Building Your Immune System For the Future

What is life now? Everything is closed except for essential business; grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants for take out and delivery only. All due to a virus that seems to be all over the world at present. I am a bit baffled at the severity of info that is driving everyone to quarantine, keep social distance, wash hands continuously and avoid any type of germs. I wonder what will be the takeaways from all of this. Will we learn to take better care of ourselves and our health to have stronger immune systems, or will we just continue to be germaphobes, worrying about everyone and everything. The tone and mood is stressful and strange. Now more than ever we must practice mindful meditation, yoga, exercise, deep breathing, and any other kind of activity that increases our endorphins and brings some peace to our lives.  Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key to having a strong immune system. I feel that this has not been publicized enough. We continue to hear about cases and deaths. What they don't talk about is the other underlying conditions that are driving these deaths and continuous respiratory problems, not to mention how many older adults are affected due to other health issues. This happens everyday, even before this virus. There are many reasons people get very sick and to continue to only blame this virus is ridiculous.

I want to focus on building your immune system so it is strong and you have a better ability to fight off these illnesses, and germs. We were raised playing in the dirt and swimming in lakes with fish and turtles. The exposures to dirt is what built our immunities. Now we are dirt and germ free which is not a great recipe for the latter. I know this is just for now and due to this virus but I also wonder how will we continue after this is over. Please focus on keeping yourself healthy and strong by eating lots of veggies, fruits, wild caught fish, grass fed and organic meat and poultry, gluten free grains such as quinoa, millet, kasha, brown rice, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, goat cheese, hummus, just to name a few things. Stay away or limit dairy such as cheese, milk, yogurt, as it causes inflammation which causes illness and disease. There are great substitutes such as almond, rice, or soy milk and dairy free options. We also need to sleep 7-9 hours each night, stay active during the day and try some intermittent fasting. I have been able to do this by not eating after dinner by 7pm until the next morning around 9. That's a good 14 hours to detox without you even realizing it. I have been doing this since the beginning of January, along with cutting most of my sugar and I feel so much better and lighter.  Dealing with the everyday stress these days is a concern and we must all find ways to handle this. As I said earlier, mindful meditation, relaxation exercises, physical activity, yoga and deep breathing. Also whatever you need as an escape to take your mind off the present situation; limit your news exposure, listen to good music, watch something funny, work on puzzles and games, give back and help others.

My best line of defense is the veggie, fruit, grape and berry, and omegas that I take everyday. This  whole food nutrition has been boosting my immune system, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and contributing to my overall health and wellness for the last 7 years. It is my best insurance policy. I also drink a plant based chocolate shake several times a week which is low glycemic and a great snack and meal replacement.  Please watch the video below for more info and let me know if you would be interested in getting started with these amazing healthy whole food gems. We also have a hydroponic growing system called the Tower Garden and you can grow your own produce at home. It's nice to know where your food comes from.

Please take care of yourself and your body so you have the defenses you need to fight anything that may be lurking out there. Try to relax and not stress during this very strange time in our lives and focus on the positives as things will go back to a new normal soon.

Keeping it Happy and Healthy
Your Nutrition Coach
Susan G
www.sgeers.juiceplus.com

Which Path Will You Choose?

Once again, it's been a while since I have been here so I have a lot to catch up on. Life takes many twists and turns and health problems happen fast and furious as we get older if we are not mindful. We must pay attention to our bodies and how we feel inside and out. This is what leads us to the choices we make each day concerning what we eat and drink, physical activity we choose, career choices, and spiritual practices such as religion, yoga and meditation. I have come to realize in the last 6 years that there is a fix for everything if you just give it the time and thought process you need to come up with a viable solution. I beg you to look in the natural, alternative direction and avoid pharmaceuticals, chemicals and carcinogens in cleaners, body lotions, makeup, hair products, etc. We are living in a time and place where things are so easy to obtain, and quick fixes are the norm, but if we take the time to read labels and realize that we have and can get most of what we need to create healthy alternatives we will be moving in a much more healthy, holistic direction. I was talking to a friend the other day and she wanted to make a marinade for steak. She doesn't cook too much and found a ready made marinade with a plastic bag to shake up the steak and marinade together. Thank god she read the label of the marinade and the first and biggest ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. As she continued to read the label she noticed all the chemicals and ingredients that she didn't know. She decided to go home and make her own with good individual ingredients she had at in her kitchen. The marinade turned out great and she was so proud of herself. PLEASE READ THE LABELS!! I know life gets busy and we are always in a hurry to find the quickest fix but it is so important to know what you are eating if you are buying something processed or ready made. Always look for NON GMO so you are not getting genetically modified food that has been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides and is resistant to the spray. The chemicals are in the food you are eating and causing inflammation and toxicity in your body which will eventually lead to disease and sometimes death. Also look for Organic which has been grown in clean environments and tested for harmful chemicals. I shop at Costco as they are carrying so many organic products and I can buy in bulk at good prices. I am amazed when I talk to friends who live alone and they always tell me that they don't want to buy so much and don't need to cook regular meals just for themselves. Well I say, why not? We deserve good healthy meals even if we are by ourselves. It is so easy to cook a delicious  nutritious meal in about 20-30 minutes. If you follow me on Facebook you have seen my food posts. I am proud of my creations and want to share them to show that it is not that hard and can be so satisfying and delicious. I also try to make it colorful by eating the rainbow of fruits and veggies, getting all the nutrients I need as often as possible. My body loves me for it!! When I first started my health coaching course we were tasked with making certain dishes. I have always cooked but not really gone out of my comfort zone so it was a bit intimidating. One thing I learned was if you screw it up just start again. I did screw it up but quickly realized my mistakes and the next version was pretty good. Cooking is now so much fun for me. I don't really need recipes or measurements unless it is a desert.

Organic orange yolk eggs over avocado

Avocado egg salad

Indian bison with broccoli and avocado

Pumpkin chocolate complete shake

Chicken cacciatori with spinach

Fruit Rainbow

Shrimp and broccoli

Brussel Sprouts onions and tomatoes

Usually I keep organic chicken, lamb loin chops and wild caught salmon in the freezer that I buy from Costco. You can separate them into smaller portions before freezing and they are ready to go when want them. I like fresh veggies but they do not stay good long enough to buy in bulk so I buy organic veggies in the freezer section as well. The broccoli and brussel sprouts come in 4 one pound bags inside a large bag for super cheap prices and they are organic. The benefit of buying in bulk. I have also bought cauliflower rice which is frozen and can be cooked as a rice substitute. It basically has no taste so you can create whatever flavors you desire. Spices really make the dish so don't be afraid to toss in whatever you like. I have gotten ideas just from walking thru Costco and trying the samples. One of my favorites these days is organic beets and goat cheese. I tried this at Costco and I now have it in my fridge all the time. They sell organic cooked beets in vacuumed packed that will stay good in the fridge for a few months. So easy to add to salads or just as a side dish with the goat cheese or whatever you like. I was never a beet fan but now I love them. Thank you Costco!! I should probably be a spokesperson for them. If we only had more locations as they are super crowded right now in South Florida with the season upon us. My favorite food at this time of year is pumpkin. I just found organic pumpkin in Publix and added it to my vanilla complete shake yesterday. So good!!! I will try it with the chocolate as well but will need more to overpower the chocolate flavor. I love both chocolate and pumpkin so it will be good either way.

Go out and expand your palette with some great delicious new foods you have never tried. Eat the rainbow, realizing that there are different nutrients, phytonutrients, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, etc in all, and the synergy of these working together in your body are making you thrive. I grew up with food being very important as most of us did. It has a new meaning now as it is truly thy medicine. My insurance policy is my fruit, veggie, grapes and berries, and omegas that I take everyday as whole food supplements to bridge the gap between what I should eat and what I do eat. It is virtually impossible to get this much nutrition everyday as there are over 35 different fruits, veggies and berries. I heard about these from a friend at a health fair and it made so much sense to me. I will take them for the rest of my life as I never get sick, recover quickly from physical activity, have great skin, hair, nails, and gums, and my gut is loving me for it.

Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about health and wellness, and would like to come to one of our events where doctors and mentors speak about nutrition and health. We also have great cooking parties such as Salad in a Jar and Potlucks.

We have one body and one life so make it the best it can be and realize that practicing prevention, instead of treating disease will always win in the end.

Which path will you choose?

Keep it Happy and Healthy

Susan G
Your Wellness and Nutrition Coach
www.sgeers.juiceplus.com
susangeers@gmail.com
757-352-1745

It's The Little Things

Life as we know it. Has it become easier  yet less dense? Have we made many strides to make technologies, medicine, life in general advance to the best of our abilities? I think so. My question is;  at what cost? I watched the movie Sicko by Michael Moore this morning for the first time. If you are not familiar, it is about the Health Insurance Industry and how it is administered in the US as compared to the universal healthcare systems in Canada, England, France and Cuba. This movie first aired in mid 2007 before the affordable care act but for the most part the stories that were shared were still current situations happening right in our backyards. The difference in the healthcare systems were so blatant and made me ashamed to be living in a country where we do not take care of each other in these ways; free public healthcare, free day care, extended vacations, long family leaves for maternity. The list goes on and on. The points that stuck with me were that doctors in the public facilities are paid more for taking good care of the patients and having the lowest incidences. The people that were interviewed in the waiting rooms stated that the waits were around 20-30 minutes and in some cases right away. They said it was very organized in the hospitals. The best part is that they will take care of anyone no matter what. It is a human right. People can lead a less stressful life knowing that they are being taken care in this way and they do not have the financial burden of high medical insurance, pharmaceuticals, medical procedures and doctors visits. Some of the doctors even made house calls!

I realize that these government programs have to be paid for by the people thru taxes, however this system really seems to work and people are taken care of first and foremost. We were ranked 37 in healthcare at the time and that is where we are today according to the World Health Organization.

Per CNN:

The United States spends more than 15 percent of its GDP on health care -- no other nation even comes close to that number. France spends about 11 percent, and Canadians spend 10 percent. 

As Americans continue to spend $2 trillion a year on health care, everyone agrees on one point: Things need to change, and it will take more than a movie to figure out how to get there.

Since I have become more involved with health and wellness in the last 5 years, I have learned so much about our standard medical system and how it really does not focus on the health and wellbeing of our people in the safest and most effective way. My focus is on nutrition: "Let Food Be Thy Medicine".  I have heard story after story about how nutrition has healed so many with every kind of disease and condition. I know that nutrition is a very small part of medical school. More and more doctors are jumping out of the box and learning about nutrition in an effort to help their patients in a better way as opposed to pharmaceutical drugs which have many side effects and cause more pharmaceuticals to be prescribed to counteract the effects. I realize that there are many incidences where this is really necessary but I think everyone will agree that we are a severely overmedicated society and the norm is to reach for the miracle pill at every turn. If we would take the time to learn the power of our food we could substitute so many things with no side effects and overall improved health and wellbeing. Healing thru nutrition takes time and most are not willing to work thru it and give the time needed to heal. Pills are immediate but only last so long and always have some residual effects, either immediate or further down the road, wreaking havoc on our bodies in ways we will not feel until it is too late. I truly believe that prevention is the key to a happy and healthy lifestyle. My hope is that we will continue to move towards more functional medicine doctors who will identify and treat for the cause of disease and not the continued bandaid system we have only treating the symptoms continuously and never getting to the root cause.  Most functional medicine doctors will offer up nutrition, natural supplementation, healthy lifestyle, exercise, and low stress as solutions before going in the direction of any pharmaceuticals and/or surgery.

We are at a very volatile time in our lives here in the US. Too much racial tension with the police. This crazy presidential election coming up this November. Isis attacks everywhere. There is so much on the table and my hope is that we will all come together and realize the power of caring first and foremost for our people, their health, and well being. Personally I am excited at the prospect of free public college, more improvements in our current health insurance programs, equal pay for women and all, and the continued uphill climb combatting global climate change.  I know we all do not have the same political views but I would hope that we are all concerned for our fellow man. It is the only way we will prosper in our great nation.  We must be a people of WE and not ME.

I hope everyone is having a great summer amid the extreme heat. Stay cool and hydrated with lots of fresh water, fresh fruit, seasonal veggies, and refreshing foods. I can't seem to get enough watermelon myself!! Infuse your water with fruit of your choice (cucumber and mint is good too), to keep it from getting boring and tasteless. You also get the nutritional benefits of whatever you add to the water!!

I leave you with this: Laugh and smile as much as you can. It is infectious and will only bring joy to those around you. Think of what can you do for the next person who needs help.

Remember it's the little things!!


Your Nutrition Coach
Susan G