You have probably heard the term “You are what you eat”, but did you know what it really means? Not to be taken in the literal sense, it really refers to how choosing certain foods affects how our body operates. You might also think… garbage in, garbage out. In recent years, there have been many scientific studies completed showing how eating the right foods, or making the right food choices, can have a both short term and longer term positive affects on your body. While this might be obvious to some people who are more conscious of what they consume, a great majority of people think, “I am hungry, what do I feel like eating?”… without much thought to “Is what I’m about to eat going to power me up or drag me down. Because we live in an instant gratification world, it’s easy to understand why so many people are sick, obese and then turn to their doctor for help. The big question is how do we turn all that around? Make the switch? We believe that through understanding the core drivers at action, through education and more importantly a guided supporting plan, we can all make a difference and reverse the nasty cycle on our path to taking control of our health and wellness.
Good health is not the just the absence of disease. We want to set the bar much higher, but take our time to get there, so it’s achievable by anyone who is ready to make the change. All we ask, is that hear us out, and then decide if this is something for you. You made all the choices in your life so far, and you will make the right choice for you at the right time. We hope you join us on our journey to empower your body to work its magic. Food pays a very important role in our health. Here is what we know about food that can get you started on a better path, if you are not already.
All foods can have a positive or negative effect on how our body operates, and some more than others. What you eat, either empowers your body to operate optimally or it distracts from it, forcing it to work harder to compensate. This overcompensation in time shows up as inefficiencies in the body, inflammation and eventually more and more health-related challenges, better known as disease.
Think of your body as a magnificent highly sophisticated engine. This engine needs high octane fuel to allow it to stay running optimally. However, unlike a racecar that’s fed low octane fuel and has a difficulty running, let alone running at the speed it was designed for, your body always finds ways to compensate for low octane fuel or junk food. This is your body’s built in survival mechanism that makes it much more sophisticated than any other engine out there. And while this mechanism truly is miraculous, it is not meant to be running like this over long periods of time.
It’s not important to understand how everything works in the body (leading scientists and doctors and still trying to figure that out). The one thing all top research indicates is that eating balanced whole food meals, plenty of bright colored vegetables high in fiber and drinking 8 glasses of water a day, can go a long way to slowing or stopping poor health conditions and improving your overall wellbeing.
If your health is “POOR” right now, it’s because you are not aware of what you are doing. And if you are aware and are not doing anything about it, its because you need help, or you don’t want the healthy results bad enough.
Step 1 for you, is to become AWARE of what you consume as your fuel. Acknowledgment is step 1 for you. Start by taking notes on everything you eat and drink in a day. Start a journal and record EVERYTHING for 3-5 days. Don’t change anything. This is easy, all you need to do is record – you can go back in read it at some time in the future, but for now just continue on and record.
If your health is “OK”, meaning you have a few challenges that you live with every day, and are taking several prescription medications to “maintain” a normal life, it’s because you are not educated on the negative aspects of taking prescription pills on the rest of the body or perhaps you are unaware of alternatives.
Step 1 for you is to become educated on what foods can be used with your medication to allow the body to regain its natural strength.
If your health is “GOOD”, meaning you have one or two challenges that you live with every day, and are taking, or occasionally taking one or two prescription medications to “maintain” a normal life, it’s because you your conditions are not bad enough yet for you to be concerned. You might believe that you are better off than most people or are doing ok, but this is sure to change or worsen with time without a plan moving forward. Education once again brings awareness to yourself, allowing you to make better informed positive decisions about your health moving forward. Perhaps you are not educated on the negative aspects of taking prescription pills on the rest of the body or perhaps you are unaware of healthy foods available to kick start your youthful health once again. This can happen at any age and it’s never too late to feed your body the food fuel it craves to protect and heal itself.
Step 1 for you is to become educated on what foods can be used with your medication to allow the body to regain its natural self-healing strength.
Choosing the proper foods, can fuel the body to heal itself, as it was ultimately designed to do.
From William W. Li, MD, the author of the book, “Eat To Beat Disease”, “The New Science Of How Your Body Can Heal Itself”, below you will find a list of foods recommended for fueling the body.
Have a look at the list and ask yourself, “Is what I consume daily on this list?”. Again, the purpose here is not to make you feel bad, it’s a starting point to bring awareness to your healthy eating habits. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but the more you consume that is on the list and the more you remove from your diet that is not on the list is the day you begin your journey with us towards improved health and wellness.
First, we list the broad categories, then we’ll give you example foods easily found at your grocery store or famer’s market, within each category. Remember this is a guide to bring awareness to your food consumption choices. Reality is, there are a few foods that will
set you back, but there are lots of food choices that will keep you healthy. So, focus on the foods you can enjoy!
Preferred Healing Food Categories;
| 1) FRUITS | 1) DAIRY |
| 2) VEGETABLES | 2) SPICES/HERBS |
| 3) LEGUMES/FUNGI | 3) OIL |
| 4) NUTS, SEEDS, WHOLE GRAINS, BREAD | 4) SWEETS |
| 5) SEAFOOD | 5) BEVERAGES |
| 6) MEAT |
- FRUITS
| Apples (Granny Smith) | Grapes |
| Apples (Red Delicious) | Kiwifruit |
| Apricot | Lychee |
| Black chokeberry | Mangoes |
| Black plums | Nectarines |
| Black raspberries | Oranges |
| Blackberries | Papaya |
| Blueberries | Peaches |
| Cherries | Pomegranates |
| Cranberries | Raspberries |
| Goji berries | Strawberries |
| Grapefruit | Watermelon |
- VEGETABLES
| Aged garlic | Fiddleheads |
| Arugula | Green beans |
| Asparagus | Kale |
| Bamboo shoots | Kimchi |
| Belgian endive | Mustard greens |
| Bok choy | Onions |
| Broccoli | Purple potatoes |
| Broccoli sprouts | Radicchio |
| Cabbage | Red-leaf lettuce |
| Capers | Red black-skin tomatoes |
| Carrots | Rutabaga |
| Cauliflower | Sauerkraut |
| Celery | Spinach |
| Cherry tomatoes | Swiss chard |
| Chicory | Tomatoes |
| Chile peppers | Turnips |
| Collard greens | Wasabi |
| Eggplant | Watercress |
- LEGUMES/FUNGI
| Black beans | Navy beans |
| Chanterelle mushrooms | Oyster mushrooms |
| Chickpeas | Peas |
| Enoki mushrooms | Porcini mushrooms |
| Lentils | Shiitake mushrooms |
| Lion’s mane mushrooms | Soy |
| Maitake mushrooms | Truffles |
| Morel mushrooms | White button mushrooms |
- NUTS, SEEDS, WHOLE GRAINS, BREAD
| Almond butter | Pecans |
| Almonds | Pine nuts |
| Barley | Pistachios |
| Brazil nuts | Pumpernickel bread |
| Cashew butter | Pumpkin seeds |
| Cashews | Rice bran |
| Chestnuts | Sesame seeds |
| Chia seeds | Sourdough bread |
| Flax seeds | Squash seeds |
| Hazelnuts | Sunflower seeds |
| Macadamia nuts | Tahini |
| Peanut butter | Walnuts |
| Peanuts | Whole grains |
- SEAFOOD
| Anchovies | Oyster sauce |
| Arctic char | Pacific oysters |
| Bigeye tuna | Pompano |
| Black bass | Rainbow trout |
| Bluefin tuna | Red mullet |
| Bluefish | Redfish |
| Caviar (sturgeon) | Salmon |
| Cockles (clam) | Sardine |
| Eastern oysters | Sea cucumber |
| Fish roe (salmon) | Spiny lobster |
| Gray mullet | Squid ink |
| Halibut | Swordfish |
| Mackerel | Tuna |
| Mediterranean Sea bass | Yellowtail |
- MEAT
Chicken (dark meat)
- DAIRY
| Camembert cheese | Jarlsberg cheese |
| Cheddar cheese | Muenster cheese |
| Edam cheese | Parmigiano-Reggiano |
| Emmental cheese | Stilton cheese |
| Gouda cheese | Yogurt (all natural plain) |
- SPICES/HERBS
| Basil | Peppermint |
| Cinnamon | Rosemary |
| Ginseng | Saffron |
| Licorice root | Sage |
| Marjoram | Thyme |
| Oregano | Turmeric |
- OIL
| Avocado Oil | Flaxseed oil |
| Coconut Oil | Krill Oil |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
- SWEETS
Dark chocolate (70% + Cacao)
- BEVERAGES
| Beer | Jasmine tea |
| Black tea | Mixed berry juice |
| Chamomile tea | Oolong tea |
| Cloudy apple cider | Orange juice |
| Coffee | Pomegranate juice |
| Concord grape juice | Red wine (Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot) |
| Cranberry juice | Sencha green tea |
| Green tea |
You don’t have to eat perfectly every single day, just begin by picking one day per week, or one meal per day. Remember, acknowledgement that food is the fuel for your body is the first step towards positive change. So, don’t be hard on yourself… take one small step in a positive direction each day and soon your healthy food choices will become easy and natural, while enjoying the feel-good benefits. And, the more you do, the better you’ll feel and perform every single day.