New Study: It's Not Too Late... Kids Bones Can Get Stronger

Only 3 out of 10 body and 1 out of 10 girls consume the amount of calcium their body needs to build strong. Good news from a new study in the August issue of the journal Bone, found that children who were not consuming enough calcium, when they started consuming calcium, they had a substantial increase in their bone mineral content (a marker for bone strength in children). That's GREAT news! This proves, that it's never too late to build bones. Parents, here's a few ideas to try: have a glass of milk with every meal! This is a simple step will ensure your child is getting their needed 3 servings per day. DRINK UP!

Farmer's Market Recipe

This morning I was at a Farmer's Market in my area and was so excited to see how beautiful the fruit and veggies looked! This is the perfect time of year for summer squash & zucchini. Enjoy this simple way to prepare summer squash and zucchini: Wash and slice (about 1/4" thick). Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Grill in a grill basket until tender or saute on the stove in a skillet until tender. Serving suggestion: Serve over a bed of fresh baby spinach. Enjoy!

Staying Hydrated & My Favorite Water Bottle

Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink! Why? By the time your body signals thirst you are already about 1% dehydrated. That may not sound like a big deal but if you're an athlete it is! In fact, by the time you are just 2% dehydrated your performance can decline by 15% OR MORE! So, drink fluids (mostly water) throughout the day! Click here to check out my favorite type of water bottles!

The Wonder of Oranges- excerpts from Hilton Hotema.

The Wonders of Oranges!

Excerpts from Hilton Hotema's 'Long Life in Florida'.

The Wonderful Orange by Dr. Leon A. Wilcox.

"For twenty years I have been trying to put over a message about the wonderful Orange and the benefits to be obtained from its use.A few years ago a horse named Black Gold won the Kentucky Derby.It seems this horse was owned by a woman who had come into her fortune in the Oklahoma oil fields. She named her horse after the black oil that had made her wealthy. This black oil of Oklahoma never contained anywhere near the wealth that is to be found in the golden orange of Florida and California. In the orange there is health. In the black gold is self indulgence, dissipation, sickness and death.Till a very few years ago, it was the custom to carry home a dozen oranges with much the same mental attitude as was felt about a box of candy. They had been regarded as something nice to eat between meals, or as a dessert. To think of them as a wonderful food- perish the thought!The great majority of the medical profession have always knocked the citrus fruits.

Even in this day it is not uncommon to hear one say their doctor told them not to eat fruits, as they contained too much acid.Especially are people advised not to eat the citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit, on account of the acid. It is only within recent years that any of the medical practitioners suggested the use of these valuable foods.I regret to have to say that only a few today know how these fruits should be used.It depends entirely on how these fruits are used as to whether they will give an acid reaction or not. Citrus fruits will always return an alkaline reaction when taken in the stomach by themselves.

These fruits (in fact all juicy fruits) should never be eaten at the same meal with cooked or baked foods, nor should they ever be eaten with sugar.Cooked foods contain a certain amount of starch. When fruit juices come in contact with starch in the stomach, the reaction is sure to be fermentation. The fermentation process is what generates acid. So you see it is not the fruits that make the acid; it is the food combinations.Remember, all kinds of fresh fruits, melons and berries should always be eaten alone or with the fresh salad vegetables.

William H. Dieffenbach, M.D., of New York City, is the authority for the following about Fruits." Fruit instead of being a dessert, should, if properly evaluated, be classified as the most valuable of foods."Fruits contain little protein and fat but are most valuable sources of mineral salts, cellulose, carbohydrates and vitamins.The water content of fruits ,with mineral content, keeps the blood in a state of alkalinity. Its alkaline elements , which are combined with the fruit acids, act as natural laxitives by promoting the secretory action of the liver, pancreas and other secretory glands.

"Fruits furnish calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and manganese of a highly organised type and are indispensable for the rebuilding of blood platelets and corpuscles."Fruits are important sources of vitmins A,B, and C. Fruit sugars are a great source of vital energy and strength. Their combustion is readily accomplished and their basic elements readily neutralize CO2. Refined sugars, must first be converted by the pancreatic juices into dextrose before being available for combustion, and are therefore a strain on the economy if used to excess. Orange juice contains vitamins A,B and C."The fresh citrus fruits, lemon, orange, tangerine, lime and grapefruit, prevent scurvy, due to vitamin C."

King of Fruits.

After having given the question of fruits twenty years of study and research not only by personal use but also by the direction and treatment of patients, I have arrived at the conclusion that the orange is the king of all fruits.Very few would believe the length of time an individual can live and perform the hardest kind of work, both mental and physical, using absolutely nothing but oranges for food. Another very important thing; a sick person living exclusively on an orange diet, is not only getting all the nourishment that the body requires, but the orange will neutralize the acid in the system and prove a better medicine than any drug known to pharmacy.

Finset Distilled Water.I, one time heard a great physician and dietitian say "orange juice is water distilled in God's own distillary".How true this is. It is a food and a drink for the healthy and a medicine for the sick. For those who are seeking to regain their health, there is nothing that can be taken in the human system that will assist nature like this golden elixir of life.

Millions of dollars are being spent every year advertising all kinds of foods. The old high powered salesman has given way to the high powered advertising counsellor. These fellows must lay awake nights conjuring up good advertising copy telling us why we should eat Buncom & Co's Patent Leather Cheese for our health.In the fruits and green uncooked vegetables you have food exactly as Nature has prepared it, and there is positively nothing of any sort on the market that can equal these foods for good health. All the vitamin content is still intact. There has been no processing of any sort to take away the virtue from these things. All the food value is still there.Let us learn to utilize the golden nuggets of health found in fruit, so we can better enjoy the black gold found in our natural resources and industry."

February 1931. Pittsburg Health Club.

How these words inspired and enthused me when I was on my Orange Juice during Lent 2008.

I am endeavouring to find out more about the wonderful Dr. Wilcox and will keep you posted if I find out any more about him.

Orange Juice and Me.

I guess that over the past few years a big part of my life has been the mighty Orange, in the form of fresh squeezed Orange juice.

During the past 17 years that I have been on the fruit diet I have had some cool times with O.J.

The first session was on a trip to Portugal in the Northern Spring 1993.

I spent 9 days living off tree ripened Navels and Wild Mandarins.

What I found was that my health excelled and I felt cleansed and rejuvenated.

Since then I have kind of gravitated towards Orange Juice ,rather than the whole fruit.

O.J just works better for me, personally.

In March 1995, I spent the Month in Malta, and apart for one or two days of mixed fruit, I lived off Sicillian Blood Oranges and their juice for the entire holiday.

I felt renewed and euphoric as if I walked with light and springy fairy steps.

The sun and light and beauty of Valetta, the capital, only enhanced my experience.

In the Summer of 1995, I went for 52 days on Orange Juice. This was a turning point in my fruitarian diet, afterwards I just felt that fruit was doing me so much more good. I never thought about this possible consequence when I started out on the juice. It was more of a deep feeling that came to me when I finished the 52 days.

What I did notice was that I needed to eat much less fruit, and especially more concentrated fruit; such as Avocados and dried fruit, to fulfill my energy needs .

I think that this may be because I cleansed my intestines and so was assimilating my fruit more efficiently.

Since then I have done a 26 day O.J fest in May 2007, 40 days for Lent in 2008 and I have just done 16 days in July 2008.

I am just getting so much from Orange juice at the moment, and I find that the more Orange Juice diets that I carry out, the less weight I loose and also the less juice I need to consume to stay healthy and happy.

When I am on juice I feel happy, invincable, strong; a fruit warrior, I feel a deep trust in the World and the Universe and a strong sense that Life really is Wonderful.

Love and fruitfulness,

from Anne XX.

Tasty Recipe for the Weekend!

This recipe is delicious and simple. Stop at a local farmers market and pickup the ingredients and in just a few minutes you'll have a tasty side dish to enjoy this weekend!

Creamy Tomato Salad
My Grandma's Recipe

Ingredients
2 medium cucumbers
2 medium tomatoes
1 large sweet onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 vinegar (white)
1/4 cup sugar

Directions
1. Wash and slice all the veggies.
2. Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Blend with a spoon until mixed well.
3. Pour the dressing over the veggies.
4. Chill and serve.
Note: This even tastes better the second day when all of the flavors combine!

Have a great weekend.

Tip Getting Toddlers to Eat Unusal Foods

Our little guy, Owen, is 13-months old and the most unusual food he eats is crumbly blue cheese! In fact, I would say it's one of his favorite foods. So here is my tip. Parents, let your little ones (within reason, of course) try foods from your plate! That is how we discovered that Owen loves blue cheese. We were out at a restaurant and he was looking at my salad with interest about 4 months ago now. I didn't want to give him any of the veggies because they were raw and I was afraid he wouldn't be able to chew them. So instead I gave him a few of the blue cheese crumbles & the rest is history! No need to stick to blah jarred baby foods! Your little one maybe interested in foods you would have never thought! Again, please be careful and of course, nothing that could be a choking hazard, possible allergen, or is too spicy. Enjoy!

Shocking Obesity Statistic

Although I dislike the word obesity, sometimes there is just no way of avoiding it. This is one of those times. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released yesterday new statistics that show America is still gaining weight. Approximately 24% of adult Americans were obese in 2005 and in 2007 that number continued to rise! Now over one quarter (25.6%) of U.S. adults are now obese.

Here's the scoop, obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30. It's simply a ratio of height to weight, click here to find out what your BMI is.

In my opinion BMI isn't a perfect indication of weight status. One key reason I think this is because there is no consideration for men versus women. Yet we know that men inch for inch weigh more than women. Another example, many professional athletes are technically 'obese' yet, it is because of their muscle mass and there is no need for them to lose weight.

Anyway, don't get too worked up over your BMI but if it's above 30, it's worth talking with your health care provider about your weight and determining if losing weight is right for you.

the blog begins

It's official... my blog has started! Today I would like to start with a tip for feeding toddlers. Our little guy, Owen is one and his newest sound/ word is "ater...meeellloonn", which means watermelon! Parents, get your little one's interested in healthy foods early! My tip to make fresh produce easier is after you come home from the grocery store or farmers market, get the produce washed and ready to go right away. For example, as soon as we got home from the store last night we washed and cubed up the "ater...meeellooonnn" to get it ready for Owen's meals and snacks (and for us too). This makes including fresh produce with meals a breeze because everything is ready to go! Otherwise it's tough to clean and get produce ready to go with a toddler standing at your knees!