The Whole Food Blog

‘Whole foods’ is not just the name of a grocery store chain, but an essential part of any healthy diet. This explains what they are, why you need them, and how to obtain them.

Whole foods are often thought of as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, and legumes.

Whole grains are a wholesome choice for whole foods as they are among the ultimate defenders against disease. One reason for this is their capacity to slow digestion, consequently more nutrients are absorbed for use by the body. All through the digestive process they cause changes within the intestine which allows helpful bacteria production, creating a more robust immune system. Whole grains also are made up of phytoestrogens and other phytochemicals which are known to break down carcinogens.

Research has shown that the human body can distinguish the discrepancies between whole and fragmented foods, even if the ‘missing’ nutrients are consumed separately as supplements, and will benefit more from whole foods. This is why it is essential for a healthy diet to be made up of a minimum of 70% whole foods, allowing for the healthiest absorption of valuable nutrients.

A contemporary way to realize this 70% mark is to add concentrated whole foods and power packed juices to your daily regimen. Concentrated formulas make it possible to obtain more valuable nutrients in fewer calories, requiring less time and effort.

High fiber foods can aid in digestion, promote healthy weight loss, and even lower risks for diseases like diabetes and cancer.  With such benefits, it’s hard to imagine why more people aren’t stocking their cupboards with high fiber foods.

While the fiber gets chewed up and becomes very small, it does not actually get absorbed into the body.  Instead, it passes from one end of the digestive system to the other, doing several very important jobs along the way.

1.    High fiber foods take a little longer to chew, which gives the body time to recognize when it is full.  This stalls cravings for more food.

2.    The slower absorption of high fiber foods in the stomach means that a person feels full for a longer period of time, contributing to natural weight loss.

3.    As the high fiber foods make their way to the stomach, they slow down the overall absorption of nutrients into the blood stream.  One thing that slows down is the absorption of sugar.  In addition to affecting mood and energy, this lessens strain on the pancreas, which can lead to diabetes.

4.    As fiber continues through the digestive tract, the little particles actually brush the insides of the intestines, removing built-up waste materials.  This helps to prevent irritations that can lead to polyps and cancer.

5.    At the end of the digestive process, fiber moves waste out of the body.

It is recommended that the average adult consume between 25 and 35 grams of fiber daily, yet most of us get about half that.  The best source of this substance is in naturally occurring high fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

Many people don’t realize that something as simple as choosing healthy snacks can have an incredible impact on their lives.  Those who get a good balance of nutrients instead of an overabundance of sugar and empty calories have many advantages.  For example, their bodies are properly balanced, so mood swings and energy crashes are not a problem.  Balanced meals and healthy snacks provide the right fuel for the development of the most important organ, the brain.  Those who don’t get proper nutrition are more easily distracted, and have a harder time learning.

No modern conversation about nutrition would be complete without addressing the topic of obesity.  This disease has become an epidemic, with children suffering greatly.  Just by making better food choices, including healthy snacks for kids, adults can help steer the next generation in a healthier direction.  Diseases such as diabetes are running rampant among children, and evidence points squarely at poor nutrition and lack of exercise.  Making the switch to healthy snacks early on can help completely avoid much of the emotional, physical, and financial trauma that accompanies obesity-related illnesses.

By making simple alterations to the daily menu now, we can teach kids to make healthier choices.  In fact, by simply modeling the appropriate behavior, parents aren’t teaching blatant lessons so much as they are laying the groundwork for an overall healthy lifestyle.

Parents who only offer healthy snacks for kids are doing their children a great service.  The kids have little or no idea what they’re “missing,” and when it comes time to make their own choices, they will already be conditioned to go for the healthy snacks.

Someone asked recently, “Can you mentally overcome food cravings?”  It sounds like they have already taken the first psychological step to conquering cravings, which is being aware that there is something uncomfortable happening.  Most people would just reach for candy or a soda, and think, “Oh, that’s how you fix that.”  Unfortunately, one craving soon leads to another and another, as the body is always looking for satisfaction.

Have you ever noticed that you can eat a big meal and still feel unsatisfied, like there’s something missing? That’ s because the body is always craving something sweet, salty or fatty.  These are the three biggest food cravings.  Often, it can seem like the mind is constantly being pulled toward one of those 3.  If you get too much fat in your meal, but not enough sweetness, then you’re going to want dessert. It’s the body looking for balance, which of course, affects the mind.

I don’t think that you can train your mind to overcome food cravings without addressing the imbalances in your diet first.  Once you get the sweet/salt/fat overdoses eliminated, then the body can achieve its own natural balance.  Everything starts to feel more harmonious and it is easier to adjust your thoughts and avoid food cravings

It’s all about achieving balance physically and mentally.  Whole food health drinks are an easy tool to use to help the body maintain balance.  As for your mind, by remaining clearly focused on how you feel and how you really want to feel, you are well on the way to conquering food cravings.

This whole food recipe is in honor of Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sotomayor.  It’s based on a traditional Puerto Rican soup that is typically made with pork. However, this vegan dish calls for green plantains molded into shapes resembling meatballs and gandules, a favorite of Sotomayor as well as many other Puerto Ricans.

In a recent speech, Sotomayor proclaimed, “For me, a very special part of my being Latina is the mucho platos de arroz, gandules y pernir — rice, beans and pork — that I have eaten at countless family holidays and special events.”

Gandules, or pigeon peas, and green plantains are a staple in Puerto Rican dishes. This soup is a healthy, whole food that is loaded with plantains and gondules, but avoids the use of animal products.

Sopa de Platanos Verde con Gandules
(Plantain soup with green plantains and pigeon peas)

Gandules:

* 1 lb.gandules (fresh or frozen or canned)
* 2 Qts water
* 2tsp sea salt
* 4 cloves of chopped garlic
* (If using canned you can skip to making the sauce. Otherwise, use the water from the can and add 1 ½ quarts of water.)
* Fresh or frozen-rinse and cook in 2qts of water for about 45 minutes, or until the peas are tender.

Sauce:

* 1 green pepper chopped
* ½ onion chopped
* 2 cloves chopped garlic
* 1 Tablespoon capers
* ½ C green stuffed olives
* 8oz canned tomato sauce
* 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
* 1 Qt vegetable broth
* 2-3 large very green plantains (peel and cut into pieces)
* 1tsp sea salt
* 1/3 Cup water or rice milk

Saute peppers, onions, capers, and olives in olive oil for 5 minutes, place in large soup pot, add broth, then heat to simmer. Add cooked gandules. Cut off the ends of the plantains and score the skin with a sharp knife. This makes it easier to remove the peels. Place plantain pieces in a food processor, add sea salt, and slowly add water to make a soft mixture. Form mixture into round balls, a little smaller than golf ball size. Drop the balls into the heated soup. Simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings

Cliff Smith on the Ridgeline Trail in the Superstition Mountain Wilderness, Arizona

I’m writing this after an 11-mile hike in the Superstition Mountains near Phoenix, Arizona on a hot day in May.  More about what that has to do with healthy food in a moment.  First, the FDA has asked for a recall of Hydroxycut products because people have suffered liver injuries from them.  This is another case of get fit fast, chemical concoctions that are just plain unhealthy.  That’s why it’s always better to get your nutrition from healthy food rather than chemical formulas.

I’m living proof that healthy food supports a healthy body that can achieve fitness goals.  Here’s exactly what I ate today for my big hike, and I feel great after six and a half hours of hiking in the Arizona sun:

7:30am – 1 healthy whole food concentrate, 1 banana (frozen), and 16 oz of rice milk.

8:30am – 1 fiber food bar on the drive to the trailhead.

9:00am – Start hiking, loaded up with 150 oz of water mixed with a hydrating formula to balance electrolytes.

11:30 am- A handful of walnuts and raisins, 2 small organic dates, 1 healthy food concentrate.

12:30 pm – 1 apple

1:30 pm –  2 more dates

3: 45pm – Finished the hike and drained the last sips of my electrolyte fluid.

4:15pm – 1 healthy food concentrate with 12 oz of rice milk and 1 frozen banana

6:00pm – A bowl of salad with various healthy food ingredients and Annie’s Natural Goddess salad dressing (to bond with my feminine side)

8:00pm –1 fiber bar, with a tablespoon of organic peanut butter.

9:00pm – I’m completely satisfied and ready for rest.

This proves that a healthy food plan, based on whole foods, works to energize the body, balance nutrients and satisfy hunger.  Healthy food concentrates are great because they’re so easy to use and quickly absorbed by the body that they provide instant satisfaction.

Next weekend, I’m hiking 20 miles in the Grand Canyon with my teenage son.  If I can convince him to eat this kind of healthy food, our backpacks will be much lighter.

Today, I’m committing myself to a week of pure, healthy, whole food nutrition.  Normally, I eat some things that aren’t necessarily healthy food, but at least for the next week, I’m keepin’ it real with only whole foods.

Why do I feel the need to adopt a strict, healthy food plan consisting of only whole foods?
I broke my arm in a bicycle accident about 8 weeks ago, so I haven’t been as active as usual.  Now, my physical therapy is kickin’ into high gear and I’m eager to get back on the mountain bike with all the gusto I had before.  Also, I need to be ready for backpacking 20 miles at the Grand Canyon with my teenage son.  I know that this healthy food plan is the quickest way to rev up the energy level and reach optimum fitness because it has worked for me before.  The first time, I lost about 8 pounds a week for a total of 30 pounds in 4 weeks, which really turned my level of cycling up a few notches.  I was able to ride farther, faster, longer and enjoy speedier recovery times.

I am eager to get back on the mountain bike

I started my healthy, whole food diet this morning and already notice a difference.  How can that be you ask?  It’s all about attitude.  I believe that by committing to a new healthy food routine, I receive an instant energy increase and a quick mood boost.  Adopting new healthy food habits that I know are good for me, gives my mind and body a lift right out of the gate.  I’m already thinking more clearly, feeling more relaxed, and saving time by not eating and thinking about food so often.

Please understand that this plan involves the use of whole food concentrates and health drinks from my online health food store.  This is not an attempt to convince people to buy these products. It’s just that I’ve been using these healthy foods and drinks for over 8 years and know they work, especially when I consume more of them and less “store bought” food.  These healthy foods and drinks work so well because all the nutrients are still in their whole food state.  This means they have live enzymes, complex carbohydrates and other valuable nutrients that the body absorbs efficiently, which curbs cravings for other, unhealthy foods.

Here’s how my healthy, whole food plan works:

Breakfast: 1 Cocoa VitaShake mixed with 16 oz of water, 1 Cinnamon Fortune Delight, 1 Quinary, 1 ripe banana (broken in chunks and frozen) and 3-4 drops of Sunnydew stevia sweetener , all blended together.

Drink 1 Quart (32oz) of Calli tea with Sunnydew Stevia throughout the morning.

Midmorning Snack: 1 Fruit or Chocolate Sunbar.  If still hungry for some healthy food, then eat an apple or a handful of nuts.

Drink 2 quarts of Fortune Delight with Sunnydew Stevia throughout the day.

Lunch: 1 NuPlus and 1 Quinary mixed with 8oz of rice milk

Midafternoon Snack:  1 Fruit or Chocolate Sunbar.  If still hungry, then maybe eat a small salad, piece of fruit, handful of nuts, or other whole, healthy food.

Dinner: 1 Nuplus mixed with 10oz of rice milk and frozen banana chunks
If still hungry, have another NuPlus.

A cup or two of Calli Night to sleep like a baby.

I’ll continue to provide updates on my progress.  Let me know if you have any questions about my personal healthy whole food diet.