Have you had one of Sookie’s juices at the gym? I had my first one the other day and was surprised how much I enjoyed the spicy green drink. According to an article from Harvard School of Public Health, we are to have five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Green leafy vegetables are especially important. These include kale, spinach, chard, and collards.

Sookie makes all kinds of juices with fresh ingredients. Last week, she made mine with spinach, romaine lettuce, fresh ginger, jalapeño, cucumber, and pineapple. The pineapple gave it just enough sweetness for taste, and the jalapeño and ginger gave it a kick – a great energy boost after your workout. So by 10:00 in the morning, I’d already had a workout and at least two to three servings of fruits and vegetables of my thirteen, maybe more based on how much spinach I saw her throw in the juicer. If you haven’t tried one, I highly recommend it. I’ll be drinking another one after my next workout.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-full-story/

Just in case you don’t get to the gym and miss out on one of Sookie’s juices, I found these juice recipes in the January issue of Whole Living Magazine. It sounds like you’ll have to invest in a juice extractor, but I’m sure you can get by with a blender. Enjoy!

From Whole Living Magazine:
Grapefruit and Carrot Juice, Press 2 chopped grapefruits (peel and pith removed), 5 chopped carrots, 1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped, through a juicer. Stir and serve immediately.

Beet and Apple Juice
Press 1 chopped small beet, five chopped carrots, one cored and chopped apple and
¼ cup fresh mint sprigs through a juicer. Stir and Serve.

Green Machine Smoothie
Combine six chopped romaine leaves, four chopped kale leaves, ½ cup fresh parsley
sprigs, ½ cup pineapple, ½ cup chopped mango, 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and
chopped and 1 ½ cups of water in a blender and blend until smooth.

Several years ago I taught a beginner tap dance class. It was a small group, only three students. They weren’t beginners though; they had repeated the class for over a decade. I was the beginner in the studio having never taught tap. I taught yoga and acting classes for kids before, but never tap dance and never to students fifty years older than I.

Harriet, Edith and Charlotte dressed out in leotards and tights for each class and spent the hour mastering shuffle hop step and flap ball change choreography to big band music. If they didn’t like the music, they told me what to bring the next week. If my choreography was too hard, they changed it. If they didn’t like the bar exercises I created they told me what they were going to do instead. “We’ve been taking tap for 13 years. We don’t get any better. Don’t want to. Don’t care,” Edith reminded me. At the age of 75, they just wanted to dance and enjoy it.

One thing I learned is that I still want to be moving and dancing like those women when I’m their age. The hour they spent together in class each week accelerating their heart rate while stomping out rhythms and shuffling across the floor kept each of them younger and healthier. The link below shows a video from CBS News that proves exercise keeps the body agile and actually slows down the aging process. The basketball team featured in the segment reminded me of Charlotte, Harriet and Edith. I quit teaching that class after that semester, but I’m certain the three of those women are still dancing.

http://www.happynews.com/news/1182012/living-proof-exercise-works.htm

I have a severe addiction to sugar. I love it. And I don’t just love candy and chocolate, but I love pasta and white rice and pretty much all simple carbohydrates.  I think moderation is an excellent rule to live by; however, for me the pendulum really needs to swing in the opposite direction for a while before I can try moderation. Since the holidays were packed with sugary gifts and treats that are hard to resist, I decided to give up sugar for one of my New Years’ resolutions. So far I’ve done well this month except for this past weekend, but I’m back on track today.

Cutting out sugar is harder than you think because it’s really in everything. Take a look at the labels on your foods, and you’ll be surprised. Basically if it is processed in any way, it probably has added sugar. This goes back to the idea of only shopping the perimeter of the grocery store.

Sugar has definitely gotten a bad reputation in the last few years with diabetes and obesity on the rise. If those things don’t scare you into monitoring you sugar intake, check out this list: http://nancyappleton.com/141-reasons-sugar-ruins-your-health/

Basically I’ve cut out the obvious things like chocolate, cake and candy, but I’ve also really watched the labels. I’ve switched yogurts to one that has less sugar than my favorite Greek yogurt. And I’ve been loading up on vegetables at meals.

I’m not sure how long I’ll go without sugar (at least till the end of the month), but I did find that list alarming. If disease and premature aging doesn’t worry you, check out #135…yikes!

I went to the Dekalb Farmers Market early last week and stocked my kitchen with all kinds of vegetables. This morning, I realized I still have a head of cauliflower waiting to be eaten, so this is the soup I’m going to make. It goes along with my detox theme for January and looks delicious. I found this on one of my favorite blogs www.staceysnacksonline.com. It looks like she got it from another blog called Sprouted Kitchen. I guess if it’s being passed around all the blogs, it must be good, right?

Caramelized Cauliflower Soup

1 large head cauliflower
olive oil
1/2 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
kosher salt and pepper

Broth:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken Broth
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

Toppings:
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh bread cut to 1″ pieces
black pepper
handful of toasted hazelnuts or almonds
fresh thyme leaves
shaved Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the cauliflower into florets and spread them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the fresh nutmeg and salt and pepper and toss everything to coat. Bake for about 35 minutes, tossing the cauliflower halfway through until they are fully roasted.

While the cauliflower roasts, start the broth. Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes to soften. Add the broth, dried thyme and vinegar and warm through.

When the cauliflower is cool, add it and the broth mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Taste to see if you need more salt and pepper. You may want to add more vinegar too. Pour back into the saucepan to keep warm.
To make the croutons, heat the remaining oil in a small pan, add the bread and a pinch of ground pepper and stir it around for 5-8 minutes until crisp and the edges are browned.
Serve each portion with a few croutons, chopped hazelnuts or almonds and a pinch of fresh thyme leaves and shaved parmesan, if using.

This young lady’s experiment shows very simply why we should eat organic foods and what the harsh pesticides and chemicals used in commercial farming do to our food supply. Kind of makes you wonder what those pesticides do in your body after you’ve eaten that potato, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBEFCiWyW0

A friend of mine who is a chef loaned me a couple of books recently knowing that I
enjoy cooking. He loves Japanese food and says the Japanese have the healthiest diet
on the planet. One of the books is Japanese Foods that Heal by John and Jan Belleme.
The first chapter details the benefits of miso. Full of vitamins and minerals including
calcium, potassium and iron, Miso is linked to preventing cancer, aiding digestion,
reducing cholesterol, and maintaining PH balance.

Several of the recipes look delicious and relatively easy. I’ve listed one below for you
to try. Enjoy!

Creamy Curried Carrot Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1½ onions diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 large carrots, sliced
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2½ cups water
One 14oz can coconut milk
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons sweet or mellow miso (any variety)
2 tablespoons grated carrot

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic,
stirring frequently for two to four minutes, or until the onion is translucent

2. Add the carrots and salt and cook two minutes more, stirring frequently.

3. Pour in the water and coconut milk, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and
simmer covered for twenty minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

4. Stir in the curry powder and black pepper and simmer for two minutes more.

5. If you have an immersion blender, add the miso to the soup, insert the blender
wand into the soup pot and blend until smooth. Be sure that the blender is fully
immersed in the liquid before blending. If using a regular blender, half fill it with
some of the soup, add the miso and blend well. Pour the pureed soup into a large
bowl and continue blending portions until all of it has been pureed.

6. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the grated carrots and bring just to a simmer.

Remove from the heat and serve hot.

Serves 4

I began running about four years ago. A couple of friends of mine invited me to
workout with them in the mornings, which started with a one-mile run to Piedmont
Park. My first run was excruciating. I dropped to the back of the pack almost
immediately with a cramp in my side and slow heavy legs. I’m a fairly competitive
person, and thought I could push myself enough to keep up with my friends, but I
didn’t have the strength. I followed them through the workout already exhausted
from the warm-up, dreading the run home. However, after the workout, I felt more
motivated than defeated. That may be my competitive nature, but I knew at the age
of 27 I should be able to run a mile easily.

The great thing about running is you begin to notice improvement fairly quickly. My
friend Bryan told me whatever you do don’t stop running even if you’re slow.
Three months later, I ran my first 5K. I finished in about 33 minutes. It wasn’t a fast
race, but I was happy knowing I’d completed the entire hilly course without walking.
Five months later, I finished my first half marathon in 2 hours and eleven minutes. I
would never have believed in March, when I first ran to Piedmont Park, that I would
finish a half marathon just months later.

I used to power walk for exercise, but once I started running regularly, walking
didn’t feel like much of a workout. The amount of calories burned on a run
verses walking is significantly higher per mile. Running improves cardiovascular
endurance, lowers blood pressure, improves sleep and reduces stress. Ever heard of
runner’s high? It can be addictive. The body releases endorphins, which give you an
exhilarating, euphoric feeling. It’s a great way to end a run. Try it.

When the price of cigarettes jumped from $2.00 a pack to $11.00 a pack, did that incent you to quit? I imagine if I were ever a smoker, the cost would certainly affect my habit. What if we raised the price on high-fructose corn syrup filled sodas or foods made with partially hydrogenated oils? Would the extra dollars change what you put in your grocery cart? Denmark thinks it might. According to a recent article by Mark Bittman in the New York Times, Denmark’s government recently implemented a tax on foods high in saturated fat. This tax was created to generate more revenue just like their taxes on other items such as alcohol, cigarettes and pesticides in the agriculture industry. These taxes have not only increased revenues, but also saved money in the nation’s healthcare industry by producing a healthier population.

Although I would argue that saturated fats are not the culprit, I do believe that manipulating the price of unhealthy foods is a smart way of encouraging society to make better choices. One problem we have in the United States, where according to the CDC, one third of the adult population is obese, is that unhealthy food is easy, cheap and accessible. In the movie Food Inc. a family chooses to grab dinner at the McDonalds drive thru because it’s cheaper than buying fresh meat and vegetables to cook at home.

Someone told me once that to live a healthier lifestyle you should shop the perimeter of the grocery store and stay away from the isles in the middle. This makes sense when just about everything in the center comes in a box or a can and is filled with chemicals and preservatives. But to shop the outer ring of the grocery is definitely more expensive. I can understand how families need to stretch a dollar longer and opt for boxes of pasta and canned goods that can take care of several meals rather than a single meal of fresh fish and organic vegetables for the same price.

Based on the price tags in this country, we are encouraging people to eat the highly processed foods that overtime lead to unhealthy habits and disease.  If we followed our Danish friends and a box of macaroni and cheese became more expensive than an organic sweet potato, which would you serve as your side dish? Maybe we could become the healthiest nation in the world rather than the fattest.

I just logged onto Facebook and saw a status update of my friend Rhonda Geraci that said, “Remember: Health is not an entitlement, we have to work to keep it.”

Over the past few years, I’ve worked to stay healthy not only with exercise, but also with the food I eat. I’ve tried every trend diet – low calorie, low fat, low-carbohydrate – trusting each diet would be the answer to total health and longevity. But, inevitably I would fall off the wagon from cravings or because maintaining the diet was too difficult everyday.

A friend of mine recommended I read Nina Planck’s book Real Food. Her philosophy is that we should eat real foods as close to nature as they come because these foods farmed and prepared in the “traditional” way maintain the nutrients we need. She emphasizes the importance of organic produce, grass-fed meats and dairy, and even fats. This philosophy made sense to me. I never understood how avocados and coconut could be so bad for me when they come directly from nature, but I’d always heard they were fattening and to keep them out of your diet. Planck discusses how the commercial food industry has left our grocery stores filled with highly processed foods with marketing ploys to make us think they are healthy when they are actually depleted of the nutritional properties our bodies need.

After reading Real Food, I quit counting calories and looking at the fat content on everything I ate. I shopped more in the organic section and tried to limit packaged and canned foods. I bought all grass-fed and pasture raised meats. I found a farm that sells raw milk and delivers to Atlanta every Friday, and I added coconut oil to my diet.  I no longer felt guilty about eating high fat, high calorie foods when I knew they were the best quality and most nutritious for my body. Most importantly, I never gained weight eating these real foods and noticed improvement in my complexion and energy.

The best thing I can do to maintain my health is to educate myself on what my body needs and be conscious of what I put in my body.  Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian or, like me, an omnivore, do a little research and learn more about the quality and nutritional value of the food you eat. Work to maintain your health by filling your diet with fresh unprocessed quality foods. Your body will thank you.