Summer will soon be here with sunshine, longer days, and fresh salads. The first arugula leaves will be springing up in the garden, cucumbers will ripen, and raspberry season will soon be here for us to enjoy. Summer is the time of long walks, gardening, the beach and juicy fresh fruits and vegetables.

I like to step away from the traditional cucumber-tomato salad combination when the weather gets to be nice. I enjoy adding freshly picked mint leaves, mango slices, and blueberries to my salads: I like anything that makes the salad as colorful and as full of life as the bright summer days.

Raspberry, arugula, avocado, goat cheese salad combines within itself the crispy light crunch of celery and the sweetness of raspberries with the creaminess of avocado and the tartness of goat cheese. Slightly bitter arugula and simple vinaigrette balance it all out, leaving you wanting more.

Raspberry, Arugula, Avocado, Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients

(makes 2-3 servings)

• 2 cups arugula leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, diced
• 1 sprig celery, diced
• 1/2 small avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
• 1/3 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup pomegranates
• 4 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 teaspoon sea salt
• Black pepper to taste

Instruction

• Arrange arugula leaves, basil leaves, celery, avocado slices, goat cheese crumbles, and fresh raspberries on a platter in layers.
• In a cup, combine the extra virgin olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and the sea salt.
• Mix well. This is your salad dressing.
• Pour the dressing over the salad.
• Sprinkle with black pepper and serve.

My dad is blind, I love my bicycle, and I am happy.

I really do love the bicycling life. I’ve always loved bikes, but I have also always loved driving.

I have in the past fantasized about giving up the car to do it all on a bike, but Atlanta is not the easiest city to do that in. Don’t get me wrong; if I moved back to Atlanta I’d make it work sans car, but it is a lot easier in L.A.

Kristina and I recently moved to Los Angeles. We planned on traveling the whole country but with an auto repair, the cost of gas, and the launch of the new market, greenlifestylemarket.com, it made more sense to got to LA and try the bike and bus way of life.

I’m one of those guys that have had over 50 jobs in my life. I say that as if there is a lot of us, but maybe not so much. I’ve rarely worked close to home, and when I did I only lasted a couple of weeks. Not because I didn’t like working close to home, but because I rarely lasted more than two weeks anywhere.
It’s an old story. The less stuff you have the happier you are. The more you exercise, the happier you are. The more fresh air you breath (can you call Los Angeles air fresh?), the happier you are.

Superfoods are just that – super foods!  Although there are few dictionaries that define the word, the commonly understood definition of a superfood is a food that packs a big nutritional punch – a whole food that contains a high concentration of nutrients.

Superfoods work in synergy with your body systems, promoting normal cell function and preventing mutations at a cellular level, boosting your immune system and preventing chronic diseases.  So yep, they’re pretty super!

What’s more, they support weight loss, help you keep the weight off, support your gut health and digestion, boost your immunity, balance potential nutritional deficiencies, and promote wellness!  In order to reap all of their benefits, try to include them in your diet daily.

Here’s a list of my top 6 superfoods that regulate blood sugar levels, reduce sugar cravings and boost your energy. (I tried to limit myself to 5 Superfoods, but it was just too hard!)

My Top 6 Superfoods:

1.  Oily Fish  – Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel, Herring, Sardines

Oily fish are high in protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, including Omega 3. These fish:

• Support healthy hormones- aid fertility and pregnancy
• Aid with fat loss
• Promote wound healing and skin integrity

Aim for 3 servings of oily fish per week.

2. Garlic

Did you know that garlic is one of nature’s natural antibiotics? It does the following:

• Boosts your immune system
• Reduces cold and flu symptoms
• Contains antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic properties

Aim for 1-2 garlic cloves per day.

3. Green, Leafy Veggies – Kale, Spinach, Collard, Mustard and Turnip Greens, Swiss Chard, Rocket, Broccoli

These contain potent anti-oxidants that reduce cell destruction and prevent disease, not to mention they offer great anti-ageing benefits! Furthermore they…

• Support liver health and detoxification processes
• Alkalise your body, helping to prevent disease
• Reduce inflammation and pain, especially in muscles and joints

Aim for one salad a day, and add green leafy vegetables to any stir-fry, soup, or smoothie.

4.  Blueberries

Blueberries contain anthocyanins, a naturally occurring pigment that gives them their blue colour, which is a potent antioxidant. They’ll help to:

• Balance hormone levels
• Promote healthy skin
• Support weight loss and weight management

Aim to eat a handful a day – fresh or frozen.

5. Cacao Beans – Raw, Unprocessed Chocolate

Cacao beans contain the greatest wholefood source of magnesium, which:

• Supports concentration and memory by increasing blood flow to the brain
• Regulates blood sugar levels
• Supports normal muscle function, including your heart – after all your heart is one big muscle!

6. Spirulina – Blue Green Algae (dried and available in powdered or capsule form)

Spirulina offers the greatest source of protein on this planet, even more than any meat can offer.  Protein is ideal for:

• Boosting energy and cellular health
• Regulating appetite
• Protecting your liver from damage caused by heavy metals

You can add 1-2 teaspoons of spirulina into a smoothie or take it as a supplement.  See the recipe below for an example.

Superfood Blueberry Smoothie Recipe:

Let’s face it, in our busy, chaotic and often stressful lives it can be hard to consume the recommended intake of 5 veggies per day.  There’s no easier or healthier way to kick off your day then blending up a bunch of veggies and enjoying a green (or in this case, a purple) smoothie.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 250mls of coconut water or almond milk
• ½ frozen banana
• 1 handful of blueberries
• ½ avocado
• 3 kale stalks (use the leaves and discard the tough stalks) or choose a handful of baby spinach

Add whatever of these you have on hand:

• 1 teaspoon of Spirulina
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon of goji berries
• 1-2 teaspoons of cacao nibs (for a chocolate twist)

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients and blitz until smooth.
2. Drink immediately (or store in the fridge for up to one hour)

Easy and Healthy Salad Recipe

One of the much-loved flavors, well at least in my book, is the combination of garlic and tomatoes in olive oil. Using it for a dip with Foccacia bread and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese is just divine and will always have me reaching for a glass of wine every time. The perfect “guilt-free pleasure,” I always say. And for the reason that, the benefits of these 3 main ingredients it seems are beyond endless!

Olive oil is the oil that does wonders for your skin, nourishes you hair and scalp, and lowers cholesterol levels. Now we are learning that it is rich in cancer-fighting properties. Apart from being a flavor building staple in the culinary arts, garlic, has apparently been a longstanding staple in the “wonder drug” department as well. Rich in antioxidants, enzymes, and flavonoids, it has been found to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels and relieve nasal congestion. It is a natural antibiotic, fighting ailments such as gingivitis, herpes, and yeast infections. And last but not the least, tomatoes, as we all know, are high in vitamin C, beta-carotene, and lycopene, all of which make it a good cancer fighting, bone strengthening, and degenerative disease-preventing food.

In addition, tomatoes are high in water and fiber content, which make them a good “filling food.” In the culinary arts, they are used to bulk up casseroles, salads, and sandwiches, without added fat. So there. Simply get a hold of the ingredients listed below and follow the simple steps.

Ingredients:

• 2 pints of cherry tomatoes
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of rock salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves

5 easy steps:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F
2. Combine all ingredients in a roasting pan, except the basil
3. Roast for about 19 minutes
4. Stir occasionally until they start to explode and caramelize
5. Add in the basil, roast for 1 minute more

When done, carefully take out from oven and consider these 3 options:

1. Use as dipping for crusty bread with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
2. Drizzle over your cooked pasta. Mix well and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
3. Set aside to cool and pour over your salad.

Additionally, if you fancy a twist to this culinary venture, try out the art of invention and add on a few other favorites such as chopped olives, anchovies, or other types of herbs such as oregano, mint, or rosemary. This recipe serves a company of 4. Invite a few friends over and you’re on your way to sharing your new found “gastronomic and guilt-free” leisure.

The Carrageenan Controversy – Is it safe?

As an avid label reader, I am always on the lookout for unfamiliar, unpronounceable, and otherwise suspicious sounding ingredients in my food. Unfortunately, in today’s world of pre-packaged, highly-processed food, it is often difficult to distinguish the harmful from the benign. Even the savviest of consumers can be fooled, as I’ve learned recently. Apparently, I have been consuming a dangerous food additive in my “health” food for years: carrageenan.

Carrageenan, which is extracted from red seaweed, is a common ingredient in both organic and conventional food products. It is used as a thickener and emulsifier to improve the texture of dairy products, dairy replacement products like soy milk and almond milk, and personal care products like toothpaste.

In April 2012, University of Illinois medical researcher, Joanne Tobacman, testified before the National Organic Standard Board about the harmful effects of carrageenan. Over the years, Tobacman published 18 peer-reviewed studies linking carrageenan to increased inflammation, gastrointestinal issues, and cancer. Specifically, Tobacman found that mice consuming carrageenan were more likely to develop glucose intolerance, gastrointestinal ulcerations, and even gastrointestinal malignancies.

In her testimony, Tobacman claimed that carrageenan has been used by drug researchers for the specific purpose of producing inflammation in mice for anti-inflammatory drug studies. As most people are now well-aware, the medical community considers inflammation a contributing factor in serious health problems like autoimmune diseases and cancer. Despite Tobacman’s testimony, carrageenan remains on the National Organic Standard Board’s list of approved ingredients.

In 2008, Tobacman submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration which cited more than a decade of her research on the harmful effects of carrageenan and requested that carrageenan be banned as a food additive for human consumption. Last year, four years after the petition had been submitted, the FDA denied Tobacman’s request.

Organizations like the Cornucopia Institute have also expressed concern about carrageenan and have worked to get it banned by the Food and Drug Administration. In March of this year, the Cornucopia Institute formally requested that the FDA reconsider its decision regarding carrageenan. In its letter, the Cornucopia Institute claimed that the FDA’s denial was “based on an incomplete review of the scientific literature” and that every argument made by the FDA “can be refuted based on strong scientific evidence.”

Much of the FDA’s argument against banning carrageenan relies on the distinction between degraded and undegraded carrageenan, which differ, based upon molecular weight. Degraded forms of carrageenan, which are not used in food, have long been deemed unfit for human consumption. In the 1960s, degraded carrageenan was determined to cause gastrointestinal inflammation, and in 1983 the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer listed it as a “possible human carcinogen.”

Undegraded, or food-grade, carrageenan was considered safe for human consumption. Concerns have been raised, however, in regards to the unclear relationship between undegraded and degraded carrageenan. According to the Cornucopia Institute’s published report about carrageenan, data from the carrageenan industry in 2005 showed that degraded carrageenan was found in all samples of food-grade carrageenan. The report also cites research indicating that when food-grade carrageenan is broken down for digestion it turns into degraded carrageenan.

With the FDA and National Organic Standard Board refusing to take official action on the issue, health-conscious consumers are left to fend for themselves. To help consumers avoid carrageenan, the Cornucopia Institute has created a buying guide which lists popular organic products that contain carrageenan (Cornucopia) and a partial list of conventional foods that contain it.

Based upon the list, the main carrageenan culprits are dairy products, dairy alternative products, nutritional drinks, and lunch meats. If attempting to avoid carrageenan, however, it is probably safest to check labels on all processed foods. According to Joanne Tobacman, carrageenan is also found in most condensed milk; so any product containing condensed milk might also contain carrageenan, even if it is not explicitly stated on the label.

As awareness about the dangers of carrageenan grows, the once seemingly harmless seaweed by-product is joining the ranks of high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, red-40, MSG and other food additives that have become dirty words to health-conscious consumers. The carrageenan controversy provides just one more solid reason to avoid processed foods (even organic ones) and to stick to real, whole foods.

Recommended Reading:

• Food Emulsifiers Linked to Gastrointestinal Disease
• Cheap and Easy Detox Diet Plan
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Understand Hypothyroidism – Prevention and Natural Remedies
• Still Have Candida? How Mercury Fillings Cause Candida Overgrowth

This method helps you to also give birth without lower back pain, heal the sciatic nerve, stop spending money on chiropractors, with Vibram Five Fingers information

I run. Humans are meant to run. We’ve come to find that we humans caught prey in large part because of our ability to outrun other animals due to our incredible endurance. We aren’t fast compared to many  animals, but we can run over 100 miles without stopping. And our bodies are very good at staying cool.

The problem with running today is that our crappy shoe design attempts to support our arches and causes us to  heel strike. Most knee, hip, and I suspect most lower back pain, is caused by shoe design that attempts to support our arches but actually weakens them.

Fallen Arches, Flat Feet, Back and Knee Pain

The arch issue is huge! People who grew up as barefoot children have arches that are naturally stronger than  people who always wore shoes right from the start. Those who played barefoot while their feet developed have the ability to easily rebuild their arch strength. Those who have worn shoes from the very beginning are bound to have serious alignment issues with their whole body. And high heels hurt arch strength as well.Shoes with arch support cause flat feet because the support actually weakens the arches.In addition, when the toes are not allowed independent movement for walking, the toe muscles weaken (the toe muscles are within your arch). When the shoes come off, the arches flatten. Then they don’t go all the way back up and in as they should be when the shoes go back on unless the arch support is very stiff, like orthopedic shoes. So the arches stay flattened, knees buckle in, and  hips shift one way or the other to compensate, depending on which knee is more buckled inward.

There was a guy in jail who used to be a football player. (For those of you who don’t know, yes, I was in jail.) He was working out, and I asked him why he wouldn’t do squats. He told me about his knee. He talked about his football days; he tore his ACL playing high school football. He was thinking he would go pro, but with the torn ACL, from that point on, he lead of life of crime. He told me his uncle was going to pay for half of his surgery and his wife would pay the other half and he could finally get a decent job. The guy was in terrible pain all the time and never had the money for the surgery. But he worked out every day, and he wanted to be able to squat.

I told him how the ACL can heal if it’s not severed. I told him he just needed to fix his arches. He laughed and called me an idiot. Everyone listening started made fun of me. But I persisted, and we made a deal. I would fix his arches and he could do a full squat, or I would give him all of my commissary for a month. Everyone laughed at this, called me names, and a few people threatened to kick my ass for being such a bullshitter. But he let me do it. I pushed back in his arches, adjusted his hips as well, and then he did a full squat for the first time in years. The look on his face almost made jail worth the stay. Actually, honestly, it was worth it. I love healing people more than anything. Within seconds there was a line to my bunk of people waiting to be cured of whatever ailed them.

Running and squatting with good form can heal the joins and ligaments. It should be noted here that adequate nutrition makes a huge difference as well. If you don’t get the nutrients to fix the injuries, the injuries will persist in most cases, or at least easily come back at the slightest opportunity.

Vibram Five Finger Shoes and How to Run

I am a huge fan of Vibrams. They are all I ever wear. They allow for independent toe movement which builds arch strength and aids in walking and running more efficiently.

I run with a mid-foot strike, unless I am sprinting. When I sprint, I run on the balls of my feet. If you want to know how to run, do it barefoot first. Find a safe place where you aren’t likely to step on glass or rocks or anything dangerous. Run. See how it feels. Adjust your form. Forget what you knew; just feel your body. It will tell you the proper form very quickly.

Many people have flat feet and don’t realize it. Even if arches are a little flat, as in, just slightly out, this can cause significant pain and misalignment.

Avoid Back Labor and Improper Infant Positioning at Birth

Vibrams aren’t just for running. I recommend  Vibrams for anyone who is pregnant. Get them immediately! And squat. If you aren’t too far along in your pregnancy, you should be doing lots of full squats and lots of walking. Hips being out of alignment (as mentioned, typically caused by flat arches) is a very common cause of back labor and difficulty delivering. If Vibrams are not an option, or the pregnancy is in its third trimester, go with orthopedic shoes that will push the arches back in and keep them in.

Arches and Chiropractic

While there are many variables, for most people, fixing their feet fixes not just the knees, hips, and lower back, but the whole spine all the way up to the neck. And I suspect that this is not something chiropractors talk about because everyone that I’ve ever gotten to start primarily wearing Vibrams has been able to completely rid themselves of back and neck pain within a few months. Obviously, as readers of OLM are well aware, the money is in treatment, not cures.

Fix Your Arches and Start running without Knee Pain

Put your arches back in yourself. If you don’t believe that this is the cause of your knee pain, just give it a try and see what happens. It may get a little better every time, or they might just pop right into place, but in almost every case, it will make a perceptible difference.

How to fix you arches

A golf ball, a tennis ball, any small ball, a towel rolled up, a rock, anything that you can put weight on with your foot can be used to push your arches back into place. Put pressure all over your arch by pushing down on the object. Stand on it if possible. Put in one arch at a time (both are usually out but one is almost always worse than the other). The flatter the arch, the more it hurts. But you will find that the more you do it, the less it hurts to push them back in.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/b4U0u–ew7I

Take your time. Give yourself a strong foot massage using this method. Push in hard. You should be able to feel it when the arch goes back in. But they won’t always go in all the way at first.

Now do a squat. Better? It should be. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on this.

The next step is to get Vibrams. Walk barefoot or in Vibram Five Finger shoes as much as possible. Use your toes too. Feel them push off with each stride. And then, take up running if you don’t already. And squats. Get up to 100 bodyweight squats, and you will be amazed at how much your body transforms!

How To Get Vibram Five Fingers That Fit a Tight Budget

If you’re on a tight budget like me, you’ll notice that Vibrams are expensive! But I typically spend about 1/3 the price. During the right time of year, just before the new models come out, sales are to be found up to 50% off. In addition, if you go into a store that sells them you can get yourself fitted and then check on eBay or Craigslist for people who are selling them. Lots of people get the wrong size, or just don’t know how awesome they really are. I just bought a pair for $30 on eBay because they are slightly used. I like to get them used because they are much less likely to be counterfeit that way (that’s a problem with Five Fingers, and the counterfeit ones are garbage).

The Bikilas have the most padding, perfect for the beginner Vibram wearer and your everyday walking shoe. But I prefer to do my runs in a pair with minimal padding.

One more thing

Diet is paramount. If you eat crap, your body goes out of alignment  I’m not going to get into the details of why in this post, but even your arches can drop due to a toxic diet without enough nutrition. And injuries take time, so take your time ,too, if you’re recovering from an injury. With the right shoes, or no shoes at all, and the right nutrition  almost anyone can completely rid themselves of knee and back pain for the rest of their lives. I did. And I’ve helped many others do the same.

Arches that don’t stay in place are often a sign of hypothyroidism. Check out Understand Hypothyroidism – Prevention and Natural Remedies.

The gluten-free diet trend has been picking up a lot of speed recently. But it is, at best, a shady topic. What exactly is gluten? Why is it bad? And is it really possible to have a gluten-free diet?

For many, “gluten” is an elusive component of starchy foods that can wreak havoc on your health. What it actually is, is a protein compound found in grains and grain products. Found in grass grains- wheat, barley, rye- gluten is a composite of naturally occurring plant proteins. When grains are processed, the gluten is what gives dough its elasticity and other foods a “chewy” texture.

But gluten can show up in other, often unexpected, foods. Extracted from grains, it is added to a slew of foods as an enhancer. In breads and other products made from grains, it increases texture. More surprisingly, it is added as a stabilizer to ice cream and ketchup. The gelatinous solids of imitation meats also harbor gluten, added to give the product firmness.

In nature, gluten doesn’t exist. But its constituents do, and they are safe and healthy to eat. Even when grains are processed to make flour, the gluten that is present is still healthy. Like anything else, moderation is the key. Eating a whole foods diet where gluten is present only in breads is perfectly fine for most healthy individuals.  When we consume mass quantities of the gluten we are more likely to see a problem. And eating more than a moderate amount is easy to do, considering that most gluten is hidden in unexpected and unlabeled places.

People with celiac disease, an estimated 1% of the population, must avoid gluten to maintain their intestinal function. For those few, a true gluten-free diet is absolutely essential to maintain health. Reducing, but not all together eliminating gluten, often helps those with allergies or sensitivities.

For many of us, completely avoiding gluten can actually be unhealthy. Going completely gluten-free may actually mean that you are choosing a food that has been made with highly refined grain. Having been stripped of its nutrients to remove the gluten, these overly refined and processed grain products are definitely not good for you.

What is healthy, however, is opting for a whole food instead of a processed one. Foods made with whole grains contain- along with gluten- fiber, iron, folate, vitamin B12 and other important nutrients.

By removing the cookies, candies, and other junk, high quantities of gluten are avoided. Plus, you feel better, lose weight and become a healthier person. So it’s not actually cutting out the gluten that is beneficial, but the eating of more fruits, veggies and whole foods that make us feel better.

If a gluten-free diet is something you want to do, then make sure you achieve it in a whole and healthy way.