BUILDING Vs. CLEANSING?

 

Weed and feed guys.  Building and cleansing.  These are both cycles that our bodies go through.  We go through them on a daily basis.  We go through them on a weekly basis.  We go through them on a yearly or seasonal basis.  In nature these cycles tend to happen automatically.  In our modern lives; not so much.  A lot of us get sucked into the idea that one is better than the other or that we should only focus on one at a time.  Typical examples of these are bodyBUILDERS and veganCLEANSERS.  One side favors the building up of the body.  Usually this is done with high amounts of proteins, fats, and heavy carbohydrates.  The other favors cleansing out the gunk that most of us accumulate over the years.  This is usually done by focusing on fresh fruits and veggies primarily with little fat, protein, or animal products.  Who is right?  Can they both be right?  I always like to look to history and anthropology to discover the answers.

Now I understand why vegan-types think the way they do.  Bottom line?  We eat and have eaten WAY too much garbage and junk that gunks up our bodies in the past few decades.  People have grown up eating cereals, pasteurized cheeses, fried eggs and butter, grilled meats, bread, pastas, etc.  The list doesn’t really end.  So do we need to cleanse?  Most definitely.  All of us can use some internal housekeeping every now and then.  Our livers, kidneys, colons, and skin get overloaded with toxins.  What are the best foods to eat for cleansing?  Light things.  Fresh fruits, veggies, a little raw fat maybe.  Focusing on fresh air, clean water, and sunlight are great as well.  But is that the whole story?  Historically, there have been hardly ANY vegan societies.  They all consumed animal products as well.  Enter the building side of things.

The wise cultures throughout history understood that animal products had important qualities that vegetables and fruits did not.  Things like bone marrow, fatty fish, organ meats, raw dairy, eggs, and other animal proteins.  This is not to say that they always consumed massive amounts of these foods.  So what is really going on here?  I am really beginning to see a difference which I am coining “An egg is not an egg.”  “A chicken is not a chicken.”  What do I mean by that?  Most of the high-quality animal products people used in the past were NOT consumed how most of us do today.  Let’s look at a list of some “junk-foods” compared to some clean ones.

JUNK:  Pizzas, pasteurized dairy, cheese, and butter, burgers and fries, fried eggs and bacon, high-heated steaks, chicken, and fish, fried chicken wings, etc.

CLEAN:  Raw or lightly cooked eggs with runny yolks, raw dairy (if tolerated), bone marrow, cod liver oil, sardines, salmon, and other fatty fish, crock-pot or slow roasted meats, raw or lightly cooked organ meats and other fats.

The verdict?  Animal products are not the enemy.  Live with the seasons guys.  More fresh fruits and veggies during spring/summer for cleansing and more building foods in the fall and winter for building.  Don’t be afraid to eat intuitively either.  We have different genetics.  We need different things at different times.  Focus on air and water quality first.  Then listen to your body and follow along =)

-JOE

 

“Comfort Food” MY ASS

Ok, I admit it.  I have a small beef with “comfort food.”  I am not talking about real comforting, nourishing foods.  I am talking about the junk food that we have grown to label “comfort food.”  Don’t think that emotions don’t play into this as well.  Let’s look at some qualities of what most of us have come to think of as comfort food.  Soft, mushy, usually warm (except ice cream), starchy, fatty, etc.  Basically heavy, easily digestible, high-calorie fare.  Is that the whole story though?  More and more I begin to think there is a whole other side to this issue.  Are we simply eating for nourishment or is it more as a buffer?  What about the emotional side?  When did we eat comfort food?  Birthdays.  Christmas.  Thanksgiving.  Hopefully happy times right?  Cake, pies, cheesy potatoes, cookies, meatloaf, etc.  It is pretty hard to take a break right?  Let’s look at some traditional “nourishing foods” that serve the same purpose in the body.

FATS:  Raw butter, raw or lightly cooked egg yolks, coconuts/oil, olives/oil, animal fats, raw nuts, bone marrow.  These fats have been used for thousands of years.  They are rich.  They taste great.  They nourish the body.

CARBS:  Carbs are many people’s favorite “comfort foods.”  At least we like to think that is the case most of the time.  Is it really the carbs though?  Or is the “gunky stuff.”  The breads, the pasta, the cereals, lasagna, fried rice, etc.  Ask yourself which it is?  Nature has provided us with plenty of carbohydrates to choose from.  Root vegetables are particularly useful.  Parsnips, rutabagas, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.  Fruit can also be great.  I am not one for “whole grains” but unprocessed and properly prepared grains are a hell of a lot better than the processed stuff. 

PROTEINS:  Protein is often included in comfort food as well.  Favorites may include burgers with fries, fried chicken wings, meats on pizzas, cheese, fried steaks, and ribs.  I can’t lie; ribs are pretty damn TASTY.  So what are some good proteins?  Lightly cooked animal proteins would include egg whites, wild caught fish, and free range poultry and ruminant animals.  Healthy cooking options include crock-pots, baking, steaming, etc.  Frying or high-heat grilling is not recommended.

Now that we have taken a look at things, I will ask the question again.  Do we like the nourishment or do we use these things as a buffer?  I will tell people to eat as much REAL FOOD as they want.  Let’s compare a few nourishing meals versus fake food comfort.

PROCESSED COMFORT:  Most of us don’t have to think too hard on this one.  Pizzas, pastas, anything with pasteurized dairy, burgers with fries, cakes, donuts, cereals, pastries, latte’s, anything fried, etc.

NOURISHING COMFORT:  Most of us have not been introduced to these foods in the modern world.  Steamed sweet potatoes and broccoli with coconut oil.  Parsnips and peas with raw butter.  Lightly cooked eggs and avocado omelet with veggies.  Crock-pot meals with chicken or lamb mixed with vegetables and olive oil as a topping.  There are plenty of healthy treats as well.

So there you have it.  Give yourself a test.  Is it the calories and nourishment you are after?  Or does “comfort food” serve some other function in your life?  Looking at what types of comfort food it is hard to give up can tell you a lot about your internal state.  Do you crave fried fats and foods?  Or maybe for you it is the sugar.  What are you buffering against? It is great to reminisce about high school or times in childhood but we need to learn to separate the “good times” from the food that is associated with it.  After eating real food for a while, most cravings usually start disappearing if they are related to true nourishment.  Our modern culture has skewed what food we think we need to function.  So having said that, COMFORT FOOD MY ASS.

-JOE

“THERMAL NATURE” Of Foods

This is a quick one on the thermal nature of foods we eat.  This is an overlooked concept in health and nutrition that probably should get more credit than it does.  Most people are familiar with the concept on Yin and Yang.  Yin is basically cool, feminine, receptive, nurturing, etc.  Yang is basically warm, masculine, energetic, etc.  Our society seems to favor YANG over all else and so we lose sight of our yin nature.  My brother likes watching old movies and one thing I always notice is the “YIN” moments.  In today’s movies all we have is action, action, action!  It’s completely unrealistic.  I like action as much as the next guy but what about the contemplation?  He had me watch “Dances with Wolves” a while back and it amazed me how much “downtime” there was in the movie.  Moments where the man was just thinking, reading, or journaling.  The true nature of the world is to be at peace and relaxing most of the time.  Anyway, back to the food.

So we can use the thermal nature of foods to balance ourselves out as well.  Some people eat far too yin.  Some too yang.  Let’s compare.

What are YIN FOODS?  Primarily things like sugars, fruit, cold stuff, raw food, juices, and some vegetables such as nightshades.  Most vegetables are more yang.

What are YANG FOODS?  In general the most yang foods come from animals.  Starting from most yang to least yang you may have things like wild game meats followed by things like beef and lamb followed by things like chicken/turkey followed by fish.  Root vegetables are fairly yang.  Especially things like turnips, parsnips, etc.  Sweet potatoes are a bit more yin.  Eggs are quite yang as well.

What about SEASONINGS?  Seasonings have a huge impact on the yin/yang point of foods.  Using things such as cinnamon, black pepper, sea salt, ginger, garlic, cayenne, cloves, etc will help make food that is much more YANG.  More Yin spices could include herbs usually found fresh such as parsley, basil, etc.

What about COOKING?  You caught me.  The cooking process itself actually has a lot  to do with this as well.  Cooking ADDS HEAT to food.  How we cook it also changes the process.  Life is so complicated I know =)  So what about cooking?  Slow cooking, roasting, steaming, etc will add some yang but not overtly  These are gentle methods that most people have used for thousands of years to heat the food without destroying it.  High-heat methods such as broiling, frying, etc will add even more yang to the food.

Where is your BALANCE POINT?  There is no right or wrong answer here.  Personally, I have been eating far too yin for a little while as it had been summer here.  Currently I require more yang foods and protein to do the work I am attempting.  It’s safe to say that most American’s require more yin foods but not always.  Things like fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh pressed juices, etc.

Ok, so what about the junk?  Junk foods are in both categories as well.  Yin Junk would include almost all sugars, pasteurized fruit juices, soda pop, candy, etc.  Yang Junk would include fried foods, especially fried fats, roasted nuts, pasteurized butters/cheeses, etc.

So the point here is to locate where you are on the continuum and modify your habits accordingly.  Eating more yang in the winter naturally makes sense.  Eating more yin in the summer naturally makes sense.  Don’t get called into any dogma or religion on eating.  Eating a bunch of fruit juice and blueberries all winter may not be the best thing.  Look through the continuum and see what resonates with your body.  Ignore your mind =)  Eat healthy food how it feels right with you.  Hope you enjoyed.

-Joe

GROUNDING Series: FOOD

Food can be a big help when it comes to grounding ourselves out.  Unfortunately we have a ton of junk food around that people use to fill this purpose as well.  This is not the goal here.  The goal is to eat healthful food that helps us stay in the here and the now.  When cleansing it may be best to stick primarily to fruits and vegetables?  Maybe so.  But what if your body is doing some particularly big healing work?  Sometimes we need proteins and fats to provide fuel and substance for the transition.  This is especially true if you are undergoing some “vibrational flu” or “ascension” symptoms.  So what are some foods that can help us stay grounded on the planet?  

These are primarily foods that correlate with the 1st chakra and somewhat with the 2nd.  Any kind of ROOT vegetable will be good.  Not just potatoes but sweet potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips, etc.  Onions and leeks to a lesser extent.  Fruit as a general rule is not so grounding.  The most grounding fruits would appear to be things like apples and pears or hardy winter fruits.  Berries and the like not so much.  MEAT is extremely grounding.  Cooked animal protein is probably one of the most grounding things you can eat.  Of course overcooking it is always bad.  Always get a clean organic source.  Good options include crock-pot chickens, turkeys, etc.  Rare or raw meat can be used but is not as grounding.  These could include sashimi sushi style stuff like salmon, tuna, etc.  Eggs also fit in this category.  Raw are more cleansing and not as grounding.  There is no right or wrong here, just what we are trying to use them for.  A transition to a healthy diet usually has a lot of ups and downs as our bodies adjust to higher energy levels and better quality foods coming in.  

These cover the 1st chakra but what about #2?  Number 2 is associated with fats in general or liquids.  Things like fatty oils and nuts reside here.  Nuts are extremely grounding and dense.  They work good for grounding if they are required.  Stay away from things like roasted and sugar-coated nuts.  Get them raw and soak/dehydrate them prior to eating.  Things like walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, etc can all be used.  Other fats would include properly prepared olives, olive oil, coconuts, coconut oil, raw butter, and maybe some raw dairy products if they sit well with you.  

What about things to avoid?  In general, very light foods will not help you ground out much.  Eventually your body will adjust but life is a process.  The point is not to stress our bodies out during that process.  Eat more fruits and veggies and let your system adjust.  Cutting out junk, sugar, fried foods, etc will help facilitate the process as well.  I know it is tempting to grab the fried eggs, roasted nuts, cheeses, sweets, burgers, etc.  =) What are your favorite foods to ground with?

-Joe

“SEASONALITY” of Health

What does “seasonality” with health mean?

It is a simple yet challenging idea based on the natural principles of the world.  Things are DIFFERENT in different seasons.  The weather is different.  Activity levels are different.  Food varieties are different.  Traditionally, humans have likely eaten different foods in different climates.  They have lived in different ways.  Do we?  Let’s look at a few points here.

Supermarkets have allowed the buying up of most types of food year-round.  Produce is still somewhat seasonal, but often not local or fresh.  Processed foods are always around due to their shelf-life.  If we are eating processed foods; we eat more of them.  Why is this a problem?  This may mean more pasteurized dairy, cheese, canned soups, french fries, and hamburgers in the winter and more sugar-based foods in the summer.  What is really going on?  Our bodies naturally want a bit more protein and fat in the winter.  We like our food a bit warmer.  It helps keep us WARM =)  But if that means unhealthy fat; we are in trouble.  So what are we supposed to do about all this?  

We hear a lot of information about what to eat but few people discuss WHEN to eat it!  I love eating a good amount of fresh fruit in the hot summer where I live but I will be damned if I’m eating that way when running around Alaska.  It just doesn’t make sense.  Nature is not one-sided.  It is balanced within itself.  Yin and Yang.  Hot and Cold.  This is why cultures living in the cold north often eat far more meat and fat products while people living in the tropics fare best on lighter stuff such as fruits.  People living in temperate climates often do best on a mixture depending on the season.  So let’s go over the basic seasons and see what we can figure out.  I’m not sure if this has been discussed but I view spring and summer as the 2 yang seasons and fall and winter to be yin.  Obviously summer is the most yang with winter being the most yin.

SPRING:  This is the season of cleansing and renewed life.  It is the season of the liver.  What types of foods are around?  Personally, I feel that this season is one to eat somewhat light during.  Juices, blended drinks, greens, herbs, lemons, dandelion, etc.  Staying away from heavy foods and bad fats is going to be a key here as well.  Everything is coming back to life in the spring.  I think it is probably my favorite season.  Everything is “shaking off the dust” from the winter.  They are cleansing but not yet fully soaking in the summer sun.  Use herbs and hot beverages to stay warm.

SUMMER:  The YANG season.  This is the season of activity.  This is when we are usually busiest.  Playing outside, out doing projects on our homes or outings with the family.  Everybody seems to be hustling and bustling about.  This is perfectly normal. We do not use up our energy staying warm during the summer.  So we have hopefully somewhat cleansed our systems in the spring and are now ready to eat.  But eat what?  Well again this is the season of the bounty.  Lot’s of things are growing.  Usually this includes primarily fresh fruits and vegetables.  Fruit is a very good option for the summer.  Lot’s of life energy, easy to digest, cooling on the system.  Vegetables are also good.  It’s all about counterbalancing what you are feeling in your body.  This will differ from person to person.

FALL:  Preparation season.  This is the season of getting things together.  Collecting the best foods for the winter, slowing down activities, figuring out family relationships and living situations, etc.  We are basically getting ready for winter.  We know that we will not really care to be doing any drastic moving in the winter.  This again is perfectly normal.  So what types of food do we focus on?  This is the “stashing” season.  We are in gathering mode and stock-up mode.  Foods to stock up on are often those that will tide us over through the cold season.  ROOT VEGETABLES are amazing during this time of year.  We get so stuck with our “American Potato” here that we forget how much nature has in the form of roots.  Things like Parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, etc.  Also squash is amazing.  Winter squash comes in many varieties.  These may include acorn, butternut, buttercup, and many more.  Starting to stock up on high-quality fats is another good idea here.

WINTER:  Dreaded winter.  It is the season of rest and recuperation (hopefully).  This is a tough season to stay healthy in our modern world.  Realistically, we are not meant to run around as much as we do.  Focusing on warming foods and warming activities is the best choice here.  Root vegetables are a great way to stay warm.  Animal foods are often welcome.  The focus is on quality here.  It is easy to eat more “junk animal foods” in the winter.  Things like burgers, pizzas, tacos, chicken wings, etc.  These are all heavy and warming yet very clogging to the body.  Roasts and crock-pot meals are much more welcome.  Keep steady supplies of raw fats around.  Things like raw butter, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts (if they agree with you), and perhaps a little raw dairy.  The trick is to eat things warm.  Use warming spices like ginger, garlic, pepper, mustard, cinnamon, etc.

Those are the basics.  Don’t be afraid to mix things up and eat natural foods how your body wants them.  The body is very wise. Don’t get sucked into any diet “dogmas.”  Living off of raw salads and fruit may not be the best idea in a cold winter.  Living off of hot meat and potatoes probably won’t feel right while vacationing in the tropics.  Nature is not the same in different seasons so why should we expect our diets and lifestyles to stay constant?  Seasonality is a great topic that is very interesting to learn from.  Let’s let nature be the guide more.  She often has a lot of wisdom to teach to those ready to learn =)

-Joe

 

Raw Food VERSUS Cooked Food

And the battle continues.  I don’t think people will ever quite come to the conclusion on this one.  Ultimately, there are ups and downs all over the place that can easily be explained.  So, here goes.

 

RAW FOOD is alive.  It has enzymes in it.  Your body recognizes can utilize more “LIFE” from it.  That is, IF you can digest it.  If you can’t digest it, what is the benefit?  It doesn’t do me any good to munch down a pound of carrots and salad to get a little bit of “raw nutrition.”  This is actually a terrible idea for most people.  This can be debated, but personally I don’t believe that humans are designed digestive-wise to be herbivores.  We are not cows.  We are humans.  We are not meant to munch on grass all day.  That said, it amazes me the variety of food that humans have evolved to eat.  Just think about it for a minute.  We probably eat a wider variety of foods than any other animal or creature on the planet.  Almost like we are supposed to live here =)  So as far as vegetables go, you will have to feel it out for yourself.  On one hand, a little fiber is good.  It helps move stuff through and scrape out the intestines.  Too much and you will be left with very low energy, cold, and constipated.  So you need to find your own rhythm there.  Maybe a little spinach is fine for you.  Maybe eating some raw kale and carrots is not so fine.  I will give a list of easily digestible raw foods shortly.  There are also several techniques you can use to make raw foods more digestible.  

 

So what about COOKED FOOD?  I’m not talking about dead, processed food.  But cooked.  Not fried either.  Just steamed, lightly sautéed, baked, etc.  Technically if you cook it over 118 degrees or so then the food is no longer “alive.”  This is where the raw foodies come to get you.  But isn’t the point of food nourishment and energy?  I mean the ultimate purpose we eat anything anyway is to get energy and/or enjoyment right?  So cooking food softens it.  It makes it “mushy.”  There is a reason this appeals to us so much.  People have been cooking for thousands of years.  It turns hard, often unappealing vegetables and foods into something that sits well with us.  It can also help break down extremely tough meats.  Ok, so the enzymes basically work as far as calories work.  By this, I mean the raw carrot does not contain as many enzymes as a spoonful of raw coconut oil.  So what do we do here?  It’s really pretty simple.  

 

EVOLVE:  Don’t focus on 100% raw diet or whatever.  It seems that most people striving for this goal have issues with dogmas and being too strict with things.  Our ancestors didn’t eat “100% raw food.”  Most wise cultures in the world including people practicing chinese medicine and Ayurveda do not eat 100% raw.  So do we really need to get stuck on this?  Our body knows how to turn things the right way.  Also remember that food is only ONE input of energy into your body system.  Focus on the others.  Deep breathing fresh air, sunlight, clean water, meditation/prayer, grounding, etc.  That said, most people eat WAY too much cooked, processed foods.  Cereals, pasteurized juices and dairy, breads, cheeses, butters, nuts, granolas, on and on.  So let’s focus on the whole foods.

 

EASY CHANGE #1: FATS. Our bodies really seem to like fats raw.  As a general rule, fats digest easily in this state.  Of course fat may be a problem for a lot of people anyway after years of abuse with fried foods, vegetable oils, trans-fats, etc.  So healthy fats to eat raw would include: coconut oil, olives and oil, avocados, eggs/yolks, butter, raw dairy (if it agrees with you), and soaked raw nuts/seeds (if they agree with you).  When it comes to animal fats be careful.  This is where animal food gets a bad rep.  Take it easy on the cooking.  Favor things like crockpots, baking, etc.  Think low-temps for a long time.  Frying food at high temperatures really damages fats and clogs the body.

 

EASY CHANGE #2: FRUIT. This one is kinda common sense for most people.  But eating fruit raw is almost always easier to digest.  This includes fatty fruits such as avocados, coconuts, olives, etc.  This also includes things that are often thought of as vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.  But mainly things like apples, pears, berries, cherries, bananas, peaches, plumbs, kiwis, etc.  Pineapple and papaya have good supplies of digestive enzymes.

 

EASY CHANGE #3 PROTEINS.  Honestly this seems to be the biggest issue for most people.  Our bodies just aren’t really designed to digest large amounts of incorrectly cooked proteins.  Some do better than others.  It depends on the season, etc.  Cooking process is HUGE.  HUGE.  That dry tough chicken breast is ridiculous.  The same chicken breast in a crock-pot for a few hours that falls apart and juicy is completely different.  Raw food people often seem to act like all cooked food is the same.  Well it’s not.  The body will always favor juicy, tender, mushy when it comes to digestion.  So when cooking meats and proteins, do yourself a favor and cook it properly.  For the very brave; some proteins may be eaten raw or rare.  This can include eggs, sashimi/sushi fish, and certain other meats.  Always make sure the source is trusted and properly handled.

 

GRAINS:  Now I don’t think too many people would attempt to eat raw grains but believe it or not there are some people out there that try it.  Most people eat grains.  Are they an optimal food?  I would say no.  But they are especially bad when we quick-cook and process them in the form of cereals, breads, pastas, granolas, “instant-rice,” “instant-oatmeal,” cookies, etc.  Sound familiar?  A lot of cultures in the past have utilized grains.  I would note that this is usually when fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, healthy animal products were scarce.  There is simply no comparison in nutrition here.  But they would always soak and soften their grains to make them easier to digest.  Let’s remember their wisdom and do the same.  Soak your breakfast oatmeal over-night and pick the real thing over the instant stuff.

 

So those are the basics guys.  Vegetables are the only one in between.  Some people will try to eat raw vegetables a lot.  Some will cook them a lot.  I find that a combination is usually best.  A juicer and/or a blender will help you consume more “live vegetables” without having to struggle to digest the fiber.  Just don’t try to juice everything.  Does that sound very natural?  Although it would be funny to picture our ancestors running around with personal juicers =)  

 

As a general rule you may find yourself more drawn to raw food in the summer and cooked food in the winter.  This makes sense.  Remember though that sometimes the raw food is unappealing in winter simply because of its temperature.  Take your food out of the fridge for a while before consuming it.  So RAW versus COOKED?  Who wins?

 

-Joe

 

 

 

 

 

Vegans, Fruitarians, Paleos, Low-carbs, OH MY

 

There are a lot of fancy terms thrown around these days.  People will say; oh I’M a vegan.  Or I am a 100% raw food eater.  Maybe it’s the “caveman” diet.  Where did this all come from?  

It comes from humanity.  And from frailty.  It comes because we ALL want to be healthy.  Those who have developed health issues in the past or present are desperately searching for the “correct” diet for them.  This often leads them through a series of “gurus” or “dogmas” that lock them into very strict guidelines of what they should or should not be eating.  For instance a “fruitarian” eats only fruit.  A “low-carb” eater would say it is the worst thing in the world to do that.  It would overload the body with carbs.  So we can’t all be wrong CAN WE?  We often forget that by eating a whole-foods based diet; we are eating better than 90% of the country.  Let’s start focusing on the positives here shall we?  Here are a few basic rules to remember so you don’t fall into the “diet trap.”  First and foremost focus on lifestyle basics.  I don’t even count this as a step.  But remember to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, sleep enough, exercise enough, and deal with stress.

1. WHOLE FOODS:  Cut out all the junk.  The fried foods.  The gluten and pasteurized dairy.  The breads, pastas, cookies, ice creams, blah blah you get the point.  The soda pop.  Most of the stuff that comes in boxes or bags.  Focus instead whole foods in the form of organic fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, proteins, etc.  Variety is important here.  Listening to your body is also important.

2.  VARIETY:  Make sure that your diet is well-varied.  For instance, when eating fruit in the summertime; opt for cherries, berries, apples, grapes, whatever.  Don’t eat JUST apples every day.  Same thing goes for vegetables, meats, and fats.  Mixing it up will give your body a wide array of nutrients.

3: QUALITY:  This step is a little more advanced.  Really take the time to source clean, preferably local foods.  This would include going to farmers markets, farm stores, etc to get in-season veggies, fruits, and meats.  This also means you will be eating foods that naturally grow in your area.  Cooking methods really make a difference as well.  Eating 2 or 3 raw or lightly cooked eggs is going to contain more nutrition than a half-dozen fried eggs.  Eat your food lightly cooked when possible.

4: SUPERFOODS:  Often we eat because we are craving vitamins and minerals; NOT calories.  Maybe I want the B12 in a big steak so I want to eat the whole thing.  Eating a small piece of liver may satisfy the craving without requiring to digest the steak.  Liver, sardines, raw butter, coconut oil, beets, and wide varieties of fruits and veggies will help here.

5: LISTEN:  Listen to your body.  I don’t care what anybody says.  I am not going to live off of fruits and berries in a cold winter when I have to be walking around outside a lot.  Fruit does not grow in my area in the winter.  The fruits I will stick with are cold weather fruits like apples and pears.  This will be rounded out with an abundance of vegetables.  Probably root vegetables harvested for fall and winter.  I will also partake in some animal products.  In the summer I noticed that I could get by on more fruit and less animal food.  It also depends on your activity level.  Those actively “healing” will usually require more protein.  This includes healing internally or externally in the forms of building muscle or new tissue.  Make sure whatever you are eating sits well, digests well, and makes you feel good.  Eating a ton of raw salad in the middle of the winter just doesn’t make much sense.  Remember that what your body wants today or this year may change dramatically.  Maybe you move to Alaska and more animal food sounds right.  Maybe you move to the tropics and fresh fruit sounds delicious.  It is the nature of the world trying to balance itself out.  LISTEN!

6: FOCUS: Focus more on your “other” inputs.  Humans have at least 5 different ways to gather energy into our bodies.  Food is actually one of the ones lower on the chain but we have been raised to think it is KING.  So let’s see here.  Oxygen and deep breathing would be the most important.  Pure water would be next.  THEN food.  Sunlight and Grounding are very important also.  Point being; when we start realizing that we can live off of things besides food, we stop needing it so much.  Our lives stop revolving around it.  Look at television.  Look at radio.  Our world REVOLVES around food.  You don’t need to be sucked into that trap as well.

So in the end, everybody AND nobody is right.  I believe that there are people eating only fruit that feel good and healthy because of it.  I also believe there are people eating high quantities of animal products and doing well.  It depends on the season.  It depends on the body.  It depends on the location.  I think all of this “he said, she said” is stressing people out a lot.  Our bodies have an innate intelligence.  We just have been tricked with all the junk-food.  Get rid of the junk and let your body sort itself back out.  So what are YOU?  Vegan?  Fruitarian? Whole-foods eater? Carnivore?  Maybe just Human?

-Joe

 

Detox Series: Digestion and Bowels

The nitty-gritty.  The stuff nobody likes to talk about.  According to “consumer-health.com,” American’s spend over 700 million dollars on LAXATIVES every year.  We also use them more than any other country.  What the crap?  Sorry, couldn’t help it.  What is the deal here?  Bad digestion and constipation are probably the greatest offenders of bad health in our country.  We are just a big tube in our middle.  Starting with our mouth, stomach, intestines, colon, and out.  When we are children and relatively healthy, this tube works quite well.  It even puts up with the massive amounts of abuse that we put it through in the form of junk foods, medical drugs, stress, chemicals, etc.  But somewhere along the chain, the tube starts breaking down.  It stops working so well.  You can’t digest your food so well.  You can’t eliminate waste so well.  You start getting poisoned from the inside out.  We should be going to the bathroom at least once A DAY.  If not, the body is storing stuff.  So again, I will list a few causes and then some simple solutions you may take to fix this issue.

CAUSES:  The main causes here are food, stress, toxins, and lack of activity.  We overeat because we are malnourished.  GLUTEN and PASTEURIZED DAIRY are probably two of the worst.  Other offenders would include fried foods, quick prep grains, anything packaged, fast food, bad food combinations, eating late, etc.  All of these will congest your system over time.  Overeating of even healthy food will do the same.  Toxins and drugs are everywhere.  They are in our food.  They are in our water.  They are in our skin products and shampoos.  These are irritants.  It’s like stubbing your toe in the same place every day for years.  Eventually it gets irritated.  STRESS is huge as well.  We need to be relaxed while we are digesting our food.  If you are under stress at work, home, or life in general; you will not be digesting optimally.  Living in loud, polluted environments or spending too much time around EMF’s will do it as well.  If you are not sleeping well, your digestion will also suffer.  Eating late at night means that you are attempting to digest AND heal/eliminate at the same time and really clogs things up after a while.  Sitting at an office all day will do the trick as well, as inactivity stagnates your lymph, blood, and doesn’t allow circulation to do its job very well.

Ok, so these are the causes.  It is mainly our poor lifestyle and mental/emotional habits.  Do we really need to stress out about buying that new sports car or flat screen TV?  Let’s look at some basic ways to start fixing this problem.  As in the rest of the series, I will list things from basic/easy to difficult.

EASY/FOUNDATIONAL:  FIX THE LIFESTYLE.  This is the key here.  All the cleansing in the world will not help you if you are continuing with your bad habits.  Cut out the processed foods (especially gluten/pasteurized dairy).  Opt for fresh fruits and veggies, good fats, fresh meats/eggs.  Be careful with the raw vegetables.  They contain enzymes and healthy vitamins but can be very bad for someone trying to overcome constipation and digestive difficulties.  A raw salad every now and then or some spinach is probably fine.  Just don’t be munching carrots and kale all day.  A juicer and a blender can save you here.  This provides good raw nutrition without the fiber having to be broken down by your system.  Fresh fruits, lightly cooked veggies, and the occasional raw roughage will help keep things moving.  Also, make sure to get plenty of GOOD FAT.  This lubricates your system and helps with hormone production.  If you are eating grains and nuts, soak them and prepare them properly as not to cause much digestive distress.  MOVE.  Get some form of mild exercise most days.  Walking, biking, hiking, kayaking, bodyweight, etc.  Eliminate stress and toxins as much as possible.  Move to a quieter location, switch cleaning products, cut back on OTC drugs, etc.

MODERATE #1: HERBS.  Herbs are God’s medicine.  These will help really get things moving if they have been slow for a while.  I don’t know much about herbal formulas but I know of a few that are very good.  These are not “laxatives” per se.  They are not meant to purge your system and be done with it.  They help strengthen and tonify your entire system and can be used safely for extended periods of time until you no longer feel the benefit.  Dr. Schulze and Barefoot herbalist both make good formulas for this.  Just make sure you get it from a clean, reputable source.  Better yet, find a recipe for this and create it yourself.  it is much cheaper and the know-how is empowering.

MODERATE #2 ENEMAS/COFFEE ENEMAS.  These will really help get things moving.  They help eliminate sluggish waste so that your body can start setting things right.  Coffee enemas will help cleanse your liver at the same time.

LONG-TERM: MENTAL/EMOTIONAL WORK:  This one is tough.  Yet it is possible that your digestive difficulties will not be resolved with the above solutions only.  Let’s take a quick look here.  Digestion/assimilation/elimination.  This system has to do with the emotions of accepting and letting go.  Can you accept the things that have happened or are happening in your life?  Do you walk around pretending like something didn’t happen to you and not facing up to it?  Or are you acknowledging it but not “digesting” it?  Maybe you are digesting it and accept it, but you can’t LET IT GO.  These different aspects will affect different parts of the digestion/elimination system.  Deal with issues/traumas from your past and work on accepting what is happening in your present and coming in your future.  If you don’t like something about your life, CHANGE IT!

EXTREME: COLONICS.  I personally don’t have any experience with colonics.  You hear some good things and some bad things.  This is probably ok in extreme circumstances every once in a while.  This will definitely “clean” the pipes temporarily.  But there is more junk stored in the human body than just in the colon/intestines.  Also, this is a very “unusual” process for the body to go through.  Definitely not found in nature.  Dealing with the above issues will usually restore balance to the system with time.  I would not do these on a regular basis.

Wow, ok.  So these are the basics.  Doing the aforementioned will most likely fix any problems you may be dealing with.  However, I also realize that there are times when you are in a BIND.  Maybe you went on vacation and slipped with the diet for a week eating pizza, bread, ice cream, etc.  Now you are home and completely screwed up inside.  You just want relief now and not later.  What do you do?  Well; eat clean light food, sleep a lot, etc.  There are certain herbs/remedies that can be taken occasionally as constipation treatments.  Senna Leaf is one of these.  Epsom salts is another.  Enemas can help move things along as well.  But try not to rely on the quick treatments.  Remember that the KEY is lifestyle.  With a good lifestyle the body will fix itself.  Just look at where your life is out of balance or “unnatural” and you will find your “cure.”

-Joe

Can You OVER-Eat Healthy Food?

This is a LOW-CARB pizza.  Do you overeat on healthy food?  This is something we don’t usually think about much but it has been on my mind a lot lately.  When switching to a “healthy diet” a lot of us make the assumption that it is ok to continually eat tons and tons of it.  For instance, on the “Paleo” trend, there are a lot of websites with people eating “healthy” that mix dozens of foods together including multiple proteins, sauces, flours made from nuts and grains, and who knows what else.  Raw honey, dates, flour, and eggs is still a dessert!  I don’t know as much about the “vegan” community but it seems that most people have these cheat-like foods that we binge on and fancy up.  Maybe we make protein shakes and powders and blended food with everything under the sun.  “JUST BECAUSE things are good for us individually doesn’t mean that they are good all blended together in large amounts.”  It’s like we still can’t get over this instinctual drive to binge on food.  Where does this come from?

Personally, I believe it comes from the culture.  It comes from society.  Food is such a huge part of the culture.  We use food to cover up mental and emotional issues, as distractions, as ways to pass the time.  Often we are so out of tune, that we can’t feel what it is doing to our bodies.  We have forgotten that it really is OK to eat until you are moderately full and then STOP.  Eating to enjoy the experience and receive the nourishment.  Obviously overeating on “healthy” food is better than overeating on junk but it still has its own set of problems.  Overeating is not good for any of us.  So how do we get off of this “health-kick?”  I have a few tips for kicking the habit.

1.  Eat high-quality, living foods:  A lot of us overeat because we are malnourished.  We don’t have adequate stores of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.  Some of us don’t have the good fats to help build hormones.  The more you give your body what it actually WANTS, the less cravings you will have for the fancy foods and overeating.

2.  Utilize “Prana” more:  This is a post in itself, but we often forget that food is a SUPPLEMENT.  Our primary fuel is breathing clean air.  Our secondary fuel is clean water.  Food, sunlight, and grounding are all good too.  Walking around, you would think that people have forgotten about this fact.  Long ago (and probably still today), many people in China, India, and other cultures all had deep breathing practices and knew about this “life force.”  In Chinese tradition it was called “QI” as in “QIGONG.”  Once your body learns it can nourish itself more with these things, your desire for extravagant food will naturally diminish.

3. Resolve any Mental/Emotional Conflicts:  People often eat for emotional or mental reasons.  We don’t like what is happening in our careers, our relationships, our lives, etc.  So what is the answer?  DISTRACTION!  This can be with movies, food, alcohol, whatever.  Sitting down to a movie with a pizza sounds awfully familiar in our country huh?  Food however, is especially sinister.  Bad food, fancy food, heavy food; it all slows down our metabolism, provides extra work for our bodies, and sends tons of blood to our digestive tracts to attempt to process all of it.  This clogs us up, slows down our brains, and stops our energy from being used to FACE UP TO our problems.  I believe this is a big reason a lot of people always find excuses to keep eating junk.  They get started on a good path, but when the health and vitality start coming; so do the emotions.  Having a good spiritual practice, accepting your vulnerabilities, facing all of your problems, acknowledging how you really feel about something, seeing a therapist; these are all good ways to resolve these issues.  Ultimately, a change in our society as a whole needs to happen.  One from stuffing, hiding, and suppressing how we feel; to one of facing, acknowledging, accepting, and MOVING FORWARD.

4.  Allow the Process:  This will not happen overnight.  There will be days when you fall off the wagon.  We are all human.  The goal is to keep evolving to simpler and simpler food choices.  Better quality.  Less quantity.  Animals in the wild don’t eat elaborate food combinations unless WE feed it to them.  Just keep your focus on what your BODY wants.  We really don’t need this exotic food.  Even the healthy stuff.  Cheating and feasting are great sometimes, but we have turned them into an everyday event here.

5.  Don’t eat when: Stressed, tired, emotional, out of a bag, box, or jar, late at night, when you are feeling down, etc.  All of these things signal that we are in a state of “dys-equilibrium”.  Resting, talking with a friend, or prayer may be the best option during these times.  Otherwise, we are just “STUFFING” the problem.

So basically, we just need to follow our bodies.  I think that overeating on health-food is a topic that needs a bit more recognition.  A lot of us have the attitude that we can eat as much as we want as long as it is healthy food.  The body likes it simple and manageable.  Let’s give it what it wants.

-Joe

Is Healthy Food Too Expensive?

A lot of people will say that healthy food is too expensive.  Sometimes I can see this side of the coin; other times not so much.  I will readily agree that “junk food” on a whole may APPEAR cheaper.  But let’s take a look at what we are really “buying.”

PROCESSED FOOD:  This food is not alive.  It contains relatively no vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and probably dozens of other beneficial constituents that fresh food contains.  Things like gluten and pasteurized dairy gunk up and pollute our bodies.  Some sources (Stephan Guyenet and Jeremy Landen, Whole Health Source), show that American’s eat over 100 pounds of sugar yearly.  This comes in the form of soda pop, pastries, cookies, ice creams, candy bars, pies, lattes, you name it.  Most of this stuff is literally nothing your body wants.  The same goes with fried foods.  “Fast-Food Nation” shows that we spend over 100 BILLION dollars on fast-food every year.  Every time I drive down the road, places like McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Apple-bees, Steakhouses, and many more are always packed.  We act like we can’t buy good food and turn around and spend all this money on “fake food.”  I mean it’s not all our fault, most of us have been “Mind-washed” by savvy marketers and lack of government regulations but that is another story.  To add insult to injury, all of these things we waste money on end up ultimately leading to chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc.  We then spend years on drugs and in doctors offices wondering where things went wrong.  So lets take a look at the other side?

REAL FOOD:  This food is alive.  Fresh produce and good quality animal products contain dozens if not hundreds of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and unknowns that help support our health.  This is the stuff we have been eating for thousands of years.  Is it a little more expensive?  Maybe.  Not at local farmers markets.  I can go with a 20 dollar bill and come back with a few bags worth of fruits and vegetables.  We have to look at things from the long-term perspective.  We have been tricked into this “buy cheaper today” mentality.  Try to buy local food as much as possible.  Another benefit is that the healthier you get, the less food you ultimately need.  After being on a good diet for a while, your body starts finally getting what it needs.  You stop having cravings, you stop overeating, and you realize how crazy the diet you have been on has truly been.  We eat so much in this country because our body doesn’t know any other way to get what it needs.  It thinks that food is the answer, but no matter how many pizzas or ice cream sundaes we eat, it still won’t be satisfied.  Eating real food will end up making you happier, healthier, safe on health expenses, and time.  I mean, do we really want to sit in doctors offices in our later years?

So I guess I can see both sides of this argument.  Honestly, when people say they can’t afford good quality produce and they are out getting pizza hut, drinking beer, and buying cigarettes; I just can’t agree with you.  It is our responsibility as citizens, husbands, wives, and humans to stop funneling this junk into our bodies based on the financial principle.  Learn a little about organic gardening and start-up your own vegetable garden.  Packets of seeds cost maybe a few dollars.  Remember that before all this junk came out people grew a large portion of their own food from seeds.  I know this was a little bit of a rant today but I think that it is important that we stop getting in the way of our own health.  Tomorrow’s post will be on things that get in the way of being healthy.  Finances is one of them.  I will provide some more tips on how to recognize and change these blocks.  So in the meantime, cut down on the fast-food, restaurants, and 5$ lattes from star-bucks.  Start putting your money into real, clean food.  Then sit back, and watch what happens to your life.

-Joe