The Whole Food Blog

Active senior citizens today know that anti aging is not just about eating more natural foods.  While many baby boomers search for products that provide real anti aging benefits, some mature consumers are now smart enough to know that it’s not sufficient to just buy natural foods from the store.  They realize that there are nutrient dense, natural foods superior to organic foods or even juicing that produce anti aging results they can really see and feel.

At 87, Olga is enjoying the anti aging benefits of nutrient dense natural foods

Let’s look at an older person suffering from arthritis for years.  They decide to change their diet to include more natural foods, but don’t see or feel results.  Then, they try nutrient dense concentrated natural foods that provide the most nutritious parts of the plants without the bulk or expense of organic produce.  Instead of the body degenerating from typical store-bought foods, they begin to feel relief right away through the power of “regeneration”.  What’s happening is that damaged, old, dying cells are being replaced more rapidly by healthy, new cells that now are stronger because they are built with more powerful nutrients.

For anti aging benefits, nutrient dense natural foods provide far more nutrition in fewer calories.  This is key because scientific studies have shown that those who consume fewer calories enjoy a longer, healthier life.  Instead of constantly loading the body up with unhealthy foods, sugary drinks, or empty calories, consumers of concentrated, nutrient dense, natural foods are loading up on real nutrition that provides amazing results.  They are taking their health to a new level and winning the anti aging battle.

Many anti aging enthusiasts in their 50’s 60’s and 70’s are now feeling ten to twenty years younger, and believe they can actually live a healthy, energetic, disease free life until the day they pass away peacefully in their sleep.  This is far different from how most people wind down their golden years.  Far too many senior citizens end up in hospitals or nursing homes, unable to care for themselves.  The sad part is that it doesn’t have to be this way.  The philosophy of regeneration is real.  It’s simply a matter of shopping differently for nutrient dense, natural foods that aren’t usually sold in typical stores.  Look for concentrated natural foods and health drinks that are made with whole food ingredients, as close to nature as possible.

Do you realize how important your health food choices are in the health care reform battle shaping up in Washington?  You probably understand that whatever the government does it will be insufficient to insure your health.  You know that it’s smarter to take responsibility for your own care by managing your life the healthiest way possible.

Here are 5 ways you can shop intelligently for health food products:

1.  Eat more alkaline foods-Experts recommend a balance of 80% alkaline foods to only 20% acid forming foods for optimal health.  Most people eat far too many acid-forming foods.  Do you know how your health food choices influence your pH balance and your overall fitness?  Take the free Alkaline Food Test to find out.

2.  Drink natural health drinks-Avoid sugar, artificial sweeteners, isolated vitamins and caffeine.  Instead, when shopping at health food stores, load up on drinks with antioxidants, live enzymes, and whole food ingredients.  There is a health drink that was named to a list of Top 100 Health Food Products in the World.  However, not that many people in America are familiar with it because it’s not sold with slick TV ads.  Look beyond the hype and convenience store candy-colored vitamin waters for real, natural healthy drinks.

3.  Maintain a diet closer to nature-All natural health food is considered to be minimally processed and does not contain artificial ingredients.  It is not “enriched” with man made, isolated vitamins and minerals.  All natural health food does not include ingredients such as refined sugars, refined flours, milled grains, hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, artificial food colors, or artificial flavorings. Supporters of natural, health food diets point to numerous facts that show refined ingredients promote obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

4.  Use environmentally friendly household and personal care products-You can’t easily get them in stores, but on the Internet you can find natural skin care products, soaps, shampoos, laundry detergents, multi-purpose cleaners and natural toothpaste without harmful chemicals.  Search online health food stores instead of shopping for the usual mass-produced items at grocery stores.

5.  Buy from responsible manufacturers-Stop giving your money to corporations that are making products filled with trans fats, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, too much sugar, genetically altered ingredients or toxic chemicals.  Shop differently from companies that use natural ingredients and environmentally responsible manufacturing processes.

Again, you won’t easily find them locally, but you can find products made by responsible manufacturers at online health food stores and at some of the more sophisticated local health food stores.  Use care with what you put in your body, on your body and in your immediate environment, and you will have more control over your own health care.

Obtaining the best pregnancy nutrition today requires pregnant women to learn more about including plenty of whole foods in their diet.  Whether expecting or not, the need for a balanced diet that includes vitamins and minerals from whole foods is common sense.  This is even more significant when pregnancy nutrition is involved as a healthy diet that includes plenty of whole foods is a perfect way to help the baby develop to its full potential.

Since weight gain is always a consideration for pregnancy nutrition, it’s a good idea to know in advance how many additional calories are needed.  According to the Institute of Medicine, “Active pregnant women need about 2,500 to 2,700 calories per day during the second trimester and 2,650 to 2,850 calories per day in the third trimester. Inactive women will require fewer calories.” One way to avoid any lack of proper pregnancy nutrition is to eat the best whole foods while avoiding empty calories.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are relatively low in calories for the amount of nutrition they provide.

In addition, excellent pregnancy nutrition can be obtained from all natural whole food concentrates and supplements.  Research shows that supplements made from whole food ingredients are absorbed by the body more efficiently than those formulated with isolated vitamins and minerals.  Raw, whole foods and all natural whole food concentrates prepared at low temperatures are more likely to contain live enzymes, which can allow for more effective absorption of the nutrients into the cells.

By choosing the right whole foods as part of any pregnancy nutrition plan, both the mother and baby will have the best prospects for a healthy birth.

Whenever you are feeling an energy slump and want a surefire boost, focus on consuming as many all natural foods and health drinks as you can.  At one time or another, we all become lazy and fall out of the groove of exercising regularly, so if you need a jump-start to get back into healthy habits, try this natural approach.  By adding more “live”, all natural foods to your diet and consuming fewer processed,  “dead” foods, you will begin to feel like a workout is necessary just to burn off all the excess energy.

When you hear the term “live foods” it usually means they contain active, living enzymes.  Often overlooked by the average consumer, these live enzymes are an important component of raw, whole foods such as fruits and vegetables.  They are the “life force” in all natural foods and health drinks made with whole food ingredients.  Different from processed foods and drinks, these energy boosters are not “enhanced” with isolated vitamins and minerals, but instead contain nutrients in their whole food structure.

Your body literally wakes up when you start consuming more whole foods that are closer to their natural state. Enhance your water with health drinks that contain live enzymes and you get an even bigger boost. This works best if you avoid sugary drinks or caffeine, so stay away from those convenience store energy drinks and candy-colored bottled waters.  While they may give you a short-term boost, the inevitable crash will just make it harder to get going again.  Look for health drinks made with whole food ingredients that are carefully formulated to keep those plant enzymes alive and active.

By adding something powerful to your water, like natural health drinks with live enzymes, you are boosting your body’s ability to absorb nutrients.  Those living plant enzymes are the catalysts that speed up the processes allowing your cells to take in vitamins and minerals.  This gives you better hydration and more energy, faster.

The fastest, easiest way to get a boost from all natural foods and health drinks is to try some of the concentrated formulas available today.  Just blend the powder mixes with healthy liquids, and within seconds you are on your way.  If you are buying foods and drinks that have been heated or pasteurized in the packaging and bottling process, then it is more likely that the live enzymes have been destroyed.  Cooking whole foods for too long at high temperatures, or blasting them in a microwave, may destroy the valuable nutrients as well.

This natural approach is one step toward gaining the kind of energy that will help you get out of lazy mode and into a more active state. Everyone needs a boost now and then to find the motivation for reaching new heights of health and fitness.  All natural foods and health drinks with live enzymes may be just the kick-start you need.

While there are numerous characteristics of a healthy body, these three ingredients are essential starting points.  Keep them in mind to maintain youthful energy, avert premature aging and stay healthy for life.

1.  Consume enough alkaline foods and drinks – Experts recommend a ratio of 80% alkaline foods to only 20% acid forming foods for optimal health.  Do you know your daily alkaline/acid consumption?  Take the free Alkaline Food Test to find out.

2.  Stay closer to nature – Choose more all natural foods.  These are considered to be minimally processed and do not contain any artificial ingredients.  All-natural foods are not “enriched” with isolated vitamins and minerals made in a laboratory.  They do not include ingredients such as refined sugars, refined flours, milled grains, hydrogenated oils, chemical preservatives, artificial sweeteners, dyes or, flavorings. Many experts agree that a diet consisting of mostly all-natural foods will give you a better chance of preventing health challenges such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

3. Choose natural health drinks – Avoid those candy-colored sport drinks and vitamin waters that are usually loaded with sugars and high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners and isolated vitamins.  Instead, look for health drinks  made with natural, whole food ingredients such as fruits and herbs.  These will be more alkaline and they will contain real vitamins, not man-made.  Try to find healthy energy drinks with live enzymes as they promote better absorption of the nutrients.  Some powder drink formulas are more likely than bottled liquids to contain live enzymes, as they have not necessarily been heated or pasteurized in the bottling process.

In this era of highly processed foods it’s not always easy to make the most positive nutritional choices.  You have to think carefully about what you are putting in your body every time you open your mouth, and your wallet.  Look beyond the nutrition fact labels to be certain that you are giving yourself the highest quality ingredients for a truly healthy body.