Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer. Beaches fill with umbrellas and sandcastles, swim clubs open for the season, campgrounds flood with tents, and the smell of barbeque pervades neighborhoods. Start your holiday weekend with our bbq favorites and the natural condiments to go with them.

Between the Buns
All-Beef: For a plump, hearty, tastes-like-it-came-off-the-grill treat, try Applegate Farms Great Organic Hot Dog. Made with 100% organic grass-fed beef, this dog has half the fat as many traditional varieties, but all the flavor as your childhood faves.

Pork & Beef: Juicy, with hints of both sweet and salty, Organic Prairie’s Uncured Hot Dog gives a great snap as you bite into it. For the youngsters, try Niman Ranch Fearless Uncured Franks for Kids. These dogs are made with antibiotic- and hormone-free meat, plus the mild flavor and thin shape make them a great choice for little mouths.

Vegetarian: Want a dog, but not meat? Packed with protein, LightLife’s Veggie Dogs, made with organic ingredients, and all-natural Yves Good Dog boasts a delicious hickory flavor. Plus, there’s no saturated fat or cholesterol in these dogs, making them one summer snack that won’t ruin your diet.

Poultry: Organic Prairie Uncured Chicken Hot Dogs and Uncured Turkey Hot Dogs are skinless, made from organic meat and boast a smoky and hearty taste, but contain much less fat than pork or beef dogs.

Tasty Toppers
Ketchup: With Annie’s Naturals Organic Ketchup, delight in the same traditional ketchup taste that you love but without the high fructose corn syrup or pesticide-ridden tomatoes. Or try a new twist on an old classic with Wholemato’s Spicy Organic Agave Ketchup, a thick adaptation with a smoky flavor that’s sweetened with agave nectar.

Mustard: Available in a jar or a squeeze bottle, Eden Organic Yellow Mustard Stone Ground with Apple Cider Vinegar is essential for any condiment lover. Gentle hints of vinegar and garlic harmonize in this smooth-textured mustard.

Sauerkraut: Tree of Life sauerkraut contains only organic cabbage, water and salt, making it mild enough for even the youngest family member to enjoy.

Relish: For a refreshing summer treat, top your dog with the crunchy Del Monte Organic Sweet Pickle Relish. Its tangy taste will be sure to put your tongue into overdrive.

– Cricket Azima, KIWI Food Editor and lover of bbqs

A new study was published this month in the medical journal The Lancet that appeared to be groundbreaking for some but is really common sense when you stop to think about it.  The study came out of Europe and looked at young patients with heart disease and addressed that they are smoking more and twice as many suffer from diabetes compared to 12 years ago. It was determined that heart disease prevention in routine clinical practice is inadequate, with only a third of patients being referred to and joining prevention programs, while doctors are prescribing more and more drugs. The most shocking revelation was that despite large increases in the use of all classes of blood pressure lowering drugs, blood pressure management showed no improvement.

One thing many of us agree with is that lifestyle programs should be the backbone of preventive care. Saving people’s lives from acute heart attacks is one thing where conventional medicine excels, but we need an urgent investment in prevention to address the lifestyle causes of heart disease. The nation’s integrative health care leaders met in Washington DC earlier this month to discuss patient centered health care and how to reduce health care costs in the long term. As I was there to witness this inspiring meeting, the word prevention was repeated over and over.

Just how do we prevent heart disease? Exercise and diet are key. How many times do you hear yourself or friends and family make excuses for not exercising. Well, there is not an excuse; in fact your life depends on it! Remember that even housework and gardening burn a number of calories. Enjoy the increased light and longer days. Get on a bike with your kids or throw your little ones in the jogger. Create a mom’s walking group in your neighborhood.

As for diet, fresh fruits and veggies, 5-8 servings a day! When choosing which ones, always aim for a variety of colors to increase the vitamin and mineral assortment. Fiber is important as well. Try to get a minimum of 25 grams a day. While fresh fruits and veggies have a lot of naturally occurring fiber like pectin, other reliable sources are Chia seed, which also contain essential fatty acids. Try Gaia Herbs Chia Fresh. It can be added to salads, smoothies or taken alone.

And yes, of course, no heart healthy plan will ever be complete without mentioning Omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish regularly and/or consuming around one gram daily of EPA+DHA from fish oil. For a great quality heart healthy option, try Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega. They have a guaranteed no repeat policy because their oils are so fresh.

-Dr. Keri Marshall MS, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic pediatrics and women’s medicine.

January 19 is the day this year that we celebrate the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.;  a man who changed the world. Who knows where we would be without this hero who put his life on the line so that people would  “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”?

I wonder if Dr. King’s parents, while he was growing up, ever realized how great their son would be. What did Alberta and Martin Luther King, Sr. do to create such an incredible child? What values, what inspiration did they give him? Did they know that he would improve the lives of countless people and change the face of our world? Did Barack Obama’s mother know as she held her beautiful baby in her arms that he would someday become President; that the hope of a nation would rest on her angel’s shoulders? Do any of us know what greatness lies in our children?

As parents, we all think our children are special. We love them with a biased heart.  However, the lesson of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama is that our children truly are the future of the world. This realization makes our job even more critical—raising our children with a social and environmental conscious can actually make a difference.

Let’s take these next few amazing days, the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States, to see that the potential is there for our children to make the world a better place. We are raising the next scientists, politicians, philanthropists, explorers, nutrition experts, artists, computer geniuses and more.

So, as you kiss your children goodnight on the 19th, on this crossover between two historical days, feel the power that is yours and theirs.  Infused with love and wrapped in your commitment, anything is possible.

—Maxine Wolf, CEO & Publisher, KIWI Magazine