I shared how anyone can take steps toward better physical health in a sustainable way. And why we should be so concerned about doing so.

Additionally, I was asked how we could take simple steps towards better family relationships. That was like throwing steak to a dog—you know I love that subject!

I hope you enjoy this video. At the end, I give a link to some resources that will help you make better choices for better health this year.

Question: What has been a breakthrough choice of yours toward better health? Share your answer at https://kirbyandersen.com/2018/01/better-choices-for-better-health/.

Sign me up!

I’ll tell you how I do just that in this week’s video and blog post, Healthier Eating Made Simple—Really Simply!

You don’t need fancy recipes. And you certainly don’t want to spend any more time planning, shopping, and preparing for great meals than you have to.

If you’ve thought great nutrition and great taste has to be complicated, you’re going to love this video!

Take a few minutes to learn how you can improve your healthy simply—and maybe even love what you’re eating even more.

And that’s just what I’ll give you in this week’s video and blog post: 5 Action Steps To Dramatically Improve Your Health.

Simple, doable steps that you can begin doing TODAY without any major investment—yet when done consistently, will make a HUGE improvement in your overall health.

You’ll learn how to simply increase more of what you need and minimize what you don’t.

And, yes, I’ll identify those 2 silent killers that are on the rise—and how you can head them off easily.

Click here to watch the video for this updated blog post.

When you want to make a change, it’s wise to find an expert to help you shorten the learning curve. And it’s a bonus if the expert motivates while he educates.

You probably are among the millions today who are wanting to take steps toward greater health. You may be living with a chronic medical condition, were just diagnosed with a serious health challenge, or just want to head off any trouble. And you want to find the most reliable information quickly that will help you make the biggest impact overall.

I know I did. When I was diagnosed with early stage, slow-growing prostate cancer six years ago, I got highly motivated. I researched quickly, armed myself with knowledge, and made abrupt changes that have given me dramatic health benefits.

When others ask me now for resources to help them, the #1 resource is always the documentary, Forks Over Knives. Since the first time I watched in 2011, I’ve watched it over 25 times. It’s that good.

FOK is a look at the work of two world-class doctors, T. Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn, of Cornell University and Cleveland Clinic respectively. Their combined research over decades has brought them to believe that most of the heart disease, cancer, stroke, and type-2 diabetes is the result of our animal-based and processed foods.

It’s amazing that most of these lifestyle conditions or “diseases of affluence” are controlled or even reversed by simply eating! That’s the meaning behind “Forks Over Knives”—”forks” symbolizing nutrition as opposed to “knives” referring to surgery.

The film is engaging and credible. The research findings are interspersed with personal stories of at least six people. There’s no guilting or shaming—just powerful information and the highly encouraging and motivating stories others.

Not everyone who watches it takes the same actions. But I have never seen anyone not be impacted by it. And all are inspired to take some step toward better nutrition.

Consider this: the first symptom approximately half of those with heart disease experience is sudden death. They weren’t even aware there was a problem! They didn’t even have a chance to make a change.

My recommendation: watch it as soon as you can. Don’t be afraid you’re going to be pressured into something you don’t want to do. But you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to make better choices so that you’ll be around longer and healthier.

Forks Over Knives is available on Netflix if you’re a subscriber. Or you can purchase on Amazon.com.

I’m confident you’ll enjoy it and be glad you watched it. Email me or leave your comments below once you watch.

Question: If you've seen Forks Over Knives, how did it impact you and what changes did you make? Share your answer at https://kirbyandersen.com/2016/11/my-1-recommended-resource-for-a-healthier-life/.

Many who desire to control their weight don’t get the results they want by simply resolving to eat better meals. A common reason is impulse snacking.

Courtesy 123RF/pavsie

I’m not against snacking. Completely eliminating something tends to make us want it more. I like to simply replace unhealthy, impulse snacking with well-planned snacks.

5 Ways To Snack Smarter

1. Eat regularly. Not eating regular meals just sets you up for failure as far as impulsive snacking goes. Skip breakfast or work through the lunch hour and soon you can’t resist anything remotely edible within arm’s reach. The donuts and candy are enough of a temptation to begin with. Don’t make matters worse for yourself by neglecting a good eating schedule. If travel or your work schedule messes with today’s eating schedule, plan ahead and bring a simple sack lunch.

2. Eat well. Even eating regularly doesn’t mean you will be satisfied. Eating fast-food may give you a sense of being full yet leaves you nutrient deficient. Fatty, sugary “foods” won’t give you the sufficient micronutrients your body needs. So even if you feel full, your body still feels needy and will impulsively grab for more—and usually more junk food. Eating poor quality foods has made us a nation of overeaters. We need meals that include more whole, nutrient-dense vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

3. Sip water. Regularly drinking water throughout the day helps to offset what we often interpret as hunger. Keep a good water bottle close by and build a habit of sipping. 4 ounces every 20 minutes is a good rate but don’t get hung up on the timing. Try to drink 32 ounces between meals. Determine how many refills of your water bottle that would take. Flavor your water if that helps with a slice of lemon or lime or essential oils. Drinking tea also counts.

4. Stay snack ready. Plan ahead with good snacks available so you don’t default to whatever is in the break room vending machine or at the checkout counter. And get rid of the junk at home so it’s not an option. Keep a stash of healthy snack options at your work place or in your backpack. A few whole grain crackers, baby carrots, celery slices, a small handful of nuts, a piece of fruit, hummus, popcorn, smoothie—all are great options. Schedule your snacks like your meals such as at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Instead of eating your snack on the run, treat it like a meal and take a few moments to sit at a table and enjoy—it will help you to be intentional about the portions as well.

5. Curb the after-dinner snacking. My wife will bust me on this because this is my weakness—especially if watching a movie. Better to have a longer fast between dinner and breakfast to give your digestive system a break. And if you do choose to have a small snack occasionally, follow the same principles above—a small, pre-apportioned amount of a whole food.

You don’t have to eliminate—just replace. Don’t set yourself up for failure by eating nutrient-deficient food and at odd hours. Plan ahead deliberately. Eat purposely, not impulsively.

Question: How to you snack smarter and avoid impulse eating? Share your answer at https://kirbyandersen.com/2016/10/how-to-curb-impulse-snacking/.

One of my coaching clients says I’m the only guy he knows who wakes up to relax! I have a goal to help others do the same.

Courtesy 123RF/antonioguillem

One of the practices I encourage others to build into their morning routine is solitude. Taking advantage of the peace in early morning isolation to help set a more relaxed tone for your day.

The Lost Art Of Relaxation

Most people aren’t very good at relaxing today. Waking hours are predominately hurried and noisy. We all yearn to relax and may talk about how we need to, yet we don’t really know how to. Too often we confuse it with vegging out in front of the TV or other mindless activities, only to be left wanting.

Mindless is the key word above. True, healthful, restorative relaxation needs to be mindful, not mindless. Intentional, focused, and yet not strained or stressful.

Mindful Breathing

The are many different relaxation techniques promoted today. The common denominator of most is deep breathing. And although prestigious medical organizations such as Harvard Medical School have studied and documented the physical and emotional benefits over the last few decades, this is an ancient practice of many world cultures.

Our lives are filled with situations daily that cause a stress reaction in varying degrees—the heart beats faster; breathing becomes shallower and more rapid; muscles tense up. These are the things we associate with the fight or flight response.

You can’t stop stressors completely, but you can learn to counter them with relaxation techniques that lower heart and breathing rate, relax tense muscles, and diminish the flood of hormones released under stress that work against overall health.

A few minutes of deep breathing a couple times a day provides a great decompressing, restful state.

A Simple Exercise

One of the most exciting new features of the latest version of the Apple Watch OS is Breathe. It’s a simple app that helps establish a daily habit to take advantage of this powerful health practice. The essence of the exercise is this:

• Find a quite place and sit in a comfortable upright position.
• Close your eyes and take a few normal breaths.
• Take a deeper breath—not by raising your shoulders and expanding your chest, but by expanding your belly. This isn’t natural for many because we’ve become overly self-conscious of an expanded belly! This is called diaphragmatic breathing.
• Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply. Breath in through your nose. Exhale through your nose or mouth, whichever you prefer.
• While you breathe, focus your thoughts on the air coming in and as it goes out. If you find your mind wandering, consciously refocus on your breathing.
• Do this 5-10 minutes once or twice a day. Set a timer at the beginning of your exercise so you’re not preoccupied with time.

Variations of this simple deep breathing exercise include guided imagery, cultivating gratitude, and/or reflecting on God’s goodness. A couple other favorite apps I’ve used before the Apple Watch’s Breathe are Simply Being and Calm.

Try this for yourself. Incorporate into your morning routine. Repeat later in the day before bed. Break away for a few moments during the day if you’re going through a particularly stressful time. Give it a test for a week or two because it takes a bit of practice and the benefits become better with repeated practice.

Turn your normal involuntary breathing into a powerfully restorative decompression tool for greater peace and productivity.

Question: What has been your experience with mindful deep breathing for relaxation? Share your answer at https://kirbyandersen.com/2016/10/taking-time-to-breathe-to-counter-daily-stress/.

We’re already starting to hear about this year’s seasonal wave of flu and colds coming for us. From most messages, you’d think we were all doomed. Seemingly well-intentioned, a lot of these premonitions do more to sell more vaccines, antibiotics, and other synthetic drugs than help build essential natural defenses.

Courtesy 123RF/Cathy Yeulet

I choose not to participate. I don’t like being sick. Although I’m approaching the age group that is supposed to be more susceptible to illness, I’ve been more resilient to these seasonal illnesses the past five years than ever before.

Rather than stock up on medicines and pain relievers to ease the symptoms, better to proactively take simple time-proven steps to build our immune system. A good defense is the best offense.

7 Natural Fortifiers

There are many things that help fortify our body’s immune systems but here are seven that will go along way to strengthen your family’s defenses against common illnesses.

1. Sleep. I should say a sufficient amount of quality sleep. Too many Americans are sleep-deprived. And that can definitely weaken your immune system. Mayo Clinic recommends 7-8 hours a night for adults, 9-10 for teens, and 10 hours or more for grade school-aged kids. Make sure you and your kids make good sleep a priority in your routine.

2. Cut the sugar! I don’t know of another everyday toxin that does more to undermine American’s health. We are sugar-loaded. Start by substituting more water for soft drinks. Learn to read nutritional and ingredient labels to stay on the alert for artificial sugars. And this public service announcement: Halloween isn’t far off—get control of that sugar rush!

3. Probiotics. The majority of our immunity’s strength comes from healthy bacteria in our intestines. Low quality foods as well as antibiotics kills this good bacteria. Incorporate naturally bacteria-rich foods like quality yogurts (not with the added fruit junk), sauerkraut, pickles, kefir, and kombucha—anything fermented or pickled. If you must take a prescription course of antibiotics, go double-duty on probiotic foods and/or supplementation.

4. Vitamin D3. Science continues to validate how important this hormone—not really a vitamin—really is to immune support. It is naturally synthesized by exposure to the sun—large portions of our skin to 10-20 minutes a day close to solar noon. Since most don’t spend much time outside anymore or weather doesn’t permit, most would benefit from an oral supplement. Check with your health care provider on a sufficient amount for your family members. Most adults could benefit from 1,000 iu daily—I take 5000 iu.

5. Whole foods and spices. The more food you can eat closest to its natural form, the better. Minimize the processed, convenience foods. Incorporate other immune-boosting foods like garlic and onions and spices like cinnamon, tumeric, and cayenne pepper. Like Hippocrates, often referred to as the father of modern medicine, said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

6. Good hygiene. While you can’t eliminate exposure to bad germs and viruses, you can certainly minimize it tremendously through simple practices. Teach kids to wash hands regularly, sneeze or cough into their elbow, and avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth unless hands are clean.

7. Essential oils. These have become a huge part of our health regimen. While they have been used as natural medicines for centuries, I love how they fortify my body’s systems to resist illness more effectively when used daily. There are numerous oils that strengthen immunity. The #1 blend I recommend for family use is doTerra’s On Guard. We saw such a dramatic difference in my wife’s weak respiratory system over two years ago when she started using it daily that she became a doTerra wellness advocate.

Again, you can add many other helpful immunity builders but these are my top. Don’t participate in this year’s flu and cold season. Take some of these simply preventative steps and keep your family healthy and happy.

Question: What naturally preventative tip do you have for other families to experience better immunity? Share your answer at https://kirbyandersen.com/2016/10/protect-your-family-against-the-upcoming-flu-and-cold-season/.

It was almost immediate upon arrival in Paris—I was astounded by all the architectural and historical beauty. Paris is definitely a hard act to follow. But within a matter of hours, I noticed something else that was equally as gripping.

Where were all the overweight people?

It sure looked different than home. Granted, Oklahoma is one of the most obese states in the country. But our nation as a whole is overweight. 2/3’s of American adults are overweight or obese; 1/3 are obese. 1/3 of kids ages 6-19 are overweight.

Honestly, it became my quest to find anyone looking overweight while in Paris. I found very few. None that looked obese. And those who did stand out were in other tour groups from the USA.

I’d heard this fact before. But the difference was so stark. I needed to know why. Especially in a country that is known for its rich cuisine of breads, butter, cream, etc.

There are certainly a number of factors but three stood out to me.

3 Steps Toward A Healthier Lifestyle

1. We need to move more. Parisians are moving a lot it seems. The streets were buzzing all hours of the days with pedestrians. Most travel by the subway rail or bus systems which usually involves more walking than sitting. I was amazed at the number of business people who were riding down the sidewalks on 2-wheeled kick scooters—the kind kids use here. Over our 7-day stay, we averaged walking 6.7 miles each day. We also rode 33 miles on bikes. Many live in smaller flats but spend more time out in public. The people were on the go.

2. We need to eat more whole foods. You have to really work hard to find fast-food restaurants. Each district is required to have two open-air markets each week—and these were like Whole Foods Markets on the street! Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads, pastas—mostly organic—no additives or preservatives. Grocery stores were small and didn’t appear to be the default source of food for most. Bakeries were everywhere and people bought fresh daily so also no need for preservatives. School kids walking home munched on a baguette instead of candy bars or chips. Meals were made from fresh, whole foods—very little processed, convenience foods.

3. We need to make meals more of an event. Mealtime is more than a refueling—they are unrushed social events. The streets are lined with restaurants with sidewalk seating. Most were filled particularly during the evenings. People gathered for meals or just drinks and sat around a table for hours. In fact, no restaurant will rush you to leave just to turn tables. No matter how little you may order, when you sit down it’s understood you have the table for the evening until you decide to leave. Wait staff won’t even bring you your bill until you ask lest they appear to be rude by rushing you. People eat slower and converse more.

We’ve convenienced and rushed ourselves to unhealthy conditions—physically and emotionally. Sharing simple meals consisting of whole foods with those we love is not only nutritious, but connective and restorative. Staying active instead of spending the day in a car, at a desk, on the couch keeps our bodies efficient.

The French certainly have us beat in this regard and are enjoying the benefits. I’ve determined to become even more Parisian at home in the States.

Question: Which area do you need to become healthier as the Parisians: in activity, in quality of food, or in slowing down to eat with others? Share your answer at https://kirbyandersen.com/2016/09/steps-to-better-health-confirmed-by-trip-to-paris/.

Even if you aren’t a plants-only eater like me, you’ve probably been convinced of the value of eating more vegetables. You may also enjoy a great salad bar when eating out and would eat more salads at home if it were easier and not so time and labor intensive.

Courtesy 123RF/art9858

I get that. Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat To Live, recommends making your salad the main course of your meal. While I loved the idea of that when I first read it, all I could think about is how much time and work it would take me every meal.

My training through Hallelujah Acres years ago gave me the answer I needed.

The Salad Box

Like so many things we do regularly, it’s more efficient to do the majority of the work once upfront, then enjoy the benefits easily for a while after.

For example, instead of taking all vitamins and supplements out of their individual containers each day, prepare 30 packets once a month. Then each morning, simply open the packet. A few moments of preparation each month makes daily action easy—and keeps you from avoiding.

Same principle for the salad box. Once a week, prepare all your favorite salad toppings in smaller containers. Put them all into one plastic bin with a lid that fits your refrigerator. When you want a salad, pull the salad box from the frig and top your bed of greens with whatever you want.

My salad box is generally stocked with:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Diced bell peppers of different colors
• Diced red onion
• Shredded carrots
• Sliced cucumbers
• Sliced mushrooms
• Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• Sunflower seeds

You can customize it with whatever you like. A few moments over the weekend and you can quickly prepare a week’s worth of salad toppings for quick, easy salads.

If you don’t finish all the vegetables before they start going bad, throw them in a freezer bag and freeze them. Use them later in soups or other cooked dishes.

The Components

Basically, you just need two components for your salad box.

1. A plastic box with lid. These can be found in any home organization section of stores such as Walmart or Target. Sterlite has great options. The key is to determine the dimensions of space available in your refrigerator. For example, ours is 11″ x 14″ x 6″. It needs to be big enough to contain smaller containers for all the toppings you want to have available.
2. Smaller containers. These store the individual salad vegetables and other toppings. I like the Arrow Plastic 1.5 Pint Freezer Containers. They fit great in most salad boxes. You won’t have to use the individual lids because you’ll have a lid on the entire salad box.

This revolutionized our salad preparation. We eat more and spend less time in actual meal prep. A bonus is that I tap the salad box for more than just salads. We use it to fill pita pockets, add to burritos, etc.

I encourage you to give it a try and let me know how you like it. And check out all products and educational resources at Hallelujah Diet! If you create a new customer account, please include my Health Minister Referral Code, GZD, where asked. This will connect you with me for better service.

Question: What is your favorite tip for making healthier eating simple and convenient? Share your answer at https://kirbyandersen.com/2016/08/a-simple-convenient-home-salad-bar-that-lasts-all-week/.

I hear the questions often. “What’s the big deal about organic?” “Organic foods are so expensive!” “Should I buy everything organic?” “What if I can’t find organic?”

Courtesy 123RF/famveldman

The fact that even the biggest grocery suppliers such as Walmart are continually adding more organic foods in their stores proves the demand is growing. Is this just another growing fad or should you be taking notice?

What Does Organic Mean Anyway?

Different countries have different criteria for foods being certified as organic. Essentially, the main requirements are concerned with avoiding synthetic chemical additives in such things as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides; no genetically modified seeds; farmland free from restricted chemicals for a certain number of years; and raising livestock within certain standards.

The bottom line is about protecting consumers who are concerned about knowing what is in their food and what it’s been exposed to.

With the growing evidence of the longterm negative impact of synthetic chemicals on human health, more people are understandably giving their food more consideration.

To be clear, no certification process is fool-proof, no matter how well-intentioned the certifying institution may be. For me, the goal isn’t perfection but rather taking simple steps that can dramatically reduce the amount of toxins in my food and take advantage of the best quality food available.

Know Which Foods Are More Toxin-Prone

Its more important to look for certain organic foods than others. Some non-organic produce is grown with more pesticides. The Environmental Working Group has done the heavy lifting for us in sorting through the foods most and least exposed to pesticides in their Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™.

The report breaks down most common fruits and vegetables into two helpful groups: the Dirty Dozen, and the Clean Fifteen.

For example, strawberries and apples are at the top of the Dirty Dozen list this year meaning they generally are grown with more pesticides than other foods. By contrast, avocados and onions are among the cleanest produce.

So, when managing your limited food budget, it would be better to spend a bit more for organic apples. However, when buying onions, the higher price for organic probably isn’t as necessary.

Download the free Dirty Dozen app for the iPhone to have the lists available for referencing when at the grocery store.

Other Great Non-Certified Organic Food Options

I recently wrote about other ways to tap into the fresh foods of summer. Shopping local farmers’ markets is another way to find great, healthy food. It may not be certified organic because the grower hasn’t applied or he hasn’t been able to prove his land has been chemical-free for the requisite number of years. Yet if you ask the grower, you can find out if he’s used chemical or not.

And, of course, growing your own food is a fantastic option if you have the space and time. Like I’ve said before, I’ve realized that I grew up eating organic even though nobody talked in those terms. My parents grew the majority of our vegetables. Mom canned or froze what we didn’t eat fresh. Virtually every night, I or one of my siblings would be dispatched to the fruit cellar for a jar of canned green beans or the chest freezer in the garage for a container of frozen sweet corn.

Just Take A Step

With a bit of education, you can make healthier food choices for your family and stay within your food budget. Purchasing just the organic versions of the Dirty Dozen foods will eliminate 80% or more of the pesticides you’d otherwise be exposed to.

You don’t have to do all or nothing when it comes to organic food. Begin by focusing on those foods most prone to harmful chemicals and keep taking steps towards healthier options.

Question: How do make your food budget stretch while purchasing healthier options for your family? Share your answer at https://kirbyandersen.com/2016/07/a-smart-and-practical-approach-to-shopping-for-organic-foods/.