Eating healthy is not something that comes easy or naturally to me. In fact, it wasn’t even something that I was truly taught growing up. And if we’re getting really honest, most of us aren’t forced to look in the mirror and understand it until the “Freshman 15” hit us after high school (boy, do I miss my old metabolism!)
I know we had covered the food pyramid in school, but I couldn’t really tell you what fits where, and what the serving amounts were. Once I was responsible for my own nutrition, I had to learn tricks of the trade that worked best for me.

In order to keep myself on my healthiest dietary track, I simply filled half my plate with fruits and vegetables. Imagine my surprise and delight when the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) got rid of the ol’ pyramid, and replaced it with an easy to understand food plate that followed my same tried and true guideline!

The point of the USDA plate diagram is to give us a better visualization of what meal portion sizes are to look like in healthy living. The plate is broken up into 4 sections, with a cup of dairy off to the side. Each half of the plate has a split of about 60/40. On one side, the 60/40 split is between your protein (40%) and your grains (60%). The other side is your fruit (40%) and your veggies (60%).

Why are fruits and veggies so important?

There are many brilliant aspects to fruits and vegetables. Our bodies require a daily supply of vitamins and minerals, and these plants are the perfect source. Plus, fruits and veggies contain disease-fighting phytochemicals, which is something that you typically can’t replace by simply popping a daily multi-vitamin pill.

Thanks to all these special ingredients, a diet of fruits and veggies can reduce your risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.

Keeping all this in mind though, I have to admit that my own personal favorite thing about vegetables and fruit is that they are low in calories, but high in fiber. So you can eat a ton without blowing your diet, and the fiber keeps you feeling fuller, longer (plus, fiber is necessary to clean your insides out).

What does my half a plate look like?

Don’t deprive yourself, and keep it simple. My family still indulges in pizza night! But we juice up our daughters favorite strawberry smoothie, and we start our meal with a salad. By the time we get to the pizza, we only want a slice or two, and my family of four can easily share a large pizza.

At breakfast time, you can mix all kinds of fabulous veggies, like tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers, green onions, into egg whites for a fabulous omelet. You can also try stirring sliced fruit, like banana, berries or peaches into your yogurt.

Sliced fruit is also a favorite dessert of mine, topped with a dollop of lite or fat free whipped topping. Make lunch fun by mixing a fruit, veggie and protein all together, like ants on a log (celery, smeared with peanut butter, topped with raisins). Or for a fun and allergy free alternative, try Nutella!

How do you incorporate fruits and veggies into your everyday meals?

Tell us in the comments below!

Salsa is an everyday vegetable favorite.  It’s low in calorie, high in fiber and nutrients, and easy on the G.I. tract with no preservatives or complexities to bog you down.

Healthly Ingredients

Lycopene:

Basic salsa is rich in lycopene as its primary ingredient is tomatoes. Lycopenes are carotenoids that are good for the heart.  They may also have a direct role in preventing cancer, particularly prostate cancer.  Lycopenes are found in both raw and cooked tomatoes, though cooked or heated tomatoes make the nutrient easier to absorb.

Chili Peppers:

Whether you like them mild, medium, or super hot, adding some chili peppers to your salsa brings a world of health goodness.

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which is known to be anti-cancer, anti-ulcer, and anti-bacterial.  Peppers are also known to stimulate the blood flow to the stomach lining and increase mucous content, aiding in the digestive process.

The main benefit of chilies are its anti-inflammatory properties. Chili peppers can be beneficial for those with rheumatoid arthritis. Moderation is always key with chili peppers, as it’s best to have just enough of a good thing!

Low in Calories

Salsa is great for those watching their calories.  Throw some atop your salad, burger or omelets to liven up the flavor and keep the calorie count low.

You can also substitute salsa for ketchup and therefor avoid the extra sugar. Salsa has no added sugar, keeping it fresh, light, and delightful.

Also, the active ingredient in peppers, capsaicin, has also been shown to decrease appetite and increase calorie burn.  Salsa is a simply superb addition for dieters.

Vitamin and Mineral Powerhouse:

Salsa has loads of vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.  It also brings iron, magnesium, and potassium to the table.  The last two are vital to maintain a healthy blood pressure.

Salsa is by far one of the healthiest condiments around. Make yours fresh with juicing pulp and get the benefits of concentrated fiber and nutrients all in one shot!

Simple Salsa

• 2 cups tomato pulp
• ¼ cup onion pulp
• 1 tsp cilantro, chopped (or pulp)
• 1-2 jalapeño or other chili pepper, chopped (or pulp)

Mix well.  Serve with baked tortilla chips, sliced veggies, or over any dish as a sauce or condiment.

Celery is an unassuming vegetable that has become a household staple.  The addition of celery to salads, soups, and juices provides a subtle yet distinctive flavor that’s always welcome in my book.

Nutritional Benefits of Celery

As a diuretic, celery’s main benefit is its immense water content.  Celery has so much water, it’s actually a negative calorie food – i.e., you actually burn calories while you eat. In addition to water, celery’s potassium content helps assist in body fluid regulation and stimulates urine production.  Celery assists in ridding the body of excess fluid and toxins.

Celery’s blood pressure reducing properties has long been recognized by Chinese medicine.  But western medical research has discovered a compound call phthalides, which assists the muscles around the arteries to relax and allow dilation of those vessels. With less constriction, blood can flow easier and at a lower pressure. Phthalides also reduces stress hormones, one of the major culprits contributing to high blood pressure.

A possible cancer preventative, celery contains coumarins which combats free radicals. In this fight, celery helps to lessen the damage inflicted upon cells, decreasing mutations and the potential for cells to become cancerous.

Additionally, coumarins increases the activity of certain immune-defending white blood cells, and more specifically against cancer cells.  Another compound in celery, acetylenics, is believed to stop the growth of tumor cells.

Celery provides 44% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin K.  Vitamin K assists in blood clotting, the preservation of bone density, the prevention of calcification of the cardiovascular system, and proper brain/nervous function.  Vitamin K is also an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory.

History of Celery

Today’s celery was cultivated from wild celery.  Wild celery is thought have originated in the Mediterranean and eastward to the Himalayas.  Wild celery has less stalk and more leaves.

Celery was first used as a medicine and then as a food. The original mention of celery (leaves) as medicine appears in the Odyssey, epic by the Greek poet Homer.

A few more celery facts:

• Celery is in the same vegetable family as carrots, fennel, parsley, and dill
• Celery is a biennial which means that it has a two year life (growing) span
• The roots and seeds of celery can also be used for cooking and for medicine
• Ancient Greeks used celery leaves as laurels for renowned athletes
• Ancient Romans used celery as a seasoning
• Eating raw celery become popular in 18^th century Europe
• Celery came to the United States in the early 19^th century

Selection and Storage of Celery

Choose celery that is crisp and snaps when pulled apart. The stalks should be tight and compact and not splayed.  The leaves should be a pale to bright green in color.  Avoid celery that has yellow or brown coloration in the leaves.

Store celery in a sealed container, plastic bag, or damp cloth in the refrigerator.  Avoid freezing as celery will wilt in frigid temperatures.

Juicing with Celery

Celery is a fantastic addition to many juicing recipes.  Try these combinations:

• Celery, beet, and carrot
• Celery, cucumber, green apple, parsley, kale, and ginger
• Celery, cucumber, and carrot

Wheatgrass juice has the most nutritionally dense form of chlorophyll.  At 70% living greens, wheatgrass qualifies as a super food. Click here for more on the nutritional benefits of Wheatgrass juice.

When you’re finished with this page, click here to read about the power of one shot of wheatgrass juice.

Wheatgrass has a distinctive taste. Some acquire it and some still cringe at the thought. The beauty of this versatile juice is how it can be added to juices and smoothies to make it more palatable. Wheatgrass juice will not destroy the taste of the blend or juice, but add to it.

Great Green Grass

• 3-5 stalks of celery
• 2 cucumbers
• A handful of spinach leaves
• A handful of parsley
• 1 shot of wheatgrass juice
• water for blend

Juice all of the vegetables and herbs. Add the wheatgrass juice and water to taste.  Drink it as an alternative to your usual green drink.

Apple-Lemon-Grass

• 3 organic apples (medium)
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1 shot of wheatgrass juice
• water to taste

Juice the apples and lemon.  Add in the shot of wheatgrass juice.  Add water to adjust the taste as desired. A fantastic afternoon pick-me-up.

Carrot Grass

• 3-5 carrots
• 1 shot of wheatgrass juice
• Water to taste

Juice carrots.  Add a shot of wheatgrass juice.  Use water to adjust the taste as desired. Get your beta-carotene shot here.

Smoothie Citrus Grass

• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1 frozen banana, peeled
• 1 lime, peeled
• 1 shot of wheatgrass juice
• 6-10 ice cubes

Juice oranges and lime. Place all ingredients into blender and give it a whir. Add water to dilute as necessary or to adjust taste.  A great way to start your morning!

Cleansing Grass

• 3-5 carrots
• ½  beet
• 2 -4 celery sticks
• 1 lemon
• 1-2 shots of wheatgrass juice
• Handful of parsley and/or mint

First thing in the morning! Juice all ingredients and drink immediately.  The cleansing grass recipe is strong and serves two.  Adjust portions as necessary. A great way to begin your cleanse.

Add a shot of wheatgrass juice to any juice or smoothie to enhance the natural benefits of juicing and blending.  Filled with vitamins and minerals, wheatgrass juice is a power pack to your day.

Juicing to supercharge your day whether you juice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner can be turbo-charged with the addition of nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast has gained popularity over the past decade with vegetarians and vegans as an easy source of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Nutritional yeast also contains other beneficial nutrients to our bodies as well.

Gimme’ a B for B Vitamins

The primary goodness of nutritional yeast is in its wide-spectrum of B-complex vitamins which is vital for general wellness. A single serving (2 Tablespoons) of nutritional yeast contains Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Vitamin B6, and Folic Acid (B9), topping out at a 640% of the recommended daily value for Thiamin and closing at a 60% of the recommended daily value for Folic Acid. If Vitamin B12 is present in your nutritional yeast, it was added in making the yeast ‘fortified.’

All of these vitamins are known as the B-complex and provide vital nutritional support to your central nervous systems; aid in the production of antibodies and red blood cells in the circulatory system; strengthen the musculoskeletal system; and improve the processes of digestive system and the reproductive system.

Gimme’ a C for Culture

Nutritional yeast is made by culture yeast with a mixture of sugarcane and beet molasses for 7 days. It is then harvested, washed, dried, and packaged. It either appears as yellow flakes or powder.

Gimme’ a E for Extra Nutrients

Nutritional yeast gives good protein at 17% of the daily value. And it packs a healthy wallop of phosphorus, zinc, and selenium at 17%, 21%, and 32% of the daily value. Nutritional yeast is low in fat, sodium and is sugar, dairy and gluten free. A 2 tablespoon serving weighs in at 60 calories.

Gimme’ a F for Flavor

Nutritional yeast has an empowered flavor that many describe as cheesy, creamy, or nutty. It’s used as a cheese substitute or in place of Parmesan cheese for pasta toppings like pesto. It can also be found gracing the top of popcorn – check your local movie theater to see if they offer it. Include nutritional yeast in potatoes, tofu, or eggs for some extra yum.

In juicing and smoothies, nutritional yeast goes well with a variety of different combinations. Try the Spicy Top Notch Tomato or add it to a green drink. Nutritional yeast tastes best when added to vegetable juices.

I really love juicing – it’s has changed my life. Having lost 50lbs and then actually keeping it off for the last 4 years, due in no small part to my adoption of juicing, I am part of juicing’s growing legion of fans. I think every home should have a juicer and it should be used often. With weight loss comes a number of other benefits that include better skin. Of course, diet and exercise play a key role in weight loss, that’s a long help fact, but I also attribute my weight loss and improved complexion to the incorporation of juicing into my life.

Now I am a 25 years old and somewhat realistic about things. I’m not perfect and I still can be known to indulge my drunk tooth a little too much, but when I’m in that state of remorse, I make juice – and it helps. Seriously. So when I say that drinking juice is good for skin, I am saying it not only because dermatologists recommend it, but because I know it works. I’ve stared into a mirror feeling nothing short of death and still managed to somehow look OK. And that is the power of juice!

My routine, which I try diligently to adhere to, looks like this:

• In the morning I chug one cup (250ml) of  fresh lemon juice.
• Throughout the day I drink a combination of equal parts water and cucumber juice.
• Every day around 3ish, I have a smoothie made up carrot juice, orange juice and frozen blueberries, and oftentimes I throw in some Greek yogurt just for fun.
• Ask any of my friends and family and they will tell you that I love soup, so I juice tons of tomatoes and use it in equal parts with low sodium chicken broth.

And here is why I chose this daily cocktail:

Cucumber Juice ~ because of it’s high water content, it’s extremely hydrating. It’s often used topically for swollen eyes, burns or dermatitis as well. The two compounds in cucumber, ascorbic acid and caffeic acid, prevent water retention and offer hydration from the inside out.

Citrus fruit (lemons, oranges, grapefruit, limes) ~ what can I say that hasn’t been said! Citrus is high in vitamin C, which is needed for clearer skin. But since vitamin C is water soluble, it leaves the body pretty quickly and needs to be regularly present in your body in order to see long term benefits.

Blueberries ~ of course blueberries are full of antioxidants and are widely considered a superfood. They are a great source of phytochemicals, which neutralize free radicals and encourage younger looking skin.

Tomatoes ~ high in lycopene, which has been shown to reduce skin cell damage and redness. But in order for a chemical like lycopene to be efficiently absorbed it needs to be in an environment that contains a healthy fat (olive oil, for example).

I have said it before, and I will say it again – right now, in fact – the power of juice is amazing.

I am not a morning person. There is just no way around it.

I’ve tried to be, I really have.

I’ve made sure I get enough sleep the night before. I’ve stopped using the darn buzzer on my alarm so I don’t wake up angry (every nine minutes for an hour). I’ve set

my clock 10 minutes ahead in hopes that it’ll get me moving faster. I’ve even tried to put my alarm clock across the room so I have to get out of bed to turn it off. It doesn’t seem to matter if I wake up late or

wake up with the sun, excited about the day or dreading a coming event. It always takes me a good amount of time to become conscious, like I’m fighting a deep fog. When I finally do wake up, I stumble around and do my best not to talk to anyone for fear I’ll accidentally bite someone’s head off.

In theory, mornings are supposed to be wonderful. I have a little round table in my kitchen where I can sit facing the big window, watching the green grass and the birds flitting around it, playing games with each other and the worms. I can picture me clutching a mug of hot tea in my hands, or maybe I’ll break out my grandmother’s pretty tea cup and saucer I have used once in the last three years. I picture me praying, thinking over my day and letting the peace of the moment roll around and through me.

It never works like that.

If I do get breakfast, I’m usually running late. As I’m busy stuffing my face with cereal, I struggle to clear my brain.What day is it? Where did I put my phone last night? Can I get away without a shower this morning?

If this sounds anything like you (and I will try not to resent those of you who are morning people), I have the perfect breakfast for you that is fast, easy, delicious and filling. And because it’s healthy and fresh, it seems to perk me up on even my worst foggy mornings.

Berry Yogurt Smoothie Recipe

3/4 cup frozen berries (I use a triple blend of raspberries, blueberries and blackberries)

Yum

1/2 cup yogurt

1 Tablespoon honey

1 egg*

Put it all in your blender and mix until desired consistency. I halved this from the original recipe, though I’m not certain where I got it from. You may prefer more for your breakfast, so feel free to double it without guilt.

*I probably should add a warning here that consuming raw eggs can be hazardous to your health, so add them at your own risk. Having said that, I use eggs from a local farm who raises free-range chickens thus I’m not as concerned. But again, use your own discretion.

So drink up, fellow anti-morning people! And if you can’t be entirely awake for your breakfast, at least practice safe blending.

So today we asked the great people over at TailGator (the coolest gas-powered blender ever) to give us a little background on the machine that zooms away in football parking lots everywhere around this time.  Check out the TailGator Blender unit here.  It really is pretty cool!

So How Can the TailGator Benefit You?

The Product

There is simply nothing else on the market like it.  Sporting a 25cc, 2 1/4 hp, gas-powered engine, the TailGator’s combination of power, value and quality has no peer.  Each TailGator is assembled by hand (Made in the U.S.A.) with strict attention to detail.  All parts and accessories are made of the highest quality and customized for the TailGator.  It doesn’t have any of the restrictions associated with your average blender (i.e. need for electricity, grossly under-powered, cumbersome, lower quality craftsmanship, non-portable, etc.).  Let’s face it, it’s just super cool!

Benefits

• No Cord….No Limitations

Tired of being tethered to electrical outlets everywhere you go?  No problem.  Leave the extension cords and generators at home.  Take it to the backyard, the pool, the beach, on your next camping trip, on the boat, to sporting events, road trips, concerts, even to the in-laws.  The TailGator truly opens up a world of entertaining possibilities.  Take it anywhere, anytime!

• 100% Portable

Complete freedom and mobility – no silly hand cranks, annoying power cords or clunky chargers to get in the way.  The optional carrying case even doubles as a backpack.  Now you can focus on your ultimate goal: To have as much fun as possible with friends and family at your next outdoor party!

• Power to Handle All Your Blending Needs

The TailGator invented a class all its own – standard electric, hand crank, and charger-based blenders need not apply.  In fact, the aforementioned typically run for cover at the site of a TailGator.  When you’ve got a full day of outdoor festivities planned, the TailGator is a workhorse that’s guaranteed to stay standing, even when you’re not!

• Instant Magnet for Attention

Whether you’re in a stadium parking lot, the infield of the Daytona 500, rockin’ out at a concert, enjoying the great outdoors, throwing the year’s best house party, or vacationing on the road, one rip of the starter cord and you’ll have the attention of everyone within a hundred yards.  The TailGator is guaranteed to draw a crowd and earn you some major kudos.

• Ultimate Party Starter

Nothing says “Let’s get this party started” quite like the performance of whipping up a pitcher of your favorite frozen beverage with the TailGator.  Each time you fire it up for someone new, the reaction is always the same…first total disbelief, and then the belly-laughs.  Let the party come to you!

• Extreme Versatility

Perfect for every conceivable outdoor activity: Tailgating, camping, hiking, boating, hunting, fishing, golfing, RV and road trips, a day at the races, concerts, the beach, picnics…you name it!  The TailGator is ideal for entertaining guests at home as well.  When you’re relaxing by the pool or have the neighbors over for a barbeque, the TailGator has you covered.

• Blended Drinks and Eats On-Demand

Whether you’re serving up silky smooth margaritas, daiquiris for the ladies, fruit smoothies for the kids, homemade dips and salsas, or iced coffee in the morning after celebrating all night, entertaining your family, friends or corporate clients has never been this much fun.

• Be the Envy of Every Outdoor Occasion

Are you ready for your own fan club?  Impress your friends and family, customers or colleagues.  If you’re looking for a product guaranteed to get you noticed and get people excited….look no further.  This 25cc mean, green blending machine has “Wow” written all over it!

Beyond the passionate tailgating community, the TailGator appeals to a wide spectrum of active, outdoor lifestyle groups: From campers, anglers, hunters, RVers and boaters to NASCAR fans, backyard chefs, golfers and sports enthusiasts….the list goes on.  If we were to sum up our demographic, it would have to be the “Good Living” market.  From all walks of life, around the world, the TG has been a trusted companion for many of their exciting adventures:

• “I own a TailGator and have so much fun taking it to events.  A few months back it went golfing with me.  The greens keeper tracked down the noise and was relieved to know I was not cutting any trees down.  It was the hit of the golf tournament!”   – Karen, Portland, OR

• “We’ve got a race coming up in November and all our friends and fans will be disappointed if we don’t show up with THE BLENDER. PS: Everybody LOVES my TailGator. I have used it at races, backyard cookouts, football tailgating, birthday parties, fly-ins, camping trips, kayaking trips, the 2006 Burning Man, one of my friends wedding ( it was more popular than the Bride and it has lasted longer than she did ). I actually use it as my ONLY household blender.”   – Mike, Phoenix, AZ

Here’s one of my personal favorites….

• “During periods of downtime, US Navy ships sometimes have ‘Steel Beach Picnics’ on the flight decks.  This TailGator was smuggled on board (along with several gallons of virgin mix) during deployment, and several of the Officers provided cool liquid refreshment to the crew.  Because gasoline is strictly forbidden on ships (ships’ engines run on a form of diesel fuel), when the Captain asked what powered the Gator, I said with a wink (and while trying to keep a straight face) that it was powered by aircraft fuel!  We went through 2 1/2 gallons of mix in less than an hour!  Thanks for making such a great product!”   – Greg, Norfolk, VA

With the TailGator packed, its applications are honestly only limited by your creativity and imagination.

Blend on !!

Today we have a guest blogger, Tom Hines, from Nutrition Geeks.  Thanks Tom for the info!

Modern eating habits

Our modern day diet contains sweets, refined carbohydrates, aerated colas, saturated oils, salts; not to mention other unhealthy ingredients like artificial sweeteners and preservatives. In addition, a lot of healthy constituents are missing from these foods, chiefly, high quality proteins, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fibers. All of these have collectively led to a number of so called metabolic syndromes or disorders which were non-existent a century ago. Obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and a number of cancers have their origin in unhealthy living and dietary habits. In fact, some early researchers had surmised that the basis of all diseases is oxidative stress and unhealthy food. There has been a renewed interest in this theory of late.

Combating stresses of modern life

As the world progresses towards better facilities, our lives are getting easier. Gone are the hunter-gatherer days when an individual had to be fit to catch a prey. No one walks long distances since the advent of the car. Technological advances have affected us in all spheres of life. This has lead to our society gradually becoming ‘soft’ and unfit. To combat these changes, fitness and health guidelines recommend more physical activity and imbibing of health food. A rapid advance in nutrition science has helped us better understand our daily dietary needs. However, the rough and tumble of modern day life causes great stress on the human physical and mental health. A simple and effective way to counter these unwanted stresses is supplementation with superfoods.

Food supplements to combat stress

A wide variety of health and sports supplements are available. Of these, protein powders and vitamin supplements are the most commonly used. However, these do precious little to combat the stresses of day to day life. More recently, focus has shifted to the so called green superfoods. These, by definition, are of plant origin and contain all the nutrients required for sustenance of life. Indeed, many consider them to be ‘complete foods’, i.e. when consumed alone, they are capable of sustaining human life. A number of green superfoods are available in the market to choose from. Spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, wheat grass, stevia, ginseng, wheat germ oil and garcinia to name a few.

Spirulina’s health benefits

Spirulina is a microscopic plant which is quite versatile. It can grow in all sorts of environments including rivers, springs and lakes. It is a blue – green algae which manufactures most of the nutrients through the utilisation of sunlight (photosynthesis).

Spirulina is quite rich in its protein content (60%). Also in terms of digestibility, spirulina protein is second only to egg protein. Add to that, the impressive range of other contents: vitamins like A, B complex, C, E, Folic acid, pantothenic acid, inositol and minerals like calcium, iron, chromium, phosphorus, zinc and magnesium. Additionally, it also contains beta carotene and phtyochemicals.

Spirulina has glucose and cholesterol reducing effects and thus has been claimed to affect diabetes and cardiovascular diseases favorably. It has a gastrointestinal protective effect due to promotion of bacterial flora in the gut. Anti-inflammatory action due to phycocyanin present in Spirulina has been allegedly shown to protect against rheumatic arthritis. Also, a study in India showed regression of oral cancer lesions due to chewing of tobacco leaves. Spirulina has also shown promising results in fighting HIV in a study conducted by the Harvard Medical School. Last but not the least, allergies, including asthma, have been shown to benefit in some way from daily supplementation with Spirulina.

Chlorella’s health benefits

Chlorella is single-celled, blue – green algae. Much like Spirulina, it utilizes sunlight to produce nutrients. It is considered an efficient food source; it is rich in proteins and other essential nutrients. In the dry state, the constituents by weight are: proteins: 40%, carbohydrates: 20%, fats: 20%, minerals and vitamins: 10% and fiber: 5%. It is also a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), comprising almost 40% of all fatty acids present.

Chlorella has been claimed to reduce blood levels of lipids and cholesterol. In addition, it has shown promising results in patients with high blood pressure. Also, enhanced immune functions and improved wound healing have been documented to occur by some. Renewed vigor and vitality are the other positive effects associated with chlorella.

Conclusion

Daily supplementation with superfoods, can potentially, help prevent the symptom profile of some of the more modern diseases like obesity, high blood pressure, etc. Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties form the basis of their effectiveness in conditions like arthritis and asthma. Moreover, they prove quite effective in combating a wide variety of stresses due to their anti-oxidation properties.

Superfoods are, as the name suggest, ‘super’, in the way they provide a ‘complete food package’ and help human beings fight diseases and infections.

About the Author

Tom Hines, co-owner of NutritionGeeks.com (MN #1 Now nutritional supplement retailer), has been working in the nutrition industry since 1997, is a competitive powerlifter, lives with his wife Netti and three boys TJ, Grady and Brock on the prairie in west central Minnesota, spends his leisure time coaching youth wrestling, working with his horses and being play toy #1 for his boys.

I’ve mentioned many times in this venue how raw, living food is what will allow the body to heal.  Not cooking your food keeps enzymes, oxygen and water content in your food, and therefore making it better able for your body to absorb.  Heating destroys nutrients and your food’s enzymes.  Heating also destroys water soluble vitamins like vitamin C and all the B vitamins.  I still eat a small amount of cooked food, but it just doesn’t taste the same anymore.  I’m eating more vegan food as well as high raw foods.  The past couple of weeks, since I’ve been moving around a lot, I’ve had a cucumber for breakfast almost every day. I know vegetables for breakfast?  Yes, and you can too.  It’s all about changing your patterns.  Fresh organic produce has been easy to find these days.  I am in the Adirondacks in New York State taking advantage of the local farmers markets every week. 

If you want to get good at anything, you have to focus, learn and invest some time in learning how it works, right?  Everyone needs to learn about taking care of their body because everyone has a body.  In addtion to your “day job”, you need to make the time to learn the basics of taking care of your body.  The reason we believe what the drug companies, media, agricultural and food and beverage companies have to say is because we are nutritionally ignorant.  So let’s learn a little bit more about the food we cook on a daily basis.

When you cook food on a grill, stove top, oven, camp fire or a microwave, you are changing the molecular structure of the food and change the nutritional content and digestibility.  This structure becomes denatured, deranged and degraded, and the molecules are changed into new chemical configurations and carcinogenic byproducts are formed, thereby promoting a broad spectrum of allergies, infections and degenerative diseases..  Certainly the degree to which this happens depends on the cooking time, temperature and method of cooking.  Heating food above 105-120 degrees F, destroys all enzymes and lowers the concentration of vitamins and minerals.  You body can produce the enzymes necessary for digestion and absorption of food, however this process requires a great deal of energy that would otherwise be used for  the process of elimination, fighting disease, and allowing you to function at an optimal physical and mental level. 

In cooked foods, fats are carcinogenized, carbs are caramelized, and proteins are coagulated and become virtually unusable by the body and fiber becomes barely usable in the colon.  Heating food also creates toxic byproducts.  Here’s a few of these dangerous byproducts:

Acrylamides:  Cancer causing byproducts of cooking carbohydrate food such as breads, potatoes, pastries and any other kinds of starch.  The FDA acknowledges on their website the perils of acrylamides, but the processed and fast food industry would rather you don’t know about these.

Epoxides, Hydroperoxides, unsaturated aldehydes:  These three are generated when you cook the fat from meat, milk, eggs and fish.  From Wikipedia, “An epoxide is a cyclic ether.”  The rest of the definition on Wikipedia was not even understandable to me.

Furfural/furans: generated when sugars are heated.  Wikipedia states, “Except for occasional use in perfume, furfural remained a relatively obscure chemical until 1922, when the Quaker Oats Company began mass-producing it from oat hulls….When heated above 250 degrees, furfural decomposes into furan and carbon monoxide, sometimes explosively… Furfural is also used as a solvent in petrochemical refining….” 

Nitrosamines:  When nitrogen oxides in the gas flame from gas ovens or barbecues interact with fats, these toxins are created.  Nitrosamines are chemical compounds of a chemical structure, some of which are carcinogenic.

Polycyclic Hydrocarbons:  These carcinogens are generated from the charring of meat. From Wikipedia,  ”PAHs occur in oil, coal and tar deposits, and are produced as byproducts of fuel burning….as a pollutant, they are of concern because some compounds have been identified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic….PAHs are also found in foods.  Studies have shown that most food intake of PAHs comes from cereals, oils and fats.  Smaller intakes come from vegetables and cooked meats.”

Hydrogenated oils and Trans fats:  These are man-made.  They are also called hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and were specifically developed to allow processed foods to sit on the shelf longer without going rancid.  Many of today’s common foods are now cooked in these trans fats.  Consuming these fats can lead to obesity, heart disease, an increase in bad cholesterol and lowering of the good.  Also keep in mind when you heat common cooking oils, the heat denatures the oil molecule and causes the oil to turn rancid.

Are you still asking yourself what happens to you if you eat cooked foods?  Digestive leukocytes is a term that refering to when your body produces an increase of white blood cells, indicating the body is on the attack.  This response also happens when you eat cooked food.  However it does not happen when you eat raw foods.   A build up of toxic, acidic waste materials, often referred to as “free radicals”, accumulates in the skin, liver, nervous system and brain when you consume large amounts of cooked food.  When you don’t get the proper nutrients in your diet, your white blood cells are always on the attack mode.  Toxic waste are circulating in your weak and overworked body, allowing it to breed common ailments such as allergies, headaches, sinusitis, diabetes, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, depression, arthritis, osteoporosis, and various cancers will thrive.  Unfriendly flora build-up is also a byproduct of cooked foods.  Unfriendly bacteria take over the colon, feeding on thick, undigested and uneliminated cooked food putrefying in the intestines.  This flora will give off a waste product that is a food for cancer cells.  Eating a plant based uncooked diet will decrease the toxic load on the colon and will also decrease unfriendly bacteria and its dangerous byproducts.

Not cooking your food will have the following benefits: Weight stabilization, increased energy, more restful sleep, radiant skin, enhanced mental clarity, increased immune function and prevention of illness.  You don’t need to eliminate all cooked food from your diet to have these benefits.  How about just substituting one meal a day with raw food for starters?  Or if you are already doing that, how about increasing to one day a week eating nothing but uncooked food?  Most people believe lunch or dinner is their best bet for raw.  Large salads with every veggie in the fridge, juicing a meal or sandwiches with sprouted grain bread (these breads are usually available in the frozen section.  They are baked at low temperatures to retain the nutritional content of their ingredients). Top your sandwich with all raw ingredients, like veggies and sprouts.  It doesn’t have to be fancy, just make it colorful.

Be proactive about your own health.  Stay informed.  It’s your job.

As always, consult your primary physician if you have questions regarding your specific circumstances.