"Clean 15"

Mangoes are one of the Environmental Working Group's "Clean 15" - these are the fruits and vegetables least likely to have harmful pesticide residues. This alone merits purchasing this fruit for its safety. Many of us pass up the multi-colored fruit because we have no clue how to prepare it or even how to pick a ripe one in the store.
Just one cup of mango supplies 80 percent of a day's vitamin C, 25 percent of a day's vitamin A, 7 percent of a day's blood-pressure lowering potassium and 3 grams of fiber, all for only 110 fat-free, sodium-free calories. The nutritional value of mangoes alone makes it a fruit to use regularly.
Look for a slightly soft fruit if you want to eat it soon and store at room temperature or in the fridge if you aren't eating it immediately. Don't forget that you can add slices to a salad and there is also mango salsa.
This month's e-mail newsletter deals with reading food labels and the facts behind those % signs. Go to www.healthstrategiestoday.com and opt in for your free newsletter. Evelyn

Scary information!!

My daughter asked me to write some information for kids on nutrition today and while researching it I came upon some very scary information regarding our food supplies.
Did you know that in the United States, Farmers use 1.5 billion pounds of pesticides and that these pesticides end up in about 1/2 the food we eat? Why? Only about 1 percent of food shipments in the US are tested for pesticides..Kind of scary, isn't it?
Some Apple Growers use 24 different types of pesticides on apples! Those facts certainly bring home the fact that we need to start buying more organic foods and foods from the farmers markets that are grown locally. This is a grass roots effort that is starting to see a tremendous upswing in people really watching what they put into their bodies. I will be talking about the right way to read food labels in my upcoming newsletter. To get your free copy just click on www.healthstrategiestoday.com and opt-in. Yours in good health, Evelyn of Health Strategies Today.

Acid or Alkaline - does it matter?

As promised, I am writing about acidity in your body today. Our bodies should have a ph of 7.0 anything above is alkaline and anything below is acidic. When your body becomes too acidic you can have symptoms such as frequent sighing, insomnia, water retention, arthritis,migraine headaches and acid reflux to name a few of the problems that can arise. An acidic body is a sickness magnet.
About 80 per cent of our diet should come from alkaline forming foods and 20 per cent from acid-forming foods. When there is too much acidity in the body our cells start to become deprived of oxygen and inflammation starts to occur. If inflammation continues for a long period of time - other more major diseases can start to form. So it is important to make sure you eat lots of fruits and vegetables which are mostly alkaline forming. Apples, bananas,tomatoes, green veggies, beans and seeds and nuts are alkaline. For a more complete list of alkaline and acidic foods you can e-mail me at healthstrategiestoday@gmail and in the subject line put in acidic. I will e-mail you a list back. To become a subscriber to my free twice monthly newsletter, go to my website at www.healthstrategiestoday.com and opt-in. Evelyn Lyerly, Certified Nutritional Consultant.

Toxins and the Eyes

I was reading the other day about all the toxins in our environment and learned something new that I would like to share. I know that the skin is the largest organ of our body and that toxins get into our bloodstream through the skin. That is why it is so important to watch what you put on our skin. But what I didn’t think about but now realize is true is how the toxins get into our eyes also. It was pointed out to me that the major source of toxins that we take into our eyes comes from the images that cause bad emotions. So think about all the video games that show violence, all the violence on t.v. that we watch not to mention our local news. Repeated exposure to negative, ugly and disturbing images causes the body to become acidic. I will write about acidity in the body next time. But we are now being exposed to 1000 times the amount of negativity than just 20 years ago. No wonder our rates of cancer, heart disease and obesity are so high!!! To receive my semi-monthly health newsletter go to www.healthstrategiestoday.com and opt-in. Evelyn

GET OFF THE TREADMILL!!

I am hearing of more and more people going to the gym and using treadmills when the best exercise with the most bang for your buck is free. I am talking about going outside and walking at a brisk pace for 1/2 hour to 1 hour a day. Not only will you lose weight by doing that but you will also have other benefits from those walks. First you will be getting extra vitamin D into your system. As I am doing my hair analysis I am seeing more and more people having a problem with calcium because their vitamin D levels are low. Another benefit is that you are breathing in clean oxygen instead of the polluted oxygen from the gym. Walking outside and looking at the trees and landscaping is so much more soothing than working out on a treadmill. So by walking 1/2 - 1 hour a day you not only will be losing weight, you will also have side benefits of increased oxygen intake, meditative benefits, and most importantly an increase in vitamin D. To sign up for my free semi-monthly newsletters go to www.healthstrategiestoday.com. Evelyn

Our meats are banned in other countries!!!

Had a customer the other day who moved here from Switzerland. Did you know that meat from the US is not allowed into their country because of the contamination in our meats? Think about that!! Their government won't allow our meats into their country because of all the unhealthy chemicals in the meat - but we sit here in this country and eat it without a protest. Why do we sit and allow the big corporations to keep poisoning us in our food supplies. Most of the food we eat has already been genetically altered. No one knows what that is going to do to our health 5, 10 years from now. Think about it! We are the richest country in the world, yet we have the highest incidences of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Not to mention obesity. Why is that? That is why I say loud and clear that we should try to buy locally. Not only is the food fresher (not having sat in a warehouse for who knows how many days) but if it is organic than it is also double nutritious. And it really doesn't have to be so very expensive. Buying locally is less expensive and saves money in the long run. For more information go to www.healthstrategiestoday.com and sign up for my semi-monthly newsletter to help you lose weight, gain energy and get healthy. Evelyn

The benefits of nuts!!!

Some of the best snacks you can enjoy (in moderation) are nuts, and almonds in particular. A diet tip is to keep a small handful in your pocket to snack on but only eating one at a time and savoring the flavor. They are also low on the glycmic table so they are particularly good as a snack.

Botanically speaking, almonds are related to cherries, plums and peaches. One of their common traits is producing the most fantastic blooms every spring. Experts agree the first almond varieties originated in China. Throughout history almonds have always been associated with good luck.

The health benefits are plentiful - almonds contain:
Monounsaturated fats, protein,calcium, and magnesium. Amazing to get all of that from one little nut. For more health information, log onto www.healthstrategiestoday.com and opt-in for our free semi-monthly newsletter. Evelyn

Cinnamon - small but mighty

Cinnamon is another spice that gets overlooked for its health benefits. Of course, all spices that you are using for health should be organic. Cinnamon has been used for thousands of years in the East for a variety of complaints, including colds, flu, and as a general stimulant. It warms the body and is thought to aid in the digestion of fats (good ingredient for cakes and cookies. Cinnamon is also just plain good for small tummy pains and it helps to relieve internal gas. It is useful for diabetics and to aid in weight loss. Like aloe, that humble but succulent plant, cinnamon should be a kitchen essential. Aloe for stove burns, cinnamon for cuts. So add that cinnamon to your food for a healthy and yummy taste!! For more health information sign up for our free semi-monthly newsletter at www.healthstrategiestoday.com. Evelyn Lyerly

The Problem of Pain

Almost everyone knows someone who suffers from joint pain of some kind. That is why there are so many products on the market to relieve the pain. From a natural perspective, the goal should not just be to mask the pain, but to correct the core problem so that the pain does not continue or return. Some of the reasons joint pain may keep coming back are:
poor digestion because of poor choices of foods
lack of good minerals to aid in the absorption of calcium
poor elimination which causes an increase in toxicity
lack of exercise which causes stiffness
poor diet which doesn't provide the necessary building blocks
lack of good water to build, repair, or cleanse tissues.
To learn more go to www.healthstrategiestoday.com and sign up for our free semi-monthly newsletter. Evelyn