Obsession with nutrition

Ok, as most of you know, I am slightly obsessed with nutrition. If I went to college all over again, I would have majored in nutrition I think. It's not really a new obsession either. Because of my background as a Personal Trainer, I have always been surrounded and integrated with healthy people. And I love it. I THRIVE in that kind of environment. People that care about their health, care about what they put into their bodies--or even those that want to change their health for the better. It's why I went into fitness and health in the first place. If there is ONE thing that I have always been passionate about, it is that.

It trickles down at home too...my kids and I are always having chats about health--what we eat, why we eat it, what's in it that's good or bad for us, and why it's important to eat healthy. I don't make it a daily topic of discussion, but I would say that my kids are more knowledgeable than the average American kid about health and nutrition. And they eat practically anything too. Spinach salads. Broccoli. Asparagus. Bell peppers. Tomatoes. All fruit. Fish. Quinoa. Brown rice. Whole-wheat bread and other whole grains. And they weren't naturally born that way either (well, at least my oldest child wasn't). We have just always tried to make it a point of introducing new foods to their palate in colorful ways, mixing it with things that they like, or eveb just in small "no thank you" serving sizes. The pay-off is that now I can cook pretty much anything, even new recipes (which right now is quite often) and they will eat it entirely. If there is any ONE thing that I have done right in parenting it is to take care of their bodies!

Lately though, my obsession with nutrition comes from a different place. A place of "I had cancer and now I want to make sure I keep my body healthy as to stay in remission!!" During my cancer treatments, I started reading up on different things and talking to "experts". Granted, I was always a pretty healthy eater to start. But once I was diagnosed, I wanted to do MORE. So, I bought a juicer and started juicing fresh vegetables and fruits everyday. This SAVED me while I was recovering in between treatments. Fresh juice was like an instant pick-me-up when I was feeling wiped out. It also helped keep my nutrients high and aided in detoxifying the chemicals out of my body.

I also got a Vita Mix, which is like a blender on steriods. A VERY powerful blender. You can do pretty much anything with a Vita Mix--but mostly I blend up green smoothies (leafy greens and fruits), soups, sauces, almond butter, and even grind up whole grains to make flour (like wheat or quinoa). It's an amazing machine and if you don't have one, I would highly recommend investing in one. You will NOT regret it. I feel it is truly the first step in eating healthier and eating more RAW WHOLE FOODS.

I could do a whole seperate blog on nutrition and healthy recipes, but I don't really have time for that right now. (I can hardly keep up with my 2 blogs as it is!) So, because many of my family, friends, and even strangers have asked about what I do and how I eat, I have decided to occasionally throw in my "two cents" (remember I'm not a Nutritionist or Dietician) on what I do, what I have found in my research to be quite compelling, and more importantly, stuff that JUST MAKES SENSE. Cancer, or no cancer, I think you will like I have to say.