There's nothing like fresh, cool mountain air to clear your mind and open your heart. There are so many other things in life that nourish us besides food that comes on a plate, which is really secondary - we really need very little of it to live. Primary foods are other things that nourish us, like being in nature, getting away with friends, engaging in creative, spiritual, and other meaningful endeavors, doing work we enjoy, spending time with loved ones, working out, and learning new things. Primary foods give our lives balance and reduce stress.

What are your primary foods? Consider what you really love to do - what feeds your soul - and do more of it. After all, it's good for your health!

Sincerely,

Energy and persistence conquer all things.

- Thomas Edison

Let's face it - we're busy people! A flight for work, a busy day of errands, a road trip to a friend's house, back-to-back meetings, a weekend away with someone special ... we've got places to go and things to do. So how do we fuel ourselves well when we're on the run?

It easy! Just remember your "QTQs". Nope, that's not a stock symbol for a high-tech company. "QTQ" stands for Quality, Timing and Quantity, three easy concepts to keep in mind when eating on-the-go.

Quality: Aim to have the least processed foods available. The closer a food is to its natural state, the higher the quality.

Timing: Timing is crucial when eating on-the-go. Make sure you eat every four hours. If you're ravenous, you're far more likely to fall prey to the siren call of the drive-thru.

Quantity: It's easy to mindlessly chomp on chow when you're driving or bored at the airport. Take time to breathe and chew while you eat, so you can really feel when your body has had enough. Aim to eat to the point of feeling like you've refilled your energy stores, and then stop. You want to your food to fuel you up when you're on the run, not slow you down.

Wellness Quick-Tip

Ever find yourself "out of sorts" when you travel? A new schedule can be exciting for you, but not necessarily for your digestion. If you tend to experience digestion issues, bring a good probiotic with you when you travel, or begin taking one on a daily basis. Take it once in the morning twenty minutes before breakfast, and once in the evening, at least two hours after dinner. Probiotics are good bacteria - you know, they're what make yogurt a "health food," but minus the dairy. This is important to know since up to 75% of the world's population is lactose intolerant. You may be too! If you want to see, eliminate dairy for 5-7 days, then reintroduce it. Do you have an upset stomach, or common allergy symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, or a runny nose?

And all this time you thought you were allergic to dust!

Here's a Top Ten list David Letterman never published. Pack up, kids, we're going on a road trip QTQ-style!

1. Ezekial sprouted wrap with organic almond butter and sliced dried prunes or figs

2. Veggie Surprise - cut jicama, cukes, celery, snap peas, and bell peppers

3. Fruit - fresh cherries, plums, apples, pears and oranges

4. Raw mixed nuts

5. Ezekial sprouted wrap with organic turkey slices, sprouts & spicy mustard

6. Plain yogurt with fresh berries

7. Hummus with veggies or Mary's Gone Crackers Flax Crackers

8. Greens Plus Bar with Protein

9. Home Touch Trail Mix (see recipe below)

10. Quesadilla with sprouted corn tortilla avocado, organic, soy or rice cheese and salsa

Recipe of the Month: Home Touch Trail Mix
source: integrativenutrition.com

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds, raw

1 cup pecans

2 cups walnuts, raw

2 cups pumpkin or squash seed, raw

2 cups dried cranberries (unsweetened)

1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. In a bowl mix together almonds, pecans, walnuts and seeds. Cover with water and soak overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

3. Rinse and discard soaking water.

4. Add cranberries and add olive oil. Mix until everything is coated well.

5. Spread the mixture out evenly on baking sheet and place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until you can smell the roasting nuts and they start to turn a lot.

6. Cool and store in air-tight glass container.

Notes:

* Try any nuts and dried fruits you like (unsulphured)

After many years in corporate Change Management, I decided to follow my passion to help others more directly. A vegetarian since the age of 14 (and a Southern vegetarianat that!), I've been an advocate of conscious living for some time. Delving more deeply into nutrition seemed natural and an ideal way to help others, especially given the current health crisis that is creating so much inconvenience and pain. As the late astronomer and educator Carl Sagan said, "we are made of star stuff." Literally, we are organic beings made from the same elements that make up the universe and to regenerate we need organic materials. We need to eat foods our bodies recognize. We are doing ourselves a great disservice by consuming all of the artificial, synthetic junk-food made available to us by desensitized, profit-hungry corporations. There is a time and place for packaged food and pharmaceutical drugs, but they should be last resorts - not how we live on a daily basis. Our bodies can heal themselves when given adequate amounts of organic vitamins and minerals. These essential elements are best assimilated through whole foods rather than synthetic versions. I look forward to sharing ways to live healthier lives through these newsletters and my counseling services.

I received my certification to practice Health Counseling at theInstitute for Integrative Nutrition, have completed the Food As Medicine course through The Center For Mind/Body Medicine, and graduated from the Natural Kitchen Cooking School as aNatural Foods Chef. I am also a certified personal trainer and incorporate exercise into my counseling services. Come join our running group in Myers Park every Mon/Wed/Fri morning at 6:30 a.m. Beginners are welcome! Contact me for details.

I offer a complimentary one-hour health consultation. If you or someone you know needs support, I'd love to hear from you to see how I can help. Just complete the confidential Health History form located in the bottom right-hand corner of my website and we'll meet to discuss your health goals.

Sincerely,