"Heartburn is an increasingly common problem in our culture facing probably 50 percent of the population.

"The three E’s of sustainability: ecology, economy and equity… and I actually added a fourth E which is education because I believe education is the context and the catalyst for us to get involved and take action.

Overview

Heather has owned and operated Strong Heart Strong Body, Inc. for the past 7 years. Together, she and her husband have grown this facility from a small training studio, to a center for developing personalized wellness programs that build a strong foundation of health for each of it's clients, addressing their needs from the inside out.

Heather brings both professional training and personal experience to her work as she spent two years battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as the result of Viral Meningitis. She enrolled in the CHEK Institute's Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching program in order to learn more about how to heal through nutrition and within a couple of months of eating foods rich in necessary nutrients and taking essential supplements, she experienced great improvement in her health and had a new lease on life.

Education

After graduating from UCLA in 1986, JJ went to graduate school in Biomechanics at California State University Northridge, taking one year off to do graduate work in Sports Medicine at University of Miami. She went on to pursue a PhD in exercise physiology, nutrition and aging at USC.

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1. What is the truth about carbs?

We love carbs, and we’re so sad they’ve gotten such a bad rap! Here’s the deal: There are good carbs and bad carbs. Good carbs are fruits, whole grains, brown rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams. They are gifts from the heavens and should be eaten daily. They give us energy and help us feel full and satisfied. Bad carbs are refined sugar, white flour, white rice, and other stripped grains (like white pasta) and should be avoided. They release quickly into our bodies making us feel tired, cranky, low-energy, and hungry.

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1. What do you recommend to people who may not be able to fully commit to veganism, but want to get started?

Some people are totally gung-ho after reading Skinny Bitch and go vegan in one fell swoop. But taking baby steps is totally fine, too. Making gradual changes works well for a lot of people. For example, you can stop eating cows and pigs and start experimenting with soy substitutes. Then after a month, you’ll know you’ve got that change under your belt and you’ll feel ready to stop eating chicken and fish. When you do things gradually, you give your brain and body time to adjust to the changes. It’s amazing how after a few weeks, you don’t even want to eat the same foods you were previously obsessed with.

2. Do you need to be vegetarian first before going vegan?

You can go vegan overnight if you want. Lots of people do. They read about factory farming, see pictures of animals being mistreated and exploited, and learn how bad animal products are for their bodies. They’re totally grossed out and want nothing to do with meat or dairy ever again.

But for some people, it helps to get used to vegetarianism first. Giving up dairy can be really challenging for some people. Especially cheese! Cheese is loaded with casein, a milk protein, which breaks down into opiates in the body. (All mammals’ milk has casein. It’s Mother Nature’s way of ensuring that babies nurse.) So when you say, “I’m so addicted to cheese,” you’re not kidding!

3. What can people expect when adopting a vegan lifestyle?

At the beginning, it can be tough. There’s sort of a learning curve where your taste buds get re-trained and you figure out which new foods you like or dislike. And some people may even experience detox-like symptoms while their bodies clean out all the old, stored junk. But after the transition period, you can expect to feel healthier, happier, lighter, and more energized than you’ve ever felt in your entire life. All the aches, pains, misery, and lethargy will be gone. Really! And you’ll actually crave healthier foods and exercise!
When you eat the same junk day in and day out, it’s hard to see how it makes you feel. But when you give up something for two weeks or so, and then reintroduce it into your diet, it’s alarming how bad it makes you feel. This is especially the case with dairy. See for yourself. Don’t eat any dairy for two weeks and then have some. You’ll be blown away by how lousy you feel.

4. How do vegans get protein?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that vegetarians and vegans have trouble getting adequate protein. And nothing could be further from the truth. If you eat a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, you’ll get more than enough protein. You don’t need to be neurotic about it all.

5. So many vegans seem to be animal rights activists, is it a moral issue?

There are so many reasons to go vegan. Some people simply don’t have the palette for the flesh of dead animals.

Other people go vegan because of the health benefits: Vegans have reduced risk of high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, allergies, asthma, obesity, and multiple cancers.

Still, others choose veganism because they’re true environmentalists: The 400-page report recently published by the United Nations states that animal agriculture is the primary cause of global warming. (Factory farming emissions beat out transportation and industry emissions!) Every year in the United States alone, we raise and kill ten billion animals for food. As strange as it may sound, the pee, poop, burps, and farts of these animals are contributing to global warming. In addition, the amount of land, water, energy, and fossil fuels required to raise “meat” is exponentially higher than what’s needed to raise crops. It’s been said that if we all went vegan, we could use all our resources to end world hunger.

And finally, many people do choose veganism to spare the lives of animals. My whole life, I called myself an animal lover. But I never thought about farm animals, and how they went from living, feeling beings to “meat.” One day, I got a magazine in the mail that showed pictures of the “how” and described it in detail:

Cows and pigs are kept in pens so small they can’t even turn around. Chickens have their beaks seared off their faces with a hot blade (so they won’t peck each other or workers). Egg-laying hens are packed into cages so tightly they can’t open their wings. Male baby chicks—useless to the egg industry—are thrown (alive) into garbage bags and piled into dumpsters. That, or they’re fed through a grinding machine (alive) and used for feed, fertilizer, or rendering.

Even free-range animals are subject to the most alarming and barbaric acts of cruelty. There are very few laws governing the transport of farm animals, and of the few in existence, almost none are enforced. Animals spend hours overcrowded into trucks without food, water, temperature regulation, or protection from the elements. It’s common for many animals to die before they even reach the slaughterhouse. And if the weather is extreme, it’s even more common. In the cold months, animals will literally freeze to the floor or sides of the truck (alive). Workers will simply rip the animals (alive) off the truck, often leaving behind a limb.

From a health standpoint, there is no reason we need to eat animal products. There are countless atrocities in farming practices. To turn a blind eye to them simply because we like the taste of meat or dairy... Yes, the decision to be a vegan or an omnivore is definitely a moral issue.

When warm summer days get too hot for comfort, try Nature's ways to cool down instead of reaching for the air conditioner.

How Hot Are You?

The first step is to simply assess how hot you are. If you're only a little warm, you might be able to cool down by drinking a glass of naturally-sweetened lemonade. I like to squeeze a quarter of a lemon and a quarter of a lime in a tall glass of ice water and add a little stevia powder. (For more cool drinks made with natural sweeteners see the Beverages page of sweetsavvy.com

Microwave ovens do have benefits. They are certainly convenient. They are more energy-efficient than other cooking methods. But are they safe? And do they produce food that contributes to the health of our bodies?

While there is not enough evidence to require warning labels on microwave ovens, or to remove them from the market, there is concern both about the safety of our exposure to microwaves and the healthfulness of microwaved food.

Overview

Andrés Edwards is a sustainability consultant, educator, entrepreneur, and author. He creates innovative ways to illustrate the relationship between individuals, the built environment and living systems. His work includes writing, teaching and consulting with businesses, municipalities, educational institutions and non-profit organizations. His areas of expertise include developing environmental assessments and resource efficiency strategic plans and training and communication programs that promote an organization’s sustainability mission and goals.

Expertise

Andrés holds a BA degree in Geography from the University of Colorado; an MPS in Media Studies from NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program and an MA in Humanities and Leadership/Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community from New College of California, Santa Rosa. He is a LEED® Accredited Professional, Permaculture certified, graduate of Angeles Arrien’s Four Fold Way leadership program, and a member of the US Partnership, United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development program. Affiliations include: Founding board member, Redwood Empire Chapter of US Green Building Council; Advisory Board, New College of California, San Francisco, CA.; member of Environmental Education Council of Marin (EECOM).

Philosophy/Passion

The increasing global environmental, social and economic challenges we face demand a new worldview that goes from “sustaining” to “thriving.” The root word of “thriving” comes from “grasp to oneself.” As we ‘grasp’ that we are an integral part of nature and not separate from it, and that we can each make a difference (power of one), we move closer to devising and implementing innovative solutions for thriving communities. One of our greatest assets is our unlimited imagination, capable of fostering the well-being of all species and the earth's life-support systems.

Credentials/Publications

Andrés is the co-director of the Center for Regenerative Design which promotes sustainability education programs by working with colleges and universities, municipalities and green businesses.

He has served as producer, exhibit developer, and consultant for projects in natural history, biodiversity and sustainable community in Northern California, Florida, Missouri, Alaska, Illinois, Washington D.C., Taejon, South Korea and Kerala, India.

Andrés is author of The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait Of A Paradigm Shift (New Society Publishers, second printing, 2006), which analyzes sustainability as defined by five key sectors of society: Community (government and international institutions); Commerce (business); Natural Resources (forestry, farming, fisheries, etc.) Ecological Design (architecture, technology) and the Biosphere (conservation, biodiversity, etc.) in terms of the principles, declarations and intentions that have emerged from conferences and publications, and which serve as guidelines for policy decisions and future activities.

Andrés is co-author with Robert Apte of TIBET: ENDURING SPIRIT, EXPLOITED LAND, about the traditional livelihood of nomads and farmers on the Tibetan Plateau. Andrés has specialized in sustainability topics for the last 15 years. He has given radio and television interviews and lectured and presented seminars about his work at conferences, colleges and universities, and for businesses and community organizations.

Overview

Sherry Boschert is a reporter, writer, and organizer, and currently is the San Francisco Bureau Chief for International Medical News Group. She has published more than 2,000 articles in her 27-year career as a journalist, and in 2006 completed her first non-fiction book: Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that Will Recharge America (New Society Publishers, Fall, 2006).