Welcome to Your Better Balance

If you're looking to make healthier meals, the right cookware can make all the difference. Healthy cooking pots and pans are designed to reduce the amount of toxins that can leach into your food. Proper preparation is an important aspect of a nourishing diet. The cookware, oils, and methods used to prepare meals can impact levels of harmful compounds in your food. In general, cooking "low & slow" in quality cookware will minimize toxins and maximize nutrients. If you are using non-stick pans at home, keep reading.... Non-stick is made from Teflon and contains a manmade chemical as PFOA which does not breakdown in the environment and has a very long half-life in the body once absorbed. The greatest concern for Teflon (polytetrafluorethylene, or PTFE) is in overheating this cooking surface which can cause a number of toxic gases to be released. When heated, cookware treated with this cooking surface can cause a number of toxic gases to be released. In fact, cookware coated with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces emits fumes that can actually kill birds and potentially stricken people. My goodness: Haven't we all let a pan get too hot at least a few times in a month? Why risk it? Let's Look at some alternatives...

From green vegetables to calcium-rich dairy and nuts, there's a whole lot more to bone health than you might think. Some of our favorite guilty pleasures are actually detrimental to our bone health and overall well-being. That’s right, the little indulgences that bring us comfort can actually take away from our health goals. To help you stay mindful of the foods that need to be kept to a minimum to ensure strong bones and overall wellness, here's a snapshot of the ones to steer clear. Caffeine: for every 100 mg of caffeine the amount in a small to medium sized cup of coffee, you lose 6 mg of calcium per cup of coffee. Tea and colas containing caffeine also acidify to your body, throwing off the delicate balance of acid-alkaline and leading to bone breakdown. Salt: for every 2,3000 mg (approximately one teaspoon) of sodium you take in, you lose about 40 mg of calcium. That may not seem like much but over time this can lead to a considerable amount of bone loss. Soft Drinks : the carbonation from phosphoric acid, increases calcium excretion which leads to an imbalance in the calcium/phosphorus ratio . Alcohol: blocks mineral absorption (calcium, boron, magnesium, zinc and other bone rooting minerals you eat). Heavy drinking can even interrupt the bone remodeling process by preventing osteoblasts, the bone building cells, from doing their job. So not only do bones become weaker but when you do suffer a fracture, alcohol can interfere with healing. Hydrogenated Oils : the process of converting liquid vegetable oil into solid oils, called hydrogenation interferes with bone building because hydrogenous used to saturate the carbon bonds destroys the vitamin K naturally found in the oils. Vitamin K is essential for strong bones. Sugar: depletes calcium, phosphorus and B vitamins and increases cortisol - otherwise known as our stress hormone (100 grams of sugar increases production of cortisol and causes problem with thinning of the bones) Gluten : thins bones due to being acid producing. High (excessive) Protein Foods = acidifies blood leading to calcium loss. Night Shades: can be a problem in some people as it can cause arthritic changes in sensitive people. Living in a Chronic State of Stress: When we live in constant stress our body naturally produces more cortisol which in turn leads to higher thyroid hormones. Hormones need to be balanced and addressed when trying to rebuild our bones.