What you eat dramatically affects the state of your health. The effect is cumulative, influencing everything from the amount of energy you have (or lack of energy), to your emotional state, medical condition and ultimately longevity.

The Top Seven Foods for Good Health and Longevity

• Black Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Flax Seeds
• Green Leafy Vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli Sprouts

The most healthy and nutritious foods are high antioxidant foods, primarily fruits and vegetables. These foods are selected because they contain the most powerful phytochemicals and anthocyanins which illustrate strong inhibition of chemocarcinogens. Other foods with high antioxidant and high anti-disease potential include walnuts, sunflower seeds, pomegranates, beets, cabbage, peppers and parsley. Make your diet strongly protective and longevity-favorable by including these highly beneficial, nutritious foods. A good way to think about nutritious food: Produce is the most important health care your money can buy.

Food also has the potential to harm. Foods high in saturated fat and trans fat are consistently associated with high cancer rates. Cheese and butter typically contain over ten times as much saturated fat as fish and white meat chicken and turkey. Salt has been consistently linked to stomach cancer and stroke, even in populations that eat diets low in saturated fat. Add the carcinogenic potential from heated and overcooked oils (usually trans containing) delivered in doughnuts and fries with the powerful cancer inducing properties of carbohydrates cooked at high heat (acrylamide formation) and you have foods to avoid.

The best foods to eat are the healthy, nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. By making these antioxidant foods the major portion of your diet, you can protect yourself against cancer and other diseases. As you extend your youthful vigor into later years, you have contributed to your longevity with a healthy, nutritious diet. 

(Brought to you by Gold’s Gym of Oregon)

To get even more ideas, visit the LifeBalance Cooking category.

To keep track of what you eat and more, visit the Food Tracker & Journal available free through your MyLifeBalance account.

1 1/2 c Kamut Flour
1/2 c fine Coconut Flakes
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 c Sucanat Sugar

1/2 c Sunflower or Safflower Oil
1 1/4 c Rice Dream or Soy Milk
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 lb Tofu
1/4 c Almond Butter
Zest and Juice of 1 Orange
2 tsp Nutmeg
2-3 tbsp Sucanat for icing

1 pint sliced Strawberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine first five dry ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the next three wet ingredients. DO NOT MIX IN THE VINEGAR YET. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix very well, for 2-3 minutes. Prepare an 8X8 inch square, or 9 inch diameter, round cake pan, by lightly greasing it with coconut butter or vegetable oil. If using oil, also dust pan with a teaspoon of flour, coating all the edges and bottom evenly. (You will not need to dust with flour if using coconut butter). Add the vinegar to the cake batter, and mix in quickly and thoroughly. Pour directly into prepared pan, and place pan into preheated oven immediately. Bake for 25-30 minutes, then remove cake from oven and allow to completely cool on cooling rack before icing.

Place drained and rinsed tofu into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add the almond butter, orange zest and juice and nutmeg. Pulse blender until icing is creamy. Add 2-3 tablespoons sucanat to sweeten to suit your preference. Refrigerate icing until ready to prepare cake.

Once cake is cooled, turn out of pan onto a cutting board. Insert a sharp, serrated knife, on the horizontal angle, into the side of cake and cut cake into two layers of even thickness. Carefully transport one layer to serving tray. Spread evenly with half inch thickness of icing, and add a layer of sliced strawberries. Transport second layer of cake, and place on top. Spread the remainder of the icing generously onto top of shortcake, and cover with the rest of the sliced strawberries. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

(Brought to you by Spud)

Most commonly applied to six-month-olds and under, parents participating are allowed to bring their little one with them to work, provided they are getting their work done and not disrupting the workplace. Both can be difficult to manage, whether it is due to a screaming tot or the flood of other employees stopping by to snuggle the youngest of interns. The six-months-and-under rule is aimed at addressing the period from birth, when daycare costs are highest and many mothers are nursing, to when the baby becomes mobile, and thus harder to entertain in a small space.

Absenteeism in new parents tends to decrease amongst employees participating in such a program as many parents have to take the day off work when their nanny or daycare provider falls through. Many parents offered the option to bring their newborn to work return from leave much more quickly, balancing their desire to return to work with the reluctance to be apart from their baby. A “bring your baby to work” policy also decreases the chance that an employee will opt not to return to work on the heels of their parental leave, as the transition can be eased considerably by bringing the baby to work. A major consideration is the workplace itself, its suitability and safety for babies. Offices better lend themselves to baby care and privacy than cubicles. The nature of the work performed by the parent and their office neighbors is another factor. Heavy in-person or phone customer service can become difficult when juggling a wailing five month old.

When it works, employers find they see increased loyalty from their staff; parents and non-parents alike who appreciate the efforts their company makes to assist in the balance of work and home life.

(Brought to you by Xenium)

Last month's trivia question, which asked members how many river miles are covered on the Imperial River Company's all day adventure was correctly answered by Jeff Wilhelms. Congratulations! The correct answer is 18.

This month's question requires you to answer a question from one of our LifeBalance Providers. Enter to win a free round trip from Seattle to Victoria, BC for 2 from Clipper Vacations.

What year was Clipper Vacations founded?

To answer this month's trivia question, simply fill in the form below.

The correct answer to this month's question will be revealed in the next edition of eAction!