The Healing Foods

Add health and taste to your plate

with 12 experts & chefs

JOEY AVNIEL

Copyright © 2014 Joey Avniel

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1494826755 ISBN-13: 978-1494826758

AKNOWLEDGMENT

My grateful thanks to all of my inspiring contributors who shared their personal stories, knowledge, experience and also their favorite recipes to this book. Also, to my dear parents who changed our family's eating habits after my father’s first heart attack, in order to save him from needing another open heart surgery. 30 years later, my lovely dad is a healthy 80+ and a vital, happy person, as well as walking proof of the healing powers of food.

In addition I want to thank Tali Weiss and Glenda Shenkal for the editing work; Inna Revina for the cover picture of a delicious raw vegan pizza; and to chef Sarah Eve Cardell who was my first raw vegan cooking teacher.

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CONTRIBUTORS TO THE BOOK

Joey Avniel, a bestselling author, vegan food alchemist, and founder of The Healing Foods

Keith G, was healed from a unidentified chronic disease by changing his diet

Dr Sara Barak, PhD, an expert in Chinese medicine and a herbalist

Inna Revina, a raw vegan chef and certified holistic health coach, who healed herself from a long list of diseases

Roy Henig, N.D, B.A Psychology & Philosophy, an expert in healing emotional eating

Matt Traverso, a natural health expert and bestselling author

Mark McKoy, CEO and President of Gold Medal Enterprises, an Olympic games gold medalist

Sasha Vingardt, a raw vegan chef who got a second chance at life by changing is diet

Alan Roettinger, a writer, food designer, blogger and public speaker

Yelena Zaytseva, a natural foods chef and founder of Delicious Living

Anugama, a vegetarian mother of 4 who healed herself from auto-immune illness

Allison Egan Datwani, a Yoga teacher and a vegan mom to non-vegan children

Tali Weiss, a holistic beauty and health counselor

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DISCLAIMER

The information presented in this book represents the views of the publisher as of the date of publication. The publisher reserves the rights to alter and update their opinions based on new conditions. This report is for informational purposes only. The coauthors and publisher do not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities resulting from the use of this information. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided here. In no way is this book intended to replace, countermand or conflict with the advice given to you by your own physician. Information in this book is general and is offered with no guarantees on the part of the coauthors. The coauthors and publisher cannot assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.

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CONTENTS

Introduction - Why do you need to read this book? Pg 1

1 I'm eating so healthily, so why am I sick? Pg 5

2 Super Foods for Super Health Pg 9

3 Be a vital you, & delicious Raw Vegan, Sugar Free Desserts Pg 17

4 Why Diets Don’t Work Pg 27

5 Food is medicine Pg 37

6 Plant-Based Lifestyle and fitness Pg 47

7 Plant based diet and your mental and physical health Pg 53

8 The Vital Importance of Enjoyment Pg 61

9 Ten Healing foods tips on how to find the best diet for you Pg 77

10 Ongoing Cleansing and Detoxing Pg 87

11 The third way - Flexible veganism Pg 107

12 Children and Plant-Based Diets Pg 119

13 The healing power of juicing and smoothies Pg 129

14 Five Healing Beauty Routines Sourced From Nature Pg 143

1

INTRODUCTION

WHY DO YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK?

Years ago, I decided to eat healthier. My way was to become a vegetarian. It lasted for only 3 months, until I had a blood test to track my health. Not surprisingly, there was a nice decrease in my cholesterol levels and some other factors showed improvement, but I had also became anemic. When she saw the results, my doctor couldn’t hide a small self-important smile that suggested she was thinking, “I told you so; you need to eat meat.” She then ordered that I either start eating meat again or, as an alternative, she would prescribe me some iron pills.

Sadly, I chose to go back to eating meat. Taking pills for the rest of my life didn’t sound like a good plan. It took me another few months before I dared to try vegetarian eating again and then, years later, transitioning all the way to vegan. This time around, I did my homework to make sure I would not become anemic again. Since then I have learned everything I could about living a balanced, plant-based, whole foods lifestyle.

On my first attempt, the one that failed, my diet was already rich in nuts, seeds, beans, quinoa, veggies and fruits. Apparently, what I was missing was green leaves. These innocent light greens are a key for any balanced plant-based diet. Kale, parsley, arugula, spinach and romaine lettuce are rich in protein, vitamins, iron, fiber and minerals. As an added value, they are all cancer fighting foods. Adding them to my salads and smoothies ensured that my diet was more balanced.

Another group of foods that I was missing the first time around was super foods. My experts are going to discuss both super foods and green leaves in the various chapters of this book.

Today my blood tests are perfect. I feel better and I have more energy

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than ever before. In the past few months, I've talked to hundreds of vegetarians, vegans and people who are just looking for a healthier diet, and I've discovered that many of them are suffering from the same lack of information that I had when I first began this healthy-food journey.

I also found the opposite problem. The Internet is full of videos and articles that purport to give good information about following a plant-based diet. This information can often be contradictory, misleading and overwhelming.

People have so many questions as they're starting out on this path. Should you drink juices or smoothies? (Well, that depends on which website you are visiting.) What kind of detox program do you need? Which supplements do you need to take? Is there a way to get B12 in a plant-based diet? And of course, the classic, perennial question which generations of vegetarians have had to cope with: "where do you get your protein from?" And these are only the most typical questions that someone embarking on a plan-based diet is likely to hear.

One person told me: “It was all a bit overwhelming in the beginning

because no matter how far I’d progressed, there was always new information revealed to me, and I felt like I knew nothing at all. Not to mention all the contradictory information that I came across.”

“The Healing Foods” was written in order to help you to find your own

answers. It’s not designed to heal you when you’re sick; if you are ill, then you will still have to go to see your doctor. You need to be diagnosed and find the right treatment for you. This book is designed to show you how to avoid getting sick; it’s designed to keep you healthy. It’s much easier and cheaper to stay healthy than it is to heal you once you've developed a chronic disease. Think about it. The best medicine is not to get sick at all, and this is the approach that you’re going to learn in this book.

In order to give you the most accurate information we could, we collaborated with different experts, chefs, healers as well as various ordinary people, who've all transformed their own health and life, by transforming their diet. In this way, you can get a multidimensional view on the subject which will help you find the right path for you, and bring your body into healthy alignment.

We are going to help you understand subjects like:

Why diets don’t work and what you can do about it

How food can be your best medicine for your mental and physical health

How to be healthy without using any supplements

Why there is no one diet that is good for everybody, and how to

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find the best one for you

The Secret Nutritionist Ingredient—and it’s not a specific food

How to make sure your body doesn’t get toxic and sick

What to do about your children’s diet

How to live a plant-based lifestyle, including both healthy food and fitness

How a plant-based diet can support you in losing weight, improving your digestion, having more radiant skin, increasing your energy levels and vitality, as well as improving your immune system.

Juicing vs. Smoothies, and why you should care about the difference

Healing beauty routines, sourced from nature

Flexible veganism You’re also going to read about people who have experienced

miraculous healing, just by changing their diets, and how that healing expanded their perspectives.

Finally, we asked the many people who contributed to this book to

share their favorite vegan recipes, so you can put the theory into action. Since some of them are very talented chefs, we feel that you’re going to like what they have to offer you.

This book was written with the sole intention of helping you make the

best choices for your diet in order to support your health, vitality and ideal weight. We spent hours and days reading the most current studies, interviewing experts, sorting out information and discerning the bottom line, regarding conflicting advice. We feel sure that, if you follow just some of what you are going to learn in this book, you’ll be healthier and feel better than you ever have before.

We’d love to hear your success stories; please share them on our website or on Amazon as a review.

If you find anything you don’t agree with, or you feel something is not quite up to date; is incorrect or incomplete, please write to us at: joey@thehealingfoodsbook.com.

Make sure to visit www.thehealingfoodsbook.com for a delicious

gift - more details at the end of the book.

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CHAPTER 1

I'M EATING SO HEALTHILY,

SO WHY AM I SICK?

Can the food that you eat make you sick? Can it also heal you? An interview with Keith who was healed from an unknown chronic disease by doing a few simple changes in his lifestyle

When I first met Keith, he was very sick. He had lost about 40 pounds and looked like a skeleton. He had physical and mental pain. He lost many work days because he was too sick to work and he couldn’t help his wife, who stayed at home to deal with their two young kids. In fact, he was often so ill that it was like he was another kid that his wife had to take care of.

He felt that he had a good doctor, but the doctor didn’t have real answers for him. After trying different prescription medications to no avail, the doctor’s diagnosis was:

“You have a chronic disease; I don’t know why.” Keith told me that he was eating relatively healthily, but he just had "bad

guts". When I asked him what he ate I wasn’t surprised by his answer. As with many people I know, he believed he was eating healthily, but it wasn’t completely true and his guts were signaling him: S.O.S.

Here is what he wrote me, approximately a year later: I visited a holistic healer in mid-December and started actively going for

consistent treatment at the beginning of the year. Since then, I’ve incorporated a handful of things and have been feeling fantastic—more energy, my skin has cleared up, I'm gaining muscle weight and losing body fat (a.k.a.; a slimmer waist, not that I wanted to per se, since I already lost a lot of my body fat when I was sick), and just all around health & well-being.

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The main reason that I went is as follows: I’ve got bad guts, aka a chronic disease. At my mother’s insistence, I went to visit a holistic doctor. Oh yeah, she left me a blank check so I would have no skin in the game, and therefore nothing to lose.

I’ve always been a big believer that you are what you feed yourself. You can be of sound health in both your mind & your body by what you feed it all day. This includes positive, motivational, & inspirational input—avoid the negative people, definitely the news, talk radio—all of it!

Also, you definitely have to give your body what it needs, and refrain from polluting it with bad, unhealthy food.

My problem, I realized, is that I was eating to the back of the box.

Meaning, I’d look at the Nutrition Facts and count calories, protein grams, fat, carbohydrates, etc. and think, Look, I’m thin; how can bread, gluten, etc. be bad for me?

Anyhow, here is what I’ve incorporated into my lifestyle in

summary:

New Morning Drink instead of coffee: Warm water + lemon + honey + baking soda

Alkaline Diet: o More alkaline foods, such as vegetables o Less acidic foods and drinks like soda, cheese, fast food and

coffee

Candida Diet (I minimize and almost eliminate yeast, sugar & gluten)

Probiotic

Turmeric (capsules)

Premier Greens

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Inversion—I made this as much a daily habit as brushing my teeth. It’s a poor man’s chiropractor (my words). If you can ever get an x-ray of your spine from tailbone to neck, you’ll see how twisted & misaligned it is. The spinal cord’s main purpose is functionality (messaging between organs & brain). If it’s pinched or out of alignment…?

Massage Therapy

Acupuncture

More exercising—bike, jog, weightlifting, etc. I can’t say any particular one does or doesn’t work, but they have all

combined very nicely for me. I can certainly vouch for how it has personally affected me in an

incredible way. If I had known previously, and before I had my first few

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months paid for by my mother, I would have been there long before. I am a walking, talking testimonial about how much better you will look & feel if you really eat healthy.

Keith G, business professional and mindset coach, Florida. Today Keith is training for a “Tough Mudder” competition. All

symptoms of the unexplained chronic disease are gone, and it seems like he got the answer for the question his doctor couldn’t answer: “You have a chronic disease; I don’t know why.”

The answer was—his guts were actually sick of his diet. As you can see, Keith did many different things, all designed to bring

him better health. You don’t need to do all of them, but in this book you might find the answers you are looking for if your doctor doesn’t have the answer.

However, I’d recommend examination and consultation with a physician / other professional (as Keith did) before making any big diet decisions, especially if you are persistently ill. We all have different bodies, and there is no one diet that fits all of our physical needs. This book will introduce you to healing foods, but it’s not designed to be a replacement for your physician.

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CHAPTER 2

SUPER FOODS FOR SUPER HEALTH

Plant-based diet free of supplements By Dr Sara Barak, PhD, an expert in Chinese medicine, and a herbalist, nutrition and supplements expert.

The purpose of this chapter is to present some of the health hazards which a vegan person is exposed to, such as anemia, and show the reader how to avoid them with a proper diet. At the end of the chapter, you can find three shakes-based foods which can help support a balanced plant-based diet. I drink at least one of these wonderful super drinks daily.

The Risks of a Plant Based Diet Veganism is not just a diet; it is an all-encompassing lifestyle. A plant

based diet is the right choice for anyone at any age. It is the right choice by any standard—moral, ecological, religious and, of course, it supports your best physical health.

Many studies link a plant-based diet with many health benefits, including longevity and prevention of illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, gall and kidney stones, kidney failure and various types of cancer. Furthermore, it seems that the plant-based lifestyle is associated with many positive impacts: it can reverse high blood pressure, and heal obesity, constipation and high lipid levels.

Two additional bonuses of this lifestyle are the protection of our environment, as well as the prevention of food poisoning that may result from consuming animal and fish based foods. Along with the advantages presented, people who live a plant-based lifestyle may be vulnerable to a number of nutritional deficiencies of specific vitamins and minerals, and

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sometimes they also lack energy and proteins, along with essential amino acids. This is because the variety of foods consumed in a plant-based menu is limited. One common disease that the vegan community is exposed to is anemia, which is due to deficiencies in protein and iron.

Anemia symptoms: The symptoms reflect the decline in the supply of

blood and oxygen to the various tissues and organs in the body. Usually, the person suffering from anemia complains of the following:

• Fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea • Cold hands and feet • Pale skin tone • Fast and irregular heart beat • Shortness of breath • Chest pain, headache and nervousness • Hair loss and dizziness • Changes in mental alertness, such as diminished attention or difficulty concentrating Anemia is a general name for several diseases that share a common

denominator—low content of hemoglobin in the blood or red blood cell deficiency (red blood cells carry the hemoglobin). When our blood is strong, our body is healthy. Conversely, when the blood is weak, we may be susceptible to many diseases. Blood consists of liquid (plasma) and cells. Three different types of blood cells are floating in the plasma:

1. White blood cells (leukocytes) - These blood cells fight infection. 2. Platelets - These blood cells help blood to clot after injuries. 3. Red blood cells - These blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs

through the bloodstream to the brain, vital organs and body tissue. The body needs a continuous supply of oxygenated blood to function properly. Oxygenated blood gives your body the energy it needs and gives your skin a healthy and glowing look. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, red iron-rich protein that gives the blood its color. Hemoglobin enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to the other parts of the body and carry carbon dioxide from the body back to the lungs, so we can exhale it out. Vegans and vegetarians typically suffer from anemia, which is due to

reduced or inadequate production of hemoglobin due to lack of essential components for building red blood cells in their diet—iron, folic acid and B12. The reason for the deficit is directly related to the diet: Vegetarians do not consume meat and vegans do not consume any animal products, which contain a large amount of these nutrients. Any person whose diet lacks iron

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and vitamins, especially folic acid, is at risk of anemia. The body needs iron, protein and vitamins in order to produce enough red blood cells. Therefore, it is very important to consume foods with high concentrations of components that support the production of blood. Super foods are the most famous for containing high concentrations of these components.

Super foods for Healthy, Strong Blood Super foods are actually a combination of food and medicine. Super

food is a unique food with high nutritional values; it is a food that contains a very high concentration of vitamins, minerals, fats, amino acids, omega 3, 6, 9 and complete proteins. Super foods can definitely give us a very wide range of materials that benefit our body. I believe that there is no substitute for proper nutrition from nature that provides the body with its diverse needs and that nourishes our body and mind with the bounty that nature has bestowed upon us. Today, as the world has become a small global village, most of us have easy access to many different super foods from all around the world.

These foods can be found in the form of fruits, vegetables, herbs and natural vitamins from remote and exotic areas. They are non-GMO and they have no pesticides or toxins. Super foods are particularly effective against anemia, as some of them carry the highest concentrations of iron and plenty of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, essential for addressing the causes of anemia and preventing it.

In this chapter we are going to discuss two of the most wonderful super foods. Their ongoing consumption will boost the body’s immune system and will help to prevent anemia and/or cure it if you already suffer from it.

Moringa Moringa is world renowned for its surprising nutritional values and not

in vain. In famine-stricken areas, Moringa is referred to with flattering names such as "Mother’s tree", "Miracle tree", "Tree for 300 diseases", etc. Moringa leaves and fruit provide vitamins, minerals and nutrients in quantities larger than the foods more familiar to us, which is why the Moringa tree is defined as a super food.

Moringa has very high values of iron and B12. In addition, this super food is high in vitamins and minerals, which are important and necessary for the body's regular maintenance. Close examination of the nutritional composition of Moringa leaves reveals that they contain significant amounts of vitamins such as vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, D and E. The leaves also contain selenium, sulfur, manganese, magnesium, potassium, copper, omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9, 46 antioxidants and 36 anti-inflammatory

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substances. Last but not least, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the

Moringa tree contains eighteen of the twenty amino acids that help build the proteins found in the human body. It contains all nine essential amino acids, which the body itself cannot produce. The presence of these amino acids in the specific ratio contained by the leaves creates a synergistic effect essential to the human body and contributes significantly to nutrition and human health.

Spirulina Algae Algae are something that can be viewed as an amazing thing nature

provides us as a bridge between flora and fauna. Spirulina is one of the best sources of vitamins and minerals. Spirulina has a very high B12 concentration, which is one of the essential vitamins responsible for the well-being of the human body. Most important of all is the fact that 17% of the amount of B12, which is found in spirulina, is absorbed by the human body. This represents a huge percentage of absorption! Keeping in mind that the amount our body needs is a quite minimal and that the vitamin is maintained in "warehouses" of the body for three to six years, spirulina is an amazing source. Apart from the high concentration of B12, spirulina has several types of omega-3 from plants, also easily absorbed by the human body.

Visit our website to see our recommended spirulina and moringa:

www.thehealingfoodsbook.com/superfoods These 2 super foods are the best nutritional value for your money. Iron

pills might be cheaper but, not only they are synthetic and their absorption is not always good, their consumption is often accompanied by side effects and allergies.

More blood builder foods In addition to these two super foods, there are some other wonderful

foods that are excellent for strengthening your blood. Carob Honey has a very high concentration of iron. It should be also

noted that carob honey contains important minerals and vitamins. Black Sesame is one of the best herbs for strengthening blood. Some

say Black Sesame strengthens blood better than meat, because it lacks all the toxicity contained in meat such as hormones and antibiotics.

Chia seeds are rich in omega 3, 6 and iron.

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Hemp seeds are rich in omega 3, 6 and 9, iron, and B vitamins. Oat bran is rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, B vitamins

and a variety of minerals that help greatly in strengthening and building the blood.

Walnuts, coconut and pistachio: All three have high concentrations of iron, but you should eat them raw.

Tahini has a very high concentration of iron. Dried fruits such as apricot, prunes and raisins should also make the list

of wonderful iron rich foods. Nutritional yeast is rich in B12 iron and other vitamins and minerals.

And it’s a tasty addition to your cooking due to its Parmesan-like taste. Any food which is rich with fiber—fiber cleanses our digestive system,

and clean digestive systems absorb more iron from food. Constipation is a common thing among those who suffer from anemia.

Spinach and red beet - Are they really good source for Iron? Red beet is known for its high nutritional values. It is rich in folic acid

and B vitamins which are very important for building red blood cells. It is also rich in iron, magnesium and a mineral called boron which is

essential for the absorption of iron and magnesium in the blood. Beet in its natural state (not juice) also contains dietary fiber that

prevents constipation. Beetroot also can help in preventing intestinal diseases, improves

intestinal absorption, prevents intestinal infections and is a powerful antioxidant.

But in addition to all the good stuff, beet also contains oxalic acid which interferes with iron absorption.

Therefore I’d not recommend using beet as your main source for iron, but just as another food you eat sometimes.

Spinach contains large amounts of iron, calcium, folic acid, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients that help to build the blood.

But spinach too, similar to the beet, contains oxalic acid which interferes with the iron and calcium absorption and can create kidney stones and urinary stones.

What you can do to still get the benefits of beets and spinach? I know that you might be shocked by the above statements, since you've

probably heard that beets and spinach are great in fortifying our blood with iron. It is true that they are rich in iron and many other vitamins and minerals, and here are some things you can do:

1. Neutralize the acid by steaming the spinach and beet. The process of slightly cooking these vegetables breaks down the oxalic acid, enabling the absorption of the vitamins and minerals.

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2. Consume them in moderation and use different sources for nutrition. Have everything in reasonable amounts.

3. Combine the spinach (or beet) with another food rich with vitamin C. The vitamin C will help your body absorb up to 30% more iron from your spinach and beet than if you had eaten them on their own.

Important Note:

It is important to note that, in addition to the consumption of foods whose

properties enrich the blood and raise the level of iron in the blood, it is just as

important to avoid foods that inhibit the absorption of iron in the body.

Absorption inhibiting foods are those rich in oxalic acid such as tomatoes,

chocolate, spinach and fresh red beets as I just mentioned.

Other foods you should avoid are dairy products, coffee, black tea and alcohol.

They all prevent the absorption of iron.

Additionally, it is important to avoid consumption of dietary fiber from

uncooked wheat (such as wheat bran), which removes all the iron you might

have potentially gained from iron rich foods you have eaten that very same

day. Consumption of wheat bran over time may cause anemia. Sprouted wheat

bran and oat bran can be a good, healthy replacement.

Super Smoothies that Promote Healthy Blood If you don’t own a blender yet, check out on our website

(www.thehealingfoodsbook.com/blenders) our recommendations for the best blender for your needs and budget.

One of my main frustrations with recipes is that sometimes I spend hours looking around for new ingredients that I've never used before. To make this process easier for you, we added to our website links to find most of the missing ingredients in your kitchen. We've found for you the best quality for the lowest price. (www.thehealingfoodsbook.com/superfoods).

Super Smoothie #1 - The Healthiest Breakfast Drink

Yield: 3 Servings This drink has more iron than a steak (ounce for ounce). When you

combine it with rich sources of vitamin C, you enable your body to absorb up to 30% more of that iron.

This super healthy drink includes almost everything your body needs. It

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has tons of vitamins (including B12 & K), minerals (including calcium & iron), amino acids, omega 3, 6, 9, complete proteins, anti-bacterial properties, many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances.

Ingredients 2 cups spring or filtered water 1 avocado 1 fresh or frozen banana 2-3 leaves kale, stems removed 1 medium carrot 1/2 medium cucumber 1-inch piece organic ginger root 1 teaspoon organic moringa powder 1 teaspoon spirulina blue green algae powder 1 teaspoon cardamom 1 teaspoon cinnamon Some pine nuts and mint leaves Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth 2. Top with pine nuts and mint leaves 3. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge for up to 4 days

Super Smoothie #2 - The Iron Man/Woman smoothie

Yield: 2 Servings Another super healthy drink. It has less ingredients, but still very helpful

in building your blood. Ingredients 1 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup blackberries 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons spirulina blue green algae powder 6 overnight soaked almonds 1 teaspoons chia seeds 1 teaspoon cinnamon Some raisins Directions

1. Blend all ingredients but the raisins in a blender until smooth

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2. Top with raisins 3. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge for up to 4 days

Super Smoothie #3 - The Iron Heroes smoothie

Yield: 2 Servings As I wrote before, it’s always good to try different sources of nutrition.

Maybe this one is going to be your favorite. Enjoy!

Ingredients 1 cup coconut water 1/2 cup soaked overnight raw walnuts / pistachio 8 hazelnuts 4 soaked (30 minutes) organic pitted dry dates 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons raw black sesame seeds 2 teaspoons organic moringa powder 1 teaspoon Hemp seeds 1 teaspoon cardamom Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla (real and organic) Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth 2. Top with a slice of lime 3. Serve immediately Or keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days

Dr. Sara Barak, PhD is an expert in Chinese medicine, a registered nurse, and herbalist, nutrition and supplements expert; she is also a widely appreciated yoga instructor. Dr. Barak is a professional senior consultant at NEWAYS International and an official member of the Natural and Integrative Medicine Association. After 40 years of experience in both the conventional and non-traditional medical field with extensive knowledge in a variety of medicinal treatments, Dr. Barak has built an innovative treatment method, comprehensive and proven with a synergistic balance based on the most advanced studies, all of which are substantiated by thousands of years in ancient knowledge. Dr. Barak emphasizes proper nutrition and adapted natural supplements. She has received hundreds of letters of thanks and continues to receive them; they are the fuel that drives her to continue to provide and spread her extensive knowledge throughout the world.

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CHAPTER 3 BE A VITAL YOU, AND SOME DELICIOUS RAW

VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE, SUGAR FREE DESSERTS

By Inna Revina, a certified Holistic Health Coach, who healed herself from a long list of diseases.

If you’re getting sick often especially during the cold seasons; if you suffer from severe colds, low immunity, fevers, sore throat, chronic sinusitis, severe ear infections, headaches, stomach problems, cystitis, knee joint inflammations, and / or the need to be constantly taking antibiotics, then you want to read this chapter.

Inna, the founder of “Be Vital You” suffered from all of the above. Her kitchen cabinet was filled with medicine and pills, until the day she realized she could change it all herself. Today you will not find a single pill in her home, except for some medicinal healing herbs and extracts, and she rarely gets sick.

Inna talks about her path to self-healing, realizations, the some risks of a plant-based diet and how to avoid them, and her current diet/lifestyle. Finally, she spoils us with four tasty and guilt-free-sugar-free-gluten-free-raw-vegan desserts:

Raw Vegan “Cheesecake”

Raw Vegan Carrot Cupcakes with Tropical Fruits and Cashew Orange Cream

Chia Seed Power Breakfast

Chocolate Mini Cakes You are going to love them. From Being Constantly Sick To Health My journey towards health began with yoga. I came to yoga back in

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2006, mainly because of a chronic back pain. I was also curious to try it, as a new way to keep my body in good shape. I had tried gym workouts, but the atmosphere in sports clubs never appealed to me. Little did I know back then, that the physical aspect that attracted me to yoga would turn my life in a completely new and different direction. I was lucky enough to meet an incredible teacher at my second-ever yoga class, who became my biggest inspiration, not only in yoga but also in life.

A few months after taking yoga classes almost every day, all of a sudden, I decided to fast for the Christian Orthodox Big Lent. Religion has not been really practiced in my family but, for the first time, I felt the pull to keep the Lent. Orthodox Lent is different from Catholic Lent. It requires you to give up eating all animal products for 40 days. Little I knew back then, that it was actually 40 days of being totally ‘vegan’—the right term for not eating animal- derived products.

Now as I look back, I can recall that my yoga teacher was constantly talking about compassion, not hurting all living beings, including animals; also about watching your diet, gradually becoming vegetarian as a way to succeed in yoga practice. It all came together later for me. The seeds that were planted during early yoga classes began to sprout; “Ahimsa”—or compassion, non-hurting all living beings by thought, mentally or physically—is the first step in yoga, even before physical practice. As my teacher says, “All beings love life, even a piggy or a chicken has kids and wants to be happy with her family”.

So I kept the Lent, not all of the term, but the last 2.5 weeks. After it was over, I had no more desire to eat red meat. After each vigorous yoga class, my dinners changed: meat felt really heavy for me. I developed more awareness about what felt good for my body. It was first time I began to listen to my intuition and treated myself with more fresh foods, salads and vegetables. And I finally began to understand what my teacher meant by ‘compassion to all living beings’.

Gradually I transitioned to being vegetarian. After not eating red meat for a while, I gave up chicken a little later, then fish; and, a few months later, eggs, dairy and cheese. Cheese was the hardest one.

By then, I had already known for a long time that dairy products were the number one cause of my repeating sinus congestion. But I had no power to control my eating habits. Back in the Ukraine, especially during cold seasons, I was getting sick each month. Severe colds, low immunity, fevers, sore throat, chronic sinusitis and as a consequence severe ear infections, led me to have multiple mucus drain procedures and I was constantly taking antibiotics.

Even though I had tried to follow self-healing methods and the procedures of one of the most popular authors in the former USSR; a natural health expert named Gennady Malakhov, I still wasn’t able to

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completely eliminate the cause of inflammation, but only ease the symptoms from time to time.

The same story continued when I moved to New York City in 2003. But more things got added to the whole cold-flu package—headaches, stomach problems, cystitis and knee joint inflammations. At first I was joking about it, saying that it’s all related to ‘cultural shock’ and adjusting to a new country, language and whole new lifestyle. As one says—in every joke there is a grain of truth. Somehow I knew it was stress related as well. But I can see it now, with much more awareness, looking back at those years of constant antibiotic prescriptions and a kitchen cabinet filled with medicine and pills. Today you will not find a single pill in my apartment, except for some medicinal healing herbs and extracts. I do not get sick very often any more. If I get a cold, most of the time I can feel it coming, and instead of poisons in my food, the cold will be due to lack of relaxation, not enough sleep, and not eating properly

What made me finally decide to become vegetarian? In December 2009, I went for my first yoga retreat in Colombia where

we were served totally amazing vegetarian meals for 7 days. Besides feeling great and light after these meals; besides a wonderful daily yoga practice; as well as being immersed in healing nature and near the ocean, there was a special guest at our retreat—a local deer, named Camila. She was coming down from the mountains every day to us to shower us with her humble presence and unconditional love. I can say that Camila made me become fully vegetarian.

For the first time in my life I was in very close contact with animals. Seeing newly born turtles right on the beach and assisting them to get to the water, hearing the local birds singing, snorkeling among the colorful fish and seeing the beauty of the underwater kingdom—the whole trip was absolutely life-changing.

In June 2010, I did my yoga teacher training with Sri Dharma Mittra and, since that time, I became vegan.

Why you must educate yourself well or seek the guidance of an

expert My transition experience was not so smooth. A few months after I gave

up eating animal flesh, I suddenly found myself getting sick again and I couldn’t get out of it for a long time. Blood tests showed I was low on vitamin B-group and had mononucleosis, also known as Mono disease. I was told I needed to have bed rest with no physical activity and to take shots of B complex to boost up my immune system. One of the dangers of B deficiency is a strong effect on the spleen.

Another problem I experienced during my transition was overuse of

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tofu and soy products. Soy products are not recommended at all, as they are GMO modified; except for 3 types that are less harmful, because of the natural fermentation occurring in them: Tempeh, Miso and Edamame beans. It’s a good start for the transition, but one should not use them too much, as I did when I changed over to a vegan diet. The result was a hormonal imbalance of estrogen that caused me to have menstrual cycles way too often.

After that I realized just eating plain salads with tomatoes, cucumbers and lots of soy was not enough. I began to do my own research, learning about whole foods, super foods, grains, protein, dark leafy greens, etc.

The Benefits of a (mostly) Raw Vegan Lifestyle Naturally I began to consume more green juices, green smoothies, a

variety of salads, and fruits. I found myself looking online about how to make healthy, no sugar, no dairy, no eggs, gluten free, not overcooked or over-fried foods. I wanted to have dairy free sweets and chocolate, and not deprive myself of the amazing taste of cooked meals and desserts.

Next, I started to explore Raw Vegan dishes. I’ve learned that a simple salad can turn into a delightful meal and basic green smoothie into a masterpiece. A raw vegan lifestyle provides you with absolute highest energy, cleanest food and healing benefits to your body and mind, as opposed to a standard cooked lunch or dinner that may immediately make you feel tired, sleepy and low on energy.

Combined with yoga, this diet has given me many benefits. My skin cleared up a lot, digestive process improved, all sinuses and headaches went away, as well as my overall energy increasing. With a mostly raw diet I become more aware of what my body really needs, and I feel it now when it needs to be nourished with certain types of foods. Sometimes it just screams to me “papaya!” or “mangoes!” or “lots and lots of berries!” And I trust it now.

A Day in a Life of a Vital Person First thing in the morning: A yoga practice. If I don’t have enough

time for the full practice, I will do 20 minutes of meditation and/or some breathing exercise. Sun Salutations alone is just the most amazing way to start the day.

Then I drink warm water with squeezed fresh lemon juice to remove all the toxins, flush out the impurities after the night, and get the digestive system going.

My favorite energy kicker is Green Juice. I can’t have enough of it. Super alkalizing, powerful cleanser, and just loaded with all minerals, vitamins and detoxing properties. My favorite green juice is: kale,

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spinach, chard, cucumber, celery, green apple, lemon and ginger. Then I usually make a power green smoothie to go—loaded with fruits,

dark leafy greens and some super foods—and I am all set for the day, or sometimes chia seed pudding with almond milk, as an excellent source of omega 3, topped with fresh fruits, seeds or some nuts and cacao nibs.

Lunch time I like to eat a live green salad, with lots of sprouts

(sunflower sprouts, alfalfa etc.), other veggies, seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds), and add an avocado as source of good fat. I like homemade crackers with a spicy raw vegan hummus on the side especially during cold seasons to fill me up. Overall I eat lots of fresh fruits, always in abundance every day. It’s especially great to have them in the morning to get the sugar levels up that will help to get more energy after yoga practice or a morning run.

Dinner is usually another big salad, lighter on fats, with more variety of

veggies and, of course, a piece of dessert. That’s what I love about Raw Vegan desserts—you can eat them with no guilt!

Inna’s Favorite dessert recipes:

Raw Vegan “Cheesecake”

Ingredients for the crust: 1 cup pecans 3/4 cup medjool dates 1/3 cup dried shredded unsweetened coconut flakes 2 tbsp raw cacao powder Directions for the crust: 1. In food processor with S blade mix until a crumb texture/ and

sticking-like dough is reached 2. Press crust recipe evenly into a 9" spring-form torte pan with a

removable side. Grease a bit with coconut oil. Ingredients for the cheesecake filling base cream: 2 cups cashews, soaked overnight, washed, drained 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup honey or 2-3 pitted medjool dates ( add more first if you like it

sweeter) 1/2 cup melted coconut oil Few drops of vanilla extract About 1/4 cup water to help blend the nuts

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Directions for the cheesecake filling base cream: 1. Blend all the ingredients in a high -speed blender until smooth and

creamy. 2. Separate the filling into 1/3 and 2/3 parts. Take the 2/3 of the base

cream and pour over the crust. 3. Put in a freezer for 10 min until prepare the next layer. Directions For the top layer: 1. Take 1/3 of base cream and blend separately with 1 pack of

blueberries (or strawberries or both). Pour over the white base layer. 2. Freeze for about 2 hours to let the texture firm up. 3. Then keep refrigerated.

Raw Vegan Carrot Cupcakes with Tropical Fruits and Cashew

Orange Cream

Ingredients for the cupcakes 3 carrots 1 apple 3 halves dried mango - soaked, drained, chopped 3 rings dried pineapple- soaked, drained, chopped 4 halves dried jack fruit- soaked, drained, chopped 1/3 cup pecans -soaked 1 tablespoon raisins -soaked 6 medjool dates -pitted 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon powder - (or more to taste) Directions for the cupcakes: 1. Peel and then shred carrots in food processor. 2. Add the rest of ingredients and using S-blade process until still

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sticky but still slightly chunky. 3. In Cupcakes forms press the 'dough' in with your hands.

Ingredients for the cashew cream 1/2 cup cashews- soaked 4 hours, washed, drained Orange juice from 1 med orange, of from 2 small oranges 1 - medjool date 2 tablespoon coconut oil (warmed to liquefy)

Directions for the cream: 1. Combine the ingredients in high-speed blender (Vitamix) until

creamy. 2. Let it firm a bit in a freezer for about 15 min. 3. Use decorative pastry bag to spread on carrot cupcakes. You can

use a regular zip lock bag by cutting the corner tip of it and the squeezing the cream out.

Chia Seeds Power Breakfast

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons chia seeds soaked in 1/2 cup homemade almond milk for about 30 min 1 tablespoon organic maple syrup Toppings: Dried and soaked black mission figs Dried cranberries Fresh banana Pumpkin seeds Cacao nibs Raw cacao powder Apple sliced Macadamia nuts crushed Hemp seeds Choose any of the above or add anything you wish to make your own amazing breakfast Directions: 1. Mix the chia seeds with the syrup in a bowl. If seeds absorbed all

the liquid, add more to desired consistency( either make it like a cereal or less liquid for pudding)

2. Add the desired topping

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Chocolate mini cakes

Ingredients for the tart crust 3/4 cup prunes 1 tablespoon dried coconut flakes 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans Directions for the tart crust: 1. Process in food processor with S blade until sticky as a dough.

2. Use mini tart forms with removable bottom. Spread and press the dough evenly just enough to cover the bottom and sides. Let it freeze for just 10 or so minutes to firm up while you will make the mousse.

Ingredients for the chocolate mousse filling: 1 large avocado 1/3 cup raw cacao powder (for bitter taste add more. I always try it and keep adding more while making the filling) 1 tablespoon raw organic maple syrup 1 tablespoon agave (optional). if not sweet enough, add any other sweetener (medjool dates or honey) pinch cinnamon powder few drops vanilla extract 1/2 cup fresh (or frozen) young coconut meat (it adds really a nice flavor)- optional Directions: 1. Blend all in food processor adding a bit of water to turn over until a

creamy mousse- like texture. 2. Use a spoon to spread on top of the crust. Let refrigerate for

another 10 min and then remove the bottom by pressing it up. About Inna Inna Revina is a certified Holistic Health Coach by the Institute for

Integrative Nutrition. The program helped her to not only find a balance for herself, but to also guide and assist clients to transition into a whole new lifestyle and healing with foods.

Inna is also a Raw Food Chef, trained by the talented chef Eric Rivkin in Costa Rica. Her specialty is yummy, raw, vegan, guilt free desserts.

“Being connected to your body, emotions and feelings is what I consider having the highest level of vitality. This is how my company Be

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Vital You was born. Vitality is not only your physical health, but also mental, emotional and spiritual. Through foods, yoga, meditation and overall guidance, I help my clients to transition into a healthier lifestyle and avoid potential mistakes that can happen without proper research and understanding of the healing properties of foods we eat.

Yoga has transformed my life, as well as foods. That’s why I love sharing it with others.

I live in Brooklyn, NY, and teach yoga in various studios around the city as well as run Raw Food Workshops and Classes, Yoga and Raw Food Retreats in the USA and abroad.”

Stay Healthy, Be Vital! www.bevitalyou.com

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CHAPTER 4

WHY DIETS DON’T WORK

Balancing Emotional Eating in order to Improve Health and Lose Weight Naturally By Roy Henig N.D, B.A Psychology & Philosophy

You want it, but… You want to have a healthy, fit and attractive body.

You understand the importance of eating right for achieving this. Then the next step is very logical, right? Just eating the right food in the right amount. Simple and easy. But for many people it is not easy, nor is it simple at all.

If you are among those people, keep on reading—you are going to find the key to the solution you were missing all along.

It would have been great if… Imagine yourself naturally and spontaneously eating only those foods

that are healthy for your body. Imagine yourself having neither interest nor desire for all the "really

good stuff"—foods which, for some annoying reason, always contain ingredients fattening and harmful for the body.

Imagine yourself eating just the right amount every time, with no effort or need of awareness at all.

What a feeling—the taste of these healthy foods as well as their nutritional ingredients nurturing your body, providing it with vitality that enables you to live your life joyfully and successfully.

Wouldn’t it be great?

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Ok, ok. If that sounds too idealistic, let's try the following scenario

instead: You generally eat the right food; it constitutes about 85% to 95% of

your diet. The rest of the time your food choices may be different—foods that are

considered "unhealthy" for you, but you know exactly how to eat just the right amount, and you do it with no special effort. Eating "unhealthy" foods in moderation, you get to enjoy your food without any guilt or any significant harm done to your body.

How does this sound to you? It is possible. But why does even this scenario feel very difficult to achieve? What usually happens Although having some hope, doubts seemed to get stronger in her

mind. The doubts were due to the fact that, up until now, after each of the weight loss programs Vanessa chose, she succeeded in shedding a few pounds, only to gain them back and then some, rendering her heavier than she was at her starting point. At some point, Vanessa always breaks, returning to her bad eating habits and, thus, exacerbating her frustration and loss of self-esteem.

Bill is waging an open “war” against food. He is twenty-five pounds overweight and has high levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar. All this causes him to adopt a new diet, but he seems taxed and devoid of the joy of life. Oatmeal for breakfast, grain and vegetables for lunch and soup for diner! He hates it.

He just finished a very intense board meeting at his office. His company is not doing well. It is time for lunch, so he opens the refrigerator and looks at the rice and steamed vegetables his wife made for him. Not again! “Enough is enough,” he decides. He takes his car and drives to his good old favorite burger place.

Jenny is fifty years old, a successful business woman. She is happily married, has three adorable children, and her career is at its peak. She manages her life assertively and courageously, setting up goals for herself and achieving them, with the exception of her goals set for weight reduction. Every night, at home, after dinner, she is helpless as she faces the ice-cream snacks in her freezer. Although her appearance is very important to her, she cannot manage to control her desires for food. As a result, she is fifteen pounds overweight, a state that troubles her deeply, leading to self-criticism and emotional dissonance.

So why is it so hard to do the rational thing and just eat right?

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Emotional eating While food is an essential component for our bodies' survival, a great

part of what we actually eat is not driven by real hunger but by physiological hunger. And those cravings and desires for foods that are not needed for the body don’t just come from nowhere.

When a child is born, emerging from the warm, soft, safe, familiar and caressing womb, into the cold harsh world, s/he feels much distress. But Nature has prepared the mother—her breast milk gives her child nourishing food and drink, along with contact, warmth, protection and love. At the beginning of life in this world, these two kinds of nutrition—the physical and emotional—come together naturally. This is the beginning of Emotional Eating.

As the child matures and grows into an adult, his emotional, psychological and spiritual life becomes rich and complex. Through his evolution from a totally dependent infant into adulthood, he has had the opportunity to develop the ability and skills necessary to manage these aspects in his life independently and successfully. But, if and when he does not succeed in persevering, and slips into an imbalance, Emotional Eating may step in to help.

Much of our eating is emotional and is triggered by what happens in our life. When we are sad, we eat. When we are tense, we eat. When we are angry, we eat. Even when we are happy we eat. Eating fulfills our emotional needs, temporarily alleviates our emotional turmoil and soothes distress.

So the first thing to understand about Emotional Eating is not to condemn it nor to think that it can be eliminated. Even for the most progressive, developed and aware people among us, sometimes we don't have what it takes to confront life's challenges directly. Many of our defense mechanisms work through emotional eating—at times, it literally saves us.

By failing to understand this, and the ways in which emotional eating happens, we end up feeling guilty and ashamed that our "darker side" overcame us and all our motivation and commitment to our well-being fell short. But actually, the purpose of Emotional Eating was just to make us feel better.

Of course, it's a good idea to find better option than eating when we are distressed. However, if we don’t dismiss our desire for comfort food quickly, we will fail sooner or later. When we crave something, we might "hold the fort" and be the "masters of our domain" for a little while, and just a little while later we may find ourselves unconsciously finishing some other snacks.

Rather than regarding Emotional Eating as an enemy and trying to kill it, we can regard it as an important messenger and try to understand its message; we'll often find it important for us.

The term Emotional Eating can be broadened beyond just 'driven to eat'

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by emotional causes, to all kind of psychological and spiritual processes happening in the complex connections of our Mind and Body.

So what is Emotional Eating? Three definitions of the broader term of Emotional Eating would be: 1. Any eating which aims (consciously or un-consciously) to fulfill,

compensate, discharge and balance emotional, psychological and spiritual needs and disharmonies.

2. Any eating which is the outcome of processes in our psyche (habits and conditioning, for example).

3. Any eating which does not cater to the direct physiological needs of body sustenance.

These three definitions are presented for practical applications rather

than for the sake of philosophical discussion. There are complex connections between body and mind and any effect in the mind has a parallel effect on the body. Imagining sweet, brown, creamy, melting chocolate in your mouth triggers certain neurons to fire and chemicals to be released in the body. Consequently, saliva discharges in one's mouth which leads to the sensation that the body has a real physiological need to eat that chocolate. But, in this case, the bodily sensation originated in a thought. Though it may not be easy to make a clear scientific distinction between feelings of genuine physiological need for food and Emotional Eating, for practical reasons, these definitions can help us to find a solution for the problem of Emotional Eating.

But Emotional Eating is not really the problem… The real problem: We don’t handle our Emotional Eating well Emotional Eating is not the problem; rather it is just one of the

mechanisms of the human body. As written above, it balances us and helps us live a better life. On the other hand, we can abuse it unintentionally, and the results are harmful to our health and looks, to the way we feel about ourselves and to our life in general.

The real problem is that, although it might seem easy to eat right, eating right is more complicated than just knowing which foods to eat and which to avoid. It is just like receiving a new kind of vehicle. We need to learn how to operate it. Otherwise, the results of using the new vehicle without learning how to operate it may be disastrous.

Emotional Eating is in our system and we cannot rid ourselves of it. We may consider, however, that instead of fighting our food cravings and being at war with ourselves over it, we should gain a better understanding of our emotional eating, and by doing so, of ourselves. Furthermore, you can develop a certain skill—the skill of Balancing Emotional Eating. This skill

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can be used in the moment of truth, the moment that really matters, when you desire some food that you believe is unhealthy for you.

What can you do then? You can take yourself through an active, conscious and wise process in

your psyche, which will enable you to make the right choice every moment and in every situation.

Ready to be practical? Who likes sweets? It is beyond the scope of this chapter to map the complete structure of

human Emotional Eating, nor is our intent to show how one can master the special skill of Balancing Emotional Eating.

Nonetheless, we can get a brief taste of the inquiry for the source of a real life Emotional Eating.

Let's say that suddenly we feel: “I'd like to eat something sweet! But just a fruit won't do this time. I need some chocolate, or a cake, or an ice cream!”

Where could this desire come from? One method to answer this question would be to ask the following

three questions: A. What happened before I felt the desire? B. What happens now that I feel the desire? C. What will happen later which might have caused this desire to rise in

me? Possible answers: A. Past: Suddenly I feel a desire to eat something sweet. Reflecting

backwards, I realize that a few minutes beforehand, I postponed making an important but difficult phone call. The anxiety from not doing what I really had to do might have created the need to sooth myself and the desire to ingest something sweet gave rise within me.

B. Present: Suddenly I feel a desire to eat something sweet. I check what is happening right now, and notice immediately that, although I'm quite tired, I need to continue working. Maybe eating the sweet food will fuel my diminishing reservoirs of energy.

C. Future: Suddenly I feel a desire to eat something sweet. I ask myself what might happen in the future, which would be the possible cause of it. Let us see—I am just finishing dinner with my precious son, and in ten minutes will have to leave him and go to some parenting group which is not that good anyway. Maybe the frustration of leaving my son and my house in the evening causes me to crave

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food. So now what? I have three possible answers to the question: Why did the desire for

something sweet arise? We can see that, by doing this short inquiry, the focus switches from the shallow question of eating or not, to my life and to the challenges in them which I can face better.

Indeed, these are only three of many possibilities, and in my book, “Balancing Emotional Eating”, I’m presenting a complete method which was designed to help you recognize the root causes of desires for food, and how to face them better in order to control your Emotional Eating. By doing so, you will improve your health and lose weight naturally.

However, the main thing to emphasize here is the importance of recognizing the cause of the desire which itself is a mere symptom of a disharmony in our lives. By doing this, we can move away from the food fight and that all important question: To eat or not to eat. This type of analysis will focus our awareness onto the more significant issues which will make our lives better or worse. After addressing them, we can return to the eat-or-not-to-eat question, and choose the better answer to it.

By answering these questions (which are part of the Balancing Emotional Eating Skill) we are winning on two levels: 1. When we address the disharmonious and problematic aspects in our

lives consciously, we can act with awareness and have a positive effect over them.

2. While doing so, our Emotional Eating gets naturally balanced and improves spontaneously, our health improves and we lose excess weight and enjoy body and mind well-being.

The way of success By balancing your Emotional Eating, the possibility of right eating

outlined in the beginning of this chapter, can become real for you—for your life. It is possible and not even difficult. An important and practical key to encourage this 'balancing' is to keep telling yourself that you’re in balance, as if you already are.

Say to yourself: ”I am generally eating the right food; it constitutes about 85% to 95% of

my diet. Sometimes I eat differently, foods that are considered as "unhealthy" foods, but it does not happen too often, and when it does, I know exactly how to eat just the right amount and I do it with no special effort. Then I enjoy my food without any guilt and no significant harm will be done to my body.”

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I wish you success, Roy Henig

Roy’s favorite Healthy Tasty Recipes

Lettuce & orange salad

This salad is surprising and very refreshing. It can be great as an appetizer or a dessert.

Ingredients for the Salad: Fresh young lettuce leaves 2 oranges sliced to small cubes 1 avocado sliced to small cubes Handful of washed walnuts Ingredients for the Dressing: Lemon juice from 1 lemon 2 tablespoons of olive oil Himalayan or sea salt & pepper Directions: 1. Mix the salad ingredients and dressing ingredients separately. 2. Add the dressing to the salad just before serving.

Mushroom & Onion quiche

This quiche is great as a vegetarian main dish. Being served in personal baking dishes, some can be wrapped up and stored in the freezer for a later meal.

Ingredients: 2 cups sliced champignon mushrooms 2 cup sliced Portobello Mushrooms 5 sliced onions Red wine Oats made into flour in a blender Thyme Himalayan or sea salt and pepper

Directions: 1. Steam the onion in a casserole.

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2. Add the mushrooms with a sprinkle of the red wine and close the lid of the casserole.

3. Every 2-3 minutes open and stir. 4. By now, the mushrooms will probably secrete a lot of fluid, which,

for the quiche, would have to be vaporized for a long while on the flame, and this would make the mushrooms less tasty. The best thing to do is to move most of the fluid to a smaller casserole, vaporize it without the mushrooms until it's relatively thick and with a lot of taste, and then pour it back onto the mushrooms.

5. Add the thyme, salt and pepper according to your taste, and then add in the oat flour in an amount that will absorb all the fluid. Put the mixture in personal baking dishes, and bake about a half an hour at 053 Fahrenheit degrees.

Broiled mash potatoes & sweet potatoes

This dish tastes so good it's a challenge to not overeat it…

Ingredients: 6-8 peeled and sliced potatoes 2 peeled and slice sweet potatoes 2 sliced onions 1 tablespoon olive oil Himalayan or sea salt

Directions: 1. Steam (or boil) the potatoes. 2. After 5 minutes add in the sweet potatoes, until they are soft. 3. Remove from the steamer or the casserole and let the vapors go out

of the potatoes. 4. Meanwhile, fry the onions with the olive oil on a high quality and

un-scratched Teflon pan. 5. Mash the potatoes and sweet potatoes, mix them in a bowl with the

fried onions, and add salt according to your taste. 6. Put the whole mixture back on the frying pan, above a strong flame.

Let the mixture be broiled while stirring from time to time, until enough quantity is broiled.

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Steamed Broccoli with fried garlic

This low calorie dish is a very tasty way to eat super-healthy broccoli. It’s also possible to add some water and blend it to an excellent soup.

Ingredients: Rinsed Broccoli florets 10 minced garlic cloves A handful of white almond halves 1 tablespoon of olive oil Himalayan or sea salt Directions: 1. Steam (or boil) the broccoli until it's soft enough to eat. 2. Fry the garlic in a frying pan with a lid. 3. Place the broccoli in the pan with the garlic, add a spoon of water,

mix it, turn the flame off, and close the lead for 5 minutes. 4. Add the almonds (roasted are more tasty but less healthy) and some

salt.

Roy Henig is the author of the book Balanced Emotional Eating

(coming soon in English) and the developer of the "Balanced Emotional Eating" Method. He is a Naturopath and bachelor of Psychology and Philosophy. In the last 11 years, Roy has been helping thousands people to turn food and eating from a problem, to a source of Health, Joy and Well Being. Ron lives in Israel and he is a well known speaker and workshops leader.

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CHAPTER 5 FOOD IS MEDICINE

By Matt Traverso, a natural health expert and bestselling author.

Matt works with terminal patients. His business involves reversing cancer, heart disease and diabetes. While interviewing him, he asked me, “Do you know of any prescription medication that reverses heart diseases?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “But foods can do it,” he said with a victory smile. He smiles a lot. Sharing his wide knowledge makes him happy.

In the interview he explains:

Why foods are so important to protect us from getting sick

How food can turn on the bad genes and lead to disease, or it can shut them off and turn on the preserving, cell repairing and the healing genes

How with every bite we take we’re either digging our grave with our teeth or we are moving away from it, ensuring a long, disease-free, energized, vital, happy and really wonderful life

Why we don't have to make a choice between taste and health and how we can have them both

Which food, that most of us love, is actually a highly addictive drug that shuts down our immune system

Which foods we are better off to avoid, and which we should add to our daily menu

In addition, he breaks down some myths about popular foods like meat and milk. But my favorite part of the interview is one little trick that can support you in making much healthier choices.

Let’s see what he has to say.

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What are the risks to our health in this era and what can we do about them?

There are huge risks. There are pollutants in our environment; there are toxins and poisons coming at us from all kinds of directions. We are beseeched, barraged, bombarded by all kinds of toxins in the air, in the water, the environment in general, when we touch anything, because of the chemicals we use in cleaning and also in our personal hygiene as well. There are toxins everywhere, not just in the urban environment, but everywhere in society. There are just so many toxins that we don't have any control. We have acid rain, we have acid ocean, we have chlorine and fluoride and many other chemicals in the world, and we have 85 thousand chemicals in the air. However, there is an area in which we have absolute control and, guess what, it's also the area that statistically and clinically proven is the most impactful, the most important, it's the biggest determinant of health or lack thereof.

People might think: "Well, with the current scenario, if it's so catastrophic, then what can we do?" Well, it turns out that you can do a lot. So I feel this also frees a person's mind in allowing them to also have enough confidence, certainty and empowerment to take action. You have absolute control over what you choose to put in your body and what you put in your mouth. And it's not just to buffer or neutralize, or try to compensate and offset the devastating effect of all this pollution around us, but also to really reduce a lot, in many cases, to prevent and actually reverse many kinds of conditions.

In my books (You can find Matt’s books at: www.thehealingfoodsbook.com/more-books), I talk about the biggest factors, which are things like how we breathe and what we breathe. I talk about the importance of exercise, the importance of water, the importance of mental attitude. This is hugely important. However, I have always stuck with food as the most important factor in protecting yourself. Why? It is clinically proven and it can change everything.

Does food really have such a big impact on our health? Absolutely. It can change your gene expression. It can change your

hormone imbalances and put them back into balance. Food can turn on the bad genes and lead to disease, or it can shut them off and turn on the preserving, cell repairing and healing genes. It all depends on what we're eating. I know a guy who has done a lot of research, and he's the most reliable scientist and physician and doctor—medical doctor—here, in the United States, known as America's Number One Heart Doctor. His name is Dean Ornish. He reverses heart disease. He's done a lot of research

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recently, these last five/ten years, showing how food really changes gene expression in a matter of months. Thousands of genes were turned around in their expression. That doesn't mean that genes change. Genes don't change, but they're either turned on, activated, and therefore their expression is completely different, or shut off, even for those people who have genetic weaknesses. If they change their diet, that weakness will not develop. Even if every member of their family died of cancer or heart disease, they will not.

The metaphor that I use often times is that these genes are like a bullet in a gun. It's not going to kill anybody until somebody pulls the trigger. Who's going to pull the trigger? The trigger is lifestyle, metaphorically. So, the bullet is the gene, lifestyle is the trigger, and in lifestyle there is diet as well. Nutrition is also included within lifestyle. So who is pulling the trigger? The lifestyle trigger is the person themselves. So, really, you're in control ultimately. The genetic factors are less of a problem generally. There are a few exceptions, of course.

Are you saying that genetics is not our worst enemy? All the people in my industry, in my field, in science, we know that

genetic factors can account for 1% to 2% maximum of cancer development. So, there are risks in not looking at the lifestyle choices we make, and I emphasize the choices. Once again, it's a choice, especially in the United States. It's a choice that you have and you make all the time. Every single time that you have a bite of anything, you're actually either digging your grave with your teeth or you are moving away from it, ensuring a long, disease-free, energized, vital, happy and really wonderful life.

Can we change our eating habits easily? Eating habits are mental and emotional. The emotions have to be sent

to school. In other words, the emotions have to be trained, because they can be your greatest, most wonderful friend in the world who's going to drive you, support you, and control, stimulate, motivate you, and support you, taking you wherever you want to go, or your emotions can be the most ferocious and the most formidable enemy.

Do you believe that just eating healthily can save you from

diseases like cancer? I’ll tell you even more than that. I have written books and shared the

stage with some of the top scientists, like Caldwell Esselstyn, T. Collin Campbell and Robert Young. Dr. Robert Young is the Father of the PH miracle in alkalinity and we've written books together on reversing cancer, reversing diabetes and reversing heart disease. We've conducted many

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medical health retreats in different parts of the world and I've seen again and again that, when people follow these simple guidelines, their conditions improve so rapidly and so drastically that it's not incredible until you actually see it and you say, "Gosh, I knew that these eating habits—these eating choices—were important, but not so important. I mean it's like wow!"

And, of course, we are doing other things as well nutritionally on these retreats. We are making sure that the body can absorb as much as possible from the nutrients people consume. So, when you see all these miracles happening again and again, you know that the challenge then is not whether or not these changes, these things that we tell people to do, work; rather it is whether or not they actually follow through and do it on their own. It comes down to whether or not they have the right mindset, the right attitude, the right emotions, because emotions can be virtuous or they can be vicious.

As soon as you've trained your emotions a little bit and you start getting the benefits, and you see that you don't have to make a choice between taste and health and you can have the best of both worlds, you'll never turn back.

And you will not want to deprive yourself of that option; of having the best of both worlds. Instead, by forcing yourself to eat right, it will become hard to force yourself to eat badly. That's why we're working together on this book, The Healing Foods, because that's really my specialty—getting people to enjoy being healthy. One of my missions is to make healthy exciting.

All people want is to feel good, philosophically, topologically and emotionally. The ultimate Holy Grail in life, in spiritually, in business, in making money, in having material possessions, it's because we hope.

What is the secret for that, how can we change our eating habits? The big difference between me and some other “gurus” is that they are

telling you what to do. I'm getting you to want to do what they’re telling you to do. Your whole attitude will change. You're going to get results because food is so powerful. We all know how it feels when you force yourself not to have that chocolate cake and you really want it. Your emotions are screaming out for it, and you force yourself not to have it. Well, that forcing yourself is actually creating more toxicity in terms of acidity than the chocolate in the first place.

Besides, today, you can actually have a great raw chocolate cake, which is going to do you a lot of good. The implications are huge. The biggest risk is that 95%, and I repeat 95%, of deaths caused by disease are lifestyle induced.

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Seriously? 95% of disease can be prevented? You bet. Something that we've been able to determine and establish

beyond a shadow of a doubt is that 95% of humans today are dying of health problems that are totally, totally, totally, 99.999% preventable and, also, 97%/98% reversible. I’m talking about the big three: Heart diseases, cancer and diabetes. These three, combined, kill 95% of humans today in the Western World.

The number one biggest killer is heart disease. Together with diabetes and cancer, which are also influenced by our diet, they kill more people than all the other diseases combined. These are food-borne illnesses that are caused by what we decide, what we choose to feed ourselves. So, we eat ourselves into this mess, which is a tsunami of chronic diseases. If we ate ourselves into this mess, we're not going to medicate ourselves out of it. You can't even exercise yourself out of it. We can only eat ourselves out of it. That's the only way.

And to do that, we have to get some empowerment and we have to make choices. The health situation is getting worse and the paradox is that we are spending more on medicine than ever before. In 2012, the US spent 3.1 trillion dollars on medicine. This is staggering, mind blowing and it has never happened before. In 2011, we spent 2.9. In 2008, we spent 2.7. Drugs, surgeries, chemo, radiation, these are plainly the wrong approach. There are some cases where surgery can be lifesaving. Thank God that we have surgeons, but it doesn't mean that if something is good, then you should apply it to everybody.

It is sad to say it, but what we're practicing today in medicine is not evidence-based medicine, it is reimbursement-based medicine. I know it's sad. I know it sounds wrong, but not to think so is naive.

You mentioned earlier chocolate cake, which is obviously

everybody’s favorite thing in the world. Why do we crave sugar so much and what can we do about it?

Right now we have an invasion of sugar in this country. Over the last hundred years, we moved from consuming 10 pounds per person a year to 147 pounds per person, on average, in the adult population. Amongst teenagers, we go to 250 pounds of sugar per teenager per year. This is scary stuff. Sugar is highly addictive. Sugar is a drug. That's why people have these sugar withdrawals when they start cutting down on sugar. That's why they have all these strong temptations, these urges. People binge on sugary foods. Why? Because it is a drug. How powerful and addicting is this drug called sugar? They've done some research in Japan on mice. They injected heroin into the veins of 41 mice and the mice were also exposed to sugar, in the form of artificial sweeteners that are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. Well, after having gotten addicted to the drug heroin, all the mice still

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opted for sugar when given the choice. White sugar and artificial sweeteners excite not just one portion of the

brain, like morphine or cocaine do, they actually light up the whole brain like a pinball machine. That's why we are having a hard time cutting down on sugar, but people have to realize that it's like quitting hard drugs. If they actually approach it like that, then they're going to be more successful, because they're prepared, prepared to do something pretty heroic. And once you've done it, then you start enjoying the pleasure of not going for sugary foods.

There's a myth that sugar gives you energy. It's not true. Sugar actually shuts down the immune system. Your white blood cells for the next seven hours are almost incapable of protecting you when you have a high-sugar meal, or, even worse, liquid calories in the form of soda pops. Soda is concentrated sugar. And just one Coke a week Increases the risk of developing diabetes by 33%.

And then we're surprised that we have this epidemic of diabetes in this country. You take somebody from Japan, where they have virtually no diabetes. They have the lowest levels of cancer as well. When you bring a population like this into a big city like New York, they will have exactly the same incidences, the same risks to developing chronic diseases as their American counterparts. The one thing that reverses diabetes is food. That's the most powerful. People think this is the biggest discovery of the 21st century, but Hypocrites used to say, "Let thy food be thy medicine."

We change gene expressions in weeks or months at most. The gene expression phenomena is called Nutrigenomics which is studying how foods—different foods—change gene expression. Even people who have no genetic weakness, if I put them on a special diet, like a Standard American Diet, I know that they will have severe, serious health problems very soon.

What other things should we avoid in our diet? Aspartame is chemical sweetener and a neurotoxin which has all kind of

ramifications and also mimics several neurological disorders, including MS and several different forms of dementia and Parkinson's. These are really nasty, nasty stuff. First, they were only given to diabetics and then they just decided to give them to everybody, and now we even have them in baby foods.

You want to watch out for things like alcohol and all the fried foods. Hydrogenated. Trans fats. Hydrogenated vegetables oils. They're just pushing hydrogen. In fact, they're ordinary vegetable oil, but they're taken to extreme levels of temperature and pressure and may react with the metallic catalyst.

When hydrogen is hooked with a vegetable oil, it gets very sticky and

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forms lots of plaque in your arteries, and is probably, together with sugar, the biggest cause of heart disease in the world, across the entire industrialized world.

We also have to look at those things that we were taught such as meat being the complete protein and that we need it for cell growth and cell repair. This kind of mantra has been inculcated, instilled and installed in people's nervous system for so many years through advertising all these conditions in programming. This is true brainwashing. If you tell a lie long enough and loud enough, eventually people will start believing it.

Meat doesn't liquefy. Something that Dr. Young teaches again and again is that when food leaves your stomach, enters through the duodenum and then enters your small intestine, it has to have two characteristics: Number one, it has to have a pH of 8.1 at least, preferably 8.2/8.3, and secondly, it has to be liquid. It has to be liquefied.

The problem with meat is that it doesn't liquefy, and therefore we have these meat particles that are damaging the intestinal villi, which are responsible for not just absorbing and assimilating food, but also they're responsible for producing, forming new blood, new stem cells that become new blood cells, new red blood cells. The seed of the origin where new blood is formed is not in the bone marrow, as 99.9% of doctors will tell you. That is what they have been taught. Yes, new blood can grow and be produced in the bone marrow if you're really sick, so that's like a backup strategy. In healthy people, or people who are starting a health plan, a health program, or they're detoxing and eating right, the new blood is formed where it's supposed to be formed—in the intestinal villi.

So, as your intestinal villi is where blood is formed, if your intestinal villi are destroyed, then you cannot make and produce new blood, and the quality of your life will suffer. The level of your health is really the reflection—a direct reflection—of the quality and also the quantity of your blood. That's why whenever I'm about to eat something, I ask myself:

Is it going to clog me or is it going to cleanse me?

That's a great question. Is that your secret weapon for making the healthy food choice?

Exactly. Everyone should ask themselves when they're about to have anything, when they're about to grab a cheeseburger, is it going to cleanse me, energize me, alkalize me, or is it going to clog me? You don't need to have a medical degree to understand that.

Everything has to be simplified—made simple—because if it's not simple, it's not sustainable. And if it's not sustainable, it means that people will not do it. They will do what they've done in the past, not because it's easier, because anything that you do consistently, often enough, it feels

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easier. Why? Because it becomes habitual. What we do habitually is what we tend to do automatically and

unconsciously, and that's what feels easy. What about milk? You are not a cow. And even if you were a cow, you're smart enough to

have grass. You wouldn't be drinking the milk of another cow if you're an adult cow. That wouldn't make any sense. You would just drink water and have grass. What a concept. Diet is so easy. Keep it simple, like the Bible says. Legumes, seeds, grains, whole grains and green vegetables. There we have it. These days, we have such a variety of all kinds of herbs and spices and wonderful roots and we have all these varieties of gorgeous, delicious fruits and vegetables, and sprouts of all kinds.

What about chocolate? Good, certified organic, raw chocolate is a healthy option and has good

properties. I still wouldn't recommend it on a daily basis, but as a treat once in a while. You can have it without any guilt whatsoever. We've got to keep you healthy and, if you want to have a guilt-free dessert, then raw chocolate is the way to go with goji berries and with corn yacon as a substitute for sugar. Actually, it's a root. It grows in the Andes and it's actually a super food as well, with antioxidants, and it's sweeter than sugar. It has a great taste too.

Are you absolutely sure about this information? My clients are patients who are, very often, terminal patients. My

business involves reversing cancer, reversing heart disease and reversing diabetes. So, I need to be super careful. Everything that I share has to be ultra-reliable and grounded in solid clinical research. I have to be a billion percent sure. I should be happy to bet my house on it.

What should we eat? Miraculous foods include cucumbers, kale, avocado, celery, all the dark

green leafy vegetables, all the cruciferous vegetables, and then we have the herbs. A variety of herbs. We have sprouts. These are some of the most magical. We have berries as well, especially blueberries and blackberries, they have a ton of antioxidants. And then, of course, garlic, ginger, turmeric and onions are great. Food is medicine. That's the confusion. Some people think that food can be as powerful as medicine. No. Food is medicine. Food is medicine in that it can reverse chronic disease.

Do you know of any prescription medication that reverses heart disease? No way! Is there any prescription drug that reverses diabetes? No way. But these foods can do it.

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Now we know it from a clinical, scientific and rigorously clinical perspective. This changes everything and it should, but it doesn't. Why? Because there's no interest. There's no money in eliminating diabetes. That's the worst nightmare for the diabetes industry. Like curing cancer is a nightmare for the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and for the whole big pharma, big business, and big medicine as a whole. Their worst nightmare is an epidemic of good health, starting with reversing and eliminating chronic disease.

Matt Traverso is the co-author alongside Dr. Robert O. Young, the

world's leading authority on the alkaline approach to health; he is a natural health expert and bestselling author who teaches people how to dramatically improve their health naturally, without expensive and potentially dangerous prescription drugs. With over 15 years of study on nutrition and the true causes of disease and health, in his live seminars and online programs he coaches people to higher levels of health and wellbeing. His work has helped people around the world get off prescription drugs and easily adopt healthy lifestyle choices that make illness and disease simply vanish.

http://www.reverse-diabetes-today.com/ http://www.multiple-sclerosis-cure.com/ http://www.parkinsons-disease-cure.com/

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6 CHAPTER

PLANT-BASED LIFESTYLE AND FITNESS

TIPS FROM A VEGAN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

By Mark McKoy, CEO and President of Gold Medal Enterprises

In this chapter you are going to get the answer to the question: Does a plant based diet give you all the nutrition you need for an

active lifestyle?

Mark McKoy is the CEO and

President of Gold Medal Enterprises, specializing in training, fitness, diet and nutrition counseling, seminars and programs for athletes, health fanatics and executives of all ages and fitness levels. In addition, Mark is a power, strength and fitness consultant to: The Institute of Sports Medicine and Wellness Centre.

Born in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1961, Mark was 12 years old when his family immigrated to Canada in 1974, settling in Toronto, Ontario. As a high school student, Mark showed early interest in track and field and was soon making a name for himself winning hurdle events wherever there was a track meet.

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