We all know that exercise is good for the body. Now, scientists are discovering it’s good for the brain as well. In recent years, researchers have found that exercise improves memory, concentration, and abstract reasoning and may even delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. It works like this: aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which nourishes brain cells and allows them to function more effectively—“kind of like making sure your engine is all tuned up,” says Waneen Spirduso, Ed.D., a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of Exercise and Its Mediating Effects on Cognition (Human Kinetics, 2007).

A recent study showed that exercise actually promotes the growth of new neurons (brain cells) in the hippocampus—the part of the brain that controls memory and learning. Scientists previously believed that once brain cells died, they were not replaced.

TIPS TO TRY

1. Walk A Mile In Your Shoes – Just 20 minutes a day can lower blood sugar, which helps promote blood flow to the brain. Your dog will appreciate it too. If walking is not your bag, ride a bike but remember to wear a “brain bucket”. The right helmet for your head can prevent a concussion and protect your brain from serious injury.

2. Check Your Thyroid – Thyroid hormones help nerve cells make connections. If your levels of thyroid hormones are low, it can create a state of depression, fatigue and foggy-headedness. For more complete information on your thyroid, CLICK HERE.

3. A Change Is Better Than A Rest – Here’s the excuse you’ve been looking for to rearrange, redecorate and redesign; it’s good for your brain! Plant a garden, move the furniture, or clean out those drawers and closets. Making changes alters motor pathways in the brain and encourages new cell growth.

4. It Bears Thinking About – The next time you visit the gym, add some weight-bearing elements to your workout. This helps protect brain cells from damage done by free radicals and encourages new brain-cell growth because you’re altering your regular routine. Even adding a new type of exercise such as tai chi, yoga, or Pilates can shake it up enough to make your brain work harder and smarter.

5. Shake The Cobwebs Out – Sitting for long periods of time is not only hard on your back and your joints, it’s hard on your brain. Concentrating for longer periods of time can cause stress and stress produces that brain-zapping chemical, cortisol. Get up from what you’re doing every hour or so, stand by a chair for balance, and gently bounce to move your knees and shake out your arms and shoulders. The relaxation the movement provides, and the alertness to a new task, keeps your brain sharp by having to switch gears from one activity to another.

6. Sightseeing – Take a new path when you walk through your neighborhood. Find a new café, corner store or park. Explore a new route through a part of your neighborhood you’ve never visited before. Or, drive to a new part of town and take a walk, making mental notes of all the new attractions. This helps you to forge new neural networks in your brain.

What other ways have you found to keep your brain from slipping into neutral over the summer? Have you found any great sites online that have free brain teasers?

Headaches, Part 1

A headache’s a headache, when you’ve got one. Doesn’t matter what label you give it, and there are many; tension headaches, cervicogenic (involving the upper spine) headaches, arthritis headaches, migraines, cluster headaches, sinus headaches, allergy headaches, rebound headaches from taking too many painkillers, and simple caffeine withdrawal, to label just a few. They all start in different places for different reasons, but every one of them is a pain; a dull, throbbing pain, a sharp, stabbing pain, or a “pending” pain when you feel one coming on. Associated headache symptoms can include an aversion to light and noise, nausea and dizziness.

Headaches which start in the back of the head and neck can be associated with a few different things.

Cervicogenic (cervic=neck, genic=caused by) headaches are usually brought about by a problem in the upper spine, and cause pain in the back of the head on one side only. This pain usually spreads up the back of the head and around the side toward the ear, carrying on over the top into the forehead and eyebrow region. A previous injury to the upper spine or neck (such as whiplash) is a frequent contributing factor to these types of headaches. This is a commonly seen, but undiagnosed, type of headache; upwards of 4% of adults will have these symptoms in conjunction with a headache. Regular visits to a chiropractor can be of tremendous benefit in relieving and/or slowing the frequency of these headaches.

Other types of headaches starting in the back of the neck and head include occipital neuralgia (severe, sharp pain spreading to the top of the head and into the eye on the same side) retropharyngeal tendinitis (severe pain, onset over 1-2 days, pain with swallowing), and “ice pick” headaches (brief intense pain lasting a few seconds located in the neck or back of the head). An arthritis headache intensifies on movement and is caused by inflammation of the blood vessels of the head or bony changes in the neck. Allergy headaches are a more generalized headache with accompanying nasal congestion and watery eyes. Caffeine withdrawal can cause a throbbing headache due to the rebound dilation of the blood vessels and generally occurs after a caffeine bender.

Next, we’ll take a closer look at some of the more common types of headaches, their symptoms, and how they can disrupt your day (or days!).

Headaches, Part 2

Many common types of headaches are named for the type of symptoms that bring them about; sinus headaches, menstrual headaches (caused by a change in estrogen), eyestrain headaches, exertion headaches, hypertension headaches (high blood pressure), hunger headaches, and post-traumatic headaches.

Then there’s the classic hangover that can cause migraine-like symptoms of throbbing pain and nausea, not localized to one side of the head or the other. Alcohol causes dilation and irritation of the blood vessels of the brain and surrounding tissue. One of the best things you can do to either prevent or tone down a hangover is to drink plenty of water before going to bed. Protein and complex carbs can aid in alleviating symptoms as well, but someone with a hangover generally can’t face scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast the next morning.

Headaches which occur behind your eye can be caused by any number of things but are generally attributed to a failure of the lens and cornea to work properly. The result is that the image formed by the eyes can’t be focused on the retina. This puts extra pressure on eye muscles. Most commonly, people complain of pain behind only one eye, however this type of headache can occur behind both eyes at the same time. Other causes could be problems in the nerves and blood vessels of the eyes. Tension, astigmatism, presbyopia (loss of flexibility in the eye), and hyperopia (or far sightedness) all cause headaches behind the eye/s, usually due to eye strain to focus properly.

Not that any headache is less serious than another when you’re the one suffering with it, but on the severe end of the scale we have migraines, cluster headaches, temporalmandibular joint (TMJ) pain and headache and chronic daily headaches.

Migraines come in two classes; with aura and without. Migraines with aura contain warning signs including visual disturbances and numbness in an arm or leg, generally followed up within 30 minutes by severe pain. Migraines without aura are also severe, with throbbing pain generally experienced on one side of the head or the other. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, cold hands and a sensitivity to sounds and light that wouldn’t otherwise cause problems.

Cluster headaches cause excruciating pain around the eye. The eye general tears, nasal congestion is present and a flushing of the face occurs. Pain associated with cluster headaches can creep up on you during sleep and last for several hours. Attacks occur every day for weeks or months and then can disappear just as quickly for up to a year. Eighty percent of cluster headaches affect males between the ages of 20 and 50.

TMJ refers to the joint in your jaw involved in chronic “clicking” and can occur after trauma to the joint or jaw, with pain similar to severe muscle cramps.

Chronic daily headaches (CDH) are just that; headaches that can occur from a broad range of disorders, occurring more than 15 days per month and are identified in two categories; headaches that last more than 4 hours and headaches that last less than 4 hours. These headaches typically evolve from a transformed migraine and can evolve from episodic tension-type headaches. Occasionally, overuse of medication can bring on CDH, similar to what is referred to as a “rebound” headache.

Speaking of acid/base balance (were we?), you can purchase pH strips in drug stores and health food stores to test your body’s pH level in the privacy of your own home. But why would you? Well, let’s first go through a list of symptoms that might imply your body is sitting a little on the acidic side:

You might be acidic if:

1. You’re still tired in the morning.
2. Your sleep is disrupted between 1:00am and 3:00am.
3. You get frequent, severe headaches.
4. Your skin is oily, especially on the face.
5. You have morning breath.
6. Your hands frequently feel cold and damp.
7. You’re more sensitive than normal to cold.
8. You suffer from muscle pains.
9. The rear part of your tongue often feels pasty, and
10. You have a set of salad bowls that say “Cool Whip” on the side (oops, sorry…nope, that’s not acidic, that’s a redneck ;o)

The list goes on, but these are a few of the more common symptoms you might experience if your body has slipped to the acidic side.

Your body maintains a precarious pH balance every minute of every day, with one pH level in the tissues and another in the blood. The tissues in your body can flucuate between a pH of 7.0 to 7.5, whereas your blood has a much narrower range; between 7.36 and 7.42. Given our monumentous swings in eating habits, it’s pretty remarkable that our blood pH seldom slips below 7.36, and a good thing too, because if it does, we could slip into a coma and our heart could stop. Yee-ikes!

Acid-producing foods play a big part in altering the chemistry in our body along with an individual’s level of physical activity, living environment, and personal metabolic capacities. Stronger acids in our diet come from consuming foods such as animal proteins, while weaker acids come from foods such as milk and milk by-products, peanuts and peanut oil.

So, what’s a girl to do if she loves a well-done steak and cauliflower smoothered in cheese sauce followed up with a strawberry milkshake?

You can start by adding more sea salt to your foods to help your kidneys expel acids from your body. You can also consume more of the alkaline-producing foods such as fruits, vegetable roots, wheatgerm, millet and by-products, whole rye bread, fermented milks (kefir), whole grains, vegetable juices (which naturally contain sodium) and aromatic herbs such as parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, and rosemary.

Adding any exercise to your day that accelerates your breathing increases the elimination of weak tissue acids (i.e., from muscles) and contributes to de-acidifying your body through your urine. So drink that water and take that walk!

Have you ever had your pH checked? What was the end result for you? Did you change any lifestyle habits because of the result?

Are you an office supply junkie? Do you love things like striped paper clips, colored file folders, and markers that smell like fruit? Have you bought yourself any brightly colored journals to record your thoughts in lately? It’s always helpful to have something to record your insights in while you meditate.

Record while meditating? Isn’t that a contradiction? Well, no, not strictly speaking.

Meditation is nothing more than clearing your mind of all the “noise” so that inspired thoughts can come through. But first you have to start by clearing your mind completely. How do you do this? Well, it’s been described as “concentrating on the space between the thoughts.” One of the biggest downfalls is realizing that you’re actually doing it, getting excited, breaking the mood, and having to start all over again! A beginner’s experience, for sure.

Whatever you do, be gentle with yourself. Don’t let yourself get upset because next week’s meeting schedule or upcoming dental appointment creeps in while you’re trying to concentrate like hell on nothing at all. Simply acknowledge the thought’s presence (“Oh, it’s you again.”), don’t assign it an emotion, and send it on its way. Your mind will soon cotton on to what you want it to do, or not to do, as the case may be. It takes practice, so be patient. The peace and quiet will come.

Buying yourself a new journal becomes a symbol of better times, a clearer mind, and a renewed dedication to a better you. So how about it? Do you think you might give meditation a try? And chocolate aside, what else would you reward yourself with besides a new journal?

Monday, June 14, 2010
The Journey Begins

Sipping my coffee this morning, I realized that in a mere 8 days, my journey begins. I’ll have to give up this morning cuppa joe, even if it is only decaf. For me, coffee’s not about the jolt, it’s about the smell and the ritual of a quiet moment of contemplation, outside in the sunroom, listening to the birds, just me and the dog, before digging in to the day’s work. And I hadn’t even contemplated the loss of my 2 pieces of toast with homemade strawberry jam, made with organic strawberries from my friends at TLC Farms just outside of Medicine Hat.

Eek! What have I gotten myself into?!

Well, to answer my own question, I’ve gotten myself into a week’s worth of cleansing; mind, body and spirit, because anything worth doing is worth doing right, right? Go big or go home, I always say. I’ll just have to enjoy the morning with a cup of herbal tea instead.

Now, I know what you’re thinking…why make it that hard on myself when, clearly, if you read the instructions, you’re allowed one cup of coffee a day and you’re also allowed whole grains (good, complex carbs) but, for me personally, I know how good I feel when I do give it up so, here goes!

I want to take care of my mind as well, so I intend to ramp up my evening walks in the coulee (fresh air and mind-clearing before bed). I’d also like to pay more attention to my body’s pH balance for the week (if needs be – will write more on this topic in upcoming posts).

And as for spirit, well I’ve found the most wonderful guided meditations to try each morning. I’ve chosen to get my meditations from themeditationpodcast.com – they have twelve wonderful, free, downloadable meditations to choose from that seem to be based on EMDR. You don’t need an iPod (although I do have a Shuffle), you can listen to them right on your computer.

I invite you to take this journey with me. I’ll be blogging about this wave of internal spring cleaning until June 30th. Please feel free to share your journey with me too. It’ll be great to have a little tribal support, especially if it looks like I’m heading for the Mars bar I’ve got stashed in the back of the fridge.

Have you ever tried a cleanse? What was your experience like? Did you change your routine to accomodate it? What were some of your biggest hurdles and triumphs?

Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Why Cleanse?

So, today I’m asking myself, why cleanse now?

And what did you answer yourself, you’re probably thinking.

Well, it all boils down to a desire to wake up every morning feeling lighter, with a clearer head, and a new enthusiasm for what’s to come.

Wow, can a cleanse really do all that? We shall see.

I’ve tried diet-based cleanses in the past and know that cutting out carbs and sugar, or sticking with a single type of food over a few days, makes a world of difference to how you feel. It gives your body a chance to shift its detoxification cycle into overdrive; hence the term “detox”.

Sometimes a detox can cause dull, low-grade headaches as your body is cleaning its internal environment. That’s simply a sign that the cleanse is working. Some detoxs can trigger insomnia. This is because your body’s more intensive cleansing happens at night while you sleep. The easy fix to these symptoms is simply to drink loads and loads of water and stay calm and centered to help your body through the process. You can try slow, deep breathing to help with the headaches; in through your nose and out through your mouth. And, if you’re awake at 3am, pull out your journal. You may just pen the beginnings of a Pulitzer prize-winning novel!

Choosing when to cleanse, and going into one with the right mindset, is important. The best time to begin a cleanse is when you have the time to relax, slow down, and not overwork your body while it’s trying to detoxify. Pick a long weekend or take a week’s holiday in the spring and don’t make any plans with friends. Reschedule all your appointments and factor in activities that enhance relaxation for your body as well as your mind, such as long cool baths, afternoon naps on fresh cotton sheets, a little light reading, calming music, and possibly some meditation, journaling, or casual strolling in the early morning calm.

I’ve chosen this time to cleanse because the rest of this year looks to be pretty hectic for me. Moving forward from here, a clearer head and lighter body will serve me well. Who knows? Maybe another winter cleanse is in order for next January when things slow down again.

What time of year do you like to cleanse? Would you consider a “buddy” cleanse?

Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Zen of Office Supplies

Are you an office supply junkie like me? I love things like striped paper clips, colored file folders, and markers that smell like fruit. So I’ve gone out and bought myself a new little journal for this cleansing journey. I think I’d like to have something new to record my insights in while I meditate.

Record while meditating? Isn’t that a contradiction? Well, no, not strictly speaking.

Meditation is nothing more than clearing your mind of all the “noise” so that inspired thoughts can come through. But first you have to start by clearing your mind completely. How do you do this? Well, I’ve heard it described as “concentrating on the space between the thoughts.” My biggest downfall is realizing I’m actually doing it, getting excited, breaking the mood, and having to start all over again! A beginner’s experience, for sure.

Whatever you do, be gentle with yourself. Don’t let yourself get upset because next week’s meeting schedule or upcoming dental appointment creeps in while you’re trying to concentrate like hell on nothing at all. Simply acknowledge the thought’s presence (“Oh, it’s you again.”), don’t assign them an emotion, and send them on their way. Your mind will soon cotton on to what you want it to do, or not to do, as the case may be. It takes practice, so be patient. The peace and quiet will come.

Beyond a vessel for my innermost thoughts, I think I bought myself this journal as sort of a pre-reward for my impending commitment and to remind myself why I’m doing this in the first place. The little book has become a symbol of better times, a clearer mind, and a renewed dedication to a better me.

Chocolate aside, what would you reward yourself with?

Slipping to the Dark Side

Thursday, June 17, 2010
Slipping To The Dark Side

Speaking of acid/base balance (were we?), I bought some pH strips yesterday to test my body’s pH level. But before I reveal the results, let’s go through the list first (no peaking ahead):

You might be acidic if:

1. You’re still tired in the morning.
2. Your sleep is disrupted between 1:00am and 3:00am.
3. You get frequent, severe headaches.
4. Your skin is oily, especially on the face.
5. You have morning breath.
6. Your hands frequently feel cold and damp.
7. You’re more sensitive than normal to cold.
8. You suffer from muscle pains.
9. The rear part of your tongue often feels pasty, and
10. You have a set of salad bowls that say “Cool Whip” on the side (oops, sorry…nope, that’s not acidic, that’s a redneck ;o)

The list goes on, but these are a few of the more common symptoms you might experience if your body has slipped to the acidic side.

Your body maintains a precarious pH balance every minute of every day, with one pH level in the tissues and another in the blood. The tissues in your body can flucuate between a pH of 7.0 to 7.5, whereas your blood has a much narrower range; between 7.36 and 7.42. Given our monumentous swings in eating habits, it’s pretty remarkable that our blood pH seldom slips below 7.36, and a good thing too, because if it does, we could slip into a coma and our heart could stop. Yee-ikes!

Acid-producing foods play a big part in altering the chemistry in our body along with an individual’s level of physical activity, living environment, and personal metabolic capacities. Stronger acids in our diet come from consuming foods such as animal proteins, while weaker acids come from foods such as milk and milk by-products, peanuts and peanut oil.

So, what’s a girl to do if she loves a well-done steak and cauliflower smoothered in cheese sauce followed up with a strawberry milkshake?

You can start by adding more sea salt to your foods to help your kidneys expel acids from your body. You can also consume more of the alkaline-producing foods such as fruits, vegetable roots, wheatgerm, millet and by-products, whole rye bread, fermented milks (kefir), whole grains, vegetable juices (which naturally contain sodium) and aromatic herbs such as parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, and rosemary.

Adding any exercise to your day that accelerates your breathing increases the elimination of weak tissue acids (i.e., from muscles) and contributes to de-acidifying your body through your urine. So drink that water and take that walk!

And now for the reveal! It turns out that my diet isn’t turning my body to the dark side after all. But I’ll be keeping an eye on the food I eat, all the same.

Have you ever had your pH checked? What was the end result for you? Did you change any lifestyle habits because of the result?

Monday, June 21, 2010
Day One ReCleanse Cleansing

8:00 a.m. — I woke up early this morning and started the day with my lemon water and cleansing capsules. An hour later, I’m still not missing my morning coffee and am very clear-headed and looking forward to the day. I’m sure I can blame it on that “honeymoon phase” of the cleanse; the one at the beginning where you’re telling yourself (and still believing yourself) that what you’re doing is so healthy, that a missed cup of coffee doesn’t matter in the grander scheme of things.

Some people don’t like to, or can’t, eat a thing in the morning. I’m the opposite. I like my toast and coffee almost before my feet hit the ground. However, breakfast is still two hours away and I’m not feeling the least bit peckish!

I think what I’ll enjoy most about this cleanse is the fact that it allows me to maintain a fairly regular eating style – no astringent restrictions that won’t allow me to eat with my family at the dinner table. And I’m sure that the foods I’ve chosen for dinner will meet with my family’s approval, so no special meal prep solely for me. That saves me time, effort and cleanup.

Well, that’s it for this morning. Will update you on my day’s progress later this evening.

Cheers!

Ah, the ’50’s, when families gathered at 5:00pm each evening to enjoy the last meal of the day together, along with some quality conversation and family time.

It was a time when the family caught up with each other’s daily events, trials, and tribulations. It was a time when brothers and sisters got to tease each other about the day’s events. It was a time when a father could impart his wisdom on his children (whether they wanted to hear it or not) and a mother could survey her offspring with adoring eyes, ensuring they were growing up healthy, happy, and strong and knowing that the meal she just prepared for them was helping them to reach these lofty goals.

This was the dinner hour. It was sacred and it was never interrupted by newscasters blurting out the day’s disasters or telemarketers trying to sell you something you didn’t even know existed. Neighbors and friends didn’t knock on your door and the world seemed to come to a sublime stop for at least an hour.

How different we are today, rushing here and rushing there, grabbing a meal on the go. Do you still wish there was a dinner hour in your home? Have you managed to reinstate this hallowed hour or is it still just a dream?

What prevents your family from eating dinner together each evening? How do you think you might change your schedule so that your family could eat together, at least a few times per week? Is this even important to you and your family?

It seems as though choosing a sunscreen gets more difficult every time you go to purchase one, but one thing’s for sure, it’s becoming more and more necessary to have one each year, all year long.

Standing for sun protection factor (SPF), the American Academy of Dermatology recommends wearing an SPF of 30 or higher for maximum protection. So why not just go for the highest number you can find? Well, because higher doesn’t necessarily offer more protection. The difference between an SPF of 30 and an SPF of 50 is only approximately 1-2% more protection.

You should apply sunscreen every day, even if you’re not going outside for long as some of the sun’s rays can penetrate windows, leaving your skin unprotected.

Then there’s the consideration of UVA’s and UVB’s. The sun’s rays responsible for aging are the UVA’s (simple to remember; Aging=A’s) and an overexposure to UVB’s can lead sunburns and skin cancer (UVB’s = “B”urns). A product which provides “broad spectrum” protection and contains approximately 4-5% zinc oxide gives you your best overall coverage.

How do sunscreens work? Well, sunscreen ingredients are either one of two types; an absorber (eg., homosalate octisalate), which work to absorb UV rays, or a reflector (eg., titanium dioxide) which block or reflect UV rays. Most sunscreens are a combination of reflectors and absorbers and come available in creams, mousses, lotions, and moisturizers, with a further category or either hypoallergenic and/or waterproof/water resistant.

Is waterproof sunscreen really waterproof? The simple answer is no. Waterproof sunscreen only protects you for a maximum of 80 minutes. A product that claims to be “water resistant” only provides protection for a maximum of 40 minutes. And don’t forget, while you’re in the water, the sun’s rays on are amplified as if they were beamed straight through a piece of glass and on to your skin. To be safe, cut these two time estimates in half and reapply your sunscreen again.

And if you’re not sure about the hypoallergenic claim, try a minuscule amount on a tiny part of your arm, leaving it in place for a few hours, to see if you have a reaction to the cream.

Stretching your muscles is good for your skin! Yoga creates strong, toned muscles which enhance blood circulation, distributing oxygen-rich, nourishing blood to all layers of your skin, preventing dryness and purifying it by removing toxin-causing substances. You’ll retain that youthful glow and radiance longer if you incorporate yoga into your weekly wellness routines.

High stress levels can bring on bouts of adult acne. Yoga calms you down, releasing tension from your body. Just 20 minutes of yoga each day can help prevent stress hormones from wreaking havoc on your skin. In addition, less stress means less frowning which can cause deep impressions to form on your face. So lose the frown, do some yoga, and save face!

If you want to dive right in to the form of yoga known as “facial yoga”, have a look at these five videos which show you how to perform the moves that can give you a younger looking face.

The inverted postures of yoga (standing on your head) have been referred to as “nature’s facelift”. Just a few minutes each day reverses the effect of gravity and can reduce facial wrinkles. If you can’t stand on your head, a few of the other inverted postures (such as the downward-facing dog) reverse the effects of gravity for a shorter, but just as beneficial, period of time. There have even been claims that inverted postures can convert gray hair back to its normal color because of the nourishing effects on the scalp!

Other poses that increase circulation and tone the body include:
• Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana)
• The Wind-Releasing Pose (Pavanamuktasana), and
• The Plough Pose (Halasana)
To see pictures of these poses, CLICK HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Wow, just the word “sauerkraut” can discourage someone who’s never even tried the stuff. Having said that, it certainly is an acquired taste, much like haggis, but the benefits far outweigh an avoidance of this fermented gem.

Sauerkraut is a natural immune system booster packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (beneficial plant substances) which are enhanced during the fermentation process (a unique smell, to be sure, if you’ve never experienced it) to help you fight seasonal colds and flu.

It is also a digestive aid, protecting the balance between the good and the nasty bacteria in your intestines with its naturally occurring component, Lactobacilli plantarum, a very healthful strain of bacteria that helps inhibit pathogenic organisms such as E.coli, salmonella, and Candida from taking hold.

L. plantarum helps create the antioxidants glutathione and superoxide dismutase, which go on to scavenge free radicals throughout your system and transforms hard-to-digest lactose to the more easily digested lactic acid.

So, hold your nose and dive in once or twice a month (or more, if you can). Get creative and go looking for different ways to serve sauerkraut to your family. And let us know how you introduced it to your family without tying them to the diningroom chairs!

RAW foods — just the sound of the words “raw food” makes us think of down-to-earth, real, honest-to-goodness, tree-hugging, good-for-us fruits, nuts, and vegetables. What a gift from Mother Nature, so let’s not spoil her gift by literally cooking the life out of it!

Raw foods contain enzymes, the necessary ingredient that helps digest the piece of raw food you’ve just eaten. The cooking process destroys these enzymes, making your digestive process work harder than it has to.

You may also have heard the term “living” food which refers to food that is still in the growing stage, such as sprouts. Living food is thought to have considerably more enzymes than mere raw food. So your best bet is to eat a little of both.

Over and above the digestive benefits, most raw and living foods have an enormously high fibre content which means you eat less and stay fuller longer. Raw foods have more flavor so there is no need to add salt or sugar to them. Raw foods require very little preparation, which makes them quick to consume, very portable, and there’s little to no clean up afterward. You might think of them as Mother Nature’s fast foods.

Raw foods are typically lower in calories than prepared foods, and keep you feeling satisfied until the next meal. This means a diet that contains at least one day per week of raw food only helps you lose weight without even trying.

Eating raw foods is eco-friendly as their “packaging” is biodegradable, if not consumable!

Eating raw foods can mean less trips to the doctor, saving you money on your health care costs.

So go ahead! Take the plunge and go raw once a week and see if you don’t feel better!