Christina's blog

Those of you familiar with me know that I rarely (okay, never) talk about fashion; not trends or styles. Heck, most of my clothes consist of workout gear, kitchen clothes (complete with food stains), aprons and the rare “cool” outfit (that I bought in Italy) for going out to the occasional dinner. But I do watch and read news and what I have seen is alarming when it comes to fashion. It got me to thinking about it at this time of year when we pack away the coats and sweaters and dust off the sandals and sunglasses.

I grew up in a wild, passionate Italian and Irish family. Food was the glue that bonded us and quality of ingredients reigned supreme. My Irish father worked as a butcher (with an artist’s soul) to support the family, juggling positions at three different shops to make ends meet. He worked two jobs during the week and one on weekends. He was rarely home and when he was, he was napping, eating, fixing something around the house, drawing charcoal portraits or enjoying his children.

I have practiced a balanced vegan lifestyle for over 35 years. Lately, several young vegan influencers (whatever that means to you), are bailing on the lifestyle because they lost their vitality and wellness.

Wait…what?

You guys know that I have strong feelings about genetically modified organisms, better known to us as GMO's. But sometimes I wonder if my trepidation is founded in real science.

Yes, really.

According to a study published in BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal), frequent consumption of fried foods can lead to a serious outcome: early death. Yup; you read right…early death.

Researchers looked at data from 100,000 women followed since the mid 1990’s. Now between the ages of 50-79, these women’s data has revealed some not so surprising results.

Those who said they consumed 1 serving of fried food each day had an 8% higher chance of early death compared with women who ate little or no fried food.

My husband, who I adore, loves Time magazine. Yup, good old fashioned Time magazine.

I’m not such a big fan but every now and then, I see an article that piques my interest and inspires me to write. This week I read such an article.

The first line of the article reads, “If you want to eat something for better health, make it fiber.” I turned to the front cover to be sure I wasn’t reading a vintage magazine from the ‘90’s…’80’s or ‘70’s since fiber has been touted as an essential building block of wellness for decades.

I grew up in a wild, passionate Italian and Irish family. Food was the glue that bonded us and quality of ingredients reigned supreme. My Irish father worked as a butcher (with an artist’s soul) to support the family, juggling positions at three different shops to make ends meet. He worked two jobs during the week and one on weekends. He was rarely home and when he was, he was napping, eating, fixing something around the house, drawing charcoal portraits or enjoying his children.

When was the last time you sat down to a meal and really enjoyed it? Without pondering calories, carbs, protein grams. Without second-guessing your choices and their impact on your waistline or wellness.

If you can’t remember, maybe it’s time to eat by intuition and stop eating by the “rules.”

I am continually stunned at how out of touch so many of us are when it comes to our impact on our fragile planet. Even when we think we are living more consciously; often…if we really look, we are consuming at an alarming rate. Each and every one of us takes and takes from the planet that gives us life with barely a passing thought as to our impact on her…me included sometimes.

Backache,headache, sore knees, whatever ails you, pain is a game-changer and we are impatient to be rid of it once it parks itself on our doorstep.

Before reaching for a toxic (and possibly addicting) pain killer, remember that the plant kingdom can have a strong and effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Researchers are looking seriously at natural pain relief and discovering that Mother Nature once again has our backs…and heads…and joints…and tummies…and…

Joint and Muscle Aches