by Liz B | Dec 5, 2013 | Appreciating Healthy Food
“The body is a complex organism that has the ability to heal itself — if only you listen to it and respond with proper nourishment and care. In spite of all the abuse our bodies endure — whether through exposure to environmental toxins, poor nutrition, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, or inactivity — they still usually serve us well for many years before signs of illness may start to appear. Even then, with a little help, they respond and continue to function.
Think of your body as being composed of millions of tiny little engines. Some of these engines work in unison; some work independently. All are on call twenty-four hours a day. In order for the engines to work properly, they require specific fuels. If the type of fuel given is the wrong blend, the engine will not perform to its maximum capacity. If the fuel is of a poor grade, the engine may sputter, hesitate, and lose power. If the engine is given no fuel at all, it will stop.
The fuel we give our bodies’ engines comes directly from the things we consume. The foods we eat contain nutrients, and these nutrients come in the form of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water, amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids. It is these nutrients that sustain life by providing us with the basic materials our bodies need to carry on their daily functions.
Individual nutrients differ in form and function, and in the amount needed by the body; however, they are all vital to our health. The actions that involve nutrients take place on microscopic levels, and the specific processes differ greatly. Nutrients are involved in all body processes, from combating infection to repairing tissue to thinking.
Research has shown that each part of the body contains high concentrations of certain nutrients. A deficiency of those nutrients will cause the body part to malfunction and eventually break down — and, like dominos, other body parts will follow. To keep this from happening, we need a proper diet and appropriate nutritional supplements. Brain function, memory, skin elasticity, eyesight, energy, the ration of lean-to-fat tissue in the body, and overall health are all indications of how well the body is functioning. With the help of proper nutrients, exercise, and a balanced diet, we can slow the aging process and greatly improve our chances for a healthier, pain-free — and possibly longer — life.
If we do not give ourselves the proper nutrients, we can impair the body’s normal functions and cause ourselves great harm. Even if we show no signs of illness, we may not necessarily be healthy. It simply may be that we are not yet exhibiting any overt symptoms of illness. One problem most of us have is that we do not get the nutrients we need from our diets because most of the foods we consume are cooked and/or processed. Cooking food at high temperatures and conventional food processing destroy vital nutrients the body needs to function properly. The organic raw foods that supply these elements are largely missing from today’s diets.”
Source: Prescription for Natural Healing, by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC. Page 3.
by Liz B | Dec 5, 2013 | Appreciating Healthy Food, Lifestyle
A Dialogue taken from my favorite book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman:
“I wondered about Joseph. “Is he a warrior, like you, Soc?”
“No one is a warrior like me,” he answered, laughing. “Nor would anyone want to be. Each man or woman has natural qualities. For example, while you’ve excelled in gymnastics, Joseph has mastered the preparation of food.’”
“Oh, you mean cooking?”
“Not exactly. Joseph doesn’t heat food much; it destroys the natural enzymes needed to fully digest the food. He prepares natural foods in a way you’ll soon see for yourself. After a taste of Joseph’s culinary magic, you’ll have no tolerance for fast food joints ever again.”
“What’s so special about his cooking?”
“Only two things, really—both subtle. First, he gives his complete attention to what he does; second, love is literally one of the primary ingredients in everything he makes. You can taste it afterwards for a long time.”
“Wait a minute, Socrates. Eating isn’t really a problem area for me. I’m slim, I generally feel pretty good, and my gymnastics proves I have enough energy. How is changing a few things in my diet going to make a difference?”
“Your present diet,” he said, glancing up through the sunlit branches of a beautiful tree, “may give you a ‘normal’ amount of energy, but much of what you eat also makes you groggy, affects your moods, lowers your level of awareness, and interferes with your body’s optimal vitality. Your impulsive diet results in toxic residues that have a long-range effect on your longevity. Most of your mental and emotional problems could be minimized by simple attention to proper eating.”
“‘How can changing my diet affect my energy?” I argued. “I mean, I take in calories, and they represent a certain amount of energy.’
“That is the traditional view, but it is a shallow one; the warrior must recognize more subtle influences. Our primary source of energy in this system,” he said, waving his arm to indicate the solar system, “is the sun. But in general, the human being–that’s you..
“‘Thanks for the concession.”
“… in his present state of evolution, has not developed the ability to make direct use of the sun’s energy; you cannot ‘eat sunlight’ except in limited ways. When humanity does develop this ability, the digestive organs will become vestigial and the laxative companies will go out of business. For now, food is the form of stored sunlight which you need.
A proper diet allows you to make the most direct use of the sun’s energy. The ensuing store of energy will open your senses, expand your awareness, and sharpen your concentration into a slashing blade.”
“All that is going to happen by eliminating cupcakes from my diet?”
“Yes–by eliminating cupcakes, and a few other odds and ends.”
“One of the Japanese Olympic gymnasts once told me that it’s not your bad habits that count, but your good ones.”
“That means your good habits must become so strong that they dissolve those which are not useful.” Socrates pointed ahead to a small cafe on Shattuck near Ashby. I’d walked by there many times without really noticing it.
“So, you believe in natural foods, Soc?” I said as we crossed the street.
“It’s not a matter of believing but of doing. I can tell you this: I eat only what is wholesome, and I eat only as much as I need. In order to appreciate what you call natural foods, you have to sharpen your instincts; you have to become a natural man.”
“Sounds positively ascetic to me. Don’t you even have a little ice cream now and then?”
“My diet may at first seem Spartan compared to the indulgences you call ‘moderation’, Dan, but the way I eat is actually filled with pleasure, because I’ve developed the capacity to enjoy the simplest foods. And so will you.”
by Liz B | Nov 19, 2013 | Diets, Low-Carb
Low-carb diets greatly reduce your blood levels of insulin, a hormone that brings the glucose from the carbs into cells.
What does insulin do?
–One of the functions of insulin is to store fat.
This is why many believe that low-carb diets work so well, is that they reduce your levels of this hormone.
-Insulin hoards sodium, so high-carb diets can cause excess water retention.
Cutting carbs reduces insulin and your kidneys will start shedding any excess water, so it is common for people to lose 5-10 pounds of water weight in the first few days of a low-carb diet.
Weight loss will slow down after the first week, but this time the fat will be coming from your fat stores.
One study compared low-carb and low-fat diets and used DEXA scanners (very accurate) to measure body composition. The low-carb dieters lost significant amounts of body fat and gained muscle at the same time.
Studies also show that low-carb diets are particularly effective at reducing your belly fat, which is the most dangerous fat of all and highly associated with many diseases.
The “Low-Carb Flu”
If you’re new to low-carb eating, you will probably need to go through an adaptation phase where your body is getting used to burning fat instead of carbs.
This is called the “low-carb flu” and is usually over within a few days. After this initial phase is over, many people report having more energy than before, with no “afternoon dips” in energy that are common on high-carb diets.
Adding more fat and sodium to your diet can help with this.
Tip from Balancing Your Health: Daily carb intake can sneak up on you quickly! Track down your carb intake for a while so you can get used to what you can eat on a daily basis that won’t knock it up too high. Also, if you’re really trying to cut, count unrefined sources of carbs (for example carbs in a banana) the same way you would refined carbs; don’t give yourself an extra allowance of carbs just because they are from natural sources.
Source: http://authoritynutrition.com/how-many-carbs-per-day-to-lose-weight/
by Liz B | Oct 7, 2013 | Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Some awesome information I found about Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as a site to check out supplements that have been tested. Which I think is super important, in order to make sure you’re getting supplements that are actually as potent and complete as they should be, as well as free of any toxins.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: DHA, EPA, and ALA
—Paraphrased from “When Nutrients Go Missing”, Matthew Kade, MSc, RD
“Boost your DHA and EPA levels by eating a few servings of fatty fish each week. Pasture-raised meats and eggs are also good sources of omega-3s.
Vegetarians and vegans can nosh on seeds — such as chia, hemp, flax — as well as walnuts. But the type of omega-3 fat in these foods, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is not as potent as the longer-chain DHA and EPA forms found in seafood, says Wald.
Because of the critical importance of the omega-3 fats, Wald often nudges his patients toward supplementation. When looking for a fish-oil supplement, be sure to consult a medical expert and sites like ConsumerLab.com, which conducts independent testing of supplements, in order to find a supplement that is free of mercury contamination.”
“The body is a complex organism that has the ability to heal itself — if only you listen to it and respond with proper nourishment and care. In spite of all the abuse our bodies endure — whether through exposure to environmental toxins, poor nutrition, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, or inactivity — they still usually serve us well for many years before signs of illness may start to appear. Even then, with a little help, they respond and continue to function.