Posts Tagged ‘minerals’

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5 Ways to Boost Your Energy

June 21st, 2010

Energy is a precious thing, something to conserve, save, and try not to waste; we are forever searching for new ways to boost our ever-dwindling supplies. But I’m not talking about turning off the lights when you leave a room, or switching to solar power. I am talking about your own personal energy, something much harder to boost and even harder to conserve. Here are five ways that you can boost your energy reserves, while staying within the boundaries of a healthy lifestyle.

The first thing you can do to boost your energy is to start eating more raw foods. Of course, a raw food diet will help with more than just energy, but it is certainly an important reason to switch from a cooked and processed foods way of eating.

Many foods lose vital minerals during the cooking process – minerals that can help to give you the energy you need during the day. Raw foods also contain living enzymes that allow your body to work cleaner and easier, conserving the energy in your food for the work you choose to do, rather than the digestive work you need to simply keep going.

Another way to gain more personal energy is to plan to get more sleep. We all know that a good night’s sleep should be around eight hours, but few of us actually manage to get that much rest. Continued lack of sleep can result in a buildup of “sleep debt”, which can increasingly effect your concentration and ability to perform at your peak. A well rested body is an energized and recharged body, able to use the energy in your raw food diet more efficiently and effectively.

Another important factor in preserving your personal energy levels is the amount of water that you drink. You may think you are properly hydrating yourself, but if your liquids come flavored or altered, you may not be getting enough pure water. Hydration is key to staying in the zone – if your body becomes dehydrated, you run the risk of wearing yourself out prematurely. Make sure to drink a few glasses of water every day, and try to never wait until you are thirsty to have a drink. Thirst is your body’s way of telling you that you are already low in liquids.

Another way to get more energy is to quit the coffee. If you are a caffeine user, the idea of having less to get more energy might sound wrong, but many studies have shown that long-term caffeine users actually gain no energy or alertness from their morning coffee; they are simply fighting the effects of overnight withdrawal symptoms. Go cold turkey, and soon enough, you won’t need the coffee anymore.

Last but not least, get your daily required amounts of vitamins to maintain and gain energy throughout the day. With a properly calibrated raw food diet, you should not have to resort to pills and capsules to supplement your food; everything you need for great energy can be found within a raw food eating plan.

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How Raw Food Diet Increases Your Energy

May 15th, 2010

Energy is one of those buzz words that can have everyone talking. It seems that no one ever has enough energy, and people are always looking for new and innovative ways to gain more energy. People do strange things to get more energy, things that they occasionally strongly dislike doing in order to get a few steps ahead of the competition. People eat foods that they do not like, drinks fluids that they can barely choke down, and pop pills like there is no tomorrow.

But if you are reading this blog post, of course you know that you can eat for energy, without all the mystery and the misery. Eating a raw food diet is an excellent way to increase your energy levels without having to suffer for the strength.

But you might wonder, how does a high energy diet give you the power that a diet of cooked foods simply cannot provide? There are a lot of important factors in raw foods that contribute to giving you more than simply a belly full of food.

For one thing, eating for energy with raw foods gives you a massive supply of natural vitamins and nutrients that are incredibly helpful for an active body. Certainly, you can get a decent amount of vitamins in a more traditional, cooked diet, but so many of the vitamins in fruits and vegetables are often leached out of them in the cooking process, lost to pots of boiling water and sizzling pans of fat.

So raw foods offer a higher level of vitamins – so what? Well, a massive amount of vitamins means that your body is fully stocked with the tools it needs in order to keep you in peak physical condition. A strong body needs to be a healthy body, so a good source of vitamins is one of the basic building blocks of being more active, and having more energy.

Raw foods also contain energy in the form of those much-talked about living food enzymes. These little wonders often get killed off in the cooking process, as a result of the high temperatures. Without them, your body has to rely on its own sources of enzymes for digestion, absorption and elimination. These might be incredibly normal processes that your body goes through every single day, but that is not to say that they are easy on your body. Precious energy can be wasted when your body has to work harder to grab those nutrients from your foods.

And of course, within the area of raw foods, there are a number of food items that contain huge amounts of energy giving ingredients. From the natural sugars in your favorite fruits to healthy fats, natural fibers and other wonderful additions, the raw foods that you eat can have a huge impact on your energy levels – and the best part is, they deliver that energy without resorting to terrible food choices, unnatural supplement pills and other unpleasant options. Energy is important, but you have to enjoy how you gather it.

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Eating Raw Foods for Health

May 14th, 2010

People will try almost anything to stay healthy, and it’s not a new phenomenon. Throughout the ages, people have eaten a wide and varied array of foods that they believed helped to keep them younger, healthier and more vigorous. From the highly localized and recently re-popularized diet of the Palaeolithic times that focused on low amounts of carbohydrates and eating what was readily available; to the more modern but still outdated ideas presented to schoolchildren in the health food “pyramid”, people have always been looking for proven guidelines to eat healthier.

For many people starting a raw food diet, maintaining or improving their overall health is a primary reason for the switch from cooked foods. Recent studies have shown that a diet high or completely comprised of raw, uncooked and under-processed foods can have a dramatic impact on the way that your body operates. That includes providing increased energy and mental alertness, and improving the ability to stay healthy and ward off illness. But what about a raw food diet is so beneficial to your health?

When you first learn how to eat a raw diet, you are going to notice that your intake of fruits and vegetables will probably skyrocket, as compared to your old eating habits. Fruits and vegetables are staples of the raw diet, due in no small part to their versatility, their great taste, and of course, their benefits for your body. Raw fruits and vegetables contain tons of vitamins and minerals that, for many non-raw eaters, are in desperately short supply in their regular daily meals. Vitamin A, found in abundance in tomatoes, has been shown to help build a healthy immune system. Vitamin B1 (avocados), B3 (bananas) and B9 (strawberries) can help support a healthy cardiovascular system, grow new muscle, and create antibodies in the blood. Vitamin C, found all over the raw spectrum, provides your body with antioxidants that help to preserve your good health and strong body. These vitamins can be found in cooked foods, but never as abundantly as in their raw hosts.

How else can raw food help you to stay healthy? Raw foods give you energy that you can use to keep your body in tip-top shape. A healthy and fit body is one that is more prepared to fight off illness. Good fitness helps to push back some of the issues and health problems that we might face as we age, especially heart and circulatory concerns. A raw food diet can help to propel you through more frequent workouts, which will in turn lead to an overall healthier body, and fewer required trips to see the local physician.

Raw foods can also keep your digestive tract healthier. The living food enzymes that you consume as part of a raw diet are used to aid the body in digestion of foods, absorption of vitamins, minerals and energy, and the elimination of waste products. The less of your body’s natural stores of energy that need to be used for these processes, the more raw power is available to your body for other purposes – like keeping you in the peak of healthiness.

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Mineral Spotlight: Magnesium

November 26th, 2009

Magnesium is an important essential mineral for the body. It is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions, including those that contribute to production of energy and cardiovascular function.

Considering its immense importance to our health, it is a sad to report that magnesium intake has been on the decline since the earl 1990s. For instance, the greatest decreases in dietary magnesium have been seen in the American diet (what a surprise!) as a result of supplemental vitamin D and calcium supplements, increased phosphorus, alcohol, caffeine, and sugar intake, and constant consumption of refined and processed foods.

And let’s not forget that the average American is only getting 1.5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Considering that magnesium is abundantly found in these foods it’s no wonder we a have a problem.

What Does it Do?

Magnesium is known as the “anti-stress” mineral. It is a natural tranquilizer as it functions to relax skeletal muscle as well as the smooth muscles of blood vessels and the GI tract.

Research has indicated that decreased blood and tissue levels of magnesium are correlated with high blood pressure, kidney stones, and heart attacks.

But it’s no surprise that we would see such issues since magnesium has a relaxing effect on the body. Therefore, low levels of this vital mineral means that many contraction (calcium-stimulated)-relaxation (magnesium-stimulated) relationships are disrupted tipping the scales toward a state of “constriction” or “contraction”.

For instance, studies have shown that a decreased concentration of magnesium is found in the heart and blood of heart attack victims.

Because of its influence on the heart (which in turn in the greatest reservoir of magnesium), it is considered important in preventing coronary artery spasm, a significant cause of heart attacks. Spasms of the blood vessels lead to insufficient oxygen supply, which results in pain, injury, or death of the muscle tissue that they nourish.

To function optimally, magnesium must be balanced in the body with calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium chloride. For instance, too little magnesium leads to more calcium flowing into the vascular muscle cells, causing them to contract – leading to tighter vessels and higher blood pressure.

For women, magnesium’s relaxing effects has implications for helping to alleviate  PMS.

It also a big role to play in allowing the body to eliminate properly. Adequate magnesium allows your bowels to relax and thus allow the passage of waste from the colon.

These are just a few of the many vital functions that magnesium performs in our body. Needless to say, it is an important which we need to get from our diet and possibly supplementation.

Where is it Found?

Almost all of our magnesium supplies come from vegetables. As a component of chlorophyll, magnesium is to the plants what iron is to the hemoglobin of our red blood vessels. In fact, chlorophyll and hemoglobin have the EXACT same molecular structure differing only in their main mineral – magnesium and iron, respectively.

This molecular identity is one of the reasons that green vegetables are so amazing for the human body. Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives plants their green colour. It also important to plant photosynthesis – the process of converting sunlight, CO2, and water into carbohydrates and oxygen. As a result, when we ingest green foods we essentially infuse the sun’s energy right into our blood stream. Pretty powerful if you ask me!

Therefore, best sources of magnesium are definitely dark green vegetables. Think kale, swiss chard, spinach, arugula, watercress, and anything else that is green.

Most nuts, seeds, and legumes also have high amounts of magnesium.

Here are some magnesium-rich foods and their respective levels of magnesium:

Spinach (1 cup, boiled) –  156 mg

Swiss chard (1 cup, boiled) – 150 mg

Pumpkin seeds (1/4 cup, raw) – 185 mg

Sesame seeds (1/4 cup, raw) – 126 mg

Black beans (1 cup, cooked) – 120 mg

Cashews (1/4 cup, raw) – 89 mg

Kale (1 cup, boiled) – 24 mg

How Much Do I Need?

The minimum required intake of magnesium can be expressed as about 6 mg/kg of body weight. For example, a 150-pound person would need about 410 mg per day.

In general, for men over 19 years of age, the recommendation is 400 mg of magnesium per day, while for women of the same age it’s about 360 mg per day.

However, the problem is that the average American diet only supplies about 120 mg of magnesium per 1,000 calories. Which means that we need enhance the nutrient density of our food intake without over-doing the calories!

book_cover_webSo what’s the take home message from this information?

Eat more plant-based foods! Especially dark green leafy vegetables. All you need to do is add one more cup of spinach or swiss chard to your meals and you will most likely have doubled the average American diet intake!

In fact, if you haven’t already read my ebook, Eating for Energy, then I would highly recommend you do so. Apply just 10% of what I recommend in the book and your magnesium levels will soar and you healthier than you ever thought possible!

Got any questions? Feel free to ask me in the comments.

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Thanksgiving Survival Guide – 4 Dietary Tips to Help You Stay Healthy Over the Holidays

November 25th, 2009

turkey_dinnerWith American Thanksgiving just a day away I thought I should do my part in helping you survive this often “toxic” time of year.

By toxic, I simply mean the overeating of heavy foods like turkey, stuffing, and pie that don’t necessarily energize your body.

You know what I mean, right?

Have you ever eaten so much that you’ve felt like falling asleep at the table?

Well, as you can imagine, this time of year is famously known for “dinner time narcolepsy”. So with that in mind, I wanted to take the next few days to give you some helpful dietary tips to prevent overeating and/or feeling the paralyzing effects of doing so.

Thanksgiving Survival Tip #1 – Food Combining is Key!

Food combining is the principle of combining certain foods together, while avoiding the mixing of other foods. The rationale is that different foods require different digestive environments (ie. acid vs. alkaline) and, thus, if such foods are combined, their respective digestive juices neutralize each other. As a result, these foods are not properly digested.

If foods are not digested properly, they cause disruption further down the digestive tract, impair proper elimination, and can seep into the bloodstream whereby they can be detected as “allergens”. Also, undigested foods that sit around in your stomach for hours are more readily stored as fat and make you gassy, bloated, and tired.  Pretty tough to lose weight if this is happening.

Therefore, food combining is just one of your digestive weapons to ensure that what you eat is broken down and assimilated properly.

FOOD COMBINING 101

The basic recommendations are the following:

1. Avoid mixing starchy carbs with complex proteins

Here are some examples: pasta with meat sauce, turkey and mashed potatoes, chicken and rice.

These are combinations that you want to avoid. One of the reasons that Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are so filling (and tiring) is because we tend to poorly combine our foods.

Instead, combine starchy carbs OR proteins with healthy fats (olive oil, etc..) and green leafy or cruciferous veggies. Good examples of this include: chic peas with kale, salmon with swiss chard and spinach, and turkey and veggies (other than potatoes).

2. Eat fruit alone, and on an empty stomach

Raw fruit will digest itself (because of its enzymes) in your stomach in 15-20 minutes. And if eaten right after a meal (as dessert for instance), then its sugars will ferment on top of the existing meal that is still being processed in your stomach. As a result, you will feel bloated, gassy, and perhaps experience some discomfort in your abdomen.

Therefore, eat fruit on its own (or with sprouted nuts and seeds to moderate sugar load) to enable optimal digestion.

The important thing to remember is that you need to listen to your body. If you are gassy, bloated, tired, or experience pain in your stomach, these are signs that what you are eating is not being digested properly.

And poor digestion is the first step to numerous health-related problems.

Thanksgiving Survival Tip #2 – Food Sequencing

Food combining is powerful. But let’s say that you are given a plate full of different kinds of foods. Let’s take the typical holiday feast as an example.

On your plate you’ve got turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and maybe some greens. Wow, I’m getting tired just thinking of it!

What do you do? Is there a way to eat your meal to help your body better digest it?

Yes! It’s all about food sequencing.

In a nutshell, here’s how food sequencing works:

1 Eat SIMPLE FOODS and ENZYME-RICH FOODS first

These are generally raw foods such as salad or raw veggies. Their enzymes will assist in the digestion of the foods you eat next. Bread would fit in here as well.

2 Eat COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES + FIBER-RICH FOODS next

These include your starchy root vegetables (sweet potato, yams, etc…). We eat these before heavier protein because they are digested more rapidly and thus can pass through the digestive
tract unimpeded.

3 Eat PROTEIN + FAT last

These take the longest to digest and thus should be eaten after the aforementioned foods. This is more applicable to those who eat animal proteins. If you are a vegan than your protein will
be coming from easy to assimilate plant sources such as legumes. Furthermore, plant-based proteins don’t carry saturated fats or cholesterol (only healthy fats) which further assists their digestion.

So, now let’s turn back to our example of turkey dinner. What would be the best way to “sequence” your meal?

Ideally, this is what it should be sequenced:

Greens –> Cranberry Sauce –> Mashed Potatoes –> Stuffing –> Turkey

Now I know that most of us like to enjoy different flavours on our palate all at once, but just give this a shot the next time you don’t a have a meal that is properly “food combined”. The difference will be noticeable!

Thanksgiving Survival Tip #3 – Keep the Sugar Monster Under Control

Did you know that many allergies are caused by food that is not properly digested?

Undigested food is often due to unbalanced mineral relationships, which prevent digestive enzymes from functioning properly. When these undigested food particles enter the bloodstream they can travel to different parts of the body and wreak havoc. If they travel to the head, the result can be headaches, fatigue, dizziness; in other parts of the body they can manifest as eczema, joint inflammation, asthma, and much more.

Ok, so how does this tie in with holiday eating?

The answer – SUGAR!

Sugar depletes enzymes by upsetting the body’s fine mineral balance. Because minerals are a key component to enzymes, if they are affected, so too will your ability to digest your food.

And digesting your food properly has really been the theme of this 4-part series, hasn’t it?

So the message is that when you eat sugar with other foods, you impair your body’s ability to digest them. For instance, having a glass of orange juice (high in sugar) with your morning breakfast makes your meal susceptible to not being digested properly. Whatever is in that meal is then more at risk of becoming a food allergen, overtime.

If you’re going to have sugar, do your best to ensure that it’s a healthy source such as fruit and that it is not eaten in conjunction with other foods. Refrain from having fruit or high-sugar desserts right after your meal. Give your body at least 1-2 hours to digest and then you can consider a little holiday indulgence.

Thanksgiving Survival Tip #4 – Use digestive enzymes!

Taking digestive enzymes with your meals can be one of the most impactful things you can do your digestion and your health.

Remember that when you cook your foods, you destroy their enzymes. As such, your body spends a huge amount of energy to produce and use its own limited supply of enzymes to digest your food. Many times, these foods are not even properly digested – leading to the passage of undigested food particles into the bloodstream! You remember the allergy talk the other day, right?

Therefore, to assist your digestion taking 1-2 digestive before and/or during your meal can be a huge bonus. Try it and you’ll see what I mean.

When selecting a digestive enzyme look for one that contains a wide spectrum of enzymes such as proteases, lipases, and various other “-ases” that will work on the various macronutrients within your foods.

Enzymes are the key to life. Enzyme therapy has even been used to help treat terminal diseases! Enzymes are needed for every single reaction in your body and when you run out of enzymes,
you run out of life.

So, when that plate of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and whatever is placed in front of you, give your body a helping hand by supplying it with the digestive enzymes that will help it breakdown these “dead” foods.

What Happens Next Week?

So there you have my 4 dietary tips to surviving Thanksgiving and staying healthy over the holidays. However, by the time next week rolls around you may be feeling a bit sluggish and in need of a kickstart to get your body back into the healthy eating groove.

If that’s the case, then I highly recommend grabbing a copy of our Total Wellness Cleanse program – it will do your body a world of good.

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