The Whole Food Blog

The optimum nutrition for athletes contains live enzymes which allow nutrients to be absorbed most efficiently by the body.  Live enzymes are not like vitamins and minerals, but they are the catalysts to get those nutrients into the cells.  Think of them as the key that opens the door to the cell and lets the vitamins and minerals in to do their work.

From ‘The Nutrition Almanac-4th Edition‘ (1996 McGraw Hill, Gayla J. Kirschmann and John D. Kirschmann), here is the definition of live enzymes: “The active chemicals in the digestive juices which cause the chemical breakdown of foods are called enzymes, combinations of amino acids that are capable of inducing chemical changes in other substances“.

The importance of live enzymes in nutrition for athletes cannot be overstated, “In short, virtually nothing happens in the body without the help of enzymes“, says Ellen W. Cutler, co-author of ‘Micro Miracles‘.  For the body to function at full potential, experts agree it is a good idea to load up on nutrition for athletes with live enzymes.

While there are 1,300 different kinds of live enzymes that help your body function, the most familiar are digestive enzymes.  If your body does not have enough of these then the organs change functions. The liver and the pancreas switch from making metabolic enzymes, so tasks like converting fat into energy are given a lower priority. That is not good for athletes requiring nutrition to burn fat and generate energy. Live enzymes help provide essential nutrition for athletes to most effectively burn fat and create energy.

According to Joseph Brasco, M.D., Gastroenterologist at the Center of Colon and Digestive Diseases in Huntsville, Alabama, “Because the pancreas and liver need energy to produce enzymes, the resulting drain renders the organs temporarily unable to perform their functions of detoxification, blood sugar control and fat burning“.

Fortunately, live enzymes are abundant in whole foods that provide perfectly natural nutrition for athletes.  Now, it is easier than ever to find concentrated nutrients with live enzymes from whole food sources.  Some of the best natural foods and health drinks, available online, have a strong regenerating effect on the liver and pancreas, as well as the adrenals, reproductive glands, nervous system and kidneys.

To get the right digestive juices for turning nutrients into energy, discover nutrition for athletes with live enzymes.  Look for natural foods and health drinks that are made from whole food ingredients like real fruits and herbs. Feed your body the nutrients it is crying out for along with the live enzymes to absorb those nutrients more effectively, and it will perform better for you over the long term.

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

For proper pregnancy nutrition, many experts agree that it is better to obtain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from whole foods, not isolated supplements.  Whole food nutrients are easier for the body to absorb, whereas isolated vitamins and minerals are often eliminated as waste before they can actually be put to use.

Essential elements of pregnancy nutrition include:
*  calcium
*  protein
*  phosphorus
*  potassium
*  folic acid (folate)
*  Vitamins A, D, C, E and the entire B complex.

Nutrition facts point to calcium as an important mineral for sound pregnancy nutrition.  It is especially challenging to get enough calcium from whole foods like fruits and vegetables.

Some of the more familiar sources of calcium are:
*  Broccoli
*  Yogurt
*  Cheese
*  Milk
*  Beans

Dandelion is a natural source of calcium from a whole food source and alfalfa has a high level of calcium, but these are a little harder to include in daily pregnancy nutrition.  There is one whole food calcium supplement that includes dandelion and alfalfa along with other whole food calcium sources, but you won’t find it in a typical health food store.

It is equally important that Vitamin D2 is present in the calcium supplement for perfect pregnancy nutrition.  Vitamin D2 is crucial to aid the body in absorbing calcium.  In one particular natural whole food calcium supplement, 3 types of calcium are included with different absorption characteristics, and Vitamin D2 is present to augment the absorption of calcium.

Of course some supplements may be necessary to get all the required nutrients for proper pregnancy nutrition.  However, it is important to consider how they are made and where the nutrients are coming from.  Isolated vitamins like those typically found on store shelves will be next to useless for sound pregnancy nutrition.  In addition to supplements, there are whole food formulas that provide sound pregnancy nutrition in health drink concentrates.  These drinks make it easy for expectant mothers to get the nutrients they need for perfect pregnancy nutrition while satisfying whole food requirements.

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.

Those who understand the power of nutrition and high fiber food know that 25-35 grams of fiber are the daily amounts recommended for a healthy diet.  Here are 5 simple ways to remember to get that much fiber each day.

1.    “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”

An apple is the perfect high fiber food to eat anywhere for a good source of fiber in a convenient, ready to eat package.  Apples provide a quick way to pick up 5 grams of fiber.

2.    “Beans, beans, good for your heart”

Beans are indeed good for the heart and for their high fiber food content.  Few foods with as much fiber are as economical and versatile as beans.  Soups often provide a good source of beans. Some fast food chains have bean burritos, chili or salads with beans, and of course, rice and beans are always popular.  Black beans provide as much as 7g of fiber per 1/4 cup, a quarter cup of pinto beans rings up a hefty 12g of fiber per serving, and Garbanzo beans offer 9g of high fiber food per 1/4 cup serving.

3.    “Breakfast is the most important meal”.

Breakfast is the first opportunity to start the day with plenty of fiber.  A bowl of oatmeal, a piece of whole-wheat toast, and a multi-grain muffin are wholesome high fiber food choices for breakfast. Each one provides 3-5g of fiber or more, and they’re easy to prepare.

4.    “High fiber food is good for your mood”

For a quick snack any time of day without the guilt of eating junk, a high fiber food bar is a good mood booster.  A snack bar should provide at least 4g of fiber in a serving or it isn’t worth the calories.  All too often, people eat candy bars and power bars that offer little or no fiber.  Look for all natural high fiber food bars on the Internet to get the most nutrition for your dollar.

5.    “Shake it up and go”.

Get 5g of fiber in health drinks that provide excellent sources of soluble fiber.  In fact, some high fiber drinks even has FOS, a soluble fiber that is typically found in foods like onion, garlic, oats, and barley.  High fiber foods in a health drink make it really easy to add 5g of fiber to any diet.

Add these five high fiber food reminders to your daily routine and you will easily consume 25-35 grams of fiber each day.

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.

Many people know that high fiber foods are essential for a healthy diet.  However, not as many know about the benefits of fiber rich foods with FOS for the digestive system.  FOS is an acronym for fructooligosaccharides.  These are carbohydrates that come naturally from high fiber foods such as garlic, onions, leeks, oats, barley, rye, and chicory root.

One reason that natural fructooligosaccharides are good for digestion is that they are probiotics.  They help the body create its own healthy bacteria, which is necessary to fight off the unhealthy bacteria in the digestive system.  This is especially beneficial in a world where so many antibiotics have entered the food supply.  Antibiotics not only destroy the bad germs, but the good bacteria, too.  Additionally, when there are enough friendly bacteria in the colon, the body is able to produce a healthy dose of B vitamins.

Most high fiber foods sweep the intestines, but FOS also works like a scrub brush for the intestinal walls.

Here are several good reasons to consume high fiber foods with FOS on a regular basis:

1.    The body can absorb nutrients more efficiently as food passes without difficulty through the intestinal walls.
2.    The growth of good bacteria, such as Acidophilus, Bifidus, and Faccium will be stimulated in the digestive system.
3.    Cholesterol and triglycerides may be reduced as fat is more easily trapped in the intestinal tract where it can be flushed out faster.
4.    Better assimilation of complex carbohydrates from high fiber foods that take longer to digest will provide longer lasting energy, which is good for blood sugar regulation.
5.    Probiotics from FOS can minimize yeast infection, Candida, and bloating.
6.    Symptoms of constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and lactose intolerance may decrease.

Unfortunately, onions, leeks, barley, oats, rye, garlic, and chicory root are not high fiber foods that the average person will eat often enough to get all the benefits of FOS.  Fortunately, there are other ways to get fructooligosaccharides.  Search the Internet for natural high fiber foods with FOS.

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.

Natural weight loss is different from shedding pounds with fasting programs or diet pills.  It is ideally achieved by adding more whole foods that are nutrient dense, while avoiding highly processed fake foods.  Instead of searching for low carb, low fat replacements to your favorite foods, this method of natural weight loss involves an entirely different way of fortifying your body.

Changing your diet to include more whole foods requires a mental shift in the way you think about nutrition.  One switch is to eat only raw fruits and vegetables, but that is very hard for most people to do.  While this method has worked for some in their efforts to achieve natural weight loss, it is very difficult to stick to this kind of diet.  The time and effort to buy, prepare and consume only raw, whole foods is just too much for most people.  That’s why it’s easy to quickly give up on this method of natural weight loss.

Fortunately, in our world of modern conveniences we now have access to perfectly formulated products that contain all the whole food nutrients of raw fruits and vegetables without the hassle.  I’m not trying to advertise a specific product here, but rather to open your eyes to a different way of achieving natural weight loss while also gaining better overall fitness.  The key is to adjust your perception of how you can make your nutritional purchases more productive. Thanks to modern advances, it’s really not any more difficult or expensive to have a healthy diet than to have one full of junk, but you have to change they way you shop.

There are so many options available now that the biggest barrier to natural weight loss often is a mental one.  Once you make the choice to lose weight naturally, however, you will find that the information and products necessary are easier to find than you ever realized.  The best place to start is the Internet.  Search for all natural nutrient dense foods to find the concentrated whole food formulas that will lead to natural weight loss.