Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers “are the most famous generation in American history.  The U.S. Census Bureau defines the Baby Boomers as those born between January 1st, 1946 and December 31st, 1964. This gigantic generation has transformed America as they have passed through every stage of life. Now they are getting ready to retire. Beginning January 1st, 2011 every single day more than 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach the age of 65.  That is going to keep happening every single day for the next 19 years, until 2029.”

SOURCE: http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/in-2011-the-baby-boomers-start-to-turn-65-16-statistics-about-the-coming-retirement-crisis-that-will-drop-your-jaw

Having been born almost smack dab in the middle of this 19 year range of post WWII population blast, I know I speak for many of my fellow Baby Boomers when I say in the coming years, we want to show up totally opposite of the predictions.  According to the American Hospital Association by 2030:

_ More than six of every 10 Boomers will be managing more than one chronic condition.

_ More than one out of every three Boomers – over 21 million – will be considered obese.

_ One of every four Boomers – 14 million – will be living with diabetes.

_ Nearly one out of every two Boomers – more than 26 million – will be living with arthritis.

_ Eight times more knee replacements will be performed than today

SOURCE: American Hospital Association. (2007). When I’m 64: How Boomers Will change Health Care. Retrieved September 16, 2011 from www.aha.org/content/00-10/070508-boomerreport.pdf

It is now common knowledge that the over 65 population will nearly double as a result of the aging Boomers and we want to be the 21st Century “Blue Zone” generation, as described by Dan Buettner is his New York Times Bestseller, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest .

What is a Boomer to do? The fact of the matter is that it is not complicated; however that in no way implies that it is easy to break our old habits of excess and convenience. It all boils down to prevention. The power to choose sensible precautions that will lessen the impact of aging is as simple as cutting our consumption of that which is refined and processed. Above all get the water in and get the white out!

Summer Food Shopping - Watermelon Please!

The top summer foods reflect the vibrancy of "rainbow eating", packed with vitamins and minerals to fel the body for the early sunrise and late sunset of the season!
Tomatoes, Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Zucchini, Peaches, Plums, Cucumbers, Corn, Watermelon, Green Beans, Leafy Greens, Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, Mint.
The list above is a great foundation for a wide variety of lip smacking salads and thirst quenching beverages like the lemonade recipe below.

Berry Watermelon Lemonade

4 cups watermelon chunks
1 cups raspberries
2 cups water

1 cup agave nectar

½ cup lemon juice 

Blend watermelon, raspberries, water, agave nectar and lemon juice together until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate until chilled, and then serve.

Watermelons are an excellent source of several vitamins A, (an antioxidant which helps maintain eye health), vitamin C (helps build the immune system, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums), vitamin B6 (helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy).


Speaking of antioxidants, watermelon has the highest concentrations of lycopene of any fresh fruit or vegetable. Lycopene (also found in tomatoes) is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight heart disease and several types of cancer — prostate cancer in particular. And if that wasn’t enough, watermelon also contains amino acids that can help maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.

Yours in health
Dr. Velonda

SAVE THE DATE:  September 10, 2011 - 2nd Saturday Wellness presents

                                                                   "Fall In" Food and Film Tasteshop

 Are there benefits to eating the watermelon seed?  Check out http://www.ehow.com/about_5092722_benefits-watermelon-seeds.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask

Hold the Mayo/Salad Dressing, Pass the Vegenaise please!

You may have noticed in the Summer Black-eyed pea Salad recipe that I posted earlier, I used Vegenaise versus traditional mayonnaise or salad dressing. The original version of Vegenaise is made with Canola Oil. However, I used the Grapeseed Oil version. Science is showing healthier benefits with grape seed oil, which offers health benefits that include improving the look of your skin and lowering cholesterol levels. Your list of nutritious alternative to many other types of oils should include grapeseed oil.

We should all be looking to maintain high levels of antioxidant intake which boost our immune system and helps prevent our cells from becoming cancerous. Grapeseed if loaded with antioxidants, with no cholesterol and no sodium, but it's the light, nutty taste that brings out the flavor in foods. Just think - grape seed oil for the hair, grape seed oil for mosquitoes, and the list goes on...... Read more: Grape Seed Oil Benefits eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5418066_grape-seed-oil-benefits.html#ixzz1T9zchw2V

A carnivore friend of mine told me that it tasted like mayo to him. Hmm....Go ahead to your local health food store and buy a small jar. If they don't have it, ask them to get it - they are there for you ;~) Try it and tell me what you think.

Yours in health,

Dr. Velonda

Looking forward to meeting new friends in Washington, D.C. Sept 3rd. Join me at the Agape Faith Ministries' 10th Annual Back to School Community Festival. We'll be tasting smoothies, doing the Cupid Shuffle, Winning hula hoops, giving away school backpacks........... For more info Contact Minister Tamara Smalls at 202-903-5696



Summer Blackeye Pea Salad

I recently met Rose Parker, Macrobiotic Counselor at the Art & Health Fair presented by the Wellness Plan in Midtown Detroit, Michigan (7/23). Our vendor tables were side by side at the event. The following recipe is adapted from the salad she was sampling and demonstrating how easy it is to prepare. Yum, yum...please enjoy, share with friends and tell me what you liked most about the recipe:

Summer Black-eyed Pea Salad

1/2 Red onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled & chopped

2 medium garlic gloves, chopped

2 medium celery stalks, chopped

1/2 Red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 Orange bell pepper, chopped

1/2 Green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup Blackeye peas, soaked, cooked to tender and drained

1/3 Hulled barley, washed, cooked to tender and drained

2 tablespoons Vegennaise

Herbamare to taste

Allspice to taste (or Braggs Sprinkle)

Cayenne pepper to taste

Mix together all the above ingredients. Chill and serve on red leaf lettuce with sesame seed crackers or pumpernickel bread!

Yours in health,

Dr. Velonda

Salt Overload

Salt is an essential component of our body's fluids. Salt provides the body with sodium which our body needs to help transmit nerve impulses, help muscles contract/relax and assist the body in maintaining the right balance of fluids. However, too much salt results in too much sodium which in turn can lead to a host of health problems. Too much sodium in the diet is a risk factor that contributes to high blood pressure, which significantly increases the risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. How much is too much? "The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284 ).  Researchers and medical professionals alike agree that high blood pressure is a major cause of strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, and kidney disease.

Two important steps to "shaking" the salt habit is to omit salt from your table and replace salt in your cooking with different seasonings such as pepper, lemon, thyme, basil and other herbs. Need more tips for reducing salt in your diet? Visit http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/tips-for-reducing-salt-in-your-diet

Yours in health!

 http://www.befitinc.com

No more canola

I recently recieved an email from NaturalNews.com which reminded me of why I stop using canola oil sometime ago.

You'll want to view this article and video revealing how canola oil is the No. 1 ingredient in a pesticide product that kills bugs. It's 96% canola oil! Here's the article:
http://www.naturalnews.com/032853_canola_oil_pesticides.html

And here's a short video which also reveals how soybean oil is used in pesticides:
http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=AEE77E1636E97778AB05E6F31D6B1C27

Grapeseed oil and sunflower oil are great replacements!

An Avocado a Day...

You may have been told that avocado is a vegetable that is too high in fat.

While it is true that avocado is a high-fat food, several components of it's fat contain research proven health benefits. Three components deserve celebration - phytosterols, PFAs and oleic acid:

• Phytosterols help keep inflammation under control. The anti-inflammatory benefits of  avocado fats as it relates to problems involving arthritis are well-documented.
• Polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs) provides anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Oleic acid is a fatty acid in avocado helps our that increases our absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like carotenoids (think antioxidants).
• Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid that has also been shown to help lower our risk of heart disease.

Avocados are high in dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin K. Avocados are one of the "World's Healthiest Foods"  visit http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5

Avocado key lime crunch

FILLING
5 ripe avocados
1/2 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoon vanilla
4 to 6 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Combine avocados, agave, lime juice and vanilla in a blender or food processor, blend until creamy. Continue to blend as you pour in coconut oil. Let filling chill for a bit as the coconut oil will solidify and help the filling to be a little thicker.

Hazelnut and pecan crunch
1/2 cup of filberts (hazelnuts), finely ground
1/2 cup of pecans, finely chopped
Combine ground and chopped nuts

Spoon crunch into small serving bowls, top with filling and serve