I have a few favorites I stock up on during this time of year.  I buy them for both, enjoying in the moment and freezing them for future use.
My favorite power packed and delicious pick is the blueberry. Blueberries are bursting with flavor and provide so many antioxidant properties that help us fight cancer and memory loss.  Ranked only second to strawberries in terms of popularity, cultivated blueberries are full of phytonutrients such as anthocyanins, which gives them their deep blue pigment. Blueberries are a delicious snack or they are a great add on ingredient to your morning smoothie.  I personally like to freeze them in a zip lock bag so they are ready to use during the school year.  My children love the morning protein shakes that I create and rave about the taste. What is great is that the rich color of the blueberry hides the chopped raw spinach I add to their shakes.

Another wonderful, healthy fruit is the blackberry.  Like blueberries,  blackberries also contain anthocyanins (pigment producing antioxidants).  The blackberry’s claim to fame is its dark, rich color which aids in the prevention of cancer and heart disease.
(Maybe add a little more about blackberries) I alternate between blackberries and blueberries with my morning smoothies and protein shakes.  When freezing blackberries I do the same as I would with blueberries and strawberries. I do not wash prior to freezing as to maintain their freshness and preserve their nutritional value.

The last fruit I would like to mention with its powerful antioxidant properties is the raspberry. This tiny fruit is a member of the rose family and in just one cup it delivers over 50% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C. When in season, I stock up and freeze in Ziploc bags. Studies show that frozen raspberries will maintain their antioxidant benefits just as fresh berries would.
One of my favorite recipes is really simple. Whip frozen bananas in a blender until they become a consistency like ice cream; slightly puree fresh berries and pour over the frozen blended bananas. It is a perfect delicious, healthy whip of wonderful fruits.
The options for local produce are plentiful. Local and organic is best, but even local non organic is going to have a higher nutritional value than organic from across the country. Once its picked it starts to lose its nutritional value.

Fresh Vegetables are also plentiful this time of year.
My favorites with proven health benefits:
Green vegetables such as spinach and Broccoli. Spinach has an extremely high nutritional value and is rich in antioxidants. It is a good source of vitamins A, B2, C and K, and also contains magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, calcium and potassium all of which provide anti-inflammatory benefits, strong bones, and healthy eyes.
Broccoli is full of fiber and vitamin C, it is also rich in vitamin A, iron, vitamin K, B-complex vitamins, zinc, phosphorus and phyto-nutrients. Broccoli has anti-inflammatory benefits, helps keep bones strong, and supports a healthy immune system.
Chopped raw spinach and broccoli can easily be frozen for future use in airtight containers. During the year I use the frozen pieces of spinach and broccoli in protein smoothies, sauces, soups, omelettes, casseroles, or meatballs.
Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, and phytonutrients that support heart, bone, and joint health. Using tomatoes in your favorite sauce recipe is the perfect way to freeze for future use.

At AAIR, we have taken incorporating fresh and local fruits and vegetable another step. We have embraced an anti-inflammatory wellness program. We are ditching processed foods, wheat, Gluten and foods with high fructose corn syrup. Incorporating fresh, wholesome, unprocessed foods to our daily diets. We also believe it is very important to decrease as much as possible caffeine, dairy, and alcoholic beverages. Thus, Increasing our energy level, improving our immune system, preparing us for the upcoming cold and flu season that goes hand in hand with the beginning of school.

If you would like to learn more about our anti-inflammatory and wellness programs please visit the tab on our website
There are so many options when buying all of these healthy fruits and vegetables. I have listed a few local markets and their times and locations:

1. Matthews Famers Market: Wed 9a-12p ; Tues evening 6p-8p; Sat 8a-2p
2. Atherton Mill and Market: Tue 3-7 p.m; Wed 11 a.m.-7 p.m; Sat 9 a.m.-2 p.m; 2104 South Blvd. (in the former Charlotte Trolley barn), http://charlottetailgatemarket.com/default.aspx
3. 7th street market: Wed-Fri 7 a.m.-7 p.m; Sat-Sun 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; individual vendor hours may vary, 224 E. 7th St., 7thstreetpublicmarket.com
4. Meeting street market at Elon Park : Tuesdays 4pm-8pm
5. Unity Farms farmers market: Wed and Sat 9-3, in the parking lot of Robertson Farms plaza located in the Blakeney area of South Charlotte.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs offer a weekly selection of seasonal produce from more than two dozen farms within fifty miles of the city, plus add-ons including meats, eggs, and dairy products.
Know Your Farms. www.knowyourfarms.com
Backyard Produce www.backyardproduce.com
Absolute Organics www.absoluteorganics.com

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• Eat a well-balanced diet and avoid eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. Avoid a heavy meal at night especially spicy and fatty meals. Limit alcohol especially close to bedtime. It may help you fall asleep quickly but it reduces your sleep quality and wakes you up later at night. For some people a light snack at night can be helpful such as a banana, granola with yogurt or low-fat milk, small turkey sandwich or whole-rain, low-sugar cereal. For others it can lead to indigestion.
• Non caffeinated herbal tea can be relaxing at night and help you sleep. Be careful not to drink too many fluids at night though, it could wake you up to use the restroom.
• Smoking can disrupt your sleep as nicotine is a stimulant. See your healthcare provider for help and tips to quit smoking.
• Get regular exercise, if you are able it is best to exercise in the morning or early afternoon. Yoga and Tai Chi are great forms of exercise and can be relaxing. Twenty to 30 minutes of activity a day can be beneficial. You can break it up if you need to.
• Get your anxiety and stress under control, it is important in order to get a good night’s sleep. If you are unable to do this on your own you may need help with stress management. See your health care provider. Beneficial relaxation techniques include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and visualizing a peaceful and restful place.
• If you wake up in the middle of the night stay in bed, try relaxation techniques if you cannot fall back asleep, if you wake up anxious about something write down the issue and deal with it the next morning when you are fresh. If you have been awake for over 15 minutes consider reading a book in bed with dim light, avoid a screen of any kind.
• There are different supplements that can help improve your sleep, consult with your health care provider.
• New research is promising for seniors, drinking two eight ounce glasses of Montmorency cherry juice at night has been shown to improve sleep. My neighbor swears by this.

See you healthcare provider if you continue to have difficulty sleeping, falling asleep or staying asleep especially if you have any of the following symptoms: Snoring, pauses in breathing at night, daytime fatigue, frequent morning headaches, acting out dreams while you are sleeping, crawling sensation of arms and legs at night, difficulty moving while falling asleep or waking up and falling asleep during the day.
Here’s to getting a good night’s sleep.

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Websters dictionary adjective- having good health; not sic or injured, showing good health

Wikipedia does not have a definition for healthy.  Only the noun Health- Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living organism.

I define healthy: maintaining a diet of wholesome, non processed foods.  Void of sugars, additives, chemicals, and GMO’s.

September is national childhood obesity awareness month.  To learn more about this …

I recently watched the movie Fed UP It’s time to get real about food. It is a film the food industry would rather Americans don’t see.  It will change the way you eat.

American has an epidemic on its hands.  One in 3 children in the United States is overweight or obese.  Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults…like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.  In 1980, Type 2 diabetes was unheard of in adolescents. By 2010, the number of adolescents diagnosed with type 2 diabetes rocketed to 57,638.

Today, Americans have immediate access to foods from all around the world and with over 600,000 items offered in supermarkets it should be easy to get healthy food; however, 80% of these items have added sugar.  Big food companies use sugar and high fructose corn syrup in their products because they are cheap, increase shelf life, and have addictive properties.  There is significant scientific evidence supporting the addictive qualities of sugar.

Food Addiction: does it really exist?

Sugar: The Bitter Truth (1 hour)

Just a few to check out.

The American Heart Association recommended daily allowance for added sugar is 6-9 teaspoons.  There is almost double that amount in a 20 oz. soda, 14.5 teaspoons.

I admit I have been duped the hypnotic marketing of big food companies.  I fell for the “low fat, better for you” lie.  I was brought up to believe a bowl of cereal w/milk and a glass of OJ was a “healthy” breakfast.  This breakfast of champions contains at least 9.5 teaspoons of added sugar.

The Environmental Working Group, EWG, a non profit consumer research group, recently put out a paper on the amount of sugar in cereal and other breakfast items.  Eye opening!

“Breakfast cereals are the single greatest source of added sugars in the diets of children under the age of eight,” nutritionist and EWG consultant Dawn Undurraga, co-author of the organizations new report, “Children’s cereals,  Sugar by the Pound”, said “Cereals that pack in as much sugar as junk food should not be considered part of a healthy breakfast or diet.  Kids already eat two to three times the amount of sugar experts recommend”

Kids’ Cereals Pack 40 Percent More Sugar

Children’s Cereal

EWG’s analysis of more that 1,500 cereals, including more than 180 children’s cereals, shows that a child who eats a bowl a day for a year ends up consuming 10 lbs of sugar. The healthiest choice is to buy low-sugar cereals.  EWG defines low sugar as containing less that 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of sugar per serving.

Breakfast items are not the only foods with an overabundance of sugar. Snacks foods; chips, pretzels, granola bars, fruit snacks to name a few.  A simple lunch of PB&J on whole wheat, fruit juice, and a bag of chips contains close to 18 teaspoons of added sugar.

A spaghetti and meatball dinner with salad and store bought salad dressing and a beverage will total 14.5 teaspoons of added sugar.

This menu of lunch and dinner added to the above mentioned breakfast totals 41.5 teaspoons of added sugar in just one day. More than 4 times the recommended amount.

“If Americans continue with the current diet and lifestyle, within 2 decades 95% of Americans will be overweight or obese.  In 2050, 1 in 3 Americans will have Diabetes.” -CDC

How can we as parents change our diets and help our children?

What an overwhelming task to consider……working full time, overtime, kids sports, homework, grocery shopping, preparing dinner, cleaning up after dinner, cleaning the house, doing the laundry,……And now I have to worry about what food to feed them???

There are a few simple changes you can make to start to decrease the amount of added sugar you and your family consume on a daily basis.  Swap the sugary cereal with a morning fruit, veggie and protein smoothie….

Peel, wrap in plastic and freeze a few bananas overnight.

In a blender:

1 cup unsweetened Almond milk

1 cup water

1 handful chopped raw spinach( organic if possible, in beginning start with just a few leaves chopped )

2 scoops protein powder( Vegan protein powders usually are free of    additives, preservatives, and GMO sourced ingredients)

2 frozen bananas

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

*Blend to desired consistency.

2 Servings.  Each serving containing less than 1 teaspoon added sugar.

Lunch:

Consider making a large batch of soup using gluten free pasta or brown rice, fresh vegetables, and chicken ( organic if possible), seasonings.

Hummus and vegetables to dip; usually orange and yellow peppers are favorites among adolescents because they are a little sweet.

Rice based crackers are a better choice than flour based crackers

Snacks:  Deviled eggs made with EVOO instead of mayonnaise, celery, paprika, salt and pepper.

Fresh fruit of the season

Plain unbuttered air popped popcorn

Sunflower seeds or Pumpkins seeds

Dinner:

Spaghetti and meatballs – A healthier way.  Use chia seeds or flax seeds to hold the meat together instead of processed bread crumbs.  Opt for Gluten free pasta, sauce can be prepared by putting fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh oregano, and fresh cloves of garlic into a food processor then simmer to allow flavors to blend.  Add additional seasonings as needed.

Instead of commercial salad dressing try a flavored balsamic vinegar (Olive This! On Rea Rd has amazing flavored balsamic vinegars and infused Olive oils) mixed with EVOO.

These are just a few simple options to consider.  AAIR of Charlotte has continued to embrace a focus on cutting sugar, gluten and processed foods out of our daily diets.  If you are interested in cutting out sugar, gluten, or other inflammatory foods, consider one of our individualized programs. We are committed to caring for our patients in a way that is tailored specific to their individual needs and goals.

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