoiding. While that’s a big part of eating healthy, it’s only half the story. In fact, it’s time you focus on what you should be eating – that’s where superfoods come in.

A few months ago, we visited a fantastic eatery in Cape Girardeau named Fresh Healthy Cafe. We tried an array of vegan dishes that did not taste vegan. We loved the place.

The last time we were there, owner Rick Hetzel told us a tale of his new vegan burger called the Beyond Burger – he claimed it taste just like the real thing. We made a promise that we would be back as soon as his super burger was on the menu. Today we keep that promise.

San Marcos now has a new healthy fast food option on North City Drive, just across the street from CSUSM, where local residents Nancee and Dave have opened the first Fresh Healthy Cafe in San Diego County.