Saturday, June 30, 2012

Raw Blueberry Icecream! Mmmmmm Delish!

In a food processor, combine the following ingredients:

2 frozen, cut bananas
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup raw peanuts or other nut of choice.
Blend together until you achieve a smoothe consistency. Top with hemp seeds or other nut of choice.
Makes 2 healthy servings
Enjoy!

The Best Health Insurance Money Can Buy!

Eat Fresh (Preferably Raw) Dark Leafy Greens, Fruits and Veges!

The Benefits of Fruit

EWG's 2012 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™

Eat your fruits and vegetables! The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. Use EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides^™ to reduce your exposures as much as possible, but eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all. The Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce^™ will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated produce.

This year we have expanded the Dirty Dozen^™ with a Plus category to highlight two crops -- green beans and leafy greens, meaning, kale and collard greens - that did not meet traditional Dirty Dozen ^™criteria but were commonly contaminated with highly toxic organophosphate insecticides. These insecticides are toxic to the nervous system and have been largely removed from agriculture over the past decade. But they are not banned and still show up on some food crops.

Commodity crop corn used for animal feed and biofuels is almost all produced with genetically modified (GMO) seeds, as is some sweet corn sold for human consumption. Since GMO sweet corn is not labeled as such in US stores, EWG advises those who have concerns about GMOs to buy organic sweet corn.

^ back to top

Dirty Dozen Plus^™

Buy these organic

Apples

Celery

Sweet bell peppers

Peaches

Strawberries

Nectarines
– imported

Grapes

Spinach

Lettuce

Cucumbers

Blueberries
– domestic

Potatoes

Plus

Green beans

Kale/Greens

+ May contain pesticide residues of special concern

Clean 15^™

Lowest in Pesticide

Onions

Sweet Corn

Pineapples

Avocado

Cabbage

Sweet peas

Asparagus

Mangoes

Eggplant

Kiwi

Cantaloupe
- domestic

Sweet potatoes

Grapefruit

Watermelon

Mushrooms

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Foods High In Anti-oxidants Help Detox Your Body

1. Fruits

Fruits are high in liquid-content, helping the body wash out toxins. They are also very easy to digest and are high in antioxidants, nutrients, fiber and important vitamins.

2. Dark Leafy Greens

Wheatgrass, kale, spinach, spirulina, alfalfa, swisschard, arugula or other organic leafy greens. These plants are loaded with chlorophyll and will give a boost to your digestive tract.

3. Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruit aids the body in flushing out toxins and jump starts the digestive tract with enzymatic processes. Lemon juice aids the liver in its cleansing processes. To increase detoxification, start each morning with a warm glass of lemon water. Loaded with vitamin c, which is also an excellent detoxifier.

4. Garlic and onion

Garlic and onion help stimulate the liver into producing detoxification enzymes that help filter toxic residues from the entire digestive system.

5. Broccoli Sprouts

Extremely high in antioxidants, the ability for broccoli sprouts to stimulate the detoxification enzymes in the digestive tract is unparalleled. The sprouts are actually more effective than the fully-grown vegetable.

6. Green/Herbal Tea

Herbal tea is full of antioxidants, green tea washes toxins from the system via its liquid content, but also contains a special type of antioxidant called catechins, which are known to increase liver function.

7. Mung Beans

The mighty mung bean has been used by Ayurvedic doctors for thousands of years. It is incredibly easy to digest, and absorbs toxic residue on the sides of the intestinal walls.

8. Raw Vegetables

Best for juicing or eaten raw: Onions, carrots, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, garlic, beet, turmeric, and oregano. The combination of these foods will help your liver purge toxins during the cleansing process. These are high in naturally occurring sulphur and glutathione. Sulphur helps the liver detoxify harmful chemicals.

9. Seeds and Nuts

Incorporate more of the easily digestible seeds and nuts into your diet. Flax seed, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, Siberian cedar nuts and sunflower seeds.

10. Omega-3 Oils

Use hemp, avocado, olive oils or flax seed oil. Oils help lubricate the intestinal walls, allowing the toxins to be absorbed by the oil, and eliminated by the body.

Performing a periodic body cleanse may also be beneficial. Do you have any suggestions for foods that detox the body? If so, please drop them in the comment section below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Reflexology Chart

This is one of the easiest to read reflexology charts I have ever seen! I hope it is helpful for you!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Essential Oils

"The chemical makeup of essential oils gives them a host of desirable pharmacological properties ranging from antibacterial, antiviral, and antispasmodic, to uses as diuretics (promoting production and excretion of urine), vasodilators (widening blood vessels), and vasoconstrictors (narrowing blood vessels). Essential oils act on the adrenals, ovaries, and the thyroid and can energize or pacify, detoxify, and facilitate the digestive process."

-Dr. (rer. nat.) Kurt Schnaubelt, Director of the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy

"Because the oils work in a different way from antibiotics, they do not have the usual side effects, and they tend to stimulate the immune system instead of depressing it."

-Robert Tisserand, of London, England

Sprouting Nuts & Seeds

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Hawaiian Smoothie

1/4 cup dried unsweetened coconut
2 teaspoons chia seeds
1/2 cup pineapple
1 banana
5 to 7 large strawberries
12 oz water

Blend ingredients add ice to thicken, enjoy!

Reverse/Reduce Risk of Diabetes

Like most chronic illnesses, diabetes is characterized as a lifestyle disease. Managing your risk with a proper diet that promotes insulin sensitivity and adding supplements that assist in maintaining normal blood sugar levels helps you gain control of your body and even your genetic predispositions. Your genes do not have to seal your fate. The facts that you’re reading this means you’re already taking steps to understand your role in your own health.  Contrary to popular belief, you are in charge of your health, not your doctor. Personal responsibility is absolutely necessary to beat this disease, naturally.

Natural remedies are the best methods to eliminate diabetes. Diabetes can be reversed or controlled through diet. A vegetarian diet, high in fiber is best. Carbohydrates and fats should be greatly reduced.

Studies show that 55 percent of people dealing with type 2 diabetes are struggling with their weight, and regardless of your genetic disposition diabetes and weight are unquestionably connected. Another lifestyle correlation -- regular exercise dramatically reduces your likelihood of facing type 2 diabetes, now or in the future.  

• A high fiber, plant based diet is necessary. A plant diet contains more alkaline, which helps balance PH levels, which also helps in the prevention of other major illnesses and disease.

• A high fat or animal protein diet should be avoided

• Reduce input. Counting calories is not necessary on a plant-based diet but realize volume adds to increased volume.

• Exercise is essential to burn off calories. Staying fit should be given high priority.

• Herbal remedies can help maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels (also balanced with a plant based diet but should be monitored if there is a history of problems).

• Drink a cup of coffee or two! Drink it black-no creamer or sugar. Research shows that coffee reduces the risk of diabetes. Black tea, any herbal tea and green teas are also good. Avoid sweet tea.

• Drink a minimum of half your body weight in ounces of water (i.e. If you weigh 128 lbs, ideally you should drink 128oz or 1 gallon of water each day but be sure to get in at least 64oz.).

• Reducing stress is always beneficial in leading a healthy lifestyle and is often reduced through regular exercise.

• Avoid fast foods and processed foods as they are high in sugar and contain little or no nutritional value.

• Initially due to high risk, fruits should be kept to a minimum. You may find that they can be introduced back into the diet when insulin levels balance out.

Foods to reduce or even better, avoid entirely

• Foods high in starch & carbohydrates, potatoes, corn, peas

• high fat content foods, fried foods, chips, meat

• dairy foods, cheese, cows milk

• sugar, processed food

• white flour, bread, pasta

• soda pop, sweet tea

• sweeteners (the best natural sweetener is raw honey but should be limited to 1 teaspoon per day. Stevia can also be used).

• condiments such as catsup, mustard and mayonnaise are loaded with high fructose corn syrup.

AT THIS POINT, YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDERING WHAT YOU CAN EAT!!

•Vegetables-particularly dark leafy greens (recipes for green smoothies can be found by keying “smoothie” into the search box on this blog).

•Raw fruits and vegetables are best.

•Eggs (limit to 2 per day) Hard boiled eggs make a great snack when you are hungry.

•Nuts & seeds

•Brown rice (limited), quinoa

•Grains (very small amounts) these tend to bloat in your stomach and turn into sugar quickly much like a starch, our bodies don’t break them down very well.

•Stir-fry vegetables are a quick easy meal. Avoid oils and use more of a steaming process with just a little bit of water.