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"BALANCE IS THE KEY."
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NATURAL HEALTH FOODS
The goal is not to develop a strict or "perfect" diet, but to develop a relaxed and varied, yet healthy diet. Just make gradual changes as you are ready, relax, and accept whatever you can do at the moment, be mindful. Stress reduction techniques and Inner Healing Techniques such as meditation, yoga and breathing properly can help you make changes more easily. Any regular practice that helps you get in touch with your own inner feelings can help develop the ability to know what foods your body needs. Pay attention to how you feel after you eat. This will point out your habits. Excellent eating needs to become a habit. Healthy nutrition, stress management & exercise are key elements in staying well and disease free.
Natural Healthy Foods
• Vegetables (juiced, steamed, cooked and raw)
• Whole grains (variety and rotate), legumes and beans
• Fish, fowl, and other meats
• Fruits, nuts and seeds
• Herbal teas
• Dairy and eggs (small amounts or none) or lactose free milk, rice, almond or goat milk and cheese, eggs as tolerated, ghee or clarified butter
• Olive oil, coconut oil, unrefined sesame oil, and natural sweeteners ex maple syrup, rice syrup, stevia, agave nectar, local honey
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SHOPPING FOR FOODS
Ask friends who eat a healthy diet where they buy their food.
Shop at a large local supermarket in which there is a “natural foods” section.
Try to avoid the highly processed foods that often make up the bulk of what is sold.
Buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to buy certified organic produce whenever possible. BUY LOCAL as much as possible. Farmers Market are in most cities.
Ask local Holistic healthcare practitioners
(acupuncturists, chiropractors, herbalists, naturopaths) for resources.
Contact people in nearby cities where there might be a natural foods grocery store where you could visit on occasion and stock up on supplies.
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JUST BECAUSE YOU SHOP IN THE HEALTH SECTION
Does not mean that everything is healthy. READ LABELS. Aspartame, NutraSweet, neotame, acesulfame-k, sucralose, and other toxic artificial sweeteners should be avoided. MSG (monosodium glutamate) may be harmful, as well.
Reading labels is a good habit to have wherever you shop. Try to eat a variety of foods, especially vegetables. In addition, try to get a wide variety of cooked green, leafy vegetables such as collard greens, beet greens, mustard greens, kale, bok choy, romaine lettuce, cooked or steamed spinach, etc. PH balance is very important for a healthy body. An enormous variety of very tasty meals can be made with a little bit of practice and some good cookbooks. Take cooking classes offered at grocery stores and health food stores. Visit the local library and bookstore for topics on nutrition and healthy eating. Attend workshops on health and wellness. The internet provides many food choices and recipes.
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BALANCE OF FOODS
Whatever balance of foods you choose, you can still have the majority of your diet made up of natural, healthy foods;
Start out by gradually moving towards a diet that includes plenty of vegetables, fruits in moderation, whole grains as tolerated, beans& legumes, organic meat, herb teas, green tea or other beverages, Then vary it over time to find out what works best for you. Avoid carbonated sodas and artificial sweeteners. A number of people have reported that some symptoms disappeared when they, for an extended period of time, avoided foods that caused problems. Food allergies and intolerances are many times more common than the "medical establishment" likes to admit. Many times, eating foods that cause problems leads very gradually to adverse symptoms, poor health, dis-ease, or simply fatigue. A holistic health practitioner can give you a diet to suit your needs by individualized assessment and sensitivity testing.
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FOODS THAT CAUSE ALLERGIC OR INTOLERANCE TYPE REACTIONS
It is important to avoid foods that cause moderate or large negative reactions. As your health improves over time, you will be able to very gradually re-introduce healthy foods that formerly caused negative reactions. Some common foods that can cause problems for some people may include:
◦ Dairy, Soy, Corn
◦ Gluten-containing foods, ie wheat, oats and rye
◦ Fermented foods such as pickles, beer, wine, etc. yeast-containing foods
◦ Citrus fruits, oranges and grapefruit, apples, kiwi & strawberries
◦ Sugar processed & artificial, additives, preservatives, food coloring, msg,
◦ Caffeine-containing foods (coffee, black tea and chocolate)
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COOKING
Eat freshly cooked/prepared dishes when possible as there is more energy (chi) in freshly cooked foods than foods that have been cooked or prepared several days earlier. Avoid microwave cooking and fried foods as much as possible .It can be very helpful to take cooking classes or to get help from a friend. Inquire at your local natural food store where you can take cooking classes. It may take awhile to become adept at using natural, healthy foods. Please be patient with yourself. Share food preparation tasks. Ethnic restaurants with food from India, Thailand, Korea, Greece and Africa often have healthy options (without MSG and other additives. Make quick-cooking meals on occasion, such as soba noodles, steamed vegetables, salads, or fish. These do not take too long to prepare, and sometimes I add pre-made sauces or salad dressings from my local Natural Foods store.
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NUTRIENTS
The goal is to work toward obtaining most or all of our nutrients through a healthy, natural food diet. The reality is that many people, for a variety of reasons, need to take some form of supplements to help themselves heal or meet their nutrient needs. It is challenging to give detailed recommendations for an individual’s needs without consulting with that person. A Holistic healthcare practitioner or a professional nutritionist can help you with specific recommendation
Cooking
Nutrients
Merchandise
"Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life." -Rumi
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