San Diego California 92009
Ever wonder if there is a dessert that has some health benefits? These cookies are free of refined sugar, wheat, dairy, and eggs, but rather made of almonds, coconut, honey, and dark chocolate.
Why don’t you try this vegan and paleo-friendly delicious dessert! (more…)
Struggling to find a recipe fit for a cleanse, low in carbs, and high in flavor? This recipe is great if you are on a hypoallergenic diet, it’s anti-inflammatory, and even transports well for lunch at work.
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients:
1/2 c almonds
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp sea salt
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 organic chicken breast halves (can substitute with organic tempeh)
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 lemon, wedged
Directions:
Make a coarse paste of the almonds, garlic, sea salt, and extra-virgin olive oil in a food processor. Rub onto the organic or free-range chicken breast halves. Roast in 425-degree oven until cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Slice and serve on baby spinach with lemon wedges. Optional: toss the spinach with a dijon vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and extra virgin olive oil.
Although it is not too cold in Southern California right now, we are in the middle of winter. Eating warming, nourishing foods during this time of year can help support your organ systems that are under stress from the cooler temperatures. What foods are good for the winter?
Meats: beef, pork, chicken, goat, shellfish, organ meats, nitrate-free preserved meats
Beans: all dried beans, especially adzuki and black beans
Fruits: lemons, oranges, kumquats, grapefruits, and other citrus, pomegranates, kiwi, and dried fruits
Vegetables: Brussels sprouts, cabbage (especially fermented), celery root, collard greens, endive, escarole, kale, kolrabi, leeks, onions, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, sea vegetables, turnips, winter squash
Grains: barley, rice, millet, oats, dark varieties of quinoa
Herbs, Spices, Condiments: ginger, sea salt, miso, tamari, and pickled vegetables
One thing to keep in mind is quality: always strive for finding organic foods and grass-fed or free-range for animal foods. Notice that all of these foods are whole foods and if you buy organic, they will be free of toxins and promote healthy weight management.
Excess body weight, specifically adipose (fat) tissue, increases toxic storage and endotoxin production. Adipose tissue is not metabolically active, in that it does not use and produce energy. However, in excess, adipose tissue is considered an endocrine organ because large amounts produce inflammatory cytokines and can wreak havoc on the body.
These gluten-free pancakes, with blueberries, almond butter, chia seeds, and pasture-fed eggs are a nutrient-dense meal that will keep you energized and satisfied until lunch.
Ingredients:
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Recently one of my clients asked me my thoughts on both the vegan diet (plant-only) and the GAPS diet, which is an omnivorous diet for restoring mental health, immune health, and digestive health. It was such a great question I thought I would elucidate my comments in this article. Here are my thoughts:
There is no diet that is right for all people, because everyone is different, with different histories, different lifestyles and exercise practices, and different environments (the holistic approach considers all of these factors). Different life stages and health conditions call for different nutrient needs as well, so changing the diet throughout life is also key to optimal health! (more…)
Did you know that you have about 3-4lbs of microorganisms in your colon that you cannot survive without? These symbiotic microorganisms are intimately linked with your wellness.
Your diet, medications, lifestyle, environment and shape the composition of the different microbial communities in your GI tract and body. The microflora in the intestine has even been collectively considered an organ because of their ability to support the immune system, regulate intestinal health, support healthy metabolism, and contribute to overall health and wellness.
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Why Chewing Gum is Bad for Your Teeth
(and Overall Health)
Chewing gum is not a healthy habit! Gum products contain artificial ingredients and preservatives that not only contribute to poor dental health, but also contribute to numerous health conditions and diseases.
Artificial food additives are the culprit
Artificial sweeteners and sugar-free foods have been linked with tooth erosion. Two main artificial sweeteners are sucralose and aspartame. Sucralose is carcinogenic, toxic to the liver, causes birth defects, and damages the immune system. Aspartame is a potent neurotoxin releases methanol in the body. Methanol is dangerous because it breaks down into two toxic compounds, formic acid and formaldehyde. It is liked with digestive issues, migraines, depression, and even diabetes.
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If you are sensitive to dairy or just want to avoid it, this recipe can satisfy that desire for creaminess! This cashew cream recipe is so delicious and versatile you won’t even miss the dairy. This recipe is quick, easy, and full of nutrients and flavor!
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What I Learned at the 2012 Healing Cancer World Summit
I attended this year’s Healing Cancer World Summit and learned some really empowering information about cancer and how it is not an incurable disease. Here is a list of the key points I heard at this wonderful online event hosted by Kevin Gianni.
Want to learn how to heal your body of all degenerative disease? Lifestyle medicine is the answer!
Cancer is just bits of yourself, gone wrong. Changing your external environment will change your internal environment and make your body uninhabitable to cancer.
Nature heals. (more…)
Digest Your Food With Ease!
One of the fundamental aspects of a nourishing lifestyle is to maximize your body’s ability to digest and assimilate nutrients. Eating foods in combinations that promote optimal digestion empowers your body to use the nutrients to fuel biochemical reactions that promote health and wellness, rather than create inflammation, malabsorption, weakened intestinal wall, and an open door to infection and disease.
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Food has a Direct Effect on our Mental Health
The gut-brain connection is a very real and very active line of communication and analysis in the body. There are over 100 million neurons in the digestive system that produce as many neurotransmitters as the brain (Holford, 2009, p.16)! Our brain and gut are in constant communication, which is why foods have a direct effect on our moods and behaviors.
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Making healthy vegetable sushi is not as intimidating as it sounds! It’s actually pretty easy, pretty quick, and much cheaper than eating out. This recipe contains nourishing sea veggies, supportive fats, low sugar, and whole grain brown rice for total body wellness.
I’d never made sushi before so I decided to keep it basic with a veggie roll and garlic sauce. I was very satisfied with my sushi-making experience and I encourage you to pick up some nori, sushi rice, and veggies at the store and give it a try!
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The innate immune system is the first line of defense the body has against foreign particles. It acts as a physical and chemical barrier to pathogens. Innate immunity is non-specific and it does not provide long-lasting protection for the body.
The innate immune system is responsible for bringing in other immune cells to sites of infection in the body. White blood cells secrete cytokines, chemical messengers, to draw in other immune cells called the complement system in order to identify the pathogen and activate specialized white blood cells (adaptive immunity) to help remove and clear the pathogen.
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Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease is a condition in which the body’s immune system dysfunctions and confuses “self” with “non-self.” The immune system begins attacking the body’s own cells. Any tissue or organ of the body can be targeted. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that primarily effects synovial joints of the body (i.e. hands, shoulder, knee, elbow). The disorder involves a deterioration of healthy synovial fluid in between bones, leading to a painful inflammatory response in the affected joint and can often lead to systemic inflammation over time (William C. Shiel Jr., 2011).
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Zucchini is an excellent alternative to wheat pasta. Using a julienne slicer, you can easily make spaghetti-shaped zucchini strings that can make a wonderful pasta-replacement dish. Enjoy this vegan, gluten-free pasta recipe. Feel free to add chicken, goat cheese, or pine nuts to make the dish more of an entree.
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This is a fast, healthy, and filling meal that will provide you with energy and nutrients to keep you energized and ready for your busy lifestyle. You can also add in chicken or beef or fish and make your own quick wrap. What can you create?
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Bones cycle through periods of growth and breakdown throughout the course of your life. By our mid-20’s bones begin to lose their ability to regrow and are more prone to breaking down.
Eating an acidic, inflammatory diet including caffeine, alcohol, soda, refined sugar, processed foods, a high-salt diet, a meat-based (high protein) diet, and a low vegetable diet can all contribute to bone thinning. Eating foods you are allergic to can also lead to bone loss because your gastrointestinal system will be inflamed and have increased permeability (more, larger molecules and pathogens can pass undigested into the blood stream) which in turn increases the acidity of the blood and draws alkaline nutrients out of the bone. Moreover, malabsorption can lead to nutrient deficiencies that can inhibit bone regrowth.
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Your gastrointestinal system has 4 functions. The first three are related to nutrient intake: digestion, absorption, and excretion. The 4th function however, is related to protecting your body from the external environment. The intestinal wall, along with your lungs, skin, eyes, ears, and nose, are barriers that defend your body from pathogens and toxic particles in the air we breathe, the objects we touch, and food we eat. The lining of your intestinal tract, your tonsils, appendix and lymph nodes are collectively referred to as your Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT). These tissues and associated processes comprise roughly 60-70% of your immune system! (more…)
There is a big controversy about whether consuming milk is healthy. I think that the nutritional value of milk and the pasteurization and homogenization of milk represent two factors that contribute to the confusion because the science and governmental policies conflict. Pasteurization and homogenization completely alter the milk on a chemical level that renders the liquid undigestible, toxic, and dead. No wonder so many people have food allergies to dairy. What is the truth and why isn’t it well known? (more…)
Do you have food allergies, digestive distress, environmental toxicity, acne, or eczema? You may have a leaky gut! Read more to learn what happened and how to heal yourself. (more…)
Maintaining a healthy balance of gut microflora is the key to efficient digestion and overall health. Dysbiosis is a condition when your healthy gut flora have been compromised and overtaken by disease-causing microbes. Food allergies, the overconsumption of refined sugars and flours and processed foods, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, hypoacidity of the stomach, excessive consumption of alcohol, or the overconsumption of carbohydrates and fiber can lead to dysbiosis. (more…)
Testing your digestive wellness is a great way to assess the efficiency of your metabolism. Healing your intestinal tract will clear up digestive problems as well as other issues such as joint pain, allergies, inflammation, even acne. (more…)
People generally focus on the characteristics of food-what makes them healthy and what makes them not. But what if your own body’s characteristics are just as important in determining the “healthiness” of a food? Dr. D’Adamo was one of the first believers in this concept. Find out why your blood type matters when it comes to what foods are healthy for you! (more…)
There is an increasing occurrence of gluten sensitivity and intolerances today. Some people believe it is the result of genetically modifying the food we eat, although there is still no conclusive evidence of this. Perhaps the increase in allergies is a result of poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyle finally taking its toll on this generation. However, by adding new DNA to foods, new proteins are being expressed in these foods. (more…)
There have been concerns about the negative effects of having too many x-rays, but never any concern that the majority of food we eat is been exposed to radiation far greater (up to 4 million times greater) than the amount used in x-rays.
Who would ever think that irradiating food wouldn’t negatively effect our health? Well I was reading, Traditional Foods Are Your Best Medicine by Dr. Robert Schmid and I found out that it was a conglomeration of the National Food Processors Association, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and several congressional representatives that legalized food irradiation.
Why did they think this was a good idea? Well food irradiation preserves food by killing insects, bacteria and fungi on grains and seeds and extends the shelf-life of fresh produce. Extending the shelf-life means more money for those involved in food production and distribution. (more…)
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