Yeah, you read that correctly – ice cream. LOL. And here is some more good news; you should have some ice cream too!

Dr Tom Potisk next to his Sugar Snap Peas.

It’s all about balance. It really is. I’ve watched many people attempt and then fail to improve their health by going on radical diets, become vegetarians, start difficult exercise routines, follow some fanatical health guru, and try to live like Gandhi, when all they really needed was to find balance. And have some ice-cream! LOL.

Here is my family's pile of rollerblades. We love it!

Now I’m a believer and proponent that all things are gifts from God, like alcohol, guns, drugs, money, sex, and even ice cream. And that any trouble associated with these gifts is from abuse of them, not the thing itself.

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil….” – 1^st Timothy 6:10. (Notice the “love of” part).

So, if you’re going to partake in some of these gifts, make sure you also partake in and use your gift of self-control. Yep, that’s a gift also. In fact that’s a wonderful balance – ice cream and self control! LOL.

We’re talking about choices here.

For example, in regards to weight management and obesity, I notice that people with those problems usually are choosing the large size portions, the all-you-can-eat buffets, and they like to get the “super-size” options when they go out to eat. “Better value” they commonly say. But if you choose the “super size” portions, you become a “super size” person – too big. Click here to read an article I wrote called Weight Loss Solution: Change Your Brain.

I like coffee and coffee shops; I get a lot of work done there on my laptop. I found myself choosing the largest size coffee they had, mostly because it costs less per sip that way. So, I finally took some control of the situation and switched to the small size, drinking it slower, taking the time to really appreciate the taste. Not surprisingly, I found that by doing so, I was just as satisfied, perhaps even more so because I saved some money.

Be wary of savvy servers who tell you “For only 40 cents more you can have the larger size!” I suspect they are part of a covert government or medical industry scheme to keep us American’s overweight. LOL.

Be wise to it all. The price we pay for living in a free capitalistic society is the ease of overindulgence. Set a personal rule for yourself – small sizes only!

Complicated concept isn’t it? If you choose the big items you become big. If you choose the small items you become and stay small. LOL.

In my book Whole Health Healing- The Budget Friendly Natural Wellness Bible For All Ages, I dedicated an entire to chapter to this concept. The chapter is called: Enjoying Eating-And Doing it in Ways That are Good For You, Without Going Hungry. You can buy the book by clicking here.

So live a holistic lifestyle. Exercise regularly, eat smaller portions of wholesome foods, grow a garden of fresh veggies, hug your family, pay a compliment to somebody, read something positive, and have some ice cream – the small size. LOL.

What can you choose that would be smaller than what you’ve been choosing?

By the way, have you checked out my other blog sites?

For the general public – http://www,wholehealthhealing.com.

For doctors – http://www.reclaimthejoy.com.

My holistic lifestyle includes gardening, rollerblading, and… ice cream!

Healthy people are more likely to be found outside the USA. Sick thought eh? No pun intended. LOL.

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Here I am enjoying the sunshine in Tuscany, Italy

But it’s true. Check the list produced by the World Health Organization and you’ll find that the USA ranks poorly in overall health compared to many other countries, even though we have more doctors, the best technology and the highest costs by far. We are ranked as number 39 – you can read more about it and see the list here. The area I live in/near, Milwaukee, Wisconsin is ranked one of the unhealthiest in the USA!

Now before any of you readers write to me and suggest I move away, I want to explain that I still like it here, that the good ole USA is still the best place to live, and that I’m just trying to help us all get and stay healthier. I believe that can happen if we learn at least a little by observing and learning from other, healthier cultures. Can I stay, please? LOL.

For example, I just returned from a wonderful trip to Italy, visiting Rome and then Tuscany. My wife and I  enjoy what we call “adventure vacations” meaning we travel on our own, getting off the beaten path when possible, do something very active like hiking or biking, and try to come back home having learned something from the experience and the real culture. If this all fails we can always count on coming back poorer! LOL.

Tuscany is a beautiful place.

Being the author of the book Whole Health Healing-The Budget Friendly Natural Wellness Bible for All Ages, I can’t help but focus my attention on the health of each culture I visit. This gives me a good excuse to eat every thing in sight – strictly business right? LOL. You can order the book by clicking here.

Italian people are generally healthier than us in the USA; especially Italian people who live in Tuscany. Tuscany is about 1-2 hours northwest of Rome and is quite rural. It’s also extremely beautiful. In fact my wife and I agree that it is one of the loveliest places we’ve ever visited.

Sorry, for those of you that think it’s all genetic – that’s long ago been dis-proven. It’s really about lifestyle choices.

So what did I observe there about the lifestyles of these healthier people? Plenty! For one thing they generally eat fresher vegetables and fruits there. They mostly do their grocery shopping in small markets that have much locally grown produce. Many of these rural people are prolific gardeners growing much of their own produce.

They use a tremendous amount of extra-virgin olive oil. When I ate at restaurants, the waiter always started out by bringing fresh bread (the bread had little or no salt in the dough) but there was no butter to be seen. Instead they put olive oil on their bread. Of course, olive oil is known to have better quality fats than butter. When I ordered salad, there was no dressing to be found other than olive oil and vinegar. There are olive trees growing practically everywhere you look.

Lunch time at the piazza in Sienna, Italy. Notice the olive oil and vinegar for the salad?

They drink red wine with every evening meal. I saw much less consumption of soft drinks than here.

Fried foods are a rarity, and grilled foods are common – even vegetables, also served with olive oil instead of butter.

Most portions are smaller. Boohoo! LOL.

They eat much slower. Much slower. In fact it’s darn right irritating for us Americans to visit their restaurants because a typical meal takes about 3-4 times as long to be served. We are impatient eaters and overeat as a result.

Lastly but equally important, it’s easy to see that they are far more active than most of us are.  They walk a lot.  In fact, the Italians have a wonderful custom called passegiatta in which they take a stroll every evening.

Very active indeed. I’m not kidding that I picked up an 85 year old hitchhiker! Her name was Tosca and she looked great for her age.

So there you are- lessons from my Italian adventure vacation.

Which of these observations can you incorporate into your lifestyle?

Arrividerci!

Don't forget to explore the mountains of gelato (Italian ice cream) LOL.

By the way, have you seen my other blogs: 1) wholehealthhealing.com & 2)reclaimthejoy.com?

Healthy People Live Overseas

Drinks can be healthy and fun.

Do you know about my Healing Martini recipe? LOL.

The Healing Martini - isn't she gorgeous?

I’m not kidding! To compliment my new book Whole Health Healing – The Budget Friendly Natural Wellness Bible For All Ages, I invented several “Healing” recipes like The Healing Salad, The Healing Soup, The Healing Muffin, The Healing Cookie, etc. and now I’m delighted to present – The Healing Martini.

I can almost hear the applause coming from around the world. LOL. Your welcome!

Listen, what less would you expect from me, the “down to earth” doctor? Being a practical and creative guy, I experimented with several common foods and drinks, modifying them with healthier ingredients.

Why are these recipes healing? Healing demands specific nutrients for cellular rebuilding, balanced body chemistry and optimum organ function. These recipes contain ingredients that foster/enhance healing. Are you feeling better already? LOL.

Now before any of you anti-alcohol readers write me any hate mail let me explain. I’m not advocating alcohol consumption. If one has a problem with alcohol they should avoid this. But my position is that, like all things, alcohol is a gift from God. And like all things, abuse is the problem, not the thing itself. So enjoy all things in moderation. This recipe by the way is quite weak in the alcohol content.

So here it is – the recipe for The Healing Martini: (drum roll please!) LOL.

The Healing Martini

One shot unsweetened cranberry juice (I used Northland brand).

One shot cherry ale (I used a New Glarus Brewery brand called Wisconsin Belgian Red).

One shot unsweetened coconut water ( I used Naked brand, don’t get any ideas! LOL).

A small dash of stevia (stevia is a natural sweetener).

A lemon garnish twist.

What makes this drink healing? The cranberry juice is a natural anti-bacterial. The coconut water contains essential oils helpful to the cardiovascular and nervous system functions. Cherries are known to be anti-inflammatory. The ale is a low alcohol alternative to the standard high alcohol typical martini. The stevia is a natural sweetener and produces no glycemic response ( does not raise insulin levels).

You can watch me mix this drink in my own kitchen on a 2 minute youtube video here:

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_annotate?v=761eLTMkHLk

Do you have any healthy, healing type recipes you can share. If so, please post them here. Eventually I’ll be adding these to my book.

Cheers!

Drinks: healthy and fun