By Stephen Cox

A while back here in Australia there was a sudden storm of information in the media regarding studies into the differences, if any, between organic food and “regular” commercially farmed food.

At the time I was unaware, but later I was informed by my mother, who is a manager in a major supermarket chain here in Australia, that the release of the research findings and the media interest coincided with the major supermarkets testing consumers response to new organic products in their stores.

The following are all of my favorite websites and people that I have stumbled upon while navigating the “blogosphere”.

I am officially stamping them with the Dr. Nicole “Seal of Approval” for being 100% healthy and health promoting!!!

Kitchen Table Medicine is still under construction while we are working to handle the dramatic increase in traffic we have been experiencing since early summer.

For those of you that still want to be working on your health and wellness and can’t stand waiting for me any longer—I have compiled this list of all my favorite personal development and health bloggers. Please grab a cup of green tea and enjoy perusing these WONDERFUL sites full of fabulous and FREE information!

By Life Coach, Tim Brownson

As a certified hypnotherapist people sometimes call me for help with quitting smoking. The first question I ask them is why they want to stop? That usually generates a look of horror akin to if I’d asked them if they could marry their 13-year-old daughter have a goat as the Maid of Honor and Michael Jackson as my best man.

However, there is a positive intention behind every action you commit even if sometimes it isn’t immediately apparent. That applies to smoking too.

#1 Laugh- When we laugh we release endorphins that make us feel good. These endorphins reduce pain and stress. Stress is a common cause of chronic disease.

Maybe you just lost a ton of money in the stock market and don’t feel like laughing a whole lot about it, but can’t you just muster up a deep dark cynical laugh about it? Good. Now that is a start!

Remember, things can always be worse, and we may not have a whole lot of control over them. But, we can always control our attitudes.

Oprah’s favorite OB/Gyn is at it again! Dr. Christiane Northrup’s latest book on menopause will be available on October 15th. I was excited to receive an early copy of the book, and think that its only flaw really is that it is directed JUST towards menopausal women.

Dr. Northrup’s self help tips are truly beneficial to women of all age groups, so why wait until menopause to find out these secrets?

Honestly, I wish I would have read this book ten years ago. “The Secret Pleasures of Menopause” is rich with advice that helps women embrace their femininity from a mind/body/spirit perspective.

I smelled it in the air the other night.

That first cold crisp taste of autumn after a hot summer day.

That nervous tension quivering around me.

That bustling sensation in the air that can only be caused by millions of children and parents simultaneously scrambling to gather last minute glue sticks, scissors, trapper keepers, and lunch boxes.

What will I wear?
Who will I sit next to on the bus?
What will my schedule be like?
Will I be able to find my classroom?
Will my friends have my same lunch schedule?
Are those big bullies going to be there?
I hope I like my teacher!

I interviewed my friend Heidi, the author of Healthnut Mom Wannabee for some ideas of what vegetarian items she packs in her children’s lunches.

Be sure to try these new lunch ideas at home first before leaving your kids stranded in the cafeteria with some “freaky lunch” that other kids may make fun of as discussed in my article “55 Healthy School Lunch Ideas”.

For the first few weeks of school, be sure to pack all their most familiar and favorite foods before making any major changes.

Heidi, what are your ultimate goals with a vegetarian lunch menu?

Welcome to my new weekly feature, “Kitchen Table Cliffnotes” designed to teach you everything you need to know about various topics in health, nutrition, disease prevention, and personal development in just TWO SENTENCES OR LESS!

This idea was born recently upon the request of my brother-in-law as he is busy working all the time and asked if I could give him the “Cliffnotes version” of what I am talking about.

Since I too am constantly seeking efficiency (er…combatting laziness…I mean taking more time for my “self” now), I have conveniently summarized the “take home message” of each recent conversation we have had here at the kitchen table.

Wow! Olive oil prevents DNA damage, how exciting.

Why should we care about this?

Because DNA damage caused by inflammation is essentially the biochemical mother of all disease.

In an article recently published in the August 2008 “Journal of American Nutrition”, researchers concluded that olive oil likely prevents cancer and aging by protecting DNA from damage.

The “phenolic compounds” in olive oil were studied and determined to inhibit the initial stages of cancer formation caused by “oxidative stress” (unstable molecules in our bodies that destroy healthy tissues resulting in inflammation and disease).

Eating vegetarian sources of protein at each meal is beneficial to both omnivores and vegetarians alike.

Moving towards more of a plant based diet will aid weight loss, benefit both those with diabetes and hypoglycemia by reducing the “total glycemic load” of your meal, reduces pain and inflammation, slows the aging process, reduces the toxic burden placed on your liver by eating high on the food chain, and saves the planet by eating less meat.

So what are the best forms of vegetable proteins?

Hope you all have a great weekend!

The author of ZenPlease has offered some fun ideas for what we can all do with our time off…

1. Head to your local video store and get a movie that fits your genre. Comedy is the remedy; no matter who you are, you’ll enjoy a good laugh!

2. Play some sports! Go swimming or go for a jog. This is the time to work out and sweat it all out.

3. Take a stroll in the park and walk your dog (or your neighbor’s).

Now is a great time to do some pressure washing on the outside of your house, as the spiders are all trying to crawl inside due to the colder weather at night.

The other day I was shocked to see a giant Hobo Spider crawling across my living room floor!

The poor spider was probably more traumatized by all the extreme screaming that occurred right before it met the sole of my hot pink flip flop. (please don’t call PETA)

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune condition that attacks the central nervous system.

The attack of the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers (pictured) results in the sclerotic plaques that cause nervous system dysfunction.

Without this sheath functioning properly the nervous system is not able to quickly send the electrical impulses that control bodily functions.

Resources for MS:

• Multiple Sclerosis defined

• Multiple Sclerosis at WebMD

• National MS Society

• Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre: UK

Self help ideas to discuss with your physician:

Question: I’ve started the “Anti-inflammatory Diet” because I’m in a LOT of pain all the time. It is to be expected because there is a family history of Rheumatoid Arthritis. I’m sure I’ve exacerbated it further with contact sports, and a 13 year career in roofing construction.

That being said, I can’t stop working, obviously. And roofing is what I know. So, a problem that I foresee, is that I NEED a high calorie intake for what I do for work. I’m definitely burning off any calories I take in from my daily activities.

Don’t worry, you can always find me right here at my virtual kitchen table, but if you need some real life assistance you can enter your zip code over at the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians to find some naturopathic doctors in your area. It can be tough because some states have fewer than others.

Trendier states like Washington and California are much more saturated with alternative health care services. The lack of access to licensed naturopathic physicians in part motivated the development of this blog, and I was reminded of the importance of this mission when I received the following question…

If you struggle with making the diet and lifestyle improvements I recommend here at Kitchen Table Medicine, then you may may need some additional coaching.

One way to get the ball rolling is with a life coach. After working in patient care for eight years, I decided that only about 10-15% of us are able to make immediate permanent diet or lifestyle changes (I wish I fell in this group, but I don’t).

The rest of us struggle, fail repeatedly, fall off the wagon, completely give up, look for ways to cheat the system, or never even bother to try at all.

Alas, thanks to modern technology, you thankfully never again must endure the rigors of performing your own positive affirmations!

Even the laziest (er…”most efficient”) of us seeking personal development can now happily kick back with our ipods and be more positive with little to no effort.

You can check out a pre-recorded sample of a positive affirmation at ipopin.com.

With all jokes aside, I do sincerely think positive affirmations are extremely important, and love this new system that psychologist Dr. Kirsten Harrel and her sister Tracy Harrell over at ipopin.com have smartly developed.

By Bonnie Pfiester, fitness trainer, and wife of fitness trainer Steve Pfiester, trainer for the reality tv show “Fat March”.

Obesity is so much more than a physical condition.

There are reasons people are overweight, many of which are purely psychological. This became extremely apparent on “Fat March”.

As Steve spent countless hours with the marchers, they had plenty of time to really search their heart for answers. Loralie’s description of her relationship with food was probably the most profound.

Question: I really appreciated the article on “Foods for Preventing Cancer”, and have been trying to stay out of the sun to prevent skin cancer. The problem is that I am a model, and compete in fitness events that require me to look tan. I switched to spray on tans when my mom was diagnosed with malignant melanoma recently. My question for you is- do you know if the chemicals in spray on tan are safe?

Dairy Free Almond Breeze Latte Recipe

• 2 shots of organic espresso

• 1 cup heated vanilla (or chocolate) Almond Breeze

• Pour in a large mug and enjoy!

Calories: 110

Okay you caught me. I drink coffee. Feel free to report me to the naturopathic police, but I do drink coffee moderately, which means less than every single day, and it is typically organic coffee, as non-organic coffee is likely dirtier than any of the top foods on the notorious “Dirty Dozen”….if I must defend myself. *sigh*