“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
Rule #1 Eat unprocessed, organically grown whole foods.
Emphasize seasonal, fresh, locally grown plant-based foods. Our diet should include a variety of colors to ensure a broad spectrum of phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes & plant pigments. Examples include lycopene in tomatoes, mixed carotenoids in yellow squash, chlorophyll, lutein and vitamin K in the dark greens, resveratrol in red grape skins, procyanidins contained in blueberries, quercetin in apples, etc. According to the scientific literature, new compounds are ‘discovered’ every week in plant foods having beneficial properties, yet thousands more are still unidentified. Take advantage of Mother Nature’s pharmacy by eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Aim for 5 or more servings of fresh fruit and 5 or more servings of veggies each day. Note: a serving is the size of your fist. Trouble eating this much? Supplement with 1 scoop of Nanogreens10® (virtual pharmacy code: NANOGREENS) each day in water, juice, or a smoothie.
The healthiest fruits are berries of all types (high antioxidants, low sugar).
Best preparation methods for veggies are raw, lightly steamed or sautéed. Fresh-squeezed veggie juicing or using a Vitamix blender is great too. No micro-waved, deep fried, canned or leftovers older than one day (mold count)!
#Nanogreens, as well as thousands of products from over 300 companies, are available through our website's Virtual Pharmacy. If this is your first visit to the pharmacy, simply sign up entering the required info on the welcome sign-in page, found by clicking the Virtual Pharmacy photo on the rotating banner on the main page, or click on 'Find Out More' under the Virtual Pharmacy paragraph found just under the main rotating pictures. The account is free account, and 100% secure. The best part? All products are 20% off. Always!
Rule #2 Reduce all flour & sugar products
This includes pasta, breads, pizza, cookies, cakes, muffins, bagels, croissants and crackers. Eat whole grains instead-brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, barley, oats and millet. The advantage of whole grains is they are lower on the glycemic scale (break down to sugar slowly), higher in B-vitamins, fatty acids, fiber and other nutrients. It's best to soak them for at least 8 hours to improve digestion ability and enhance nutrient uptake. Flour products for rare occasions should be sprouted or stone-ground. Avoid refined sugar in all forms (candy, sodas, jams, some cereals, etc). For sweetening, try stevia, xylitol powder, or small amounts of raw Manuka honey.
Rule #3 Eliminate all bad fats.
This is a big deal, and includes anything deep fried (French fries, chips, donuts,corn dogs, tempura, poultry or fish), foods with ‘partially hydrogenated’ contained in it, all margarine regardless ofhow the food industry labels it (‘trans fat free’, etc), most commercial condiments like salad dressings, tartar sauce, and vegetable oils, conventionally raised red meat & poultry, farm-raised fish (especially salmon, which includes Atlantic variety), conventional nuts and seeds (especially roasted), pretzels, and other baked goods. Be a label reader! It’s all going into your cells!
Switch to organic, free-range meats & poultry. For red meats, grass fed is best. For eggs, go for organic, free-range & omega-3 variety. Wild caught fish are preferred at least 2 times a week (there are a few farm-raised that are OK, but it varies with type and supplier). Watch out for mercury-contaminated ones like swordfish, shark, ahi & albacore tuna. See www.mercuryexposure.org, or www.EnvironmentalDefense.org for complete lists. Other healthy fats include organic, cold-pressed oils like extra virgin olive or coconut (best for cooking), Barlean’s® flaxseed oil (don’t cook with) for making salad dressings. Other good fats are found in olives, avocados, coconut, raw & organic almonds, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, & chia seeds (or their nut butters). Organic, grass fed dairy is OK if tolerated, with raw the best, including butter. Some like the convenience of taking fish oil or krill oil in capsule form.
For more information on fats & oils, read my free-Book, Supercharge Your Cell Vitality, available on my website. Also, consider:
Rule #4 Don’t eat too much protein.
This can cause a pH imbalance, namely an overly acid environment.Systemic acidity depletes minerals and oxygen delivery to cells, contributes to kidney stress and other chronic issues if not corrected. Ideal protein intake varies from person, condition and constitution types. I like most people to eat at least 45-60 grams of protein a day, from a variety of sources. Any of the sources listed are fine, but vegetarian options include 'sprouted' organic tofu in moderation (2-4 times a month), or tempeh and miso more often. The latter two are best because they’re fermented and pose no risk that some soy bashers claim. Consider beans like adzuki, mung, navy, pinto, black and split pea for quality protein, soaked overnight. Also raw, organic nuts and seeds. Add spices to aid digestion if needed. These sources are higher in fiber and lower in acids than heavy animal proteins. The point is to listen to your body and see what feels best to you. If in doubt, check your first AM urine pH which gives a general idea about your tissue mineral status. Ideal range is from 6.4-7.0. Many times a low pH indicates excess protein intake (or other issues). See my article called pH: Why You Need To Know, in my website article section of the Learning Center.
Rule #5 Maintain proper hydration
Aim for at least five 8oz glasses a day. This includes quality water such as filtered (see www.gaiam.com or other online sources), bottled brands (Volvic, Essentia, Fiji, or others) without soft plastic containers (#1 or #2 are OK; found under bottom of bottle within the small triangle) or reverse osmosis system. Don’t drink tap water, which contains numerous compounds that municipal agencies don’t test for such as hormones, antibiotics and solvents. Avoid sodas, alcohol or coffee which are dehydrating and stress the liver & pancreas. Green or chai tea is OK, but don’t count toward your daily pure water intake.
Rule #6 Use proper care when eating.
According to Ayurveda, how and when we eat is nearly as important to what we eat. Here are some healthy guidelines:
Transgressions on any of the above often lead to a build-up of toxins in the GI tract, liver and blood, contributing to chronic health problems. Additional support may be found by taking a high-potency, hypoallergenic, broad-spectrum digestive enzyme. The most effective we've used is Digestive Enzymes Ultra (virtual pharmacy code: DIG32), or try pure Betaine HCL Pepsin caps (virtual pharmacy code: BET15) with larger cooked meals. Also try food combining (avoiding fruit with meals, avoiding starch & proteincombination meals), or taking digestion-enhancing spices such as ginger, cardamom, clove, coriander or dried orange peel. Gas, belching, bloating, fatigue after meals, coated tongue, or undigested food in the stool all point to a digestive weakness.
Healthy Diet Tips: Spice your foods more.
Spices are loaded with antioxidants and healthy compounds. Consider the following as a good basic starter list of spices that you can pick and choose from,depending on your taste and how you feel: Allspice, basil, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, clove, coriander, ginger, lemon grass, marjoram, nutmeg, orange & lemon peel, oregano, paprika, rosemary, sage, turmeric and thyme. Try to use fresh herbs whenever possible.
Use healthy salt.
Most commercial salt, including ‘sea salt’, is highly heated junk with added chemicals to bleach it and keep it from clumping. This is toxic to the body. On the other hand, Himalayan Pink Salt is healthy in moderation, has a balanced mineral profile similar to the blood, and is untreated, raw food. If you’re sodium sensitive or have hypertension, use only small amounts, such as 1/8 teaspoon a day. Otherwise, ¼ - ½ teaspoon a day is wise when used in food. Located at health food stores or online.
Important Note: If you want more detailed food and nutrition information, complete with recipes, daily snack and meal suggestions, ideal diets, statistics, and more, read my free eBook: Supercharge Your Cell Vitality available through our website. For a bottom line summary on the best diet for health and longevity, read my website article Food For a Healthy Life.
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