Complimentary treatments & healthy eating

I am all for keeping myself as healthy as possible through eating the right foods (breakfast today was actually hummus, cucumber slices and ciabatta bread), exercising (that damn daily walk thing), getting enough rest, and taking supplements as needed. I am careful about what I take as supplements as I have to be careful about interactions with my medications and some of them have proven to have weird interactions and side effects discovered long after they were on the market. The FDA does not regulate supplements which should be kept in mind before taking them. Also, if you take any supplements, be sure your doctor knows - regardless of whether you are in treatment for anything. When you fill out your medications list at a doctor's appointment, you should list all supplements you take.

Here is a video on Kombucha tea. Kombucha is considered a supplement by the FDA. Its benefits are debatable as there never has been a true clinical trial. It does have side effects. In its brewing process, alcohol is produced (which set off Lindsay Lohan's alcohol detecting ankle bracelet) as well as molds and bacteria. It can be brewed at home or purchased commercially. But it should be noted that Whole Foods (a/k/a Whole Wallet) removed Kombucha from its shelves because the alcohol level is not consistent and can't be always considered non-alcoholic. But my point is, its unproven and should be considered a medical supplement and discussed with your doctor.

Another recent fad was St John's Wort. Did you know it interacts with birth control pills and renders them ineffective? That would be a big problem. That is just an example of the side effects.

My latest thoughts on healthy eating include:

- Dont eat things your grandmother wouldn't recognize - What is in Gogurt anyway? I love that example? A single serving of a chemically altered yogurt in a plastic tube. Why does it make me think of 'Soylent Green'?

- Aim for foods with five or fewer ingredients. Butter vs. margarine. Butter is the clear winner.

- Avoid foods with ingredients you can't pronounce or know exactly what they are.

- Vegetables, fruit, fiber, lean protein.

However there are things I can't find in healthy versions so I suffer with a few chemicals. I try for natural body care products but can't always find them. I really do try. And then I saw this video which is now my newest goal - you can eat anything you want provided it is natural, unprocessed and preservative free. I am not sure how much more I will have to change but I will focus on this now.

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This morning I am hanging out in an internet cafe for a couple hours waiting for stores to open - yarn store, consignment, and bead store. I should be working but I am on vacation still. Later today will be lunch, a walk, packing, and one last scrabble game.