Idaho Green Expo

Had a great time at the 2009 Idaho Green Expo in Boise, Idaho. They had a fabulous turn out, and the quality & variety of vendors was great! That's me on your left with Mrs. Gem State, Colleen Fletcher. She's competing for Mrs. Idaho this year. What a fantastic lady to visit with!

I was able to spend 2 entire days sharing with others about the great non-toxic cleaning products that I distribute and believe in. Plus, with the help of my trusted assistant, Riley Hoobery, I was able wander the Expo and pick up some great resource information about other environmental options.

Please feel free to check out other pics from my booth area here. And, for a listing of all the great exhibitors at the Green Expo, this attached link will get you to all of them.

Easy Steps To A Healthy Diet

Sharing a great article from my friend, Irina Wardas, website. Please click on the hyperlinks below each topic, for more great info from her website.

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.-- Annie Dillard

1. COOK AT HOME

The food we take into our mouth goes into our stomach where it gets digested and eventually assimilated into the bloodstream. Our blood is what creates our cells, our tissues, our organs, our skin, our hair, our brains and our thoughts and feelings. Learning to cook high quality food for yourselves and those you love can change everything.
Healthier Substitutions for Your Recipes
Soup Time to Feel and Look Fabulous
Asparagus, Beets and Chicken Salad Recipes
Sweet Eats for More Energy

2. EAT THE RIGHT FOODS

- drink more water;
One Extra Glass of Water to Drink and Extra 500 Calories to Burn the Easy Way
- start with a breakfast
Video Tip: How to Make a 3-min Nutritious Breakfast to Feel Fabulous All Day
Healthy Breakfast to Feel and Look Fabulous
Healthy Pancakes
- incorporate more fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices into your diet;
4 Reason to Eat Apples
"11 Reasons to Eat Beets
Eight Reasons to Eat Squashes
Detox, Weight Loss, Glowing Skin and Other Reasons to Eat Radishes
Heart Healing Foods
Immunity Boosting Spices Recipe
Simple Detox with Cleansing Herbs
Lentils Recipes to Fight Seasonal Depression
- switch to only healthy fats with omega-3 fatty acids you can find in olive oil, salmon (chose fish carefully because it can be highly contaminated with toxic chemicals like mercury and PCBs), walnuts, flax seeds;
Salmon and Avocado Recipes

3. WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

Avoid super unhealthy processed foods which add more stress on our system and are super harmful for our health.
Super Foods to Avoid in Order to Stay Healthy
Listen to Your Body and Be Crave Smart

4. READ LABELS

We read all labels carefully looking for ingredients we cannot pronounce or don’t know the meaning of. There are too many preservative, chemicals, artificial colors we must avoid in order to stay healthy. Even more careful we have to be with labels on meat and diary products because most of the terms mean not exactly what we think.
Sugar and Caloric Overload Foods
How to Read Labels and Find Hidden Sugar
Video Tip: Sugar Surprise – How Much Sugar You Think You Eat

5. GO U.S.D.A. ORGANIC

Did you know that the worst toxins we can ingest are put into our foods as additives and preservatives? Organic foods are supposed to be produced without synthetic growth hormones, genetically engineered organisms, antibiotics, chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides.
Why Strawberries, Peaches and Cherries Can Be Dangerous for Our Health
Is Your Mouthwash Cancer Proof
How You Can Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

6. GO LOCAL & EAT IN SEASON

To eat local and in season means that food was stored for less time and traveled not far. You get it fresher and more nutritious. Did I mention, that it will be cheaper?
Go local and find Farmer’s Markets near you at www.LocalHarvest.org

7. DE-STRESS

Stress is #1 cause of all our illnesses. If we want to be healthier, sleep longer and feel better we need to take care of out stress overload first.
Video Tip: Simple Exercise for Detox, Weight Loss and Better Sleep-Part I
Foot Massage for Detox, Stress, Sleep, Constipation and Headaches
Instant Mood Boosters – MP3 mini-class
Video Tip: How to Fall Asleep Faster and Sleep Longer
What Sex, Garlic and Swearing Have in Common
Video Tip: Three Instant Mood Boosters that Work

8. DETOX

Toxins can be poisons, heavy metals, pesticides, fungicides, cleaning solvents, smog, and many substances that we don’t even know are leeching into our bodies via our clothing our furniture, and even out carpets. We need to detox with the seasonal fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. It is also very important to avoid chemicals and pesticides not only in foods but also in skin care products, make up, cleaning products, etc.
Simple Detox with Cleansing Spices
Spring Detox and Beauty Recipes
Three Detox Recipes
Video Tip: Detox Recipe: Super Simple and Healthy Turmeric Dressing
Detox Recipe: Kale with Cranberries and Sesame Seeds
Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.–Winston Churchill
If you feel you might need help with one of my Holistic Health and Nutrition Programs for Women, let me know, and let us talk…

And don’t forget to always breathe, smile and try to be happy.
© Irina Wardas, HHC
Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert
NaturalCounselor.com

Food Standards & Integrity Addressed In Food, Inc., The Movie

On July 20th, I posted about the documentary, Food, Inc. I was finally able to get to the Flicks last week and watch the film. It was definitely more than I expected. In fact, I might even say that I almost got more on my plate, than my stomach could handle.

The documentary is a MUST SEE for anyone who consumes any meat products. Yes, I am currently a carnivore, but have been 98% pork free for about 2 years. Now, after watching the food handling standards and exposures for food contamination in Food, Inc., I have begun to plan my fazing out, of any and all commercially processed meat products. In addition, I have embarked on some serious research in a vegetarian diet for my family. (No, I haven't told the husband yet, SSHH, don't say anything!).

Watching the "hidden camera" clips of food handling in the meat processing plants in this country and chicken farms, was stomach wrenching. Now, I'm no sissy when it comes to watching the processing of meats and foods. But, when I find out how the recent salmonella poisonings and other food contamination crisis' occurred, and could have been prevented, then I do begin to feel ill.

I also learned about Monsanto's role in the control of farmers and what they can and cannot do, once the farmer has acquired Monsanto's "patented" seeds. Today, I also read an article about Monsanto's negligence right here in my home state of Idaho. Basically, they (Monsanto), have already caused much environmental devastation in Southeastern Idaho's high country, and want carte blanche to start another mine, without cleaning up their earlier messes. The scary thing is, that many EPA & FDA officials, were previously employed by Monsanto, at one time or another. I don't see any conflict of interest there, do you?

There were numerous facts & disclosures discussed in the documentary and the narration by Michael Pollen was fantastic. I can't do justice to the film by giving you the below tidbits, you'll have to see the movie for yourself. But, here's a few things I wanted to share:

1. Just a few years ago, apx 80 meat processing plants provided 20% of the meat that Americans consumed. Today, 13 meat processing plants provide 80% of the meat that we consume.

2. It takes 75 gallons of diesel to bring a steer to slaughter.

3. It is illegal to make disparaging remarks about the beef industry in Colorado. (Remember Oprah?).

4. One American farmer used to feed apx 628 people. Now, he feeds apx 128 people and huge companies/subsidiaries feed the rest.

5. One in three people born after the year 2000, will get diabetes.

The final message of the film was that we, as consumers, have a vote by what we do and do not purchase. One farmer that was interviewed, pled with the viewing audience to make our voices heard. He said that the farmers want to do the right thing, but so many hands are tied by big industry, that they can't do it by themselves.

Some of my votes will include a more conscientious effort to purchase food products grown/manufactured within a 150 mile radius of where I live. Farmers markets; here I come! I also need to start my plan for my raised bed gardens. Also, I've made my feelings clear to my husband about Monsanto products in our home/property.

My list continues, but I'd like others to share what they are already doing or planning to do, to cast a vote for improved food handling and standards by the food industry and within our own homes.

Vitamin D Supplements For Kids Health

It's no secret these days, that Vitamin D Supplements are quickly becoming recognized as a necessary ingredient for kids health. Researchers have found that 9 percent, or 7.6million children across the country, were vitamin D deficient and another 61 percent, or 50.8 million, were vitamin D insufficient.

Rickets, a bone disease sometimes found in infants, is also caused by a Vitamin D deficiency.

What causes this deficiency? Most commonly it is poor diet and lack of sunlight. Again, it's no secret that the average American household, does not get enough natural vitamins and minerals to maintain the body properly. And then, there's the sedentary lifestyle of so many young people these days. With online networking and highly entertaining computer games, many people don't get too far from the sofa anymore.

There are Vitamin D sources that contain natural nutrients that young children need. Do the research and see for yourself. You will find that our daily intake of steak & potatoes, just isn't enough to feed our body and organs properly. Add safe baby and children's vitamins to improve kid's health...and yours too!