Dr. Carol Shwery and Dr. Lonna Larsh
Now that fall is starting and you may not have the same relaxed summer lifestyle, you don’t want your health to suffer. Let’s recommit to keeping healthy lifestyle choices alive and functioning. Here are some simple and easy tips to make fall time to keep feeling healthy and strong.
Make sure you get enough phytonutrients
Fresh fruits and vegetables are still aplenty but they are starting to diminish. According to all the major nutritional powers to be, we need between 9 and 11 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Does that seem like an insurmountable amount? Maybe so; that’s about 2 pounds of food a day. There are wonderful recipes for fall veggies. If you take your morning power protein drink, which we recommend for everyone, take a giant handful of dark green veggies in it, along with some berries. This starts your day in amazing health promoting way and gets you right on target with your servings of fruits and vegetables.
If you feel like this amount is too much to cope with, get a phytonutrient formula that will give you 3 to 5 servings of fruits and veggies in one serving of powder or pills per day. Try and make sure that the formula is organic – this is a wonderful option. That way you know you are getting much of your needs met for your fruit and veggie consumption.
The weather is changing, so make sure your immune system is being fed
The weather can be all mixed up at this time with hot days, cool days and everything in between so you want your immune system humming along to deal with potential immune weakening. Simple basic immune enhancing supplements would be helpful. One of the most basic supplements to keep your immune system running well is vitamin D3. Taking 2000 IU a day as a prophylactic dose will be great. Garlic is another natural immune booster (it also helps lower blood pressure). Garlic pills can be gotten at any health food store and should be high in allicin of at least 6000mcg per tablet (which is the health benefit portion of the garlic). Another way to ingest garlic is use it in your cooking especially in soups. If breath is not an issue, make garlic soup with a vegetable base, veggies and 1 to 2 bulbs of garlic. Throw a little cayenne pepper in and WOW! A great immune boosting, health promoting, fall loving soup.
Let the changing seasons dictate your waking and sleep cycle
The days are getting shorter and we have less time to be outside in the light. Let that be a sign to begin the process of turning inward and replenishing our bodies with a little more relaxation and sleep. This does not mean that we get to get a reprieve on exercise.
It just means we might want to turn the lights out a little earlier and let the body rejuvenate and replenish its reserves for a little longer. Having a hard time turning off your brain in your body? One simple way is to add Magnesium Glycinate to your bedtime regimen. It is extremely relaxing to your brain, your body and muscles, as well as being wonderful for blood pressure. Make sure the magnesium is in the glycinate form. Otherwise, you may find yourself going to the bathroom a lot more than you anticipated (that might be something you desire). The dosage is 200 to 400mg before bed.
We’re excited about the seasons changing. We hope you are too. Have a wonderful fall!
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Cream of Spinach Soup
When using jalapeño peppers, all strengths of heat are not equal. Therefore, I am giving you some flexibility on the jalapeño quantity. Adjust ‘heat’ according to your taste buds. Remember, the seeds pack quite the punch. This is a simple ‘live’ recipe!
1 large garlic clove
2 cups water, pure
3 tablespoons white miso
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh jalapeño pepper
6 ounces spinach, fresh, (3 cups, pressed in cup)
1 cup raw macadamia nuts, soaked, rinsed and drained
*Garnish: 6 spinach leaves (optional)
*Garnish: 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
Directions:
- In a blender, blend water, garlic, miso, lemon juice and jalapeno together.
- Add the spinach and nuts and re-blend until you have a smooth, creamy texture.
- *Spinach garnish: Roll spinach leaves and slice thin. *Lemon zest garnish: Peel the outside of a lemon and chop fine. Put 1-2 pinches of each garnish on top of soup.
- Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Yield 4 cups • recipe excerpted from the book VEGAN BITE BY BITE by Marilyn Peterson