We all want more energy, an ideal body and beautiful younger looking skin...

So what is stopping us from getting this?

Introducing 'Hungry For Change', the latest 'Food Matters' film.

'Hungry For Change' exposes shocking secrets the diet, weightloss and food industry don't want you to know about. Deceptive strategies designed to keep you craving more and more.

Could the foods we are eating actually be keeping us stuck in the diet trap?

Lentils, my favorite legume, may be small but they pack a mighty nutritional punch! Lentils are high in protein and fiber and low in fat, and they provide folic acid and iron. Lentils have a mild, earthy flavor and readily absorb a variety of wonderful flavors from other foods and seasonings. This lentil soup is not only healthy but very hearty. It'll give you energy without weighing you down. Enjoy this traditional and warming dish.

I have been making this easy, blender soup for over 15 years. I learned the recipe from Shelley Redford Young. She is a licensed massage therapist with a passionate interest in optimum nutrition. It is most definitely one of my favorite summer meals. When I share this light, flavorful soup with friends during tomato season, I always receive rave reviews!

Because the harmful effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, it's wise for us to limit exposure to pesticides whenever possible. Although washing fresh produce can reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but important nutrients often get thrown away with the peel. The best choice is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and select organic when possible to lower exposure to potentially toxic chemicals.

Since many of us can't always buy organic then it helps to know what conventional foods are safer choices. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted a study to see which fruits and vegetables had the highest and lowest levels of pesticides. The EWG's computer analysis found that we can cut our pesticide exposure by almost 90% by avoiding the most contaminated conventional fruits and veggies and eating the least contaminated instead. Here's what they found: 

Vitamin D is required by every cell and tissue in the body, and without adequate amounts we're at risk for many serious health conditions. Our bodies make vitamin D when we're exposed to the UV-B rays in sunlight. I feel that many people, including older adults, have been made so afraid of sunshine due to public-health messages that they've become deficient in this most essential nutrient. Vitamin D deficiency may be characterized by muscle pain, weak bones/fractures, low energy and fatigue, lowered immunity, symptoms of depression and mood swings, and sleep irregularities. More than half of Americans are vitamin D deficient, and this number is on the rise. Are you one of them?