Hello Everyone,
My family is enjoying one last summer hurrah before the school bell rings. We have left the humidity and heat of Houston to the perfect weather of So Cal… H-E-L-L-O Gorgeous! I have brought along my Healthy Highways Traveler’s Guide to Healthy Eating and my handy app from happycow.net. I am determined to eat healthfully despite minimal meal planning for this trip. We arrive at Bush IAH only to hear my kids start whining “I’m staaarving, wah, wah, wah.” I take deep breaths and give Brett “the look.” We stop in the club to grab some fruit, cheese and crackers. Already I foresee a week of working extra hard to ensure my kids have decent meals. Right now all they want is crackers. Anticancer Amy tells Amy “pick your battles.”
I’m not feeling 100%. We moved the week before and I just feel run down. I haven’t practiced yoga in over 7 days and my deep breathing is missing. I have had several unwelcomed visits from my enemy anxiety lately. He comes and goes but for some reason this visit just won’t end. I attribute it to losing my friend Theresa and hearing of the death of my hero David Servan-Schreiber. Who knows. This vacay to some clean beach air might be just what I need.
We arrive in San Diego and the air is refreshing and soothing. Aaaah, this city already feels healthy. We check in to our downtown hotel and head to dinner at Fish Market which is located on the water. The views are stunning and the menu is full of fresh fish- our waiter reports much of it was caught today. Yay, my kind of restaurant!
There are many places for the traveler to visit in and near San Diego. We start out at La Jolla Cove to check out the seals that live there. My kids love it and I am enthralled by all the local folks who have come to the beach to relax, socialize and listen to the band that is playing. There is a sense of calm and I am convinced the climate is the underlying boost. The people of this town are walking, riding bikes, jogging and surfing. Lots of longevity points here! Every now and then one of the Waltz kids is complaining that they want to be held, they are tired of walking and start whining. Really?
Turns out I have strep. My throat was on fire so the family and I visit an urgent care center. Ugh, always something, but it could be worse so I’ll take it! And, after only 24 hours I feel so much better. Thank you God for health care and thank you Mr. Gates for incredible insurance. The strep doesn’t hamper any of our plans and we are off to Legoland. My radar is on for signs of an anticancer theme park. Is there such a thing? I notice immediately that there are Odwalla drinks and energy bars on the food carts. Okay, this is much better than snickers, coke and cheetos. For lunch, the menus are decent- a panini made with mozzarella, pesto, fresh basil and tomatoes on whole grain wheat berry bread sounds delicious.
Day 4, the San Diego Zoo. I Love this place- everything about it is uplifting- the exercising, the weather, the food (they sell fruit with every kids meal, lots of vegetarian options and Pirate’s Booty at the snack carts!) and of course the animals. I’ll spare you all the details of the animals, but can’t resist the story of the cheetahs. At this zoo, every cheetah is paired with a puppy when they are born. The cheetah and the puppy grow up together. Today we see a white dog, part husky and part golden retriever. The animals are cuddling and licking each other. I am amazed and could stay and watch this duo all day! I can’t stop thinking about this friendship and the marrying of wild and domestic. I wonder how this affects their health and longevity. Speaking of longevity. We are near Loma Linda, California which is home to a blue zone. If you recall in my previous postings, the blue zones are regions in the world where the highest percentage of centurions live. A centurion is an individual who has lived at least 100 years. Loma Linda is a Seventh Day Adventist community which focuses on the Sabbath rest, an active lifestyle, socialization, good nutrition and volunteerism. Many follow a vegetarian diet and as a whole have low blood pressure, low cholesterol and low cardiovascular disease. On a side note, my maternal grandma Guadalupe is turning 100 in November! Woo Hoo, a centurion in Anticancer Amy’s family!
And we are off… to Huntington Beach. I pick up a USA Today and on the front page is a study on processed meat and diabetes. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data and found that a 2 ounce serving a day of processed meat (hot dog, bacon, salami or bologna) increased the risk of diabetes by 50%. A 4 ounce serving a day of unprocessed red meat like hamburger, steak, pork or lamb was associated with a 20% increase in diabetes. Other studies have linked red meat and processed meat to increased risk of heart disease and cancer. This reminds me of Adam Richman on the reality show Man vs. Food. Does anyone know if he has diabetes? I can’t imagine his blood levels- this guy eats pounds of meat in one sitting!
It’s Day 5 and twin B, Julia has just had her 7th tantrum of the day. She is just plain tired as her thumb has not left her mouth since she woke up. She and Daddy stay at the hotel while I take the others to dinner. I find a restaurant, True Food on happycow.net in nearby Newport Beach. We walk up to the establishment and I can tell this is going to be good (looks do make a difference). There is a large eating area outside with long fireplaces and swanky seating all around. The inside is airy with beautiful natural wood furnishes, natural lighting and a pop of lime green in the couches. The menu is incredible! There are 2 restaurants in Arizona and 2 in California. It turns out this is Dr. Andrew Weil’s restaurant. Dr. Weil is a physician known for his work with integrative medicine, which is about treating illness with both alternative and conventional medicine. He runs a website (http://www.drweil.com/) and has written many books. On each table is an anti-inflammatory food guide pyramid and tips on an anti-inflammatory diet. I really am shocked at this new age place- it’s packed in here with people of all ages. And no, they aren’t hippies wearing t-shirts that say “Keep Austin Weird.” The food turns out to be fabulous, including the kids’ meals which by the way do not include the words: tenders, french, with cheese, pepperoni, potato, nacho, soft or chip. http://www.truefoodkitchen.com/public/pdfs/biltmore-fashion-park/TrueFood_kids_Web.pdf
All in all I give SoCal a thumbs up with hot pink nail polish for an incredible climate and many ways to live out an anticancer lifestyle. Even Disneyland has fruit stands sprinkled throughout the park! Seems as if Mickey is on to living a healthier life. I’m impressed!
Look out for another posting today or tomorrow as we announce the winner of the pink quilt! We are trying to get a hold of the winner now.
Be Well,
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