slightly different view point.

This article is from a fitness expert, but he is also super into nutrition. Mike Geary lists 55 foods in this article that are healthy, whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore. I wanted people to read this because no matter what you eat or don't eat, this is loaded with useful information and educates those who want to eat meat and cheese on the best kind to eat as well as those who just want to eat the veggies. READ UP!

Get FREE water from a natural spring!

I know the water at my house is not so delicious and that is the case for most people. Here is a great way to find a spring near you where you can get natural spring water without the cost. go to http://www.FindaSpring.com/ and find a spring near you!

This is pretty sweet...

We spend a very good amount of our time asleep on our beds, so naturally we would want our mattresses to be natural...so mattresses in general are very expensive, but especially organic ones. Therefore I wanted to share this video from the Renegade Health Show on how to make your own completely natural, organic, antimicrobial, and totally safe to sleep on mattresses!!

Fermented Foods + Body Ecology Diet

As I talked about in my last post, the Body Ecology Diet puts a major focus on fermented foods. These are foods that are produced/preserved by microorganisms. These microorganisms serve as the life force to your gut and health when consumed. Not only do they contain these probiotics for a healthy gut, they are also predigested so it takes a lot of strain off of your body to digest them. Most of these foods are low in calories and are great if you are trying to lose weight. They will improve your digestion by the large amount of fiber as well as the probiotics and enzymes present.

A healthy digestive system allows our bodies to absorb the vitamins and minerals in our food, unlike a toxic colon which sends toxins back into our blood streams causing illness. So eating fermented foods and lead in an increase in B Vitamins, (B12 included because it is created in small amounts in a healthy gut environment) omega 3 fatty acids, digestive enzymes, lactase and lactic acid , as well as other immune chemicals that fight off harmful bacteria, even cancer cells.

I highly recommend the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon which delves into the importance of fermented foods in different cultures and the benefits to your health as well as lots of recipes and instructions to ferment your own salsas, krauts, cheeses, pickles....

Some great fermented foods that you can buy are Miso which is great in salad dressing and Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. Tempeh is also a fermented food which is a great protein alternative forvegetarians. It is soy, but it is fermented which makes the nutrients available to your body and destroys the toxins.

When you eat sugar it is good to accompany it with a fermented food because it will eat the sugar and turn it into the good bacteria instead of being digested in the gut with the bad bacteria, also promoting it. There was even a recent study in a magazine about the benefits of drinking raw apple cider vinegar in water before a sugary or carbohydrate rich meal because it will help digest the sugar and slow the way it enters into the blood stream which is great for regulating blood sugar. SO enjoy some fermented foods and boost your immunity and health!

Body Ecology Diet.

I am really into the philosophy of the Body Ecology Diet that Donna Gates shares. I have been listening to a lot of interviews that she has done and reading about her products. Everything she says resonates with me on a high level . The benefits of fermented foods is documented in the health of people in other countries who have this as a large part of their cultures. This philosophy focuses on high amounts of fermented foods to boost the good flora in our guts which prevents the growth of bad. There is a lot of research showing that all diseases begin from an overgrowth of bad bacteria which may begin in our guts. It is also documented that controlling this bad bacteria and restoring our bodies to an alkaline environment with only good bacteria like those found in fermented foods and probiotics reverses diseases. If we do not provide an environment for diseases or illnesses to live, then they will cease to live.

This is the focus of The Body Ecology Diet and I think it is one that everyone should think about. It focuses on a whole food diet rich in vegetables and lacking in processed foods, but it does not restrict the diet in any way. There is a place for those who eat meat, those who eat dairy, vegetarians, vegans...The focus of the diet is to eat 80% vegetables at every meal and then the other 20% is your choice, the 80% rule also means to only eat until you are 80% full. I like this "diet," but what I just like to call lifestyle because it is not so restricting. I think it is very important to implement raw foods into your diet, but 100% or even 80% isn't for everyone. This lifestyle emphasizes raw foods and greens, but not in an overbearing or restricting way.

There are a few things on the website that I am very interested in, such as their LIVING, TRULY organic coconut water as well as the Coco Biotic which is a fermented beverage. They also sell a Veggie Culture Starter, which I think is great because you know the bacteria that is going into your ferment and are only breeding good bacteria.

Hello March!!

It's no mistake

"No matter what you do, right now, you can never make a mistake. All roads lead to everywhere and your real destiny. Give up worrying about choosing. It is done."