Tips to prevent lower back pain.

We all want to reduce the amount of sugar we eat, and and there are loads of alternative "natural" sugars to pick from.  When I go to the supermarket and read labels I am bombarded with terms like

• fructose
• whole can sugar
• barley malt syrup
• agave

and the list goes on.  So which is the best? First its worth remembering there is no defintion of what is "natural" or regulation around how the term "natural" is used.  So basically anything can be termed "natural".  So how do you decide what is the best alternative to sugar and what are the ones to avoid? Firstly where ever possible rely on the natural sweetness of foods themselves rather than using sugar or artificial sweetners.  When cooking or preparing food consider adding

• carrots
• raisins
• beetroot
• dates
• figs
• roast parsnips
• bananas

as natural sweetners. Over the next two weeks I will give my thumbs up or thumbs down to a variety of "natural" sugars.  

We all know that we aim to have a good nights sleep to wake up full of energy.  But as I have said before, sleep is only one way to boost your energy.   Think of yourself as having an energy account, and energy raising activities e.g. sleep, credit your energy account and energy draining activities e.g. frustration, debit your energy account.  You may find it helpful to work out the balance on your energy account. Use the table below to identify what in your life drains your energy and what raises your energy.

Energy Debits  - Energy Draining Activites	Energy Credits - Energy Raising Activities
Unhealthy eating with heavy, rich, fatty, sugary good	Health diet with give excellent nutrition supported by vitamin and mineral supplements
Alcohol Cigarettes Drug abuse Over-stimulation (including over work)	Natural highs from nature, dance, relaxation, music, physical achievement, humour and creativity.
Sedentary lifestyle	Exercise
Fear Worries Anxiety Stress Frustration Depression Feeling things are out of control	Security Peace of mind Rest Joy Happiness
Isolation and loneliness Lack of love or support Being dominated Being stuck in the past	Close personal relationships Sense of belonging Healthy boundaries Ability to forgive including yourself
No self-expression Boredom Underachievement	Creative self-expression Excitement Achieving
Lack of purpose and meaning	Clarity about your true values, purpose and meaning
Difficult relationships	Good relationships
Lack of spiritual nourishment No sources of uplift	Good sources of spiritual uplift

Now you have worked out what is happening to your energy account.  If you are unhappy with how much energy your have then I recommend you go back through the energy raising activities and consider what you can easily incorporate into your life.  Once you had done this and implemented them, then you can go through your energy draining activities and see what you can give up.  It is important to boost your energy first as it put you in to a positive state of mind before tacking what in your life drains your energy.  

Continue my series (see part 1 and part 2) on swapping exotic superfoods for more readily available and cheaper but just as nutritious alternatives, this week I turn my attention to Wheatgrass.

Chickweed: The New Wheatgrass

As green as any grass you've ever seen, wheatgrass has been a main event in health food circles for decades. People will line up to pay big bucks for a small shot of the stuff, which tastes pretty much like you'd imagine, similar to the aroma of new-mown hay; as one company describes it, "unfamiliar, but not unpleasant." Several of this commodity's features include fighting aging by revitalizing skin cells, cleansing the blood and fighting tumors. Clinical studies show that it contains 90 minerals, 20 essential amino acids, 13 vitamins and 80 enzymes. But it's the 70 percent ratio of chlorophyll, structurally similar to red blood cells (hemoglobin), that makes it a superfood. World Lifestyle notes that once it's absorbed, it converts to hemoglobin, mimicking red blood cells and carrying oxygen to vital areas of your body, and may even kill off cancer cells because "cancer cells can't survive and thrive in oxygen-rich environments." But get this: Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a wild, edible plant growing prolifically in every area of the world other than those that are coldest, like Antarctica. Besides decreasing insect damage to other plants, it's chockfull of many vitamins, minerals and, like wheatgrass, chlorophyll. Chickweed stems and flowers can be used raw in salads and sandwiches, tossed into soups and stews or added to cooked dishes (but at the end as the stems and leaves are delicate). Frontier foragers learned that when they gathered chickweed, almost exclusively in the spring, it was useful as both food and medicine. As a food, Foraged Foodie observes, the raw form is covered with a fine layer of fibers, which are minimized when they're gently chopped and sautéed or wilted. Natural medicine expert Dr. Josh Axe notes:

"Chickweed is taken by mouth to treat stomach problems, intestinal complaints such as constipation, disorders of the blood, arthritis, lung diseases including asthma, kidney disorders, inflammatory conditions of the urinary tract, rabies, and scurvy or vitamin C deficiency. It is also used to relieve extreme exhaustion. Chickweed is applied on the skin relieve various skin conditions such as skin wounds, ulcers, burns, arthritis pain and symptoms of eczema."

References Dynamic Greens 2017 World Lifestyle Foraged Foodie March 3, 2016 Dr. Axe February 10, 2014