Edgar makes me go outside on a regular basis.

While it might not be warm and sunny where you live, it is important to get outside and get in touch with reality. We all benefit by stopping and smelling the roses, or in this case, taking a walk in the snow. This simple act enables us to slow down, breathe and observe the beauty in the natural world.

Many of us have lost our connection with nature. When we are surrounded by our natural environment, our energy shifts. We forget sometimes that we are animals; we are not apart from nature, we are very much a part of nature! Whether its storming, hotter than hell or dead cold outside, get outside! Just for a short walk. Or to stand and look at the sky or the moon.

As of two weeks ago, I have a new personal trainer. His name is Edgar. He forces me to go outside in all sorts of weather whether I like it or not. The penalty for not going outside on a regular basis is cleaning up dog poop.

Edgar was a city dog, rescued from a hoarding situation. Its safe to say that ol’ Edgar didn’t get outside to pee or poo on a regular basis. The little guy is still quite spooked by the great outdoors: my back yard. Now that we have 2 feet of snow outside, I had to shovel a pathway for him to walk around the backyard. The snow is over his head in most parts.

Despite the fact that it’s cold and snowy, I am reaping the benefits of being outside. This form of non-caloric nourishment is good for body and spirit. I highly recommend it.

Snow forces us to go slow

Here in the northeast, a blizzard is just starting to arrive. Its a great reminder from Mother Nature that this is the time of year to do less.

Of course, as soon as a snowstorm is announced on the news, everyone floods the stores to stock up on food. I’m betting that most of those people already have plenty in their house without a stressful last minute run to the crowded stores.

Here at the Rubin Rodeo, we’re going to make a pot of black bean soup. Not the quick, Easy Black Bean Soup that I blogged about last month, this time, I’ll be cooking the long and slow version from Bean Cuisine.

Make a point to do less today. Slow down. Put your legs up the wall and relax. Its the best way to restore your energy and boost your immunity.

A routine physical revealed that President Obama has a “borderline high” cholesterol count. One of my favorite food blogs, Obamafoodorama reported this finding earlier today. Of course immediately the President’s diet comes under review. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stated, ““I think it’s a few more burgers and a few more desserts over the past year”

I’m betting our President eats better than most Americans. He’s got a great garden in his yard and a full staff of chefs that are not using hazardous ingredients that could seriously impact his health. He gets regular physical exercise too. Both the President and First Lady are role models for good food and good health in my book.

Thanks to the internet, you can learn lots of detailed information about the president’s physical condition. It only took me 3 clicks online to learn that his total cholesterol was 209, his HDL 62 and LDL was 138.  According to the “experts”, borderline high cholesterol starts at 200, with LDL considered in the same category at 130. Who are these experts that decide what cholesterol level is safe and what is not? The National Cholesterol Education Program, which is part of the NIH’s National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Some critics and cholesterol skeptics claim that the guidelines themselves are biased toward drug therapy because a majority of the medical experts who drew up those suggestions have financial relationships with drug companies.

I’ve learned more than my share about cholesterol over the years. When I married to my high cholesterol husband 22 years ago, his  number was 270. After a decade of oat bran muffins, egg white omelettes and tasteless boneless skinless chicken breasts, his cholesterol continued to climb. Since I didn’t want him taking potentially dangerous cholesterol lowering drugs, I did some research. The first thing I discovered is that cholesterol itself is not bad! Cholesterol is essential for our health. Second thing I learned was that cholesterol is not really directly connected to heart disease. One of my mentors, Annemarie Colbin PhD, has written  a great essay on this issue.

So what should our president do to improve his health and make sure he doesn’t end up with a heart attack? Quitting those cigarettes once and for all would be a good start. But let’s face it, he is under mega amounts of stress on a daily basis. How can our president quit the cigarettes, decrease his stress levels and lower his cholesterol? The answer is not high tech or expensive. Its pretty darn simple. TM, Transcendental Meditation, has been shown to do all this and more.  While many of us think of the Beatles and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi back in the 70′s, many doctors and scientists have proven its effectiveness in numerous studies.

If I were Mr. Obama’s health consultant, I would strongly recommend he adopt a solid meditation practice. This strategy would help him to decrease his cravings for cigarettes, reduce his stress level and lower his HDL cholesterol. Imagine if meditation instruction were part of healthcare, skyrocketing costs would decrease.This is not woo-woo, there is solid science to back this non toxic, inexpensive therapy.

Why not take it a step further and imagine if all members of Congress had a regular meditation practice. In addition to better health they might even find a way to work together to create meaningful legislation that would make the world a better place.

2009 is supposed to be the Year of the Ox, but it certainly seems to be the Year of the Pig so far, allow me to explain!

The American News Project in a story entitled The Food Lobby Goes to School, was surprised to find the National Pork Board to be one of the lobbyists pushing for more of their products in school food.

Sustainable food advocates and many vegetarians have known for some time that the way the food industry raises lifestock is toxic to our health and the health of our planet. It was great to read the piece by NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff entitled Our Pigs Our Food Our Health which connected the dots between industrial hog farms and diseases such as MRSA.

Great timing for Nicolette Niman, whose well written book about meat production,Righteous Porkchop, hit the stores just as this Swine Flu story hit the newspapers.

David Kirby wrote a piece on swine flu suggesting that this is a great example of “Mother Nature Biting Back”, it seems to me, he’s probably right.

The National Pork Board is hard at work to change the name of Swine Flu into “North American Influenza” in a desperate attempt to spin their image. Those PR folks they hired to lobby for more pork in school food just got a bigger job to do!

So what do we do in light of all this besides just wash our hands?

Here’s five suggestions that could support your health.

1. Cut back on refined sugar- it impairs immune function.
2. Support your gut with the “good bugs” by regular use of probiotic supplements or even a daily bowl of miso soup.
3. Get enough sleep each night.
4. Meditate daily.
5. Eat lower on the food chain: more veggies!

When eating, support your local farmer, buy grass fed, pasture raised animals from small, local/ regional sources. Stay away from giant producers – Tyson, Smithfield Farms, Cargill who have created this toxic environment that is conducive to disease and pollution.