I am a married mother of one…soon we hope, two, living in Savannah, Georgia and have been living a nearly exclusive organic life for about 3.5 years now.  I say nearly because there are times when we have to eat what is available – I would say we eat organically nearly 85% of the time each week.   It’s really not hard because once you learn the truth about where your food comes from, who makes it, and how it’s made, you can’t go back.   It began with family members leading the way by example and the final push came from our Chiropractor who held a half day event educating us on the benefits of such food choices and introduced us to some of the scares of the truth behind American food production.  We then continued our education on such topics and documentaries such as Super Size Me, Food, Inc. and The Future of Food, among others, have been excellent resources.  Then, once we decided to have children it no longer became a choice.  We were going to be an all organic/all-natural/local food family as much as we possibly could. I can honestly say it has changed our lives.  We are so much healthier and feel it everyday.  The change encouraged us to make positive changes in our lives elsewhere as well, such as with regular exercise, stress management and spiritual growth.  We have also found that removing the processed foods from our daily nutrition has had a great impact as well.

Sadly, many friends say they can’t afford to change their eating habits, while on one hand I totally see their dilemma, on the other, changing their eating and exercise habits could most likely help them get off half of the prescriptions their on, or save them money from the numerous trips to the doctor each year. I can’t recall the last time I went to the doctor for an illness…I had to give that information to my health insurance company recently and we couldn’t come up with anything in over 7 years!  And we all have our vises, but if you can spend $6 or $7 a day on a specialty coffee…you can add a few organic food choices into your life.  Now, we do have to budget for our food, buying most at the local farmer’s market [ right from the farmers and ranchers themselves] and there are times where I have to supplement our needs with items from the local organic food co-op or our local grocer.  With proper planning we do quite well in comparison to buying what the typical American family buys.  I will say this though, grass-fed meats are most definitely more expensive–but SOOOOO WORTH IT.  Believe me, once you know where your food comes from and especially after you try grass-fed meat….you’ll never go back.  If we can’t afford it one week, well, then we go without-but we basically always have free-range chicken on hand-and never go hungry. It’s just a matter of prioritizing where my expenses go.

As for eating out…this is where the 85% comes in.  We do eat out about once a week and luckily more and more restaurants here in Savannah are adding organics and grass-fed meats to their menus.  But we don’t always visit those locations, and yes cost is one reason, so, when we just hit the local Mexican dive [one of our faves] or some other cheap but yummy restaurant I always try to bring something from home for our daughter.  I do share some of my foods with her – she insists! But she eats organically nearly 95%  of the time each week.  Like I said before, it’s very do-able…it’s all about making a commitment to your and your family’s health and proper planning.

With the arrival of warmer weather we all tend to become more active with outdoor activities and quite often tend to overdue it.  With this sudden increase of activity our bodies tend to rebel and inflammation strikes hard.  Did you know there are some common food you can eat to sooth your suffering?  Foods such as pineapple, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, onions, almonds, cherries, apples, blueberries, avocados, bell peppers, green, leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, salmon and extra virgin olive oil and spices like ginger, garlic, curry, turmeric and cayenne pepper.  Here are a few recipes using many of these ingredients to help cool your suffering:

[From Extraordinary Health]

Avocado & Quinoa Salad; serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 Organic avocados, cut into pieces
• 1 cup red quinoa
• 1 medium tomato, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 2 fresh basil leaves, crushed

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup organic extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• juice of two limes
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring two cups of water to boil and add rinsed quinoa.  Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed.  Cool and set aside.  Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.  Mix all the other ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and then add cooled quinoa.  Toss with dressing.  Chill and serve.

Baby Arugula Salad with Pan-Seared Salmon; serves 2

Ingredients for the Salmon:

• 2 6-ounce wild salmon fillets
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons organic extra-virgin oil
• sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Ingredients for the salad:

• 3 cups of organic bagged baby arugula salad
• 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup red onion; thinly sliced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 cup of slivered almonds (topping)

Directions:

In a shallow bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and place the salmon fillets into this mixture.  Let stand for 15 minutes, then cook the salmon fillets in a pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Reduce the heat and cook the fillets through for about 3-4 minutes more or until done.  Meanwhile, combine the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl.  Top with cooked salmon and slivered almonds.

Yummy Chicken Stir Fry, serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil
• 2 Chicken breasts, cut into squares
• 1 bunch of broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 baby bok choy, cut into small pieces
• 3 whole carrots, cut into thin strips
• 3 stalks celery, cut into thin strips
• 2 medium onions, sliced into thin strips
• 2 red peppers, cut into strips
• 2 yellow peppers, cut into strips
• 1 cup snow peas
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup organic extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup water
• Tamari sauce to taste

Directions:

In a pan, use a little bit of coconut oil and tamari sauce and cook the chicken strips until cooked thoroughly.  Set aside.  In a wok, add water and bring to a boil.  Add all of the vegetables, except for the bok choy, and cook for about 7 minutes.  Drain and place back in the wok.  Add the bok choy and the cooked chicken strips.  Mix the garlic, tamari and olive oil and add to the vegetables.  Cook and stir for about 5 more minutes.  Serve with brown rice or by itself.

In 2008 my family began eating grass-fed beef exclusively.  We noticed an immediate, major difference in not only the taste but in the amount of meat we were eating [less] and how we felt after eating.  The meat is so tender and the taste is so much richer; it practically melts in your mouth.  We found ourselves needing to eat less beef to feel satisfied and never feel heavy or feel like we have a block of lead in our tummies after eating.  I have since heard on NPR that grass-fed beef significantly encourages the growth of probiotics (the good bacteria) in our guts, while corn-fed beef (which has often achieved a state of acidosis), encourages the growth of e coli, or bad bacteria once the beef has been digested.  Ah-ha!  We were happy to hear it wasn’t just our imagination.

So, if you haven’t given it a try yet, please do.  For your health’s sake, give it a try but watch out, if you’re a meat lover, you’ll be hooked!  It can get costly so eat responsibly

[from EatWild.com]
Grass-fed beef is better for human health than grain-fed beef in ten different ways, according to the most

comprehensive analysis to date. The 2009 study was a joint effort between the USDA and researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina. Compared with grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef was:

1. Lower in total fat
2. Higher in beta-carotene
3. Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
4. Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
5. Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
6. Higher in total omega-3s
7. A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
8. Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter
9. Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
10. Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

So, if you are a carnivore like us and want suggestions on how to to eat healthy meat, be sure to come and check back next week!  I’ll have information on local and online purchasing as well as a few other topics to keep in mind when eating grass-fed beef.

More information can be found here:

PureMeats http://www.puremeats.com/resources/grassfed_factsheet.shtml

USDA http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2010/02/0059.xml

Nutrition Journal http://www.nutritionj.com/content/9/1/10

That’s right as of Saturday, April 2nd, the market returns!  This year the market will run from April 2nd to November 19th.  It’s operating hours are from 9am to 1pm and is located at the SOUTH end of Forsyth Park in Savannah, Ga.

The Forsyth Farmers’ Market is brought to you by the Savannah Local Food Collaborative.  They are a small group of local citizens involved in various ways with the local food system. They came together in part as a result of the Mayor’s Healthy Savannah Initiative. The group’s mission is to make fresh, healthy food easily accessible to the citizens of Savannah in order to improve the health of Savannah’s citizens and support small farmers in our region.

At the market you can find of course delectable fruits and veggies but also grass fed beef, poultry, pork, dairy and eggs, breads, pastas and sauces, herbs, cakes and pies, plants and at times shrimp.  And all this is of course brought to you by local/regional farmers and is sold by the farmers themselves.  So, come on out, bring the family and have a chat with the amazing people that grow/raise your food and get the best quality yummies you can get in town.

Thank you for your patience.  For those of you that have been sticking with us, yes, we’ve been down a long time.  Adjusting to a new life with a new baby took a while and now we’re back on track and will be brining you more fantastic information, articles and rantings on holistic living.  Beginning April 1st, we will have at least one new post each week.  So, come back often, get caught up and in the meantime, stay healthy!  Cheers!

When I became pregnant a common issue/topic that arose between friends and other pregnant women was the drinking of caffeine. I think it is important for pregnant women to consider this very carefully. Here’s an article for you to begin your research with…

Is it OK to drink caffeine during your pregnancy? This is a common question when women begin to consider pregnancy and especially once they find out they are pregnant. If you’re taking a naturally holistic approach to pregnancy, the answer is most commonly no, it is not OK to drink caffeine while pregnant. Ultimately the choice is yours so, be sure to research the topic well.
Believe it or not, caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world and you do not need to be a doctor to know that coffee is not the best drink for you. However, I do agree with the thought that it is less harmful than most other things that people drink, like regular soda, diet sodas, juices and Gatorade-type products. The caffeine question is not a new one, as early as 1980, the FDA began publishing a warning advising pregnant women to restrict or eliminate their intake of caffeine because of its ability to cause birth defects. [READ MORE HERE]

I went without caffeine throughout my pregnancy, once I found out I was pregnant. I do admit the week before knowing I was attending an intense convention and drank more coffee than I would have in a normal week. But once we knew I was indeed pregnant, all liquid caffeine consumption ended.
[I did have the occasional 'piece' of dark chocolate here and there.]

I have a history with coffee. I love, LOVE coffee. My addiction started midway through college and became much worse a few years later when I began graduate school and then began working a high stress job. At my worst I was drinking 3 to 4 20oz cups a day with cream and sugar. Not as bad as others I knew, but not a healthy amount for anyone.

Once I started eating properly I cut my caffeine intake to two 8 to 10oz cups a week. The break with it was difficult at first. Going through withdraws and dealing with the cravings was quite an experience; especially when you’re surrounded by it at work everyday.

Then, once I found out I was pregnant I began trying coffee alternatives. I didn’t want to drink decaffinated coffee…the chemicals and processes they use to decaffinate the coffee are terrible for you and there’s still a trace amount of caffeine remaining in the drink. Most of the alternatives were chickory and nut based and tasted nothing like coffee to my great frustration. But then around my 5th month of pregnancy I found a coffee alternative called Teeccino and I love it! First of all it actually smells and tastes like coffee. It’s ingredients are simple: organic carob, organic barley, organic dates, chicory, organic chicory, almonds, natural amaretto flavor, and organic figs. That’s it. No chemicals or other harsh substances. To me it tastes like a flavored coffee something with a hint of cherry, but it’s probably the figs that I’m tasting. I highly recommend it. If you want to try it, I buy it from iHerb.com and if you’ve never ordered from them before, use my $5.00 off coupon code: OMA603. It usually sells for around $8.00 for an 11oz bag of loose grinds.

If you do try it, please come back and let me know how you liked it. I don’t normally push products in my articles as you can see by going through the archives, but I firmly believe you should eliminate your coffee intake while pregnant [and breast feeding] and this was the only coffee substitute I was happy with. Now, you soda drinkers…sorry, your on your own finding a substitute for that.  Good luck everyone!

So, this week I was going to write about the goods and bads between drinking sodas, coffee and tea.  Something my friends debate on quite a bit actually.  But I had the opportunity to watch “Food Inc.” this weekend and I changed my mind.  [We'll have the soda, coffee and tea article in the near future.]

Everyone should see this film.  Everyone.  The film is not at all “preachy”.  It simply addresses the fact that we, Americans, know very little about the foods we buy at our local supermarkets or serve to our families.  The following is from www.foodincmovie.com:

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

You can view the trailer here:

Simple things YOU can do RIGHT NOW according to TakePart.com

Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages. [ You can lose 25 lbs in a year by replacing one 20 oz soda a day with a no calorie beverage (preferably water).]

Eat at home instead of eating out.  [Children consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.]

Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards.  [Half of the leading chain restaurants provide no nutritional information to their customers.]

Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.  [Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years.]

Meatless Mondays-Go without meat one day a week.  [An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals.]

Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.  [According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.]

Protect family farms; visit your local farmer’s market.  [Farmer's markets allow farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.]

Make a point to know where your food comes from – READ LABELS.  [The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate.]

Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.  [Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.S.]

Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.  [Poverty among farm workers is more than twice that of all wage and salary employees.]

To learn more, click here.

Over the next few weeks you’ll see this site adding additional resources for research with great thanks to this film.

No excuses.  If you care about what you are eating and what you are feeding your family [at home as well as out at restaurants] SEE THIS FILM.

“The irony is that the average consumer does not feel very powerful. They think that they are the recipients of whatever industry has put there for them to consume. Trust me, it’s the exact opposite. Those businesses spend billions of dollars to tally our votes. When we run an item past the supermarket scanner, we’re voting.”
– Gary Hirshberg, founder of Stonyfield Farm. Hirshberg began with a seven-cow farm and grew his business into the No. 3 yogurt provider in the country.

If you’re health consious and always try to eat well I’m sure you are well aware of what is known as MSG, and you’re most likely very aware of food labels now boasting comments such as “MSG Free!” or “No MSG Added”. But are you certain this is true? I had thought I was doing pretty well with limiting the amount of MSG in my family’s nutrition, but after meeting someone over the holidays that is greatly allergic to MSG and her briefly enlightening me in the actual extent of its usage I dug deeper into the topic.

It is very difficult to really know whether MSG (monosodium glutamate) is in your food, because it goes by so many aliases [i.e. 'Accent' - 'Aginomoto' - 'Natural Meet Tenderizer']. To avoid ingesting this toxic additive, you’re best off choosing fresh, unprocessed foods. But becoming familiar with the hidden names of MSG can also help you determine what foods to eat.

So before we go any further, just what is MSG?

Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, Ve-tsin or E621 is used as a flavour enhancing agent, in many kinds of food products to enhance their original flavour. Chemically speaking, MSG is approximately 78 percent free glutamic acid, 21 percent sodium, and up to 1 percent contaminants.

The origin of MSG comes from a very nutritious sea vegetable called “kombu”— Laminaria japonica. In 1908 a Japanese scientists, Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, identified what it was in the seaweed that was enhancing flavour, creating monosodium glutamate or MSG. Like many foods today monosodium glutamate is produced through fermentation, a process used in making beer, vinegar, soy sauce and yogurt. The process begins with natural products such as molasses from sugar cane or sugar beets and food starch from tapioca or cereals, which are fermented in a controlled environment.

Though it is a “natrual product” MSG is not a naturally occurring “substance”. It is man-made from glutamic acid, which is an amino acid found in all complete proteins.  These amino acids occur naturally in many plant and animal tissues. Artificially created MSG involves processes, such as fermentation, that break down and change natural bound glutamate (usually from corn, grain starches, molasses) into various free forms of glutamate. One form, d-glutamic acid is never found in nature. Free glutamates can enter the blood stream 8-10 times faster than bound or natural glutamate which is found in tomatoes, milk, and mushrooms. Commercial processes used today to manufacture MSG weren’t in use until the 1960s. There’s nothing “natural” about the MSG in wide use today.

Why is it considered bad?

The isolated “flavor enhancer” chemical MSG has no nutritional value and is not a preservative. It does nothing to food, but it does affect the person using it, some much more that others. It’s actually the glutamic acid in the MSG that is of concern for most people and in 1959 the FDA classified MSG as “generally recognized as safe.”

MSG is a neurotoxin, which is a poisonous protein complex that acts on the brain and the nervous system.  Neurons are over stimulated to the point of exhaustion and cell death. MSG goes to the brain through membranes in the mouth and throat, and it also enters the blood stream as MSG laden foods are digested. It tricks the brain into thinking that it’s getting something tasty. Very little use of MSG takes to create widely diverse and dramatic effects on the human body. Since separate parts of the brain govern different body functions. The body function that is affected will depend on the part of the brain that is attacked by the neurotoxin. If a person has a genetic weakness in a specific part of the brain or had an injury or a stroke, the damaged area will be the part that is easily affected and vulnerable to toxins.

[From Mercola.com]

Examples of physical adverse effects that have also been linked to regular consumption of MSG include:

• Obesity

• Eye damage

• Headaches

• Fatigue and disorientation

• Depression

The FDA admits that “short-term reactions” known as MSG Symptom Complex can occur in certain groups of people, namely those who have eaten “large doses” of MSG or those who have asthma.

According to the FDA, MSG Symptom Complex can involve symptoms such as:

• Numbness

• Burning sensation

• Tingling

• Facial pressure or tightness

• Chest pain or difficulty breathing

• Headache

• Nausea

• Rapid heartbeat

• Drowsiness

• Weakness

How do I know if what I’m about to eat/buy has MSG?

Food manufactures have become privy to the fact that a great number of the population does not want MSG in their foods and have gotten quite slick in labeling their products. While some have actually reduced or removed MSG from their products altogether, most have simply changed the wording on the ingredients, have used alternate names for MSG or have begun using ingredients which contain MSG. MSG is listed on the label only if it is a separate ingredient in the food.  In most cases, MSG is hidden by being included as part of other ingredients on the label. It can make up as much as 60% of these other ngredients.

[From Mercola.com]

Here is a list of ingredients thatALWAYS contain MSG:

Autolyzed Yeast	Calcium Caseinate	Gelatin
Glutamate	Glutamic Acid	Hydrolyzed Protein
Monopotassium Glutamate	Monosodium Glutamate	Sodium Caseinate
Textured Protein	Yeast Extract	Yeast Food
Yeast Nutrient

These ingredients OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing:

Flavors and Flavorings	Seasonings	Natural Flavors and Flavorings	Natural Pork Flavoring	Natural Beef Flavoring
Natural Chicken Flavoring	Soy Sauce	Soy Protein Isolate	Soy Protein	Bouillon
Stock	Broth	Malt Extract	Malt Flavoring	Barley Malt
Anything Enzyme Modified	Carrageenan	Maltodextrin	Pectin	Enzymes
Protease	Corn Starch	Citric Acid	Powdered Milk	Anything Protein Fortified
	Anything Ultra-Pasteurized

Below is an excerpt from “Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills” by Russell Blaylock, M.D. which lists possible sources of MSG:

Additives that always contain MSG:

- Monosodium Glutamate

- Potassium Glutamate

- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)*

- Hydrolyzed Protein*

- Hydrolyzed Plant Protein*

- Hydrolyzed [Anything else]*

- Plant Protein Extract

- Sodium Caseinate

- Calcium Caseinate

- Yeast Extract

- Textured Protein

- Autolyzed Yeast

- Hydrolyzed Oat Flour

Additives that frequently contain MSG:

- Malt extract

- Malt Flavoring

- Bouillon

- Broth

- Stock

- Flavoring

- Natural Flavoring

- Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring

- Seasoning

- Spices

[From MSGtruth.org]

Free glutamate content of foods (mg per 100g)

roquefort cheese 1280
parmesan cheese 1200
soy sauce 1090
walnuts 658
fresh tomato juice 260
grape juice 258
peas 200
mushrooms 180
broccoli 176
tomatoes 140
mushrooms 140
oysters 137
corn 130
potatoes 102
chicken 44
mackerel 36
beef 33
eggs 23
human milk 22

So if you do eat processed foods, please remember to be on the lookout for these many hidden names for MSG.

Go into your kitchen, check the cupboards and the fridge. MSG is likely in everything: Campbell’s soups, Hostess Doritos, Lays flavoured potato chips, Top Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, Kraft salad dressings, especially the ‘healthy low fat’ ones. [Luckily none of these foods are ever in my kitchen-but they are in the average household in America.]

Again, be careful for even items that are not listed with MSG as an ingredient on the product label may have ”Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein”, which is just another name for Monosodium Glutamate.

If you really want a shocker, when you go out to eat ask for an ingredient list from a manager and check for the above. Nearly any food chain you can think of [fast food and sit down alike] uses MSG in massive amounts.

Is this all hub-bub?

With all the uproar against MSG from organic eaters and those not wanting additives in their food, there are others that argue this is all hog-wash, exaggeration, false information.

While I agree there are very strong arguments that MSG is fine [one of my faves and you'll understand why at the end: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10/foodanddrink.features3]

I myself will continue to avoid MSG as much as possible due to I wish to eat pure food without tricking my brain into thinking it tastes fantastic and that I need to eat more of it. My wish is that you educate yourself and make your own decision and if you feel the concern over MSG is “hog-wash” I ask that you at least try to minimize your intake.

Best wishes!

Additional Reading & Sources:

Dr. Russell Blaylock:  “Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills.”

John Erb: “The Slow Poisoning Of America”

National Library of Medicine, at http://www.pubmed.com. Type in the words “MSG Obese”

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Dang.html

http://www.holisticmed.com/msg/msg-mark.txt

http://journalofhealthyliving.com/why-is-msg-bad-for-you.htm

http://www.yelp.com/topic/washington-food-detectives-makes-an-interesting-statement-about-msg

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10/foodanddrink.features3

http://www.msgtruth.org

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/21/MSG-Is-This-Silent-Killer-Lurking-in-Your-Kitchen-Cabinets.aspx

First we’d like to say Thank You for your patience while we have been on hiatus. These past 5 months have been very eventful for us and we are terribly sorry for our absence; but a sacrifice had to be made. In the meantime, we do hope that you have been taking good care of your health and are enjoying the passing of winter and welcoming the spring.

So what’s coming up on Wellness Pure & Simple for the month of April? Yummy recipes for the warmer weather, articles on topics such as MSG, caffeinated drinks, the dangers of sugar and tips on handling allergies.  We’ll also have news for the Savanah, GA area on a few new organic/natural food and product providers and , updates on the local farmer’s markets and dates for some fun local events not to be missed.

So, be sure to check back with us every Sunday starting Sunday, April 4th for updates and new articles.

Best wishes,

Stormy {:0)

So, winter’s nearly here and many are fighting off that first seasonal cold and some are dreading the flu.  I have many friends that get it every year, sometimes more than once and some are constantly battling sicknesses throughout the autumn and winter seasons.   With my friends in mind and for those looking for a more natural way to boost your immune system without getting vaccines,  I’ve collected a few lists from reputable sites sharing foods that are known “Immunity Boosters”.  Remember to always eat the best foods possible, organic farmed produce, wild fishes and like, grass-fed beef, bison, free-range chickens and eggs and cook the food as little as possible.

This first list is from Mercola.com.  It contains a few items that are a bit more difficult to find in some areas but try your best for they are by far the most effective.  You can read the full article with complete explanations here: Top 12 Foods for Healthy Immune Response

1. Unpasteurized Grass-Fed Organic Milk; or Whey Protein as an Alternative

2. Fermented foods such as kefir, natto, kimchee, miso, tempeh, pickles, sauerkraut, yogurt (watch for sugar), and olives.

3. Raw Organic Eggs from Free-Range Chickens

4. Grass-Fed Beef or Organ Meats

5. Coconuts and Coconut Oil

6. Locally Grown Organic Vegetables Appropriate for Your Nutritional Type the amount and type of vegetables you should eat daily will depend on your nutritional type.

7. Blueberries and Raspberries

8. Mushrooms

9. Chlorella [Chlorella water..Yum!  Seriously, I enjoy it a lot]

10. Propolis

11. Teas [Green and Tulsi]

12. Herbs and Spices [click here for the list]

The 15 best foods for your Immune System from AlterNet.Org. This list may be a bit more practical for most.  I myself find that my daily diet incorporates items from both lists.  Again, follow the link for the full article and explanations. 

1. Oysters; Yep.  Oysters produce cytokines, a protein that’s known to ward off illnesses.

2. Yogurt

3. Green Tea

4. Oranges

5. Crab; Like oysters, crab meat is rich in selenium, a nutrient that strengthens your immune system.

6. Garlic

7. Carrots

8. Spinach

9. Sweet Potatoes

10. Mushrooms

11. Salmon

12. Kiwi

13. Bell Peppers

14. Broccoli

15. Oats & Barley