Interestingly enough, one of the biggest causes of food waste in our country is the expiration date that is placed on food containers.

For example, the “use by” date refers to the date that the unopened item is at its best as far as quality of taste and appearance is concerned.  As time passes the “use by” date, the degradation of food is gradual.  The “sell by” date has nothing to do with the taste or actual quality of the food, but it indicates that the store should remove the product from sale due to the expected beginning of a decline in quality.  According to ShelfLifeAdvice.com, Americans are most wary of dairy products, such as milk, eggs, mayonnaise, cheese and yogurt.

ShelfLifeAdvice.com lists some handy guidelines.

Milk, if properly refrigerated, will remain safe about a week after the “sell by” date.  Cottage Cheese lasts for 10-14 days past the date on the container.  Mayonnaise, unopened, can last 30 days after the expiration date; yogurt about a week or so.  Lastly, refrigerated eggs should last about 3-5 weeks after the ’sell by’ date.  As far as my personal procedure for food quality, I open and sniff.  If the food passes the sniff test, I taste.  If I don’t gag, I eat.  You may want to try a different method!  But consider employing a method that is more thoughtful than the automatic ‘throw away at the container date’ method.  It could save the planet unnecessary waste and save you a good amount of money.

To recap the previous two Health Tips of the Week, internal pH values are an important part of health. The more acidic the body’s environment, the less healthy your body is. The more alkaline the body’s internal environment, the healthier you will be. A diet made up of at least 75 % fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to prevent an acidic environment in the body, which can be a major factor in cardiovascular damage, weight gain and obesity, bladder and kidney trouble, immune system deficiency, premature aging, osteoporosis, joint pain and chronic fatigue.

Amazingly, something as simple as water can help you develop an alkaline rich internal environment.

Ionized water is drinking water that has undergone ionization. The ionization process separates the acid and alkaline content of the water by using a process called electrolysis. The alkaline water that is separated from the original water solution is the portion of water that is used for drinking. The acidic water can be discarded, or as you will see, can be used for another important purpose. The alkaline ionized water that you use for drinking increases your blood’s ability to carry more oxygen, and acts as a powerful anti-oxidant that helps to neutralize the dangerous free radicals in your blood stream.

One of the major benefits of ionized water is its ability to hydrate the body.

Ionized water has a hydration rate of three to six times more than regular water. In addition to the anti-oxidant benefits of ionized water, alkaline water drinkers have reported weight loss, healthier skin and better digestion. As for the discarded acid water, when used as a wash over the skin’s surface the acid water has been shown to help eliminate many skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis.

At the moment, the only way to acquire ionized water is through a home filtration ionized water unit (about $1000.00-$2000.00), purchasing it by the gallon at a health food store (about $4.00 a gallon), or by utilizing a hydrogen stick that ionizes the water when you place the stick in your water pitcher or bottle (about $75.00 for one stick that lasts 6 months). If you would like more information, Google ‘Ionized Water Filtration Units,’ or ‘Hydrogen-Rich Water Stick.’

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You can measure your pH levels by using  pH test strips at different intervals of the day.

Testing the pH in the saliva and the urine will yield the most accurate results.  The urine pH determines how well the body processes minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.  These minerals are “acid buffers,” as they control acid levels in the body.  A test of saliva pH will reveal how well the digestive enzymes in the body are working.  These enzymes are essential to a properly functioning liver and stomach.  As previously mentioned, it is very important to have a balanced pH for excellent health.

The most common cause of an acidic environment in the body is diet.

A diet high in acid-producing animal products, such as meat, eggs and diary, coupled with a diet low in alkaline-producing foods such as fruits and vegetables, will lead to a pH imbalance.  In addition, acid-producing foods such as white flour, sugar, soft drinks and caffeine all contribute to the problem.  Society’s dependence on over-the-counter drugs and medication, as well as artificial sweeteners, is also a big problem, as these substances, too, are acid forming.

The bottom line is that an acidic environment in the body is a major factor in cardiovascular damage, weight gain and obesity, bladder and kidney trouble, immune system deficiency, premature aging, osteoporosis, joint pain and chronic fatigue.

The best bet to boost alkalinity levels in the body is to eat a diet that is at least 75% plant-based.  Fresh vegetables, fruits,and raw seeds and nuts will not only alkalize the body for optimal health, they will lead to weight loss and more energy.  Sounds like a winner to me.

In today’s fast paced, non-stop society, life is a constant whirlwind of go, go, go.  The never ending “motion” in our lives is a major factor towards the contribution of anxiety or stress.  When one considers that stress is a major cause of disease world wide, it may be time to take a deep breath and relax.

There are many ways to help the body deal with stress.

Methods of relaxation are called relaxation techniques.  Their purpose is to “unwind” the body and mind by slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, slowing the breathing rate, reducing muscle tension, improving concentration, reducing anger and frustration and boosting confidence to handle problems as well as helping to improve day to day living.  The most common stress busters are yoga, tai chi, listening to music, exercise, meditation, hypnosis and massage.

One of the best techniques for reducing stress and anxiety is deep breathing.

Deep breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, with your eyes closed in a sitting position, will lower your heart rate and blood pressure while also calming the mind.  Try five to ten deep breaths followed by a minute or two of silence, then repeat the cycle two or three more times.  This technique will surely knock the wind out of a stressful situation.  In addition, exercise on a regular basis is a great stress buster as exercise pumps the blood through the body and increases the feel good endorphins that the body’s hormonal system produces.

If stress has really taken a hold of you, massage therapy loosens tight and tense muscles.

When the body is under stress, muscles contract and tighten, a twenty minute to one hour massage will counteract all of that tightness.  Relaxation techniques should be a part of the weekly routine.  The bottom line is that if you take the steps to relax and fight the effects of stress now, you will be adding years to your life, and more importantly life to your years.

Need a good night sleep?  Try MyoClam PM.  Its a NATURAL muscle relaxer

Raw food experts suggest that cooking foods, such as vegetables, causes the food to create acidic toxins that build-up in the body and lead to ill health.

For the body to be at its healthiest, the internal environment must be alkaline, like a battery.  The more acidic the environment in the body, the greater the likelihood of disease.  Raw foods prevent acidic toxins from building up in the body, fostering good health.  In your daily quest for good health, try eating vegetables in their natural state, uncooked, or as the French refer to them, crudité.

Here is a list of some popular and easy to eat raw vegetables: asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, fennel, green onions, mushrooms, snow peas, tomatoes and sweet corn.  Another benefit, according to Raw Food Life.com, is that raw foods are more nutritionally dense.  As your body learns to absorb the additional nutrition, you will have more energy and actually be less hungry, helping you to lose weight!  So grab a carrot or piece of fruit and enjoy food as Chef Mother Nature intended.

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The most concentrated food source of lycopene is the gac.

That’s right, the gac.  I never heard of it either.  But it is a fruit that grows in Southeastern Asia.  From the photographs, it appears to be a fairly large fruit that sort of looks like a gourd.  The only difference is that the gac is covered in pointy spikes and it changes color as the fruit matures on the vine, starting out as neon green and ending up a bright hot-pink.  Interestingly enough, the outer covering of the gac is poisonous and the edible insides are a disgusting looking mess, sort of like intestines.  Maybe that is why the fruit hasn’t caught on in the western half of the world!  It might catch on soon, though, because the gac has 75 times more lycopene than its next highest competitor – making its anti-oxidant value very desirable.

The gac’s next highest lycopene cousin is the red tomato.

Tomatoes have a very high level of lycopene, which has been shown to boost health and prevent disease.  Tomatoes are easy to include in the daily diet, and studies have shown that tomato sauce is even more beneficial than eating tomatoes right off the vine, as the cooking of the tomatoes seems to concentrate and release even more of the lycopene.

Other foods high in lycopene ….

…. are watermelon, pink grapefruit, red peppers and, understandably, ketchup.  (Though, if I were using ketchup for my lycopene source, I would acquire the organic version at the market because it’s free of high fructose corn syrup).  Lycopene rich foods are available year round, but summer seems to be the season of lycopene.  Enjoy a bowl of tomato salad, while eating your organic hot dog doused in ketchup, followed by a couple of watermelon slices.  Tremendous!

Find High Quality Antioxidants at our nutritional store!

Depending on what part of the country you happen to be in, it is either hurricane season or tornado season. Those two weather “events” definitely qualify as emergency situations. Oh, and don’t forget flash flooding and the recent barrage of winter storms. With the way Mother Nature has been acting, it’s a good idea to discuss the types of foods we need to stock in our pantry.

Real Simple magazine listed the top foods to have on hand for an emergency.

Here are some of the best: Peanut butter. Peanut butter is full of healthy fat and protein and, just as the other foods on the list, it does not need refrigeration. Whole wheat crackers are high in fiber and last longer than bread. Nuts and trail mix are high energy foods that supply needed calories when food sources are limited. Individually packed multi-grain cereal is supplemented with vitamins and can help start the day out right. On that note, canned or powdered milk is a great substitute for the real stuff. The ‘ready-to-serve’ milk has a long shelf life, and it will be an ingredient you’re grateful for if the power goes out. Granola bars, sports bars and dried fruit are perfect to have on hand, as they stay fresh for quite awhile and provide a decent amount of nutrition. From the canned arena, canned chicken, turkey, tuna and salmon will last up to two years and will provide necessary protein to your daily diet. Not as good as fresh or frozen (but hey, this is an emergency), canned vegetables such as peas, carrots and green beans provide vitamins and fiber. It is also very important to have a three-day supply of water on hand. In addition, a case or two of Gatorade or Powerade will provide the minerals you may need to prevent dehydration if your water supply is limited. Last, if things are really bad, it wouldn’t hurt to have a supply of multivitamins in storage to make sure your body is getting all of the nutrients required to stay healthy. I hope this Health Tip is not the harbinger of “doom” but, as the Boy Scouts say, “be prepared.”

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