I really thought I'd get tired of apples and peanut butter and wheat bread and granola and water, but you know it really doesn't get old when you're feeling great. Sure, I can't eat it for the rest of my life, but the goal here is to lose weight, feel better, learn things, experiment, and get in good habits. If nothing else, consider it a diet where I'm training myself to eat smaller portions, and it just happens to be all organic and unprocessed food.
I had some salmon the other day, which was great and filling! I hear that salmon (and even salmon skin) is very good for you in so many ways, however, because of pollutants in our water supply and the general areas that salmon populations live, it can actually be very unhealthy to eat the salmon skin, and may even cause certain cancers. It's pretty saddening to think that it's harder and harder to find foods and fish and day to day products that we use that DON'T cause cancer.
I've been doing a lot of reading this whole month and one herbalist-naturalist speculates that the prime reason people are dying of cancer so much more often is because of GMOs, altered products, unnatural products, and the like. Studies have shown that the aluminum in deoderant (used as an antiperspirant) can and does cause Alzheimer's disease. Coca Cola and Pepsi recently were required to change an ingredient in their formula (some food dye) that they found to have cancer, and the FDA said "either change the ingredient or we have to put a sticker on it that says 'this product may cause cancer'." They obviously chose to change the ingredient.
The evidence is all over. It's right in front of us. It's so hard to really admit though since these products are incredible, they make our lives easier, and they seem to really work. I sweat a lot so when I use deodorant I sort of expect it to help me not sweat. One of the only ways to make people not sweat is to put that aluminum ingredient. And to think of it, NOT SWEATING IS NOT NATURAL. Go figure. I caught you red handed.
So this is becoming a lot more about a lifestyle change and less about a diet. The more I research this stuff, the less I want to use a LOT of products that I use. Not out of fear, but out of disgust. Out of the thought that "wow, this was reconstituted in a vat" or "wow this was completely made by chemicals, not by natural oils or plants" or "wow I'm really putting THIS in my body?" I've been getting big on lots of natural remedies and one of them I'm planning is to start drinking a chelator-type drink once a week. A chelator (pronounced key-later) is a concoction that helps remove metals from the body. It's completely natural, and there are many natural drinks out there already that have chelating properties (one of them being black coffee). Little by little, the ingredients in the chelator detract metals from the intestines that we cannot digest, and they help remove unnecessary metals from the bloodstream. Sounds like something I DON'T want in my body.
I've also been getting way into the interesting world of spices and nuts. There are SO many health benefits of so many of these spices and nuts it's unbelievable! Things like walnuts, cashews, and peanuts have amazing health benefits, and in the spice world, things like cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, cayenne, turmeric, nutmeg, and cloves have INCREDIBLE health benefits and contain some of the highest levels of antioxidants in the world. Foods like tomatoes, celery, apples, carrots, blueberries, blackberries, and sweet potatoes are among the best fruits and vegetables available, and they are NOT hard to find! They are very simple foods that anyone can get.
It's looking up for me and my diet - I am starting to realize that the best foods for people in the entire world are right under our noses all the time. Couple that with an organic and unprocessed version of it and you're golden. More soon.
Foods that are Good For You:
Water - This one is given. A glass of water in the morning is shown to increase metabolism by 20%. Roughly your body weight in ounces is how much water you should be drinking every day.
Cinnamon - Lowers cholesterol, unclots blood, provides arthritis and gout relief, improves cognitive function and memory. A great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.
Nutmeg - Improves blood flow, helps digestion
Turmeric - Antioxidant, Cancer fighting spice. Great with fish.
Cloves –Extreme Antioxidant spice. More than most fruits.
Red Pepper / Cayanne – Natural appetite suppressant, reduces formation of gallstones.
Rosemary - Improves mood and lowers stress, fights inflammation of all kinds
Ginger - can help cure nausea, weak circulation, and arthritis
Black Pepper - improves digestion and regular absorption of nutrients, boosts metabolism
Tomatoes - A four chambered red fruit/veggie that's great for your heart. Go figure!
Carrots - great for your eyes and brain function, even better for you when warm
Apples – Lots of natural sugar and water, filling, tastes great.
Pomegranates – Antioxidant, improved blood flow, natural blood thinner (without the liver damage!)
Blueberries - more antioxidants than any fruit. Lots of natural fiber, more than oatmeal. Even better for you when warm.
Honey – Absolute Natural Sugar! Lowers Cholesterol, Fights Cancer, Anti-Aging, Immune System, and all kinds of other benefits. Mix a spoonful of honey with cinnamon and nutmeg and take daily to improve lots of bodily functions.
Sweet Potatoes – one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. Carotenoids, Vitamin C, Potassium, and Fiber. Good for your eyes, skin, intestines, and heart.
Walnuts - Improves Brain Function, Nerve functions, great for your lungs, and improves testicular health
Almonds - Great for your colon, helps clear arteries and veins of buildup (reduces cholesterol)
Cashews - good source of magnesium. Magnesium helps fight memory loss and improves brain function.
Spicy Mustard – boosts metabolism 20 to 25% for several hours after eating! Great with all kinds of foods.
Red Wine - amazing for your heart and blood. Improves cognitive functions and has lots of antioxidants.
Black Coffee - without cream and sugar (which reverse most of the effects of coffee) a cup of coffee is shown to help as a natural Chelator (removes metals from the body), can help reverse dementia and improve memory and cognitive function, helps the heart, helps with awareness and also helps circulatory system and respiratory infections.
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