The Whole Food Blog

Choosing health food and health drinks over bad habits is something most people want to do, but for one reason or another they stick to old favorites.  It becomes too obtrusive, so they avoid making big changes until illness or some other catastrophe forces a change.

However, this is a way to make big changes by taking one small step at a time.  The idea is to gradually swap unhealthy choices for smarter health food and health drinks until each one becomes a comfortable part of the daily routine.  Making one little alteration in daily activity doesn’t seem nearly as oppressive as trying to undo every bad habit all at once.

Start With Health Drinks

A quick way to lower sugar consumption and improve health is to replace undesirable beverages.  Avoid sodas whenever you have other options.  Don’t get fooled into buying candy-colored vitamin waters, though, as they often contain unhealthy sweeteners and chemicals.  Instead, look for green teas and natural health drinks that include benefits like antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, chlorophyll, and live enzymes.

Another small adjustment that can make a big difference is to exchange one side dish with a better health food option.  Instead of prepackaged, processed mac and cheese with your evening meal, for example, steam up some veggies.  Everything else on the plate can stay just as it was, for now, while you use the opportunity to swap a bad habit for a better health food alternative.  Instead of water during your meal, sip natural health drinks before or after your meal to gain even more benefits.

Sunrider International is a company that has taken the concept of health foods and health drinks to an entirely new level.  They work to combine the best of both science and nature in order to develop health foods and drinks that really pack the biggest nutritional punch.  Their products are concentrated and surpass the nutritional value of what you find in the supermarket—even the organic section!

Sunrider has been making their health food and health drinks in the United States since 1982, and many of those products have won a variety of awards.  The company itself was even recognized as the Business of the Year by the City of Los Angeles, Harbor City/Harbor Gateway Chamber of Commerce in 2008.  Sunrider International is guided by Drs. Tei-Fu Chen and Oi-Len Chen, who work with a team of scientists to create their life-altering projects.  From the research phase, through development, and even into manufacturing, this team oversees the process to ensure the highest quality results.

Sunrider products are able to surpass the nutritional quality of other foods for multiple reasons.  First of all, the health foods and health drinks developed use concentrated whole foods.  Rather than creating chemical versions of nutrients, Sunrider health foods come from naturally occurring plants.  In fact, some of those plants are so “natural” that they are harvested right from the wild.

The ingredients that are farmed, such as certain herbs, are done so under strict guidelines and parameters.  Sunrider does believe in the importance of organic farming, although they believe that these practices alone are not enough to boost nutritional value.  Therefore, they implement additional strategies to attain the significant differences that their health foods and health drinks can make.

For consumers who seek natural weight loss, the recent Slim Fast recall is an opportunity to begin healthier, new strategies.

On December 2nd, 2009, Slim Fast manufacturer Unilever notified the FDA of possible contamination, and a complete recall was issued.  These products run the risk of being contaminated with a micro-organism called Bacillus cereus that causes flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The good news is that natural weight loss products actually have numerous advantages over the sugary and highly processed diet drinks offered under labels like Slim Fast.  One of the most important factors is that they are often made with whole foods and are therefore more easily digested.  This means that more of the vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients are being put to their proper use.  Instead of just curbing hunger, naturally healthy diet drinks nourish the body at a much higher level.

The variety of natural weight loss products is also a bonus for many consumers.  Because there are so many ingredients to choose from in nature, the combinations are nearly limitless.  Some healthy diet drinks include natural, whole food ingredients for the antioxidants they posses.  There’s certainly something to be said for a diet drink that not only helps you lose weight but also has potential cancer fighting attributes.

Eating healthy natural foods should always be considered before consuming sugary meal replacement products.  For those who need quick, on-the-go foods, there are pre-packaged options that utilize the concept of whole foods, in addition to promoting natural weight loss.

Hundreds of studies have been conducted to determine just how and why green tea and various types of herbal tea seem to make such a difference in health and vitality.

Herbal tea is often used medicinally by those who prefer a more natural approach to health.   It is believed that an upset stomach can be calmed by a cup of strong peppermint tea and sleeplessness overcome with a dose of chamomile tea.  It is even thought that various herbal teas, green tea among them, have the ability to prevent cancer.  Just the act of brewing and drinking a cup of herbal tea can be calming, as the aromas delight the drinker and the warm liquid soothes the throat.

Green tea is probably the most well-known and studied herbal tea.  Sources ranging from The Journal of the National Cancer Institute to the Mayo Clinic have found exceptional benefits to green tea and its components.  Coupled with thousands of years of documented anecdotes, the health benefits of herbal tea are compelling. In addition to potentially preventing cancer, green tea has also been credited with lowering the risk for heart disease, lessening symptoms of arthritis, preventing tooth decay, promoting natural weight loss and even eliminating bad breath.

Green tea is made from the Camellia sinensis bush, but an herbal tea can include other botanical elements, including leaves, roots, stems, and even the flowers of various plants.  It is possible to make “tea” that doesn’t use Camellia sinensis at all, although this would more accurately be referred to as an “herbal infusion” or “tisane” rather than an herbal tea.

Looking at the ingredients in most so-called health drinks it’s easy to see they are far from healthy.  Many of the sport drinks and vitamin waters on the shelves of convenience stores and health food stores are nothing more than candy-colored water.

When shopping for health drinks, here are a few ingredients to avoid:

·    High Fructose Corn Syrup – This is concentrated sugar that contributes to weight gain and abnormal blood sugar levels, which can also lead to diabetes.  Excess sugars have no place in health drinks.

·    Phosphoric Acid is just what it says it is – acid.  It is often defined as,  “A clear colorless liquid used in fertilizers, detergents, pharmaceuticals and food flavoring, irritating to the skin and eyes and moderately toxic if ingested.”

·    Artificial Flavors – Nutrition experts call them “Excito-toxins”.  Artificial flavorings in health drinks create substances that are more like soft drinks and candy.

·    Artificial Sweeteners – These are so unnecessary in health drinks today.  In addition to the acid forming properties of artificial sweeteners, nutritionists express concerns about their effects on the human body.  Many consumers now believe that artificial sweeteners may play a factor in diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimer’s.  That is one reason why corporations such as Pepsico and Coca Cola are beginning to market health drinks and other products containing Stevia, an all natural sweetener that is actually beneficial.

·    Isolated Vitamins – When isolated, processed, heated, liquefied and bottled, vitamins and minerals break down before the body can use them.  Vitamins and minerals should be obtained from whole foods, not from so called health drinks that are really bottled, heated, highly processed waters with colorful dyes and artificial ingredients.

Here is an actual ingredients list from a well-known sports drink that many people believe is a health drink:
·    Sucrose Syrup (this is sugar)
·    High Fructose Corn Syrup (more sugar) – A total of 56 gms of sugar
·    Phosphoric Acid
·    Glycerol ester of wood rosin
·    Modified Food Starch
·    Natural and Artificial Flavors
·    Yellow 6, Yellow 5 and Red 40 (artificial dyes)

Buying quality health drinks in a convenience store, grocery store, or health food store at the mall is almost impossible.  However, truly healthy drinks are easily found online by searching for all natural health drinks.

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.

Smarter consumers are beginning to understand the dangers of those toxic, convenience store energy drinks.  The caffeine and phosphates in most of those energy drinks are so acidic that the body is forced to leach calcium from bones to alkalize the blood.  The isolated vitamins are not recognized as real nutrients by the body.  The chemical ingredients do more harm than good, while the artificial sweeteners and sugars used in those energy drinks create disasters for the body.

There are some healthy energy drinks that actually taste good, fill the body with whole food nutrients, provide a mood boost, and cost about the same as those convenience store energy drinks.  These naturally healthy energy drinks supply the body with antioxidants for anti aging, complex carbohydrates for lasting energy, chlorophyll from plants for better oxygen flow, and live enzymes for enhanced absorption of the nutrients.

Here are two reasons to consume naturally healthy energy drinks instead of chemically enhanced energy drinks:

·    High caffeine energy drinks are very acidic, which contributes to a pH imbalance.  The body needs a balance of 80% alkaline foods to only 20% acid forming foods for proper pH.  An improper ratio of too many acid foods and beverages causes the body to break down faster as it pulls calcium from bones in order to maintain the right pH balance.  Naturally healthy energy drinks, on the other hand, are more often than not, alkaline by nature.  For more information about this, take the free alkaline food test.

·   Most energy drinks deprive the body of the health benefits of drinking water.  All the phosphates, sugar, caffeine and artificial ingredients take more water to process than they replace.  When the body doesn’t take in enough water then it suffers cellular dehydration.  When cells are dehydrated they die, which can lead to cancer and rapid aging.  Naturally healthy energy drinks enhance the benefits of drinking water.

Many young people who are drinking high caffeine energy drinks are actually walking around dehydrated, and are aging faster.  On the other hand, people who are consuming naturally healthy energy drinks that contain live nutrients from whole foods such as fruits and herbs are enjoying the benefits of drinking water, plus so much more.  They are experiencing natural, longer lasting energy from phytonutrients.  These phytonutrients are natural antioxidants that prevent the deterioration of cells and offer anti aging health benefits with each sip.  You can’t get that from an energy drink at the convenience store.

Stevia may be the only natural sugar free sweetener that is really healthy.  A calorie free sweetener that registers zero on the glycemic index, stevia can help individuals sustain normal blood sugar levels.  This makes it a very beneficial product for diabetics and other health conscious people who are striving to maintain a sugar free life.

Stevia is a plant in the Chrysanthemum family, which grows wild in parts of Paraguay and Brazil.  The plant’s extracts are up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, but have a negligible impact on blood glucose.  Stevia leaf extract has been used for centuries by native South American tribes as a sugar free sweetener in yerba mate and other teas.  It is also known for relieving ailments such as heartburn and for its antiseptic properties, which can be helpful in treating irritations of the skin.

Dr. Tei-Fu Chen, an herbalist and pharmacist from Taiwan, perfected a method to extract the nectar from the stevia leaves without using chemicals.  His company, Sunrider, successfully petitioned the FDA in 1995 to lift the import alert on the extract of stevia. This paved the way for other companies to use stevia as a sugar free, “dietary supplement”.  In 2007, Coca Cola petitioned the FDA for approval of stevia as a sugar free “food additive”.  That approval was given in 2008, and Coca Cola has now joined other major manufacturers in the production of stevia based, sugar free products.  Sunrider was one of the first companies to introduce stevia sweetener to the United States with the product Sunectar, in 1984, and later with SunnyDew liquid stevia.

More than twenty-five years of experience with stevia sweetener in the United States reveals that the benefits of this sugar free herbal extract seem to outweigh any negative consequences.  Through my own daily use of liquid stevia since 2001, I can say that it has helped to reduce cravings for sweets, and I am no longer searching for a healthy sugar free substitute.

Stevia sweetener has ended up in the spotlight recently because it is now widely accepted as the healthy alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. Among its appealing factors, stevia is 100% natural, contains zero calories and doesn’t cause spikes in blood sugar levels. Unlike sugar, which is known to cause tooth decay, stevia has even been found to help support healthy teeth and gums.

The sweetener is extracted from the stevia plant, which is related to lettuce and chicory.  There are different processing methods, so you will find stevia in powder and liquid form.  I have found that the liquid stevia sweetener not only tastes better, but people seem to receive more benefit from it.  This could be due to an extraction process that maintains the whole food structure of the stevia plant in liquid form, making it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients.

Stevia sweetener contains zero calories, which makes it appealing for anyone paying attention to their weight or the glycemic index.  Stevia sweetener has even been recommended for diabetics in many cases. This is because it does not affect blood glucose levels in the same way that sugar does.  Also, Stevia is several hundred times sweeter than sugar, which means that only a small amount needs to be used.  This is great news to those who want a healthy way to enhance the flavor of their foods and drinks. As stevia sweetener grows in popularity, so too does our understanding of new ways to utilize it.

It’s not always easy to determine what’s really healthy, but online health food stores are now offering greater details on products like health drinks.  As an owner of one such store, we often go to great lengths assuring customers that things like preservatives, isolated vitamins, artificial dyes or sweeteners are not included in our all natural foods and health drinks.

In addition, at our online health food store we have investigated the manufacturing facilities for the products we carry to be certain that they are processed at low temperatures.  This is the extra care that certain manufacturers take to maintain the complete food structures and live enzymes inherent in the whole food ingredients they use.  Unfortunately, some of the so-called health drinks and all natural foods at typical stores are devoid of nutrients because of the high temperatures involved in the packaging processes.  This is one of the major benefits of shopping with an online health food store.  You can know greater details about how your foods and drinks are prepared for you.

Today, some people avoid alternative methods of shopping for health foods and drinks because they fear a loss of modern day conveniences.  Of course, you know that if you can Google, you will easily find an “online health food store with all natural health drinks”.  Then, you will most likely uncover more detailed information on what you are buying than you could ever get from a typical retail store.

It’s as easy as a mouse click to understand how you and your family can live the healthiest life possible without being sold a shopping basket full of fake foods or candy-colored bottled waters.  This is not a passing fad. It’s a long lasting trend that is just beginning to develop as online health food store owners are leading the way for a new generation to discover a smarter way of shopping for truly all natural foods and health drinks.