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

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!

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The Unbeetable Machine Missing from Your Kitchen

Admit it. You clicked on this post to tell me that I had a misspelling in the title. LOL!

The fact is - I misspelled it purposely to let you in on something amazing that happened last week. It went a little like this:

Husband: Are there beets at the store?

Me: Yes, why?

Husband: Can you get some?

Me: Yes, why?

Husband: Because I want to juice them.

Me: (speechless)

Never in my life did I think I would hear those words come from my husband's mouth. They were music to my ears!

One of our more unusual, but favorite, juice recipes comes from Cafe 118 in Winter Park, Florida. It's a ratio of 2-3 Granny Smith apples to 1 beet. The resulting flavor tastes exactly like purple grape juice. It's amazing!!

For those of us who don't love beets, this is a great way to benefit from the high caliber nutrition without struggling with the taste of dirt.

Speaking of juicers, my full-of-surprises husband has been shopping for a new juicer to keep at the office so that he can juice for lunch. He's been looking at the stainless steel Breville models and the current Jack LaLanne model. Recently he went to Bed, Bath & Beyond with his 20% off coupon but came home empty handed.

Why?

We've had an old model Jack LaLanne for 4 or 5 years and it has served us so well. It might not be "the best" juicer in terms of extraction, but for the price (ours was $99) it is a champ! My husband did not like the newer, nicer models because they had more & smaller parts to clean and the ease of clean-up in the juicing world is key.

Any juicer that is a pain in the booty to clean is just not going to get used and if you're juicing 3+ times a day, you want the clean-up to be easy, quick and effective.

So we went hunting for an old model Jack LaLanne juicer and found plenty of new and used opportunities on eBay. Search for "Jack LaLanne Power Juicer." It's white, no stainless and looks like this:

We purchased this used one for $52 including shipping. It's the best entry-level juicer...from which you may choose not to upgrade. Like us!

Kris Carr has an excellent instant download eBook for just $20: Crazy Sexy Juices & Succulent Smoothies. There's no reason not to start your juicing life today. Kris will explain why juicing is miraculous, the difference between juices & smoothies, and includes over 60 recipes!

Be well, Almost a Beet Lover Carla.

1. Are you motivated to start your juicing life today? If so let me know what one step you'll take (hint: surf eBay, dust off your juicer that's been sitting on the shelf) by commenting on this post or on Facebook. Forward & share this blog post with friends & family so they can get in on the juicing life too. Click those cute social media buttons below to spread the message. 

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The Blog Post That Starbucks Doesn't Want You to Read

(Warning: You're going to either love me or love your coffee by the end of this post, probably not both. That's ok. I'll still love you.)

Here's something profound that you need to understand for excellent health: Fuel vs. Energy.

Huh?

What'? 

They're not the same thing?

Nope! And it's important to your health to understand just how very different fuel is from energy and then I'll explain why drinking coffee is not in your best interest...even though it tastes so yummy, wakes you up, and keeps you regular. Ah-hem.

Think of a car: energy is generated by the car battery and fuel goes in the gas tank. To operate correctly a car needs both energy and fuel. We humans have vital nerve energy which is the low-grade electrical current generated by the brain (our head battery) and innervates the body so that all functions are performed within their normal and healthful parameters. Fuel for humans goes in the mouth in the form of food with calories. We need both, just like a car.

Innervation = good.

When we are tired (low energy) there is no amount or type of food (fuel) that can make us authentically un-tired. Only sleep, rest, fasting, meditation or prayer can recharge the brain. Energy drinks and energy bars can not give you energy, only fuel at best.

What does this have to do with your beloved cup of coffee?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, did you know that 300 million Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee every day? And 1.7 million cups of coffee are consumed every day worldwide? Coffee is one of the highest traded commodities in the world, second only to oil. Hmmm.....

Coffee contains caffeine which is a stimulant, on that we can agree. The primary, but temporary, effect of caffeine stimulates the body into a heightened, but false, sense of well-being. However, the second and longer lasting effect produces weakness and exhaustion, otherwise known as enervation (as in "you're on my last nerve at this point, Carla!"). Caffeine squanders vital nerve energy.

Enervation = bad.

Caffeine is a bodily poison. The body speeds up the metabolic process (enervation) to rid the body of the caffeine poison as quickly and efficiently as possible: increased heart rate, increased urination & defecation, and increased muscle contractions and activity (ie: the jitters). This is a survival step but one which exhausts vital nerve energy, hence the crash after the caffeine has successfully been eliminated.

Did you get that? The body wants caffeine out of the system as quickly as possible because of the chemical danger, but we tend to like this rush of "energy," and, in fact, erroneously depend on it.

Caffeine is an addictive drug. Any substance not required for survival that is addictive is not beneficial to the body, especially drugs that squander vital nerve energy for elimination while providing no nutritional gain (fuel). If you do not believe that caffeine is addictive, quit cold turkey and let me know how you feel.

I know coffee lovers probably hate me at this point (if you're still reading), but let me continue...

The caffeine in coffee robs your body of vital nerve energy. This is now clear. It needlessly wears down your battery creating less energy available for basic eliminative tasks at the cellular level. When cells are not regularly cleansed well, toxemia ensues, inflammation occurs and the descent into disease begins.

If coffee is your one and only drug of choice - no cigarettes, alcohol, prescriptive or recreational substances, or sugar - and you eat a predominantly plant based diet, then you can probably get away with minimal coffee consumption. If this is not your dietary landscape then I recommend weaning off coffee - 1/2 decaf to decaf to black tea to green tea to water - especially if you have episodes of acid reflux, bad breath, insomnia, anxiety, dehydration, acidosis, adrenal fatigue or tell-tale yellow-brown teeth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and make no mistake, all this goes for caffeinated energy drinks and soda too!

I drink green matcha tea daily (LOVE the chlorophyll, though it comes with a bit of caffeine) and coffee on road trips (because arriving alive is worth the enervation) so I'm not there yet either. During phases of injury or health crisis I would forgo the matcha in order to free up all vital nerve energy for recovery.

By God, if coffee is your one true love in life then cling to it, however if you want true health freedom consider weaning off the bean and reclaiming your vitality.

Be well, Almost Caffeine-Free Carla.

1. Are you motivated to scale back on the coffee starting today? 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. 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!

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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.

Would you like to find a nutritional coach in your area? Search WellnessDestinationsCentral.com for this and 68 other types of alternative healthcare practitioners.

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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

The Not-So-Sexy Road to Wellness

My journey to wellness and gaining an understanding of the healing power of food has been without radical personal illness or crisis to stimulate individual change, however, without dramatic healing from obesity, cancer or injury, a subtle and gradual journey to wellness for anyone can still be an amazing, yet covert, feat. 

I first became aware of nutrition in high school when my body was growing and changing rapidly during a time when my diet had changed severely due to a shift in parental households in 1983. My body screamed silently for sound nutrition while my distraught teenage eyes saw undesired height and weight gains. Combined with the general angst of youth and pressures for which I was unprepared, I developed a case of violent and daily bulimia which lasted five solid years. I made a feeble attempt to understand nutrition from the front introductory pages of The Joy of Cooking original cookbook...probably not the best resource, but it was what available.

In college I eventually overcame bulimia after working with a doctor who placed me on Prozac. The drug worked a miracle for me and freed me from the enslavement of absolute self-torture and addiction. Within the year I knew that I did not want to rely on medication to be stable, so I weaned myself off the anti-depressant. I gave myself permission to eat whatever my body craved and I subsequently gained the most weight I had ever carried....about 30 pounds more than I carry now.

Cravings to binge and purge began to creep back into my dominant thoughts which absolutely frightened me and I attempted to get placed back on Prozac which failed. I was desparate to find an alternate solution to prevent the bulimia from returning so naturally I went to the bookstore. I read about Prozac and serotonin. I learned that Vitamin B6 was a precursor to naturally produced serotonin in the body so I started self-medicating with copious amounts of B6 which helped me to feel like I was again on Prozac.

Knowing that this was not a permanent solution, I began to learn which foods were naturally abundant with Vitamin B6. This was my first real attempt to heal myself with nutriton. However, I was still smoking cigarettes (we had a 16 year love affair), drinking coffee, taking The Pill, ingesting artificial foods and drinking alcohol...all habits that leach vitamins and minerals from the body. At one point my facial complexion became so bad - a sign of such toxic overload and inefficient elimination - that I received a prescription for Accutane. It was during this time I was also fitted for prescription eyeglasses.

In my late 20's I knew that medication was not the answer and that there had to be a better way so I slowly started making changes. It wasn't until I was nearly 31 did I stop smoking. I had already stopped taking all prescription medications and regularly consumed dietary supplements. My diet was not ideal, but slowly improved over time. In 2001 I became pregnant and enjoyed nine months of the worst diet of my life. I ate and craved greasy cheeseburgers, candy bars and soda. I suffered from nausea and a tortorous case of low blood sugar. I had regular near-fainting spells while working and driving due to the weak nutritional support for a body hard at creation.

As so often happens, after the baby was born and I was now in charge of her diet, I began to look at food with very different eyes. I nursed her for 25 months which took its toll from the resources of my already compromised body. I began reading cookbooks for children's food which naturally lead to preparing these foods for the whole family: whole grain waffles, wholesome cookies, whole wheat pasta with basil pesto, freshly squeezed juice and the like. We shifted into a less-processed food diet yet we were eating from the full spectrum of foods and drink. My favorite meal came to be a grilled ribeye steak with a glass of Jack Daniels and flat Coca Cola. 

When the baby was around two, I discovered the yoga community which influenced some healthier food choice awareness. When she was three and a half, I entered a massage school community which further exposed me to new and healthier food options. I opened my massage practice in 2006 and starting blogging on OneHealthyGirl.com in 2007. I am forever indebted to books, newsletters, people and classes who helped me learn the vital importance of personal food choices for wellbeing and longevity.

Today I am more fit and nourished than I've been since 1983. I've lived 29 typical years of struggling with food choices and understanding nutrition while suffering the consequences of ignorance. I've released excess weight, overcome bulimia, cleared my complexion, retired my eyeglasses and I avoid artificial and substandard foods, coffee, alcohol, soda, prescription medications and all supplements. At age 42 I am 5' 7" and roughly 130 pounds (I don't weigh myself so this is a good guess actually 129.6 - I got out the scale and weighed myself after 4 cups of matcha tea and a banana or two..good guess!) and wear a size 6. These numbers are meaningless alone and only have significance only in their relativity: at age 22 I was 5' 7", 160 pounds, wearing size 10 and ingesting three different medications and eating and drinking anything available without discretion.

I have no amazing "before and after" photos to share or miracle healings to report, only stories and knowledge from everyday living. But neither are there reports of cancer, diabetes, heart disease or obesity in this tale because personal prevention and awakening occured. I will continue to share my passion for the healing and preventive power of foods because I know this knowledge can spare pain, illness, chronic disease and unnecessary stress and expense for others. Good food can help anyone to have the body, health, and comfort that they desire.

Currently I am enjoying the benefits of eating the 80/10/10 way which has been nothing short of nutritional enlightenment for the body, mind and soul. I discovered Dr. Douglas Graham's book while recently studying for my PhD in Holistic Health and Healing with the University of Natural Health (a school of Natural Hygiene). For now, I believe it to be the pinnacle of eating ideally for the optimal health of the human body.

Be well, Carla.

Would you like to find a nutritional coach in your area? Search WellnessDestinationsCentral.com for this and 68 other types of alternative healthcare practitioners.

If you like what you've read, please share it with friends. If you would like to subscribe, please do so here. Thx!

Feel. Eat. Choose One.

One of the subjects that stopped me in my tracks while reading Dr. Douglas Graham's 80/10/10 was Emotional Eating. Not so much the fact that often times we eat because we want to feel something different (numb, full, indulged, safe, comforted, happy, etc.) even when we're not hungry, but rather the physiology behind this habit or crutch. 

Dr. Graham writes "the digestion of food and the conduction of emotions each demand so much energy that they cannot be performed simultaneously."

WOW!

So we can eat or we can feel. Most of the time we do a bit of both: not eat too much and not feel too little. However when we are distraught or manic, we turn in one of two directions: we either eat copious amounts of comfort food (generally high fat) to stop the ability to feel intensely, or we can not eat even if we try. While experiencing extreme emotions we turn to extreme eating practices, however this generally is not our everyday mode, yet emotions and eating take place to varying degrees daily which cumulatively affect us profoundly.

As we go and grow through life sorting out the pieces of our existential puzzle, oftentimes we want to get to a new place within ourselves but we are stuck. Eating a clean diet not only cleanses the physical cells and helps metabolic and dietary waste leave our bodies, but we also cleanse our emotional and spiritual bodies of waste. 

I am reminded of a post I wrote back in November of 2008 titled Emotional McDonald's and I reflect on how my dietary and emotional life has changed dramatically since then by "upping" my game with the way I eat. I eat to nourish my body but equally I eat cleanly in order to keep my mind and heart clear. I have sorted through so much emotional and spiritual congestion in the past few years and I know that my diet has played an integral and supportive part. 

If you want to get unstuck from where you are and can't figure out how to do it emotionally or spiritually, then start with your diet. Increase the amount of fresh, raw fruit and vegetables you consume, reduce the amount of animal products and watch your body, mind and spirit transform. It will amaze you! Eating fresh, raw fruit is as close to fasting as one can get while eating and staying satiated because the fruit sugars (fructose) are digested easily and absorbed by the body through the intestinal lining with minimal effort or demand.*

An apple a day (rather 2,3, or 4!) keeps the doctor....general physician and psychiatrist both...away! When eating from God's Kitchen, you tap into a divine source that will support your authentic growth and take you to new heights within yourself. 

"As we lighten our diets to vegetarian, vegan and eventually raw, we quite commonly become more aware of our emotional selves...As one lightens the digestive load by switching to raw foods, the body suddenly has more nerve energy to conduct emotions, and emotions suppressed over the years begin to emerge." Dr. Douglas Graham

Be well, Carla.

Would you like to find a nutritional coach in your area? Search WellnessDestinationsCentral.com for this and 68 other types of alternative healthcare practitioners.

If you like what you've read, please share it with friends. If you would like to subscribe, please do so here. Thx!

* "Before our cells can utilize any food for fuel, whether it contains primarily carbohydrate, protein, or fat, it must first be converted into simple sugars. Carbohydrates are by far the easiest to convert to useful sugars. Glucose (a simple sugar, like fructose) is the primary, preferred source of fuel for every tissue and cell of our bodies. In fact, some of our cells (the brain, red blood cells, and some nervous tissue, for example) depend almost exclusively on glucose as their fuel source...As a category, fruits are our least toxic food choice. They digest cleanly, leaving only water as residue, which is easily expelled from the body." Dr. Douglas Graham 80/10/10

It's Time to Start Writing Again!

My nutritional world has been rocked yet again. It's funny how passions can turn into never ending journeys and one interest can alter many aspects of life. This quest of mine to eat well, live well and avoid disease has been just that. 

I started this blog on September 28, 2007 after I attended a Young Living annual convention. As a licensed massage therapist, I love using Young Living's therapeutic essential oils at work and home. However, at this particular convention, I became intrigued with the supplements and meal replacement shakes and started the OneHealthyGirl.com blog to showcase what I had learned. 

On March 10, 2008 I wrote about reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. This book gave me a quantum leap forward in understanding how mainstream meat, dairy and eggs in grocery stores and restaurants are from diseased, abused and chemically infused animals. Hence, Big Change #1: I stopped eating most conventional animal products. 

On May 3, 2009 I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Will Tuttle, the author of The World Peace Diet, speak at a local church. It was at this point that I became the annoying vegan who posted slaughterhouse videos. (I know, I know...sorry!) Veganism made sense to me on so many levels: human nutrition, animal welfare, environmentalism and spirituality. It was around this time that we bought a juicer. Big Change #2: I became mostly vegan.

An then on December 29, 2009 I retired my OneHealthyGirl.com blog because I felt that I was treading in dogmatic waters with my veganism and I didn't want to evangelize so much. Veganism became a very personal choice and I turned inward. Big Change #3: Veganism became my spiritual practice.

Today, May 23, 2012 I am writing to share my Big Change #4 and to revive my blog. Having just finished reading Dr. Douglas Graham's 80/10/10 Diet - Balancing Your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life, One Luscious Bit at a Time I am forever changed...again. This time it's not about the environment, the animals, spirituality or veganism for that matter because it's about serving YOU!

I have so much to say about this book and I'm not sure where to begin. Let's start here:

I wish to convince anyone who is suffering from any bodily discomfort or disease to consider what this book has to offer. The body knows how to heal itself and we simply need to get out of its way and to rightfully support its healing mechanisms. Food choices are critical in this endeavor but, of course, not the only factor in wellness. One must sleep well, exercise well, manage life responsibilities and emotions well, feel joy well in addition to eat well in order to live a healthful and pain-free life. 

Logic would have it that if the right food can support the body in healing and reverse disease, then eating well can also prevent illness from taking hold in the first place. Keeping the interior body clean helps the body to resist disease. An acidic, inflamed, constipated and otherwise toxic body invites and creates disease. 

I've been talking with many people who have assorted ailments that I know, yes KNOW, can be helped if not reversed by following the guidelines in this book. (That's a pretty bold statement, eh?) 

Here's my caveat: if you have illness or disease in your body and/or if you're on any medication and you've not given the cleanest and most pure diet humanly possible a chance, then you've NOT done everything in your power to help assist your body's natural healing potential. If you'd like to be free of your ailment, if you'd like to stop taking medication, then get this book ASAP and start reading. You need to educate yourself to understand how the body works with the food you give it. Change in diet may not be easy for you, but it is THE ONE THING that can radically liberate you from the confines of what pains you. 

Simply put, if you don't give your body the chance to work it's miracle of self-healing and self-cleansing, then you are saying that you want to keep the disease that currently plagues you. I know this sounds stern, however I'm not going to mince words when it comes to wellbeing. If you are sick, then what you are currently doing is not working. If you are well, I trust that you want to stay that way. Don't just survive, thrive!

Stick with me. Get the book. It won't be easy, but it will be the best choice you've made to heal your body because it works, it's simple, no special foods, supplements or appliances are necessary and this lifestyle diet only needs a grocery store. You've got one of those, right? Ok then...NO EXCUSES!!

Be well, Carla.

Want to find a nutritional coach in your area? Search WellnessDestinationsCentral.com for this and 68 other types of alternative healthcare practitioners.

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6 June 2012 adendum: I am now an affiliate bookseller with Ada's Technical Books which is an independent bookstore in Seattle, WA. Please support your indy bookstores. The books linked above can be purchased online through Ada's. 

Article: Eating Healthy is the best Preventive Medicine

This is an article I wrote for the August 2009 issue of CH2 magazine.

For years we have been told that food is fuel. Like a car needs gasoline, our bodies need food for mobility. While this is true, it reveals only the partial purpose of food. If a car were more like a human body, it would not need a mechanic in the event of a fender-bender. Over time, the car would repair the damage itself and return to like-new condition. Similarly, a broken headlight would fuse back together and washer fluid would not have to be manually replenished. Human bodies, unlike cars, are organic and are constantly changing, developing and renewing on a cellular level, whether we are working or resting. A bruise heals itself, skin grows back together after being cut, and blood is regenerated after being donated…all without our instruction, force or doubt.

The importance of food lies not only in the energy that makes us go, but in providing the building blocks which help our bodies to repair and regenerate themselves, day after day, according to our unique DNAblueprint. Do you know that eye cells are new every 48 hours, that cells of the stomach lining are new every three days, and that liver cells regenerate every six weeks? Our bodies are not only moving, but they are also recreating themselves constantly. The rate and success of this renewal depends a great deal on the basic nutritional material we supply to our bodies.

The key to vibrant longevity, abundant levels of energy and the avoidance of disease is high quality, wholesome food in moderation, appropriate doses of sunlight, sleep and exercise, clean air, pure water and manageable stress levels. Focusing on food as fuel and regenerative material for the avoidance of illness, one must learn to distinguish between real food and artificial foodstuffs. Industrialized food, which is produced at large scale and intended for extended shelf life, is full of synthetic chemicals such as hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, coloring, high fructose corn syrup, flavors, pharmaceuticals and hormones which contribute to the build-up of toxemia in the body. These foods are designed for short-term appeal and slow perish-ability, but not for sustainable health gain or maintenance.

Never before has it been so important to read the packaging ingredient labels and to know what is in the food we are consuming. It is our right and responsibility. Remember, the most healthful foods, like fruits and vegetables, don’t have complex labels! One trip to the grocery store and one round of label reading is enough to frustrate and confuse the most intelligent shopper. The industrialized food system has turned shopping into a buyer-beware situation. Those who wish to eat well must become distrustful of the foodstuffs which are made readily available and affordable. Remember, mainstream food companies don’t care about our health. They only care that we buy their product again.

Today’s leading lifestyle diseases—obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and most cancers—are preventable and are caused by repeated poor dietary choices compounded with toxic habits such as smoking, drinking or drug use. The high rates of these diseases were unknown before the onslaught of processed and pre-packaged foods. Developing countries who adopt the Standard American Diet are seeing the occurrence of these diseases for the first time. Today’s children, the most innocent of consumers, are expected to have shorter life spans than their parents because of the dietary related diseases plaguing their young lives. How can the world’s population possibly be getting sicker when medical advances are at an all time high? It is because more effort and money is put into symptom management and elusive cures of lifestyle diseases rather than prevention.

Why would a person want to be healthy and practice preventive care when it requires so much effort and could potentially take away all the fun? Isn’t eating and drinking without a care one of life’s most treasured enjoyments and rewards?
Transitioning away from sub-optimal food and poor habits which lead us to feel sluggish, overweight or in need of medication is actually quite liberating. It is not easy at first, but the effort is exponentially compensated. Healthful foods tend to be more economical and also kinder to the environment. Eating wisely to avoid illness can save money on insurance fees, doctor’s visits and medications. There is no way to partake of the artificial and toxic foodstuffs and avoid disease. It will catch up with us eventually in the name of arthritis, heartburn, osteoporosis, ulcers, migraines, constipation or infertility in addition to the big four leading lifestyle diseases.

We eat several times a day. Each and every meal contributes to the health or toxicity of our bodies. Use these daily opportunities to slowly build health rather than destroy it by choosing wholesome, chemical and additive-free foods. Our bodies are natural self-healers and, when supported with optimal food and habits, reaching greater levels of health is completely possible.

Carla Golden, LMT writes regularly on her OneHealthyGirl.com wellness blog and is in hot pursuit of her Ph.D. in holistic health and healing. She also offers Food School classes on her Golden Spectrum to Eating Well. For information, call (843)816-6179.

THIS PASSIONATE FOODIE CAN'T STAY QUIET!

I said that I wouldn't write again until the Wonder Bread molds, but last night my husband and I viewed the documentary Food, Inc. at a theater in Savannah, GA. The eager audience filled TWO theaters!! Having read what other foodies have written about the movie, I wasn't expecting to learn many new tidbits about our corrupt food system. Well, I was wrong.

First, what impacted me the most were the visuals. It's one thing to read about the food industry in books and another to watch YouTube videos, but it's another to watch and hear simultaneously a compelling story well presented. The impression was deep.

I am well aware of the horrors happening to animals in slaughterhouses and CAFOs as well as to the crops in the fields with toxic chemicals, but what I was less aware of, and what hit me the hardest, is the welfare of factory farm workers, meatpackers and non-Monsanto, independent farmers. We have reached the point of absolutely destroying innocent human lives with our ignorant food choices.

It is imperative that as many citizens as possible see this movie, read the book or study from the website. All the information is available, you just have to make the effort and have the desire to learn.

Here's an example of the human atrocities: One of the largest meat processing plants (Smithfield? I don't recall specifically) recruits illegal labor from across the US/Mexico border. They will use these impoverished people for grotesque labor practices (slaughter, corps dis-assembly) that no one else is capable of or willing to do. This company has exhausted their regional US labor pool. 

Then these illegal immigrants who were recruited and paid by a US company are then, after about 10 years, instantaneously deported at a rate of 15 per day per an agreement between the company and the immigration office as to not disrupt the rate of production (too many illegal immigrants deported at a time slows production). WHAT!? The immigration offices are supporting (and basically supplying) this mega-corporation with illegal laborers?

Most meat produced in this country is processed by three or four processing plants. If you have a political position against illegal immigration, you may want to consider boycotting meat as a vote against the companies who employ dishonest, abhorent and illegal labor practices.

These poor people are wooed, used and then disposed of as if they were mere objects. Eating meat that comes from grocery stores and restaurants and not specified as from a small, local farmer supports this human atrocity. More can be learned at Blood, Sweat and Fears.

Your fast food or supermarket burger is linked to a woman being plucked out of her trailer in the middle of the night by immigration agents, handcuffed and sent back to Mexico with no possessions but what is on her back. 

Aren't we nicer people than this?

Do your homework. See the movie. Reduce your meat consumption. Here are 10 changes you can begin making right away.

Live Light, xo-C.

PS - I am very proud of my husband who resisted the wafting smell of popcorn and the habitual bag of peanut M&M's and instead enjoyed with me some cashews and dried goji berries during the film (xoxoCJG). My optimistic self was hoping that no one in the audience would choose to support the junk food industry by purchasing theater concessions. Boy, was I wrong! When will movie theaters begin selling respectable snacks...especially during a viewing of Food, Inc.???

FOOD, INC. HITS SAVANNAH, GA!

I am so excited for my local peeps and myself because the world-rocking food documentary Food, Inc. is showing this Sunday evening, July 19th, at 7 pm in Savannah, GA at the Victory Square Theaters (MAP).

Anyone who eats food should watch this movie.

Why? Here's why.

"In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. 

We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. 

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here."

 

 Live Light, xo-C.

PS - If you contact Victory Square Theaters, they very likely will have no idea that Food, Inc. is showing on Sunday. But I contacted Brighter Day Health Food Store (from whom I learned of this showing) and they confirmed that Reel Savannah is hosting this event at Victory Square Theaters and that the cost is $8 per person cash only and the Box Office opens at 6 pm. Show time is 7 pm.