It's spring,
which means summer is not far behind - time to get back into
shape for bathing suit weather! Many people enjoyed an excess
of food over the winter holidays, which now causes them to
search for the ideal "diet." This is no easy task
considering the number of plans available. There are Atkins,
South Beach, Body for Life, Eat Right For Your Type, 40-30-30,
Sugar Buster, and over a dozen more. (Do any of them sound
familiar?) It appears that dieters seek plans that elicit
dramatic results quickly over those that focus on long-term
health.
In addition
to dieting choices, another major challenge is deciding what
foods will replace all the unacceptable foods that are currently
being eaten. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is filled with
so many pseudo or fake foods, that when they are eliminated
people are stumped about what to eat. Healthy, real foods
have almost become an anomaly. Many foods don't even register
as choices in our minds because we aren't aware of them. Collards,
kale, and mustard are all dark, leafy greens that were widely
enjoyed by past generations.
"Eat
less calories than are burned" is the most common advice
given for successful weight reduction. Yet two people, weighing
exactly the same, eating exactly the same, and doing the same
exercise at the same rate will have a totally different experience
with weight reduction. Why do some of your fifty-year -old
friends look and act like they're thirty, while others look
much older than their true age?
What
is the answer? Some health professionals believe that eating
nutrient-dense foods that are low in calories and easy to
digest restores balance to metabolic processes that control
weight. When cells are fed highly nutritious food, they are
able to heal and regenerate. By providing extremely nutrient-dense
foods, the body is fed at a cellular level. Excessive hunger
is abated. You begin to eat less. Because you are satiated,
you efficiently use what you consume, and thereby burn, instead
of storing, fat. There is little surprise that many of these
superfoods are also reported to benefit weight control. So
what are these wonder foods? Many of them are no longer in
the media limelight, so their amazing benefits are all but
forgotten. A quick review may stimulate your memory.
Bee
Pollen – Nutritionally Balanced Food
It takes
one bee working eight hours a day for a month to gather one
teaspoon of bee pollen pellets - an admirable and worthwhile
effort for one of nature's most complete foods. Because of
its complete nutritional profile, bee pollen is an excellent
supplement for people who may inadvertently leave out essential
nutrients from their diets. It contains all the B vitamins
in correct proportions for absorption, vitamin C, a good amount
of the essential fatty acids, key enzymes, and seven different
minerals.
Bee pollen
is over 40 percent protein, half of which is in the form of
free amino acids. Protein from bee pollen is easy to digest
and assimilate at the cellular level. It contains specific
amino acids and fatty acids that can help the body regulate
weight. Protein and bee pollen are both key foods used in
weight-management programs.
Some
people tend to shy away from bee pollen because they have
pollen allergies. This is peculiar, being that health professionals
often recommend bee pollen as a remedy for allergy symptoms.
To be safe, test your tolerance before taking larger doses.
Take one granule or grain of the pollen and put it in your
mouth. If you are allergic, you will experience an itchy sensation
in your mouth or throat. (1) You may want to increase dosage
gradually until you can tolerate this highly nutritious food
source.
Barley
Grass Juice Concentrate – Gift of Nutrition
The nutritional
benefits of barley grass came to light through the efforts
of a Japanese scientist who, being discouraged by the ravages
of disease caused by poor nutrition, began to seek the world's
most nutritious food. After years of research he determined
barley grass to be one of the most nutritionally balanced
foods in nature.
Barley
grass is the premature stage of the barley grain and is a
high source of chlorophyll. Almost anyone can enjoy barley
grass in its early stages because it contains none of the
glutens that cause allergies for some people. The protein
content of barley grass is about equal to that found in meat,
although the amino acid profiles are different.
Barley
grass is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. By increasing
the overall nutritional intake, cravings for food are reduced.
The protein and mineral content of barley grass can help maintain
normal blood sugar levels and reduce insulin requirements.
These qualities prove helpful for some seeking to control
their weight. Barley grass is also excellent for those who
are suffering from the symptoms of candida yeast.(2)
A unique
component of barley grass is a substance called P4D1. This
fraction of barley grass is shown to slow cellular deterioration
and the appearance of aging. P4D1 was able to activate the
renewal of cellular DNA even after severe x-ray damage.(3)
It also exhibits powerful anti-inflammatory activities. Traditionally,
barley and cereal grasses have been used for joint support,
burns, to encourage proper bowel function, to maintain proper
cell function, to soothe skin irritations, and for wounds.(4)
Barley grass contains large quantities of a complex, natural
sugar called mucopolysaccharide, which has the ability to
strengthen all body tissue, lower blood fat, and reduce inflammations.(5)
Some
people experience mild reactions such as diarrhea, headache,
or other symptoms that are often associated with cleansing
when first starting the use of barley grass. Barley grass
is very cleansing and is often used to help detoxify the body.
Once detoxification has occurred, these reactions normally
subside.
It seems
for most people that the nutritional benefits far outweigh
the mild detoxification symptoms that they may experience.
Spirulina-Complete,
Abundant Food Source
This
single celled, blue-green algae is a superior and complete
source of plant protein that is extremely easy to digest.
The lack of metabolic waste created when it is burned makes
Spirulina a valuable source of protein for everyone, including
those with severe kidney disorders.
Spirulina
is a natural, rich source of the essential fatty acid gamma
linolenic acid (GLA). Deficiencies of essential fatty acids
are linked to chronic inflammatory conditions, cardiovascular
problems, memory loss, and insulin resistance. GLA is particularly
good for restoring prostaglandin balance in the bodies of
people who have been eating the wrong diet for long periods
of time, eating processed foods, or too much food.(6)
When
combined with cereal grasses, spirulina is highly recommended
to athletes as a protection against inflammation caused by
sports and hard, physical workouts. Like barley grass, spirulina
is filled with complex, natural sugars that relax and strengthen
the body's connective tissue. Athletes also benefit from its
high chlorophyll content that helps detoxify the liver, kidneys,
and the blood that can be burdened by metabolic waste created
during strenuous exercise.
Eating
at least a gram of spirulina daily helps to regulate adrenal,
liver, and pancreas function. It is an excellent supplement
for those wanting to maintain levels of blood sugar that are
already normal. Long-term use of spirulina combined with a
cereal grass has a rejuvenating effect on the liver.(7) Good
liver health and balanced blood sugars are beneficial to those
who are seeking to reduce their weight.
Alfalfa-Father
of All Foods
The Arabs
were the first to discover the rich qualities of alfalfa.
Because of its abundant attributes they named it "al-fal-fa,"
which translates to "father of all foods." Unfortunately,
this king of nutrition has practically faded into obscurity
as a dietary boost.
Alfalfa's
nutritional identity hovers around its high mineral and trace
mineral content. Minerals are essential to regulate the body
chemistry and functions. Since the body cannot produce them,
they must be eaten. Unfortunately, the soils that our food
is grown in are depleted of many of these important nutrients.
If the soils do not have minerals, then the foods that grow
there also lack them.
Many
nutrition experts believe that the best form of mineral supplements
is from a plant source. Research shows that plants have the
ability to take minerals from the soil and convert these rock
hard substances into a form that can be assimilated by the
body. Alfalfa plants have roots that can reach as far as 100
feet into the earth, where it gains access to minerals that
other plants cannot touch.
Alfalfa
contains eight enzymes that help assimilate proteins, fats,
and carbohydrates.(8) Proper assimilation promotes a more
complete utilization of all nutrients. The proper feeding
at a deep level encourages cellular repair and regeneration
of body organs that promote improved metabolism.
Animal studies show that alfalfa leaves help reduce blood
cholesterol and plaque build-up on artery walls.(9) There
are also studies that indicate that alfalfa helps neutralize
carcinogens in the intestines. (10) Alfalfa detoxifies the
body, as well as cleans and tones the intestines, two more
facets important for those wanting to lose weight. These factors,
along with many other benefits, qualify alfalfa as a valuable
supplement worth rescuing from anonymity.
Kelp-Vegetable
From the Sea
As the
nutritional content of land-grown foods become watered down
due to overgrowing on depleted soil, we look to the sea for
a rich abundance of minerals and trace minerals. Sea vegetables
(normally referred to as sea weeds) grow in ocean waters that
contain most of the same minerals found in the fluids of the
human body. Mineral-rich sea vegetables alkalize the body,
helping to prevent diseases caused by excessive acidity. An
abundance of sea vegetables provides the added nutrition that
makes us able to resist fatigue and stress.
Kelp
is the largest and longest of all sea plants and may grow
up to 1,500 feet long. It is a common food source, particularly
for those striving for weight reduction. Laminaria digitata,
also known specifically as Icelandic kelp, is a rich source
of iodine. Iodine is an important mineral for maintaining
proper thyroid function and thereby proper metabolism.
Ascophyllum
nodosum is a common species of kelp often found in various
supplements in health food stores. However, there are no records
of traditional cultures ever relying on this source of kelp
for food or medicine. The preferred kelp for supplementation
is laminaria, not ascophyllum. Laminaria grows deep in the
ocean. Ascophyllum, on the other hand, is fully uncovered
during every low tide, making it susceptible to surface-floating
pollurants. Ascophyllum is more suitable for garden fertilizers.
Traditionally,
kelp has been used to soften hardened masses in the body,(11)
to relieve joint discomforts, lymphatic swellings, edema,
and for hormone imbalances, particularly those associated
with the thyroid. (12) Kelp has been used to treat goiters,
blood clots, and mild forms of anemia.(13) While kelp has
been used as food for centuries, recent researchers try to
discourage its use, believing that it may provide an overabundance
of iodine. Iodine overdose is unlikely, unless there is an
overabundance of chemical iodine additives being eaten, such
as iodized salt. Even then, the chances of iodine excess are
minimal. The FDA advises a dose of 150 micrograms of iodine,
which provides 100% of the daily requirements needed by a
healthy adult. USDA recommendations, however, are the amounts
necessary to keep healthy people from displaying deficiency
symptoms. It is not necessarily the ideal dose. Also keep
in mind that the 150 micrograms is of iodine, not kelp. It
is highly unlikely that a person would ever overdose on food
sources of iodine found in moderate amounts of the sea vegetable
kelp.
The above
list of foods includes some of the most nutrient-dense foods
found on the planet. Adding them to the daily diet would be
highly beneficial for correcting nutritional imbalances. These
foods, used prudently, could be highly beneficial for restoring
nutritional balance to people who have eaten poorly for long
periods of time. These nutrient-dense foods would supply easily
accessible nutrition to the cells. Feeding the body at a cellular
level may offer rejuvenation of metabolic pathways that would
ensure the proper metabolism. Once again, the old adage of
good nutrition combined with sensible exercise is your best
route to ridding the body of excess fat. Adding nutrient-dense
food will optimize your future success not only in weight
reduction, but also in a long life of good health!
Notes
1. Paul Pitchford, Healing With Whole Foods (Berkeley: North
Atlantic Books, 1993),79.
2. Ibid., 201.
3. Ibid., 200.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Gary Null, Power Aging (New York: New American Library,
2003), 289.
7. Pitchford, Healing, 205.
8. Ibid., 529.
9. Michael castleman, The Healing Herbs, (Emmaus: Rodale Press,
1991),54.
10. Ibid.
11. Pitchford, Healing With Whole Foods, 549.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
Reprinted
with permission of Young Living, Lehi, UT 84043
Essential Edge magazine
Click
here for more information on essential oils
MultiGreens™
nutritious chlorophyll formula designed to boost vitality
by working with the glandular, nervous, and circulatory
systems to relieve stress and promote energy metabolism
and glucose utilization.* MultiGreens is made with spirulina,
alfalfa sprouts, barley grass, bee pollen, eleuthero,
Pacific kelp, and therapeutic-grade essential oils.
Visit
EssentialsOflife.net
for more information
*These
statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug
Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure, or prevent any disease. |
On
The Lighter Side
I used
to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people
die of natural causes.
Gardening
Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing
a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes
out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
The easiest
way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
Never
take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
There
are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.
Life is
sexually transmitted.
Health
is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
The only
difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
Some people
are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but you still
can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.
Health
nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals
dying of nothing.
Whenever
I feel blue, I start breathing again.
All of
us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention
to criticism.
In the
60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world
is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
Politics
is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come
to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.
April
2009
)
