The 12 Keys to Healthy Eating

What are the 12 Keys to Healthy Eating?

#1 Digestion #7 Minerals

#2 Balanced Plate & Blood Sugar #8 Water

#3 Healthy Fats #9 Variety

#4 Herbs & Spices #10 Organic Food

#5 Eat Local Food #11 Seasonal Eating

#6 Supplements #12 Mindful Eating

Digestion Starts in the Brain

As a culture, we are stressed out

Digestion shuts down when we are stressed

We need to be RELAXED to digest food properly

What does Digestive Dysfunction Feel Like?

Gas

Bloating

Heartburn

Burping

Hiccups

Constipation or Diarrhea

Stomach Cramps

It All Starts With Stomach Acid

HCL is excreted into the stomach at a pH of 0.8…

that’s almost pure acid

• Protects the body against pathogens and parasites

• Activates Pepsin for protein digestion

• Triggers bile for fat digestion

What Damages Gut Microbiota?

Aging Chronic Stress

Alcohol Environmental toxins

Eating fast Eating when stressed

Antacids Food Intolerances

Antibiotics Processed food & sugar

Infections Pain medication

Dental work C-section birth/Formula feeding

Foreign travel Artificial sweeteners & colorings

Most Common Gut Problems

Candia Yeast Overgrowth

Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO)

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

What Helps Repair Digestion

Avoiding processed foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol

Reducing Stress - Eat Calmly - Chew Well

Digestive Aids – Ginger, Enzymes & HCI

Fermented Foods

Probiotics

Bone Broth

A Balanced PlateHow to Stop the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster

Carbohydrates to Minimize

Refined Sugar

Refined Flour

Refined/processed carbohydrate cereals, boxed and bagged foods

How are Carbohydrates Stored as Fat?

Protein and fats help keep blood sugar balanced. Too much carbohydrate signals the pancreas to release insulin and store glucose in a fat cell.

The sugars we don’t recognize

Grains “Bagel = 70g carb, 3 fiber, 0 sugar, 43 GL”

Legumes “1 cup Kidney Beans = 40g carb, 13g fiber, 1 g sugar, 14 GL”

Root Vegetables “Baked Potato = 63g carb, 7g fiber, 4g sugar, 29 GL”

Fruit “Banana = 31g carb, 4g fiber, 17g sugar, 11 GL”

Dairy “1 cup Whole Milk = 13g carb, 0 fiber, 13g sugar, 9 GL”

Un-like protein or fat there is no minimum daily requirement of carbohydrate for good health or to sustain life. Carbohydrates are non-essential.

Fructose IS Fruit Sugar

The liver converts the majority of fructose into fat.

Besides fatty liver disease, this leads to abdominal

obesity and elevated triglycerides.

The Blood Sugar Roller Coaster

Insulin pulls excess sugar out of the bloodstream and stores it into a fat or muscle cell.

Hypoglycemia = Low Blood Sugar

Insulin Resistance = Rising Blood Sugar

Type II Diabetes = High Blood Sugar

USDA Food Pyramid 2010

Replaced the Food Pyramid in 2011

A Balanced Plate = Balanced Blood Sugar

Stopping the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster

Why are Fats Healthy?

Provide a source of long lasting energy

Thermogenic – Sparks metabolism

Supports brain function and hormones

Makes food taste good and satiates

Slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and keeps blood sugar stable

Unhealthy Fats

Canola oil

Cottonseed oil

Soy and corn oil

All hydrogenated oils

Polyunsaturated fats exposed to high temperatures in processing and frying

Healthy Fats

Cold-pressed olive oil

Cold-pressed flax oil

Grass-fed butter

Coconut, MCT and sesame oils

Chicken, goose and duck fat

Grass-fed beef/lamb tallow and lard

Cod liver oil and fish oil

The ratio of Omega-3s to Omega-6s in the diet should be approximately 1:1

Omega – 3’s Omega’s - 6’s

Fish oilFlax Seed oilWalnutHempPumpkinGrass-fed beef Pasture butter & eggsLeaves and seeds of most plants

Sunflower oilSesame oilSafflower oilBlack current seed oilEvening Primrose oilGrains

Pasture Butter is High in Omega 3 and Anti-Cancer CLA

Where Should Your Fats Come From?

• 30% Saturated Fatty Acids: Pasture butter, Coconut oil, MCT oil, Beef/Lamb tallow, Lard, Chicken, Goose or Duck fat

• 60% Monounsaturated Fatty Acids: Olive oil, Avocado and Olives

• 10% Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Fish/Cod Liver oil, Sunflower oil, Walnut oil and Flax oil

Look for these Safer Processing Methods on the Labels

Organic

Unrefined

Extra Virgin

Expeller-Pressed

First-cold pressed

Cold-pressed

Cooking with Herbs & Spices

Most herbs and spices are anti-inflammatory antioxidants that help protect against cancer and degenerative diseases. Many of them are anti-microbial and provide excellent digestive support.

A Few Favorites for Everyday

Garlic

Parsley

Ginger

Turmeric

Cinnamon

Peppermint

Eat Local Foods

On average, food travels 1,300-2,000 miles from farm to plate

11% of food’s carbon footprint is tied to transport

Nutrients are lost in shipping, due to the fact that the food is often picked prior to maturity

Locally grown foods are more bioavailable

Local honey can help allergies

Support Your Farmers Market

Top 10 Supplements

• Cod Liver Oil

• Collagen

• High Quality Multiple Vitamin and Mineral

• Hydrochloric Acid

• Fiber

• Pancreatic Enzymes

• Probiotics

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D3

• Turmeric

Essential Minerals

Why are Mineral Deficiencies Common?

Mineral Decline in Foods over the last 80 years

Because of modern farming practices the top soil has been depleted and the US has 85% less minerals in the soil as compared to 100 years ago.

Today you would have to eat 26 apples to get the same amount of iron nutrition that was in one apple in 1914.

Calcium Decline Magnesium Decline Iron Decline

Cabbage 81%Lettuce 92%Spinach 56%Apples 48%

Cabbage 77%Lettuce 91%Spinach 35%Apples 82%

Cabbage 60%Lettuce 99%Spinach 95%Apples 96%

The Most Common Mineral Deficiencies

Iodine

Zinc

Magnesium

Calcium

Iron

IODINE

Found primarily in seafood, sea vegetables (kelp and sea weed), unrefined sea salt

Other sources include:

– Fish broth

– Butter

– Pineapple

– Artichokes, asparagus and dark green vegetables.

Note: certain vegetables, such as cabbage and spinach, can block iodine absorption when eaten raw or unfermented

ZINC

Best sources include red meat, oysters, fish, nuts, seeds, ginger, liver

High levels of phytic acid in cereal grains and legumes block zinc absorption

HCL is a co-factor for proper absorption of Zinc

Zinc is easily lost due to stress

MAGNESIUM

Many unprocessed plant-based foods, including nuts, seeds and legumes (particularly almonds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts)

Dark Chocolate, Cacao

Leafy, dark green vegetables

Quinoa and amaranth

Most fruits are relatively low in magnesium, with the exception of bananas and apricots.

Beef, chicken, fish broth

CALCIUM

Green vegetables, such as broccoli, collards, kale, spinach

Beans and legumes

Raw milk and cheeses

Sardines, seafood with the bones cooked in

Almonds, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, walnuts,

Black-eyed peas

Blackstrap molasses

Figs

Iron

Why is iron important? The tiny amount you need is crucial for normal body functions. If you don’t have enough iron, your body cannot make hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells, and you may develop anemia, a disorder that occurs when there is not enough hemoglobin in the blood.

What are the signs you could be deficient? Symptoms of anemia include: Feeling tired, difficulty breathing, dizziness, headaches, and feeling cold.

What foods are high in iron? Meat, seafood, poultry, beans, peas, and dark leafy vegetables.

Trace Mineral Rich Salt

Replace white table salt with unrefined sea salt.

Salt should be gray, beige or pink (not white), indicating the presence of minerals

Best Sources for Minerals

Bone Broth

Dark leafy greens

Unrefined sea salt

Sea vegetables (seaweed)

Root vegetables

Brazil nuts

Dehydration is the #1 Nutritional Deficiency in North America

How much water should I drink?

Are You Dehydrated?

What kind of water should we drink?

If you want to drink tap water, have it tested to see what you are ingesting. (Fluoride, chlorine, old pipes, copper, iron, etc).

Well water should be tested for toxins and heavy metals.

Research good filtration systems for your drinking, as well as your shower water.

Always add a pinch of unrefined mineral-rich sea salt to replace lost electrolytes and help your tissues to stay hydrated.

Plastic and the Environment

Variety is Healthy

Are You in a Food Rut?

Keep a food journal

Rotation diet for better health

Ethic foods

Look for recipes that excite your senses

Make meals an adventure

Why Eating Organic is Important

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB6fUqmyKC8

“The DIRTY 12”

#1 Strawberries #7 Cherries

#2 Apples #8 Spinach

#3 Nectarines #9 Tomatoes

#4 Peaches #10 Bell Peppers

#5 Celery #11 Cherry Tomatoes

#6 Grapes #12 Cucumbers

“The CLEAN 15”

#1 Avocados #9 Papayas

#2 Corn #10 Kiwi

#3 Pineapples #11 Eggplant

#4 Cabbage #12 Honeydew

#5 Sweet Peas #13 Grapefruit

#6 Onions #14 Cantaloupe

#7 Asparagus #15 Cauliflower

#8 Mangos

Which Egg Would you Prefer?

Good Sources of Protein

Grass-fed beef

Organic, free-range poultry

Whole, raw, or cultured dairy products

Organic lamb

Organic, free-range eggs

Low-toxicity wild seafood

Soaked and dried nuts

Seasonal Eating

Mindful Eating

Mindfulness is a practice of cultivating awareness

Pause

Look

Smell

Savor

Appreciate

Receive with Gratitude