Video: Detoxification Is About Food - Not Pills

No matter what your goals are for detoxing, it's a great way to make your body healthier. This short video gives you a brief overview of our favorite cleanse and detox program - The Total Wellness Cleanse. As he explains in the video, cleansing is about food - not pills! Or at least it should be....

In order to give your body the support it needs to detoxify itself naturally, you need to give it the correct nutrition. The Total Wellness Cleanse is a nutrition program that will teach you how to do just this. No crazy lemon juice diets, weeks where you can only eat soup, or anything like that. This is a program that teaches you how to eat real foods that feed and heal your body, and support all of its detoxification systems. With daily guidance, step-by-step instructions, and delicious recipes and daily menu ideas, this system is the complete package when it comes to natural and gentle detoxification.

Check out the video and you'll see why....



Click Here to Learn More About The Total Wellness Cleanse:

Nutritional Solutions for Crohn's Patients

When the small intestine is inflamed -- as it often is with Crohn's disease -- the intestine becomes less able to fully digest and absorb the nutrients from food. Such nutrients, as well as unabsorbed bile salts, can escape into the large intestine to varying degrees, depending on how extensively the small intestine has been injured by inflammation. This is one reason why people with Crohn's disease become malnourished, in addition to just not having much appetite. Furthermore, incompletely digested foods that travel through the large intestine interfere with water conservation, even if the colon itself is not damaged. Thus, when Crohn's disease affects the small intestine, it may cause diarrhea as well as malnutrition. Should the large intestine also be inflamed, the diarrhea may become even more extreme.

Crohn's disease - esophagus - intermed mag.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

People with Crohn's disease whose small intestine is affected, are prone to becoming malnourished due to loss of appetite, poor digestion and malabsorption, and the fact that a chronic disease such as Crohn’s tends to increase the caloric needs of the body due to the energy the body consumes during a flare-up.

Good nutrition is one of the ways the body restores and heals itself. Therefore, every effort must be made to avoid becoming malnourished. Protein is a key nutritional element in the recovery process. Consume healthy proteins such as lean cuts of chicken and fish. A protein deficiency can lead to fatigue, insulin resistance, and loss of muscle mass.

Iron deficiency is fairly common in people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's colitis and less common in those with small intestine disease. It results from blood loss following inflammation and ulceration of the colon.

Try teaming iron-rich foods such as poultry, naturally fermented soy foods, and some fortified foods such as whole grain cereals with fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C like potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, red and green bell peppers, and cabbage. This food partnership improves the iron absorption rate, and the vitamin C gives the immune system a boost.

Restrict your consumption of certain high-fiber foods such as nuts, seeds, corn. High-fiber foods also provoke contractions once they enter the large intestine and can cause cramping as a result. They may also cause diarrhea, since they are not completely digested by the small intestine. Sometimes a low-fiber diet is necessary minimize abdominal pain and cramping symptoms.

It may also be necessary to supplement your diet with nutritional supplements to ensure your body is getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals needed.

Nutrition is one of the best ways to combat disease of all types, and Crohn's is no exception. It can be a very trying disease, to say the least, but eating the right foods in the right combination can help make your life a bit better - and your body healthier.

How Can Foods Contribute to Cleansing & Detoxification?

Cleansing the body of toxins is a popular topic these days, and for good reason.  We do, in fact, live in an environment where our bodies are bombarded with toxic substances on a daily basis. 

Exercise, supplement programs, fasts, meditation, yoga, etc. are employed to varying degrees in order to bring cleansing to the body.  However, the important role that food plays in cleansing - simply what we eat - cannot be ignored. (For lots more articles on how important food is to your health, visit our main blog at www.newholisticliving.com/blog.html)

Americans have a tendency to want quick fixes to problems and symptoms.  We love our pills.  We can swallow a capsule or tablet and go on about our business with no lifestyle changes necessary.

Why isn't it okay to employ quick fixes?

The problem with this approach is that it completely eliminates the connection between food and health that is so vital!

Pills may mask symptoms, but the underlying problem of a poor diet will not be addressed.  In other words, toxins are still building while the symptoms are being alleviated. What does this mean? It means that your long-term health is still being compromised. You may not have immediate symptoms, but eventually this continual build-up of toxins can (and in many cases will) lead to serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimers, and more.

Sometimes, we look at food as our enemy - we think the less we eat, the healthier and thinner we will be.  But what you do eat is very important.   

"Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food," said Hippocrates (from whom doctors get the "Hippocratic Oath").  (This is pretty much my favorite quote ever!!!)

Let's look briefly at some of the constituents in whole foods and their various cleansing benefits.

* Fiber

This is a big one.  Fiber is one of the primary ways to eliminate waste from the colon.  Without it, bowel movements lack bulk, and toxins can build up in the colon.  Fiber absorbs poisons and waste matter as it moves along the intestinal tract, picking it up, and moving it out.

High-fiber diets are also associated with a decreased risk of colon and rectal cancer, as well as heart disease.

* Vitamins and Minerals

Healthy, whole foods contain these vital nutrients.  These substances have more roles in the body's health than can be discussed here, but some particular vitamins, such as C and E, have specific antioxidant effects.

Iron builds the blood; other vitamins and minerals build bone and tissue; still others play an active role in cell regeneration.  Without vitamins and minerals, the body cannot repair and rebuild itself from a cleanse.

Healthy Berries are Good Food for Health (Photo credit: epSos.de)

* Antioxidants

Many foods contain these bodily scavengers that fight free radical damage in the body.

Green tea, berries, tomatoes, and many other foods have antioxidant properties.

Cranberries, for example, promote bladder and kidney health, which are important organs involved in bodily cleansing.

* Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3's)

More and more, we are hearing about the importance of good fats in the diet.  It turns out that they are crucial, and, among other things, help support liver health.  The liver is a major cleansing organ. They also compose much of the matter that brain tissue is made of, so be sure to eat your healthy fats!

* Phytonutrients

These are simply the nutrients found in plant foods, and they tend to have anti-cancer and antioxidant benefits.

All in all, what you do choose to eat has a significant role in the cleansing of your body (as does what you avoid eating).  Refined sugar, white flour, and processed foods full of artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors will have the effect of building toxic waste in your tissues, so be sure to choose foods wisely.


For a good, natural food-based cleansing & detoxification program, check out The Total Wellness Cleanse.

7 Nutrition Tips To Reduce Your Toxic Load

You may have heard a lot about cleansing diets or fasts, but if you want to keep your system clean, it really very simply comes down to what you eat every day.  If you want to keep your body at its best, here are some tips toward maintaining optimal nutrition.

1. Eat Organic, Whole Foods

This is rather basic, but very important.  Whole foods are those that have undergone the least processing, but they do not have to be eaten exclusively raw. 

Examples include whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, grass-fed and free-range meats that are not processed into preserved meat products, and natural sweeteners. 

Your system will not be clean if you continually pump it full of unhealthy foods.  This does not mean you can never indulge, but it does mean that your diet should consist of at least 80 percent whole, organic foods.  That way, when you do choose to indulge, your body can handle it and eliminate the toxins on its own.

Sucanat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Replace White with Brown

This is a basic nutritional rule of thumb for optimal nutrition.  Replace all refined or "white" foods with whole or "brown" foods.  It's not the color of the food (white popcorn, for example, can be very nutritious); it's the level of refinement.

For example:

* White flour/Whole wheat flour
* White sugar/Raw, unfiltered honey, blackstrap molasses, or Sucanat (natural sugarcane)
* White rice/Brown rice
* Pasta made from refined flour/Whole grain pasta

3. Add Probiotics

These friendly bacteria are important for helping the body keep itself cleansed, and keep intestinal flora in balance.  Sources include yogurt, miso (a fermented soybean paste), kefir, acidophilous milk, tempeh, kimchi (or naturally fermented sauerkraut), lactic-acid fermented pickles and other naturally fermented foods, and probiotic supplements. Many of these (like yogurt) are very easy to make at home - and contain more good bacteria than purchased sources.

4. Choose Nutrient-Dense Foods

These are foods that provide the most nutrient value for their caloric value.  In other words, they are the opposite of "empty calorie" foods like candy, pop, or fried potato chips that are full of calories but lacking nutrients.

Nutrient-dense foods are not necessarily low-calorie (although they can be) - avocados and nuts are examples - but for their calories they deliver large amounts of nutrients.

5. Get Enough Fiber

High-fiber diets are essential to keeping the intestinal system clean.  Fiber bulks up bowel movements, taking toxins along with it as it moves along the intestinal tract.

Healthy choices for high fiber are whole grains, including air-popped or stove-top popcorn (not microwave popcorn, as it may contain some dubious chemicals), fruits, fresh vegetables, beans, and legumes.


6. Don't Be Afraid to Supplement

The supplement debate is likely never to be resolved, but supplements are worth looking into in today's often nutrient-deficient culture.

If you are not getting enough vitamins, minerals, fiber, or probiotics from your diet - and such dietary goals can be difficult to reach - consider supplementing with a natural multivitamin, minerals, probiotics, or fiber sources (such as psyllium husks). Choose a good quality manufacturer such as Garden Of Life, or Standard Process, which are made here in the US and include organic and whole-food ingredients.

7. You Are What You Drink

Do not forget to drink plenty of water!  No other beverage is a good substitute for water. Regardless of what else you drink, you still need to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Add a few generous squeezes of lemon juice to your first glass of water in the morning for a liver-cleansing tonic.


Good Supplements Are Easy to Find Online:
   

The Nutritional Benefits of Hemp Milk

For many people, milk has been part of a standard daily diet their entire life. You may drink several glasses of milk a day, but some people don't handle milk well, and it can lead to a variety of digestive problems. If you drink commercial (pasteurized, homogenized) milk, you are drinking something with little to no nutritional value, and it may even contribute to health issues for some people. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to cow’s milk, you may want to consider hemp milk.*  It offers a variety of health benefits and it’s easy to make at home yourself.

Health Benefits of Hemp Milk

Hemp Bliss (Photo credit: joshua m. neff)

Before we jump into the nutritional value of a glass of hemp milk there are some other health benefits to consider.

Hemp milk doesn’t contain many of the allergens milk from animals contains. Many people are lactose intolerant or allergic to either whey protein or casein. The allergies can cause anything from gastric distress to migraines and anaphylactic shock. All of these ingredients are found in cow’s milk, sheep’s milk and goat milk. Hemp milk is free from these common allergens.

Additionally, hemp milk contains wonderful omega fatty acids. Omega fatty acids are excellent for improving immune function, organ function, better skin, nails, and better brain function as well. Lastly, most hemp grown in the US and Canada is grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals, which makes it a cleaner and healthier choice than conventionally sourced animal milk.

Nutritional Content of Hemp Milk

Your standard 8-Ounce glass of hemp milk contains the following nutrients:

•    900mg Omega-3 Fatty Acid
•    2800mg Omega-6 Fatty Acid
•    All 10 Essential Amino Acids
•    4 grams of Protein
•    46% of RDA of Calcium
•    0% Cholesterol
•    Potassium
•    Phosphorous
•    Riboflavin
•    Vitamin A
•    Vitamin E
•    Vitamin B12
•    Folic Acid
•    Vitamin D
•    Magnesium
•    Iron
•    Zinc

As you can see hemp milk is full of nutrients. It tastes much like almond, rice or soy milk. It is a bit watery so it may not work well as a straight replacement in baking; however, on cereal or as a beverage to drink, it is quite delicious.

Food shelled hemp seeds. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How to Make Your Own Hemp Milk

Making hemp milk is easy to do. However, finding hemp seeds may be a bit trickier. You can order them online, and some natural health food stores may carry both hemp milk and hemp seeds. (Be sure not to buy hemp seeds sourced from China, where they may be grown using chemicals.)

In a blender combine one cup of shelled hemp seeds with five to six cups of water. Blend for two to three minutes until smooth. For richer milk, use less water. For thinner milk you can add more water. You can sweeten the milk, great for coffee - just add honey or agave and vanilla extract. You can drink it as is or you can strain it through a cheese cloth or fine strainer to remove seed particles.

If you have cow’s milk sensitivities or are simply looking for a vegetarian alternative, hemp milk is extremely healthy. More supermarkets are beginning to carry it and you can make it yourself at home too. Give it a try; you might be surprised how tasty it is.

* Note: If you really want to drink cow's milk, be sure it is REAL milk!! See this blog post for how and why....

Want To Be Healthy? Stop Eating These 3 "Health" Foods!

Isn't it ironic that since the introduction of "health" foods over the last 20-25 years, we are fatter and sicker than ever before? 

What gives? Is there something going on that we don't know about?

Well, a few weeks ago my favorite health "guru" and renowned nutritionist Yuri Elkaim decided to buckle down, do some research, and uncover the truth.

And what a scary truth he uncovered!

3 "Health" Foods to STOP Eating

Much of the research he came across confirmed some of which we already know about certain "health" foods, but some new research absolutely shocked him.

And so he channeled my frustration and put together an amazing new report for you that reveals the 3 "health" foods that you should stop eating as of today!

Here's just a small sampling of what you'll discover in this report:

• WHY these 3 foods are dangerous to your health,

• WHY they continue to be "pushed" down our throats,

• How YOU can become a SMARTER consumer to make better food choices,

• How continuing to eat these 3 foods will sabotage your ability to lose weight,

• And much more!

Why am I giving you this report for free?

Because you need to know this information - and there's no time like the present to get started on a path to better health. It's that simple.

So here's my New Year's gift to you - it's totally free - we won't even ask for your email address!

 

Just Click Here to Download Your FREE Report

On your side in good health,

Rose Hillbrand.

Think Zinc: Why Your Body Needs It for Good Health

The body is a complex machine that needs lots of different nutrients to perform its daily functions. One of those nutrients is zinc. You may only think of it in relation to keeping you from getting sunburned, but it serves an even greater purpose than that.

Why should we be thinking about zinc? It is an important mineral in the body. Each day, the body performs thousands of reactions that can happen in the blink of an eye. From the foods we eat, the body filters out what it needs and directs it to the right places for use. What we don’t need is eliminated as waste. Each day the process begins again.

The Importance of Zinc

Zinc supplements. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the body, zinc is responsible for helping with hundreds of reactions in a variety of cells. For one, it plays a very important role in immune function. Zinc is instrumental in stimulating the formation of T-lymphocytes or helper T-cells. These are the white blood cells that rush to the sight of an invading infection to stop the onslaught on the body. It plays a role in wound healing as well.

Zinc stimulates enzyme activity. Enzymes are catalysts for hundreds of reactions, from secreting hormones from glands to stimulating the creation of reproductive cells.

It supports normal growth and development throughout your life. In the womb, it helps to ensure that the neurological systems develop as they should during each trimester of pregnancy. After birth it still functions to support brain development.

Basically the body couldn’t do without zinc and yet, many people are deficient in this mineral. It may not be noticed at first, but over time it can show up in decreased immunity or greater susceptibility to colds and other illnesses. You often see people taking Echinacea and zinc as natural remedies to fight these conditions.

Foods containing zinc. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Foods that Contain Zinc

The best way to get zinc into your system is through your food. This is always a preferable choice to supplements as it is the natural form of the mineral, and is more easily absorbed and utilized by the body. Check your diet. If you are not eating any of these foods, you could be zinc-deficient.

* Oysters
* Wheat germ
* Bran
* Cheese
* Beef
* Lamb
* Other dairy products
* Walnuts

The highest concentrations of zinc come from beef. Eating a few servings a week can boost your zinc levels. On a daily note, try adding nuts or cheese to your dishes. Wheat germ can be added to cereals and yogurt without changing the taste much. If that doesn’t do it, try fortified cereals that contain added zinc.

The average person over the age of fourteen needs eight to eleven milligrams a day. Children need between two and five milligrams depending on age, and pregnant women need eleven or more milligrams.

Zinc is an important mineral used in every cell in the body. Make sure you are getting enough to keep your body healthy and free of illness this winter.

Video - Eating the Right Type of Fiber to Detoxify Your Body

This informative video discusses the different types of fiber and how they are both important and work together to clear toxins from the body, and improve overall health in a number of ways. Eating both types of fiber is important, but you don't have to work that hard to include more fiber in your diet. Eating a wide variety of whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains every day will easily provide you with all the fiber you need for optimal health. (But beware of processed foods claiming to contain "whole grains" - these are often loaded with sugar and other unhealthy substances, and the amount of actual whole grains may actually be minimal.)

Interestingly, he also discusses how different seasonal foods naturally have the proper balance of the right kinds of fiber for your body during each different season. Check it out!

Eat the Right Fiber
/HomeDetox Eat the Right Fiber You have heard of the h...

Video - Choosing Supplements Wisely

This is a short but excellent video on the importance of choosing the right supplement for you, and how and why supplements can offer important benefits to your health. Her emphasis on getting your nutrition mostly from food is especially important, and if you do take supplements, a "whole food" form (such as Standard Process or Garden of Life) can be much more effective and impactful for your health.

Choosing Supplements Wisely
Americans spend about $14 billion each year on supplements in an effort to correct less than perfect diets, lose weight, or address specific health issues. H...


Examples of Whole Food Supplements: 
   

The Eternal Debate: Does Organic Living Require Supplements?

Welcome back! We hope you had a nice holiday weekend, and enjoyed the eco-friendly Easter tips we shared with  you last week. This week we're wrapping up with our "going organic" series with a couple more important topics for those wishing to live a healthier and greener lifestyle.

There’s an interesting trend happening in natural and organic living. People who tout the consumption of plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, also seem to consume a lot of supplements. I’ve had many people ask me about this. If you’re living a healthy lifestyle, why do you need supplements?

Dietary supplements, such as the vitamin B supplement show above, are typically sold in pill form. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And it’s a very good question.

Many people living an organic lifestyle cite depleting soils, premature picking, cooking, processing and other factors as decreasing the nutritional value of our food. But here’s my take on it. If you’re eating healthfully, exercising regularly and unless you have specific health issues, supplementation may not be necessary - but it may improve your overall health, just depending on your specific needs.

Supplements are big business. Whether they’re synthetic or they’re natural (if you do take them, go natural), it’s a business that must convince the consumer they need their product.  It’s a decision that each person needs to make for themselves and it’s important to remember that having too much of certain vitamins and minerals can actually be harmful.

And more importantly, supplements can be very expensive and you need to decide carefully if they need to be in your budget.

Many people claim they’ve never felt better when taking a specific natural supplement for a specific purpose. That’s absolutely wonderful and if you’re getting the results you are looking for, more power to you. Just realize that some supplements can create dependence and even though they’re natural, can harm you.

Recently Dr. Oz shared some tips for considering supplements:

- Choose single ingredient supplements and just take the ones you need
- Do your research thoroughly
- Beware of trendy supplements

And here’s how I approach it:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

- Eat more raw food: The more raw fruits and vegetables you eat, the more nutritional value you can pack in. Cooking strips food of vitamins and minerals, so while you may still eat the same amount of cooked food, you’re reducing the benefit you receive. If you can grow your own, or get them fresh and locally grown, that's even better, as the vitamin content of most fruits and vegetables tends to decline rather rapidly once they're picked.

- When you cook, eat real food, not pre-made processed food. Cooking your own food ensures you can use more wholesome ingredients and use cooking methods that retain the most nutritional value possible.

- Stay active. A lot of your health depends on being active and getting plenty of exercise. You can take all the vitamin supplements in the world, but you still need to get moving. Exercising gives you more energy and can give the same type of boosts that supplements can, but exercise is truly natural. Check out http://www.newholisticliving.com/exercise.html for some fun ways to exercise.

- Pay attention to your body. Eating and living healthy isn’t a foolproof way to stay healthy, unfortunately - it just improves your odds. So do pay attention to your body and seek medical advice, where needed.

- Sleep well. A lot of the reason many of us feel run down is because we simply don’t get enough sleep. Make it a priority and organize your day, giving yourself plenty of wind down time so you can get a proper night’s rest.

And finally, if you're concerned, you can get tested.  There are blood tests that you can get to ensure your body is getting enough vitamins and minerals. Go ahead and get one. You might be surprised that you’re as healthy as a horse. And if you’re not, then you'll know about it and you can take action on those findings. (Vitamin D is definitely one you'll want to ask about - the majority of people in the modern world are deficient in this vitamin, which is one of the most important for your health. The test for this is simple and inexpensive.)

Video: The Importance of Probiotics for Digestive Health

This short video gives a great introduction to probiotics and how and why they are so helpful for promoting good digestive health and immune function. A vast portion of our immune system is located in our gut, so a properly functioning digestive system, colonized with the right bacteria, is essential for overall health - and is something that is sadly lacking in many Westerners on a modern diet. Some have even surmised that unhealthy gut flora is the cause for many of our modern diseases and ailments.

Check out the video to learn more about probiotics and how they work, and why they are so important - and see below for some of the resources mentioned in the video.

Use Probiotics For Better Immune Function, Digestive Health & Less Gas - Dr. Agrios, ND
www.DrAngelaAgrios.com - Probiotics are friendly bacteria that reside in the gut, and they are essential for optimum gut health and immune function. Lack of friendly bacteria in the gut can lead to an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, and once that ...


More Helpful Resources:

  

Video - Healthy & Tasty School Lunches

This short video gives you some great ideas to make your kids lunches delicious, fun, and healthy. Once you make sure your kids' lunch boxes are safe, you want to make sure that what's in the box is also safe and healthy for your child! These tips will help create fun and visual interest in your kids lunches, and encourage them to try and eat different nutritious foods. Check out some of these tasty tips for ideas on how to get your kids to eat healthier at school and at home.

Quick Tip Recipes: How to Make Healthy School Lunch for Kids - Weelicious
Healthy School Lunch Tips: bit.ly Don't know where to start when it comes to packing a delicious and healthy school lunch. These tips, tricks and ideas will help you think outside the lunchbox making the process a breeze! Tell us what you think! Post...

Video - Natural Remedies to Recover from Cold & Flu Quickly

This short video offers a list and descriptions of several helpful supplements to supercharge your immune system and help you recover quickly from cold, flu, or whatever is ailing you.  I don't know that you'll recover in one day, but using all of these should definitely help cut the duration of your illness at least in half!

Be sure to consult with your naturopathic doctor when starting any new supplementation regimen, so you can make sure you are taking what you need, and avoiding anything that may be harmful to you - for example, some people are allergic to echinacea.

Sore Throat? Flu? Sick? Try Natural Remedies For A Fast Recovery
www.thenaturalguide.com - Last week I had a sore throat and in this video I share which natural remedies I took that helped me recover in one day. Natural remedies work by giving the body the nutrition and energy it needs to build the immune system t...

Related Articles on Natural Remedies for Cold & Flu:

• Preventing Colds and Flus, simply and naturally (gingerandgreentea.wordpress.com)
• DIY Cold and Flu Remedies (lewrockwell.com)
• Natural Flu Remedies are Safe to Use (birdflu.typepad.com)
• Thoughtful Thursday: Natural Cold Remedies (dawnathome.typepad.com)
• Proven: Echinacea Can Prevent and Protect Against Colds (activistpost.com)
• Put Colds on Lock-down this Flu Season with Fresh Juice (prweb.com)

Video - The Price-Pottenger Story

If you haven't heard of Dr. Weston A. Price, his book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, will blow your mind, and make you look at health, and food, in a completely different way. This quick video gives a brief overview of Price's research, but I strongly recommend you pick up his book and learn more. Price's work demonstrates and embodies all of the health truths I have been discovering and piecing together from various other sources for the past several years - all of it comes together in his extensively researched book. This video also describes the very interesting research done by Dr. Pottenger on cats which also supports Price's philosophy.

If you're not familiar with either of these two individuals, watch this quick video, and you'll start to catch a glimpse of a new paradigm of health and wellness (see resources below video to learn more):

The Price-Pottenger Story
You've discovered one of the most unique health resources in the world! This is the astonishing and amazing story of the great nutrition pioneers: Weston A. Price, DDS and Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., MD The Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation (PPNF) ...


Check Out These Related Resources:
   

Why We Need A New Definition of Healthy

Okay, rant time!  :-)   I know I haven't ranted in a while, but this morning's outing to the local Kroger got me all fired up....

After picking up some strawberries and organic butter (on sale for under $4 - yay!), I headed for the other side of the store, and found myself behind a fellow shopping with (presumably) his two sons. One was small - riding in the cart - the other was maybe 4 or 5 years old - cute little blond-headed boy. He apparently had been asking his dad if he could get a little treat (I didn't see what it was). All I heard was his dad's response:
"No, you can't have that - it's not good for you."  Followed by - almost as an after-thought:

"Most things that taste good aren't good for you."

WHAT??  I almost interrupted right there, but I thought better of it. What good could come of confronting a well-meaning dad trying to educate his children?  I really couldn't think of anything to say at that moment that would have made a positive difference, so I held my tongue, but inside I was stewing all the way home.

What a horrible thing to teach your children!

First of all, you're teaching your kids from a young age to feel guilty about eating things they enjoy (way to plant the seeds for a future eating disorder, dad!)

But even worse, you're predisposing them to dislike (probably before even tasting) anything they would think of as "healthy."

"The Healthy Eating Pyramid" (Yes, believe it or not, that IS a can of pop at the top right...) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Basically that one statement will install a belief in those children that could very well lead to a short and unhealthy life - unless they are able to later overcome this early programming and learn to make choices based on reality on their own.  (Which many do, and I think, hopefully, more and more lately.)

In my mind, I was less timid, and confronted the guy with a simple, "That's not true!" Then I would have held up the package of butter - "Look at this organic butter - it's 10 times healthier than the regular stuff, AND it tastes better too!" Then I envisioned an argument ensuing about whether or not butter itself is healthy. (Which it can be - in case you were wondering, in reasonable amounts, as long as it's from properly fed and cared for animals that eat what they're designed to eat (grass), and aren't pumped full of hormones, chemicals, and junk. Clean animal fat is a natural substance which supports a number of functions in the human body, and is the most compatible type of fat with the human body - after all - it's the closest thing to our own fat - which makes up most of our brains, the marrow of our bones, and the walls of every cell in our bodies).

But what good would that have done? The dad's own programming (probably from his own parents, not to mention the non-stop media garbage) would most likely have prevented him from even comprehending the truth of my argument.

I find it incredibly sad and frustrating that all the mainstream (and mostly well-intentioned) efforts out there towards "health" are heading in completely the wrong direction. And it's REALLY easy to see this! If all it took to be healthy was to strip the fat out of everything, we would be the healthiest nation in the world! Instead, after 20-30 years of "low-fat," "low-sodium," "reduced-everything", we find ourselves with the highest rate of cancers, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, (the list goes on) than ever before in history.

At some point, don't we have to take a step back and say, "Okay, obviously this isn't working...."???   Maybe we were wrong?  Maybe eggs aren't evil, and processed (and sugared) grain isn't the actual basis of a healthy diet??

And back to the dad's comment for a moment - as I've mentioned before, REAL healthy food is the best-tasting food there is!!!  In fact, if you really think about it, the junk "foods" that are out there are packed full of artificial flavors - just to make us think they taste good!  Because in actuality, the processed, washed, bleached, dried, ground, separated, cooked, and re-formed into patties/nuggets/flakes/puffs "food" that we think of as "good-tasting-not-healthy food" really tastes like crap! Which is why they add all the artificial flavorings, colors, coatings, etc. - to trick our bodies into thinking this tastes good - therefore it must be good for me!

Guess what? There's a reason that stuff tastes good.... God made us that way - so that our bodies would know what is good for them, and what they need. Our taste buds recognize when something is ripe (it's sweet) - meaning at the peak of nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, etc., rich - meaning containing fats that naturally help sustain our bodies and brains, or simply good-tasting - meaning it's something that's okay to eat, and not poisonous (things that are naturally poisonous to us usually taste bitter, or simply "off", to our taste buds). Natural, whole, real foods that God made for us to eat are the tastiest stuff on earth!

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The problem is, we stripped everything out of these real, good, whole foods, for the sake of convenience and profit, and now they taste like crap, so we add chemical additives to them that taste sort of like an imitation of what the actual food would taste like, so that we'll eat them....

HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE????!

Is it any wonder that we ended up where we are now? That of all the mammals on earth, we are the only species who live an average of 6 1/2 times our age at puberty (every other mammal lives 11-20 times)? We're also the only species that messes with its food.... go figure.

It's time to take a look at where we are, and how we got here, and realize that to survive as a species we need to change direction (not just when it comes to health, but also our care for the environment, our management of our resources, etc. - but these are for another blog post! :-)  Or visit our website for some ideas and solutions in these areas as well: www.newholisticliving.com.).

We need a new definition of healthy that doesn't rely on the USDA food pyramid (aka USDA pile of crap - pardon my French). We need to get back to basics, and back to eating the food that God gave us to eat - and stop pretending to be God ourselves and trying to make His food "better" - it can't be done!! Our bodies were designed by Him, and He created what these bodies are meant to eat.

Real Food = Whole Food = Natural Food = Fresh Food = Real Health.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree?  Got ideas of your own?  Feel free to share below, and if you liked this rant, you may also find these posts of interest:

Why Healthy Food Tastes Good
How to Get Healthy By Shopping Local
Organic Foods for Improved Health?
All About Aspartame
Raw Food Diet Series (1st post)

Why Go Raw? (Or Why Your Body Is Overweight and Undernourished)

Because cooking takes so many nutrients and vitamins out of food, you automatically start feeding your body what it needs when you stop cooking food and start eating uncooked, nutrient-rich foods. A raw carrot has exponentially more nutrition than a cooked carrot.

Blood flow visualization (Photo credit: Argonne National Laboratory)

Cooking also alters the chemistry of foods, often making them harder to digest. Why do we have so many digestive problems in this country? Because we’re putting foods into our bodies in a form that we weren’t designed to absorb. High-fiber, high-water-content fresh produce helps alleviate constipation of the bowels, cells and circulatory system. Obstructions are cleared and blood flow increases to each and every cell in the body. 

Enhanced blood flow is significant for two reasons: as mentioned above, blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to living cells, and carries away their toxic metabolites.

Obesity is endemic in this country. The diet industry is more profitable than the oil companies. Why? Because the way we eat and prepare our food practically guarantees that we’ll overeat. Psychologists tell us that we overeat because our souls are hungry. But in reality, our bodies are hungry, even though we may feel full. When you start giving your body the nutrients it craves, overeating will cease.

Eating raw foods is a boost to your metabolism as well. It takes a little more energy to digest raw foods, but it’s a healthy process. Rather than spending energy to rid itself of toxins produced by cooking food, the body uses its energy to feed every cell, sending vitamins, fluids, enzymes and oxygen to make your body the efficient machine it was intended to be.

You’ll naturally stop overeating, because your body and brain will no longer be starving for the nutrients they need. A starving brain will trigger the thoughts that make you overeat. The brain and the rest of your body don’t need nearly the quantities we Americans feed them - instead, they need quality. 

Be sure to check back for the rest of this series and how eating raw naturally detoxifies your body, as well as some tasty raw food recipes!

The Joy of Juicing

Juice can actually be considered a natural water source and provides the body with protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals that can be absorbed quickly and efficiently. Fresh juice also contains necessary enzymes, and pigments such as carotenes, chlorophyll, and flavonoids.

A worker preparing fresh pomegranate juice from these pomegranate fruit at a market in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Juicing fresh fruits and vegetables provides numerous nutritional advantages that are extremely important to weight loss. In addition, diets containing a high percentage of uncooked foods are significantly associated with weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and lower blood pressure.

Your body actually finds a raw foods diet more filling. Cooking can cause the loss of up to 97% of water-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Since uncooked foods such as juices contain more vitamins and other nutrients, they are more satisfying to the body, so it does not feel starved for nutrients. This means the metabolism will keep running efficiently and keep your weight loss efforts headed in the right direction

Juicing kick-starts your body's digestive process and enables quick absorption of high-quality nutrition, which can result in increased energy. This is one of the great advantages of achieving weight loss through improved nutrition. Fresh juices, combined with a well-balanced diet will provide you with the energy needed to burn more calories, fat, and provide you with the fuel you need for physical activity.

However, juicing does remove the fiber from these nutrient-dense foods. So be sure to include an appropriate amount of fiber-rich foods in your daily diet. Juicing should be a complement to a well-balanced healthy diet, not a substitute.

So with a little planning and creativity, juicing could enhance your well-balanced diet and add some zest. The internet is a great resource for juicing recipes and information, and with the realization that raw foods and juicing is a great health boost, books and magazine articles are touting the benefits and offering recipe ideas. See below for some great examples.

   

How & Why To Get Started Juicing Now

Everyone tells you that drinking juice is okay but not as good as a piece of fruit. This may be true. However, today we are talking about vegetables. Vegetable juice is good for many reasons, and can be just as tasty as fruit juice. You can also combine fruit and vegetable juices for even more yummy flavor combinations.

Get Your Five a Day

Fruits and vegetables (Photo credit: nutrilover)

We all hear about the food pyramid and what we need to eat for proper nutrition. For optimal health, the main part of your diet should be. Just five servings a day will yield vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are essential to keep the body running properly - but if you want optimal health, you will want to eat even more than this. New recommendations run in the range of 7-10 servings per day. Also, if you want to lose weight, eating healthy allows you to eat more for fewer calories, and still feel full.

But, for many, eating five to ten servings of vegetables a day is not so easy. A busy schedule can sabotage your healthy eating habits. In an effort to get what you need, you can try juicing.

According to nutritional guidelines, a serving of vegetables is equal to ¾ cup of vegetable juice. You will catch a break with juice and you can drink it in half the time that it takes to eat some vegetables - plus it's easy to take with you when you're on the go.

Commercial Vegetable Juices

Be careful when choosing juices from the store. They can contain hidden sugars and other additives so read labels carefully. Choose an organic vegetable juice that contains lots of different vegetables: green leafy veggies, carrots, tomatoes, herbs and others.

Many vegetable juices can help you make up the numbers for your daily servings. Just keep in mind that juice is not meant to be a substitute but a supplement. If you can only eat three or four servings a day, adding juice can give you two or three more. The goal is to try and up your natural intake of vegetables.

A benefit of commercial vegetable juices is the variety. Vegetables that you might not otherwise have tried to  juice are included and so are their nutrients. However, keep in mind that they will never be as fresh or nutritious as juices you make yourself at home.

Cucumber, celery & apple juice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Homemade Vegetable Juices

Another choice for vegetable juice is to get your own juicer. The advantage here is that you know exactly what is in each drink you make, and the vegetables you juice will be fresh. There are no preservatives. You can make up a fresh cup of vegetable juice whenever you want one.

Secondly, fresh vegetables have a marvelous taste. Many people haven’t even tasted the natural sweetness of vegetables. Juicing them gives you a chance to taste what they are really all about.

Thirdly, you can experiment with your own combinations. Try carrots with kale or pumpkin. How about spinach, lemongrass and dandelion greens? Juice one vegetable at a time and taste it. Mix a bit of one with another to see what you like.

Vegetable juice can help you to increase your daily intake of vegetables. If you are having a hard time fitting it all in, here is a way to help you. Buy commercial juices that don’t contain added sugars. And for a more natural taste and even more nutrients, invest in a juicer and make your own.

A Few Good Juicers:

   

Video - CNN Interview On The pH Miracle Diet

Here is a short CNN interview with the author of the pH Miracle Diet for Fat Loss. Dr. Young shares some tips for alkaline foods to eat, acidic foods to avoid, and what type of exercise is best for alkalizing your body and removing toxins, thereby encouraging fat loss. This short video gives a brief overview of what the pH Miracle Diet is all about, but for further information, be sure to check out the resources below.

pH Miracle Diet Sheds The Fat Fast
pH Miracle Diet is the most natural way to lose fat fast alkalizing the body by eating mostly alkaline foods.


More On The pH Miracle Diet: