OneHealthyGirl.com - Carla Golden's Get Healthier! Blog

The 8 Most Forgotten Fruity Vegetables

Somehow the 80/10/10 low-fat raw vegan diet is misunderstood as an all-fruit diet. Yes, it is heavy on the fruit, but it is also heavy on the vegetables, especially tender, leafy greens that are ready to eat raw.

I'm going to break down this misconception for you and then surprise you!

First, all fruits and vegetables contain a combination of carbohydrate, protein and fat. For example a cucumber has 83% of its calories from carbohydrate, 11% from protein and 6% from fat. Amazing, huh? (And that's not even the surprise I have for you!) A peach has 86% of its calories from carbohydrate, 8% from protein and 6% from fat. Wow!

It is not commonly understood that fruit has protein, is it?

So when eating an 80/10/10 diet, the goal is to eat 80% minimum of your daily calories from raw carbohydrates, 10% maximum of your daily calories from raw protein and 10% maximum of your daily calories from raw fat.

Raw is important because all the water, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber and molecules are intact. It's Mother Nature's perfect food for you!

So how do you know how many calories a day you need? Every living human needs approximately 1,200 calories a day to breath, pump blood, metabolize, think, and do basic functions. If you are quite sedentary (desk job, immobile, wheel-chair bound) you can add another 1-300 calories to your daily intake.

If you are fairly active you can add 3-600 more daily calories to fuel your walking here & there, housecleaning, playing with the kids, gardening, grocery shopping, and other active, but not highly athletic, pursuits.

If you exercise daily and/or are very active, you can add 7-800 more calories. Those training for or participating in long-distance or highly-specialized events or manual labor could add upward of 1,500 extra calories or more. 

When gauging your daily caloric needs (and each day may differ so estimate an average) you also want to keep in mind if you want to lose weight, maintain weight or gain weight. Once you've determined your average daily caloric needs, you can shave off 100+ calories to lose weight over time or add calories to slowly gain weight. 

For simplicity's sake, let's say I am moderately active and work-out about 3 days a week. On average let's estimate that I need roughly 1,800 calories a day to maintain my weight, fitness and activity levels.

So, according to 80/10/10, I would need approximately 1,440 calories a day from raw carbohydrates, 180 calories from raw protein and 180 calories from raw fat.

Since all raw fruit, raw vegetables, raw seeds and raw nuts are comprised of a combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat, eating any of these foods will start to build up your daily requirements. There are no raw, unprocessed foods that are just carbohydrate, just protein or just fat.

Raw, leafy greens (lettuces, spinach, chard, cabbage, kale, etc.) are a must in any diet to supply important minerals not available in other foods. One whole head of romaine lettuce offers 39 calories with 68% carbohydrates, 17% protein and 15% fat. If I'm trying to meet 1,800 calories per day, you can see that eating even several heads of romaine lettuce a day won't get me far.

The greens are essential but one can not rely upon them to meet daily caloric needs.

Here's your surprise! Below are 8 fruits often referred to as vegetables. So when the 80/10/10 diet is perceived as an all-fruit diet, it isn't far from the truth, but fruit eaters know that they're enjoying raw foods commonly mis-identified as vegetables.

1. Cucumber

2. Eggplant

3. Okra

4. Bell peppers

5. Squash: yellow, zucchini, acorn, butternut, spaghetti, hubbard

6. Tomatoes

7. Pumpkin

8. Avocado

I know much of this 80/10/10 outline may sounds complex. The best way to fully understand the reasons to eat this way, how to eat this way and why the 80/10/10 diet can help reverse and prevent illness is to read Dr. Graham's book.

Personally I eat the 80/10/10 way about 80% of the time. I love the cleanliness & simplicity of the raw fruit & veggies. Between Friday dinner and through Saturday dinner, I take a break and enjoy some of the foods that I was eating before 80/10/10 came into my life.

I've been keeping a Food Diary since August 13th on my OneHealthyGirl.com Facebook page that you can see here.

Hopefully this helps shatter the perception that the 80/10/10 is an all-fruit diet. Lots of greens and vegetable-fruits compliment the more calorie-dense fruits which provide fuel to happily, energetically and hygienically get through the day beautifully!

Be & stay well, Pretty Darn Fruity Carla!

1. Did you know that all fruits and vegetables contain a combination of carbohydrate, protein & fat? Tell me yes or no by commenting on this post or on Facebook. 

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2. . Find a Nutrition Counselor or 71 other types of therapists where you live on WellnessDestinationsCentral.com. Lifestyle Coaching & Emotional Freedom Techniques therapies have just been added!!

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Final Score: Migraine: 0, Veggies: 1

Ever since I gave birth to my daughter nearly 11 years ago, I have had menstrual migraines. Pregnancy & delivery corrected my irregular periods but I was left with regular painful migraine episodes as my hormones shifted during my menstrual period.

As if motherhood weren't headache enough! (Just kidding!)

As I've altered my diet over the years I have seen improvement in frequency, duration and severity of the migraines. Eating the 80/10/10 way has given me the most relief.

My husband and I eat mostly the 80/10/10 way 6 days a week (a bowl of homemade popcorn here and there, a bit of roasted nori, a bowl of soup on occasion) and we take off Friday night through Saturday night to celebrate the weekend. 

Since we don't drink alcohol or partake in the usual weekend shenanigans, we opt for some of our favorite restaurant food or homemade dishes. We go out for Mexican burritos, Japanese sushi, Greek food, salads at the local pizza place or stay home and make fried farm fresh eggs or Caesar salad. It's mostly vegetarian fare with some seafood...no steaks, burgers, fast food, heavy desserts, etc. 

This month my period started on Saturday morning, right in the midst of our "day off." It's clear to me how cooked food impacts & influences my hormones because I became uncharacteristically irritable, lethargic & short-tempered Friday afternoon. Sunday I could feel all day my head becoming more sensitive to lights & sounds: the precursor to migraine onset.

Taking Ibuprofen doesn't appeal to me so I opted to conduct an experiment. If cooked food can increase my migraine potential as I believed it did, then raw food can reverse or decrease my migraine potential.

Off to the store I went for lots of VEGGIES: 4 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, 1 stalk of celery hearts, 1 beet, 4 carrots with tops, 1/2 bunch Italian parsley, & 2 big handfuls of spinach. Inspired by Kristina Bucaram's Real V8 Juice recipe, I juiced all these veggies and strained it into a nice big pitcher. (Btw, I know tomatoes & cucumbers are technically fruit.)

Into the tub, filled with epsom salts, lavender & bergamot essential oils, I went with my reading material (my favorite The Sun magazine) and veggie juice. After the tub I ate a full bag of cold, sweet red grapes.

Guess what?

I went to bed pain free. All the light & sound sensitivity, irritability & short-temperedness vanished. My energy returned and it was a challenge to fall asleep because I felt so great, energized & alive for the first time that day!

Try it for yourself. If you are prone to migraines of any kind (hormone induced or not), nurture yourself with fresh, raw produce and see if your symptoms can be reduced or eradicated. Do not underestimate the immediate healing power of food. 

Staring at this screen composing this message is triggering some light sensitivity and head discomfort, so I'm going to sign off and make another batch of that healing juice. Too bad it's the middle of my work day and I can't slip back into that healing tub too!

Be & stay well, Pain-free Carla!

1. Do you suffer from migraine headaches? Will you try this juice recipe the next time you feel once coming on? If so let me know by commenting on this post or on Facebook. Forward & share this blog post with friends & family who suffer from migraines so they can try the juice too. Click those cute social media buttons below to spread the message. 

2. . Find a Nutrition Counselor or 68 other types of therapists where you live on WellnessDestinationsCentral.com.

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How to Know if Your Banana Measures Up

Bananas are one of the world's most popular fruits. Runners love them for their potassium, mother's love them for their tendency to plug up a child stricken with diarrhea. So do they keep you on the go, or keep you from going?

Well, both! 

It depends on what stage of ripening you eat the banana in which determines how the banana will behave in your body.

When a banana is picked for the grocery store, it is picked and shipped green (unripe). In this stage the banana is comprised of a type of resistant starch for which the human body lacks the enzyme to break down. This banana (#1-6) will plug you up. Plus it has that awful "dry" texture that makes you want to spit it out. 

Isn't it interesting to know that the word "starch" is derived from Middle English sterchen, meaning to stiffen. Um, hello. Stiff bowels are NOT good.

After a banana ripens it turns yellow and starts to show brown spots: speckles & smudges (#7). The resistant starch has turned to sugar which is now fuel ready & waiting for your body.

By the way, corn does the same thing. Unripe corn will bind you up, ripe corn will provide immediate fuel. Unfortunately it's not as obvious when corn is ripe as when bananas are ripe. A bit of quick research about corn tells that waiting until the corn tassels are brown & dry and if the kernel, when pricked, exudes a bit of "milk" then the corn is ripe.

Bananas are awesome! They are available year around. One medium size ripe banana has 89 calories and is comprised of 93% carbohydrate, 4% protein and 3% fat.

Make sure all your future bananas feature some brown spots. Don't wait until they are mushy. Now you know why I eat upwards of 6 bananas a day: once they are the perfect ripeness, they need to be consumed ASAP before spoiling. 

Organic bananas are about 30 cents more per pound than conventional. Bananas are not on the Dirty Dozen list because you don't eat the peel. I buy organic when they are available, but I don't hesitate to buy conventional when organic is sold out. 

Be & stay well, Carla-gone-bananas!

1. Are you going to change the way you eat bananas? If so let me know by commenting on this post or on Facebook. Forward & share this blog post with friends & family so they can too. Click those cute social media buttons below to spread the message. 

2. . Find a Nutrition Counselor or 68 other types of therapists where you live on WellnessDestinationsCentral.com.

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Mixing House Guests & 80/10/10: PANIC!

I'm feeling a bit stressed at the moment. Excited, yet stressed. We have house guests coming this afternoon - an old college friend who I haven't seen in ages & her daughter - and they are staying three nights. I'm pretty sure my friend doesn't read my blog and I pretty double certain that she doesn't eat 80/10/10 or even know what it is. 

ACK!

Boy is she in for a surprise!

So I've been looping around in my head how to invite her into our home, be a good hostess, indulge her in some vacation food all while staying true to my (er, our...this affects hubby too) commitment to an 80/10/10 lifestyle. This is one of "those situations" that often keeps people from changing their lifestyle when they project how life will be different & challenging.

Of course, you know this is all so much deeper than food. It's about staying true to yourself about anything while being compatible with others whether at work, home or play. It's a arduous balance to achieve and there are several ways to approach it.

Option #1 aka The Chad Golden Method: Eat 80/10/10 as usual, and if the house guests are hungry for something other than fruit then they can eat elsewhere. Or they can stay and eat fruit. It'll be good for them. When in the Golden house, eat as the Goldens do. (This is what you get when you ask hostess advice from a guy.)

Option #2 aka The "This is How I Was Raised" Carla Golden Method: Inconvenience no one but yourself. Do not rock the boat. Make life simple & easy for others. Don't stand out or be different. Put other's needs & wants first. Play along while secretly dreaming of watermelon juice, cherries, bananas & spinach. Feel like crap for three days and take two weeks to recover from the "regular" food binge. Be completely accommodating.

Option #3 aka The Love & Share Method: Chad and I love our new 80/10/10 lifestyle. We feel great, sleep great, are enjoying high energy and activity levels and like what & who we see in the mirror. Why would we not want to share the love, freedom & joy that we've discovered? Wouldn't it be a disservice to conceal all this goodness, liberation and knowledge?

I am reminded of the famous, nearly overused, quote by Marianne Williamson but it bears repeating here: 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

When you and I live in our light & our truth, without a trace of shame, it is a service to others regardless of the topic.

This is how I see our visit play out in regards to food, a solution that keeps everyone in their light: Chad and I stick with our 80/10/10 way of eating, invite our friend to partake with us if she chooses. If she would rather feed herself and child different food then we can call for take-out or make a run to the grocery store. We'll go out to eat a time or two to a restaurant where we know that there will be options for everyone. 

It reminds me of parallel play where children play side-by-side but are engaged in different activities. It's a healthy developmental stage. So we will do some parallel eating where we will eat side-by-side but will partake of different foods. No biggie!

It might be challenging to have our friend cook or bring in standard fare into our 80/10/10 home but this is how we'll stay true to ourselves while being accommodating. We will not impose our lifestyle on her nor will we acquiesce to the status quo.

And anyway, whoever said that everyone at the same table has to eat the same food? It doesn't happen in a restaurant so why does it have to happen in the home? I think the cook (aka Mom) makes this rule! Well, if the cook is happy to share kitchen space (and I am!), then let the parallel eating method commence!

Be well, Almost an Impeccable Hostess Carla.

1. Are you reluctant to change your lifestyle for fear that life with others will get difficult & challenging? If so let me know what one step you'll take to stay in your light (hint: assure others that they don't have to change with you, think creatively about how old rituals & new habits can co-exist) by commenting on this post or on Facebook. Forward & share this blog post with friends & family so they can contemplate change too. Click those cute social media buttons below to spread the message. 

2. . Find a Nutrition Counselor or 68 other types of therapists where you live on WellnessDestinationsCentral.com.

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The Deal with Uricase and the Warning Sign that You Don't Have Enough

What I am about to share with you may be shocking. I know it surprised me!

Uricase, or urate oxidase, is an enzyme which metabolizes uric acid in flesh. Uric acid is a by-product of the metabolic breakdown of purines.

Stay with me...

Purines are found in high concentration in meat and meat products, especially internal organs like liver and kidney. Examples of high-purine sources include sweetbreads, anchovies, sardines, liver, beef kidneys, brains, meat extracts, herring, mackerel, scallops, game meats, beer (yes, beer) and gravy.

A moderate amount of purine is also contained in beef, pork, poultry, other fish and seafood, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, green peas, lentils, dried peas, beans, oatmeal, wheat bran, wheat germ and hawthorn.

When you ingest purine-containing food and drink, uric acid is produced during digestion. Uricase is needed to metabolize that uric acid.

If uric acid is not metabolized, urate crystals are formed and situations like the following may, over time, occur:

• kidney stones
• gout (a type of arthritis)
• type 2 diabetes 
• cardiovascular disease 
• metabolic syndrome 

So how do you know if you're deficient in uricase? Well, look in the mirror. Are you human? If yes, then you don't produce ANY uricase. All humans have a non-functional gene for uricase.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Say what? So how does your body manage to breakdown uric acid? 

Uric acid passes through the kidneys at a very slow rate causing it to build up in the blood stream. The uric acid it can't pee out, your body must neutralize with alkalizing minerals, primarily calcium. The result is calcium urate crystals which can, over time, give rise to:

• gout
• arthritis
• rheumatism
• bursitis 
• kidney stones
• high blood pressure 
• varicose veins & Phlebitis 

The top 10 alkalizing calcium-containing foods are:

• sesame seeds - 351 mg per cup, tahini (sesame seed butter - 126 mg per tablespoon)
• chia seeds
• dark leafy greens (collards, kelp, kale, turnip greens, arugula, mustard greens)
• flax seeds - 52 mg per two tablespoons
• quinoa
• blackstrap molasses - 137 mg per tablespoon
• oranges - 52 mg per one medium orange
• beans
• broccoli - 124 mg per two cups
• nuts - (brazil nuts, almonds. almond butter)
• dried herbs
• celery - 81 mg per two cups 
• papaya - 73 mg per medium papaya 
• sunflower seeds 
• okra - 172 mg per one cup 

Ramp up those calcium-rich foods and dial down those purine-rich foods to avoid a painful & avoidable health crisis. And don't look up gout on Google Images. Trust me!

Be well, Almost Purine-free Carla.

1. Are you motivated to reduce your purine intake starting today? If so let me know what one step you'll take (hint: more oranges, less beer) by commenting on this post or on Facebook. Forward & share this blog post with friends & family so they can get in on the purine liberation too. Click those cute social media buttons below to spread the message. 

2. IT STARTS TOMORROW!!! Did you sign up for The Brilliant Body Health Summit in order to learn about the benefits of eating an 80/10/10 diet from over 25 experts who have re-mastered their health? I'll be there! Starts July 24th online!

3. Find a Nutrition Counselor or 68 other types of therapists where you live on WellnessDestinationsCentral.com.

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The Best Minimalist Kitchen Ever!

I don't know about you, but clutter makes me claustrophobic. Uncomfortable. Edgy. Itchy. Wiggy. Are you with me on this one? I am a fan of minimalism, however I can not say that I'm an absolute devotee. It would be more accurate to say that I'm a devoted fan of simplicity and organization which are key tenants of minimalism. 

As a child I labeled my own toys shelves, so it's evident that I arrived this way and the ability to stay organized has served me well, personally and professionally, over the years. However the dark side of being organized is, when confronted with a creative opportunity, I immediately and habitually size up the time required to undo the creative mess before I decide whether to participate. If the creative project is happening in my house, oftentimes the answer is "no." Which brings me to the kitchen....

"I only have a kitchen because it came with the house."

While I LOVE food and I know a lot about food, cooking has never been a forte of mine. But this has never frustrated me (um, that's a lie). The times that it has frustrated me were times when I wanted to move my family to a more vegetarian or vegan diet and I was not skilled enough to assemble the impressive gourmet type dishes that even meat and potato eaters enjoy. You know...the food processor, the dehydrator, the blender, the mandolin and at least four hours to get dinner ready. Never happened in my house! Well, maybe once and that's all it took to turn me off. 

So when I discovered the 80/10/10 diet (what's that? click here) and we began converting our kitchen to accommodate the low-fat, raw vegan lifestyle, I realized that I had discovered organizational and simplicity nirvana. We already have a small galley style kitchen in our small home, but we could literally cut it in half and we'd have all the space we need to eat 80/10/10.

• Our food prep centers around the sink. The juicer is positioned on one side and the blender on the other. We wash produce, cut it and either eat it as is, juice it or blend it. The rest of the counter-top goes unused.
• The oven or stove is turned on maybe once a day for our child's meal. While she is eating much more fruit, she is not as 80/10/10 as we are. A toaster oven and a hotplate would be adequate. (Say no to the microwave!)
• We are able to shop every day or every other day to bring home fresh produce and the only things that really need refrigeration are berries. But if you eat those right away, one could eliminate the need for a refrigerator. Food can be beautifully displayed stored about the living space in multi-purpose bowls, trays, vases or on window sills.

 

Clever Fruit Storage

 

• A blender and juicer are not essential to the 80/10/10 diet. The bare minimal utensils needed are a good knife, a cutting board, a bowl and a fork. Actually most 80/10/10 foods could be eaten with hands, pulled apart with fingers, cut with teeth....hence why this is the natural human diet.
• The pantry: not needed

Can you see how a minimalism purist could eat a supremely healthful diet and eliminate the need for a kitchen? A rolling cart with utensils, cutting board and perhaps a blender or juicer could be wheeled around the living space, stopping near the bathroom sink for a quick rinse of the veggies and fruit. And the 80/10/10 diet would be ideal for anyone traveling in a car, camping, RV'ing or boating. Got fruit box...er, cooler...will travel!

Now there's a fruit cart!

Most articles I've read regarding the creation of or conversion to a minimalist kitchen still serve a complex diet and still require a fair amount of equipment. Even the smallest kitchens are sporting pans, pots, bowls, various utensils, measuring cups, etc. A true minimalist would perhaps opt to investigate his or her diet and see that it itself is not minimal. A truly minimalist diet would manifest a naturally minimal kitchen, and explore if a dedicated kitchen space were even necessary. 

Leo Babauta, the King of Minimalism blogging, wrote "Minimalism says that what’s unnecessary is a luxury, and a waste. Why be wasteful when the unnecessary isn’t needed for happiness? When it just gets in the way of happiness, of peace? By eliminating the unnecessary, we make room for the essential, and give ourselves more breathing space."

I could not agree more, especially when it comes to food. The 80/10/10 way of eating is a veritable minimalist diet. It speaks to the core tenants of minimalism: liberate time, money, and space in order to live in direct experience with the essence of life.

And of course, for all those creative types, there is a world of unlimited food preparations just waiting for your self-expression. Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram of FullyRaw.com and Megan Elizabeth of MeganElizabeth.com are two young, brilliant advocates of the 80/10/10 lifestyle who create amazing recipes. Food prep can still be a creative outlet while eating the 80/10/10 way. It's just not for me!

Be well, Almost Minimalist Carla.

1. Are you motivated to reduce your kitchen today? If so let me know what one step you'll take (hint: donate the rice cooker or the panini maker) by commenting on this post or on Facebook. Forward & share this blog post with friends & family so they can get in on the de-clutter liberation too. Click those cute social media buttons below to spread the message. 

2. Did you sign up for The Brilliant Body Health Summit in order to learn about the benefits of eating an 80/10/10 diet from over 25 experts who have re-mastered their health? I'll be there! Starts July 24th online!

3. Find a Nutrition Counselor or 68 other types of therapists where you live on WellnessDestinationsCentral.com.

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LEFT...LEFT...LEFT, RIGHT, Mango!

I'm going to share something with you that I've not told many people.

It's a little embarrassing. Ready?

Back when I was flunking out of my first year at George Tech (yeah, that's not even the embarrassing part!), I desperately took one of those career assessment tests in the Student Affairs Office, trying to find a path, ANY path, to follow because I was seriously lost and aimless.

Do you know what that test told me? 

Can you guess? Brace yourself.

Well, it said that, based on my answers, that I should be a....ready?....

Drill Sergeant!

I mean really. Seriously? I'm flunking out of college, in the midst of battling a raging eating disorder, spending way too much time in college bars and otherwise floundering through my young-adult life and this test has the nerve to tell me that I ought to order other people around and tell them what to do???

So you can imagine my frustration, confusion and disgust. 

But this experience has never left me because deep down I think it was accurate. WHAT?

(DROP AND GIVE ME 20!)

Now you're not going to catch me signing up for the military any time soon. I don't even like exercise Boot Camps! I truly am a peace hippie at heart, but when it comes to food and the discipline required to eating optimally most of the time...well now, I'm your girl!

Optimal wellness is not easy, but it's simple. With knowledge, dedication and desire you can live your best and healthiest life possible. 

It is only when you are feeding yourself an optimal diet and exercising adequately can you discern what ailments are truly genetic or otherwise "locked in" and which are symptoms of lifestyle choices. I guarantee that most are of the later category but the average person doesn't take the necessary steps to determine this.

I know this much...YOU are not average. You are amazing! And I know some of you reading have gotten curious about this 80/10/10 way of eating that I've been mentioning but are not ready to take the plunge yet. Well, guess what? I've got a surprise for you!

Starting July 24th The Brilliant Body Health Summit begins! So what? you say. Well, here is your chance to learn online FREE from 25 health pioneers of all ages and backgrounds who have been living the 80/10/10 lifestyle. Learn what ailments and challenges motivated them to take the plunge, see what incredible athletes many of these people have become and observe the downright mind-blowing transformations their bodies have made. No Photoshop here!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still a newbie at 80/10/10 so I'll definitely be listening to the calls which are FREE. The recordings will also be available to listen to for free for 48 hours afterward, so no worries if you can't make the live call.

ATTEN....TION! Froot Camp starts July 24th! BE THERE! AND THAT'S AN ORDER! (Not really love, but you can do this!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, how cute are those boots? Be well, Carla.

PS - I eventually did graduate from college!

1. Did you sign up for The Brilliant Body Health Summit? Forward & share this blog post with friends & family so they can too! Click those cute social media buttons below also to spread the good fruity word.

2. Are you reading this post in your email inbox or online? If so, pop over to my site and/or Facebook to see what's new and leave a comment on this post. I'd love to hear your feedback and learn that you've signed up for The Summit!

3. Find a Nutrition Counselor or 68 other types of therapists where you live on WellnessDestinationsCentral.com.

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How Much Water Do You Have to Drink to "Undo" a Cola?

Living in the South during the summer, one of my favorite sites is the array of hydrangea bushes, from their deep, grape purples to their bright, festive pinks and the powdery blue periwinkles. I don't know much about growing flowers, but I do know that there is a trick to changing the color of the hydrangea blossoms by changing the pH of the soil. Thinking about this lead me to ponder the pH of our bodies and how it impacts the color of our health. Grasping pH is not the easiest subject, so I've done my best to explain it as simply as possible so that we can all take full advantage of nature's healthful ways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inner body environment pH (a measurement of the concentration of hydrogen ions; pH = potential of Hydrogen) is important and, in fact, crucial to human life and wellbeing. The pH scale slides from zero to 14. Neutral is 7, higher than 7 is alkaline, lower than 7 is acidic. For optimal health our bodies need a pH between 7.365 and 7.45...just slightly alkaline.

Why and How?

An acidic pH (a low ability to attract Hydrogen ions) can occur from acid forming foods, emotional stress, toxic overload or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen. The body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, the energy production of the cells, the ability to repair damaged cells, and the ability to detox heavy metals will all decline in an acidic environment. Tumor cells will thrive and the body will become more susceptible to fatigue, illness, bone weakness, increased rate of blood clotting, heart disease, and a suppressed immune response in an acidic environment. 

To restore and maintain optimal health with an alkalizing (a high ability to attract Hydrogen ions) diet, a minimum ratio of 80% alkalizing foods to 20% acid forming foods is ideal. The mineral content of a food is the primary determining factor as to whether the food produces an alkaline or an acidic reaction in the body. Here is a VERY simplified chart:

You are able to find many acid and alkalizing food charts online and they will vary to a degree as food and body interaction is not an exact science, however most charts will show that raw fruits and vegetables - foods naturally abundant with the alkalizing minerals calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium intact -and most waters fall under the 7-10 (alkaline) range. Most grains, processed sugar, animal foods, nuts, fruit juices, coffee, drugs and alcohol fall in the 6-0 (acidic) range.

Interesting Facts:

• To neutralize a glass of cola with a pH of 2.5, it would take 32 glasses of alkaline water with a pH of 10.
• Human blood has a pH between 7.35 and 7.45 and even a tenth of a variation outside this range can result in death.
• Eating a diet high in meat creates an acidic internal environment. To alkalize the blood, the body will leach calcium from the bones, leaving the skeleton calcium deficient. Taking concentrated, isolated calcium in the form of supplements acidifies the blood and has been shown to increase heart attack risk.
• Cancer cells thrive in an anaerobic environment, meaning one where oxygen content is very low. Cancer cells starve in an alkaline environment.

By the way, the 80/10/10 Diet is naturally an alkalizing diet. I hope I've explained the concept of pH well for you. Please leave comment below this post on the blog if you have any pH tidbits or stories to add. I'd love to hear what alkalizing foods you'll be adding to (or acidic foods subtracting from) your diet after reading this post.

Be well, Carla.

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Bonus Side Effects of Going 80/10/10 & Photos!

Besides feeling in body, mind and spirit like God's favorite child, there are many bonus side effects to eating the 80/10/10 way.

1. I love the beautiful fruit arrangements that are stashed around my house...in the kitchen, living room, and dining room. They smell sweet, look amazing and are positioned near the window based on stage of ripening. They are truly living, edible displays!

2. Less time spent in the kitchen! Can I get a Hallelujah? The kitchen and I have never been tight buddies. so this is perfect, however, the time spent in the kitchen is more sticky than usual based on the fruit sugars that love to ooze and drip. Fewer dishes to wash though...mostly knives and bowls.

3. Less energy consumed by the stovetop, oven & dehydrator which are rarely turned on now. The juicer and blender live out on the counter now.

4. Our daughter is eating more fruit! After 10 years of turning up her nose, she's now a banana fan. She also learned to like grapes. I've eaten fruit & veggies around her all her life, but it wasn't until we went 80/10/10 did she consider fruit (besides apples, watermelon & carrots) worthy of her mouth. She's a "texture" kid and I pray she'll totally outgrow it. Signs are improving!!

5. With less time spent in the kitchen, I now have more time for other activities, which at the moment consist of my work and my studies with B-School and the University of Natural Health.

6. Less packaging trash, more recycling and MORE COMPOST! Our bugs love living in our compost bin and you know I love sparing the planet of garbage!

7. Quicker stops at the grocery store! No need to cruise the aisles anymore because we buy really only from one department. Can you guess which one? However, shopping trips are more frequent because we eat A LOT of fruit and timing is everything when doing so.

8. Our dog, Coco, loves fresh produce, namely bananas, red bell peppers, lettuce and mango and it's so good for her too! She seven years old and looks and acts like a puppy.

9. I didn't have to learn all those complicated, time-consuming, beautiful raw-food recipes that I had been contemplating undertaking to try to convert my family to mostly-vegan. These recipes tend to be high in fat (lots of nuts, avocados, oil and coconut) so it's just as well that I skipped this step, albeit unintentionally.

10. Overall simplicity! I mean, how hard is it to peel a banana...5, 10, 15, 20 times a day?

11. No more shopping lists! We go in, we see what is available, looks good and ripe and then we decide what to eat.

12. And the best for last...nothing to burn on the stove! Not only did I cause 2nd & 3rd degree burns on my arm from a kitchen fire in 1989, but, as my husband can contest, I am notorious for getting distracted when food is on the stove. It takes so long and is so boring and cooking has never been a creative outlet for me. Methinks I'm a natural born raw foodist!

Here are some photos to enjoy of our new, sweet life....

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: Fruit stashed around the house.  

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: compost! The compost bowl sits in our sink and sleeps in the fridge, the black backyard compost bin, with lid off and close-up of contents. Ohh, it's so good & smelly!

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: our fridge stocked with fresh fruit, veggies and nuts (and lots of ignored bread & condiments) and our freezer with frozen grapes, raspberries, bananas, strawberries, soup (and ignored pie crusts, bread and tortillas).

  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above: Raw Macho Taco salad (SO GOOD!) for dinner, breakfast of matcha & organic cherries, and what my kitchen looked like this morning. Fruit, glorious fruit!

Be well, Carla.

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The Reality of Incorporating 80/10/10 Into Actual Life

Earlier today my brain and eyeballs sort of felt like they were jostling behind my skull, the bones of which felt like they were being unkindly squeezed. It was not a good feeling...very disorienting and distracting. This is one of the many new feelings I get when I don't eat the 80/10/10 way. Low and behold I had snacked on some wheat/buckwheat waffles after enjoying two fried local farm eggs (in ghee) with two slices of toasted California Bread and then my daughter made some homemade oatmeal banana chocolate chip cookies. Tastes great, feels not so great.

When embarking upon the 80/10/10 journey my husband Chad and I discussed whether we could actually live and eat the 80/10/10 way for the rest of our lives. We believe the good and smart reasons for doing so and we had already felt the benefits from doing so, however, it saddened us to think that we wouldn't eat out again or be able to socialize over food with friends and family. So we decided that we'd eat 80/10/10 during the week and then starting Friday night through Saturday night we'd go back to our old way of eating which meant foods like homemade Caesar salad, restaurant salads, sushi, eggs and other relatively healthful, whole foods. Nothing radical, for sure.

The foods that have been hardest for me to forgo during the week are seaweed paper (I'm currently hooked...SeaSnax or Annie Chun's) and hard boiled eggs. For me, eggs are my go-to comfort food. They fill me up, I especially like them warm (just boiled) with sea salt and I have fond memories of coddled eggs, scrambled eggs, omelets and egg salad sandwiches growing up. They are totally not vegan and they are completely off the 80/10/10 radar. 

So, has 80/10/10 been easy? Pretty much. Have we been doing it 100% perfectly. Nope. And that's ok with me. It's a self-correcting method and requires patience during transition.

(Here's an amazing Before & After of a woman who started following 80/10/10 in March 2009.)

I love the way I feel after eating copious amounts of fruit. I feel like I'm fasting, but yet I'm never hungry. My skin and eyes glow, my mind is clear, my energy is off the charts and my whole body is at peace. If I take in the occasional egg, seaweed or my friend's awesome veg nutritious and delicious gourmet soup, I'm ok with that. These foods digest easily and don't make me feel all that much different than when I eat just fruit.

If I were to come down with a cold, illness or injury, I would NO DOUBT do 80/10/10 completely 100% until the issue cleared. Doing mostly 80/10/10 on a regular basis would make that so easy to accomplish.

So how would I describe how we are currently eating? We're 80/10/10 low-fat raw-vegan high-fruit 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time we are eating a very limited/restricted Pescetarian (including raw parmesan cheese, organic ghee, anchovies, sashimi, clams, farm eggs...no other dairy or meat) diet. It won't surprise me if over time the weekend foods slowly fade away naturally as one can eat foods that lead to discord only so many times before one isn't motivated to continue eating those foods. 

Chad and I are inspired to avoid the ravages of illness, especially cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Recently watching the movie Forks Over Knives profoundly emphasized how diet is directly correlated to these ailments. We love youthful living and aging gracefully and believe the 80/10/10 approach will help provide this.

GRAINS: I never thought that I had a grain or gluten issue but now that I've stopped eating these foods regularly (brown rice, whole grain waffles, cereal, etc.) I have noticed that my lower belly "pooch" aka Wheat Belly has dissipated. I've heard it said that we really all have a gluten (and lactose) issue, we just don't know it because we rarely give the body a break from eating grains and dairy. I believe it's the grains that send my body, especially head, into a fury of discomfort. *

SUSHI: I ate sushi (actually sashimi w/o the rice) for the first time in years about two weeks ago. Oddly enough I am more open to eating raw fish than common restaurant cooked vegetarian food. Unless you go to a restaurant which specializes in and/or understands vegetarian or vegan food, it's just not worth the hassle in most cases. (And can I tell you how tired I am of paying full price for salads that have had their meat & cheese removed? If I don't want the chicken or bacon, I certainly don't want to pay for it. Add chicken? Charged extra. Remove chicken? No price cut.)

EGGS: We eat only local farm-fresh eggs. There is concern in the vegan world for B12 deficiency and some vegans supplement with B12 pills. I'd rather supplement with an egg. Between eggs and avocados, I'm certain I'm getting more than 10% of my calories from fat, however overall it's less than I was eating. My blood cholesterol went from 113 to 134 recently (too much EVOO!) and since going mostly 80/10/10 it's come back down to 119.

WATER: It's been Chad's amazement how his desire for a glass of water has faded. I anticipated this change because Dr. Graham's book mentioned it. Water filtered through fruit is more perfect than any water bottled, distilled or mechanically filtered. Eating high water content fruit, the need to add water to the diet becomes unnecessary. Also our overall salt intake has reduced whereby requiring less supplemental water. We've noticed during our weekend food mode (cooked meals!) and increased salt intake (anchovies! parmesan!) that we are more dehydrated and desire additional water. 

Eating the 80/10/10 way is an ideal and a goal. Being unable or unwilling to follow this method 100% does not lessen the worth in starting a dietary shift. It is still to one's advantage to embark on the journey towards this ideal because the body will recalibrate along the way, sending messages that lead one toward higher and cleaner nutrition. Eat more fruit, reduce protein and fat and listen to your body. Watch it change, heed its signals and delight in the results. 

Be well, Carla.

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* "Many research studies link diets high in complex carbohydrates to negative health conditions. The gluten-containing grains (primarily wheat, but also rye, barley, and oats) contain at least fifteen opioid sequences, which are strongly addictive, morphine-like substances that have potent psychoactive properties and produce serious neurological disorders, constipation, urinary retention, nausea, vomiting, cough suppression, and other symptoms." Dr. Douglas Graham