A+ Fern

Fiddlehead ferns are coming! The first (wild) vegetable of spring, these unfurled fronds which taste like a cross between asparagus and green beans are available for only a matter of weeks in better markets. Don't pass them up --they have twice the antioxidants of blueberries (the gold standard for antioxidants). But be sure to cook before serving them up as a side dish or in salads.

NUTS TO YOU

Goobers are America's favorite nut but the best three nuts for boosting immunity (in order of nutritional impact) ?The walnut, the almond and the pistachio. Make your own energy bar using all three. Recipes in my book SUPER IMMUNITY FOODS (McGraw Hill).

Mix up Meals

Eating the same old same old ? Stop. Variety is the key to high level health. Have an ugli fruit instead of an orange, try parsnips in place of carrots, enjoy a baked quince instead of a baked apple.

More ideas in my book SUPER HEALING FOODS (McGraw Hill).

What are the top 25 immunity boosting foods? Surprise--they include mushrooms, olives and potatoes! Read SUPER IMMUNITY FOODS: A complete program to boost Wellness, Speed Recovery and Keep your Body Strong (McGraw Hill paperback) to learn the secrets and the recipes that go with them.

Nutritional self defense for your workout

A good multi contains B vitamins choline and inositol, important for memory, cholesterol control, defense against depression, diabetes and more. Another good source of these nutrients: soy lecithin granules, tasty on top soup, cereal, salad.

Gmail - Inbox (9103) - frances.goulart@gmail.com

Gmail - Inbox (9103) - frances.goulart@gmail.com

Forget that post-class diet soda. It's high in sodium which is linked to kidney disease, osteoporosis and more when taken in excess .Get used to healthier substitutes for salt such as kelp and dulse (sea vegetables). The new RDA for sodium is 1500 mg (2/3 tsp), about half what it used to be. Lots of tips in my latest book SUPER IMMUNITY FOODS (McGraw Hill).

Swim Don’t Sit: Sitting (before or after mat practice) not only widens your hips, it hikes your risk of heart disease. Why? The more you kick back, the harder it is for your body to process blood sugar and blood fats levels,  activities that require contraction of the muscles. What workout trumps all the rest? Swimming, concludes a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Swimming Pool Foundation.  Swimmers appear to have lower death rates than sedentary people, runners or walkers.