The
90:10 Rule 
Have you heard of the
90:10 rule for healthy eating? That says that if you are eating a
balanced diet of fruits, vegetable, whole grains and high quality
proteins 90% of the time, it doesn't matter what you eat the other
10%. This is important to realize when you try to set yourself up to
"diet" and deprive yourself of "bad" food. It never works out in the
long run. Relying only on willpower is too much of a burden, and it
isn't any fun! I make sure that I eat well 90% of the time just so I
can enjoy moments like the one captured in this picture with my
friend. I'm on the right savoring a designer brand gelato double cone
at a ridiculous price. But no matter, the moment was heavenly. What
rules are you living by??
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This Month's Feature Article:
Keeping Cool From the Inside Out
We naturally crave foods according to the season:
comforting soups in the winter, sprouts and salads as spring starts to
bloom, and of course, ice cream in the summer! Our bodies are always
seeking balance, so it makes sense that we crave foods to counteract
the effects of the weather.
Ayurvedic practitioners, masters of seasonal eating, have these
recommendations for eating cooling, summer food:
- Favor foods that are cool and liquid. Minimize foods
that are hot.
- Favor foods that are sweet, bitter or astringent.
Minimize foods that create heat (spicy, salty or sour).
- Light proteins are best - fish and white meats in
small amounts.
- Coriander, mint, cardamom, and fennel are nice summer
spices.
- Stick with unrefined sweeteners, but minimize honey
and molasses.
Raw foods in particular are effective in cooling our
bodies. Whether you eat raw foods as snacks or for one meal or most of
what you eat, it has benefits beyond keeping your body temperature low
in the heat, as you will see in the next article.
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Food Focus: Raw Foods 
Everyone knows it's healthy to eat
fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables every day. That isn't a new
concept. A Raw Food diet simply says that these foods should be most of
what we eat.
Reasons to eat raw:
Vitamins and micro-nutrients: Most vitamins and
other micro-nutrients are damaged or destroyed at temperatures above
130 degrees. Many of these newly discovered micro-nutrients are thought
help prevent cancer and other diseases.
· Enzymes: Enzymes are the most heat sensitive
of all nutrients, and are damaged or destroyed at temperatures above
118 degrees. Raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds contain the
necessary enzymes to make digestion easier on our bodies.
· Water: Our bodies are 70% water. Fruits and
vegetables have a high water content, which will keep you well hydrated.
· Good Fats: Natural fats are very sensitive
to heat (think of avocadoes and flaxseed oil). Heated and processed
fats no longer have antioxidant qualities, and can be carcinogenic.
Cooked fats are also sticky (think of a lasagna pan), which can cause
blockages in the arteries and digestive tract, inhibit the absorption
of nutrients, and reduce the body's ability to transport oxygen.
· Good Elimination: The soft, soluble fiber
in fruits and tender green vegetables keeps you regular.
· Proper acid-alkaline balance: Processed
food, cooked food diets, pollution, and stress leave most people too
acidic, which prevent optimal immune system functions, and leaches
alkaline minerals from the body. Fruits and vegetables help keep you
alkaline.
Fruits, vegetables, fats, algae, seaweed, grasses and sprouts and
superfoods are the main food groups in a raw foods diet. Some raw
superfoods are goji berries, cacao, bee pollen, coconut water and raw
honey.
Recipe: Blueberry Banana Smoothie
Smoothies
rock! They're cooling, totally portable, and you can mix and match many
different ingredients - including raw superfoods - according to your
taste.
Ingredients:
1 ripe fresh or frozen banana, peeled and cut into
2-inch chunks
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
8 oz plain or vanilla soy, rice or almond milk (more or less to taste)
1-2 tbsp raw nut butter (almond, cashew)
1 scoop protein powder (whey, soy or rice)
Optional
Ingredients:
Add 1 tsp agave nectar, stevia or bee pollen for a sweeter taste
Add 1-2 Tbsp finely ground flax seed for extra fiber and omega-3s
Add 1 Tbsp dried coconut flakes for flavor and healthy lauric acid
Add 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes for additional B vitamins and
essential amino acids
Use coconut water instead of milk
Add 1 tbsp cacao powder
Add soaked goji berries
Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and
whirl at top speed for approximately one minute or until smooth.. Pour
into a glass and enjoy. Note: If you are using frozen fruit in
place of fresh fruit you may choose to omit the ice. Another option is
to omit the banana and add more frozen berries.
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Making It Happen:
Readers
Share Their Favorite Travel Snacks
Last month I asked you to share what you eat
as your favorite travel snacks. This is what you reported:
* Fresh cherries
* Sugar snap peas or baby carrots with a tiny bit of ranch dressing
* Sliced apples with almond or peanut butter
* Sunkist pre-wrapped prunes
* Calbee brand Snapea Crisps
I love getting your feedback! Please keep
sending me your ideas, questions or comments about changes that you
have experienced after incorporating new healthy habits into your life,
to: sharon@recipeforahealthylife.com. Thanks!
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Tired of
Being Tired?
Would you like to know what to eat to feel your
best? Would you like to have more energy to improve your productivity,
relationships or health? What could you change in your diet and
lifestyle to start feeling better immediately?
Please
join me to discuss:
The Top 10 Ways to
Increase Your Energy & Vitality
at Bikram Yoga Westfield studio
361 South Avenue E., 2nd flr, Westfield
(above PrintTech)
Thursday July 31, 8:15-9:30 pm
Cost: $5.00
Wholesome, delicious
refreshments will be served!
Friends and guests also welcomed at the door!
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 Walking the Talk
Do you wish you had more time to catch up with friends or
co-workers? Do you need some motivation to get some exercise? You've
come to the right season! Long days of sunlight or breezy afternoons
make it a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: find a
walking partner and commit to a routine. Or enlist a few buddies and
rotate. It will feel good to take care of your body and your soul at
the same time!
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 About SharonSharon
Goldner motivates individuals and groups to live their fullest
potential. As a Certified Holistic Health
Counselor and owner of Recipe For A Healthy Life,
she makes the connection between food, and the mind and body so that
individuals can easily understand their path to health and vitality.
She is a
graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City,
and is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners
and Columbia University Teacher's College. Her
training as a Vegetarian Chef at the Natural Gourmet Institute for
Health & Culinary Arts in New York City enables her to work with
clients in a fun and practical way as they create a realistic eating
plan.
Sharon is also a frequent wellness speaker for both
corporate and not-for-profit groups.
Her empowering message provides participants with the tools and
inspiration to improve their food choices and the quality of their
lives.
Call today! And create your own recipe
for a healthy life! 908-242-3763
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