Bradley Wellness News
 

Natural Products Expo East

Bradley Wellness attended the Natural Products Expo East held between October 4th and October 8th at the Baltimore Convention Center. It is a five day event of seminars, talks, networking and exhibits of new natural products and foods. Hundreds of new organic and natural products are available to consumers interested in living well. These products and foods provide us with healthy alternatives to the conventional unhealthy toxic brands. But don¡¯t be fooled that just because a product or food is ¡°organic¡± or ¡°natural¡± that it is the best product or food for you or that it will improve your health. Be a smart consumer and read labels. Also, be aware that many products labeled ¡°organic¡± or ¡°natural¡± are still ¡°processed¡±. The more processed a food is the more the body has to work to digest it properly.

The healthiest foods for you are the organic, local, seasonal real foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, organic proteins, nuts and seeds. The less processed your food, the healthier it is for you.

Contact Bradley Wellness to teach you what to look for when reading labels and how to shop for and prepare delicious organic local healthy foods that will improve your health.

Learn more about our Nutrition and Lifestyle programs for individuals and groups.

Natural Living Expo

On October 8th Bradley Wellness attended the Natural Living Expo at the University of Maryland which included exhibits and lectures on numerous holistic and wellness topics. Peter Greenlaw spoke on the topic of Toxicity in America and its relationship to Disease and Weight Loss. We are living in a toxic world that exposes us to a multitude of toxins on a daily basis and it is affecting our health. These toxins come in the form of pesticides and hormones in our food, chemicals in our water, air pollution that causes decreased oxygen levels, prescription drugs, mercury in our fish and fillings and so much more. The accumulation of these toxins is making us sick and even killing us. Our daily exposure to toxins cause everything from headaches to cancer. Doing nothing is not an option.

Contact Bradley Wellness to learn how to decrease your exposure to daily toxins. Bradley Wellness will teach you how to have a natural home, use natural cleaning products, shop for real foods, eat whole organic local foods, cook using healthy techniques, use natural and organic body care products and more.

Learn more about Bradley Wellness' Detoxification and Cleansing programs.

Greenfest 2006: Sustainable Economy, Ecological Balance, Social Justice

On October 14th and 15th Bradley Wellness attended Greenfest at the Washington DC Convention Center. Greenfest is a two day festival celebrating everything Green Living including green businesses, workshops, green films, fair trade, sustainable living, yoga and movement classes, organic cuisine, holistic and natural living and more. We attended many of the lectures including Growing a Greener Family sponsored by Mothering Magazine, The Lazy Environmentalist by Josh Dorfman founder of Vivavi, Live Slow: On the Path to a Delicious Future by Erika Lesser the executive director of Slow Food USA, Green Schools by Anja Caldwell an architect focused on sustainable design and A Home in Harmony with the Earth by Annie Bond and more. We spoke with hundreds of people on the topic of Green Living in the Modern World.

Bradley Wellness provides consumers with solutions that make eco-conscious living not only easy but also practical and realistic. Contact Bradley Wellness if you are interested in learning how to Live Green in the Modern World.

Mark your calendars now to attend Greenfest 2007 on Oct 6th and 7th.

Partnership with Healthy Living, Inc.

Bradley Wellness is working with Juliette Tahar of Healthy Living Inc. Juliette Tahar, Whole Foods Chef of Healthy Living Inc, with 20 years experience in healthy cooking and Kelly Bradley, Nutritional Health Coach, Wellness Educator and Founder and Executive Director of Bradley Wellness LLC have teamed up to provide stylish, innovative and market-oriented corporate wellness programs.

This unique partnership offers corporate clients a chance to benefit from a professional team with expertise in whole foods cooking, nutrition, fitness, healthy lifestyle, injury prevention, and more. In the first part of this program, Kelly Bradley lectures clients on various health and wellness topics. In the second part of the program, Chef Juliette Tahar demonstrates and discusses practical ways to prepare the healthy foods that have been highlighted during the lecture.

Contact Bradley Wellness to schedule Corporate Wellness Programs in your office.

Articles written by Kelly Bradley at www.veggilicious.com

Kelly Bradley, founder and executive director of Bradley Wellness, is featured in the article, ¡°Pursuing Wellness: a Conversation with Kelly Bradley.¡± Check out Veggilicious.com each month for articles by Kelly Bradley on the topics of Wellness, Nutrition, Exercise and Healthy Lifestyle. Veggilicious.com is not just for vegetarians but for anyone interested in good, healthy eating. It is a great local wellness resource. You will find restaurants and markets that will nourish your body and mind.

Bradley Wellness 

 Natural Energy
 

Increase your Natural Energy by Deep Breathing

One of the most powerful ways to increase your natural energy is to breathe. We all breathe however, the majority of the time we take short, shallow breaths. When we are stressed, research shows that we take shorter breaths getting less oxygen into our lungs resulting in less oxygen to the brain and body and decreased energy. When we take deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling through the nose, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system allowing us to relax, increasing our natural energy.

The following are a few solutions to increase your focus on deep breathing:

• Set aside time each day to focus on deep conscious breathing.
• When you feel stressed, stop what you are doing and breathe.
• Practice deep breathing while driving in the car and at red lights.
• Practice deep breathing through the nose while performing cardiovascular exercise.
• When laying in bed preparing for sleep take deep inhales and exhales through the nose.

Daily Deep Breathing Exercise:

Get comfortable and allow your body and mind to relax. Inhale through your nose as deep and as long as you can. Notice the expansion of your rib cage. The expansion of the ribcage on the inhale increases the mobility of the thoracic spine improving your spine health. Allow your belly to relax and allow for the descending of the diaphragm on the inhale. Hold your breath for a few seconds. Exhale through your nose as long as you can allowing all the air to flow out. Notice your ribs float down and in. Notice your belly pull towards your spine. Repeat 5-10 times

Bradley Wellness 

 Green Living
 

Healthy Home Cleaning Products

Could the products you use to clean your house be exposing you and your family to health risks?

Many conventional cleaning products leave the indoor air polluted with toxic petrochemical VOCs. On top of this manufacturers attempt to mask the smell with toxic synthetic fragrances. When these cleaning products are used on a regular basis in an enclosed space such as the home, the VOCs build up. When the chemicals evaporate they are transported to the brain. Cleaning product VOCs have been implicated in headaches, dizziness, skin rashes, watery eyes, and respiratory problems. Asthma can even be caused or worsened by domestic cleaning products.

Repeated exposure with certain chemicals can cause harm to a fetus including developmental defects such as autism, brain and nervous system damage and cancer. The chemicals cross the plancenta, travel through the umbilical cord and affect the developing fetus.

The following are easy and safe solutions that will protect you and your family:

Use household plants as natural filters:
They can eliminate between 40%- 90% of toxins in the air. Photosynthesis is the process through which plants use water and light to produce their own food. They take in carbon dioxide and other substances from the atmosphere and release oxygen. This results in cleaner air. The following plants are most effective:

• Areca Palm
• Lady Palm
• Bamboo Palm
• Rubber Plant
• Dracaena

Use alternative all-purpose, glass and cabinet cleaners:
Ammonia is the main ingredient in these conventional products. This is poisonous if ingested and if combined with chlorine it produces a toxic chlorine gas.

Use chlorine free scouring powders or baking soda.

For windows and mirrors mix white vinegar with water.

Buy products from Seventh Generation or Earth-Friendly Products.

Use alternative drain and oven cleaners:
The ingredients in these conventional products emit dangerous fumes and can be harmful when they enter the body through the skin or via inhalation. To unclog the sink pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, followed by 1 cup of vinegar. Let mixture bubble for 15 minutes, then let hot water run for 1-2 minutes. To clean the oven use Seventh Generation Natural Citrus Cleaner and Degreaser.

Alternative cleaning products for all household cleaning purposes can be purchased at Whole Foods, My Organic Market and at most supermarkets. Look for the following brands:

• Seventh Generation
• Howard Naturals
• Sun and Earth


To learn more about non-toxic cleaning products and green living check out: www.care2.com. Annie Bond is an expert in non-toxic household products.



Detoxification and Cleansing 

 Eating Well
 

Seasonal Eating

In history humans have eaten foods that are grown locally and seasonally. This way of eating provides optimal nutrients, the freshest foods and foods that are appropriate for our bodies during that season.

Today, we have access to all types of foods during all seasons. Modern technology, has changed how we eat and what we eat. No longer do we eat just what is in season but we eat everything, regardless of the weather or location. Just because a certain food is available does not mean that it is the best food choice for us. If we regularly eat foods that are out of season and from various locations this can unbalance our body and mind and negatively affect our health.

An example of non-seasonal eating is eating a raw salad in the middle of winter. This may be an optimal meal to have in the summer but in the winter it can cause internal imbalances. On a cold day an optimal meal would be a thick hot stew of root veggies and beans.

Two things affect what foods are available to us. The first is the climate in which we live. For instance the west coast and southern states have longer growing seasons and therefore, more available fresh foods. The second factor is the daily light and dark cycle (the amount of light and dark during a 24-hour period). Summer has the longest day light and winter has the longest darkness. These cycles affect our activity level and therefore influence our dietary needs.

The solution is to align ourselves with nature and eat with the seasons. We should eat what nature provides during each season. We should live harmoniously with the earth like our ancestors did. A great first step to eating seasonally is to buy locally produced organic foods. Shop at local markets and get to know the people you buy your food from. Take notice of what foods are available during various times of the year. Seasonal eating will increase the variety of foods you eat during each season and throughout the year. Experiment with new foods and create new seasonal recipes that you and your family love.


Benefits from seasonal eating include:

• Optimal health and vitality
• Function at peak performance
• Increased energy and stamina
• Heal illnesses
• Create balance in the body and mind

The following are the foods that should be eaten during each season:

• Spring- greens, citrus, vegetables, herb teas
• Summer- liquids, fruits, salads
• Autumn- proteins, grains, vegetables, squashes, nuts, seeds
• Winter- fish, cooked foods, vegetables, grains, beans

Autumn Eating:

In the autumn, nights become longer than days resulting in cooler weather and decreased activity. Autumn is the harvest season allowing for an abundance of available fresh produce including:

• fruit- apples, pears, persimmons, grapes, melon
• vegetables- corn, carrots, beets, squashes

When the temperature cools you want to add rich concentrated proteins and complex carbohydrates to your diets to increase the warmth in your body. These foods may include:

• cooked grains
• beans and seeds
• squashes
• sweet potatoes

Nutrition and Lifestyle 

 Cooking Well
 

Autumn is the time for soups

Vegetable and bean soups will keep you warm during the cool autumn days. The following are some general ideas to add nutrients to your homemade soups:

• use root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, turnips, onions and garlic
• add greens including celery, comfry, dandelion, kale, watercress and spinach
• include sea vegetables like dulse, kelp, arame and nori
• use miso paste for flavor
• add seasonings such as rosemary, cayenne and ginger

Miso Stew

1/3 cup rinsed and rained quinoa
41/2 cups filtered water
1 piece (1 inch) kombu seaweed
2 tbs arame seaweed
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
¨ö cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¨ö cup chopped firm tofu, rinsed and drained
¨ö cup sliced carrot
3 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1-2 tbs miso paste
1 cup thinly sliced bok choy or napa cabbage
1 tsp naturally brewed soy sauce (shoyu or tamari)
2 tbs sliced scallions
¨ö tsp dulse flakes

Combine the quinoa with 1 cup of the filtered water and the kombu in a small saucepan. Cover, set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked through.

Meanwhile soak the arame in 1 cup of filtered water. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, add the onion, and saut for 5 minutes, until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and continue to saut for 30 seconds, stirring a couple of times.

Add the tofu and the remaining 21/2 cups filtered water, carrot, and mushrooms. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Remove the kombu from the quinoa and discard it. Add the quinoa to the stew. Stir to combine.

Measure the miso into a small bowl and add ¨ö cup of the hot stew liquid from the pot to the bowl. Using a whisk, dissolve the miso into the liquid and return the mixture to the saucepan. Do not boil or simmer the miso, as this destroys the beneficial microorganisms.

Add the bok choy or napa cabbage and the soy sauce to the pot, and stir to combine. This will wilt the greens just a bit.

Rinse and drain the arame and add to the stew.

Measure stew into two bowls and garnish with the scallions and a sprinkle of dulse flakes.

Yield: 4 ¨ö cups

Recipe created by Alex Jamieson

Veggie-Bean Ragout

1 inch piece kombu
1 sweet onion, halved lengthwise, each half cut into 4 wedges
2 cups 1 inch pieces green cabbage
1 parsnip, cut into 1 inch irregular chunks
1 carrot, cut into 1 inch irregular chunks
1 cup cooked beans (any type you like)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
¨ö cup mirin
Braggs amino acids
Small handful fresh parsley, minced

Place kombu on the bottom of a deep pot. Layer the vegetables in the pot in the order listed, ending with the beans on top. Add the lemon zest and mirin and enough spring or filtered water to just cover the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle lightly with soy sauce, cover and bring to a boil over medium heat-low heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are just tender, but not mushy, about 35 minutes.

Season to taste with braggs amino acids and cook, uncovered, until any remaining liquid has been absorbed into the dish.

Gently stir in parsley and serve

Makes 4-6 servings

Recipe created by Christina Pirello

Bradley Wellness Cooking Classes 

 Moving Well
 

¡°If exercise could be packaged into a pill, it would be the single most prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.¡± Robert Butler, M.D., Mount Sinai Medical Center.¡±

The Importance of Exercise and 10 Solutions to Making it Part of Your Daily Life

One reason to participate in regular activity is to avoid degeneration. If you do not exercise your body and mind gradually degenerate. Your cardiovascular capacity, lean body mass, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, respiratory efficiency and self-satisfaction with your own body image all decrease. Your zest for life gradually decreases and you lose the motivation for life. Lack of exercise also causes increased spread of the waist, hips and buttocks, body weight, body fat relative to lean muscle tissue, blood pressure and heart rate.

A second reason to exercise and get fit is to have the energy to live a passionate life. Researchers have found that fitness buffs and active people exhibit the presence of high levels of spontaneity, creativity, playfulness and self-esteem. When you are healthy and fit you have energy left over after you have completed all the things you have to do. The extra energy is what life is all about. That energy can be put into the activities, friends and family that mean the most to you.

The following are 10 solutions to making exercise and getting fit a part of your daily life:

• Do not make excuses. You are the priority. If you do not take care of yourself no one else will.
• Consult an expert to develop a complete exercise program that is best for you and takes into consideration your medical history and goals.
• Consult an expert to show you how to perform each exercise properly and prevent injuries.
• Exercise first thing in the morning to prevent life from getting in the way of you exercising. Or have a set time each day that is dedicated to your exercise program.
• Do some form of cardiovascular exercise every day. Vary your cardio: walking, swimming, elyptical, etc.
• When performing your cardiovascular exercise try interval training.
• Participate in a variety of forms of exercise: yoga, pilates, stretching, endurance, weight training, cardiovascular and more.
• Change your exercise program every 6-8 weeks to prevent the body from accommodating to the exercise.
• Be active all day.
• Be creative and have fun with fitness. Learn to love exercise.

Bradley Wellness Exercise 

 November Action Steps
 

To achieve your goals you must take action steps towards your goals. A few action steps you can take this month include:

• Take daily breaks to breathe deeply.
• Breathe deeply when you feel stressed to decrease the stress response of the body and mind.
• Get rid of all toxic household cleaning products and use natural non-toxic cleaning products.
• Fill your home with green plants that will help detox you and your home.
• Eat according to the season by buying and preparing autumn foods and meals.
• Make exercise and getting fit a daily priority.
• Experiment with a new form of exercise or activity.

Bradley Wellness 

 Wellness Book
 

Grub by Anna Lappe

At this year¡¯s Natural Products Expo East Anna Lappe spoke about her book, Grub, and the revolution in food and farming that is currently happening in this country. Grub provides a wealth of resources in addition to creative user-friendly recipes. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to learn more about organic eating, sustainability, local eating and fair trade.

Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen by Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry

In the past few decades, organic food has moved out of the patchouli-scented aisles of food co-ops and into more than three-quarters of conventional grocery stores. More and more of us are becoming aware of the social, environmental, and health benefits of organic eating, independent farming, and fair food.

Combining a straight-to-the point expose about the fake food filling our supermarkets and the compelling reasons for choosing organic, local, fair food, Grub helps all of us become a part of one of the most hopeful movements of the new century: a revolution in food and farming that is best for our bodies and the earth.

With spirited and practical how-to¡¯s for creating an affordable, easy-to-use organic kitchen and dozens of delectable recipes, Grub also offers the millions of people who buy organics fresh ideas and easy ways to cook with them. From the Valentine¡¯s Day Decadence Dinner to the Straight-Edge Punk Brunch Buffet, Grub includes more than a dozen menus paired with soundtracks to cook by (and party by) as well as artwork and poetry evoking the spirit of Grub.

If organic food has a user¡¯s guide, this is it.


www.eatgrub.org

learn more... 

 Wellness Movie and Book
 

Fast Food Nation: The Truth Is Hard To Swallow
Directed by Richard Linklater, Written by Eric Scholosser and Richard Linklater

Based on the nonfiction book by Eric Scholosser, Fast Food Nation, examines the health risks involved in the fast food industry and its environmental and social consequences as well. It is due to be released October 2006.

www.fastfoodnation-movie.com

Check out the book with the same title, "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (2001)" Written by Eric Schlosser

Schlosser examines how the increasing dominance of fast food and the industry which supports it have led to changes in American Society. He argues that the fast food industry has used political influence to increase profits at the expense of human health and the social conditions of its workers.

An adaptation of Fast Food Nation for younger readers entitled Chew On This was published in May 2006.

Find out more.... 

 Wellness Link of the Month
 

The Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals

The Eat Well Guide is a free, online directory of sustainable raised meat, poultry, dairy and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns and hotels, and online outlets in the US and Canada. Consumers simply enter their zip or postal code to find local products that were raised sustainably, including no antibiotics, no added hormones, pasture-raised, grass-fed and organic.

www.eatwellguide.org.

 

 Just for Fun
 

Check out the critically acclaimed, award-winning on-line animated film that spoof the Matrix movies and educates viewers about the problems with today¡¯s agricultural system.

www.themeatrix.com

 

 Bradley Wellness Newsletter
 

The Bradley Wellness Newsletter is a monthly newsletter that provides practical and up-to-date health, wellness and lifestyle information that you can incorporate into your daily life. Each newsletter provides you with health, wellness and lifestyle events, programs, workshops, retreats, articles, exercises, activities, resources, links, recipes, inspirational quotes, and ideas for fun.

The Bradley Wellness Newsletter is designed to empower you to take action and live the life you love. We are faced with daily choices from what to eat, to exercise or not, to spend time with loved ones, to buy and eat organic local whole foods, to spend our dollars on green, environmentally friendly products and so much more. Each dollar we spend and action we take represents our values and passions in life. We have the freedom, ability and power to be mindful of our actions and choose the life we live. By making mindful daily choices we can help to heal not only ourselves but the environment and the world. Each month the newsletter will provide you with an abundance of information that will help you make better choices and take daily action.

Please forward this newsletter to anyone who can benefit from learning solutions to live well. Thank you for your support.

Find out more.... 

 Kelly Bradley
 

Kelly Bradley is the founder and executive director of Bradley Wellness, LLC based in Washington, DC.

Email her at kelly@bradleywellness.com

Learn more about Kelly Bradley's Speaking Engagements

Find out more....