Zucchini is one of the most popular varieties of squash. It’s also quite versatile.  From sautéing and steaming, to baking to juicing, zucchini adds a delicate flavor to any dish.

One of my favorite parts of late summer and early fall was my mom’s zucchini bread. Coming home after school, you would see me chowing down with a hunk of her zucchini bread fresh from the oven with melting butter. Yum!

I’ve altered her recipe a bit for more healthy eating (Mom didn’t know of spelt flour or alternative sweeteners), but the feeling is the same.

Enjoy!

Zucchiini Orange Loaf

• 4 eggs or egg substitute
• 1 ¾ cups honey or agave nectar
• ¾ cup applesauce* or canola oil
• 2/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 cups zucchini pulp
• 3 ¼ cups spelt, quinoa, or whole grain flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp cloves
• 2 tsp grated orange peel**
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

*applesauce is a great way to lower the calories and fat of traditional bread and muffin recipes calling for oil. Choose an unsweetened or low sweetened apple sauce (or better yet, make your own!).

**use fresh orange peel from the oranges you’re using to juice! Use eith
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  Add honey, orange juice, applesauce (or oil), and the zucchini pulp, and continue to beat until well-blended. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Bake 45-55 minutes in a non-stick (slightly greased) loaf pan.er organic oranges or wash the rind well. Create orange peel by using a rinder, a veggie peeler, or a grater.

Nutritional Benefits

Get some Antioxidant Super Powers! Zucchini provides 20% of your daily value of manganese and 17% of your daily value of Vitamin C.  Manganese feeds your mitochondria, which are your cellular energy centers. And Vitamin C brings all around health goodness.

Zucchini also contains beta-carotene and zinc. Alongside are some less common antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxantin, both of which are known to support strong, healthy eyes and prevent macular degeneration.

Zucchini provides a vast array of B-vitamins including folate, B1, B2, B3, B6, and choline. This spectrum of B vitamins provides support to blood sugar metabolism. The aforementioned manganese and zinc also add a boost. Extra support arrives with magnesium (10% of the daily value), and omega 3s (8% of the daily value).

Zucchini is a good source of fiber and of pectin, which helps maintain sugar balances and prevent type 2 diabetes.

Squash seeds have anti-microbial properties. This feature is great for digestive tract health and wellness. Squash seeds have a long history of being used against intestinal tapeworms and parasites.

About Zucchini

Zucchini (and squash in general) has a long and distinguished history. Scientists have found squash seeds in Mexico caves that have been preserved for over 10,000 years. Cultivation of this summer/late summer veggie began in Mexico and Central America and spread rapidly throughout the Western hemisphere.

For many Native American tribes, squash was considered to be a staple.  Along with corn (maize) and beans, the trio was called the “Three Sisters.”

Christopher Columbus brought squash to Spain, while other explorers of Portuguese and Spanish descent introduced the vegetable around the world.

Today, zucchini is cultivated worldwide. Top squash-growing states are California, Georgia, New York, and Florida, though Mexico tops the bill of squash production and exportation as 95% of all U.S. imported squash is of Mexican origin.

Selection and Storage

Look for zucchini that feel heavy for their size. Choose ones with dark green skins that are not overly hard. Note that the skin may naturally be striped or speckled.  Choose skins that are unblemished as zucchini are tender. Medium-size zucchini have the best consistency and flavor.  If growing your own zucchini, you can eat the squash blossoms.

Store the zucchini in the refrigerator.  Keep it unwashed and in a container with a lid. The squash will last for up to 7 days.

Adding an apple to any of your juice combinations is a win-win. Apples add a subtle, yet joyfully sweetness to any juice combo. Apples yield an amazing array of health benefits from deep inside their unassuming, yet lovely and vibrant skin.

Fresh juice or blend your apples to get the most in nutritional benefits. Or alternatively, just eat an apple whole.

Nutritional benefits of apples

Antioxidant Power: the apples primary claim to fame is its excellent antioxidant function. This superpower provides solid support for our cardiovascular systems, blood sugar levels, and respiratory system.

Cardiovascular Power: apples provide pectin as water-soluble fiber and a mix of nutrients called polyphenols. By consuming an apple a day, you’ll help to reduce your total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. Overall, that will help to reduce blood fats, a fantastic move your heart will appreciate!

Blood Sugar Power: Apples contain nutrients that help regular blood sugar. Not only does eating an apple prevent spikes in blood sugar, but it’s also shown to lessen the absorption of glucose from the digestive tract. Apple nutrients also stimulate the pancreas’s insulin secretion while increasing the uptake of glucose from the blood.  All of these mechanisms keeps blood sugar regulated.

Lung Power: In short, apples are good food for your lungs. Apples help prevent many types of cancers (such as colon and breast), but stands out in regards to lung cancer. Research shows that apples are specifically focused on preventing lung disease, but scientists are unsure why.

Associated with apples is a supreme antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power. Turns out it has a direct impact on asthma sufferers, whereby reducing the risk of an attack and/or preventing one.

All about apples

Apples belong to the Rose family. Joining apples in this auspicious family are apricots, cherries, plums, pears, peaches, raspberries, and almonds. Apples are part of a distinguished line of nutritionally dense and beautiful plants and foods.

The apple tree, originated in Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia, has spread to temperate regions throughout the world.  There are over 7,000 varieties of apples today.

Apples have a strong mythology. They are often considered to be the fruit that Adam and Eve ate. The Norse believed that a magic apple could keep people young forever. The golden apples of Greek myth played a pivotal role in tales of love, sex, bribery, and temptation (isn’t the “forbidden fruit” depicted as an apple?)

In American folklore, John Appleseed was said to have walked 100,000 square miles planting apple trees, all in an effort to provide food and sustenance for future settlers.

Click here for an interesting timeline on the Apple from Purdue University.

Selection and storage of apples

Choose organic fruits that are firm with rich colors. Choose a yellow/green apple with a slight blush. Choose the variety based on whatever flavor you like: sweet or tart.

Red and Golden Delicious are the sweetest of apples, while Braeburn and Fuji are slightly tart. Pippin and Granny Smith are the most tart.

Apples store extremely well at cold temperatures (35-40F/2-4C) for up to 3-4 months. Cold storage can be assisted by placing a damp muslin or cheesecloth in the crisper bin of your fridge.

Apples retain most of their nutrient density even after long storage times.

Take stock of your apple storage over time as an apple that has been bruised or damaged will indeed place other apples at risk.  Any bad apples should be removed immediately.

Late summer and early fall is Prickly Pear season here in the Southwest. This magenta fruit that replaces the yellow blooms of the cactus’ green nopales offer desert dwellers a treat packed with a unique assortment of nourishment and medicine.

Nutritional Info about the Prickly Pear

The prickly pear fruit is a fine source of magnesium and the amino acid taurine.  Both nutrients are cited as vital to brain and heart health.

The fruit is also rich in arterial health, promoting antioxidants and flavanoids. The flavanoids are the secret superhero power of the prickly pear.  This purple fruit contains at least 10 flavanoids including: kaempferol, puercetin, kaempferol 3-methyl ether, quercetin 3-methyl ether, narcissin, dihykrokaempferol (aromadendrin, 6), dihydroquercetin and eriodictyol. The prickly pear excels in fighting free radicals that can destroy cell structure.

Prickly pear pads or nopales can be eaten like a vegetable.  This part of the fruit is said to level out glucose levels and it’s great for the diabetic diet.  The fruit and nopales are a good source of fiber, as well as a great addition to a gentle and effective colon cleansing program.

The prickly pear is low-calorie while offering high levels of Vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. Some cultures have used poultices made from the cactus to fight infection and speed the healing process of wounds.

Finally, the juice of the prickly pear is said to ease muscle pain after your work out.

What is Coconut Water?

Coconut water is a product of a ‘young coconut.’  A young coconut is the unripened fruit of the coconut tree. When a coconut matures, the water inside is what produces the tender white flesh of a mature coconut.  Coconut water can be harvested and drunk directly from the immature fruit.

Coconut Water Nutritional Values

The most nutrition is to be found in a freshly cracked young coconut.  However, unless you’re handy with a hammer and have a prosperous supply of young coconuts, packaged coconut water may just be what you’re looking for. Coconut water that is sold in bottles, tetra packs, or cans is typically pasteurized.  Producers of these products may also add coconut pulp.

Nutrient content does vary from brand to brand, but the similarities are that coconut water is low in calories and fat-free. At 17 calories per 100 gm, coconut water is a tasty addition to your healthcare regime. Coconut water has an equal amount of potassium to a medium-sized banana. Avoid coconut waters that add fruit flavor unless you want added calories from sugar.

The Healthy Benefits of Coconut Water

• Low in carbohydrates
• 99% fat free
• Low sugar content
• Great for clearing the kidneys
• Natural coolant for the body
• Great for rehydrating and maintaining fluid levels
• Helps maintain blood sugar levels
• Destroys intestinal worms
• Naturally occurring electrolytes
• Great for cleansing the body
• Soothes the digestive system

What’s the best way to drink coconut water?

Whether you drink it straight, add it to juices or smoothies, or freeze it into ice cubes for some extra zing, coconut water adds a refreshing taste and a revitalizing effect to your day.

Coconut Cubes: Instead of making ice cubes from tap or purified water, choose coconut water.  The coconut cubes will add some extra nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and other electrolytes to whatever drink you use them to cool down. And it’s a refreshing addition to your smoothies, too.

Cultivating coconut water

India leads the world in coconut production at approximately 13 billion nuts per year. Historically, India has a 3000 year old tradition in coconut cultivation. From vinegar to soft drinks to coconut water concentrate, India provides the world with this nutritious fruit water.

Green Smoothie Goodness

This bright green smoothie is a pleasant pick-me up.  Use after your morning workout or in replacement of afternoon caffeine.

Yum! Green Smoothie

• 1/2 or 1 banana (fresh or frozen)
• ¼ – ½ cup of pineapple (fresh or frozen). Here are some nutritional benefits of pineapple
• 3-5 strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• ¼ tsp (or one serving) of dehydrated wheatgrass juice or 1 oz fresh wheatgrass juice.  Here are some nutritional benefits of wheatgrass juice
• 21 drops of Chlor-Oxygen¹
• Optional: 1 teaspoon of Almond Butter
• Optional:  1 tablespoon of Chia Seeds.  Here are some nutritional benefits of chia seeds
• Mix with purified water  (add purified ice if using fresh fruit  rather than frozen)

¹Chlor-Oxygen is a concentrated chlorophyll supplement. Click here for information on Chlor-Oxygen.  Any concentrated chlorophyll supplement can be used.

Banana Health Benefits

Fantastic Fiber:  the great thing about smoothies is that all the fiber is retained in the drink.  One medium-sized banana offers 16% of the daily value of dietary fiber.  Fiber  rich diets are great for overall health and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Marvelous Muscles:  Bananas have a high concentration of potassium (10% of our daily value) which keeps the heart and nervous system operating at peak performance. Potassium is a salt that is essential for muscle health. The contraction action of our muscles is regulated by potassium.  From our heart to our glutes to our deltoids to our digestive tract, the muscle contraction is part of potassium’s purview.  If you’re an athlete, a banana (or two) a day keeps muscle cramps away.

Cool Calcium:  the banana helps kidney and bone health, because the potassium suppresses calcium excretion through urine.  The potassium also helps reduce the risk of kidney stones.  Due to potassium’s ability to reduce calcium excretion, banana consumption is a great way to combat osteoporosis (the loss of bone density).

Trippy Tryptophan:  Bananas are a mild source of Tryptophan, an amino acid that acts as a stress-reliever.  Tryptophan is essential to the production of serotonin, which calms the brain and induces a more positive mood and mindset.  Tryptophan also acts as a mild sedative.  Eat a banana if you need to calm down after a work-out or need a nap.

Bodacious Blood: Bananas have a high concentration of Vitamin B6 at 20% of the daily value.  Vitamin B6 helps the body to produce hemoglobin which is an essential part of our blood.  Vitamin B6 also helps in the production of anti-bodies and our immune response.  This vitamin is well-rounded as it also converts carbohydrates to glucose to maintain healthy blood sugar level.  While bananas are higher on the glycemic index than say, an apple, the Vitamin B6 in the fruit acts as a balance for our blood sugar.

Oh, and last, but not least:

Centered C:  A medium sized banana contains 16% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C.  Vitamin C is an essential element in good health and immune response.  Vitamin C is one of the most recommended supplements for the body and is a proven part of optimum health.

The Gaia Green Smoothie is optimized to re-energize and invigorate your mind and body so you can sail through your day.

Wheatgrass juice is gaining importance among juicers and healthy lifestylers for its abundant health benefits. Nicknamed “Liquid Sunshine,” wheatgrass juice carries the moniker because of its abundant chlorophyll content. Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that photosynthesizes the sun’s energy.

As indicated in its name, wheatgrass is an immature version of the wheat plant. Wheatgrass is best harvested early when it’s tender to make the best use of its nutrients and minerals.

Wheatgrass Nutrition

The liquid sunshine portion of wheatgrass is that 70% of its nutrient value is chlorophyll. The chlorophyll provides energy and alkalizing benefits.

Wheatgrass is now termed a ‘superfood’ and a great source of vitamins and minerals. Wheatgrass contains Vitamin B complex, C, E, and K and calcium, cobalt, iron, magnesium, prosperous, potassium, sulphur, and zinc. Wheatgrass also shines brightly with 17 complete amino acids and around 80 enzymes.

Benefits of Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is best consumed as juice. One to two ounces a day added to your favorite smoothie or juice will give you a power boost of energy and nutrition. A short list of benefits include:

• Alkalizing: wheatgrass contains alkalizing minerals that promote the cleansing of tissues and maintaining the blood’s alkaline pH
• Anti-Fungal: wheatgrass can relieve the itching and burning caused by athlete’s foot.  Soak your feet in distilled water and two ounces of wheat juice.
• Anti-Yeast: Wheatgrass is anti-bacterial and therefore creates an unpleasant environment for both bacteria and yeast.  Regular consumption prevents new growth of both.
• Blood Building: the high concentration of iron in wheatgrass helps to regenerate red blood cells while supplying oxygen to the body.
• Blood Sugar: Wheatgrass helps regulate blood sugar making its addition a benefit for those suffering from diabetes.
• Breath and Body: wheat juice moves the lymphatic and gastro-intestinal systems.  It supports the reduction or elimination of bad breath and body odor.
• Control Cravings: high in nutrition, wheatgrass reduces cravings.  The inclusion of wheatgrass in your diet may help you lose weight.
• Digestion: Wheatgrass cleans out the intestines and colon providing a healthier environment for digestion.
• Immunosupport: wheatgrasses high vitamin and mineral content gives an energetic injection to your immune system.

How to Prepare and Consume Wheatgrass

In its grass form, this superfood is indigestible for humans. Juicing is the most convenient ways to access this plant’s power. The juice tastes ‘green,’ but it’s also naturally sweet. Wheatgrass can only be juiced with a gear juicer or a wheatgrass juicer – check out the Lexen wheatgrass juicer, our featured machine. It comes with a 30-day risk-free trial!

Superfoods are just that - super. The super powers of wheatgrass can jumpstart the detoxification process.  It’s recommended to start with a .5 oz to 1 oz a day, and you can then increase the amount the wheatgrass juice in your diet as it feels right.

If you have a wheat allergy, you can still consume wheatgrass juice, but start slow. Take only one teaspoon per day to build up your tolerance. While wheatgrass juice does not contain gluten, it’s still best to be on the safe side.  If you feel an allergic reaction to the juice, discontinue use.

A story of simple luxury – coconut water!

Since I was a child I’ve been drinking coconut water. It’s a tradition my grandparents brought with them to Canada from the Caribbean. I can remember playing in their backyard with my cousins and pausing only to guzzle this soft, fresh and lightly flavored coconut refreshment. On family vacations back to the homeland, I had the pleasure of drinking the nectar straight from the coconut – the definition of simple luxury!

The ten year old me didn’t realize the wonderful benefits of drinking coconut water. Coconut water, which is the “juice” found inside of a coconut, contains a mere 1% of fat and possesses a low carbohydrate and sugar content. It’s one of the best ways to hydrate the body, giving water a run for its money, and because of coconut water’s ability to hydrate, it helps the body execute its key metabolic functions. Coconut water is also a proven antifungal, anti-viral and anti-microbial that aids the body in fighting disease and infection, and most recently, coconut water and oil have been the subject of heavy research for it’s ability to reduce the viral load in people with HIV and AIDS.

More nutritious facts about coconut water

Coconut water is also an excellent source of calcium with no cholesterol, making it an excellent choice for people who are lactose intolerant whom often struggle to meet their daily calcium requirements. And for those embarking on a weight loss journey, coconut water promotes weight loss by helping to boost metabolism naturally by hydrating and preventing bloating. For people who live with diabetes, sipping coconut water is a known holistic method for balancing blood sugars.

There are so many benefits to consuming coconut water, and because of its rising popularity, these days you can find coconut water anywhere – from local specialty and ethnic stores to Wal-Mart. So the next time you want to jazz up your bottled water contents, consider the coconut!

The Coco Pineapple Delight

Originally posted TaraDalal.com, this was one we just couldn’t help but share with you!

• 4 cups pineapple cubes
• 2 cups fresh coconut water
• 1 cup tender coconut meat
• 4 tbsp sugar syrup,
• 1 cup crushed ice

For The Garnish:

• 4 mixed fruits wheels

Method

Blend the pineapple cubes, coconut water, coconut met, and syrup until smooth and creamy. Pour a fourth cup of crushed ice in each glass and drizzle your mixture on top. Garnish with a fruit wheel and enjoy!

The almond offers nutrition and flavor and then some. Almonds, in the form of nut milks, gives us a whole lot of versatile ways to use the seed of the fruit of the almond tree. The almond tree is related to the peach, cherry, and apricot trees, and like them bears a fruit with the stone-like seed inside. And that, my friends, is the almond nut.

Health Benefits of Almonds

Almonds are one of those foods in the “eat everyday” category. They are high in nutritional fats known as monounsaturated (the healthy fat also found in olive oil). Monounsaturated fats are linked with reducing the risk of heart disease. Research shows that substituting nuts for an equal amount of carbohydrates in your daily diet reduces your risk for heart disease by 30%. Additional research indicates that substituting nuts for saturated fats found in meat and dairy products reduces that risk by about 45%.

Almonds have a high incidence of Vitamin E and the antioxidant action of this vitamin is found to lower the incidence of LDL cholesterol, which is the form of cholesterol that causes atherosclerosis and heart disease (it’s the “bad” cholesterol). Substituting almonds for traditional fats can lower your LDL cholesterol from 8-12%. A single serving of almonds (1/4 cup) contains 45% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin A.

Additional Nutritional Info on Almonds

A ¼ cup serving of almonds also contains 45% of the daily value of manganese and 20% of the daily value of copper. Both of these minerals are key players in energy production (they feed your mitochondria which are the energy factories of your cells).

Almonds also contain 25% of the daily value of magnesium and 237 mg of potassium. Together, this tag-team of magnesium and potassium helps to normalize the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body. Both are vital to heart health.

Furthermore, eating almonds with meals has been shown to keep blood sugar levels relatively stable following meals. Preventing the surge in blood sugar after meals and applying antioxidant power provides a reduced risk of diabetes. Low-glycemic index meals are shown to help keep the body in balance.

And of course almonds contain protein power. The quarter-cup serving contains 7.62 grams, more than a large egg.

How to Make Almond Milk

Adding raw almond milk to your juices or smoothies gives you all the nutritional power of the almond in liquid form. Almond milk is a great way to add an extra oomph to your juice or daily smoothie.

• 1 cup almonds
• 3 cups filtered water
• vanilla extract

Soak the almonds overnight. Remove the skins by popping the almond between your thumb and index finger (the skins come right off).  Rinse the nut. Place the almonds and water in your blender and kick it up. Add the vanilla extract to taste (some folks prefer sea salt and other flavors such as lavender). Pour into a mesh strainer to separate the almond milk from almond meal.

Stain once more using a muslin cloth, a bandanna, or cheesecloth. Now you can store the almond milk in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also dry the almond meal over mesh and use for salad toppings. Add the almond milk to your smoothies or drink it straight up.

History of the Almond

Thought to have originated in Asia and North Africa, almonds are a  historically-rich food mentioned in the Bible and Greek texts. Almonds are currently cultivated in countries around the Mediterranean such as Italy, Portugal, and Morocco. They are also cultivated in California, the U.S.’s only climate the almond can sustain.

Selecting and Storing Almonds

Choose raw almonds to make nut milks.  If you can find packaged almonds then go for those, but if you’re buying almonds from a bulk foods section in your market, make sure the store has a high turnover and the bins are sealed to ensure freshness. Almonds should be uniform in color and firm. Avoid almonds that are shriveled or limp. The smell should be sweet and nutty. If they smell sharp or bitter, then the nuts are rancid.

Store your raw almonds in a tightly sealed container, preferably glass, in a cool, dry, place. You can always store your almonds in the refrigerator where they can be kept for months. If stored in the freezer,  the almonds will keep for up to a year.

I’ve discovered Chia seeds!  I can’t stop singing that song from the commercial advertising the Chia Pet!  Remember that one?

Yes, the chia seeds that everyone is discovering now are the same ones that we grew on our countertop so many years ago.  Am I dating myself here?  C’mon, someone out there must remember the chia pets?  Those little clay figures?  I think I had a sheep and a human head.

I certainly knew that one of the latest additions to a living food lifestyle was chia seed, but I didn’t use it.  Then one day I was trying to find another remedy for my daughter’s stomach aches and stumbled across a post on chia seeds.   It said if you take one teaspoon of dry chia with water to swallow, in 15 minutes your stomach ache will be gone.  Let’s look more into this cute little seed.

The chia seed has been around for centuries and was used as a staple food by the Indians.  They would eat a teaspoon full when they went on their 24 hour marches.  Indians going from Colorado to California would take only chia seed for food.  Its use as an endurance food has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. 

Chia seeds are the perfect food for athletes.  This tiny seed is highly hydrophilic.  That means it absorbs large amounts of water.  They can absorb over 1o times their weight in water.  It can also regenerate  muscle tissue for conditioning athletes and weight lifters.  Chia in your system will absorb the water you drink and hold it in your system longer.   Studies have been done showing that eating chia seeds will slow down how fast your body converts carb calories into simple sugars.  This is great news for diabetics!  This slowing down allows for greater endurance.  Carbs are the fuel for energy in our bodies. 

 Chia seeds gel in the stomach and as it moves through our digestive system  it can help prevent some of the food that we eat from getting absorbed into our system.   This is of great help when dieting or trying to eat less.  You will feel fuller faster and in turn this will help you eat less and be less hungry.  Chia seeds can be a great addition to your detox program.  They are high in fiber and healthy oils.

What about stomach aches?  Raw foods consist largely of hydrophilic colloids.  Cooking, on the other hand, precipitates food’s colloidal integrity.  This change alters the hydration capacity of our foods to interfere with their ability to absorb digestive juices.  Eating raw food allows us to not need hydrophilic colloid.  Raw food contains enough hydrophilic colloid to keep our gastric mucosa at a good balance.  For those of us who suffer from gas, slow digestion or heartburn, we need more hydrophilic colloids incorporated into our foods.  Some of these conditions are not helped with eating raw foods.  However, consuming chia, a hydrophilic colloid, can help certain people with their symptoms.

Chia seed contains Omega 3 and Omega 6 in their oil.  They also are high in alpha-linolenic fatty acid which makes this seed a healthy dietary source of fatty acids.  No, you don’t have to grind them like you do flax seed.  They are relatively easy to digest.  Flax seeds are not.  Chia seeds are also a great muscle and tissue builder.  As a source of protein, it can be digested and absorbed very easily into the tissues and can be utilized by the cells rapidly.  This would’ve been great when my daughter was going through some major growth spurts.  Do you have growing children?  Or are you pregnant?  This benefit of the chia is good for you too! 

Last, but not least, the chia seed is a rich source of calcium.  It contains the mineral boron.  Boron acts as a catalyst for the absorption and utilization of calcium by the body.

Chia gel works as a fat replacer for many recipes.  Just prepare it with pure water and it will absorb 9 times its weight in water in less than ten minutes. You can put chia seeds directly in any of your smoothies.  You can also sprinkle them on top of yogurt or your cereal or add them to salads.  I’ve been putting them in my green smoothies.  The only time I get stomach aches now is when I eat cooked foods, so I am really looking forward to getting my daughter to try them for her stomach issues.

Throughout this year we’ve talked about everything from an aching back to wheatgrass.  I’ve asked you to have a good cry, think twice about your non-dairy creamer, and made you wonder about your energy drinks.  There have been recipes for smoothies, raw ice cream, living foods and lots of other things you can make and juice with your juicer or blender.  We’ve talked about feelings (a lot) and I gave you alternatives to help you heal heartburn, warts, constipation, insomnia, cancer, stress, PMS, lyme disease and diabetes, to name a few.  Looking back at your year in health, how have you fared?  Has this information been helpful to you?  I certainly hope so. 

In just a few days, a new year will begin.  I’m not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions.  I take life a day at a time.  So instead of beating yourself up for not keeping last year’s “things to do in the new year” list, how about starting today with just a small change.  A small step.  It doesn’t have to be on the first of the month.  It doesn’t have to be in the morning.  It doesn’t have to be on a Monday.  Today.  Today is the day you will make one small change in your life.  It could be your diet.  Is it time for a fast or a cleanse?  Maybe your exercise routine.  Maybe you will call that friend you haven’t seen in a long time.  Today is the day to do it.  Today is the day to make a change.

I write about health, but there are many other resolutions you could make.  How about volunteering?  Check out your local hospital, animal shelter, nonprofit organization, food shelf or local YMCA.  Volunteering is a great way to be of service.  Did you know there are many volunteer programs abroad?  It’s also a great way to meet new friends.  Mentoring is also another way to volunteer.  Look into mentoring at your local grammar or high school or if you are in a larger city, the local Youth Service organizations.

Thinking of going back to school to get that degree or maybe you just want to take a class?  There are many opportunities for online course taking.  Of course, you won’t meet any new people online, so how about at the local community college?   Maybe you just want to learn a new language.  Start by putting an ad in the paper or craigslist and see if there are others wanting the same thing.  Then you might be able to find a local person to take a class with. 

The library is a great place to start for clubs.  Join the book club or the camera club.  It’s all just a click away!  What a wonderful way to connect with people.  Making new friends and trying out different things is a great way to stay healthy.  It can make you smile more, laugh more and breathe more! 

So get out there.  It’s not just about exercise and healthy eating anymore.  It’s the whole package.  Life for all it’s worth.  Getting the most out of you. 

Keep me posted on your endeavors.  Every day is a new day!  Peace.