Eat Real: The Power of Lemon

Lemons are one of natures most beneficial foods. We use fresh lemon juice daily. The kids love homemade lemonade. I discovered lemons when I started cleansing my diet. They are great for the body because they help flush toxins out of our systems.

As you start to eat real and leave the processed foods behind, you'll notice that your body will respond positively. If you revert to eating synthetic food again, your body will definitely tell you! Drinking lemon and water daily can help you make this transition a little easier and quicker. Count on many trips to the bathroom!

Although they are acidic to our bodies externally, lemons are actually alkaline internally. Lemons can stimulate and aid elimination in the digestive system and help purify the liver by eliminating toxins and help digest your food by helping your gallbladder produce more bile. It can also decreases the amount of phlegm produced by your body.

These are just a few of the benefits to using lemons:
- diuretic, it flushes out toxins and bacteria
- high in Vitamin C
- helps in digestion

I can always tell, when I don't have enough water and lemon juice in my diet - I start to break out. It's my body's way of sending me a message - "Hey, don't neglect me!".

Try starting out your day with a cup of warm water and the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon. You'll be increasing your vitamin C intake and stimulating your digestive track at the same time. We add a few drops of natural stevia to sweeten the drink. Whatever you do, do not use artificial sweeteners or white sugar! Stick with stevia, honey, molasses or maple syrup.

Eat Real: Pancakes, Farts & Yoga

Tonight we had pancakes for dinner. I make them ahead of time, freeze and warm them up in the toaster oven. This is the easiest dinner in the world. What always makes mealtime exciting is the fact that I have 3 boys and they always take this opportunity to be as gross as possible. It doesn't matter what threats I make... they literally can't help themselves. So, I waste my breath, correct them each time and enjoy the few seconds of peace until the next gross display of manhood. Sometimes, when I loose it, they have to kneel in the corner... Tonight, it was fart sounds on their arms (in addition to real farts, of course).

The really upsetting part of this is that my youngest, who will only be 3 in July, knows how to do it to perfection. I can thank his next older brother for teaching him this life affirming skill.

Tonight, thank God, is also Yoga night. If you haven't tried it yet, give a go. It is awesome! I've finally found the best instructor for me. Everything she says in class just makes me feel centered, confident, perfect. That is the goal for anyone, right? We are all perfect, fart sounds and all... However, we forget that and get caught up in negative self talk, self doubt, uncertainty. So what, if I can't bend very well or stand on my head - I still feel perfect after this class.

This is my wish for you - to know that you are already perfect. Be happy with who you are now and choose for yourself what path you may follow. Namaste.

Pancakes for Dinner:
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. sunflower oil
1 large egg, beat lightly
1 1/4 cups spelt flour
2 tbsp. Rapadura sugar
1/2 tsp. aluminum free baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Soak oatmeal in buttermilk for 10 min. Add vanilla, oil & egg. Add dry ingredients, stir and spoon onto hot fry pan. Add chocolate chips, then flip and cook on the other side.

Eat Real: Water - Recharge Your Body

There's a reason we were told not to blow dry our hair with the water running. Water conducts electricity. Electricity is energy. We are energy. We are electric. Now, consider this - without enough water in our bodies our electrical current cannot work properly. What happens? Fatigue, malaise, constipation - you name it.

Our blood is 83% water. The blood is the truck that transports the nutrients, oxygen and antibodies throughout our body. Without enough water, the blood is low on fuel and the necessary deliveries can't be made. Get it?

The brain is over 75% water. It controls every process that happens in our bodies. Just a 5% drop in body fluids will result in a 25%-30% drop in energy. The brain is the driver of the truck. If the 'driver' doesn't have the food it needs to drive, the truck certainly isn't going anywhere.

What should you do? Drink more water! At least half your body weight. If you weigh 140lbs, you should drink at least 70 ounces a day. More if you exercise, are outside, under stress - actually, for any reason! To give you an idea - I like to shoot for 10 glasses of water a day at 16 ounces each. That's 160 ounces and I weight 145lbs.

Learn to listen to your body. It will tell you what to give it in order to function properly. If you want to step it up, add lemon. It flavors the water and is great for the liver. I'll go into the benefits of lemon in my next article.

Eat Real: All Salt is Not the Same

So, you're confused about salt. I bet you think it's bad for you, right?

Get 100% natural sea salt. It's really GOOD for you! It hasn't been processed and is harvested the same as it was 2000 years ago. It's full of the minerals and nutrients in the correct balance for our bodies. Your liver, kidneys and adrenal glands will thank you. Your body and spirit will thank you. This is just one small change you can make that will impact your body in a huge way.

We like to use Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Sea Salt. The Celtic Sea Salt is light gray in color and slightly moist. The Himalayan Sea Salt is pink and a little sweet. Both cost more than the processed stuff, but it's worth it in the long run - less trips to the doctor, better health and well being.

Benefits of natural sea salt:
- less water retention
- less bloating
- better digestion
- improved immune system

Don't buy any processed salt or products that use it. It's bad because it has been processes so far away from its original state that there is nothing of value in it for your body. It is actually only 40% sodium. It has no energy signature we can use. If there is nothing our bodies can use, then it is viewed as a toxin to the body. The body uses protein and sodium chloride to process this toxin and the result is uric acid. Our bodies cannot process out the uric acid, so it builds up in our bones and joints. What results? - arthritis, gout, kidney and gallbladder stones.

Give your body what it needs! Your body totally needs salt - it just needs to be the right kind! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...

Eat Real Recipe: Hummus

Here's an idea, make a quick snack you can dip some baby carrots in - or any vegetable for that matter. Hummus is made from garbanzo beans (chickpeas), a great source of fiber and protein. Fiber is good for combating high cholesterol and from preventing blood sugar from rising too quickly after a meal. They are also a good source of iron.

When you start giving your body food it can use it will do what it is suppose to do. If you don't have time to make it, try to buy an organic variety. The less chemicals and pesticides we can keep from entering the body, the better.

Hummus Recipe:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
14 oz organic garbanzo beans/chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini
1 tsp. sea salt
2 cloves garlic

Mix all in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Serve with organic olive oil if desired.

Tahini is sesame seed paste. You can find it at your local health food store. I use Whole Foods. It can also be found at any Middle Eastern grocery store. Also, don't use the brand of table salt you bought at the store - use sea salt. Table salt is viewed as a toxin to the body, sea salt is not. I'll go into that more later.

Eat Real: Ditch the Plastic Bottled Water

Yup, that's right. The everyday plastic bottled water is not helping your body.

Whether you realize it or not, the majority of these waters are no better than tap water. This means they are full of the chemicals our tap water contains. Then on top of that, the fact that they are bottled in plastic means that the chemical Bisfenol A (BPA) from the plastic is leaked into the water. This chemical affects us on a hormonal level. It is an endocrine disruptor. It acts as estrogen. Too much estrogen in the body is dangerous. Studies have shown that even in low doses, BPA can disrupt the endocrine systems.

"BPA is one of many man-made chemicals classified as endocrine disruptors, which alter the function of the endocrine system by mimicking the role of the body's natural hormones." (quoted from Science Daily)

These are a few of the possible affects of having BPA in our bodies:
-chromosonal defects
-delayed mental development
-miscarriages
-reproductive issues
-obesity
-breast cancer
-hyperactivity

What do I do for our family? We all have stainless steel water bottles, or drink out of glass. We use the Kleen Kanteen brand, but there are other brands out there.

Think about this - we are repeatedly exposed to and ingest toxins on a regular basis. This exposure breaks down our body's ecosystem (as well as the Earth's). If we can limit the amount of toxins we ingest and spread on the Earth we would all feel better and be healthier. This information is provided not to scare, but educate. Think about what you put in or on your body. Everything and anything can affect it and bring about positive or negative results. Just one small good thing you do for your body can make a difference. Your example can encourage others to do the same. Be the change your body and spirit needs.

http://www.infoniac.com/health-fitness/drinks-in-plastic-bottles-cause-hormonal-disturbances.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130092108.htm

Eat Real: Detox with Apple Cider Vinegar

This is my special drink to get your body moving towards cleansing.

- 1 tsp of raw, organic apple cider vinegar
- the juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon
- filtered water (as much as you want)
- a few drops of liquid stevia to sweeten (optional)

The water can be warm as in a tea, or cold like a lemonade. Drink this 3x a day or more, whatever your body tells you. At one point, I was up to 6 tablespoons a day. Now I have 2 tablespoons in the morning with the lemon in warm water before any food. It stimulates the bowels, sets the stage for proper digestion and neutralizes the body's pH.

Why do I drink this concoction?
Well, for a number of reasons. It helps to remove toxins from the body through elimination, that means you pee and poop more. It moves the body towards an alkaline pH. Most of us, even the healthiest have an acidic pH at different levels. When the body is moved out of a neutral pH of 7.0 towards an acidic pH, below 7.0, that is when we experience dis-ease. Dis-ease can be in the form of pain, colds, viruses, fungus, infections, stress, depression (the list goes on), and in the severe cases of acidity - cancer. The only way dis-ease can flourish in our bodies is when we are acidic.

Our daily food and lifestyle choices create acidic conditions or alkaline conditions. That cup of coffee, bagel, fast food lunch, frozen 'healthy' dinner, stressed out feeling, being overextended - all of it creates acidity. Too much, and our body weakens. There are countless references on the web to this. Check out www.bodyecology.com for more detail on Apple Cider Vinegar.

This is the first in an Eat Real Series about healthy food choices we can make. Remember, all the little things add up!