98 Years Old, & Still Goin' Strong

I'm amazed at the story of this 98 year old cardiothoractic surgeon.
At 98 years old, Dr. Ellesworth shares his story on healthy living.
Watch, and be in awe!

RAWesome Friday: The Health Benefits of Watermelon

It's one of the most refreshing, delicious fruits of the summer!
Watermelons are a "sweet" way to quench your thirst! Some countries even use the rind as a vegetable, and others roast the seeds

 (www.nutrition-and-you.com). 

  The amazing Health Benefits of Watermelon:

• Rich source of phytonutrients, and antioxidants - Lycopene is a phytonutrient that is beneficial to heart and bone health, (www.whfoods.com) 
• High in potassium & Vitamin A - helps control heart rate and blood pressure (nutrition-and-you.com).

• High in citrulline - citrulline is an amino acid that enters our bodies and flushes through our kidney's, turning into something called "arginine." Arginine can help improve blood flow and heart health (www.whfoods.com)
• Helps keep the body alkaline - Keeping your body at a natural alkaline state may help fight disease. When we are overly acidic, the pH imbalance may cause heart issues, and even a weakened immune system  (www.realfoodforlife.com, snyderhealth.info)
• A Natural Laxative - you can safely relieve or prevent constipation by consuming watermelon (www.naturalnews.com).

How do ya like them melons?

Did you know that allowing a watermelon to fully ripen will give you the best nutrient value? If the watermelon has white flesh, studies show that they have next to no beta-carotene at all (whfoods.com). Wait until the outside is dark green, and the flesh is fully red. Enjoy watermelon at room temp, since our bodies tend to digest them easier that way (www.realfoodforlife.com). 

What are you waiting for? Dig in!



References

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/watermelon.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31

www.realfoodforlife.com

www.naturalnews.com

http://www.snyderhealth.info/a299940-fight-disease-by-keeping-your-body.cfm

Happy RAWesome Mother's Day!

It's Mother's Day weekend, and I'm telling you....you should show her some love with a little raw chocolate!

I just whipped up these goodies for my mom for dessert. I'm not gonna lie, they're one of the best things I've eaten in a long time. I know she's gonna love 'em, too (if my husband doesn't eat them all first!)

Pure cocoa is said to reduce stress, and may even help heart health (vegetarian.about.com). It may also regulate sleep and appetite, and may help prevent diabetes. The flavanols and cocoa are natural chemicals found in plants that are also rich in antioxidants (mercola.com).

These cookies are simple, and incredibly deeeeelish!

Happy Mother's Day!

HealthNutty Raw Chocolate Cookies 

(adapted from rawtarian.com)

2 cups almond flour

3 cups ground walnuts

2 cups medjool dates

6 tablespoons blue agave nectar

5 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup pure cocoa

1. Soak medjool dates in 2 cups of boiling hot water (let them sit for 20 minutes)

2. Meanwhile, ground walnuts in food processor until flour-like

3.Combine almond flour, ground walnuts, and cocoa together in bowl

4. Drain water from dates and put them in food processor along with agave nectar, coconut oil, vanilla, until smoth.

5. Add date mixture with ground almond mixture and combine until all ingredients are mixed into a delicious chocolatey dough.

6. Form cookies and eat them...raw!

References

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/beverage1/a/raw-chocolate-nutrition.htm

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/06/14/will-cocoa-soon-be-used-as-medicine.aspx

The winner of Kicking Horse coffee is......

Jill M, from Peterborough Ontario, you won the gift bag and tin of Kicking Horse Coffee!

Congrats!

Thanks to all who entered. Stay tuned for more health nutty GIVEAWAY's, coming soon....

HealthNutty GIVEAWAY: Kicking Horse Coffee!

                                                  Kicking Horse Coffee is....the best coffee. Plain and simple.

Their coffee is Organic, Fair Trade, and insanely tasty. Win-win-win.

Kicking Horse has:
 a rich, full-bodied dark roast "with a sometimes-chocolately flavour," medium roasts are "smooth and well balanced between acidity and body," and their light roasts are often "floral, fruity, sweet, and rich" (kickinghorsecoffee.com). 

Wanna give it a try?

EVERY "kick-ass" batch of Kicking Horse coffee is tasted to ensure the best, most flavourful cup of coffee. If it  doesn't measure up, they won't package it! The company strives to package their coffee while it's the freshest by cooling the beans first, and then they are bagged after the perfect amount of time. What other company would be this precise?

THE GIVEAWAY (US & CANADA)
You could win a KHC gift bag and a can of this incredible coffee! 

To enter the contest: 

 1. comment below or email thehealthnuttyprofessor@gmail.com with your full name

2. In your email or comment, share 1 thing you're doing to benefit your health! 

One entry per person. The winner will be randomly selected on May 10, 2013. 

Check out The Health Nutty Professor's article on the benefits of natural caffeine, HERE.

Follow Kicking Horse Coffee on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kickinghorsecoffee

and on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/kcknghrsecoffee

Pinch that loaf!

I'll be honest, it can sometimes be awkward when nature calls. Especially if it's at the office, or at a small gathering. Maybe you're just too busy to "go", or perhaps you're just not into using public bathrooms.


We've all had times we needed to go, but we didn't want to. Not if everyone's gonna smell it. After all, how well does that toilet flush anyway?

Today, let's talk poop. It's a normal part of life. It's natural. Everyone does it. If we didn't, we'd be dead.

Getting rid of junk in our bodies is how God designed it.

Plus, did you know you "reak" havoc on your body by prairie doggin' it?

The Health Risks of Holding it In

• constipation - The longer you hold it, the more you're fecal matter dries out and can become painful to pass, which can then lead to hemmorhoids
• Urinary Tract Infections  - Many studies show the function of the bowel is linked to the urinary tract (nursingcenter.com)
• incontinence - The longer you are constipated, the reflex of the colon may be damaged (www.wfneurology.org)
• colon and rectal cancer - There is a higher risk of cancers due to holding in a buildup of toxins that should be exiting the body (www.webmd.com)
• bowel impaction - A mass or "plug" that develops in your colon from severe constipation (www.constipation-remedies-for-all.com)
• bowel obstruction or perforation - When your small or large intestine is totally blocked, nothing can move through (www.healthlinkbc.ca)

So, no matter how awkward it might seem: Remember your boss, colleagues, and even the Duchess of Cambridge poops, too. And if you're severely constipated, talk to your doc. It can be dangerous to your health if you leave it for too long. 

There are many great natural ways to treat constipation: Drink plenty of water, get enough dietary fibre, pitch antibiotics if you can, find activities that reduce stress, cut back on refined foods, eat beans, prunes, drink organic coffee, coconut oil (mix half 1/2 tsp with juice or water 3-4 times a day), and finally...get movin'!

If you must, flush a toilet you haven't used before to know its flushing ability, and learn how to squat in public bathrooms without touching the bowl. Overall, friends....just go when you feel the urge.

Don't be shy, Follow the Health Nutty Professor on Facebook!

References

www.webmd.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20889093

http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/CEArticle?an=01212983-200707000-00014&Journal_ID=522928&Issue_ID=730719

http://www.luriechildrens.org/en-us/care-services/conditions-treatments/urology/Pages/basics/stool-retention-utis.aspx

http://www.wfneurology.org/cache/downloads/em8a8s6vxu88w4o8cco4cco4c/Munsat_chapter3.pdf

http://www.constipation-remedies-for-all.com/fecal-impaction.html

http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/kb/content/special/uf4382.html

RAWesome Friday: Maple Syrup

Pure Maple Syrup.

I'm already drooling.

It's that time of year again, for the amazing tradition of sap collecting!

The Health Benefits of Maple Syrup

• high in manganese, potassium, and magnesium
• high in zinc which boosts immunity
• good source of energy
• contains 4 mg of polyphenols per 60 g serving (polyphenols have been shown to prevent degenerative diseases such as heart diseases and cancers since they are the most "abundant"  of antioxidants - www.ajcn.nutrition.org)
• an amazingly delicious plant-based sweetener

Compared to the imitation maple syrup, PURE maple syrup is the way to go. Imitation syrup contains mostly corn syrup (danger), high fructose corn syrup (even more danger), artificial flavours, and let's be honest..chemicals. It's junk. Toss it!

Instead, enjoy some rawesome  pure maple syrup on your steel cut oats, in your Kicking Horse coffee, or in a salad dressing!

Be Healthy Ya'll!

Stay in the loop, LIKE The Health Nutty Professor on Facebook!

References

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=115

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/1/215S.full

http://www.internationalmaplesyrupinstitute.com/uploads/7/0/9/2/7092109/__nutrition_and_health_benefits_of_pure_maple_syrup.pdf