Living Young Forever

When was the last time you paused to “read” the ingredients of your favorite snack bar? Not only read it but understood what the ingredients are. I know most people would reply of course I have and of course I know what “oats” are.   OK how about “Sucanat®”? Sure you may know it is a sweetener but where does it come from and is it really something that is good or better for me than “sugar”.

No worries because Sucanat® (which stands for Sugar Cane Natural), is a whole cane sugar. It’s made by simply crushing freshly cut sugar cane, extracting the juice and heating it in a large vat. Once the juice is reduced to rich, dark syrup, it is hand-paddled. Hand paddling cools and dries the syrup, creating the dry porous granules known as Sucanat. Nothing is added and nothing is taken out!

So there you go one less ingredient to have to pause and ponder about. Now you can reach with confidence for your favorite Oat Bar or whole grain snack bar that contains Sucanat®. But don’t forget to read the rest of the label for those ingredients that you are trying to avoid such as hydrogenated oils, Trans fats and “artificial” sweeteners.

This is Food? "NOT"

The foods we eat are not providing our bodies with the nutrition it needs to survive and be healthy. We are starving our bodies and we are sick. We suffer from diabetes, heart attacks, obesity, and the list goes on and on.

Given proper nutrition, the human body has an amazing ability to heal itself. If properly fed and given the right nutrients, the human body is designed to repair itself.

To do so, we need to eat a healthier diet, exercise, and take high-quality supplements made from whole foods. Whole food supplements supply our bodies with nutrients we are not getting from our diet, all the vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and phyto-nutrients that foods possess in a way that nature intended, in a whole food form.

Many question the need to supplement their diet with Vitamins and minerals. However if you look deeper into the quality and type of foods most Americans consume the reality and evidence for the need to add daily dietary vitamin supplements is overwhelming.

As a nation, we eat poor-quality foods that have been stripped of nutrients.  We do not consume enough fresh fruits and vegetables.  Many of us get our whole grains from instant rice, refined wheat breads, pastas, and cereal. We eat a tremendous amount of prepackaged, pre-made meals. One-quarter of Americans eat at fast food restaurants each day. Americans are overfed and undernourished.

Yummy a favorite country style American favorite, along with various other versions of American breakfast’s delights. And how about that Starbucks supper coffee drink and a scone or bagel…another breakfast wonder.

So where are those suggested servings of fruits, low fat dairy or whole grains? Don’t get me wrong I love comfort food too and I am not suggesting that you should give up living a life fully alive. So what to do?

No problem for me I take along a multivitamin and a super green food tablet. I know it may sound like I am cheating the nutritional guru paradigm and yes you are right I am.  Once in a while I can have my cake or in this case biscuits and gravy and eat it too. With the wide variety of nutritional supplements available today there is no excuse for getting all the daily nutritional value you need.

Healthy weight loss can be very confusing in a media driven for profit quick fix world. Don’t be taken in by the gimmicky world of profit based fads. Healthy weight loss is really a simple formula. You need to keep and gain healthy muscle and loose the excess body fat.

All you need to do is simply make better food choices and eat in moderation along with moderate exercise on a regular schedule. It really is that simple and it is a time tested healthy way to loss those unwanted extra pounds. Well a little patience and consistency is needed also but always remember if you stick with it you will reach your goals. You gained those unwanted pounds over time not over night, and it takes time to lose it. There are some very good and safe products on the market to help with appetite control and metabolism boosts, but remember there is no “magic” pill or potions they are only as good as the effort you apply with them.