EAT FRESH

POWER UP Your Pantry

By: Christina Leidenheimer, CPT, CHLC - NaturallyChristina.com

CERTAIN VITAMINS FOUND IN MANY WHOLE FOOD SOURCES CAN GIVE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM A POWERFUL BOOST, BUILDING AND PROTECTING VARIOUS ORGAN SYSTEMS AND TISSUES TO KEEP YOU AT YOUR HEALTHIEST.

How can you get your share of potent vitamins to build your defenses and reduce your risk of getting sick during the infamous cold and flu season? Powering up your pantry with antioxidant rich foods is a great place to start. While all vitamins have noteworthy benefits, vitamins A and C are among the best known antioxidants for supporting the immune system. Adding foods high in these particular vitamins can do much to help you build strong immunity.

Whole foods like pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots are easily available this time of year. Their rich yellow and orange hues mean they are teeming with carotenoids and vitamin A. The nutrients in these foods have the potential to enhance your immune response to

SUPPLEMENT VERSUS WHOLE FOOD. WHICH IS BEST?

While whole foods are typically the best option for obtaining vitamins and minerals, each person must decide whether or not a vitamin supplement is the right choice for them. According to cancer.org, studies have shown there is a definite connection between eating foods high in vitamin C and a reduced risk of cancer. However, studies that were conducted using a vitamin C supplement have not shown a reduced cancer risk. This suggest that vitamin C in whole food is most beneficial. This allows the vitamin C to work in the body along with other vital components such as phytochemicals, fiber, water, and minerals present in the whole food.

CHRISTINA’S GOLDEN TONIC Super-NATURAL Ingredients: · 1 liter fresh squeezed orange or Satsuma juice · 2 tsp. *organic turmeric powder · 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Whip it up: 1. Use a citrus juicer to juice Navel oranges or Satsumas. Squeeze enough to yield 32 ounces. 2. Pour juice in a blender and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper. Blend on high for 30 seconds. 3. Sip on this refreshing golden tonic for about an hour. Take your time and enjoy it. *Turmeric possesses natural anti-inflammatory properties, possibly helping reduce pain and inflammation.

infections. Carotenoids stimulate the production of special white blood cells, thus determining your overall immune status. Since white blood cells have the ability to attack bacteria, viruses, and even cancer cells, eating foods that enhance their performance is very good practice.

Citrus fruits are another seasonal food that can increase immune function. Not only are these fruits delicious, but oranges, tangerines, Satsumas, lemons, and grapefruit are very high in vitamin C. The vitamin C found in a fresh squeezed glass of citrus juice can be especially good for fighting bacteria, viruses, and infections. Vitamin C also improves the body’s ability to repair wounds; and it can act as an antihistamine, reducing inflammation brought on by cold and allergies. It has even been proven to reduce histamine levels, possibly shortening the duration of colds.

FOODUCATE

YOUR SOUL Reading labels but still can’t figure out which peanut butter is the healthier option? Fooducate to the rescue! Scan the barcode and Fooducate will grade the product (A, B+, B-, C, etc…), things to know, calories per serving, recommend healthier options similar to the product you scanned, and so much more. Is the product minimally processed? Are there controversial artificial sweeteners used? Does it contain trans fat? Find out everything with Fooducate at your fingertips!

Available for iPhone, Android and online.

HELP FOR YOUR MAN

When you are eating your share of immune-boosting pumpkin this season, don’t forget about the powerful, prostate-protecting seeds. More than half of men age 50 or older suffer with problems related to an enlarged prostate. The phytosterols in pumpkin seeds are touted with the ability to help shrink an enlarged prostate. They do this by helping reduce the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone—a chemical associated with enlarged prostate. All that is needed is about 1 oz. of pumpkin seeds a few times per week. Mix the seeds in a trail mix for a tasty, healthy, healing snack. INSPIRE HEALTH TIP:

MY ECLECTIC KITCHEN

CANDIED SWEET Potatoes By Yvonne Ardestani

SUMMARY:

For as long as I can remember, I have always participated in the preparation of my family’s Thanksgiving feast. The side dishes are my specialty and the candied yams are one of my favorites. In the past, I would use only 4 simple ingredients--yams, orange juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. Since this year’s feast will be full-on vegan, I will be using coconut sugar, coconut oil, organic sweet potatoes (instead of yams), and a few other ingredients to try to round out the flavor. Although I am going to miss my old candied yams this year, these are a great substitute.

In this easy to use app, wellness chef, Yvonne Ardestani shares her collection of deliciously healthy recipes. Yvonne helps you artfully convert not-so-healthy recipes into vegan and gluten-free recipes using techniques she learned in culinary school and in professional restaurants.

Yvonne is a classically trained French chef, former restaurant cook under Chefs Suzanne Goin and Breanne Varela, and now a passionate wellness chef. Yvonne is dedicated to promoting healthy living, helping the environment, and protecting animals from cruelty.

Need recipe ideas? Check out Yvonne’s healthy and delicious recipes by downloading her app in the iTunes app store under My Eclectic Kitchen. MyEclecticKitchen.com Facebook: My Eclectic Kitchen

DISCLAIMER: There is a lot of sugar in this recipe and the potatoes are pretty much candy. Let’s TRY to enjoy this dish in moderation!

Here’s my recipe. I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients  4 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¹⁄ 8.ths  ½ cup of orange juice  ½ cup of filtered water  2 cups of coconut sugar  1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise, beans scraped out, and beans placed into the mixture. We will use the vanilla pod as well.  1 tsp of orange zest  1½ tsp of cinnamon  ¼ tsp of sea salt  4 tbsp of bourbon, optional  4 tbsp of coconut oil

Directions 1 In a heavy pot, add all the ingredients. Make sure you also add the vanilla pod as there are a lot of flavorful vanilla seeds in the pod. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Cover and stir on occasion to ensure the sweet potatoes are cooking properly. 2 With a slotted spoon, place the sweet potatoes in a casserole dish. 3 Add the bourbon to the sauce and cook to reduce into a syrup-y texture. It can take about 15 minutes. You want to make sure the syrup is thick and will coat a sweet potato. 4 Very carefully, pour the syrup over the sweet potatoes and bake until browned for about 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Servings: 10 Time: 1 ½ hours Diet: V, GF, GFV, DF, SF, SRF

AD

YOUR SOUL

Women That Inspire INSPIRE HEALTH 8 March § April 2014 WOMEN THAT INSPIRE

Abigail O’Neill is an Australian fashion model, author of Model Chocolate, food photographer and an expert in vegetarian, raw and vegan cookery. She is a busy working mother with three children. This Aussie beauty is making it all happen while putting her health to the forefront. Abigail had this to say about her inspiration for Model Chocolate: “I was inspired to write Model Chocolate because it is the delicious and nutritious way I’ve created chocolate for myself and my family for years with no adverse effects to my skin, weight, health - and I’m a fashion model! As a model, it’s very important that I eat well because I need to look good at all times! During the course of writing the book I enjoyed up to a dinner sized plateful A DAY of my chocolate (necessary for taste testing and fine-tuning of recipes) which, even to my surprise, enhanced the beauty of my skin, hair, nails and wellbeing. I decided I wanted people everywhere to have the benefits of raw, organic, satisfying chocolate at their fingertips once and for all.” TO FIND OUT THE SECRET BEHIND ABIGAIL’S HEALTHY, DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE RECIPES YOU CAN PURCHASE HER BOOK MODEL CHOCOLATE AT ABIGAILONEILL.NET/ MODEL-CHOCOLATE.

E-book $25 , Hard copy $64.95 * Book ships from Australia. From March 1, 2014-May 1, 2014 use promo code MODELCHOCINSPIRE to receive 20% off the hard copy.

MODEL CHOCOLATE ~ Frosty Berry

This pretty, refreshing chocolate is perfect for entertaining super gorgeous people in a hurry. — 60g cacao butter, chopped fine — 1 tablespoon rice bran oil — 2 tablespoons cashew or hazelnut butter — 1 tablespoon raw agave — ¼ cup raw cacao powder — 1 cup frozen mixed berries and cherries Melt finely shredded cacao butter and oil in a glass mixing bowl over boiling water. Remove from heat adding everything except berries and combine until beautifully smooth. Pour warm chocolate into a lined glass dish. Squander berries into the sea of chocolate and tilt dish to semi coat berries. The icy fruit will set it in less than a minute! Refrigerate. Serve from the freezer or fridge. 5 minutes to prepare. 1 minute to set. Makes chocolate for 4. Enjoy! Love and chocolate xxx Abigail Use #inspirehealthmag to show us what inspires you! women that inspire Love chocolate and want to learn more about Abigail and other fabulous chocolate recipes? Look for the fall issue of Inspire Health later this year! INSPIRE HEALTH 31 inspirehealthmag.com § #inspirehealthmag A pril 2010, the reality hit me. As I weighed myself on the scale, I found that my weight had crept up so much that I was 3lbs heavier than my 6’1” dad. This was my wakeup call! The only problem was, I knew how to gain weight, but I had no clue how to lose it. The following week, I got an e-mail at work announcing they were providing weight-loss guidance for employees. I immediately replied. I continued with the program on and off for 3 years. Finally, I hit my goal weight in October 2013. I had shed a whopping 90lbs.

After my weight-loss milestone, I decided I needed to add exercise to my regimen. I joined a gym, and a friend and I decided to give Crossfit a try. We walked into our first class completely terrified. It did not go so great. I discovered that I could not jump. I was weak, barely able to lift the bar. I was also extremely uncoordinated. Basically, I was a complete mess. Running was not an option. When the routine called for running, I walked. Six months later, I was able to use a 24” box for jump ups. I can now jump rope like a champ. I’m deadlifting185 lbs. I’m working on unassisted kipping pull ups, and I did my first toes to bar recently. I’ve come so far. Now I’m setting new goals for myself.

For the next 60 days I joined a TV fitness personality in my living room and sweated, lunged, sweated, squatted – did I mention sweated? The first couple of weeks were brutal. I questioned my own ability to complete even just a 40-minute workout. Soon, however, I started finding my groove. I learned how to channel the anger and hurt into strength to do one more pushup. I would focus so intently on the exercise at-hand that I completely drowned out the voice in my head telling me every reason I had to quit. After my 60 day fitness venture, I had dropped over 10 pounds, found muscle definition where none had ever been before – and while the physical results were far better than I had imagined, it’s what it did for me mentally that forever changed how I thought about myself. I had a better sense of being and no longer equated love from others to my self-worth. I was stronger mentally and realized my ability to commit was there all along – I just didn’t have my focus set on the right things. In a nutshell, by the end of this journey I literally came out a different person. Amanda Hines is a 29¾-year-old advertising executive living in Boston. TEARS, SWEAT, AND STRENGTH “It’s all about the feeling of connectedness that a healthy lifestyle gives me, with myself, with others, and with our planet. Taking care of yourself brings more love into your life.” — Ksenia Avdulova, New York City, New York “Simply being alive inspires me. Every moment serves as a reminder of how delicate life truly is, and all that’s best appreciated in good health: breathing, smiling, dancing, crying, loving, living.” — Meg Pearson, Costa Rica This quote inspires me to live healthy: “believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside of you that is greater than any obstacle.” — Christian D. Larson Chrisie Allemand , Tampa, florida “My Zumba instructor, Jeffrey Brous, is a true inspiration to me. I danced since age 5 and stopped for a number of years. I was hesitant to get back into a class. I went to one of his classes two years ago, and have been going ever since. He inspires everyone to work hard and love themselves for who they are. He also practices what he preaches, having lost over 200 pounds through diet and exercise.” — Leslie Feldman, Philadelphia Use #inspirehealthmag to show us what inspires you! Have you been INSPIRED by someone or think you can be an inspirational story for others? We would love to hear about it and feature you in an upcoming issue! Please send your story to editor@inspirehealthmag.com. Include a few inspirational photos of yourself! WOMEN THAT INSPIRE W hile growing up, I suffered with the constant battle of never thinking I was good enough. I went through a time period where I never felt talented, with no niche to give me purpose. I was constantly comparing myself to others and didn’t have an indication about what self-love was. I always thought love was found in every area, but from within. While I maintained I was content on the outside, I was very confused and lacking my true happiness deep down.

Perhaps, my biggest achievement in seeking a healthier lifestyle has been quitting smoking. On November 30, 2013, I kicked the habit. I’m proud to say, 43 days after I quit smoking, I ran my first 5k race. I was actually able to run the entire way, and shocked myself with my time. I never imagined that I would be able to run. When I crossed the finish line, I had the biggest smile on my face! If I can do this, anyone can! The hardest part is convincing yourself to just get started. But, you really do deserve to be the best you can be! As told by Nanci Revolta - New Orleans, LA COUCH TO CROSSFIT Women That Inspire AD Fr om Inspire us with your story @ inspirehealthmag.com/mystory Nanci with her new friend, Mr. Barbell! INSPIRE HEALTH 29 inspirehealthmag.com § #inspirehealthmag went from being my weakness to becoming my strength. Even though it was something extremely difficult to go through in my teenage years, it made me the happy woman I am today.” PRODUCT PICK Tasha O’Keefe - London, UK RUN THERAPY Women That Inspire Inspire us with your story @ inspirehealthmag.com/mystory ❝ I was first diagnosed with depression when I was 16. This diagnosis came shortly after my birthday, which was incredibly difficult. I was put on medication to help relieve my suffering. My therapist suggested taking up fitness as a way to help alleviate my symptoms. At this time, I decided to start my blog, Run Therapy ( www. runtherapy.co.uk ) as a way to keep myself motivated. I enjoy finding and sharing inspiring fitness posts and posting my own journey. My blog grew to be my outlet. I share my journey of recovery and healthy living with thousands of followers on the internet. I’m thankful for messages I receive from people saying how I’ve inspired them because they too struggle with depression. It’s fulfilling to know that my experiences can help others make positive changes within their own lives. Last October, I ran a half marathon for The Blurt Foundation ( www.blurtitout.org ), a charity that helps those struggling with depression. It was a way for me to fight back and overcome the illness that broke me down for so many years. Through blogging, I realized I wanted to write inspiring articles on health and wellbeing as a career in the future. I find it bizarre how depression AD INSPIRE HEALTH 26 January § February 2014 WOMEN THAT INSPIRE “Enjoying life is what inspires me to live healthy. My level of health influences everything: my energy, my creativity, my mood, and my ability to be physically active. — Lauren Amerson , Ashville, North Carolina “THE QUOTE “WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW YOU WOULD SUCCEED?” HAS INSPIRED ME TO REALIZE MY DEEPEST ASPIRATIONS. SELF-LOVE HAS GIVEN ME THE STRENGTH TO WORK TOWARD REACHING MY GOALS.” — Whitney Bennett , Anchorage, Alaska FOLLOWING A DEVASTATING BREAKUP I THOUGHT I COULD NOT OVERCOME, I TOOK MY FRUSTRATIONS TO THE GYM AND TURNED SORROW INTO SWEAT, ONE INTENSE WORKOUT AT A TIME.

Whether we know it or not, a lot of us go through this struggle of scrutinizing ourselves and finding who we are, especially in our adolescence. We try to meet some type of perfection that doesn’t exist and sometimes we look up to people that aren’t actually empowering us. My life, most of the time, seemed to be based on superficial things. I was trying to fit a mold, and trying to be accepted by as many people as possible. I started following trends that had no connection to who I was personally. I would start to obsess about working out, low fat foods, useless fad diets and my weight. I never actually listened to what my body was telling me. I never understood what impact this all had on me. I didn’t have an indication about what health even meant.

The day my life changed was when I attended my first hot power yoga class. I was in the process of changing gyms and wanted to try something different. I was immediately enlightened, and it was an instant shift in feeling. I released judgment for where I was at in that particular moment of my life, what I looked like, or what anyone thought of me. I just surrendered completely on the mat, and I listened to myself deep, deep down where I was hiding for a very long time. It wasn’t easy to get honest with my demons, doubts, and regrets; it took courage to deal with everything I was hiding from. As it would for Alicia Galantic from Healthingyou.com ALICIA GALANTIC, SHARES HER JOURNEY TO HEALTH AND SELF-LOVE. AFTER OVERCOMING POOR SELF-ESTEEM, ALICIA IS THRIVING AND INSPIRING OTHERS. Use #inspirehealthmag to show us what inspires you! women that inspire / cover girl any of us. My intuition was telling me it had to be done though. After that particular day, my gradual transformation to true health started to form. While I was becoming more in touch with my thoughts, I was eliminating unnecessary negativity day by day. I realized I was fine exactly as I was. I chose love… love for myself, love for what surrounded me, love for what I had. This was key for me because it was the resolution to solve any of my problems, in particular, my poor relationship with food.

My deep interest in how nutrition impacted people in whole grew immensely. I began educating myself by taking a variety of nutrition courses. I even started my own website, HealthingYou.com to inspire and help others. I started setting empowering goals like running my first marathon. This wasn’t to lose weight, but to feel boundless inside and punch fear in the face. I was finally understanding the prominence and the abundance of nutrition that food straight from the earth has on my well-being.

WHAT INSPIRES ALICIA? I love this quote; it really empowers me. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You playing small does not serve the world.”

It wasn’t long until plants became the essential part of my diet. A plantbased diet is now my lifestyle. Today, I feel alive and anxious to express my passion for what true health means to me from within and through nourishment. It’s imperative for all of us to live a lifestyle that allows us to be the best version of ourselves. I said it before and I will say it again, you are more than enough. Don’t ever allow anyone or anything make you feel otherwise.

STRENGTHEN

My fitness routine is a combination of yoga, running, and weights. I try to spread each throughout the week with 1 or 2 rest days.

NOURISH

My favorite fresh food for summer is juicy watermelon.

DISCOVER

I plan to try some new scenic hikes or races, the Wanderlust Festival, or a silence retreat.

Some of Alicia’s delicious recipes can be found in the book, Eat Super -NATURAL.

20

INSPIRE HEALTH May § June 2014

INSPIRE HEALTH inspirehealthmag.com § #inspirehealthmag

21

AD