These days the high concerns for what we're consuming and putting into our bodies are being linked to our chronic illness, excessive weight, constant pain, cancer, lack of sleep, the list goes on and on. But what about depression? Can depression be triggered by what we're eating? With depression on the rise more and more every year especially with our youth and women.
This comes just in time as I prepare for two trips in the upcoming weeks!! Love this post from guest blogger Cole Millen. Check out all his great ideas for staying healthy while you travel, which can sometimes be the hardest thing to do especially on vacation!
You may have worked hard to get into shape, and the last thing you want to do is blow it while on vacation. Traveling is rife with unhealthy temptations, but you do not have to give in to them. Keep your weight down and your health up by planning well.
Traveling There:
Before you leave for the airport, take time to eat a well-balanced meal. Load up on lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, to keep you satisfied for several hours. This will help you resist the temptation for high-calorie foods later. In addition, bring your own healthy snacks for the flight. Almonds are high in protein and omega 3 fatty acids. Dried fruits can help you satisfy an urge for sweets, without all of the sugar and fat.
Many airports are like miniature cities or shopping malls. They are full of tempting restaurants and places to buy candy and other types of junk food. When you have a layover, avoid settling yourself down at one of these places to eat a high calorie meal. Instead, look for places with light salads on the menu, fresh fruit, healthy smoothies and similar fare. This may mean traveling a ways away from your gate, but the walk will be a good workout.
Healthy Preparing:
Picking the right hotel can be the most important part of staying healthy on vacation. After all, it is your home for the time being. Doing a little research can go a long way. In my experience, reviews from other travelers provide the best forms of information. I recently took a trip out west and found a great site that listed hotels in Las Vegas along with all the amenities and offerings. With the help of these great reviews I was able to find a hotel with a list of amenities as well as a gluten-free restaurant in the lobby! As you plan your trip, look for a hotel that has on-site fitness equipment or that is near a park. This makes it easier to get exercise while you are away. Most hotel restaurants offer their menu for viewing online. Check out the menu to see if healthy food choices are offered. Most upscale hotels understand that many travelers want to stay on their diet and fitness program while traveling. These hotels will most likely have healthy options.
At Your Destination:
After you have checked in to your hotel room, seek the nearest supermarket or health food store. Load up on bottled water and healthy snacks to keep in your room. Eat these instead of high-calorie snacks from the mini-bar or the hotel cafe.
You should keep a bottle with you during any sightseeing trips. Drinking plenty of water will help curb your appetite in addition to keeping you hydrated.
Healthiest Menu Items:
Everyone enjoys having nice restaurant meals while on vacation. You do not need to avoid restaurants. You can still eat healthy by following some general rules. Avoid any course that is fried, battered, covered in creamy sauces or other high-calorie sauces or breading. Instead, choose menu items that are labeled heart-healthy, baked, or loaded 
with vegetables. Baked or grilled fish, especially salmon, with a few side vegetables is one example of a healthy and delicious meal.
Beverages:
You can let yourself enjoy a cocktail or two, but keep in mind the calories these contain. All alcoholic beverages contain calories, but some are higher-calorie than others. Avoid sweet, syrupy cocktails such a daiquiris and pina coladas. Instead, opt for light beer, white wine or simple mixed drinks such as vodka and cranberry juice, vodka and water or scotch on the rocks.
By keeping up your healthy lifestyle, you will have more energy and feel better while you are on vacation and after you come back home. Just plan it ahead to keep on track.
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Anemia is a chronic disease that not only affects women but men and children as well. Anemia is usually associated with vegans and vegetarians but that's definitely not the case anymore. Even people who regularly eat meat can be iron deficient and anemic. Anemia is affecting more and more people today because of poor diet and unhealthy lifestyles.
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YUCK! Ever wonder what's really hiding in your food? Ever thought to yourself did I just eat that? Well what if you really knew what was hiding in the food that you eat everyday? Would you still eat your favorite foods knowing the marketing world and FDA has been keeping secrets from you? Keep reading if you really want to know what's hiding in your shredded cheeses, jello, and even your tomatoes.
Bt Corn (Photo credit: argonutter)
Attempts to increase nutritional benefits and productivity of food crops with genetic modification have been made, but in reality the two main traits that have had widespread use to date are herbicide tolerance and the ability of the plant to produce its own pesticide. Herbicide tolerance lets the farmer spray weed-killer directly on the crop without killing it. Crops such as Bt cotton produce pesticides inside the plant. This kills or deters insects, in hopes of saving the farmer from having to spray pesticides. The plants themselves are toxic, and not just to insects. Farmers in India, who let their sheep graze on Bt cotton plants after harvest, saw thousands in their sheep herds die. These crops have resulted in great economic benefit to the companies that have now been allowed to put a patent on nature while farmers and the environment have been put at a disadvantage.
With genetic engineering, scientists can breach species barriers set up by nature. The results are living organisms with traits that would be virtually impossible to obtain naturally, or by means of crossbreeding or grafting. Unlike proponents claim, genetic engineering is completely different from traditional breeding and carries unique risks. In traditional breeding it is possible to mate a pig with another pig to get a new variety, but is not possible to mate a pig with a tomato or a cow. In nature, when species that may seem to be closely related do succeed in breeding, the offspring are usually infertile.
According to the Institute for Responsible Technology, it is now possible for plants to be engineered with genes taken from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans. Scientists have worked on some interesting combinations when it comes to genetic engineering, spider genes have been inserted into goat DNA, hoping that the resulting goat milk would contain spider web protein for use in bulletproof vests. Arctic fish genes gave tomatoes and strawberries tolerance to frost. Human genes have even been inserted into corn to produce spermicide. Current trials underway include, corn engineered with human genes (Dow), sugarcane engineered with human genes (Hawaii Agriculture Research Center), corn engineered with jellyfish genes (Stanford University), tobacco engineered with lettuce genes (University of Hawaii), rice engineered with human genes (Applied Phytologics), and corn engineered with hepatitis virus genes (Prodigene).
Currently commercialized GM crops in the U.S. include soy (94%), cotton (90%), canola (90%), sugar beets (95%), corn (88%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), zucchini and yellow squash. Other sources of GM ingredients include any products derived from GM crops, including, soy protein, soy lecithin, cornstarch, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. Additionally, other sources include, meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals that have eaten GM feed. In the USA, most of the GM corn and soy is used for feed. Food additives, enzymes, flavorings, and processing agents, including the sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet) and rennet used to make hard cheeses, may all include genetically modified ingredients.
1994, marks the start of widespread use of genetically modified plants in the USA, the 
FlavrSavr tomato begins to be sold. In 1995, a Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) Potato was approved safe by the Environmental Protection Agency, making it the first pesticide producing crop to be approved in the USA. Shortly after, Bt corn, or corn modified with a bacterium gene to give it insect resistance, goes on the market. In 1996, Roundup Ready Soybeans, which are soy beans resistant to glyphosate herbicide (Roundup) were introduced. Genetic engineering is not a precise science and unintentional side effects are often encountered. When foreign genes are inserted, dormant genes may be activated or the functioning of genes altered, creating new or unknown proteins, or increasing or decreasing the output of existing proteins inside the plant. The effects of consuming these new combinations of proteins are unknown.
Since the introduction of GM crops in the nineties, autism rates and obesity rates have grown exponentially. While this may be a coincidence, evidence seems to point otherwise. A recent study reported that when compared with non-GMO corn the round-up ready variety still contained toxic levels of formaldehyde (200ppm) and glyphosate (13ppm). According to OSHA, diverse damage to organ systems including the liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, brain, and central nervous systems can occur from the ingestion of formaldehyde. Peer-reviewed studies have found glyphosate containing herbicides can cause genetic damage to DNA, even at low concentrations. And furthermore, scientists now believe that the amount of toxic chemicals children are consistently exposed to cause developmental and neurological damage which can be observed in the rise of physical and mental effects being found in children today.
So is ingesting GM foods a big deal? In a word, YES!
WOW! It’s April 20th already? I swear time goes faster and faster everyday before we know it will be football season again! 
Which is my favorite time of year but of course I love summer too! Although Monday is the actual Earth Day almost everyone celebrates over the weekend and holds events in honor of Mother Nature. Earth Day is always the perfect day to get outside and give back. Even though we should be taking care of her all year round and taking care of the planet that gives us so much, we often take things for granted.
This past year Mother Nature seems to have been pretty angry and giving us a taste our own medicine with lots of flooding, devastating hurricanes, and multiple dumpings of massive snow. Frigid winds and below freezing temperatures have wreaked havoc not only on this country but across the world. So why not for at least one day this year, give back and take care of our community, state, country, and planet. Otherwise I’m afraid she’ll continue to get more pissed off and we’ll be in serious trouble and it may be too late by then.
So this weekend, take sometime to get outside and do something to get back in touch with the soil, air, sun, tress, food, family, and community. It can be as simple as stopping on the side of the road to clean up the trash on a stretch of highway to as complex as starting a community garden.
Need some ideas?? Here’s a few!
Hope some of these ideas help you enjoy your day, start something new, learn something fun, make a change, and give back today! Happy Earth Day 2013!
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Spring is (finally!) in the air which can only mean one thing – it’s greens season folks! After a Winter of eating lots and lots of root veggies, I am so excited to see all of the bright green colors at the farmer’s markets and in my weekly CSA share. Spring is the perfect time to detox your body and get rid of the heavy Winter foods you have been eating for months, and this homemade green nut milk recipe is one way you can do just that. In today’s post I am going to share with you how to make green nut milk (it’s surprisingly easy!) and why you should incorporate certain ingredients into the recipe this Spring.
possibly can because it would take me days to write all of the benefits of this hearty green! TIP - Purchase organic kale to help avoid pesticides and toxins.
Bio: After years of struggling with her weight and depression, Andrea Hood was amazed to discover that living a healthy lifestyle could literally change your life. Through healthy eating, particularly through local, organic food, and fitness, she lost weight and experienced significant changes in her overall mood and outlook on life. In an effort to share her love for healthy living and food, Andrea started a blog and enrolled in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She is now a certified Holistic Health Coach and teaches others simple and easy ways to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into their busy lives. Within the next few months she will be launching online nutrition programs, designed particularly for the busy working woman. For more recipes and healthy living tips, visit her at www.behealthybehappybelocal.com and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AndreaHoodHC.
Salt has always gotten a bad rap, only because we use way too much on everything! “Table” salt really has no nutritional value and we load up on enough sodium throughout the day in all the junk we eat, there’s no reason to salt your food anyway. But gourmet salts may be the way to go instead. Even though they are still high in sodium, using a little to cook with and then a pinch to flavor the meal may be beneficial to your health. Some beg to differ, but I can guarantee that they will flavor your foods, add minerals to your diet that you may other wise not be getting, and gourmet salts are a great way to season all your favorite dishes.
There are over 100′s of different kinds ranging in different textures and tastes. Salt is naturally formed in the earth and range in colors from pink, red, white, even black. They are high in mineral and iron content. Normal table salt usually has the iodine removed which we need for T3 and T4, which are your thyroid hormones. In turn your thyroid hormones effect every cell in your body! This includes giving your energy, stabilizing your body temperature, helps maintain a healthy body weight, brain development and function, emotional health, and keeps your hair, nail, and skin healthy! And because I am a foodie, you’ll never meet a chef that won’t praise a gourmet salt and how well they enhance their dishes or how much they truly love to cook with different kinds.
Finally! Spring has finally sprung on the Mid-Atlantic coast! Boy has it been a rough winter for us east coasters this past winter. But after the dry and extremely hot summer that we had last year, (which I don’t mind-I love the heat!) I knew we were in for it with old man winter. The continual rain, flooding, dreary and dark days, and the never-ending blustery winds put a hurtin’ not only on the plants and my poor garden, but I definitely know it did a number on a lot of our emotional and mental states.
So I was bounding with excitement this week to see the weather forecast say we were going to have unseasonably high temperatures this week and lots of sunshine! So skipping the trip to the doctors for a happy pill, I went out rubbed some dirt on myself and soaked up some serious Vitamin D. Now it’s the end of the week and it’s still 80+ degrees out and I’ve been planting, digging, weeding, and hoeing away. But with the ground still soaking wet after months of torrential down pours I decided to find alternative way to plant some potatoes.
I got some old, used coffee burlap sacks, (They actually still smell like coffee!) grabbed some compost and garden soil, and ordered some potato seed from my friends at the local organic farm. (They buy bulk so if you let them know when they’re ordering-they may be able to buy extra for you and save you a couple dollars!) I put them in a cool, dark place till they started to sprout, and then planted them inside the burlap bags.
So, if you want to save some room to try something new this year or you just don’t have room to grow potatoes, this is the perfect way to add some space your garden, grow your own food, and try something easy and new this year.
This kind of goes out of my normal health and nutrition posts, but it also falls into the wellness category. And since I am a writer at heart and it’s where my true passion lies, I figured today was a great day to celebrate!
I just recently published my first fiction novel set in Tuscany, Italy. It is targeted to middle-grade and young adults, but it seems to have left its mark on adults, young at heart as well. Today is the perfect day to pick up a new book and read to your children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, or even to yourself. Not only because I am a published author, but as a mama with two little ones that love their books and would much rather curl up with a large stack, choosing “Llama Llama” and “Fancy Nancy” instead the most recent episode of Sesame Street.
So in honor of this great holiday and Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, turn off the tv tonight and grab a couple of your all time favorites with your children, read to them or let them read to you. The best stories I ever hear are the ones my daughter seems to tell just by looking at the pages and using her imagination. (Makes me one proud mama! And hopes that maybe one day she’ll be a writer too!)
Even if they’re too little to understand, making it a routine to read at least one book a day can increase their vocabulary, boost their imagination, help them learn the importance of language, and it can begin a lifelong relationship with books! So… celebrate International Children’s Book Day today! There are events, even famous authors speaking all over the world, but you can celebrate as simply as visiting your local book store for “Storytime” or just by finding your favorite place to read with your favorite little one!
If you’re looking for something fun and new, you can grab a signed copy of my fiction novel, “an action-packed journey through cobblestone streets, dark forests, and gorgeous piazzas, The Road to Chianti explores the power of love to triumph over adversity and the importance of having a place to call your own.” It can also be found on Amazon and as an e-book!
Visit www.kellyhughesroberts.com for more information.
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