Most women out there are focused on the health and well being of their families and many times don’t make it a priority to take care of themselves.  I hear many excuses and women tend to say they are too busy working, or taking care of the house and the family to think about preventative maintenance of their health.  I am here to tell you that there are some simple powerful things you can do to protect yourself against illness, chronic disease and even the flu.

The month of January is Cervical Cancer Awarenss Month and a good time to raise awareness for women to be the examples for our families by taking charge of our own health and implement some new healthy habits in the year 2013.

A key to your body healing itself, is fueling up on a nutrient-rich, whole foods diet.  If you take a look at the picture, it’s amazing how these fruits and veggies have a similar shape to the female organs.  Coincidence? I think not.  There are many other examples of foods that are shaped like the organs they helps to support.  God knew what he was doing when he created each and every natural ingredient out there. Here are five foods that support female reproductive health.

1) Avocados offer powerful free radical fighting compounds in their oil. They can help fight against free-radical attacks at the cellular level.  Plus they are packed with a variety of different vitamins and minerals.

2) Eggplants are a rich source of phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid, which has antimutagenic (anti-cancer), antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral properties.

3) Pears can help lower insulin resistance and the risk of type 2 diabetes in women. The fiber in pears also helps bind with bile acids and reduce the risk of certain types of cancers.

4) White Vegetables have anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory nutrients that boost the immune system. Examples of white veggies include garlic, onions, cauliflower, and daikon radish.

5) Omega-3 Fats are important to help fight inflammation. Some good sources of  Omega-3s are flax seed oil, chia seeds, walnuts, and oily fish such as wild caught salmon, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies.

If you can’t read the small print, one avacado each week helps to balance hormones, shed unwanted birthweight and prevents cervical cancers.  If you like guacomole, this is a GREAT way to boost your system with a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals.  It’s simple and easy to make at home.  All you need is Avacado, Garlic, Red Onion, Tomato and Lime.  Or try this healthy avacado dessert recipe below.  The chocolate masks the avacado, so your kids won’t even know the good stuff thats in it.

Here is a delicious healthy dessert treat – Chocolate Avacado Mouse 12 ounce bittersweet chocolate 2 teaspoons  cinnamon 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 large ripe Avacado (pitted and peeled) 3/4 cup light brown sugar 6 egg whites

Melt the chocolate with cinnamon and chili powder. Puree the avacado and brown sugar in food processor until smooth.  With machine running pour in chocolate. Using a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they form a soft peak.  Fold the Chocolate mixture into the egg whies.  Pour the mouse into 6 small serving bowls and refrigerate.

ENJOY!!!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted thank all of the people that supported Prop 37 in the November election. For those of you that are unaware, Prop 37 was an attempt in the state of California to mandate the labeling of Genetically Modified (GM) foods across the state. As Americans, we have a right to know what is in our foods so that we can make informed choices for ourselves.

Currently unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration, genetically modified ingredients are found in up to 70 per cent of food on the shelves of grocery stores across the US, including many foods and beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup. 85 per cent of US corn is genetically engineered (which include corn meal and corn syrups ingredients), or traces of soybean, (where 91 percent of soy is GE which includes oil, flour, lecithin, and protein extract ingredients.)

For thousands of years, food was grown without the need to modify what nature naturally intended. Many companies in the food industry have now determined that there is a need to genetically modify our foods. GM foods have had genes from other plants or animals inserted into their genetic code for various reasons, such as resistance to pests, improved taste or longer shelf life. There is still much controversy on the health impacts of GMO’s, but there is evidence by many people who support natural and organic eating that GMO’s cause damage and health issues to our bodies. Some emerging studies have linked biotechnology to organ damage, reproductive problems, autoimmune disorders, and cancer among other health related issues. Link below to larger image of picture. https://s3.amazonaws.com/fooddemocracynow/images/prop_37_heroes_and_zeroes_2012.jpg

There are 61 countries across the world that require foods to be labeled with GMO’s, but we don’t have that luxury in the US. “The European legal system: GMOs cannot be put on the market without approval, whether it’s a food product made from GM crops or seeds for GM plants. In 2004, a new, fundamentally revised legal system took effect in all 25 EU Member States. The essential foundations of the EU’s policies are tight safety standards and safeguarding freedom of choice for consumers and for farmers. ” GMOCompass.org

The purpose of modifying our foods is certainly not for any known health benefits, but to promote big business and our fast pace lifestyles. Notice the amount of money spent by big businesses to persuade people NOT to support the bill.

While the bill did not pass (with a 47.6% to 52.4% at the polls), this movement has fundamentally changed the conversation on GMO’s in the US. There were many grassroots efforts in California and across the country where people and companies stood up for democracy and labeling of genetically modified foods and supporting our legal right to know what is in our foods.

The people who run these companies care a great deal about doing the right thing such as Dr. Mercola, Dr. Bronner’s, Lundberg Family Farms, Nutiva, Amy’s Kitchen, Organic Valley, Clif Bar, Udi’s, Earth Balance, Annie’s Homegrown, Applegate, Eden Foods and Good Earth Natural Foods.

If you are looking to purchase foods where you can feel comfortable knowing what is in them, I encourage you to support these natural and organic companies who have stepped up to the plate and stood behind their customers and this grassroots movement to label GMO’s

If you are interested in learning more about this effort and supporting future efforts on our right to know what is in our foods, check out the Food Democray Now site.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/our_organic_heroes/?akid=681.43113.EsoY5e&rd=1&t=3

There is also a video on this site which highlights Preident Obama’s promise during his first election to label GMO’s. Join Food democracy now in their efforts to encourage the president to fulfull his promise to our nation. http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/farmers-vs-monsanto/

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted thank all of the people that supported Prop 37 in the November election. For those of you that are unaware, Prop 37 was an attempt in the state of California to mandate the labeling of Genetically Modified (GM) foods across the state. As Americans, we have a right to know what is in our foods so that we can make informed choices for ourselves.

Currently unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration, genetically modified ingredients are found in up to 70 per cent of food on the shelves of grocery stores across the US, including many foods and beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup. 85 per cent of US corn is genetically engineered (which include corn meal and corn syrups ingredients), or traces of soybean, (where 91 percent of soy is GE which includes oil, flour, lecithin, and protein extract ingredients.)

For thousands of years, food was grown without the need to modify what nature naturally intended. Many companies in the food industry have now determined that there is a need to genetically modify our foods. GM foods have had genes from other plants or animals inserted into their genetic code for various reasons, such as resistance to pests, improved taste or longer shelf life. There is still much controversy on the health impacts of GMO’s, but there is evidence by many people who support natural and organic eating that GMO’s cause damage and health issues to our bodies. Some emerging studies have linked biotechnology to organ damage, reproductive problems, autoimmune disorders, and cancer among other health related issues. Link below to larger image of picture. https://s3.amazonaws.com/fooddemocracynow/images/prop_37_heroes_and_zeroes_2012.jpg

There are 61 countries across the world that require foods to be labeled with GMO’s, but we don’t have that luxury in the US. “The European legal system: GMOs cannot be put on the market without approval, whether it’s a food product made from GM crops or seeds for GM plants. In 2004, a new, fundamentally revised legal system took effect in all 25 EU Member States. The essential foundations of the EU’s policies are tight safety standards and safeguarding freedom of choice for consumers and for farmers. ” GMOCompass.org

The purpose of modifying our foods is certainly not for any known health benefits, but to promote big business and our fast pace lifestyles. Notice the amount of money spent by big businesses to persuade people NOT to support the bill.

While the bill did not pass (with a 47.6% to 52.4% at the polls), this movement has fundamentally changed the conversation on GMO’s in the US. There were many grassroots efforts in California and across the country where people and companies stood up for democracy and labeling of genetically modified foods and supporting our legal right to know what is in our foods.

The people who run these companies care a great deal about doing the right thing such as Dr. Mercola, Dr. Bronner’s, Lundberg Family Farms, Nutiva, Amy’s Kitchen, Organic Valley, Clif Bar, Udi’s, Earth Balance, Annie’s Homegrown, Applegate, Eden Foods and Good Earth Natural Foods.

If you are looking to purchase foods where you can feel comfortable knowing what is in them, I encourage you to support these natural and organic companies who have stepped up to the plate and stood behind their customers and this grassroots movement to label GMO’s

If you are interested in learning more about this effort and supporting future efforts on our right to know what is in our foods, check out the Food Democray Now site.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/our_organic_heroes/?akid=681.43113.EsoY5e&rd=1&t=3

There is also a video on this site which highlights Preident Obama’s promise during his first election to label GMO’s. Join Food democracy now in their efforts to encourage the president to fulfull his promise to our nation. http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/farmers-vs-monsanto/