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Most of us believe that age related diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, adult onset diabetes, stroke, cancer, etc are the inevitable consequences of aging, but we are now finding out that this is not necessarily true. We actually have a lot more control over how we age than you might think. Healthy aging is mainly the result of how we “communicate” with our genes — through our diet, our lifestyle and the environment we bathe them in. Healthy habits nurture healthy genes.

When most of us think of genes, we think of the ones that determine particular characteristics such as whether we have brown hair, blue eyes or long legs, or those that predict specific childhood diseases. These genes are “fixed”, but are only few in number. By far the vast majority are the thousands of genes that direct all of our biochemical processes and that render us susceptible to the many chronic diseases so many people are experiencing today.

While we are each born with a set of genes — a baseline set of conditions which we can’t change — we can change how they are expressed. This means that most genes in and of themselves do not create disease. Rather, the likelihood of developing disease and disability is determined by the way we live our lives and by the choices we make. You may have the genes for and be susceptible to heart disease or diabetes or arthritis, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will get those diseases. In other words, these genes do not cause disease per se unless they are thrust into a detrimental environment, one conducive to expressing these genes as chronic disease.

There are multiple factors in your diet, environment and lifestyle that affect your genes and how you age. Many of these are within your control. Of all the factors, diet is the easiest to control and probably the most important determinant of how our genes are expressed.

A revolutionary new science, Nutrigenomics, is showing how different foods may interact with specific genes, how food “talks” to our genes and how our genes express themselves after the conversation. It is confirming that food provides potent dietary signals that directly influence the metabolic programming of our cells and modify the risk of common chronic diseases. It is telling us that food is information, that it contains “instructions” which are communicated directly to our genes.

Armed with this information, your genes commandeer various metabolic actions and affect millions of critical biological processes, including cholesterol levels, aging, hormone regulation, weight gain and loss, and much more. Eat the right foods and they will send instructions to your genes for good health. Eating the wrong foods however, sends messages for disease.

What we are finding out is that there is so much more to food than just the nutrients we have discovered thus far. Real food is packed with thousands of compounds which have a complex and dynamic relationship with one another and your genes. With processed foods however, these micronutrients have either been altered or are missing, and therefore they can never deliver the same beneficial messages to your genes. Just as a computer program won’t function well when it gets fed bad data, neither will your body. Once you understand that food is “data” or complex information that the body uses to direct the multifaceted actions that keep us vibrantly alive, it’s easy to understand that loading up on junk food is like taking the fast lane to a giant system failure.

Foods loaded with sugar, trans fats and chemicals, and foods processed beyond recognition, are simply “bad data” for human consumption. I call these “food-like substances” because they are not real food. If you eat these regularly, your body stops working properly.

It makes perfect sense, when you think about it. When you bathe your genes in an unhealthy environment, like the one created when you eat junk food, your genes “miscue” metabolic actions that can trigger disease. For example your body responds to “food-like substances” as if they are “foreign bodies”. This prompts an inflammatory response as your body tries to protect itself. Over time, continued consumption can lead to the development of a low grade chronic inflammatory condition which is now becoming recognized as an important precursor to a variety of more serious forms of illness.

Bottom line: the food you eat affects the functioning of your genes.

Here are 10 ways to improve the “conversation”.

1. Eat real food i.e. fresh, whole, unrefined and unprocessed food

Food is more than a delivery system for nutrients containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Real food is more than the sum of its parts, it’s about how it all works together, about the integrity of the information or the total message. Although you should know how to read food labels, most real food does not come with a label …vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, wild fish, organic chicken and eggs etc.

2. Be close to nature

Although there is no one right diet for everyone (as we are all different), try eat as close to nature as possible because the further removed food is from its source the less good data it will contain, and the more likely it is of being a “food-like substance” and not real food.

3. Select fruits and vegetables in a wide variety of colors

4. Buy fresh

Buy fresh foods whenever you can, preferably organic and locally grown if possible. Fresh foods are better than frozen foods, which are better than canned foods.

5. Stop eating when you are 80% full

6. Be skeptical of foods that come individually labeled with a health claim

Most healthy foods don’t need a health claim. Have you ever seen a health claim on a bunch of broccoli or on a box of blueberries?

7. Be wary of foods you’ve seen advertised as the vast majority of these are processed foods

8. Be careful of obsessive calorie counting

Figuring your diet simply in terms of calories or even percentages of protein, fat and carbohydrate, can inadvertently deprive your body of the “complete” messages that real, whole foods provide .

9. Enjoy your food, preferably in the company of people you love

10. Don’t waste your time feeling guilty if you ate the “wrong” thing

As part of a healthy food diet, we should drink about eight cups of water a day. But when you’re used to drinking pop by the gallons and coffee loaded with sugar and cream, plain water can be very boring – and it’s hard getting it down.

Here are a few ideas on how to make water more interesting so you can drink lots and stay healthy.

1. Buy bottles of water and keep them chilled in your refrigerator

Believe it or not, your mind will treat water in a glass as boring and make it difficult to drink. But from a water bottle it is not only easier to swallow, but your mind treats it as a drink and not just water.

2. Delicious fruit slushy

Crush a couple trays of ice cubes in a blender along with four or five strawberries or half a cup of raspberries and enjoy a delicious fruit slushy. You can use any flesh fruit or combination and get really creative.

3. Herbal teas

Enjoy the many flavors of herbal teas and benefit from their nutritional values while taking in your daily water quota. There are flavors to suit every preference and most of them taste so great that you don’t need to add a sweetener. They also quench your hunger and can aid in losing weight.

4. Lemon juice

Add a capful of pure lemon juice to a one-liter bottle of water and get a refreshing and thirst quenching drink. You can drink it down easily and its slightly tart flavor tastes great. Lemon juice is a great way to help keep your cholesterol levels in line.

5. Make Popsicles

by adding some pure fruit juice to a jug of water Pour the mixture into either Popsicle trays or ice cube trays and then freeze them. It will be really easy getting your water quota when you’re chomping on these instead of a calorie snack while enjoying your movie.

6. Diet jello

It makes a great calorie-free desert while at the same time adding to your water intake. This is another way that you can really enjoy your water.

7. Coffee

is always a great way to enjoy drinking water. You can deck it out with sugar and cream or drink it black or add your favorite incentive.

8. Plain ice cubes

are everyone’s favorite crunch snack and a great way to build up your water supply for the day. There are no calories and it’s really inexpensive.

9. Pure fruit juice

is a tasty and nutritional drink that not only meets your daily dietary needs but also adds to your water intake.

10. Hot chocolate

is everyone’s favorite hot drink in winter and it’s a perfect way to add to your daily water intake. Dress it up with marshmallows or drink it plain but either way it’s another way of drinking water.

So you see, there are lots of ways to enjoy water besides drinking it plain – and really no reason to fall short of your daily requirement. Enjoy!

After spending too much time and money at the local Jamba Juice, I decided it was time to take my own blender out of hiding. I’ve spent the last year trying out recipes, force feeding my friends experimental drinks, and –finally- discovering how to make a pretty amazing smoothie.

You don’t need a recipe to make a killer smoothie. But, you do need to follow some basic concepts. Here’s what I’ve learned:

Store frozen fruit

In cold drinks, frozen trumps fresh. Keep frozen strawberries, blueberries, and bananas in your freezer at all times. Frozen fruit will keep your smoothies icy and will taste good no matter what’s in season. Surprisingly, frozen fruit almost always tastes better than fresh fruit when added to a frosty beverage.

Use frozen drink concentrate

Unfortunately, most home blenders don’t crush ice very well. Unless you’re willing to shell out four hundred bucks for a fancy contraption, frozen drink concentrate is the secret to making killer smoothies. Add half a can of frozen juice concentrate to your blender (Dole’s Pine-Orange Banana is a great one to start with). Then, just add other fruits, juices, and dairy products. Don’t add the suggested amount of water or you’ll negate the frosty effect.

Crush your own ice

When a recipe absolutely needs ice, crush the ice yourself before throwing it in the blender. Use the ice crusher on your fridge or resort to the traditional method of banging the ice bag against something solid. Taking a few minutes to pre-crush is better than finding huge ice cubes floating around in your smoothie.

Add dairy

If you’ve ever tried a Jamba Juice all-fruit smoothie, you probably asked yourself “what’s missing?” The answer is the dairy. Adding a little bit of dairy to your smoothie will make it taste rich and finished. You don’t have to load it up with ice cream (although, ice cream will make it taste amazing it will also negate any health benefits). Try throwing in a cup of non-fat yogurt or add in a few Tablespoons of milk. If you don’t think you’ll be able to taste it, give it a try. A little bit of dairy can make a huge difference in taste.

Don’t forget the bananas

Second only to dairy is the banana. While most fruits used in smoothies are rather acidic (think: orange juice, raspberries, etc.), bananas even out the taste. They add richness and balance. To freeze bananas ahead of time, slice them into thin rounds. Place the rounds on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Scrape the banana slices off the cookie sheet and store in an air-tight Tupperware container until you’re ready to use them.

Order matters

Don’t throw all of your ingredients in to the blender at the same time. Adding them in order will give your smoothie the ideal texture will let everything blend just right. First, crush and add your ice. Second, add any whole fruits. Third, put in the frozen fruit concentrates. Fourth, pour in the fruit juices. Finally, add the dairy. Blend for a few seconds between each step.

Forget the vitamins

Smoothie joints add vitamins so that their customers feel extra healthy when ordering a drink. Don’t make this mistake at home. Swallowing a vitamin takes half a second – crushing a vitamin into your smoothie will mess with the entire flavor of your drink, always in a bad way. When a Jamba Juice employee says “actually, vitamins aren’t recommended with that smoothie,” what he’s really saying is “that smoothie doesn’t taste strong enough to mask the bad flavor of the vitamin.” Be warned.

Create balance

A smoothie made from raspberries, cranberries, and ice will taste too acidic. A smoothie made from bananas and yogurt will taste too bland. Smoothies need to balance sharp citrus flavors (orange juices, berries, etc) with calming tastes (bananas, dairy, etc.) When making a smoothie be sure to add at least one acidic ingredient and one calming ingredient. Your taste buds will be pleased.

Serve in a margarita glass

Alright, so this one might be a little much. Presentation isn’t everything…but it can give your smoothie some style. If you’re serving smoothies at a party (or just want to treat yourself) pouring them into fancy glasses is a lot more fun.

Top with a straw

Even if you serve your smoothie in an old office mug, this step is actually important. For some reason, using a straw will greatly improve your smoothie-drinking experience. Smoothies are too thick without a straw. Try sipping from the edge of the cup and you’ll end up with a smoothie ‘stash. They’re easier to drink with a straw and I honestly think they taste better that way too.

Once you experiment with these basic concepts, you won’t really need to use a recipe. But, if you’re dying to take the easy way, check out our smoothie recipes. Yum.