Are Deficient? By Jordan Rubin

Their findings were presented at a recent American Heart Association meeting. Dr. Tami Bair and Dr. Heidi May, of the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah, highlight yet another study that shows that vitamin D deficiency can keep the heart from functioning in optimal health.

And while the researchers aren’t suggesting that inadequate levels of vitamin D cause an unhealthy state of the heart, they do suggest a link between the two—especially in light of vitamin D’s role in supporting healthy blood pressure, inflammation and blood sugar levels. All of those are critical for overall heart health.†

Surprised? Thought so.

Vitamin D has long been known to assist with proper calcium absorption and for supporting bone health, but vitamin D does far more than that.† For instance, there’s increasing evidence that vitamin D is active in many aspects of metabolism.†

Dr. Joseph B. Muhlstein, a researcher with Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, and one of the authors of the study says, “What’s been discovered in the last few years is a significantly greater role for vitamin D. There are perhaps 200 different important metabolic processes that use vitamin D as a co-factor.” That includes heart-related function.

 “A growing body of evidence suggests that low levels of vitamin D may adversely affect the cardiovascular system,” says Thomas J. Wang, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. “Vitamin D receptors have a broad tissue distribution that includes vascular smooth muscle and endothelium, the inner lining of the body’s vessels. Our data raise the possibility that treating vitamin D deficiency via supplementation or lifestyle measures could support heart health."†

And the call for increased vitamin D intake continues.

In fact, in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 15 experts from around the world called for international agencies to “reassess as a matter of high priority” dietary recommendations for vitamin D because current advice is out of date and puts people at risk for deficiency. In fact, a review of the science indicated that the tolerable upper intake level for oral vitamin D3—which is 2,000IU in the U.S.—needs to be increased fivefold to 10,000IU per day.

James H. O’Keefe, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo., says, “Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized, emerging issue, which should be screened for and responded to. Vitamin D is easy to assess, and supplementation is simple, safe and inexpensive.”

So there you have it. Vitamin D…it’s one potent nutrient you don't want to come up short on.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Inevitability of a Fat America?

Washington Post staff writer Michael Rosenwald, in his article Why America Has to Be Fat, argues the inevitability of a fat America. He cites economic expansion for growing waistlines and says his being 60 pounds overweight is actually good for the economy.

What was he thinking?

In all fairness, his article may have been tongue-in-cheek, but, nevertheless, his assertion that America must be fat is unfounded. The truth is that we don’t have to carry around that extra weight.

Rosenwald did have some good observations on why Americans struggle with their weight, though. He notes, for instance, that our society has fostered industries that can cheaply and efficiently meet the demands of our busy lives via junk food and the fast food industry—which may appear to be good for the economy, but are not good for our health.

Less physical labor involved in work is another point Rosenwald makes. He says we work in easier, better-paying jobs that support our modern lifestyle, but that this “efficient economy produces sluggish, inefficient bodies.” (Incidentally, Rosenwald says he belongs to two gyms in hopes that guilt will motivate him to visit at least one of them.)

In short, Rosenwald suggests that Americans have grown accustomed to a comfy lifestyle—even if the tradeoff is their health and costs that may be high. Ironically, Rosenwald also points out that his being fat makes him a top contender for unhealthy blood sugar levels, cardiovascular unhealth and maybe even knee or hip problems. (That doesn’t sound too comfortable to me.) He also notes that he’s in “familiar company, with about two-thirds of the U.S. population now considered overweight.”

Rosenwald highlights that overweight Americans have fattened the bottom line. Seattle University management professor, William Weis, says that revenue from the “overweight industries” topped $315 billion in 2004, including $133.7 billion from fast food restaurants and $124.7 billion for weight-related medical treatments. The Mintel Group, a consumer-research firm, says we drank $37 billion in carbonated beverages and spent $3.9 billion on cookies in 2004. In 2003, we spent $57.2 billion on restaurant meals and bought $6.2 billion in potato chips.

Our overindulgent lifestyles may feed the economy, but Rosenwald seems to contradict this point when he cites how extra weight can be a double-edged sword to the economy. “The $10,000 of extra medical care that the overweight require over their lifetimes certainly makes a doctor’s wallet fatter, but it could bankrupt the health insurance industry,” he says. 

Rosenwald continues, “Much of the long-term financial burden for being overweight will fall on the shoulders of U.S. corporations, which already fork out billions of dollars a year in sick time and insurance costs related to being overweight, and on American taxpayers, through their contributions for programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. What's more, shorter life spans will more quickly take millions of educated people out of the workforce.”

Rosenwald’s scenarios don’t sound good for the economy to me, and they also don’t convince me that we have to be fat. We don’t. We’re in control of what and how much we eat, as well as how much exercise we get—and that’s good news for those of us who don’t ascribe to the American “inevitability of fat” principle.

Reason of Christmas

Mary’s Christmas
READ: Luke 1:26-33; 2:4-7
Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. —Luke 2:19
It was anything but an idyllic, silent night on that cool Bethlehem evening when a scared teenager gave birth to the King of kings. Mary endured the pain of her baby’s arrival without the aid of anything more than the carpentry-roughened hands of Joseph, her betrothed. Shepherds may have been serenaded in nearby fields by angels singing praises to the Baby, but all Mary and Joseph heard were the sounds of animals, birth agony, and the first cries of God in baby form. A high-magnitude star shone in the night sky above the outbuilding, but the manger scene was a dreary place for these two out-of-town visitors.

As Joseph laid the infant in Mary’s arms, a combination of wonder, pain, fear, and joy must have coursed through her heart. She knew, because of an angel’s promise, that this tiny bundle was “the Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:32). As she peered through the semidarkness into His eyes and then into Joseph’s, she must have wondered how she was going to mother this One whose kingdom would never end.

Mary had much to ponder in her heart on that special night. Now, over 2,000 years later, each of us needs to consider the importance of Jesus’ birth and His subsequent death, resurrection, and promise to return. — Dave Branon

Almighty God became a man
By lowly, humble birth;
And Mary treasured in her heart
This Gift of boundless worth. —Sper

God came to live with us so that we could live with Him.

Fast Food!

New products from Garden of Life

RAW Meal
Beyond Organic Meal Replacement
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Why Choose RAW Meal?
RAW Meal goes beyond organic by providing live probiotics and enzymes, Vitamin Code® raw food-created vitamins and minerals, as well as nutrient Code Factors™ such as beta-glucans, SOD, glutathione and CoQ10, enabling natural recognition by your body

Containing 26 superfoods from RAW organic seeds, sprouts and greens, RAW Meal provides 33 grams of protein, 14 grams of fiber and a healthy 4 grams of fat making it an excellent choice for “weight conscious” individuals. RAW Meal also offers 20 Vitamin Code vitamins and minerals providing at least 100% of the Daily Value of 16 key nutrients.

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Use low fat RAW Protein to increase the protein content of meals – just add to food or beverages. It mixes instandly and has a neutral taste, making it an excellent foundation for a refreshing, high protein energy shake or smoothie. RAW Protein is suitable for almost anyone, including those on vegetarian or vegan diets, those on low carbohydrate diets or for those with gastrointestinal sensitivities to milk, whey, soy or other protein sources.


More information on these products can be found at www.gardenoflife.com

Tricep Workout!

Gut microflora and obesity

Here is a great article on how there are clear link between diet and gut flora or good bacteria. The difference is amazing and this article shed light on the consistency of diet to maintain it. Please read.

US researchers have successfully transferred gut bacteria from obese humans to germ-free mice, a breakthrough that will allow a more detailed study of the link between gut microflora and obesity.
A breakthrough paper published in Nature in December 2006 reported that microbial populations in the gut are different between obese and lean people, and that when the obese people lost weight their microflora reverted back to that observed in a lean person, suggesting that obesity may have a microbial component.

The new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, takes us forward in this exciting area. The study succeeded in showing that the human gut microbiota can successfully be transferred to germ-free mice, and that this can then be passed on from mother to offspring.

The study also shows that “the configuration of the microbiota, its microbiome, and meta transcriptome changes in a rapid, dramatic, and reproducible fashion after switching from a plant polysaccharide-rich, low-fat diet to a high-fat, high-sugar Western diet”, report the researchers led by Peter Turnbaugh from Washington University School of Medicine.

From lean to obese

When Turnbaugh and his co-workers colleagues transplanted microbes from human faeces into mice bred without any microorganisms in their guts (germ-free mice), and fed them a high-fat, high-sugar, Western-style diet, they recorded a rapid change in the population of gut bacteria present, compared to mice fed a low-fat diet.

Furthermore, the mice also showed an increase in body fat.

As further evidence of the important role that the gut microbes play, the researchers also found that simply transplanting the microbiota from the high-fat fed mice into a set of germ-free mice caused the new mice to accumulate more body fat, even though they were fed a low-fat diet.

Implications for prebiotics and probiotics

In an accompanying perspective Jeffrey Flier and John Mekalanos from Harvard Medical School note the implications for food and nutrition.

“As mechanisms for the interrelationship between the microbiota and host metabolism are defined, one can imagine several levels of interventions that might be explored in this model,” they wrote.

“One approach could involve searching for nutritional interventions to modify specific gut microbial species. Dietary components (prebiotics) might be found that alter growth of specific microbial species capable of affecting host physiology, and the Turnbaugh model can be used to pinpoint these elements and decipher the mechanisms of the host-microbe collaboration.

“Dietary ingestion of live microorganisms (probiotics) has been used to alter microbial gut flora with the intention of conferring favorable effects on the host. The germ-free mouse system could be used to explore the actions and efficacy of novel probiotics,” they added.

At a scientific symposium organised by the Beneo Group in April 2008, Dr. Kieran Touhy from the University of Reading noted that obese animals have significantly lower bifidobacteria levels than their lean counterparts, which suggests potential for prebiotic fibres since the growth of these bacteria is selectively promoted by inulin and fructooligosaccharides.

Dr. Nathalie Delzenne from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and Dr. Robert Welch from the University of Ulster presented results from animal and human studies, respectively, which indicated the potential of prebiotic supplementation to regulated food intake.

Source: Science Translational Medicine
Vol 1 Issue 6 6ra14: www.sciencemag.org
"The Effect of Diet on the Human Gut Microbiome: A Metagenomic Analysis in Humanized Gnotobiotic Mice"
Authors: P.J. Turnbaugh; V.K. Ridaura; J.J. Faith; F.E. Rey; J.I. Gordon, R. Knight

Perspective: Science Translational Medicine
11 November 2009
“Gut Check: Testing a Role for the Intestinal Microbiome in Human Obesity”
Authors: J.S. Flier, J.J. Mekalanos
www.nutraingredients.com

Abdominal Leg Lift

Crowd-Pleasing Foods

Meat Lasagna with Spinach & Goat Cheese
Serves 8

Ingredients:
12 spelt lasagna noodles
1 teaspoon olive oil
1-2 lbs. ground chuck, venison or buffalo
3 cups pasta sauce (or tomato sauce)
3½ cups ricotta cheese
4 oz. crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Herbamare® (or salt and pepper)
4 cups raw baby spinach (or regular chopped spinach)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place lasagna noodles in a large shallow dish and cover with boiling water for 15-20 minutes in order to soften. Cook meat in a large skillet for 10 minutes or until brown, stirring occasionally. Drain fat and return to skillet. Reduce to low heat and add in pasta sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, basil, parmesan and Herbamare to taste. Spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom of 9x13-inch baking dish. Place one-third of softened noodles on top of sauce. Add half of the spinach, pressing down to make a flat layer. Spread half of the ricotta mixture as the next layer. Top with meat mixture, and then another third of noodles. Add remaining spinach as a layer, and then the remaining ricotta mixture as a layer. Top with remaining noodles and last cup of sauce. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour on the middle rack at 400 degrees. Pour mozzarella cheese over sauce the last 10 minutes of baking.

May be prepared and refrigerated up to 24 hours or frozen.

Recipe from Nicki Rubin






Sweet and Sour Chicken
Serves 8


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 lbs. boneless cubed chicken
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1⁄2 cup soy sauce
2 cups pineapple, cut into small chunks
1⁄2 cup pineapple juice
6 tablespoons vinegar
6 tablespoons Rapadura (a sweetener found in natural health food stores)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups brown rice

Directions:
Prepare brown rice as directed on package. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet and stir-fry chicken until well browned. Add peppers and cook another 2 minutes. Mix cornstarch and soy sauce. Pour into skillet. Add pineapple and juice, vinegar, Rapadura, ginger and garlic powder. Bring to a full boil. Serve chicken over brown rice.

Recipe from Nicki Rubin

Multi-Dimensional Benefits

Here’s the attention-grabbing headline that broke the news to readers: “Three-quarters of U.S. teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D, the so-called sunshine vitamin whose deficits are increasingly blamed for all sorts of medical issues.” Scientific American; Archives of Internal Medicine. March 2009

That’s a shocking statistic—even for those who conducted this recent study. In fact, the study’s co-author, Adit Ginde, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine says, “We were anticipating that there would be some decline in overall vitamin D levels, but the magnitude of the decline in a relatively short time period was surprising.”

Here’s how the decline has progressed. Between 1988 and 1994, almost half of those examined had 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) or more of vitamin D—the blood level a growing number of doctors believe is sufficient for overall health. Just a decade later, not even a quarter of those examined had at least that amount.

And a vitamin D deficiency in that many people may have far-reaching impact. Here’s what one expert has to say about vitamin D’s positive effects:

“Vitamin D supports immune system, pancreas, heart, blood, cellular, muscle, bone and bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach, uterine and brain health—and can [positively] impact 36 bodily organs.”† Anthony Norman, Emeritus, Presidential Chair, and Distinguished Professor Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside

Wow. That’s an impressive list for this essential nutrient. It makes sense, though, because over 900 genes and several areas of the body have vitamin D receptors or proteins that bind to vitamin D.† Studies show positive health effects happen when vitamin D binds to these receptors.†

Not everyone agrees on the number of people believed to be vitamin D deficient, however. Some don’t even concur on how much vitamin D per day a person should have—as that varies with a person’s age, geographical location and other circumstances.

Here’s what some leaders in vitamin D research have to say about intake amounts—although the only way to be sure of your vitamin D levels is through testing, which most agree is a smart choice:

“The consensus among UC [University of California] scientists…is that 2,000IU per day of vitamin D3, a form of vitamin D, is the appropriate intake for most adult Americans.† While more research on this topic is highly desirable, it should not delay recommending a 2,000IU daily intake of vitamin D for most people.”† Anthony Norman, Emeritus, Presidential Chair, and Distinguished Professor Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside

“The average person needs about 4,000 units daily of vitamin D to maintain a healthy level in their bodies.” Dr. Robert Heaney, M.D., FACP, FACN, Member, American Dietetic Association Elected Fellow, American College of Nutrition Emeritus Board Member, National Osteoporosis Foundation, Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine Osteoporosis Research Center Creighton University Medical Center

“The current recommendation for vitamin D deficiency in those people who must avoid the sun is 5,000IU of vitamin D per day which costs about five cents a day.”† Jeffrey Dach, M.D., board certified in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology & the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine in Hollywood, Florida

That’s much more than the current recommended vitamin D intake of 400IU to 600IU for children and adults.† Getting too much vitamin D is rarely an issue, though, says one highly regarded expert. Dr. Michael Holick, the leading authority on vitamin D. He says you’d have to take more than 10,000IU daily for many days or weeks to even begin to come close to overdoing it.

Perhaps Ginde sums it up best. (Remember, he’s the co-author of the study that indicated three-quarters of adults and teens in the U.S. are deficient in the sunshine vitamin.) He says, “We’re just starting to scratch the surface of what the health effects of vitamin D are. There’s reason to pay attention for sure.”

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Your Complexion Reveals How Good Your Diet and Health Is

Researchers have found that your complexion affects how healthy, and therefore how attractive, you appear. What’s more, your diet may be crucial to achieving the most desirable complexion.

Using specialist computer software, study participants were asked to manipulate the skin color of male and female Caucasian faces to make them look as healthy as possible. They chose to increase the rosiness, yellowness and brightness of the skin.

Skin that is slightly flushed with blood and full of oxygen suggests a strong heart and lungs, supporting the study's findings that rosier skin appeared healthy. Smokers and people with diabetes or heart disease have fewer blood vessels in their skin, and so skin would appear less rosy.

But the preference for more golden or 'yellow-toned' skin as healthier might be explained by the 'carotenoid pigments' obtained from vegetables in the diet. These plant pigments are powerful antioxidants that soak up dangerous compounds produced when your body combats disease. They are also important for your immune and reproductive systems and may help prevent cancer.


Sources:

Eurekalert November 16, 2009

This is something I know all to well, as a teen I had horrible skin problems. Acne plagued me up to my early 20's. Even today when I have to eat something with bad oils or bad fats in it I will get a breakout. Your internal health is often visible through your skin.
You can do a lot with a diet rich in whole, raw & organic foods. It's common sense nutrition!

Plank Variations

Country Music Marathon

April 24th 2010 Will be here before you know it! Are you training alone this year? Well, that's no fun!
We would love if you trained with us, it will be a great time and you will run with some great people. Not to mention you will have a schedule made up for your running that includes a meal plan to optimize your nutrition. We want you to be in the best shape of your life for this race and we also want to help a local non-profit. We will be having 3 group runs a week and if you cannot make it you can refer to the schedule. No man (or women) behind!

Come&Live!
Is a Music label that is very close to our hearts with their vision and their love for Christ. Check out the website for more information and help us help them out.
Come&Live!
We are trying to raise $5000 to be given to them on May 1st 2010. We cannot do it with out you. Please get behind us and give us the support we need to give support to this great vision.

All you have to do is find a sponsor to cover your training cost $500 for the whole 5 months! We are still looking for sponsors to help cover the cost of Marathon registration. If you know of any sponsors that will get involved in anyway please let us know, there are many things needed to make this happen.

We will start our first run on Wednesday December 2 but you can jump in at any time. If you want to participate and you cannot find a sponsor please let us know. If you cannot afford the full $500 you can pay by week $25. We ask that you please follow through with your commitment to run and support this cause. If you are not a runner or you are not in the Nashville area please find time to pray for us and Come&Live!
as we want to be a light for Christ!

Pull Ups Beginner To Advanced

Trim for the holidays special

12 week program (6 wks in the gym 6 wks in boot camp)

This program will offer one-on-one style personal training but in a group setting.
It will give you a chance to compete with each other
or work hard on a specific group goal. This deal is perfect
for couples or college groups in your home or
at our gym.

The first 6 weeks will be an intensive, focused and diligent muscle
dedication workout followed by 6 weeks of boot camp. Switching
in the middle will allow us to get you strong physically and mentally
then moving into some more demanding whole body, cardio work.

Trim for the Holidays will nearly take you straight through to spring
and the body you have always wanted. We will be also offering
2 free cooking classes, comprehensive nutrition plans, how to eat out
guide and recipes for eating for life!

Highlights
-Groups of 4 - Couples or just friends. (must be at least 4)
-One-on-one in your home or gym!
-Takes you through Christmas and into spring
- We will work around your holiday schedule
-Learn comprehensive nutrition
-How to get through the holidays without gorging yourself
-Learn how to eat out and still lose weight
-EFT so you don't have to worry about when money is due

-A great price $30 a person!! For 2 days a week!

Restrictions
-Must pay a deposit by Thanksgiving ($100.00)
-Start on 11/30
-Must be at least 4 in your group


Register your group now and pay in full ($480) by Thanksgiving and receive an
additional discount (15% off).

Insulin's Far-Reaching Effects

Dr. Ron Rosedale is a medical doctor who is an internationally known expert in nutritional and metabolic medicine as well as a healthy aging expert. He is the author of The Rosedale Diet and has keynoted at various conferences, including the 8th Congressional International Medical Conference on Molecular Medicine and the 1st European Conference on Longevity Medicine and Quality of Life.

Those are just a few of his achievements. He also has some fascinating thoughts on the role of insulin in health. Here’s a recap of some of Rosedale insights:

When asked what the purpose of insulin in humans is, Rosedale says that its main purpose is to store excess nutrients, not just to support healthy blood sugar levels. He gives the example that vitamin C, for instance, has a similar structure as glucose and when sugar levels increase, then vitamin C and glucose compete for entry into cells. If there’s more glucose around, then less vitamin C will be allowed into cells.

The same holds true for other nutrients such as magnesium. Rosedale indicates that a little- known fact is that insulin also stores magnesium. If insulin levels are out of whack, though, the body loses magnesium—with urinary output. It just passes through and is not fully absorbed by the body.

That’s not great news, either, says Rosedale, because magnesium supports muscular and vascular health. A magnesium deficit can also have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.

What’s more is that magnesium is necessary for the manufacture and action of insulin, so this can become a vicious cycle—one that can lead to increased insulin imbalances resulting in devastating health consequences. Areas that can be adversely affected by imbalanced insulin levels include the liver, muscle tissue, fat cells and other cells, as well as the endothelium—the lining of the arteries.

The same holds true for calcium when insulin levels are topsy-turvy. Most calcium can pass right through without going to areas the body needs it, including the bones.

Insulin levels can also directly affect weight. It’s pretty simple why this is true. When more energy in the way of food is ingested than is burned, the body stores it as fat. If you ingest glucose (sugar), then the body will burn that and stop burning fat. One of the effects of insulin on fat, says Rosedale, is that it prevents you from burning it.

Since the standard American diet is high in complex carbs and low in healthy fats, Rosedale comments that this high glucose diet—a high sugar diet—adds to the problem of unstable insulin levels.

In short, every time you have a surge in sugar, there is also a surge in insulin which results in a law of diminishing returns on insulin’s effectiveness. That can translate into nutrient absorption chaos and other anomalies.

Rosedale believes we really don’t need a lot of carbohydrates in our diet—certainly not as many as most Americans consume. According to Rosedale, the building blocks of a healthy diet include quality proteins and fats, but not much in the way of carbs—except for carbs high in fiber, including low-carb vegetables.

The good news, says Rosedale, is that you can help stabilize insulin levels by a diet rich in healthy fats and proteins (but not proteins from grain-fed sources) as well as those healthy carbs just mentioned.

Healthy insulin levels can definitely play a role in your longevity and your state of health. “It determines the rate of aging more so than anything else we know right now,” says Rosedale.

Now those really are some far-reaching effects.

Touch Guy Cardio

Are You a Sponge, Bob?

Source:Garden Of Life

The body is a remarkable machine, but humans have become a pretty toxic bunch of folks. Simply put, we serve as filters for toxins in our environment. The good news is that the body has a natural built-in system for dealing with this toxic assault. There’s a caveat to this, though. We may be exposed to more than ever before.

Within the last 20 years, reports have come out that support this theory. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that over 69 million Americans live in areas that exceed smog standards and that some cities’ drinking water contains over 700 chemicals, including excessive levels of lead.

Additionally, one source says that nearly 3,000 chemicals are added to the food supply and that as many as 10,000 chemicals in the form of solvents, emulsifiers, and preservatives are used in food processing and storage. Although used only in trace amounts, they can remain in the body for years and do add up over time.

James Dillard, M.D., assistant clinical professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, remarks, “Certainly, the human body carries huge loads of petrochemicals. We know people usually die with the full burden of PCBs they’ve ever been exposed to stuck in their liver. DDT sticks around, too.”

So, what’s a body to do? Glad you asked.

Our lungs, skin, kidneys, liver and colon function to detoxify our bodies. Here’s how.

The lungs are said to take in pounds of pollutants and eliminate toxic gases each minute. Since our lungs are comprised of muscle tissue, they need to be exercised regularly to remain strong. Most of us don’t use our lungs to their capacity, but exercise requires deep breathing, which can help keep our lungs strong so they can do their work.

The skin is our largest eliminative organ; each skin pore serves as an exit route for waste. Some ways to keep skin healthy is to keep it clean, well-circulated and primed for getting its job done. The kidneys, however, get rid of fluid wastes and purify the bloodstream, so make sure you drink enough pure water.

The liver does the lion’s share of cleaning, though. It’s responsible for functions related to metabolism, filtration, bile production, detoxification and immunity. It takes toxins and neutralizes as many as it can; whatever it can’t neutralize, it stores to protect the body.

Interestingly, the liver is also intricately involved in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism and in the storage of vitamins and minerals. It’s part of bodily mechanisms and physiological processes that control blood sugar and hormone levels, too. Additionally, it synthesizes proteins, lipids, lipoproteins and bile acids excreted in the detoxification process.

The colon gets rid of solid wastes, of course, so it’s important to keep things moving along in order to decrease contact time internally.

Thank goodness we have this built-in detoxifying system. It might be especially important since our world may be growing increasingly toxic.

After all, Bob, you don’t want to be a sponge.

Beating Your Own Perception

We spend a lot of time wishing and hoping in our society but, we spend little time making hard decisions about our health, fitness and spiritual well being.
Self analyzation is key in every one of these ares but why is it so hard to look deep with in ourselves for answers? Because we forget how, we are lazy, we ignore the existence of God. Fill in the blank. No matter why, we are all more interested in watching someone else do it for us. This is why shows like the "biggest loser" are so famous and things like reading the Bible and spending time feeding ourselves spiritually, mentally and lastly physically.

It is easier to be mind-numb and watch Tv than to engage the mind in growth exercises like researching and learning about your food. They just aren't at top of the list for us, they hoover down on the list close to dental work. If we weren't told so often that our weight was genetic or that we are fine just the way we are and "it's o.k. to be selfish". I know the last one isn't said that way but we are aloud more guilty pleasure than we care to admit and then turn around and tell others we deserve it!

The reality is that we deserve nothing and we should be doing whatever it takes to achieve the will of our God. Maybe that is not weight loss but being a good steward of the things you are given is, and make no mistake about it, we will be held accountable for that. Whether we consider them gifts or not.
-Life
-Our bodies
-Kids
-House
-Friends
-Talents

There are so many things we are accountable for dig deep and stop making excuses for not achieving success in the ones you have control of!

Eating Right Is The Best Way To Optimize Good Bacteria In Your Gut?

Healthy eating, not supplements, is the best way to keep the good bacteria in your gut healthy, says a dietitian and researcher. As with vitamins, it's best to get the bacteria you need from healthy food rather than taking often expensive and potentially ineffective supplements, says Gail Cresci, Medical College of Georgia, dietitian and researcher.
She equates the good bacterium in your gastrointestinal tract to another living being inside that helps keeps you healthy.

"If you do good by your bacteria, they will do good by you," Ms. Cresci says.

There is even mounting evidence that a healthy gut microbiota helps maintain a healthy weight. Studies have shown, for example, that when bacteria from a genetically fat mouse are placed in a lean germ-free mouse, it gains weight without changing its food intake.

Unfortunately poor diets are hurting the bacteria in many of us and the overuse of antibiotics is taking its toll as well, particularly the common, broad-spectrum antibiotics that wipe out anything in their path, good and bad bacteria included.

Cresci cites inadequate fiber and excess unhealthful fats as contributing to the problem, and states that a good daily diet has adequate high-quality protein, fiber, healthy fats and fresh fruits and vegetables.


Sources:

ScienceDaily October 22, 2009

2009 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, Denver, CO, October 17-20, 2009

Although this is beneficial information, I do not entirely agree. There are some great supplements out there that are really pure and that offer more than just on species or strand of good bacteria.
Primal defense is one of those, the high concentration is great for your gut and will help build the tree of life in your gut. Couple this with the right diet of mostly raw, clean, naturally fermented and organic foods you will encourage growth of the good bacteria and not adding into your gut bad and dead bacteria.

Some of the best food that pack a high good bacteria punch are:
Natto

Miso

Kimchee

Tempeh

Kefir

Yogurt

Olives

Sauerkraut

Pickles

It is important to note that traditionally fermented foods are not the equivalent of the same foods in commercially processed form. The best way to ensure you're consuming the real thing is to prepare your own fermented foods at home, and Sally Fallon’s cookbook Nourishing Traditions is an excellent guide on how to do this.

Eat well and your body will restore itself to it's natural weight with great side effects of feeling more energetic, a super immune system, better skin, etc. The list is longer than I have time to type it.

Leg Up And Overs

Try this as a part of your workout routine, if you enjoy or have questions let me know.
Please rate this video!

9 Ways to Know the Gospel of Christ Is True

(Author: John Piper)

1. Jesus Christ, as he is presented to us in the New Testament, and as he stands forth from all its writings, is too single and too great to have been invented so uniformly by all these writers.

The force of Jesus Christ unleashed these writings; the writings did not create the force. Jesus is far bigger and more compelling than any of his witnesses. His reality stands behind these writings as a great, global event stands behind a thousand newscasters. Something stupendous unleashed these diverse witnesses to tell these stunning and varied, yet unified, stories of Jesus Christ.

2. Nobody has ever explained the empty tomb of Jesus in the hostile environment of Jerusalem where the enemies of Jesus would have given anything to produce the corpse, but could not.

The earliest attempts to cover the scandal of resurrection were manifestly contradictory to all human experience—disciples do not steal a body (Matthew 28:13) and then sacrifice their lives to preach a glorious gospel of grace on the basis of the deception. Modern theories that Jesus didn't die but swooned, and then awoke in the tomb and moved the stone and tricked his skeptical disciples into believing he was risen as the Lord of the universe don't persuade.

3. Cynical opponents of Christianity abounded where claims were made that many eyewitnesses were available to consult concerning the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

"After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:6). Such claims would be exposed as immediate falsehood if they could. But we know of no exposure. Eyewitnesses of the risen Lord abounded when the crucial claims were being made.

4. The early church was an indomitable force of faith and love and sacrifice on the basis of the reality of Jesus Christ.

The character of this church, and the nature of the gospel of grace and forgiveness, and the undaunted courage of men and women—even unto death—do not fit the hypothesis of mass hysteria. They simply were not like that. Something utterly real and magnificent had happened in the world and they were close enough to know it, and be assured of it, and be gripped by its power. That something was Jesus Christ, as all of them testified, even as they died singing.

5. The prophesies of the Old Testament find stunning fulfillment in the history of Jesus Christ.

The witness to these fulfillments are too many, too diverse, too subtle and too interwoven into the history of the New Testament church and its many writings to be fabricated by some great conspiracy. Down to the details, Jesus Christ fulfilled dozens of Old Testament prophecies that vindicate his truth.

6. The witnesses to Jesus Christ who wrote the New Testament gospels and letters are not gullible or deceitful or demented.

This is manifest from the writings themselves. The books bear the marks of intelligence and clear-headedness and maturity and a moral vision that is compelling. They win our trust as witnesses, especially when all taken together with one great unifying, but distinctively told, message about Jesus Christ.

7. The worldview that emerges from the writings of the New Testament makes more sense out of more reality than any other worldview.

It not only fits the human heart, but also the cosmos and history and God as he reveals himself in nature and conscience. Some may come to this conclusion after much reflection, others may arrive at this conviction by a pre-reflective, intuitive sense of the deep suitability of Christ and his message to the world that they know.

8. When one sees Christ as he is portrayed truly in the gospel, there shines forth a spiritual light that is a self-authenticating.

This is "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 4:6), and it is as immediately perceived by the Spirit-awakened heart as light is perceived by the open eye. The eye does not argue that there is light. It sees light.

9. When we see and believe the glory of God in the gospel, the Holy Spirit is given to us so that the love of God might be "poured out in our hearts" (Romans 5:5).

This experience of the love of God known in the heart through the gospel of Him who died for us while we were yet ungodly assures us that the hope awakened by all the evidences we have seen will not disappoint us.

(First posted as a Taste & See Article in 1999)
Get more from John Piper here!

Metabolism-Revving Recipes

Green Chili
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 oz. green mole
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 jalapenos, seeded
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. turkey sausage
1 large can tomatillos, drained
3 bunches green onions
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons dried cilantro
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 cups pinto beans

Directions:
In a small food processor, blend the jalapenos. If you like a hotter chili, leave the seeds in, but you can reduce the number of seeds to suit your taste. Chop green onions and sauté with blended jalapeno and chopped garlic in olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add ground turkey and turkey sausage and brown. In a food processor, blend tomatillos. Add tomatillos and all spices, simmer for 45 minutes.

Mix green mole in 1 cup of boiling water until dissolved. Add mole and pinto beans; simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream or crème fraîche.

Source: Jason Longman of Atlanta






Taco Lettuce Wraps (Raw vegetarian)
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

Taco “meat”:
2 cups walnuts, soaked
1/3 cup wheat-free tamari soy sauce
1 bunch cilantro
1 tablespoon cumin powder
½ tablespoon coriander powder

Taco wraps and toppings:
1 head romaine lettuce
3 tomatoes, sliced
3 avocados, sliced
Celtic sea salt to taste

Equipment needed: food processor

Directions:
In the afternoon of the day before, soak walnuts overnight in filtered water. Process taco “meat” ingredients in a food processor until the mixture resembles ground taco meat. Stop to scrape sides. Remove and set aside. Wash and choose from crispy lettuce leaves for taco wraps. Prepare avocados and tomatoes. Fill lettuce cavities with taco “meat” and top with toppings. Serve two tacos on a white salad plate with a favorite Mexican seasoning on top.

Source: Mandilyn Canistelle (www.chefmandy.com)






Herb Baked Salmon with Creamed Style Spinach
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
4-6 oz. pieces of salmon
1 tablespoon Trocomare
1 teaspoon tarragon (dry)
1 teaspoon coriander crushed seeds
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:
Marinate fish in herbs, spices, and lemon juice for 1-2 hours. Sear in hot butter, 2 minutes on each side. Finish in oven 5 minutes at 385° F.

Creamed Style Spinach

Ingredients:
3 cups spinach, rough chopped
1 cup herbed goat’s cheese sauce
½ cup yogurt
2 tablespoons capers

Directions:
Combine and heat just enough to wilt spinach. Pour over salmon.

Source: Sheila Barcelo of Eden’s Gourmet in Central Florida

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

How Important Is Sleep

Sleep is an area of life we sometimes take for granted.. until we go a couple of days without out proper sleep. Sleep is not a luxury it is a necessity!
It is without a doubt one of the most important aspects of our daily routine as far as the maintenance of health and prevention of disease is concerned.
Our body's regenerate after a fresh nights sleep, making it ready for a whole new day of activity. Depriving the body of sleep will allow your body to be compromised without you even knowing it!
Waking up tired, feeling irritated through your day are just a few ways to know that your sleep is suffering. Combine a lack of sleep with a high stress job, taking care of a sick child or even menopause and you will start to feel like a basket case. You cannot burn the candle at both end without eventually paying the price.

Try some of these things to help you get your rest.
-Melatonin.
Your body produces this natural relaxation aid from the pineal gland. Sleeping in absolute darkness will help your body regenerate Melatonin. Shut off the Tv!
-Make your bedroom a relaxation vacation.
Create a relaxing theme to your room by adding beautiful drapes, aroma therapy, peaceful pictures, and cool climate. Make it so that when you enter you immediately feel relaxed.
-Consider Socks
Warm feet = deep sleep.

There are other things you can do too, focus on these things and make it a habit to get your 7-8.5 hours of sleep.

Protein in the Raw

Most of us know that brown rice is nutritionally far superior to white rice. Why? Brown rice has only the hull—the outermost layer of the grain—removed, which is the least invasive nutrition-wise.

White rice, by contrast, is highly processed and removes 67% of vitamin B3, 80% of vitamin B1, 90% of vitamin B6, 50% of the manganese, 50% of the phosphorous, 60% of the iron, and all dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. In essence, this strips the rice of a fair amount of its nutritional value.

Perhaps that’s why, in the United States, the law requires white rice to be enriched with vitamins B1, B3 and iron—although these aren’t the same as the indigenous nutrients that were lost in the processing. What’s more is that at least 11 nutrients lost in the white rice processing are not ever replaced.

Brown rice provides an excellent source of manganese. In fact, one cup of brown rice gives you 88% of the Daily Value (DV) for manganese, a trace mineral that helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates and is involved of the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol. Manganese is also a strong part of an antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase which helps to fight off free radicals.†

Brown rice is also a good source of fiber and selenium. One cup of brown rice supplies 14% of the Daily Value of fiber and over 27% of the Daily Value for selenium—a trace mineral that is at the active site of many proteins and is essential to thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant defense systems and immune function.†

Brown rice also provides a rich source of magnesium, a mineral which is a co-factor of over 300 enzymes—including enzymes necessary for healthy blood sugar levels. Magnesium also plays a role in supporting cardiovascular health, already healthy blood pressure levels and strong bones.† One cup of brown rice supplies 21% of the Daily Value for magnesium.

While brown rice packs a nutritional wallop in its plain form, its nutritional value is enhanced when it is sprouted or germinated—that is, soaked for several hours before it’s cooked. Researchers found that germinated brown rice has more fiber, three times the amount of lysine (an essential amino acid) and ten times the amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)—an amino acid that supports healthy kidney function—than regular brown rice.†

Why the increased nutrient levels?

Researchers say the germination process activates enzymes that release additional nutrients. Hiroshi Kayahara, Ph.D., the lead researcher in this brown rice project, explains, “The birth of a sprout activates dormant enzymes in the brown rice all at once to supply the best nutrition to the growing sprout.”

The researchers also note that white rice will not sprout and that the sprouted brown rice has a sweet flavor due to the enzymes breaking down some of the sugar and protein in the grain.

Speaking of protein in the brown rice…those on a plant-based diet often have a difficult time finding a high-quality supplemental protein source, but brown rice protein may prove to be one worthy of trying.

Brown rice protein is nutritionally rich and often has enzymes added to separate the protein from the carbohydrates—resulting in a brown rice protein powder that’s about 70% protein and contains four times more arginine than other protein powders. (Arginine is converted into nitric oxide, which allows better delivery of nutrients.) Brown rice protein is also rich in glutamine, which promotes muscle growth and supports immune health.†

With all the other positive nutritional attributes of brown rice, that’s yet another win for this amazing grain.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
By: jodan Rubin

Strength Training Circuit

We are now shooting videos for all kinds of workout routines to help you to your goals. If you are a Meal Plan purchaser, you will have these coupled with your fitness plan, for free. If you just like to watch enjoy them as we post them.

Please make some suggestions for workouts you would like to see and please rate our videos!

Email us or post in the comments.

One Of The Most Important Principles In Reading The Bible

Sometimes readers of the Bible see the conditions that God lays down for his blessing and they conclude from these conditions that our action is first and decisive, then God responds to bless us.

That is not right.

There are indeed real conditions that God often commands. We must meet them for the promised blessing to come. But that does not mean that we are left to ourselves to meet the conditions or that our action is first and decisive.

Here is one example to show what I mean.

In Jeremiah 29:13 God says to the exiles in Babylon, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” So there is a condition: When you seek me with all your heart, then you will find me. So we must seek the Lord. That is the condition of finding him.

True.

But does that mean that we are left to ourselves to seek the Lord? Does it mean that our action of seeking him is first and decisive? Does it mean that God only acts after our seeking?

No.

Listen to what God says in Jeremiah 24:7 to those same exiles in Babylon: “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.”

So the people will meet the condition of returning to God with their whole heart. God will respond by being their God in the fullest blessing. But the reason they returned with their whole heart is that God gave them a heart to know him. His action was first and decisive.

So now connect that with Jeremiah 29:13. The condition there was that they seek the Lord with their whole heart. Then God will be found by them. But now we see that the promise in Jeremiah 24:7 is that God himself will give them such a heart so that they will return to him with their whole heart.

This is one of the most basic things people need to see about the Bible. It is full of conditions we must meet for God’s blessings. But God does not leave us to meet them on our own. The first and decisive work before and in our willing is God’s prior grace. Without this insight, hundreds of conditional statements in the Bible will lead us astray.

Let this be the key to all Biblical conditions and commands: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13). Yes, we work. But our work is not first or decisive. God’s is. “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
John Piper

How To Survive Halloween

It’s that time of year again, the time that most children love and many parents cringe over: Halloween.

Even if you are not a fan of this holiday, you can use Halloween’s usual candy-fest as a "sweet" opportunity to teach your children lessons in health and nutrition.

Children are naturally drawn to salty, sugary, and unhealthy fatty foods, so this time of year is almost irresistible to them with all the free candy, cookies, cakes and other sugary “goodies” that are literally poured into their hands. Research shows that sugar suppresses the body's immune system - particularly problematic as we're now in the much-publicized cold and flu season, with the additional risk of H1N1 swine flu. Sugar can also be destructive to your family's health in a host of other ways.

With a little planning and foresight, you can help your kids control some of those natural cravings, moderate their sugar consumption and impart some terrific nutritional good sense in the process! Here are seven suggestions to help take the trick out of the treats your children bring home this Halloween:

Send your children out with a full stomach. Give them a good wholesome meal making sure it’s low in sugar, starches and bleached white flour. Prepare high protein meals like chicken or beef with veggies like green beans, broccoli, salad and/or carrot sticks. Have them drink lots of water and minimize any sugary drinks including juices, soft drinks, and sports drinks before going out. Remind the kids that since they’ll be eating candies tonight, the deal is that they have to eat a good dinner. They will be motivated to eat up so they can get started.

Offer to buy your children's candy from them. Even if it's 5 or 10 cents per piece, it’s worth not having them consume the unhealthy sugars, dyes and other chemicals in the “treats” for days or weeks on end.

Have your kids trade in their sweets for a better treat. Even if the trade is for one or more of their favorite desserts this is a much better option. Make a special event of it by taking them to their favorite dessert destination.

Offer to trade those bad treats for healthier activities like going to a movie, putt-putt golfing, bowling or some other fun family outing. The few hours you invest in having fun will make a special memory that will last much longer than a lollipop.

Offer to take your children on a trip to the health food store and let them discover healthier alternatives. Discover new treats like healthy CocoChia® Snack Fuel Bars or natural chocolate, carob, yogurt-coated nuts and raisins. The list is endless! Remember treats are fun, not staples in your diet.

Teach your older children to read labels and ingredient lists. Encourage them to avoid “goodies” with hydrogenated oils and artificial colors. Making them an active part of their nutritional choices now will lead them to making healthier lifestyle choices later in life.

Offer the trick-or-treaters who come to your home healthy treats like packets of nuts, seeds, raisins, beef jerky, popcorn or pretzels. Take the dollars you'd spend on the treats and convert them to loose change, passing out the coins to the kids. Take a stand and set a trend!

A safe and healthy Halloween is something all parents want for their children. Teaching children how to enjoy themselves without over-indulging can set the pattern for healthy lives and stop the disturbing increase in obesity that has become a major public health concern.

Great tips from livingfuel.com of whom we are official dealers of please let us know how we can help you.

Motivation, Determination, & Destination

These are 3 must have components for achieving anything in life that is worth pursuing. The problem is that our default status is one of laziness and contentment. There are times for both but neither one has a place in pursuing a life changing physical, spiritual and mental make overs.

What make over?

The one that helps you loose weight by learning the science behind the food you eat and growing spiritually in a way that you never thought possible. Sounds like a massive undertaking but I assure it is worth it and doable with the 3 things listed above.

Motivation- This will come from a competent personal trainer and spiritual coach but you must come with a level of motivation to see it through.
I cannot give this to you and I will not try, you have to want it. That means you have to get excited about what could be spiritually, physically and mentally. If you can do that then there is a lot we can accomplish.

Determination- Another thing that I cannot give you, having determination will get you through the low times whether they be cravings, pain, injury and time. Determination is that glare in your eye at the end of a growling workout that says "I got 10 more in me". Or "I failed eating right but I WILL do better today".

Destination- Arguably the most important of the 3 but cannot exist without the others and also cannot be given to you. A goal, a place to get to, a destination, is the only way to get to a location without driving in circles. Stopping and starting again and again is a good example of not having something to work towards. Simple or complex big or small whatever they are, you need to set them ahead of you and make them attainable.

Now go to the website and stop making excuses!
Get your butt in gear and in shape before you see your family during the holidays and learn how to survive them.

Sprouted Breads

Sprouted Bread Click Here

This link I found is both informative and accurate about the health benefits of sprouted bread. I have been using Sprouted breads for years and highly recommend the Ezekiel brand of sprouted bread. Their cinnamon raison goes great with my eggs and turkey bacon in the morning and is a way healthier and easily assimilated whole carb and protein source. Not to mention the amino acids and high vitamin content.

If you are trying to loose weight limit your intake of grains and sugars having only one slice a day.

If you are trying to gain weight try having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on sprouted bread before bed.

Get out there and enjoy health foods!

Why Was Zedekiah Roasted In The Fire?

The horrors of physical suffering correspond to the horrors of moral and spiritual outrage. Sometimes this means that people's suffering is directly correlated with their immorality and belittling of God. This will be the case, for example, with the eternal suffering of hell. It will correspond in perfectly just measure with the outrage of an individual's sin.

But often the correlation is indirect. Everyone suffers physically because of the outrage of Adam's sin, and because of God's subjecting all of creation to futility (Romans 8:20). But these sufferings do not all correspond to an individual's particular sins. All physical suffering corresponds to moral and spiritual outrage, but not all suffering corresponds directly to individual sins.

What is stunning and essential to see is that physical horrors correspond to spiritual horrors. God knows that we do not feel horrible about the spiritual horror of our sin. We take it lightly. But we get very angry and very agitated and very indignant about the horrors of our physical suffering. So God correlates the two in order to make plain to us how horrible sin is. Belittling God feels like a light thing to us. Being burned feels huge.

So hell will be physical, not just spiritual, even though the greatest outrages of life are not physical. The greatest outrages of life are spiritual—the demeaning of God by unbelief and indifference and rebellion is the greatest outrage in the universe. It may produce the holocaust or it may produce self-exalting philanthropy. But the magnitude of the moral horror in both cases is mainly Godward. Belittling God's infinite worth is the ultimate outrage.

Here is a picture of what I mean.

God says to the exiles in Babylon concerning the false prophets, Ahab and Zedekiah:

Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: "The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire," because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. (Jeremiah 29:22-23).

I am shocked by the term "roasted." Why such a description? It actually happened, that's why. Nebuchadnezzar roasted them. And why did it happen? Why such an outrageous physical horror and why such an outrageous physical word used to describe it?

Because speaking false things about God and committing adultery does not feel outrageous to us. But roasting someone in the fire does. So God correlates the two so we would learn what is really outrageous in the world. Demeaning God and breaking covenants.

The physical suffering of this age is God's warning: This is how horrible and outrageous sin is. Flee it while there is time. Turn to Christ for forgiveness.

The physical suffering of eternity is God's judgment: This is how horrible and outrageous sin was. Now there is no fleeing. It is too late.

New Fitness Plans. Including Food***

Here at Life Fitness Academy we are always trying to come up with new ideas, workout and food plans for your heath and well being. We have recently become affiliates with Living Fuel. Living Fuel leads the nutrition world in purity, potency, quality and truth. Being the Leader in Superfood Nutrition means producing the healthiest and most complete foods available anywhere in the world. Living Fuel nutritional products are made from organic all-natural, whole, raw and potent ingredients. Living Fuel’s position and purpose is to change lives with leading-edge, high-end superfoods.

Most of your new plans include these products and we are excited to offer them to you. All the plans listed below include
1) One grocery trip with your trainer (we will show you what to look for in good ingredients and explain the good and bad food to you);
2) One cooking class for you and two friends. We (the client and I) will pick out a few items and buy the food and we will come to your house and show you how to prepare the foods.
3) A comprehensive guide for eating out. This will help you in your life long journey for health as you vacation or are just looking to go out for the evening.
4) 24/7 accountability and support through phone, email or text. We are always ready to help you no matter if you are trying to choose the right foods at a family dinner or looking for help to resist a late night craving. We love what we do and love helping people just like you!
5) Our whole sale prices on Garden Of Life products as well as our price on LivingFuel. This alone could save you
$100's a year!

Here are our new monthly (30 day) plans:

Silver $980.00
7 days a week home-cooked organic dinners
A complete list of all our recipes
Breakfast and lunch suggestions
Nutrition Coaching and accountability to ensure your success

Personal training 2x a week
Challenging home workouts
Strength and flexibility instruction


Gold $1599.00
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks from Living Fuel products
Living Fuel SuperBerry, Living Fuel SuperGreens, Living Fuel Living Protein, Living Fuel Omega 3&E, and Living Fuel CocoChia Sustained Energy bars.
A complete list of all our recipes including some savory sweet recipes
Nutrition Coaching and accountability to ensure your success
Education on how to choose the right supplements and medications
$40 additional sessions upgrades

Personal training 2x week
Challenging home workouts
Strength and flexibility instruction

Spiritual accountability and help with growth materials, such as books.
Help with balancing stress as it pertains to different areas of your life

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Platinum $1699.00
Breakfast and lunches from Living Fuel
Living Fuel SuperBerry, Living Fuel SuperGreens, Living Fuel Living Protein
5 days a week home-cooked organic dinners
A complete list of all our recipes including some savory sweet recipes
Nutrition Coaching and accountability to ensure your success
Education on how to choose the right supplements and medications
$40 additional sessions upgrades

Personal training 2x week
Challenging home workouts
Strength and flexibility instruction

Spiritual accountability and help with growth materials, such as books.
Help with balancing stress as it pertains to different areas of your life

Money back guarantee!

Why We Love The Doctrines Of Grace

Unconditional election delivers the harshest and the sweetest judgments to my soul.

That it is unconditional destroys all self-exaltation; and that it is election makes me his treasured possession.

This is one of the beauties of the biblical doctrines of grace: their worst devastations prepare us for their greatest delights.

What prigs we would become at the words, “The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6), if this election were in any way dependent on our will. But to protect us from pride, the Lord teaches us that we are unconditionally chosen (7:7-9). “He made a wretch his treasure,” as we so gladly sing.

Only the devastating freeness and unconditionality of electing grace lets us take and taste such gifts for our very own without the exaltation of self.

-John Piper

Flavorful Fall Favorites

Roasted Pumpkin and Fall Vegetables
Yield: Approximately 6 servings

Ingredients
One 3 lb. sugar pie pumpkin
1 tablespoon each olive oil and melted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large carrots, sliced
4 small red potatoes, halved and sliced
1 apple, halved, cored and cut in 12 slices
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped, or 1/4 tsp dried
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. and have a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch pan ready. Cut top of pumpkin about 2 inches below stem and scrape out seeds and pulp with a spoon. Mix oil and butter in a small cup and lightly brush some inside pumpkin, then sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt. Place cut side down at one side of the pan and pile carrots, potatoes, apple, onion and garlic at other end of pan—and drizzle with remaining oil mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining salt, the thyme and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread out.

Roast 30 minutes, turning vegetables over once. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F., turn pumpkin over and continue roasting 15 minutes--turning vegetables once more, until vegetables and pumpkin are tender. Fill pumpkin with vegetables and cut in wedges to serve.






Kale and Yams
Yield: Approximately 4 servings

Ingredients
1 large bunch kale, 4 cups chopped, pressed firm
4 cups Garnet yam, rinsed well, chopped
2 cups red cabbage, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups onion, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon hot red pepper, minced
¼ teaspoon curry powder

Directions
Rinse and drain kale well. Steam kale and yams. (Kale should still be colorful and yams should still have some firmness.) While kale and yams are steaming, place oil in a large sauté pan and heat on medium high. Add red cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and hot red pepper, cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently and adding small amounts of water if necessary to prevent sticking. Season with sea salt and soy sauce.

Place these cooked ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add kale and yams and gently mix well. Serve.






Cranberry Ambrosia
Yield: 2 ½ cups

Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Slightly less than ¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
5 medium oranges, peeled and cut into small sections

Directions
Combine cranberries, honey and ginger in a small saucepan. Cover and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional three minutes, or until cranberry skins pop, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in orange rind. Cool 15 minutes. Stir in orange sections. Chill 8 hours.

Source: Nicki Rubin

21 Day Thanksgiving Fat Burn Boot Camp

There is still time to get into our first annual 21 Thanksgiving Fat Burn Boot Camp!

If you can register by midnight 10/25/09 you can still get in but hurry because we are filling up fast. This boot camp will not be repeated again till next year! If you have ever wanted to get into shape fast you can do it now and before the holidays.

$100 gets you 3 weeks of combat style fitness boot camps and a easy to follow meal plan to help you maximize your results. This will be great fun and will also be a great learning experience for you all.

Monday thru Friday 8 am. With special make up classes on Tues. and Thursday 5:45 am and 5:30 pm As well as Saturday at 9 am. If you can make it out please let us know
www.nashvillepersonaltrainer.net

Are You on a Stress Diet?

Stress is part of our lives. It can motivate excellent performance or drive us to the other extreme. Stress can also increase levels of cortisol, a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, resulting in adverse effects on your brain, blood sugar, bones, muscles, immunity and appetite—to name just a few. Called “the stress hormone,” cortisol can also cause you to gain weight and increase your risk for an unhealthy heart.

Cortisol is one important hormone. It helps to support normal glucose metabolism, blood pressure levels, insulin release, immune function and inflammation levels—which means it can have some positive effects. When it’s released in small amounts, cortisol can help you quickly tap into energy, memory, immunity, equilibrium and lower your sensitivity to pain.

When you’re under chronic stress, however, increased levels of cortisol can wreak havoc by adversely affecting your brain, thyroid, blood sugar, bones, muscles, blood pressure, immunity and inflammation levels. Too much cortisol in the body, for instance, can result in foggy thinking, feeling run down, altered blood sugar levels and muscle discomfort. That’s not all, though.

Cortisol can also affect your appetite. Elissa Epel, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco (USCF), Department of Psychiatry says, “Cortisol and insulin shift our preferences toward comfort foods.” Epel is a leader in the UCSF Center on Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment.

Lack of sleep is a stressor, too, and can be catalytic for negative metabolic changes that can lead to weight gain. Not getting enough shut eye can directly affect two important hunger hormones called leptin and ghrelin, says Kristen Knutson, Ph.D., a research associate who specializes in sleep and health at the University of Chicago’s Department of Medicine.

In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, participants who slept only four hours per night had an 18% decrease in leptin, the hormone that tells your brain you’ve had enough to eat and a 28% increase in ghrelin, the hormone indicating you’re hungry. Results of the study indicated that the sleep-deprived participants had a 24% appetite increase.

To add to the vicious cycle, increased cortisol levels can increase your girth—which is not good news for your heart. But that’s not all. Fat cells also produce cortisol, so if you happen to be stressed and overweight, then you could have double trouble.

Stressors can take on many forms, too. For example, women who were overweight gained weight when they had to deal with common stressors such as job demands, struggling to pay bills or family-relationship strains, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Managing your stress is important. Eating sensibly, getting enough sleep, exercising, journaling, breathing exercises and listening to music are just a few ways you can relax, thereby helping to keep your cortisol levels in balance—and avoiding the stress diet at all costs.

Source: From Jordan's Desk

One Of The Best Raw Milk Farms In The USA.

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

We walk by faith, not by sight…while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. (2 Corinthians 5:7 and 4:18)
The Christian life is a walk. It is comprised of day by day steps from where we are to where the Lord wants us to go (both spiritually and geographically). This walk is undertaken by faith, not by sight. "We walk by faith, not by sight."

Walking by sight is the natural manner by which human beings walk. This is true both for literal walking, as well as for taking the proverbial journey through life. When engaged in physical walking, people rely upon visual data (along with input from other human senses, like sound, smell, and touch). Likewise, as the unredeemed are engaged in their trek through life, they set their course and proceed by that which their natural abilities provide. We who know the Lord Jesus Christ cannot walk in this manner in His kingdom. We must walk by faith, by depending upon our Lord, His word, and the work of grace by His Holy Spirit. Spiritual progress is made "while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen."

So often, things are not as they appear to be in the natural. Consider Joseph being sold to slave traders by his jealous and deceitful brothers. It did not look like Joseph was being groomed to be Prime Minister in Egypt. Think of Pharoah and his army closing in on Israel, as they were trapped beside the Red Sea. It did not look like Israel would be delivered and the Egyptian army would be destroyed. Remember young David standing before gigantic Goliath. It did not look like the giant would be defeated and David would enjoy a thorough victory. Only eyes of faith could really appreciate what was actually happening.

The cross of our Lord Jesus is undoubtedly the greatest example of things not always being what they appear to be. As Jesus hung upon the cross, it appeared that godless men had defeated the most godly man that ever lived. "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst…Him…strong>you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death" (Acts 2:22-23). Yet, in fact, God was at work, preparing a resurrection victory over sin and death for all who would believe. "Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it" (Acts 2:24).

Heavenly Father, I want to walk with You by faith. I desire to respond to the circumstances of life by what You have said in Your word and by what You are able to do. Too many times, I have set my course by sight, relying upon the appearance of things. Teach me to trust in You more and more, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Time For a Heart to Heart

Women are literally the heartbeat of so much in our society. They bring expertise, care, experience, warmth, insight and inspiration to those their lives touch—at home, at work and in their communities.

A woman’s greatest asset, however, may also be her greatest liability: her heart.

The reason? Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States, with one in four women dying from heart disease. Additionally, 23% of women die within one year of a heart attack, while two-thirds of women who have a heart attack fail to make a full recovery.

The risk gets worse as time goes on. As women approach their mid-life years, risks for heart disease and heart attack can increase. One in eight women between the ages of 45 and 64 has some form of heart disease, increasing to one in four women for those who are over 65. What’s more is that within six years of having a heart attack, 46% of women are disabled with heart failure.

Heart failure, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood as it should. For some, that means that the heart can’t fill with blood as necessary. For others, it could entail blood not getting to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people, however, may experience both of these effects.

Heart failure happens over a period of time, and can affect one or both sides of the heart. If it affects the right side, then the heart is unable to pump blood to the lungs where it gets oxygen. This can result in fluid buildup in the feet, ankles, legs, liver, abdomen and sometimes the veins in the neck.

It heart failure affects the left side, then the heart can’t pump oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Right-sided and left-sided heart failure leads to shortness of breath and fatigue. Most people with heart failure, unfortunately, have both sides of the heart affected.

Heart disease has serious implications for women’s health and their quality of life, and that’s why it’s essential for women to take care of their hearts. The encouraging news is that women can reduce their risk for heart disease by up to 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle.

If you want to guard your heart, be sure to eat a heart-healthy diet including foods rich in omega-3s and other healthy fats, whole grains (including oats), as well as plenty of vegetables and fruits. Getting regular exercise, maintaining healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, a healthy weight, not smoking and limiting alcohol intake can help, too.

The truth is that women often look after the hearts of others. Maybe it’s time they start caring more for their own as well.
Source:
Jordan Rubin

The Brown Dog Foundation

The Brown Dog Foundation is a non profit organization that works to provide life saving treatment for pets when the pet's owner is facing temporary financial crisis:

"At Brown Dog Foundation it is our mission to offer pet owners in temporary financial crisis an alternative to euthanasia when their pet faces a treatable life-threatening condition in order to restore the quality of life for pet and owner."

Vet bills are extremely expensive, and to a pet owner who is out of work or facing financial crisis, it is nearly impossible to afford the costs of medical procedures and surgeries.

Our pets are often who we turn to when facing hard times, so not only does Brown Dog serve to save the lives of animals, but provides support to pet owners who desperately want to keep their best friend alive.

This spring, I lost my job and was out of work for close to four months. I could barely afford to pay for groceries, let alone pay medical bills if something had happened to my chocolate lab, Gurley Brown. At the same time, I don't know how I would have made it through that difficult time in my life if I didn't have Gurley. Your pets love you unconditionally, even on days when it is hard to love yourself.

Right now, Brown Dog Foundation works to help pet owners throughout Middle Tennessee, but sticking to the Nashville area is not enough. Currently, Brown Dog is raising money for a national fund, to expand Brown Dog's services across the country.

A main portion of the national fund is being developed through the Brown Dog Dublin Marathon campaign. I am part of a group of runners who are fundraising our way to the Dublin Marathon. Each runner has committed to raising $4,000 and training to run 26.2 miles in Dublin Ireland on October 26, 2009. The money we raise will help spread Brown Dog's mission throughout the country.

If you are able, I encourage you to donate to this cause. It is one that is very important to me. If it wasn't, I definitely wouldn't be running 26.2 miles!

Learn more about the animals who have been saved by Brown Dog at http://www.browndogfoundation.org/successes

For more information about Brown Dog and to donate to my campaign online visit
http://www.browndogfoundation.org/eburcham (Please note donations are not updated automatically).

Make checks payable to:
Brown Dog Foundation- Dublin
Erin Burcham
1903 B. Beechwood AVE
Nashville, TN 37212

Please feel free to email me with any questions. e_burcham@hotmail.com.

Thank you for your support!

The Fight Against Breast Cancer

New research adds to the growing body of knowledge about actions women can take to lower their breast cancer risk. The new report is an update of previous research, adding results of 81 new studies to the findings of more than 800 that have followed women in the United States and around the world to see who develops breast cancer and who doesn't.

The study provides good news for women in the form of steps they can take to protect themselves, such as:
Be as lean as possible without being underweight. A healthy body mass index is defined as being above 18.5 but no greater than 25. Women closer to the lower end of the healthy weight range have the most protection from breast cancer.

Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. If you can't do that, at least do some. Some activity is better than none, but the more, the better.

Limit alcohol consumption. If you drink at all, limit your intake to one serving a day.

Breast-feed. New mothers should breast-feed exclusively for up to six months -- the evidence is convincing that mothers who breast-feed reduce their risk for breast cancer.

Further, increased screenings may not be the best option for women, and men.

Separate studies suggest that some cancer tests can result in false positives. Two studies -- one looking at prostate cancer and the other at breast cancer -- show that increased screening brings false positives and the costs of emotional anguish and sometimes unnecessary treatment.

While the prostate cancer study and the breast cancer study looked at two different cancers in two different populations, both studies came to similar conclusions; a lot of patients are receiving unnecessary treatments.

In the breast cancer screening study, women were given a clinical breast exam in addition to mammography. For every additional cancer found there were 55 false positives. According to the prostate cancer study's authors, between the years 1986 and 2005, 1 million men were incorrectly diagnosed with prostate cancer. If health officials would simply recommend that you get some sensible sun exposure, use a safe tanning bed or supplement with oral vitamin D3 (like Oceans 3 by Garden Of Life) if you can’t get out into the sun, there could be major advances made in the fight against cancer.

In fact, a standard recommendation like that could potentially cut cancer rates in half! I can’t think of ANY other intervention that could possibly come close to that.

Vitamin D has a protective effect against cancer in several ways, including:
Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)

Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells

Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)

Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous

There is now overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that many of the 560,000 cancer deaths expected to occur this year could have been safely prevented with optimal vitamin D levels.

One recent study also points out vitamin D’s potential in treating breast cancer; not just in preventing it. Researchers found that calcitrol (the active form of vitamin D) can induce a tumor-suppressing protein that inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells specifically.
Sources:

U.S. News & World Report September 3, 2009

ABC News September 1, 2009

www.mercola.com
www.gardenoflife.com

Love Handles Are Nothing to Laugh At

Since we live in a nation where two of every three American adults and more than one in six children and adolescents are overweight, we certainly see our fair share of fat. It goes by many pet names, too, including beer bellies, love handles, pot bellies, thunder thighs or too much junk in the trunk.

No matter what we call it or how much fun we poke at it, the truth is that fat may just have the last laugh on us if we don’t do something about it. It’s really not that funny at all and may even contribute to some serious health implications.

You may be familiar with one form of fat known as subcutaneous fat. It’s the fat that's right under your skin and is the kind of fat measured with body fat calipers to give an estimate of total body fat.

But not all fat is only skin deep. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is buried beneath the muscles and surrounds the vital organs.

These two types of body fat act differently in the body, too, according to experts. Tim Church, medical director of the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas says, "If you put visceral fat in a Petri dish and you put subcutaneous fat in a Petri dish and stimulate them, the visceral fat will produce a lot more inflammatory molecules that can raise a person's risk of heart disease and diabetes."

A major contributor to this threatening visceral fat is found in the omentum. It’s a fatty layer of tissue located inside the belly that hangs underneath the muscles in your stomach and drapes over the stomach.

Excess fat and inflammatory chemicals stored in the omentum are harbored as a “beer belly” and can go directly into the liver via the portal vein—causing a toxic dump in the body.

Additionally, a fat-padded omentum may cause bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels to increase and also take insulin out of circulation in the body, contributing to blood sugar imbalances. Since the omentum is near the internal organs, it can subject them to damage, too.

But wait…there’s more. As you store fat, fat cells usually increase in size, not number—at least for most folks. The exceptions may be those who gain a lot of weight and those who have liposuction.

Trim adults have about 40 billion fat cells, but an overweight person may have two to three times that amount. Here’s why: if a person continues to overeat, fat cells continue to grow. When they reach their expansion limit, they don’t divide. Instead, they signal nearby immature cells to start dividing to create more fat cells.

As fat cells get larger, they also produce cytokines, which increase the body’s inflammation levels. If those fat cells increase in size to the point at which they burst open, then even more cytokines are released, causing more inflammation.

In short, excess fat and fat cells are chemical factories that secrete toxic hormones and other harmful substances straight into the bloodstream. This can cause adverse effects on metabolism, weight and overall health—which certainly is no laughing matter.
Source: Jordin Ruben

We Will Be Glorified for the Glory of God

(Author: John Piper)

Someday, at the coming of the Lord Jesus, all who are in Christ will be glorified.

Those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30)

The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)

That is, we will be glorious.

The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matthew 13:43)

But our glory will not be our own but the glory of Christ who is the image of God. We will be glorified with his glory.

To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14)

The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. (Isaiah 60:19)

The result of our being glorious with the glory of God is that in the end God will be glorified by our glorification.

Your people shall all be righteous . . . the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. (Isaiah 60:21)

Therefore, do not let your joy or your hope or your theology or your preaching rest finally on what you are or what you will be. Rejoice finally in this: that what you will be is a joyful reflection of the glory of God. And he will be all in all. Be glad that you are not the final point of it all, but a happy pointer.

Brain Function

I was reading today at mercola.com about optimal brain function and how eating fresh vegetables will help your brain to perform at peak levels.

You can read the articleClick here!


The article reminded me of something that I know to be true, you can prevent nearly every kind of illness or disease with proper nutrition. Not only is a healthy diet great for helping you lose weight but when you are not on a diet but have changed your way of life to be a preventative diet by making better choices. Like eating whole, raw and organic foods you will not have the problems most Americans suffer from. Aside from that you will lose weight and feel great all in the same process.

Can it be that simple?
Yes!
Try it for 30 days and you will notice the difference, no matter if you suffer from diabetes or you just need to detox, eating right can and will take you far. There is one catch, you must commit to it, this is not a quick fix program but the foundations to life and a healthy one at that.

If you are thinking about making some changes but are unsure if you can do it, email me and we can sit down and talk more about. If you live out of Nashville, Tn. we can set up a phone conversation or I can just email you. If you think you can do this the rewards will be great! Don't just do it for yourself think of your family, the way we eat is often selfish and hedonistic. We eat for pleasure and taste but not for life, because we think eating healthy will taste bad. It won't! Maybe taste different, but not bad.

Stop eating to satisfy cravings and eat for life! You body will soon crave those very foods that give you life, it's an education.

Heart Healthy Recipes

Easy Oatmeal (Serves 2)
Ingredients
1 cup of rolled oats
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon yogurt
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil or butter
honey to taste

Directions
Soak the oats overnight in 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of yogurt added. In the morning, add remaining water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1–2 minutes. (Soaked oatmeal cooks very fast.) Add the oil or butter and honey.

Source: Nicki Rubin




Maple-Crusted Salmon and Mixed Greens (Serves 4)

Ingredients
1 1⁄2 pounds fresh salmon fillets
extra virgin olive oil
butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
6 cups baby lettuces, or mixed greens such as watercress or Mache
1 red pepper, seeded, cut into a julienne and sautéed in olive oil
1 pound brown mushrooms, washed, dried very well, sliced and sautéed in butter and olive oil
3⁄4 cup basic salad dressing (see recipe below)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush sides and bottom of salmon with olive oil and place on non-stick baking sheet. Brush the top of the salmon with maple syrup and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Place under broiler for another 2 minutes until just lightly browned.

Meanwhile, mix greens with dressing and divide between four plates. Make a mound of red peppers and mushrooms on each plate. Place a portion of salmon on each mound of greens, and pour pan juices over. Serve immediately.

Basic Salad Dressing

Ingredients
1 teaspoon Dijon-type mustard, smooth or grainy
2 ½ tablespoons raw wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil

Directions
Place the mustard into a small bowl. Add vinegar and mix. Add olive oil in a thin stream, stirring continually with a fork, until the oil is well-mixed. Add flaxseed oil and use immediately.

Source: Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions