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!

Be Real: Life Changes and So Do We

Part of the reason I started this blog is because I'm going back to school to earn a piece of paper that says I'm a health coach. It just validates what I've been doing already. My oldest 2 kids were always sick with asthma, ear infections, you name it. I started changing things in their diet and saw some improvement. Then in the summer of 2007, at 184lbs, cholesterol of 212 and still nursing the 3rd child, something in me snapped. Yup, snapped! My mother was diagnosed with shingles and I couldn't fly to her home to help. I was completely useless and I HATED that feeling. That's when I started researching information that could help her and me at the same time.

During this time, there was a voice inside of me that said, "you don't need a diet again, you know what to do, just do it". So I did. I started walking, then running and walking, doing jumping jacks. Anything that would make me move. All this in the greenway behind our home for the whole world to see. I didn't care, it was all about helping myself so I could help others. That's what we forget. We truly have to take care of ourselves first before we can take care of anyone else.

The baby went in a jog stroller, the older 2 rode their bikes and I sweated my ass off, literally and figuratively. If you know summer in North Carolina, you know it's not the time to be exercising outside. But I felt I had no choice. It was now or never.

Then, I started eating salads everyday. They were huge, enough to feed at least 2 people if not more. Believe it or not, doing this got 20 lbs off of me in 6 months. I felt better than ever, but something was missing. I hit a plateau, so I joined a gym and hired a trainer for 6 months. This took off the remaining 20lbs. So in 1 year, I went from 184lbs, size 16 to 144lbs, size 6. I still felt fat. It wasn't good enough, something was wrong.

During the summer of 2008 I crashed and burned. The doctors said I had depression. I was a maniac. So I took the drugs they gave me and felt even worse. I made them run blood tests and some things came up - anemia, low folic acid, yeast infections, thyroid issues. Guess what, that was the straw - after all that work loosing the weight and now they wanted to put me on all this medication - bullshit. I'm doing something wrong and looking to the wrong people to fix me. Only I can fix me. So I did.

I was feeding my body the wrong foods by trying to match what the government says to eat, what the doctors say to eat. As good as I should have felt, I didn't. My spirit was not being fed either. My consciousness was imprisoned. Enter-the rosary. I am part of a group that prays the rosary weekly and nightly for the intentions of others. Yup, once again, I had no idea what to do or how to do it. But I just did it. Practice makes perfect. Now in 2009, I can say I understand the power of prayer, the power of thought, word and action. How little things add up, good or bad - they add up. Consistency is key.

While praying with this beautiful group of women, I learned that perfection is an illusion. We are capable of so much and should not be imprisoned by our ego or the ego of others. When I say ego, I mean fear because they are one in the same. Also, I became very friendly with the folks at the local Whole Foods. I tried every vitamin and supplement that might help me. Some times I pooped my brains out from it, but I figured better this that being a slave to medication. Eventually I found what worked for my body. And what didn't work.

Now, it's the summer of 2009 and this is what's going on. I'm happy, truly happy. My family is happy. My consciousness has broadened. I know what my body needs and can understand how it talks to me. I'm learning the power of my spirit, and how to use intuition. I'm meeting the most interesting people and understanding unconditional love in a way I never thought possible. I'm getting certified in Reiki and nutrition so that I can share with you what I've learned.

This is what I know - if you want to change, you need to be the change even if you don't know what to do. Talk to anyone and everyone who will listen, ask questions. Take what they know and make it your own. Use it. God speaks to us in many ways. We just have to be open to receiving his message.

Be Real: The Journey

I've been on a journey my whole life and haven't been conscious of it. Only for the past 2 years have I been conscious. And it all started 4 years ago when my father died suddenly.

What I've come to discover in this time is that we are all unique and we are not a one size fits all being. We are here in this body because our spirit chose this existence and the experiences it would bring to our souls.

I've just woken up from the sleep-walk state I had been in. I've realized that God has a plan for me, for everyone.

My purpose is to spread the message: "You can hear your spirit and realize your soul's purpose if your body is clean". This blog is to educate and inspire you to make whatever changes in your life need to be made.

The beauty of this message is that you are already perfect, God loves you, and you have the power to change now. Namaste.

Eat Real: Are You Eating Real Food?

Can you answer the question? Are you eating real food? I thought I was, but wasn't. Perhaps the same is true for you as well. We are brainwashed into thinking that this box of food or that frozen dinner is good for us.

The only items are bodies are designed to process are real foods. I'm talking about food God made - real fruit and vegetables. Sure, the frozen dinner, or box of mac n' cheese might be easier now, but in the long run, these items contribute to our feelings of disarray. The little things add up. Before we know it, we are sick, or constantly sick with colds, asthma, chronic ear infections, pneumonia - you name it. In some cases we've become so sick with body pollution that we've developed life threatening conditions, or had vital organs removed.

Everything we put in or on our bodies affects our existence. Everything is energy. We can choose to put positive energy into our bodies and minds that nourish us and allow our spirit to soar, or we can choose to keep ourselves in a prison of a body and mind that hurts.