Yes, you read that right.

It seems that all almonds shipped and sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico will be pasteurized. This new regulation is set to take effect September 1, 2007.

Why is this happening?
After salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 that were traced to raw almonds, the Almond Board of California rallied for a federal rule requiring all almonds in the state to be pasteurized.

But really… It’s all about money!
California almond growers, who grow about 80% of the world’s almonds, feel that pasteurization will expand their market.

Here is a quote from Richard Waycott,the president and c.e.o. of the almond board, which is nothing more than a marketing arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“We consider it unacceptable to continue shipping a product that could contain a microorganism that could make somebody sick.”
Remember this quote while reading the remainder of this post.

Note: Some of the above excerpts were taken from a july 2, 2007 article in the Associated Press

This ruling has major underlying implications.
Let’s first take a look at what happened:
In 2001 and 2004 some people got sick from salmonella, which was traced to raw almonds.
Notice that some people got sick, but no one died.
Also, notice that the outbreaks were isolated to two non-concurrent years. Two separate years; that’s it!

Now, let’s take a look at food borne illness on a yearly basis:
There are between 6.5 million and 81 million cases of foodborne illness every year in the United States alone.
The major sources are Salmonella, E coli 0157:H7, Campylobacter, and Listeria the majority of which are traced to beef, chicken, and fish.

Here is the shocker: More than 9,000 deaths are reported annually, most of which are attributable to meat.

In June of this year, more than 75 million pounds of beef were recalled due to bacterial contamination.

Here is the point of the whole story:
I don’t think that the government is pasteurizing the almonds for our benefit. I think that the government is merely taking its first step towards hardcore regulation of our raw produce. They have already scared most of America into thinking that raw spinach is too dangerous to  eat. What’s next?

What can you do?
I like raw almonds, as do millions of other people both in the U.S. and around the world.
After September 1st, the only way to get raw almonds will be to go directly to farmers on their farms, at farm stands, or farmer’s markets.

I hope you found this of interest to you.

Yours in health,

Alexander Morentin, C.E.S.
Holistic Fitness Coach
My Fit Life

I hope you had a fantastic 4th of July Celebration.

My day was action packed:

Surf City Run (Huntington Beach)
We arrived in Huntington Beach at approximately 7AM for the Surf City 5k Run. What a wonderful way to start out the 4th of July.

I was in attendance with 5 other people. It’s a lot of fun to run a race with friends. The comaraderie is excellent.

This year was the biggest I have ever seen it. There were thousands of people in attendance.

It was such a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by so many like minded people. The energy was amazing. Everybody was so very happy.

Transformers (Newport Beach)
After a quick shower and a bite to eat we headed over to the Newport Big 6 Theaters to watch the matinee showing of Transformers.

It was my first time at the Newport Big 6. They claim that they are the biggest theater west of the Mississippi. It definitely is huge and the sound system is out of this world. Worth the price of admission.

How was the movie? Well, it was fantastic. I really liked it. There is so much action in this movie and the effects were perfect. And I am not a movie guy.

Transformers is definitely a big screen movie. Don’t wait for the dvd.

Fireworks (Long Beach)
To finish the day off I went to Long Beach to watch their fireworks show. My friend has one of the best seats in the house right on his balcony. The city of Long Beach did a great job. It was a perfect way to close out Independence Day.

Needless to say, I slept like a baby when I got home.

This year’s 4th of July was the best I’ve had in a long while. I feel extremely blessed and privileged.

Well, bye for now.

Alexander Morentin, C.E.S.
Holistic Fitness Coach
My Fit Life

Soy and corn are the most genetically modified substances on the planet. In fact, pharmaceutical drugs are grown from corn and soy. Yes, you heard that right, pharmaceutical grade prescription drugs are grown from corn and soy. They are called Pharma Crops and the method used for growing these harmful crops has been called pharming. This is a real concern that you need to be aware of.

“A Growing Concern addresses the challenge of protecting the U.S. food supply from contamination by crops genetically engineered to produce drugs and industrial substances (”pharma” crops). Six experts commissioned by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to analyze this problem concluded that corn and soybean cannot be used as pharma crops while preventing contamination of the food supply–unless substantial changes are made to the commodity production and management practices applied to pharma crops.
Because changes on this scale have yet to be implemented, UCS has concluded that contamination of the food system by pharma crops may have already occurred and may become more likely in the future. We therefore recommend that the U.S. Department of Agriculture halt the outdoor production of genetically engineered pharmaceutical and industrial crops immediately, until a new system for producing drugs and industrial substances without endangering the food system can be put in place.”
– Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org)

Pharming is a growing problem for us as a nation. I hope you are beginning to understand why I encourage you to choose ethically grown organic foods.

Look, I am not trying to scare you. All I am doing is giving you the ammunition to make the most informed decisions for yourself and your loved ones.

The main point that you need to take from this: If you are going to buy corn, soy, or products which contain these ingredients, buy organic. It really does make a difference.

Feel free to leave me any questions or comments that you may have regarding this or any other post.

Yours in health,

Aleander Morentin, C.E.S.
Holistic Fitness Coach
My Fit Life

Yesterday, I attended a raw food festival at the Living Temple in Huntington Beach, California.

Robin Jones, owner/proprietor of the Living Temple, hosts a raw food festival once a month.

It’s amazing to see how this event has grown over the years.

In attendance were:

• Raw food chefs
• Farmers
• Community Supported Agriculture
• Energy Healers
• Massage Therapists
• Flower essence and essential oil practitioners

I love the fact that events like this exist.

If you are an art lover, an event like this could be equated to a gallery opening for an artist whose work you enjoy.

Nevertheless, I had a great time. The energy was fantastic and I was able to connect with many like minded individuals.

Well, I hope you had a fantastic weekend.

Talk to you soon.

Alexander Morentin
Holistic Fitness Coach
www.myfitlife.net

P.S. On the 4th of July, I am running with a small group of people in the Surf City Run in Huntington Beach. You are more than welcome to join us. It is a 5k run starting at 8AM. For more info go to www.surfcityrun.com

In an earlier post I mentioned that the French eat sustainable whole foods in order to maintain a desirable weight.

Many people are under the impression that the French eat whatever they want, but they don’t. The French simply eat what is available. What is available is sustainable whole foods; not the highly processed convenience foods that are so prevalent here in America.

So, what is sustainable living for a sustainable future?

Sustainable living isn’t just about eating healthy whole foods. It goes way beyond that.

Sustainable living refers to a practice that will sustain our health, our land, our local economy, and our future.

We need to buy locally grown and raised food that is free of pesticides, herbicides, and hormones for these reasons:

• Organically grown foods are more nutritious.
 
• Organically grown and raised foods are biodiverse. In other words, they   nourish the soil instead of depleting it.

• Organically grown foods do not pollute the local waterways.

• Buying local does not deplete fossil fuels. Shipping a piece of fruit across the country or half way around the world depletes our natural resources.

• Buying local, especially at Farmer’s Markets, supports our local farmers and our local economy.

• Buying local gives our farmers the incentive to keep on doing what they are doing. The more you buy, the more they will plant.

These practices help to insure that healthy whole foods will be available for ourselves, as well as future generations.

I hope that you found this of interest to you.
Remember, if you like the information provided in this blog… tell a friend. Spread the love.

Have a fantastic weekend.

Alexander Morentin, C.E.S.
Holistic Fitness Coach
My Fit Life
www.AlexanderMorentin.com

I am proud to announce that My Fit Life has partnered with the YWCA of North Orange County.

The YWCA is pleased with the educational classes and fund raising efforts that I have provided throughout 2007, so they have appointed me as their official health and fitness advisor.

We will be providing a variety of seminars, classes, and product launches both in person and on the web.

Our first project is a series of classes which will be held from September 2007 thru June 2008.

Dates and Topics Include:

• September 11: Stop the Confusion

• October 9: How to Read Food Labels

• November 13: How to Eat Well During the Holidays

• December 11: How to Make Healthy Holiday Goodies

• January 8: Get in Shape for the New Year

• February 12: Supermarket Tour

• March 11: Supplements

• April 8: Healthy Eating On the Go

• May 13: Women’s Fitness

• June 10: Working Out On Vacation

I will keep you updated with specifics as the events get closer.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend.

Alexander Morentin, C.E.S.
Holistic Fitness Specialist
www.myfitlife.net

Earlier today I was asked how to make a healthy chicken broth.

To tell you the truth, I really didn’t know the answer to this question.

As luck would have it, I received this recipe in an email that I received later in the day.

The author of this recipe is Luci Lock:

Many of you have asked how to make your own chicken stock at home, and it really is an excellent thing to do. It’s so much better for you than the boxed stuff from the grocery store.

It’s very, very simple. You can use any kind of chicken bones. Normally, I make stock after I’ve cooked a whole, roasted chicken and picked all the meat off the bones.

Rich, Homemade Chicken Stock

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Take your “picked over bird”, skin, bones and all, and place into stock pot.
2. Cover bones with water, at least to cover, or more if larger quantity is desired.
3. Cover, bring to boil over high heat, and then reduce to simmer for at least one hour.
4. Some prefer to add herbs and chopped veggies to stock. I prefer to keep it plain, as it can always be seasoned later on when used in recipes
5. After 1 to 1½ hours, remove from heat.
6. Ladle into glass jugs and refrigerate.Use for homemade soup or freeze in smaller containers. Keeps frozen for a long time.

That’s it! You’ve got some very healthy, nutritious, rich chicken stock. It’s great to make it yourself and know it’s actually good for you, very wholesome!

Enjoy!

Bye for now,

Alexnader Morentin, C.E.S.
Holistic Fitness Coach
www.myfitlife.net

Here in America we hear a lot of stories about the French being able to eat whatever they want yet they don’t get fat.

This morning NPR (National Public Radio) aired a story on how the French eat in Paris. The reporter visited the produce stands, delis, butchers, and bakeries. She noticed that there were many mom and pop type of stores that were doing a bustling business. There were no franchises or large corporate stores anywhere in sight.

This piqued the reporter’s interest, so she spoke with a Paris city official in the planning commission regarding their business practices.

This is what the reporter learned:
City officials in Paris do not allow large supermarkets or corporate franchises to come into Paris. City officials do not want Paris to lose its feel and they want to maintain their availability of quality foods.

Parisians are willing to pay a little more for their food as long as it is fresh and grown or raised locally. Parisians enjoy fresh local produce, fresh local meats, and freshly baked and cultured breads, all of which are free of preservatives and genetic modifications.

The practice described above is known as sustainable living. I call it sustainable living for a sustainable future.

We have gotten away from this style of living in America and are now living a lifestyle of convenience… and it shows!

Vibrant health, along with a desirable look and feel, is not hard to achieve, but it does take a little effort.

In America we have more choices than any other country in the world. This is not a bad thing. We just have to get informed and make responsible choices for a healthy and sustainable future.

I will keep with this theme of sustainable living for the next several days. Sustainable living, also known as green living, is something that is dear to me.

I hope that you found this post of interest to you.
If you know anybody that may be interested in this blog, send them a link.

Have a wonderful day!

Alexander Morentin C.E.S.
Holistic Fitness Coach
www.AlexanderMorentin.com

In a recent post I discussed the importance of eating raw sprouted nuts and seeds. However, I didn’t explain how to sprout them.

Almonds are the easiest of all of the seeds and nuts to sprout. Simply soak them in water for 8 to 12 hours. This will sprout them.  Make sure to rinse them off thoroughly afterwards in a colander. You will see a brown film come off of them. You will say to yourself, “Man, I was eating that?” Sprouted almonds taste much different than regular raw almonds.  They have to be refrigerated and they only stay good for about a week. Only sprout as many as you think you will eat in about three to five days. 
Note: I am often asked if it is necessary to peel the almonds after they are sprouted.  The answer is no.

Isn’t that easy?

Here’s what I do: A couple of hours before I go to bed, I pour some raw almonds into a bowl and add some good clean water. When I wake up in the morning I rinse the almonds in the manner suggested above.

I sprouted some almonds last night and was able to add them to my smoothie in the morning. They taste delicious and they are easy to make.

Remember, sprouted almonds are nutritious living foods. There is no comparison between sprouted almonds and unsprouted almonds.

Try this out for yourself, you’ll be glad that you did.

Tenga un buen dia (Have a great day)!

Alexander Morentin
Holistic Fitness Coach
www.myfitlife.net

Salt is another area where there is a great deal of confusion. The kind of salt that we are accustomed to is processed and refined table salt.

Regular table salt is very bad for you. It is one of the white devils. Stay away from it. Table salt has been stripped of all of its beneficial properties until only the sodium chloride (NaCl) remains. Often times, a small percentage of harmful and other chemicals will be added to the salt. Table salt robs your body of its vital nutrient stores in order to process through it. Basically, refined table salt is like a poison to your body.

What Kind Of Salt Can I Use?
Salt in its natural form contains a variety of minerals which are beneficial to your body. There are two varieties of salts that can be beneficial for you:
1. Sea Salt
2. Himalayan Salt

Sea Salt contains a variety of beneficial nutrients. The amount and type of the nutrients contained in sea salt is dependent on it s source of origin. As with all other foods, the process through which sea salt is harvested will determine its nutritional benefit. The salt must be solar dried in order to keep its nutrient value intact. If it is subjected to high heats, such as in an oven, the delicate nutrients will be destroyed.

My Favorite Type of Salt
Himalayan Salt is my favorite type of salt. It has many benefits which are extremely beneficial for you:

• Himalayan Salt contains 84 of the nutritional elements we need. The highest elemental content of any salt.
• Himalayan Salt balances the pH in your body.
• Himalayan Salt contains no environmental pollutants.
• Himalayan Salt helps to regulate blood pressure.

I have listed just a few of the many benefits of Himalayan Salt. It is a bit more expensive than other salts, but it is well worth it. Basically, Himalayan Salt has beneficial nutrients that will be added to your body with nothing taken away.

Remember:
1. Stay away from table salt, it is like a poison to your body
2. Himalayan Salt and solar dried sea salt are good for you

Bye for now,

Alexander Morentin
Holistic Fitness Coach
My Fit Life