I love cherries! Dried, fresh, frozen, tart or sweet…in smoothies, on salads, even in main courses. They are an excellent sweet healthy snack full of antioxidants, and fat burning ingredients.
Cherries contain some unique and pretty awesome bioactive components that can help prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other inflammatory diseases—as well as prevent muscle soreness, and help you sleep. Not only that, cherries are an extremely effective treatment for arthritis pain, gout, hemorrhoids, and allergies.
Cherries have boatloads of antioxidants in them that fight free radical damage and protect our cells’ DNA. Free radicals are linked to many diseases including cancer, heart disease, and dementia. Cherries also contain the super-nutrients quercetin, hydroxycinnamates, potassium, carotenoids and melatonin. Even sweet cherries have a healthy low glycemic index of 22, making them a healthy food for people trying to keep their blood sugar stable.
Anti-Inflammatory
Cherries are one of the best anti-inflammatory foods you can eat. These little red powerhouses contain phytochemicals called “anthocyanins” that give them their deep red color. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University found that the powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins in tart cherries were as effective at decreasing inflammation as the anti-inflammatory drugs Ibuprofen, aspirin and Tylenol. Another study published in the Journal of Natural Products showed that anthocyanins and cyanidin isolated from tart cherries worked better than aspirin. And many studies have shown that Tylenol and Ibuprofen can be extremely harmful to the liver and very toxic, so eating foods that are anti-inflammatory is far better for your health.
In fact, cherries can even help your workouts. Cherries have been proven to get rid of the aches and pains from an intense workout. They can actually reduce muscle soreness as well. This study published in Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition looked at cherries’ power to reduce muscle damage and soreness from working out. 54 runners ran a 16 miles race, while drinking tart cherry juice or a placebo. The group drinking the cherry juice reported a significantly smaller increase in pain compared to the placebo group, which was attributed to cherries’ anti-inflammatory effect.
Arthritis and Gout
Over 33 million Americans have osteoarthritis. Arthritis can physically affect the joint, creating friction and lots of pain when the cartilage wears down. In one study done at the Osteoarthritis Research Center with 58 osteoarthritic patients who drank two 8-ounce bottles of tart cherry juice for six weeks, Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores decreased significantly after the tart cherry juice treatment. The WOMAC index is standardized questionnaire used by health professionals to evaluate patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, including pain, stiffness, and physical functioning of the joints.
Gout is another type of arthritis that is extremely painful, usually affecting the big toe. Uric acid crystals build up in the toe joint, causing major inflammation, swelling, redness and serious pain. High uric acid levels in the body can also be associated with diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. A large study of 633 people with gout were treated with cherry extract over a two-day period showing a 35% lower risk of gout attacks. When cherry intake was combined with allopurinol, a prescribed medication for gout and kidney stones, the risk of gout attacks was 75% lower.
Anti-Cancer
Anthocyanins from cherries, especially sour cherries have such strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, they inhibit tumor development in mice and the growth of human cancer cells. On a study done with mice with a genetic risk of colon cancer, a diet of tart cherries and anthocyanins helped prevent colon cancer and tumor growth. This study also showed that these two compounds from cherries reduced the growth of human colon cancer cells as well.
One other study done on humans with cherry extract showed a reduction in the growth of colon cancer cells and human breast cancer cells as well.
Sleep Better After Eating Cherries
Cherries also help you sleep more soundly because they are one of the only foods that contain a natural substance called ‘melatonin’. Melatonin is a hormone in the body that regulates sleep cycles and helps you sleep deeply. Tart cherries contain the highest levels of melatonin. It only takes two tablespoons of concentrated tart cherry juice to promote good quality, deep sleep necessary for healing and repair of the body.
Melatonin contains powerful antioxidants that helps reverse aging as well. What’s more, a good night’s sleep helps to reduce cortisol which helps you burn fat better as well! In a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, 20 volunteers consumed either a placebo or tart cherry juice concentrate for seven days. As a result of this treatment, total melatonin content was significantly elevated in the cherry juice group.
Healthy Hearts
Tart cherries can also protect the heart and reduce the risk of strokes. Research done at University of Michigan shows tart cherries activate something called PPAR (peroxisome proliferator activating receptors) in the body. These receptors are connected to glucose and fat metabolism and can help reduce heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. There are prescribed medications that do the same thing, but they come with serious side effects, such as increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke!
While sweet cherries are effective, tart cherries contain even more of the powerful antioxidants that burn fat, help with muscle aches and soreness and help you sleep more soundly. Enjoy cherries in your next smoothie, on top of your breakfast oatmeal, throw in a salad, or just plain for a sweet, satisfying snack! One of my favorite snacks is frozen organic cherries mixed with raw almonds, and sprinkled with a little bit of cinnamon. Give it a try!
(Cherry-infused cocktail: I have a sour cherry tree in my yard, so I get literally 1000’s of tart cherries every July… My favorite way to use all these sour cherries is to fill a bunch of mason jars with cherries and then add rye whiskey to the top of each jar, so that the sour cherries are infusing in the whiskey. I let the jars sit at least for a couple weeks before I start drinking the cherry-infused whiskey, although many of the jars will soak for months before we get around to beginning to drink them.
Each night after dinner, I like to take 1 shot of the cherry-infused whiskey, add a few shakes of organic digestive bitters, and a splash of sweet vermouth, and enjoy a super-healthy cocktail that’s a healthier version of a Manhattan. The antioxidants and natural melatonin get extracted very effectively from the cherries by the alcohol (the cherries become white over time as the whiskey extracts all the phytonutrients) and help you fight inflammation, joint pain, and can help to get me to fall asleep easier from the natural melatonin. I used to have knee pain years ago, but I think this combination of having 1 drink per day of my cherry-infused whiskey and my 1 mug per day of bone broth has completely eliminated my knee pain. My joints have never felt better since I’ve been doing this nightly ritual!)
Now you know cherries are one of the best anti-inflammatory foods you can eat. They are as effective in decreasing inflammation as those anti-inflammatory drugs you buy over the counter.
An an ever increasing toxic environment, we are all striving to ensure our bodies are in the best health they can be. Maintaining a Healthy diet and exercise routine is hard when trying to fit it round a busy lifestyle.
Preventable diseases are on the rise and many of us will at some point suffer from an illness due to our lifestyle choices or because of the toxic environment we live in.
One of the main health epidemics at the moment is the rise of type 2 diabetes. Unlike its counterpart, type 2 diabetes is totally preventable in most cases, and can be managed by changes in lifestyle and in some cases can be totally reversed.
Type 1 diabetes cannot be cured, but type 2 can, and with a few changes in your lifestyle you can quite easily reduce your risk of getting this illness.
Taking more exercise and cutting down on sugar and fatty foods is the best way to control your blood sugar, but there is another helpful thing you can do for your body. This simple step can be done every day to better regulate your blood sugar and to fight off type 2 diabetes.
Preparation
Take an egg and boil in the afternoon. Peel it, and using a fork, pierce it a couple of times. Then, place the egg in a big bowl, and then add vinegar, leaving it like this to stand overnight.
The following morning, consume the egg combining it with a glass of warm water.
Do this every day, and your blood sugar levels will be considerably reduced.
No need to hesitate, act now and start improving your health condition and reducing the high blood sugar levels.
Below is a TEDx talk given by Mark Mattson, the current Chief of the Laboratory of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging. He is also a professor of Neuroscience at The Johns Hopkins University, and one of the foremost researchers in the area of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying multiple neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
I chose to include ‘Big Pharma’ in the title because that’s exactly what it is. There have been countless examples of the manipulation of published research at the hands of pharmaceutical companies in recent years. This is why Harvard Professor of Medicine Arnold Symour Relman told the world that the medical profession has been bought by the pharmaceutical industry. It’s why Dr. Richard Horton, Editor in Chief of The Lancet, recently stated that much of the scientific literature published today is simply untrue. It’s why Dr. Marcia Angell, former Editor in Chief of The New England Journal of Medicine, said that the “pharmaceutical industry likes to depict itself as a research-based industry, as the source of innovative drugs. Nothing could be further from the truth.” And it’s why John Ioannidis, an epidemiologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, published an article titled “Why Most Published Research Findings Are False” which subsequently became the most widely accessed article in the history of the Public Library of Science (PLoS).I also chose to mention ‘Big Pharma’ because of Dr. Mattson’s comments towards the end of the video.
“Why is it that the normal diet is three meals a day plus snacks? It isn’t that it’s the healthiest eating pattern, now that’s my opinion but I think there is a lot of evidence to support that. There are a lot of pressures to have that eating pattern, there’s a lot of money involved. The food industry — are they going to make money from skipping breakfast like I did today? No, they’re going to lose money. If people fast, the food industry loses money. What about the pharmaceutical industries? What if people do some intermittent fasting, exercise periodically and are very healthy, is the pharmaceutical industry going to make any money on healthy people?”
Main Points Of The Lecture Above & The Science To Go With It
Mark and his team have published several papers that discuss how fasting twice a week could significantly lower the risk of developing both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Dietary changes have long been known to have an effect on the brain. Children who suffer from epileptic seizures have fewer of them when placed on caloric restriction or fasts. It is believed that fasting helps kick-start protective measures that help counteract the overexcited signals that epileptic brains often exhibit. (Some children with epilepsy have also benefited from a specific high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.) Normal brains, when overfed, can experience another kind of uncontrolled excitation, impairing the brain’s function, Mattson and another researcher reported in January in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience.”(source)
Basically, when you take a look at caloric restriction studies, many of them show a prolonged lifespan as well as an increased ability to fight chronic disease.
“Calorie restriction (CR) extends life span and retards age-related chronic diseases in a variety of species, including rats, mice, fish, flies, worms, and yeast. The mechanism or mechanisms through which this occurs are unclear.”
Fasting does good things for the brain, and this is evident by all of the beneficial neurochemical changes that happen in the brain when we fast. It also improves cognitive function, increases neurotrophic factors, increases stress resistance, and reduces inflammation.
Fasting is a challenge to your brain, and your brain responds to that challenge by adapting stress response pathways which help your brain cope with stress and risk for disease. The same changes that occur in the brain during fasting mimic the changes that occur with regular exercise. They both increase the production of protein in the brain (neurotrophic factors), which in turn promotes the growth of neurons, the connection between neurons, and the strength of synapses.
“Challenges to your brain, whether it’s intermittent fasting [or] vigorous exercise . . . is cognitive challenges. When this happens neuro-circuits are activated, levels of neurotrophic factors increase, that promotes the growth of neurons [and] the formation and strengthening of synapses. . . .”
Fasting can also stimulate the production of new nerve cells from stem cells in the hippocampus. He also mentions ketones (an energy source for neurons), and how fasting stimulates the production of ketones and that it may also increase the number of mitochondria in neurons. Fasting also increases the number of mitochondria in nerve cells; this comes as a result of the neurons adapting to the stress of fasting (by producing more mitochondria).
By increasing the number of mitochondria in the neurons, the ability for nerons to form and maintain the connections between each other also increases, thereby improving learning and memory ability.
“Intermittent fasting enhances the ability of nerve cells to repair DNA.”
He also goes into the evolutionary aspect of this theory – how our ancestors adapted and were built for going long periods of time without food.
A study published in the June 5 issue of Cell Stem Cell by researchers from the University of Southern California showed that cycles of prolonged fasting protect against immune system damage and, moreover, induce immune system regeneration. They concluded that fasting shifts stem cells from a dormant state to a state of self-renewal. It triggers stem cell based regeneration of an organ or system. (source)
Human clinical trials were conducted using patients who were receiving chemotherapy. For long periods of time, patients did not eat, which significantly lowered their white blood cell counts. In mice, fasting cycles “flipped a regenerative switch, changing the signaling pathways for hematopoietic stem cells, which are responsible for the generation of blood and immune systems.”
This means that fasting kills off old and damaged immune cells, and when the body rebounds it uses stem cells to create brand new, completely healthy cells.
“We could not predict that prolonged fasting would have such a remarkable effect in promoting stem cell-based regeneration of the hematopoietic system. . . . When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged. What we started noticing in both our human work and animal work is that the white blood cell count goes down with prolonged fasting. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back. ” – Valter Longo, corresponding author (source)
A scientific review of multiple scientific studies regarding fasting was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007. It examined a multitude of both human and animal studies and determined that fasting is an effective way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. It also showed significant potential in treating diabetes. (source)
Before You Fast
Before you fast, make sure you do your research. Personally, I’ve been fasting for years, so it is something that comes easy for me.
One recommended way of doing it — which was tested by the BBC’s Michael Mosley in order to reverse his diabetes, high cholesterol, and other problems that were associated with his obesity — is what is known as the “5:2 Diet.” On the 5:2 plan, you cut your food down to one-fourth of your normal daily calories on fasting days (about 600 calories for men and about 500 for women), while consuming plenty of water and tea. On the other five days of the week, you can eat normally.
Another way to do it, as mentioned above, is to restrict your food intake between the hours of 11am and 7pm daily, while not eating during the hours outside of that time.
Bottom line, how you think about you’re diet is, in my opinion, one of the most, if not the most important part of staying healthy. How you think about what you are putting in your body is important, and I believe this will eventually be firmly established in the untainted, unbiased, uninfluenced medical literature of the future.
Below is a video of Dr. Joseph Mercola explaining the benefits of intermittent fasting. Here is a great article by him that explains how he believes intermittent fasting can help you live a healthier life.
Above is an infographic created Niraj Naik, who runs a blog called The Renegade Pharmacist outlining several different health benefits that fasting can have on your body. Most scientists in this field recommend what’s known as intermittent fasting, where you eat healthy in between an 7-8 hour window — for example 12-7 — and then fast for the rest of the time. How often one needs to do this to see results varies for everybody. Further research is still needed to better understand fasting, but experiments done so far are yielding promising results.
For example, recent research has shown that cycles of prolonged fasting protect against immune system damage and induce immune system regeneration. Researchers concluded that fasting shifts stem cells from a dormant state to a state of self-renewal. (source)Fasting also has shown to have remarkable effects 0n the brain. Here is a TEDx talk given by Mark Mattson about it, the current Chief of the Laboratory of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging. Mark and his team have published several papers that discuss how fasting twice a week could significantly lower the risk of developing both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. You can find some of those papers sourced within this article.Another great place to start if you are looking for an introduction to the science behind fasting is the BBC documentary Eat Fast and Live Longer. It also features more of the world’s top researchers in the field.
Many foods have been heavily promoted as being healthy when they are nothing more than pernicious junk foods. In the featured article, Clean Plates1 founder Jared Koch shared his list of nine staple foods that are far less “good for you” than you’ve been led to believe.
Here, I expand on the selections that are mentioned in the featured article.
1. Canned Tomatoes
Many leading brands of canned foods contain BPA — a toxic chemical linked to reproductive abnormalities, neurological effects, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems. According to Consumer Reports‘ testing, just a couple of servings of canned food can exceed the safety limits for daily BPA exposure for children.
High acidity — a prominent characteristic of tomatoes – causes BPA to leach into your food. To avoid this hazardous chemical, avoid canned foods entirely and stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, or switch over to brands that use glass containers instead—especially for acidic foods like tomatoes.
2. Processed Meats
As Koch warns, processed deli meats like salami, ham, and roast beef are typically made with meats from animals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
This means they’re given growth hormones, antibiotics and other veterinary drugs, and raised in deplorable conditions that promote disease, these meats are also filled with sodium nitrite (a commonly used preservative and antimicrobial agent that also adds color and flavor) and other chemical flavorings and dyes.
Nitrites can be converted into nitrosamines in your body, which are potent cancer-causing chemicals. Research has linked nitrites to higher rates of colorectal, stomach and pancreatic cancer. But that’s not all. Most processed deli meats also contain other cancer-promoting chemicals that are created during cooking. These include:
Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) which are hazardous compounds created in meats and other foods that have been cooked at high temperatures. According to research, processed meats are clearly associated with an increased risk of stomach, colon and breast cancers.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Many processed meats are smoked as part of the curing process, which causes PAHs to form. PAHs can also form when grilling. When fat drips onto the heat source, causing excess smoke, and the smoke surrounds your food, it can transfer cancer-causing PAHs to the meat.
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): When food is cooked at high temperatures—including when it is pasteurized or sterilized—it increases the formation of AGEs in your food. AGEs build up in your body over time leading to oxidative stress, inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.
The truth is, processed meats are not a healthful choice for anyone and should be avoided entirely, according to a 2011 review of more than 7,000 clinical studies examining the connection between diet and cancer. The report was commissioned by The World Cancer Research Fund2 (WCRF) using money raised from the general public. Therefore the findings were not influenced by any vested interests, which makes it all the more reliable.
It’s the biggest review of the evidence ever undertaken, and it confirms previous findings: Processed meats increase your risk of cancer, especially bowel cancer, and NO amount of processed meat is “safe.” You’re far better off ditching the deli meats and opting instead for fresh organically-raised grass-fed meats, or wild caught salmon.
3. Margarine
The unfortunate result of the low-fat diet craze has been the shunning of healthful fats such as butter, and public health has declined as a result of this folly. There are a myriad of unhealthy components to margarine and other butter impostors, including:
Trans fats: These unnatural fats in margarine, shortenings and spreads are formed during the process of hydrogenation, which turns liquid vegetable oils into a solid fat. Trans fats contribute to heart disease, cancer, bone problems, hormonal imbalance and skin disease; infertility, difficulties in pregnancy and problems with lactation; and low birth weight, growth problems and learning disabilities in children. A US government panel of scientists determined that man-made trans fats are unsafe at any level.
Free radicals: Free radicals and other toxic breakdown products are the result of high temperature industrial processing of vegetable oils. They contribute to numerous health problems, including cancer and heart disease.
Emulsifiers and preservatives: Numerous additives of questionable safety are added to margarines and spreads. Most vegetable shortening is stabilized with preservatives like BHT.
Hexane and other solvents: Used in the extraction process, these industrial chemicals can have toxic effects.
Good-old-fashioned butter, when made from grass-fed cows, is rich in a substance called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Much of the reason why butter is vilified is because it contains saturated fat. If you’re still in the mindset that saturated fat is harmful for your health, then please read the Healthy Fats section of my Optimized Nutrition Plan to learn why saturated fat is actually good for you.
4. Vegetable Oils
Of all the destructive foods available to us, those made with heated vegetable oils are some of the worst. Make no mistake about it–vegetable oils are not the health food that you were lead to believe they were. This is largely due to the fact that they are highly processed, and when consumed in massive amounts, as they are by most Americans, they seriously distort the important omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Ideally, this ratio is 1:1.
Anytime you cook a food, you run the risk of creating heat-induced damage. The oils you choose to cook with must be stable enough to resist chemical changes when heated to high temperatures, or you run the risk of damaging your health. One of the ways vegetable oils can inflict damage is by converting your good cholesterol into bad cholesterol—by oxidizing it. When you cook with polyunsaturated vegetable oils (such as canola, corn, and soy oils), oxidized cholesterol is introduced into your system.
As the oil is heated and mixed with oxygen, it goes rancid. Rancid oil is oxidized oil and should NOT be consumed—it leads directly to vascular disease. Trans-fats are introduced when these oils are hydrogenated, which increases your risk of chronic diseases like breast cancer and heart disease.
So what’s the best oil to cook with?
Of all the available oils, coconut oil is the oil of choice for cooking because it is nearly a completely saturated fat, which means it is much less susceptible to heat damage. And coconut oil is one of the most unique and beneficial fats for your body. For more in-depth information about the many benefits of coconut oil, please see this special report. Olive oil, while certainly a healthful oil, is easily damaged by heat and is best reserved for drizzling cold over salad.
5. Microwave Popcorn
Perfluoroalkyls, which include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), are chemicals used to keep grease from leaking through fast food wrappers, are being ingested by people through their food and showing up as contaminants in blood. Microwave popcorn bags are lined with PFOA, and when they are heated the compound leaches onto the popcorn.
These chemicals are part of an expanding group of chemicals commonly referred to as “gender-bending” chemicals, because they can disrupt your endocrine system and affect your sex hormones. The EPA has ruled PFCs as “likely carcinogens,” and has stated that PFOA “poses developmental and reproductive risks to humans.” Researchers have also linked various PFCs to a range of other health dangers, such as:
Infertility — A study published in the journal Human Reproduction3 found that both PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), dramatically increased the odds of infertility. PFOA was linked to a 60 to 154 percent increase in the chance of infertility.
Thyroid disease — A 2010 study4 found that PFOA can damage your thyroid function. Individuals with the highest PFOA concentrations were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease, compared to those with the lowest PFOA concentrations. Your thyroid contains thyroglobulin protein, which binds to iodine to form hormones, which in turn influence essentially every organ, tissue and cell in your body. Thyroid hormones are also required for growth and development in children. Thyroid disease, if left untreated, can lead to heart disease, infertility, muscle weakness, and osteoporosis.
Cancer — PFOA has been associated with tumors in at least four different organs in animal tests (liver, pancreas, testicles and mammary glands in rats), and has been associated with increases in prostate cancer in PFOA plant workers.
Immune system problems — Several studies by scientists in Sweden indicate that PFCs have an adverse effect on your immune system. As described in a report on PFCs by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), PFOA was found to decrease all immune cell subpopulations studied, in the thymus and spleen, and caused immunosupression.
Increased LDL cholesterol levels – A 2010 study in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine5 found that children and teens with higher PFOA levels had higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL or “bad” cholesterol, while PFOS was associated with increased total cholesterol, including both LDL cholesterol and HDL or “good” cholesterol.
I strongly recommend avoiding any product you know containing these toxic compounds, particularly non-stick cookware, but also foods sold in grease-proof food packaging, such as fast food and microwave popcorn. Clearly, if you’re eating fast food or junk food, PFCs from the wrapper may be the least of your problems, but I think it’s still important to realize that not only are you not getting proper nutrition from the food itself, the wrappers may also add to your toxic burden.
6. Non-Organic Potatoes and Other Fresh Produce Known for High Pesticide Contamination
Your best bet is to buy only organic fruits and vegetables, as synthetic agricultural chemicals are not permissible under the USDA organic rules. That said, not all conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are subjected to the same amount of pesticide load. While Koch focuses on potatoes, as they tend to take up a lot of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals present in the soil, I would recommend reviewing the “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce”6 by the Environmental Working Group.
Of the 48 different fruit and vegetable categories tested by the EWG for the 2013 guide, the following 15 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organically:
✓ Apples
✓ Celery
✓ Cherry tomatoes
✓ Cucumbers
✓ Grapes
✓ Hot peppers
✓ Nectarines (imported)
✓ Peaches
✓ Potatoes
✓ Spinach
✓ Strawberries
✓ Sweet bell peppers
✓ Kale
✓ Collard greens
✓ Summer squash
In contrast, the following foods were found to have the lowest residual pesticide load, making them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables. Note that a small amount of sweet corn and most Hawaiian papaya, although low in pesticides, are genetically engineered (GE). If you’re unsure of whether the sweet corn or papaya is GE, I’d recommend opting for organic varieties:
Salt is essential for life—you cannot live without it. However, regular ‘table salt’ and the salt found in processed foods are NOT identical to the salt your body really needs. In fact, table salt has practically nothing in common with natural salt. One is health damaging, and the other is healing.
Processed salt is 98 percent sodium chloride, and the remaining two percent comprises man-made chemicals, such as moisture absorbents, and a little added iodine. These are dangerous chemicals like ferrocyanide and aluminosilicate. Some European countries, where water fluoridation is not practiced, also add fluoride to table salt
Natural salt is about 84 percent sodium chloride. The remaining 16 percent of natural salt consists of other naturally occurring minerals, including trace minerals like silicon, phosphorous and vanadium
Given that salt is absolutely essential to good health, I recommend switching to a pure, unrefined salt. My favorite is an ancient, all-natural sea salt from the Himalayas. Himalayan salt is completely pure, having spent many thousands of years maturing under extreme tectonic pressure, far away from impurities, so it isn’t polluted with the heavy metals and industrial toxins of today. And it’s hand-mined, hand-washed, and minimally processed. Himalayan salt is only 85 percent sodium chloride, the remaining 15 percent contains 84 trace minerals from our prehistoric seas. Unrefined natural salt is important to many biological processes, including:
Being a major component of your blood plasma, lymphatic fluid, extracellular fluid, and even amniotic fluid
Carrying nutrients into and out of your cells
Maintain and regulate blood pressure
Increasing the glial cells in your brain, which are responsible for creative thinking and long-term planning
Helping your brain communicate with your muscles, so that you can move on demand via sodium-potassium ion exchange
While natural unprocessed salt has many health benefits, that does not mean you should use it with impunity. Another important factor is the potassium to sodium ratio of your diet. Imbalance in this ratio can not only lead to hypertension (high blood pressure) and other health problems, including heart disease, memory decline, erectile dysfunction and more. The easiest way to avoid this imbalance is by avoiding processed foods, which are notoriously low in potassium while high in sodium. Instead, eat a diet of whole, ideally organically-grown foods to ensure optimal nutrient content. This type of diet will naturally provide much larger amounts of potassium in relation to sodium.
8. Soy Protein Isolate and Other Unfermented Soy Products
Sadly, most of what you have been led to believe by the media about soy is simply untrue. One of the worst problems with soy comes from the fact that 90 to 95 percent of soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered (GE), and these are used to create soy protein isolate. Genetically engineered soybeans are designed to be “Roundup ready,” which means they’re engineered to withstand otherwise lethal doses of herbicide.
The active ingredient in Roundup herbicide is called glyphosate, which is responsible for the disruption of the delicate hormonal balance of the female reproductive cycle. What’s more, glyphosate is toxic to the placenta, which is responsible for delivering vital nutrients from mother to child, and eliminating waste products. Once the placenta has been damaged or destroyed, the result can be miscarriage. In those children born to mothers who have been exposed to even a small amount of glyphosate, serious birth defects can result.
Glyphosate’s mechanism of harm was only recently identified, and demonstrates how this chemical disrupts cellular function and induce many of our modern diseases, including autism. Soy protein isolate can be found in protein bars, meal replacement shakes, bottled fruit drinks, soups and sauces, meat analogs, baked goods, breakfast cereals and some dietary supplements.
Even if you are not a vegetarian and do not use soymilk or tofu, it is important to be a serious label reader. There are so many different names for soy additives, you could be bringing home a genetically modified soy-based product without even realizing it. Soy expert Dr. Kaayla Daniel offers a free Special Report7, “Where the Soys Are,” on her Web site. It lists the many “aliases” that soy might be hiding under in ingredient lists — words like “bouillon,” “natural flavor” and “textured plant protein.”
Besides soy protein isolate, ALL unfermented soy products are best avoided if you value your health. Thousands of studies have linked unfermented soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.
The only soy with health benefits is organic soy that has been properly fermented, and these are the only soy products I ever recommend consuming. After a long fermentation process, the phytate and “anti-nutrient” levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system. To learn more, please see this previous article detailing the dangers of unfermented soy.
9. Artificial Sweeteners
Contrary to popular belief, studies have found that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In one of the most recent of such studies8, saccharin and aspartame were found to cause greater weight gain than sugar.
Aspartame is perhaps one of the most problematic. It is primarily made up of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. The phenylalanine has been synthetically modified to carry a methyl group, which provides the majority of the sweetness. That phenylalanine methyl bond, called a methyl ester, is very weak, which allows the methyl group on the phenylalanine to easily break off and form methanol.
You may have heard the claim that aspartame is harmless because methanol is also found in fruits and vegetables. However, in fruits and vegetables, the methanol is firmly bonded to pectin, allowing it to be safely passed through your digestive tract. Not so with the methanol created by aspartame; there it’s not bonded to anything that can help eliminate it from your body.
Methanol acts as a Trojan horse; it’s carried into susceptible tissues in your body, like your brain and bone marrow, where the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme converts it into formaldehyde, which wreaks havoc with sensitive proteins and DNA. All animals EXCEPT HUMANS have a protective mechanism that allows methanol to be broken down into harmless formic acid. This is why toxicology testing on animals is a flawed model. It doesn’t fully apply to people.
Aloe plants naturally grow in tropical areas, but you can bring tropics in your own home, and grow the plant in your garden. There is no fuss regarding the growing process, and you should follow only a few simple rules.
Aloe vera plant requires little care. It likes warm weather, occasional watering, and slight fertilization.
Keeping an aloe vera plant in the house will make you feel like a herbalist. Wonder why? Aloe vera is known for its amazing healing properties. They are concentrated in the thick, meaty leaves, right in the oozing gel.Aloe vera juice is available in every healthy food store, but making your own is a lot cheaper and safer. Always cut of the largest leaves, as they have the highest concentration of gel.
The plant has derived from Northern Africa, and the first known records of its healing power are 12 distinctive recipes using aloe vera. They are provided in ebers, the ancient Egyptian Papyrus. This marked the new era of natural healing, and since this period aloe vera was used as decorative plant and herbal remedy.
9 health benefits of taking Aloe Vera orally
1. Strengthens heart, and improves blood count
2. Relieves heart burn and treats indigestion
3. Relieves arthritis-induced inflammation
4. Enhances the function of the urinary tract
5. Strengthens and heals gums
6. Increases immunity
7. Stimulates the production of leukocytes and healthy cells in patients diagnosed with cancer
8. Regulates blood sugar
9. Treats digestive disorders, including upset stomach, constipation, IBS, colitis, and bloating
9 health benefits of using Aloe Vera topically
1. Relieves itching caused by bug bites
2. Heals burns and sunburns
3. Moisturizes and nourishes skin
4. Reduces the appearance of wrinkles
5. Shampoo substitute
6. Shaving gel substitute
7. Speeds up the healing of wounds
8. Soothes rashes, boils, and similar skin problems
Lexi / Lexi’s Clean Kitchen / Via lexiscleankitchen.comSmoothies should be considered cheat food: they’re so easy to make, super healthy, and also taste amazing! Visit Lexi’s Clean Kitchen to read more about them.
6. For smoothies that you have no excuse not to make.
Daily Burn / Via dailyburn.comIt will almost be like you’re not even trying. And oh, did we tell you that there are 8 MORE healthy smoothierecipes that only use three ingredients? YOU’RE WELCOME.
Shape / Via shape.comImpress your mom without batting an eyelash: these soups are all just different twists to the same basic recipe. Read more at All Souped Up, via Shape.
10. For making the salad dressing of gods.
Kath Eats Real Food / Via katheats.comYour friends will constantly hound you for the recipes. Check out DIY Salad Dressingfor more information plus a bit extra…yummy salads!
11. For when you’re treating your lovely self to a night in.
PopSugar / Via popsugar.comThere are other grains aside from rice and quinoa, people! Push the envelope and make it your resolution to try more of them this year. How to Cook Grains at PopSugar will teach you more.
13. For making “guesstimation” of portion sizes a thing of the past.
Guard Your Health Campaign / Via guardyourhealth.comDid you know that your hand is the easiest way to measure a half-cup or three ounces of your food? Yaaaaaaas.
14. For vegetarians looking for other sources of protein.
Women’s Health / Via womenshealthmag.comSugar is a clever little thing, and most Americans get way too much of it (between two and three times the recommended amount!). So get informed, read through the ingredients to make sure you’re not getting any more than you should. Check out 56 Different Names for Sugar, viaWomen’s Health for more.
16. For knowing your nuts.
Life by Daily Burn / Via dailyburn.comThese make really healthy snacks! You can put them in little Zip-lock bags to munch on throughout the day.
17. For the definitive ranking of all the veggies.
pinterest.comTreat yo’ self! To only the healthiest vegetables, that is.
18. For DIY hummus that’s as awesome as your Lebanese college roommate’s grandmother’s.
Shape / Via shape.comOkay so maybe her recipe is still waaaay better, but at the very least it’ll make you feel more Bohemian. And give you lots of hipster cred, too. Pop over to 13 Different Ways to Make Hummus for more.
20. For substituting bad ingredients with the good.
Greatist / Via greatist.comGood news for all sweets lovers: You can still make and eat the fluffiest, yummiest baked desserts without the self-loathing that comes afterwards. Congratulations! More about these here: 83 Healthy Recipe Substitutions, via Greatist.
21. For fans of salad in search of more adventure.
An imbalance in gut flora can allow specific bacteria and fungi to invade our bodies. Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. When overgrowth overgrowth occurs, candida breaks down the wall of the intestine and penetrates the bloodstream, releasing toxic byproducts into your body. This can lead to many different health problems, ranging from digestive issues to depression and even cancer.
How do you get candida overgrowth?
The healthy bacteria in your gut typically keep your candida levels in check. However, several factors can cause the candida population to get out of hand:
-Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar (which feed the yeast)
-Consuming a lot of alcohol
-Taking oral contraceptives
-Living a high-stress lifestyle
-Taking a round of antibiotics that killed too many of those friendly bacteria
Symptoms Caused by Candida Overgrowth
When Candida Albicans is under control it poses no problem, but when it gets out of control it begins to overgrow causing numerous symptoms and health problems from the top of the head to the tips of the toes, from migraines to nail fungus. It can result in symptoms inside (pain and malfunction of organs, even brain lesions) and outside (eczema and hives). It can also cause problems with the mind and emotions. Here are many of the symptoms caused by an overproduction of candida.
-Allergies, sensitivities and intolerances that worsen in damp, muggy or moldy places or weather that is damp, muggy, humid or rainy.
-Hay fever and asthma.
-Intolerances or allergies to perfumes, odors, fumes, fabric shop odors, grass, cats, dogs or other animals, tobacco smoke, chemicals, smog, molds, dust mites, dust, pollen, and other airborne substances.
-Athletes’ foot.
-Babies – colic, diaper rash, thrush (coated white tongue), and cradle cap.
-Bruising easily.
-Cheekbone or forehead tenderness, pain.
-Cold hands or feet, low body temperature.
-Cold-like symptoms – excessive mucus in the sinuses, nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs.
-Cravings or addictions for sugar, bread, pasta and other high carb foods, and also alcohol.
-Cysts, abnormal formation of, in different parts of the body, especially around the neck, throat, and ovaries, and in the bladder or scrotum.
-Digestive problems – diarrhea, constipation, abdominal distention, bloating or pain, gas, mucus in the stools, hiatal hernia, ulcers, suffering from bacteria, i.e. salmonella, E. coli, h. pylori, etc.
-Ears – ringing in the ears (tinnitus), sounds in the ears, ear infections, dryness, itchiness, ear pain, ear aches, ear discharges, fluid in ears, deafness, abnormal wax build-up.
-Eyes – erratic vision, spots in front of eyes (eye floaters) and flashing lights; redness, dryness, itching, excessive tearing, inability to tear, etc.
-Fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome or Epstein Barr or a feeling of being drained of energy, lethargy, drowsiness.
-Flu-like symptoms.
-Glands swollen, too little saliva (dryness in the mouth), blocked salivary glands, swollen lymph nodes.
-Hair loss, scum on the scalp, dandruff, itchy scalp, scalp sores and dryness.
-Heart palpitations and irregular heart beat.
-Headaches, migraines, brain fog, dizziness, etc.
-Hemorrhoids, and rectal itching, rash, irritation and redness.
-Irritability, nervousness, jitteriness and panic attacks.
-Lesions on the skin, and inside the body, i.e. the brain.
-Male associated problems – jock itch, loss of sex drive, impotence, prostitis, penis infections, difficulty urinating, urinary frequency or urgency, painful intercourse, swollen scrotum, etc.
-Female health problems – infertility, vaginitis, unusual odors, endometriosis (irregular or painful menstruation), cramps, menstrual irregularities, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), discharge, painful intercourse, loss of sexual drive, redness or swelling of the vulva and surrounding area, vaginal itching or thrush, burning or redness, or persistent infections.
-Fungal infections of the skin or nails, i.e. ringworm, saborrheic dermatitis, dark and light patches on the skin (tinea versicolor), etc.
-Joint pain, stiffness or swelling (arthritis).
-Kidney and bladder – infections, cystitis (inflammation of the bladder with possible infection), urinary frequency or urgency, low urine output, smelly urine, difficulty urinating, burning pain when urinating.
-Lack of appetite.
-Mind and Mood – anxiety attacks, crying spells, memory loss, feeling spaced out, depression(including suicidal feelings), manic feelings, inability to concentrate, mood swings, irritability, etc.
-Mouth sores or blisters, canker sores, dryness, bad breath, a white coating on the tongue (thrush) and blocked salivary glands.
-Muscle aches and pain, numbness, burning or tingling, and lack of strength and coordination.
-Odor of the feet, hair or body not relieved by washing.
-Respiratory – cough, bronchitis or pneumonia, pain or tightness in the chest, wheezing, shortness of breath, asthma.
-Sick all over feeling.
-Sinus inflammation, swelling and infections.
-Skin – dryness, dry red patches, acne, pimples, hives, rashes, itching skin, eczema, psoriasis, seborrhoea, ringworm, contact dermatitis, rosacea, etc.
-Stomach – h.pylori bacteria (causes ulcers), heartburn, indigestion, hiatal hernia, acid reflux, belching, vomiting, burning, stomach pains, needle-like pains, food that seems to sit in the stomach like a lump, etc.
-Sleep – insomnia, waking up frequently, nightmares, restless sleep, etc.
-Sore throat, hoarse voice, constant tickle in the throat, laryngitis (loss of voice), etc.
What Causes Candida to Get Out of Control?
The causes of immune system dysfunction are varied and complex, but antibiotics are the biggest culprits because they wipe out friendly micro-organisms, in the digestive system. Because Candida is resistant to antibiotics the imbalance of micro-organisms allows it to take over. It begins to change its shape and starts to overgrow; raising large families called colonies.Adding to the problem of malabsorption are nutritional deficiencies that also weaken the immune system. Today’s standard diet lacks the necessary nutrients to maintain a healthy immune system. It is loaded with sugar, carbohydrates, hydrogenated oils and fats (trans-fats), white flour products, processed foods, food additives, preservatives, pesticides, and heavy metals. This, in addition to foods being irradiated (exposed to high levels of radiation to extend shelf life), and being grown in nutrient depleted soil, long storage and transportation time, and improper handling, cooking and microwaving that goes on in most homes, further depletes nutrients available. All of these factors contribute to a weakened immune system.
Testing for Candida at Home
Your holistic practitioner will have conclusive means of testing for candida, however for a simple at home test try the following. First thing in the morning, before you put anything in your mouth, fill a clear glass with room temperature bottled water.
Work up a bit of saliva, and spit it into the glass of water. Check the water every 15 minutes or so for up to one hour.
If you see strings (fibers) traveling down into the water from the saliva floating on the top, cloudy specks (particles suspended in the water) or cloudy saliva that sinks to the bottom of the glass you have a candida problem.
The Candida Control Program
In order to get Candida overgrowth under control five things need to be done simultaneously:
1. Eliminate foods that feed Candida
Candida overgrowth is mainly fueled by sugar, refined carbohydrates and gluten. Let’s look at each of these separately so you know what to avoid exactly.
Candida’s main food supply is sugar and all forms of it, such as lactose contained in dairy products, honey, glucose, fructose, and sugar substitutes, i.e. Nutrasweet, aspartame, saccharin. Eliminating sugar is the most important part of the Candida Program. All fruit, except lemons, are also very high in sugar and should be extremely limited during the initial stages of the program, along with some vegetables that are very high in sugar, such as sweet potatoes, parsnips and beets. Sugar also contained is most processed foods such as smoked luncheon meats, ketchup, cereal, and yogurt making it important to read labels carefully.
Most Candida sufferers are gluten intolerant. Gluten is an elastic and gluey protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats [from processing contamination], spelt, kamut, triticale and it is hidden in an endless variety of processed foods. Triticale is a new hybrid grain with the properties of wheat and rye, while spelt and kamut are gluten-containing wheat variants and are likely to cause problems similar to other wheat varieties. Gluten-containing grains have come to be used extensively in breads and other baked goods because of their “glutinous,” sticky consistency.
Gluten grains feed Candida because they have a high glycemic index just like sugar, and like sugar, creates insulin resistance within the cells which leads to blood sugar problems like hypoglycemia and diabetes. The cells become resistant to insulin as they try to protect themselves from the toxic effective of high doses of insulin caused by high intake of sugar and simple carbohydrates. As the cells become insulin resistant, the pancreas produces more insulin which creates a vicious cycle. This exhausts the pancreas eventually leading to its breakdown resulting in diabetes.
Gluten grains contain a protein that is difficult to digest and interferes with mineral absorption and causes intestinal damage. This damage makes the intestines incapable of absorbing nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and even water in some cases. Our grain food supply also contains mycotoxins (a toxin produced by a fungus), especially found in corn and wheat. Mycotoxins can suppress our normal immune function. See the section on Yeast, Mold and Fungus for more information.
2. Build up the immune system
-Eating the right foods
-Taking essential supplements
-Avoiding yeast, mold and fungus
If the wrong diet is constantly consumed, or if yeast overgrowth damage is never reversed from previous drug and antibiotic use, a cure can almost never be achieved. Eating the right foods is the most important aspect of getting Candida under control and building up the immune system. The “Candida Control Diet” is high in protein and good saturated fats and oils, and low in carbohydrates, and contains no sugars, grains or processed foods. All foods must be as fresh and natural as possible, and free of additives, pesticides, heavy metals, irradiation, mycotoxins, etc.
Good Fats and Oils – Good fats and oils are equally important to protein in the diet and they are essential to getting Candida under control. They not only increase the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the foods eaten but also provide the most efficient source of energy. They also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances. Good fats act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption and for a host of other processes. The kinds of fats consumed greatly influence the assimilation and utilization of vitamin D.
Essential Fatty Acids – There are also two types of essential fatty acids that must be obtained from the diet and these are omega-3s and omega-6s. They are called essential because we have to get them from food because our bodies can’t manufacture them from other fats. Most people’s diets contain an excessive amount of omega 6 fats, therefore it is important to ensure the diet contains more omega 3 rich foods to offset this imbalance.
Avoid all newfangled fats and oils (trans fats) – Candida sufferers cannot afford to jeopardize their health by consuming toxic oils and fats and must avoid all of the newfangled polyunsaturated fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils (margarine, Canola oil, safflower oil, etc.), called trans fats. These newfangled fats and oils are not only toxic and increase the body’s need for vitamin E and other antioxidants, but also depress the immune system. All trans fats, found in margarine and shortenings used in most commercial baked goods and most processed food, should always be avoided even by healthy people.
Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is another healthy saturated fat that contains many properties that are beneficial to Candida sufferers which are anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. It also kills off yeast overgrowth. Coconut oil supports immune system function, supplies important nutrients necessary for good health and improves digestion and nutrient absorption.
The fat in coconut oil is easily digested and absorbed, unlike the newfangled trans fats that act like plastic in the body. It puts little strain on the digestive system and provides a quick source of energy necessary to promote healing. Coconut oil is absorbed directly from the intestines into the portal vein and sent straight to the liver, whereas other fats require pancreatic enzymes to break them into smaller units.
Avoid Soybean and Soy-based foods – Soybeans contains large quantities of natural toxins or “anti-nutrients,” including potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of enzymes needed for protein digestion. These inhibitors are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking and can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid (proteins) uptake. In test animals, diets high in enzyme inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, thyroid malfunction and other diseases including cancer. Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together.
Soy also contains one of the highest percentages of pesticides of any of our foods and is 99% genetically modified. Soybeans are also high in phytic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all seeds, which blocks the uptake of essential minerals – calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc – in the intestinal tract. Candida sufferers must avoid soy and all soy products in order to get well.
Taking essential supplements
Candida sufferers need to build up their immune system by supplementing with certain essential vitamins and minerals, that are yeast-free and sugar-free, including:
-Chlorella is a whole-food that contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It helps build the immune system, detoxifies heavy metals and other pesticides in the body, improves the digestive system, improves energy levels and normalize blood sugar and blood pressure. Take two capsules three times a day.
-Vitamin B Complex (non-yeast), 50 mgs. twice a day.
-Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, 1,000 mgs. twice a day.
-Vitamin D (with vitamin A) – take 1 teaspoon per 50 lbs. of body weight per day of a high quality cod liver oil or fish oil.
-Vitamin E, containing natural alpha tocopherol, (d-alpha tocopherol is synthetic), that is not from a soy source, 400 IU twice a day.
-Calcium/Magnesium Citrate, with “elemental amounts” containing 800-1,200 mgs. of calcium with an equal ratio of magnesium.
3. Kill off Candida overgrowth
There are many anti-fungal agents that kill off Candida overgrowth, including raw garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive leaf extract and Pau d’arco.
Garlic – Garlic contains a large number of sulphur containing compounds that exhibit very potent broad-spectrum anti-fungal properties. Among the most studied are allicin, alliin, alliinase and S-allylcysteine.
Fresh garlic is significantly more potent against Candida albicans than any other form, including tablets, oils and pills. Fresh garlic is also a suitable alternative to drugs for serious systemic yeast infections in patients with severe immune suppression. Adding fresh garlic to food (raw and crushed), or crushing and swallowing raw clove is a cheap and powerful anti-fungal treatment. Garlic also stimulates the immune system, improves circulation, lowers high blood pressure, kills intestinal parasites, and is a powerful antioxidant and antibiotic, in addition to many other health benefits.
To obtain the most benefit from garlic buy certified organic garlic and crush it. Crushing breaks the cell walls releasing garlic’s beneficial properties. To kill off Candida overgrowth take 4-5 average sized cloves per day mixed in foods or with meals. Another alternative is to drink 3-4 cups of garlic tea per day.
Raw apple cider vinegar – Raw apple cider vinegar and Candida do not get along. Take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and mix it with a glass of water and drink before every meal. The apple cider vinegar helps to fight off the intestinal yeast overgrowth by actually killing the yeast, creating a die off reaction. Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar creates an unfriendly environment for the yeast, while helping create a good environment for friendly gut flora.
Olive Leaf Extract – Olive leaf extract can kill invading fungus rather than just inhibiting its growth. It contains a a phenolic compound called oleuropein, which has antiviral, anti-fungal, antiprotozoal, and antibacterial properties. Take as directed on the product label.
Pau d’arco – Pau d’arco is the bark of a rainforest tree which is inherently anti-fungal (also known as Taheebo or Lepacho tea). Pau d’arco may be taken in a capsule or a tea. Take capsules as directed on the product label or drink 3 cups of tea per day.
4. Plant good bacteria in the digestive tract
As the yeast overgrowth is being killed off by anti-fungal agents it is important to ingest a constant supply of probiotics. These are the ‘friendly’ or ‘beneficial’ bacteria, or micro organisms, that live in the digestive tract.As yeast colonies are reduced space becomes available for colonizing the other healthy bacteria. The most numerous bacteria found in the small intestines are species of Lactobacilli. In the colon the majority are mainly Bifidobacteria.
The easiest and least expensive way to plant healthy bacteria in the digestive tract is to take Cabbage Rejuvelac. But probiotic supplements can also plant good bacteria in the digestive tract. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as just buying the first probiotic supplement and assuming it will do the job. The best probiotic supplements will contain specific strains of bacteria that have been studied and verified as effective, and they will identified on the bottle as a series of letters or numbers after the name of the bacteria to indicate a specific strain. Some of the most studied strains include Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 and Lactobacillus GG. Probiotic supplements should be at least 500 billion organisms per gram, contained in dark bottles to avoid deterioration by heat and light, and kept refrigerated, even in the store. Take according to instructions on the bottle.
5. Manage the healing crisis
The Healing Crisis is brought about when the body becomes overcrowded with waste and toxins. Cells and tissues begin to throw off the waste and carry it from the bloodstream to various eliminating organs including the bowels, kidneys, lungs, skin, nasal passages, ears, throat, and genital organs. These organs in turn become congested and irritated producing symptoms such as colds, boils, kidney and bladder infections, headaches, open sores, diarrhea and fevers.
Die-off symptoms are caused by high numbers of yeast being killed off which releases a high number toxins into the system. In medical terms this is called the Herxheimer’s reaction, or yeast die-off phenomenon. Die-off symptoms resembles the flu and can be very uncomfortable. They can be alleviated by:
-Taking 1,000 mgs of Vitamin C (preferably in powdered form in pure water) several times a day or whenever needed.
-Taking an Epsom salts bath also draws toxins out through the skin and helps minimized die-off symptoms (add two cups, or 500 grams, of Epsom salts to warm bath water).
The most important aspect of the healing crisis is to never go to extremes in making changes to your diet or lifestyle. It is important to gradually introduce changes one at a time, allowing the body to adapt to the changes and adjust itself. The keys to successfully overcoming Candida are: 1) sticking to the Candida Control Program, 2) being patient, and 3) being persistent. You will get well.
Dr. Wayne Pickering is a naturopathic physician on the East Coast of Florida, and was a good friend of fitness legend Jack Lalanne. He gave a beautiful eulogy at Jack’s funeral. At the age of 67, he swims several miles a week in addition to extensive biking and a wide variety of calisthenics, pushups and pull ups.
He has quite an impressive exercise regimen and is a personal inspiration to me as I hope to be in as good a shape as he as that age. He also has one of the most positive attitudes of anyone I know.
He eats plenty of fruit and caused me to seriously reevaluate my position on consuming fruits and I have gradually been increasing my intake of them, especially mangoes, which is his pseudonym (Mango Man). He even has a variety of mangoes named after him. I actually have two of the Pickering mangoes growing in my yard.
But one of the things he’s known for in the nutrition world is food combining—and he is truly like a walking billboard for his program. The man looks about 20-30 years younger than his calendar age.
“Age is not a matter of years; it’s a matter of condition. You can keep your health up until you die because you have 75 to 90 trillion cells in your body that work symbiotically on your behalf striving towards health. You cut yourself? It’s going to heal without a thought. It just does,” he says.
Improper food combining is one of the primary factors that cause gas, flatulence, heartburn, and upset stomach. What’s worse, poor digestion can also contribute to malnutrition, even if you think you’re eating a decent diet.
In his youth, Dr. Pickering was no different from most Americans today—severely overweight, out of shape, and eating the wrong foods. He recalls the key moment that turned his life around:
“I was in Illinois when I came back from Vietnam. I stayed up there for a year in Rockford. A little lady found me one day in a distraught situation. She owned a health food store. I went in there, and I bought a bottle of vitamins and a little book, How to Be Healthy with Natural Foods, by Edward E. Marsh.”
He also found a postcard-sized food combining chart. He’d had frequent stomach pains for years, and was absolutely shocked when 24-hours after putting the information into practice, he didn’t suffer with indigestion anymore.
Since then, Dr. Pickering has become an avid teacher of natural health, in which health and longevity is the naturaloutgrowth of proper nutrition—which also encompasses proper food combining, to optimize digestion.
Three Principles of Health
Many are under the mistaken belief that the human body is a frail instrument, prone to disease and pre-programmed to decay. Dr. Pickering wholeheartedly disagrees, and I second that motion. The truth is, your body is infinitely wise, with a natural inborn “instinct” toward health, and by following certain natural principles, you allow your body to do what it does best, which is to maintain an equilibrium of health. Dr. Pickering’s three basic principles of health are:
You are automatically healthy, by design, and sick only by default
You don’t catch disease; you “earn” it, as it stems from “crud in the blood from being drunk with junk,” as he says
You get well by what comes out of you, not by what goes into you
In essence, health is as much based on getting rid of toxins and other harmful substances as it is based on optimizing your nutrition. Part and parcel of this philosophy is that food is your number one ally. And while certain nutritional supplements can be beneficial, they will not allow you to circumvent a poor diet. They can only complement your diet; they cannot take the place of a meal.
“Nutrition doesn’t heal. It doesn’t cure. It doesn’t do anything,” Dr. Pickering says. “It’s a science though and it never changes... Here’s what nutrition is: it’s a series of four processes that your body employs to make food materials for the body to use.”
According to Dr. Pickering, one of the most important factors when it comes to healthful eating is to make sure you’re eating foods that are in season. Your constitution changes with the seasons of your local climate, and eating local foods when they’re in season is a natural way to harness that intrinsic relationship your body has with the Earth.
Seasonal foods will typically be at their cheapest when they’re in season, and will be readily available in most stores and farmers markets. Dr. Pickering’s food combining guide1 can also help you determine which foods are in season, in addition to how to combine them for optimal health.
Next, Dr. Pickering advises eating foods that are indigenous to your area. Eskimos, for example, are not going to reap the same nutritional rewards from watermelon as someone living in the American South where watermelons grow naturally. The climate itself makes nutritional demands on your body.
Third, you also want to select foods according to the type and amount of physical activity you’re involved in (an office worker, for example, will not benefit from the diet of a triathlete), and lastly, you want to choose foods according to your body’s digestive chemistry. As a side note, albeit an important one, Dr. Pickering also points out the importance of your thoughts.
“Your thoughts, you see, help to govern chemistry,” he explains. “When you sit down to eat, it’s crucial to not talk about problems at the dinner table; talk about joyous things just because it gives you a chance to get together [with each other].”
Recent research has even confirmed that if you want to make your food taste better, and more thoroughly enjoy the experience of a meal, perform a ritual first. One of the most rewarding rituals you can do before a meal is to stop and give thanks for your food.
Not only might this make your food taste better, but also people who are thankful for what they have are better able to cope with stress, have more positive emotions, and are better able to reach their goals. People who give thanks before they eat also tend to eat more slowly and savor the meal more so than those who do not, lending a natural transition to mindful eating, which has a direct and beneficial impact on digestion.
Why Food Combining Matters
Wayne is probably best known for promoting the importance of food combining. If the food you eat is not digesting properly, not only can painful gas, heart burn, acid reflux and other stomach problems arise, but your body will also be deprived of critical nutrients.
The short definition of digestion is: you put food or liquid into your mouth, swallow it, and then your body breaks these molecules down into a size it can absorb. What your body doesn’t use is excreted as waste. These are the four processes listed above—digestion, absorption, assimilation and elimination. But food is actually broken down in a number of different areas, including in your mouth, stomach, and the first and middle sections of your small intestine, called the duodenum and jejunum respectively. Furthermore, you have two kinds of digestion:
Mechanical (chewing and churning) digestion
Chemical digestion
Food combination takes into account the area and complexity of digestion of each food, to ensure it goes through your entire digestive system with ease. Dr. Pickering explains:
“There’s only one food that chemically breaks down in the stomach and that’s protein. Proteins require pepsin, a very highly acidic [enzyme] in conjunction with hydrochloric acid. But the hydrochloric acid doesn’t have the ability to break the food down. It just sets the medium for the concentration of the amount of pepsin that’s poured into the stomach to digest whatever food that’s in there. The intelligence of this human body is phenomenal.”
There are three primary categories of food: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Proteins, again, begin their digestion chemically in your stomach. Carbohydrates are divided into two categories: fruits and starches. While fruits pass through your digestive system with relative ease, starches require three levels of breakdown; the very first stage is in your mouth. That’s why it’s crucial to carefully chew starchy foods.
According to the rules of food combination, you do not want to mix proteins and starches in the same meal. This means, no bun with your hamburger, no meatballs if you have pasta, no potatoes with your meat… Why is that? Dr. Pickering explains:
“Starches require an alkaline digestive medium to digest. If you put your fist in your stomach while it’s digesting steaks and all that, chances are, you wouldn’t have a hand anymore. The acid is intense… When you mix them both together – an acid-type of food and an alkaline – basic chemistry shows that they don’t digest. They neutralize. Then what happens? If the food is not digesting… it’s going through your body [undigested], throwing it into all kinds of turmoil.”
Dr. Pickering lays out three basic commandments of eating that he recommends you not deviate from:
No proteins and starches at the same meal, as they neutralize each other and prevent proper digestion of either food. To ensure proper digestion of each food, wait two hours after eating a starch before eating protein. And wait three hours after eating protein before eating a starch.
No fruits and vegetables at the same meal. Fruits are either a single or double sugar, whereas the starches are a triple sugar. Fruits mechanically break down in your stomach, but chemically, they don’t break down until they reach the third and fourth stage of your digestive system, which are in your small intestine. Starches, again, are broken down in three different stages, starting in your mouth.
According to Dr. Pickering, this is also why it’s crucial to not eat dessert after a meal. When you do, it gets trapped in your stomach with all that other food, where it starts to rot as it’s not being chemically digested there. Therefore, eat fruit 30-60 minutes before dinner. The same applies if you want to eat another piece of fruit. Acidic fruits, such as lemons for example, also do not combine well with starches. Lemon and banana is but one example of a combination that is sure to lead to gastrointestinal upset…
Many people consider tomatoes a fruit, yet it’s commonly added to salad. Dr. Pickering classifies tomatoes as a “fruit-vegetable,” because even though they don’t have the sugar like most fruits, they’re still an acidic fruit-vegetable. As such they’re okay to combine with other vegetables. He suggests the following recipe for an excellent salad:
“Any kind of vegetable that has seed in it; for example summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, bell peppers, and okra—those are all fruit-vegetables. Your tomatoes go well with those. And since lettuce and celery have a neutral effect, as far as the breakdown of food, the celery and the lettuce combine very well with all of that. You can also add avocados.”
“Eat melon alone, or leave it alone, or your stomach will moan.” In short, melons do not digest well with other foods and will frequently cause problems unless consumed by itself.
The When and What of Eating
According to Dr. Pickering, the amount and sequencing of the foods you eat can also make a difference. He recommends the following eating schedule:
Morning meal: The least concentrated foods, in the greatest amount. Ideal food choice: fruits
Middle of the day: More complex foods, but in a smaller amount than your first meal. Ideal food choice: starchy carbs
Evening: The most concentrated foods, but in the least abundant amount. Ideal food choice: protein
