TODAY SHOW gives BLUE RIBBON to one of my SUGGESTED PRODUCTS

I couldn't be MORE excited. The TODAY show gave SIX products BLUE RIBBONS as the best foods in their category for health, wellness, weight, and of course TASTE. And one of my FAVORITE companies in the world  (KIND)  received a BLUE RIBBON for best protein/snack bar! HOORAY!

I eat a KIND bar most every day. I suggest the ONES with PLUS signs on the ends as shown here, as these have added usable protein besides the natural nut protein. The right NUTS, are SO heart healthy, provide great taste and protein, and bring great fiber to the diet. But I love that these are made with great care to be natural, low enough in carbs and sugars, but still make you CRAVE one, instead of an unhealthy TREAT!  LOOK at these THREE!  They are my favorites! They ALSO have corresponding Granola cereals out that MATCH the bars, and I am LOVING them. My daughter and I love the GREEN PLUS ENDED ones and the ESPRESSO BROWN PLUS ENDED ones the best! We wait until they go on super sale, and buy them five boxes at a time, and we get them for about a dollar a bar that way. I carry them in the car, my purse, everywhere. I give them for gifts! They are wonderful, the company that makes them has a mission statement that alone would make you want to buy them, but for these to win the BLUE RIBBON today on the TODAY show, just made my day!  AND out of the SIX categories given ribbons, I also had one of my other suggestions, HONEST brand Green Tea as a winner of a BLUE RIBBON...sooooooooo yippeeeeeeee. TWO BLUE RIBBON PICKS ISN'T BAD....Smile. ENJOY.  And have delicious food while you empower your body and health in 2012 to the best you can be. CHEERS!

A Wonderful SUCCESS Story from a Faithful BLOG Follower! Hurray!~

Sometimes a teacher wonders just how much of what she teaches really impacts the "class." I know changing to whole, live, clean foods seems like a daunting task to many of you..........but I believe it is the HUB of healthy living, even paramount above exercising, supplementation, etc. My blog only uses the word, "WEIGHT" to get readers into the content ;-) Weight maintaining is going to follow if the principles I teach are gradually introduced into one's lifestyle. Well, surprisingly, I received several messages from someone who signs off as MJB, her initials, LOL, not the beverage....and she is gracious enough to let me share her story. I do it as encouragement, to ALL of you who have the desire to make the change for healthy living, longevity, and to take care of one of the greatest miracles we have, our bodies! So here is her message. And note, she had health issues galore, and was discouraged with her lack of energy, headaches, bronchitis and colds, etc. So this really was important for her to make a change.

I feel great most days, have some to go, but I have to say, since last early fall, no 

wheat and no dairy have made a BIG difference in my daily complaints. Stomach pains have disappeared, have headaches almost never anymore, had ONE bout of bronchitis couple of weeks ago, that in itself is a miracle!!! Usually would have had 3 by now! So I attribute the change in my food changes to my good fortune. AND THANK YOU LINDA!!! Really, things are so much better, I'm almost taking them for granted! I have to remind myself that it's because of some simple food changes that this has happened. And from reading your blogs! Over & over! I think about printing them out and saving them. I have used the Ech/Golden Seal with great results. I only use a bit of spray whipping cream on my pumpkin pie (don't eat the crust) and I bought Trader Joe's Parm shredded cheese but use it very sparingly. (She has done Gluten Free, Dairy free, and NON PROCESSED foods since September, used to be a fast food person at times, and ate wheat or processed wheat carbs regularly) She had many bouts with colds/and bronchitis, had little energy and headaches and aches and pains, so this is an amazing tesitmonial. Her ONE success is enough for me. I feel so privileged to have given enough information that she implemented it, with yes ups and downs, but I want to personally tell her, and the many others of you are on the same journey, TY. I have one of you out there, you know who you are, who has lost 20 pounds, and one in Utah, who has lost over 40 and I think could teach ME about how to REPROGRAM to healthier, delicious, alternative, BODY EMPOWERING foods. She has also been a HUGE inspiration to me, initials CC! So please, ALL of you continue to just strive for making simple changes. An elephant is never eaten in one bite I always say! Congratulations if you even have the desire to make a change. Please do go back through past blog posts and watch for new ones as they appear! I am grateful that I turned my lifestyle around decades ago, so that today, I can enjoy the benefits I would never have imagined possible. You are what you eat. You are what you think. Exercise is vital. But you can be thin and not live to your full capacity and heaven forbid, have you ticking time bomb, predisposed illness show up at any time that you do NOT fortify against it with A LOT of the good and just a Little of the bad. HAPPY 2012. May it be a healthy, happy year for all of you. TY MJB, it was all WORTHWHILE !!  And you definitely made my day, my year, made me SMILE!

HARVARD Declares DAIRY Not Part of Healthy Diet

The Harvard School of Public Health sent a strong message to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and nutrition experts everywhere with the recent release of its “Healthy Eating Plate” food guide.  The University was responding to the USDA’s new MyPlate guide for healthy eating, which replaced the outdated and misguided food pyramid.

Harvard’s nutrition experts did not pull punches, declaring that the University’s food guide was based on sound nutrition research and more importantly, not influenced by food industry lobbyists.  The greatest evidence of its research focus is the absence of dairy products from the “Healthy Eating Plate” based on Harvard’s assessment that high intake can increase the risk of certain cancers, especially those related to hormones (i.e. prostrate, breast, ovarian, etc.) The Harvard experts also referred to the high levels of saturated fat in most dairy products and suggested that many foods such as dark greens, spinach, nuts, beans, etc. are safer choices than dairy for obtaining calcium, as are high quality supplements.  

I agree with the above suggestions with Harvard, but would like to add my main reason for lecturing over 20 years against regularly having ice cream, heavy cheeses, and milk as a beverage,  being part of the American diet!  We know that most bovine, (cows) ingest hormones to keep them "fresh" or producing and are given antibiotics since they become weak due to the constant milk production and their cramped living quarters. And hormones and antibiotics even in small amounts regularly can perhaps add up to big consequences healthwise.  But also, milk/dairy creates MUCOUS, which is of course not desirable to the Lymphatic system and can be a breeding medium for bacteria and viruses.  If you "hack up," (sorry to be so graphic) ANY mucous in the morning or throughout the day, it is an indication of your body trying to rid itself of this mucous. If you have headaches, sinus problems, colds or flu more than once in a great while, consider, DAIRY could be one of the reasons for your ailments.  Do this trial!  Try and take ALL dairy out of your diet for just two weeks, and then have a large meal with dairy!  See what happens, and report in. I think you will be surprised! It's worth a try. I hope some of you tried the SO DELICIOUS Chocolate Mint Coconut Milk that was recently in the stores and highlighted in the last blog post!   Carla Curtis, from Utah, who has lost over 40 pounds, and is rebounding in her health, told me from that blog when I suggested this great milk alternative, that she already used it, and LOVED it!   And it was only 7 carbs and 6 sugars!  Yipeeeee!  To find  SO DELICIOUS coconut milk products in a store in your area, click on the following:  http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com/locations/store_locator.php  And by the way, coconut milk is heart healthy, immune system healthy, and a great product! 

Kudos to Harvard for promoting greater consumption of vegetables and fruits, as well as healthier protein options such as fish, beans or nuts.  And kudos to Harvard for ignoring the lobbyists and showing the USDA what healthy eating is all about.