Breakfast

Pressed for Time? 
Make a fruit smoothie with plain yogurt your choice of berries, protein powder, flaxseeds and ice. Blend all them together.

Need Fiber?
1/2 cup All-Bran cereal or other high fiber cereal with 3/4 cup berries
1 cup almond milk
1 hard-boiled egg




Love Toast?
2 slices Ezekiel toast topped with 2 tablespoons organic nut butter
1 cup plain yogurt
1 fresh pear

Lunch

Simple Sandwich?
Make an open-face sandwich: 1 slice toasted Ezekiel bread topped with 2 ounces tuna, mayo and 1/2 cup sliced cucumber and tomato
1 cup baby spinach tossed with 1/2 cup garbanzo beans and lower-fat salad dressing

Feeling Creative?
Seafood pasta salad: Mix 1/2 cup whole-grain pasta with 2 ounces seafood (use tuna canned in water, shrimp, scallops — your choice!), 1/2 cup kidney beans, 1 cup chopped vegetables (try to use at least three different colors: red peppers, white jicama and green broccoli; or orange carrots, white radishes and red tomatoes, etc.) and 1 cup yogurt

Love Chicken?
Chicken Caesar salad (3 ounces organic chicken with 2 cups mixed salad greens, 1 ounce shredded Parmesan cheese and low-fat Caesar salad dressing)
1 cup croutons

Dinner

In a Rush?
Go for shrimp stir-fry (include 3 ounces wild shrimp, 1 cup mixed oriental vegetables and 1/3 cup brown rice with your favorite oriental seasonings)
Decaf green tea

Need more Veggies?
Make some shrimp and vegetable kabobs (use 3 ounces of various meats/fish, including, shrimp, scallops or lean sirloin with 1/2 cup chunks of celery, mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes or summer squash)
1/2 cup coleslaw made with lower-fat dressing
1/2 cup black bean salad (drain and rinse canned black beans under running water to remove some of the sodium, then combine with lower-fat Italian dressing and diced onions, green or red peppers and celery)

Baked Potato Fan?
Go for the halibut and baked potato. 3 ounces wild halibut (marinate in your favorite herbs or a lower-fat salad dressing)
1/2 cup green beans (add fresh or dried dill, cider vinegar and black pepper instead of salt)
1/2 cup baby carrots
1/2 cup baked potato topped with 1 tablespoon fat-free sour cream

Snacks

Milk Snacks
• 1 cup hemp milk
• 1 cup almond or rice milk
• 1 cup plain kefir

Protein Snacks
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup raw nuts

Combination Snacks
• 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup fresh pineapple (protein and fruit)
• 1 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 cup fresh chopped pear (milk and fruit)
• 1 sliced apple or celery with 2 tablespoons almond butter (fruit and protein)
• 1/2 cup almonds or walnuts with 1/4 cup dried cranberries (protein and fruit)

First things first: Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plan to have healthy snacks throughout the day. Do not skip meals or planned snacks.




Skipping nutritious foods will make you feel uncontrollably hungry! To build a balanced meal, choose a fruit, veggie, or grain and a protein choice to create a meal that is nutritionally balanced and balances blood sugar. The bonus is that by eating fruit or veggies and/or whole grains together with a protein food, you will influence your blood sugar levels for 3 to 4 hours at a time. Stable blood sugar levels prevent you from feeling hungry all the time, and offers you better energy. You really won’t believe the difference!

If you can, avoid purchasing any unhealthy snacks. There are so many “good-for-you” snacks on the market today. Start learning to read the back of the packages of foods - look at the kind of fat and sugar content - if it says that it has hydrogenated fat, stay away. Also stay away from the fake sugars like aspartame.

Easy Snack Ideas

Here’s a list of healthy snacks that are low in sugar, but still high in satisfaction.

• String cheese
• Low fat popcorn with very little real butter & unrefined sea salt
• High fiber cereal like All Bran, Puffins, and shredded wheat (look for more than 5 grams of fiber per serving) with organic milk
• Raw Nuts
• Fruit such as an apple, orange or grapes with cheese
• Peanut butter and celery, apple
• Low fat yogurt with low sugar granola or real fruit
• Hummus and carrots
• Cottage cheese
• Cheese and high fiber crackers like Dr. Kracker, Triscuit, or WASA (look for at least 2 grams of fiber per serving)
• Fruit Salad with plain yogurt or kefir
• Soy nuts
• Raw vegetables (like baby carrots) with reduced-fat ranch dressing or yogurt dip
• Celery with low fat cream cheese
• Raw Sunflower seeds
• Sprouted Grain bread (without gluten) with natural peanut butter
• Ezekiel toast with butter or nut butter
• Hard boiled egg
• Baked chips with guacamole or fresh salsa
• Organic Tortillas (Corn or Wheat) with lowfat refried beans
• Brown Rice with butter or ghee
• Brown Rice Cakes with nut Butter
• Homemade oatmeal with milk or yogurt
• Little green salads
• Celery, especially the tender inner stalks with dip or nut butter
• Organic Peanut or Almond Butter
• Organic Fresh Fruits (Apples, Pears, Peaches, Grapes, Bananas, etc.) with string cheese
• Raisins and other Dried Fruits without nitrates with raw nuts
• Homemade Fruit Smoothies with yogurt and flaxseeds
• Sandwiches – on good-quality, sprouted grain bread(Ezekiel): Tuna salad, Turkey (oven-roasted or other nitrite-free packaged or deli turkey).

Avoid intake of foods with unhealthy additives. The basic additives to watch for: Artificial colors, in food and drinks, and many other colored foods. Excess refined sugar in a wide variety of processed foods and baked goods MSG (monosodium glutamate) found in soups, cereals, and crackers. Aspartame (an artificial sweetener) found in sodas and gum. Sodium nitrite in treated meats sulfites and sulfur dioxide used in drying fruits and other preserved foods. Hydrogenated fats found in many baked goods and cereals Olestra, the fake fat used in potato chips. Also limit intake of foods containing artificial flavorings, the preservatives BHT and BHA, and excess salt.

Foods from the grain, fruit, vegetable, protein, and dairy groups are healthy snacks because they are packed with nutrients. Foods like chips, cookies, and candy are not as healthy because they are loaded with refined grains and sugars that can raise your insulin levels. It’s okay to eat these snacks once in a while, but not every day. Remember to pick high fiber, low sugar foods from the grain group and combine them with high protein foods. For example, try apple or celery and peanut butter, whole-wheat crackers and cheese, whole-wheat pita or carrots and hummus, or yogurt and nuts.

1.  Organic fresh fruits and vegetables.  Fresh food gives you the most vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes.  Enzyme rich foods are the key to feeding your cells to give you stamina, vitality and energy!

2.  Sea greens.  Spirulina, blue green algae, chorella all contain every nutrient to sustain life; proteins, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, chlorophyll, enzymes and fiber.  The is the best source of natural iodine to support the thyroid from common deficiencies.  Greens also PH balance the body..




3.  Whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans.  These are great sources of protein, fiber, minerals, and essentail fatty acids.

4.  Cultured food.  Yogurt, kefir, miso, and tamari are freindly digestive flora that protect the intestinal walls from any bacteria, virus or fungus.  Remeber that almost 40% of your immunity is in your colon and the flora will help to keep it that way.

5.  Six to Eight glasses of bottled water everyday.  Keep your body hydrated and clean.  Try to stay away from plastic bottles and NEVER put your water in the heat or freezer because the plastic excretes toxins into the water.

6.  Two to three tablespoons of healthy, unsaturated fats and oils.  High-quality, protective fats (such as extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, fish oils, nuts, seeds and avocados) can aid in keeping blood sugar levels stable. So you actually feel fuller longer. Translation: You get full by eating less food, which inhibits food cravings and prevents overeating. In addition, some of the healthy fats can trigger fat burning rather than fat storage. And that boosts your body’s natural fat-burning ability. 

7.  Fish and seafoods.  The essential oils in wild fish allow the cells to communicate with one another and protects cells from free radicals.  Seafood also contain a high amount of zinc, crucial for immunity and fertillity.  BE CAUTIOUS… eat small amounts of fish known to be contaminated with mercury (tuna, swordfish, and shark).

3 oz. frozen organic blueberries
1 tablespoons lemon juice (giving it a burst!)
3 cups rice, almond or hemp milk
1 cup plain orgainc yogurt
1 tablespoon of greens mix (optional)
1/2 banana
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds (optional)
1 tablespoon of Igg pure whey protein (optional)

Minerals also allow the body to stay in balance. The level of each mineral in the body has an effect on every other, so if one is out of balance, all mineral levels are affected. If not corrected, this is a chain reaction of imbalances that can lead to illness.

Acquiring and Absorbing Minerals is Challenging

As with vitamins, it can be difficult , if not impossible, to obtain the amounts of minerals needed for optimal health though diet alone. This is mainly because our soil is extremely depleted from over farming and run off of toxic chemicals that take essential minerals out.




Most minerals sold over the counter are not balanced, absorbable or contain fillers instead of minerals. For example, the calcium cabonate you find in Tums is not a good source because the Tums neutralizes stomach acid, therefore it doesn’t allow any of the calcium to be absorbed. You need the right amount of stomach acid to break down food and absorb minerals.

Trace minearls, like boron, zinc, etc. are just as important as macro minerals, especially when it comes to absorption. Taking macro minerals (such as calcium and magnesium) without other trace minerals can eventually throw your mineral balance into chaos, often leaving you feeling worse off than when you started adding minerals to your body. You must have minerals in their proper ratios. Farmers know this: if their soil does not contain 70 to 80% calcium, magnesium and trace minerals then the soil will KILL the crops!

The proper balance of minerals are very important to health, but they can be difficult to digest and absorb. Therefore I recommend a well balanced diet or supplements to ensure you body gets the minerals it needs. Interestingly enough, your body needs about the same mineral ratios as farmers’ crops to grow well and thrive.

Recommendations

Organic farm raised vegetables are the best source of minerals.  If you are diligent about your diet, and work hard to eat only the healthiest organics, then you are off to a good start.  But, like I said, our soil today is extremely depleted of many essential minerals. So, in addition to a balance diet, I often recommend mineral supplements. On my product page, I list the vitamin companies Standard Process and Premier Research both of which are conducive to a whole food, PH balanced, all natural source of macro/trace minerals.

If your are interested in ordering supplements or have any questions, please contact renee@lovenaturalhealth.net and we will have them sent to you asap.

You will need:




• 8 oz. sweet potatoes
• sliced like french fries (thick or thin)
• 1 egg white
• Pam spay
• Salt and pepper to taste or cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. In a large bowl combine whip whites and add fries to the bowl, coat the sweet potatoe fries
3. Spray 2 layers of pam onto baking sheet to prevent sticking
4. Spread the potatoes on a large baking sheet so they rest in one layer
5. Then spray 2 layers on top of potatoes.
6. Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes
7. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the potatoes over
8. Continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes or until tender and brown
   

Eat Five Times a Day

Eat a balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and have two small snacks-one in the morning(11:00) and one around the afternoon( 3:00-4:00) -every day.




Break Your Fast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; after all, you fasted all night. To maintain a balanced blood sugar level–thereby giving yourself energy throughout the day–try to make the time to prepare balanced meals in the morning or the night before. After four to six hours, you will need to eat another balanced meal or snack to replenish yourself and keep your blood sugar level steady.

Eat Before You Become Hungry

Unfortunately, many people do not think about food until they are hungry. By that time, they are running out of fuel (i.e. blood sugar may already be low). Skipping meals also causes a low blood sugar level. The longer you wait between meals, the longer you will be in a catabolic state. This in turn places more stress on your hormone and immune systems.

Eat Balanced Meals and Snacks

A balanced meal or snack consists of fat, carbohydrates and protein. For example, a balanced breakfast might consist of plain low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese (the protein) and your favorite fresh fruit (a carbohydrate). You might also combine protein sources like eggs, chicken, or turkey with carbohydrates like fresh fruit and a small amount of potatoes or toast.

Again, avoid eating a large amount of carbohydrates without protein or fat. Eating just carbohydrates will produce a sugar rush. An hour or two later, your blood sugar level will drop. As a result, you will likely feel sluggish or irritable and may have difficulty thinking clearly. Eating a balanced meal (with a small amount of fat) will help you avoid the sugar rush and prevent the peaks and valleys of blood sugar swings.

Eat Organic Foods

The most important way to improve your nutritional status is to eat organic foods, which are richer in nutrients than commercially grown foods. Studies have shown that organically grown food contains a minimum of 50 - 100% more nutrients than commercially grown foods. (In fact, some commercially grown vegetables virtually lack essential minerals.) Eating organic foods also helps you avoid consuming the toxic pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and herbicides.

• They protect our body from degenerative diseases like osteoperosis.

• They are integral to a good metabolism (they can actually help burn fat).

• They soften and smooth the skin.

• They help balance cholesterol.

• They help form lipoproteins, the organic compounds that make up our bodies.

• They are instrumental in energy production.

• They aid in circulation.

• They contribute to cell membrane health.

• They are vital to the body’s oxidation process.

• And on, and on, and on…the benefits are endless.

Even if you eat lots of fish and other foods that contain EFAs, your body still might not get the full benefit of the EFAs because the conversion requires that you have optimum levels of zinc, magnesium and other vitamins. Diets high in saturated fats or hydrogenated oils also makes the conversion process difficult.

There is an amazing amount of research out there confirming the benefits of EFAs. You can Google “Benefits of EFAs” to see a sliver of the research out there, but my favorite articles include the Science Advisory, “Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Lipids and Coronary Heart Disease.” , and the Jama Article on Risks vs. Benefits including some great graphs.

Quality Matters

Be careful! The processing and packaging of the EFAs and fish oil are crucial in determining its quality. Low quality fish oils may contain significant amounts of mercury, pesticides, PCBs and undesirable oxidation products. Thankfully, there are independent research organizations that test EFA and fish oil quality levels.   This one talks about the effects of storage temperature on quality levels and this women’s magazine article talks about which fish are used to create high (and low) quality fish oil.

Recommendations

Clearly, EFAs have numerous positive characteristics. I recommend the consumption of 1.5 grams of fish oil daily, but again, the quality is critical, so be sure to look into the ingredients, processing and packaging of any supplement you consider. Based on my research, I believe fish oil supplements to be the most effective and reliable sources of EFAs. My family has been taking Xymogen brand for years now. Per 1g softgel, it contains more than twice the amount of EPA and DHA (450mg and 350mg vs. 180mg and 120mg) than the typical drug or health store supplements. Contact me if you want to order some….and start taking at least 1g of high-quality fish oil today!

Allergic reactions to chemicals are multiplying. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), an illness now called a “silent epidemic,” effects up to 15 million Americans. Irritants range from petrochemicals and estrogenic chemicals, to paints and household cleaners. Benzene, fluoride, formaldehyde and carcinogens from carpeting and dry cleaning affect our brains. Other culprits include: gas stoves, chlorine bleach, laundry detergent, fabric softener, nail polish remover, synthetic perfumes, moth balls and insect repellents. Sick buildings, Gulf War Syndrome, nerve damage, attention deficit disorders are other types of chemical allergies in a growing list. Our bodies use up enormous amounts of nutrients trying to detoxify from these chemicals….nutrients that could be used to keep us healthy and happy!

Repeated chemical exposures set off rampant free radical reactions, as well as allergic responses. Histamine reactions like itching, sneezing and runny nose are all related to free radical damage to liver function from chemicals and pollutants. Typically Singular or Claritin would be used for treatment. These drugs unfortunately expose more toxins to the body, especially the liver. Therefore, if the liver is strengthened through supplements or diet and the exposure minimized, the symptoms will dissipate.

Research also shows 60% of people with chemical sensitivity have a vitamin B6 deficiency; 30% have a vitamin C deficiency; and 30% are deficient in B1, B2, B3, and B5. This can lead to a host of issues, including increased cancer rates, auto-immune diseases, headaches, and dizziness.

While many physicians do not recognize MCS as an official disorder, natural health practitioners regularly treat it with encouraging results. Here are some of the supplements and foods that I believe increase resistance to chemical agents and the associated adverse affects.

Max Stress B Nano

This B vitamin is the world’s first natural-source B vitamin complex. Its made from probiotic fermentation. About 99% of all B products on the market today are synthetically made in a laboratory. Natural supplements are more efficiently absorbed, so Max Stress B Nano is the best you can buy.

Fresh Steamed Beets, Artichokes and Bitter Greens (e.g. Dandilion)

These foods strengthen and cleanse the liver of chemicals, toxins and fat. Therefore these are key foods to continually protect your liver from free radicals and chemical damage.

The bath described below, consisting of Epsom salts, dead sea salts or herbs with a diaphoretic (sweat-producing) action, can help alleviate this aggravation.

For best results, take this bath at night before retiring to bed and protect your mattress with a sheet of plastic.

Ingredients: elder flowers, peppermint, yarrow, Epsom salts or dead sea salts.

Directions

1. Make sure you are well hydrated with water before you being the procedure. 
2. Make a tea of elder flowers, peppermint and yarrow and drink it hot right before your bath.
3. Pour three pounds of Epsom salts or dead sea salts in very hot bath water.
4. In the bath, rub arthritic joints with a stiff brush for five to ten minutes.
5. Stay in bath for 20-25 minutes.
6. On emerging, do not dry yourself.  Instead, wrap up immediately in a clean sheet and go straight to bed covering yourself with several blankets. 
7. Expect to sweat out the toxins accumulated in your joints and tissues.

The osmotic pressure of the Epsom salt solution absorbed by the sheet will draw off heavy perspiration.  The next morning the sheet will be stained with wastes excreted through your skin - sometimes the color of egg yolk.

Note: this is a strong detox procedure and it happens relatively quickly so take extra care if you have a weak heart or high blood pressure.

Repeat this bath once every two week until sheet is no longer stained, a sign that the body is cleansed.