The four pillars of health

Nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress management are the foundations for good health.

Like a table with four legs, if one leg is shorter or missing, it will not be stable.

5 Tips to balance and support your health during challenging times:

Health begins in the kitchen – What we choose to put in our body has a direct effect on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Enhance your immune system with fresh, wholesome foods. Eat the rainbow – Diversity is key to a healthy balanced diet with wholesome, nutritious food. When shopping, look for plenty of fresh colorful seasonal vegetables and fruit. Leave the junk food at the supermarket. Avoid sugar! Sugar can depress the immune system. Read labels for hidden sugar.
Practice mindful eating – Eat your meals while sitting down at the table, not in front of the television or computer. Eat slowly and take at least 20 minutes to finish the meal.
Calm your mind – Include in your daily routine healthy ways to deal with stress so you are not living in a constant state of alarm. Prioritize a daily relaxation time and choose a technique that works best for you. Yoga, meditation, abdominal deep breathing, massage or a 30 minutes walk outside are just a few of my favorite tools to reduce stress.
Exercise is a great way to reduce stress, burn fat, and improve emotional and physical well-being. Regular exercise not only benefits every part of the body, but it also benefits our mind.
Keep a regular sleep routine. Your sleep timing plays an important role in your sleep quality and daytime performance. It is critically important that you sleep 7 to 9 hours a night. Too many Americans are living their lives in a sleep-deprived state. Going to bed and waking up at a regular time each day will help your body maintain a sense of normalcy.

If you’re looking for a heart-healthy diet, check out the Mediterranean Diet. Based on the cuisine of countries bordering the Mediterranean sea, the components include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats, a weekly intake of fish, poultry, beans and eggs, moderate portions of dairy products, and a limited intake of red meat.

Olive oil is the primary source of healthy fat of the Mediterranean diet, providing monounsaturated fat, which has been found to lower the low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol levels. It is high in antioxidants and offers many other benefits to our health and longevity.

My favorite olive oil is made in a small village in Kastania, Greece. Produced by a family business going back centuries. Completely organic, Kastania was awarded a Gold Medal at the New York International Olive Oil Competition in 2018.

For a limited time, you can order it online and get a 10% discount using this code: TSF78 www.kastaniaoliveoil.com

Enter the code, go to PURCHASING.

Try my favorite summer salad recipe with a drizzle of olive oil

Enjoy!

Tomatoes cucumber salad with olive oil and lemon dressing

Ingredients:

3 cups diced tomatoes

3 cups chopped cucumbers

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Diced red onion (optional)

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil