Howard’s Healthy Living Tips
Foods to eat – Eat food that was grown or raised naturally and prepared with little or no processing or toxic chemicals. Eating food that is still in its natural form is ideal. Fruits, nuts, fresh fish and shrimp, fresh vegetables, grass-fed beef, pork, chicken, lamb, goat, etc. taste good and are good for you. Eat raw (un-pasteurized) organic milk and cheese (if you can find it), natural whole foods, foods sweetened with honey and molasses, whole grain rice, Italian wheat, bread and pastas (to avoid glyphosate). Eating a wide variety of foods is also important.
Foods to avoid – Avoid or at least limit eating and drinking artificial foods like colas and sodas, unfiltered water, pasteurized (regular) cow’s milk and cheese, processed foods, high-sugar foods, American bread, and tofu products. Also avoid foods that have been treated in ways (overcooking, microwaving and irradiation) that destroy vitamins and enzymes. Avoid processed fast foods such as chips, candy bars, instant foods and artificial drinks – especially the diet drinks. They actually cause weight gain while contaminating your body. Read the labels. Try to avoid all products that contain corn syrup. That’s not easy.
Good fats/bad fats – Low fat diets aren’t necessarily good for you. Quality fats and oils are healthy and add taste. Fats that should be avoided include margarine, highly processed (hydrogenated) seed oils and other artificially processed oils. Fats that not only taste good but are also good for your skin and general health include organic butter, lard, other grass-fed animal fats, avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil. Most restaurants do not use the good fats but that may be changing. Quality restaurants tend to use the healthy fats and oils.
Labels – Read the labels. Avoid foods that lists artificial flavors, natural flavor (can be MSG), preservative, BHA, BHT, or MSG. Try hard to avoid hot dogs, bologna, luncheon meats, instant foods, etc. These products are loaded with toxic chemicals and the bad fats.When buying strawberries, always choose organic because strawberries are consistently the highest-pesticide residue produce sold.
Don’t Overtake Medicines – Follow these other tips and they rarely will be necessary.
Give Blood Regularly – it’s good for the people who need it and good to cause your body to manufacture new blood.
Exercise Regularly – Movement is the key. Stay active. Don’t be sedentary. Walk or do more vigorous exercise on a regular basis. Walk the dog, whether you have a dog or not. Park farther from the store entrance. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Work out with a partner or join a yoga, fitness or martial arts class. Swim, jump rope, do your own gardening, etc.
Eat Good Eggs – Don’t be fooled by “omega-3” chicken eggs. While the omega-3 content may be higher in those eggs, the additional omega-3s are minuscule compared to what you’d get from a high-quality, full-spectrum omega-3 supplement (or from eating flax seeds or chia seeds).
Vitamins and Supplements – Sunshine remains the best source of vitamin D because it’s natural and self-regulating. But high-quality fish oils and vitamin D supplements are a perfectly good second choice for the winters when sunshine isn’t readily available. I also take vitamins A, B, C, K, glucosamine, and magnesium. Organic apple cider vinegar added to water and other drinks is also good.
Drink Good Liquids – Drink organic teas, coffee and juices. Too much water before a meal can actually “water down” your stomach acid and inhibit digestion. While it’s always important to drink plenty of liquids throughout the day, reserving primary liquid intakes for times between meals actually improves digestion for many. Drink alcohol in moderation if at all. Beer and wine are better than the distilled products.
Drink Herb Tea – I start my shows with tea talk. There are tons good herb choices to use but among my favorites are native juniper, nettles, lemon balm, ginger, thyme, basil, garden sage, citrus, apple cider vinegar and honey. Start with filtered water brought to just short of boiling in a glass kettle such as the Whistling Kettle. Boiling water can damage many of the health-giving properties of the culinary and medicinal herbs. Let the tea steep for a few minutes (the longer it steeps, the stronger it gets). Enjoy?