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Nowadays we have access to everything. In fact, we can eat almost anything at any time, but does this mean we are eating better? Let´s look at some facts. In the United States:

- Nearly 38% of adults are obese (1)
- 9,3% of the population has diabetes (2)
- About 29% of adults have high blood pressure (3)
- The No. 1 cause of death for both men and women is heart disease (4)
- 1 in every 20 deaths is caused by stroke (5)

This data reflects not only the way people eat, of course, but also other factors such as lifestyle. However, food plays a very important role. Besides being part of our daily life, we need to eat in order to survive.

If we want to eat healthier options, going to the supermarket can be quite a challenging experience. Why? Because everything that is not good for us seems to be more appealing either by the way it looks or how the package looks (this is marketing at its best). As the saying goes, "don´t judge a book by its cover." So what can you do?

1. Choose Local
 

If you are looking for fresh fruits and vegetables, then buy local products. By doing this you will be also helping the farmers in your area as well as the environment! Besides this, instead of going to the freezer section to find meat or fish, try to go more often to the fish market or to the butcher shop.

2. Choose Organic
 

Do you really want to pay for food that was grown using chemical fertilizers and pesticides or for GMO food? Or would you rather pay for quality? This is what happens when you choose organic: it is an investment in your health and well-being. Organic produce might not be so appealing because of its size and shape, but after you taste it you will not want anything else!

3. Choose Seasonal
 

Nature is so wise. It gives us what our body needs according to the season. For example, have you ever noticed that there is always more fruit available during summer time? Fruit hydrates us and has also a cooling effect on our body, perfect for that time of the year!

4. Choose Whole
 

Whole grains are slow-absorption carbohydrates and nutritionally more complete (6). Most people, however, eat refined carbohydrates. But did you know that white flour acidifies the body, taking away minerals (7)? Furthermore, food with a high glycemic value (e.g., refined flour products and also sugar), can act as opium does in our brains, which is why for some people it can be addictive, according to research conducted by Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons, specialist in nutrition and addiction (8).

5. Choose without Sugar
 

When I use the term "sugar" I mean sucrose that enters very quickly in the bloodstream, disturbing the sugar levels in the blood. In the long term, refined sugar increases fatigue and steals from the body minerals and B complex vitamins (7). But, of course, everybody loves eating a sweet thing! Fruit can be one of the best options available, but if you are looking for a sugar substitute you have, for example, honey and coconut sugar.

6. Choose Unprocessed
 

I know packaged food offers convenience, but next time you buy it please read the label. Do you understand the ingredients or are they too hard to spell? Rule of thumb: if you can´t spell them, then put the package back on the supermarket shelf. Besides this, keep in mind that the less ingredients a product has, the better.

7. Choose Diversity
 

Eating a bit of everything is probably the best option if you want to have a balanced diet. However, it is important to take into account certain factors such as the season we are in, as I have written above, and our personal characteristics like age, sex, lifestyle and what our organism reacts to certain foods, so listen to your body!

Next time you go to the supermarket think about the options available. You have the power to decide the best for you, so choose wisely.

(1) Flegal K.M., Kruszon-Moran D., Carroll M.D., et al. Trends in obesity among adults in the United States, 2005 to 2014. JAMA, 315(21): 284-2291, 2016 (accessed October 2016).
(2) American Diabetes Association. Statistics about Diabetes. In American Diabetes Association, 2016 (accessed October 2016).
(3) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High Blood Pressure Facts. In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015 (accessed October 2016).
(4) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease Facts. In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015 (accessed October 2016).
(5) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stroke Facts. In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015 (accessed October 2016).
(6) Varatojo, Francisco. Foods also Cure. Lisboa: A Esfera dos Livros, 2015.
(7) Pope, Alexandra. The Wild Genie: The healing power of menstruation. Bedfordshire: Authors OnLine, 2001, ed. 2014.
(8) Northrup, Christiane. Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating physical and emotional health and healing. Rio de Mouro: Círculo de Leitores, 1994, ed. 2009, transl.

In our busy lives, convenience shouldn't be underrated, especially when it comes to food. The fact that microwave ovens greatly reduce the amount of time from freezer or fridge to table is huge, which is part of what makes them so popular. Why is it then, that more and more people are giving up the speed and convenience of microwave cooking and joining the 'slow food' movement?

Here are a few things they may know that motivate them to give up convenience in favor of the old, slow way of preparing foods:

Microwave ovens cook food by exposing it to microwave radiation - a form of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic energy. When food absorbs this energy, it causes the water molecules within it to rotate, a movement which causes friction between the molecules. This produces a rapid rise in temperature, thus cooking the food.

In this process however, the food is not just cooked. In fact, research demonstrates that the molecules of the food itself are changed, with the result that some nutrients become inert while others actually become carcinogenic. This is especially the case if you make the mistake of cooking the food in plastic or covered by plastic wrap, because the carcinogenic toxins in the plastic can leach into the food during cooking.

Then, there's the fact that although various governments have established guidelines for 'safe' exposure to microwaves, this does NOT mean that exposure to microwaves is actually not harmful. For example, the independent organization Powerwatch reports that,

"Even when the microwave oven is working correctly, the microwave levels within the kitchen are likely to be significantly higher than those from any nearby cellular phone base-stations. Remember also that microwaves will travel through walls if the microwave oven is against an inside wall."
If you stand a foot away from a microwave oven while it's on, you can be exposed to more than 400
milliGauss of microwave radiation. Only 4 milliGauss has been linked to
leukemia. But that's not all.
A study reported by Dr. Magda Havas of Trent University found evidence that microwave radiation negatively affects the heart at levels that are far below the reported 'safe' levels defined by governmental regulations in the U.S. and Canada:

"This is the first study that documents immediate and dramatic changes in both heart rate and heart rate variability caused by an approved device that generates microwaves at levels well below (0.3 percent) federal guidelines in both Canada and the United States."

In fact, microwaves are actually used in the field of gene altering technology to weaken cell membranes. As Dr. Joseph Mercola points out, "scientists use microwaves to actually break cells apart. Impaired cells then become easy prey for viruses, fungi and other microorganisms. Another term for these athermic effects is the "microwave effect," so if you don't want the molecules in your food to become changed, if you don't want living food to become dead, if you don't want your heart to be negatively affected, you might like to join the Russians. They conducted significant research on microwaves starting immediately after World War II. Their findings caused them to ban microwave ovens as far back as 1976.

Maybe that slow food movement is on to something after all!

Portions of this article were excerpted from the Natural Female Hormone Care series of lessons. For more information, and to secure your own copy of a 200+ self questionnaire to assess your own female hormonal state, go to http://www.NaturalFemaleHormoneCare.com.

By Pamela Levin

Don't underestimate the importance of copper in your diet. It's true that your body only needs it in small amounts, but having the proper copper levels in your body are critical to your long-term survival. The body needs copper for the many tasks it performs, from building the enzyme ceruloplasmin (this carries iron in the blood) to its major role in the production of collagen. But for my money, the most important thing about this little trace mineral is its ability to help produce elastin.

Elastin is found primarily in the artery walls, lungs, intestines, and skin and is a structural protein that gives your body flexibility and healthy connectivity. Copper is absolutely necessary in manufacturing elastin, helping create our elastic fiber. No copper, no elastin, right? It's easy to see that copper deficiency would lead to a loss of elasticity in the tissues found in your arteries, skin and organs. And if your body goes without normal elastin production, big problems will arise.

Copper deficiency and its link to aneurysm

As elastin production deteriorates, so does the viability, flexibility and connectivity of body tissue. So what happens when tissue in your arteries and organs are weakened? Those weakened tissues become prone to thinning. Arteries will balloon at their weakest point with the possibility of rupturing, kind of like a garden hose with a weak spot bulging in the line... pressure will eventually blow it out. In your arteries, those weak, bulging spots are called aneurysms. Of course, aneurysms can be life-threatening, especially when they blow. I don't think it's a stretch to think that weak tissue, resulting because of less elastin, will sometimes cause existing aneurysms to worsen, or new ones to develop. And as shown, less elastin is a direct result of a copper deficiency.

Copper deficiency and its link to hemorrhagic stroke

A blood vessel that leaks or breaks into the brain results in a hemorrhagic stroke, which account for twenty percent of all strokes. Again, without elastin, blood vessels lose elasticity. Tissue starts to harden, fissures form on the inside of the arterial wall, and begin to crack. These cracks are weak spots which slowly get worse, begin to leak, then break. Absence of proper copper levels means less elastin, causing tissues to harden and weaken. There appears to be a correlation here between hemorrhagic stroke and low copper levels in the body.

What other conditions does copper deficiency create?

Did you know that a doctor can tell if you have copper deficiency by looking at the color of your hair? Copper is a crucial component in the creation of hair pigment. White, gray and silver hair are quick give-aways to a trained eye. Here's something that got me thinking: isn't it interesting that Albert Einstein, famous for his white crazy hair, dropped dead of an aneurysm when he was 68? 

What are the chances that he had a copper deficiency?

Varicose veins and hemorrhoids are common conditions too, but they wouldn't be as common if people would keep a normal level of copper in their systems. These two ailments are caused by weak tissue, tissues that are struggling to maintain their elasticity, but can't because they lack the trace mineral that can help create the elastin they need. If you suffer from either of these two ailments, you might consider having your copper levels tested.

How do you maintain a proper copper balance in your body?

The body does not manufacture copper, so you must ingest it. There are many foods rich in copper, like pumpkin and sunflower seeds, garbanzo beans, lima beans and soybeans. Do you like cashews? This is one of the best copper foods you can eat, second only to sesame seeds in copper content. If you have copper plumbing, you are getting trace amounts of it in your drinking water. And of course, there are supplements to help you get your daily allowance.

Now, don't overdo it. Remember, copper is a trace mineral, and your body needs only a small amount daily to ward off any copper deficiency malady. Copper toxicity is not something you want, either, so follow the established guidelines of two milligrams daily. That's all you need. The important thing here is that your body has a consistent flow of this natural mineral. Avoid copper deficiency in your diet, and you will avoid some of life's biggest pitfalls.

By M Heimann

We all know that what we eat affects the overall health of our body. This is the reason many health groups and healthy lifestyle practitioners clamor for people to choose organic. However, in the endless sea of labels and ingredients claiming to be organic, it can be confusing for an average Joe. With that in mind, this article can help one to make better and smarter choices with regards to the food they consume and make a better commitment to stay healthier.

Understanding Organics

Do you know that the way a produce came to be has an overall impact to your body's health? Not only that, but it also affects the environment. You may see plenty of produce labelled "organic" while others may have "100% organic" on it. The term "organic" is simply a way for manufacturers to tell consumers how produce are grown and processed. Organic produce are grown from natural surroundings, using natural fertilizer and water resources to grow it. Some produce that are termed as "100% organic" means that all materials used came from organic resources and processing of the food is done naturally. Organic meats, for example, means that the livestock are given natural food, are free range and not subjected to any man-made hormone growth products or vaccines.

Why Go Organic

Many studies show that going organic has several advantages compared with consuming conventional products. For one, organic food is healthier because it has no chemicals or preservatives added to it. Many farmers use pesticides or insecticides to safeguard their crops from insects. Although this produces ideal yields, residues from the chemicals used can affect the health of the consumer especially those with food sensitivities. Studies show that low exposure to pesticides can increase the person's risk to cancer and even more so for pregnant women and young kids. Chemicals from fertilizers are also harmful to the environment causing ecological imbalances such as increased soil erosion and other environmental problems.

The need to feed the world's ever increasing population has also paved the way for Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs. These plants or livestock have their DNA tweaked to ensure better resistance to bacterial strains thus increasing the chance of higher yields. Although this helps in sustaining the world's population, GMOs also open up the possibility of other health risks that might be less responsive to existing treatment. Eating organic food that is GMO-free means less exposure to future health problems.

Food Labels

Food labels are a great source for those who want to purchase organically made produce. Industry production standards differ from one country to another and as such it is important to read and understand the fine print. 100% organic means that all ingredients used come from 100% organic materials. Some may also see an approved seal from the country's food bureau like the USDA seal showing that all standards are met and the food item has passed inspection.