Yes it is true; figs are one of the most alkaline foods, which is why they are so important to the diet and can help balance your PH.  When you are feeling overly acidic, stressed or unhealthy, a nice snack of fresh or dried figs can help to de-stress the body internally by neutralizing some of your acidity.

Figs are a great source of healthy carbohydrates/energy, minerals and enzymes.  They are naturally high in potassium (great for lowering high blood pressure), iron, magnesium, manganese, calcium and many more.  I craved figs, especially dried, during the beginning of my pregnancy when I was anemic.  I would literally crave them all day and as soon as I had a cup of figs my energy shot right up.  According to Encyclopedia of Healing Foods they “contain 250mg of calcium per 100g, compared to whole milk with only 118mg”.

Lastly, they are great for constipation.  You will know when you have reached your limit of figs – you might experience a cleansing affect!  Let’s get to the recipes…

PISTACHIO FIG PUDDING

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped fresh or dried figs
• 3 3/4 cups almond, hemp or coconut milk
• ½ cup xylitol, organic maple syrup, yacon syrup or honey
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup almonds (if you buy blanched you won’t have to peel them)
• ½ cup pistachios
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup rice flour

Directions:

1. In a pot cover the almonds with water (if they are not blanched), bring to a boil, remove from heat and then add cold water.
2. Time to peel the almonds: The almonds will easily “pop” out of their skins if you squeeze them.
3. Place the almonds, pistachios and shredded coconut into a food processor and grind for 5-10 seconds until the nuts are finely minced.
4. In a deep pot pour the milk, flour and sweetener and whisk vigorously over medium-high heat until it becomes a thicker pudding consistency.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and finely chopped figs.
5. Pour the pudding into a bowl and once it has cooled for 5-10 minutes crumble the ground nut mixture into the pudding and stir well.
6. Refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes allowing the pudding to firm.

CHEVRE-STUFFED FIGS

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh and ripe figs
• 2 ounces/about 4 Tbsp of Goat Chevre (it is a soft cheese)

                          

Related posts:

1. Matcha Latte & Superfood Shake Recipes
2. Raw Coconut pudding, Almond Cream & Cashew Pudding!
3. Delicious Dehydrated Almond Snacks – Kid Friendly!

Click here to view the embedded video.

                          

Related posts:

1. Grilled Mahi Mahi Tostadas
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Mahi Mahi

The night before you cook this dish it is ideal to marinade it ahead of time for at least 8-12 hours up to 24 hours for maximum flavor   This is a simple and tasty marinade to try that goes great with tacos:

• 3 fillets or 1 pound Wild Mahi Mahi
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• juice for 1/2 lemon or lime
• 1/4 tsp garlic and onion powder
• few dashes cumin
• 1/8 – 1/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
• few dashes red chili flakes
• 1/3 cup Sunflower Dip
• Finely chopped cilantro, 1 Tbsp

1. Whisk all of the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Chop the fish fillet into cube pieces or longer thin strips and place in a bowl.
3. Pour the marinade over the fish and mix well with your hands making sure the fish is well-coated in the marinade.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate over night.
5. Lay the marinaded fish either on a grill top, BBQ or on a baking sheet (if you don’t have a grill/BBQ place the fish in a oven preheated to about 375 degrees).
6. Grill or bake for about 7 minutes each side or until golden brown or slightly blackened. 

Tostada Shell

While the fish is grilling toast your tostada shell…

1. I like to use the large Ezekiel Sprouted Tortillas (use can also try large spelt or other whole grain tortillas such as the Rudi’s brand).
2. Take a bowl that is about 2-3 inches deep and ideally has a flat bottom.  Lay the tortilla on the bowl and press the center down, pressing the tortilla flat to the bottom while the side of the tortilla flare up against the sides of the bowl (should look like the shape of a tostada shell).
3. Place in a toaster oven and toast for about 6-7 minutes – comes out crispy.  If you don’t have a toaster oven you can place it in the oven, turn to broil and check after 5-6 minutes or bake along with the fish.

Guacamole

1. I generally use one avocado per person.  For 2 avocados, slice in half lengthwise, scoop out the inside into a bowl and mash with a fork.
2. Squeeze in the juice for 1/2 a lemon or lime and stir.
3. Add the following veggies and seasonings: Celtic Sea Salt to taste, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 sprigs chopped green onion, few dashes of cayenne or black pepper, 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro and 1 Tbsp diced tomato.
4. Stir well and taste!

Put it all Together…

Take the tostada shell and layer with salad, chopped veggies (tomatoes, raw corn, fresh cilantro, red bell peppers, green onions, and olives), shredded hard goat Gouda cheese, guacamole, salsa.  Yum!  We love to top it with my Thousand Island dressing

                          

Related posts:

1. What’s for Dinner? Coconut Quinoa, Mahi Mahi & Arugula Salad
2. Watch Bek make her Grilled Mahi Mahi Tostadas
3. Grilled Eggplant Two Ways

This is a very simple bisque to prepare and there are short cuts that you can take to make it even quicker.  Instead of chopping 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes, you can buy already chopped organic canned tomatoes.  Also, you can use chicken/vegetable broth or tomato soup broth instead of water which would add more flavors, requiring less spices and salt to be added.  It is up to you but as I always say, be creative with whatever you have available in your kitchen.

I almost never make the same recipe twice – I vary it slightly every time.  All you need is a good basic recipe to play with.  Try yam or squash instead of carrots, leeks instead of celery, cilantro instead of basil, add in some fresh corn, etc…

Ingredients:

• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tsp  Coconut Aminos, Nama Shoyu or Tamari
• 1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds fresh tomatoes chopped or 2 lbs canned and drained
• 1 cup marinara sauce of choice, optional
• 1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp raw honey or yacon syrup
• 1 ½ cups thick coconut milk
• ¼ tsp Celtic Sea Salt – more or less to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Dashes of thyme, rosemary and oregano
• 2 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
• 2 cups water or chicken/vegetable/tomato soup broth
• Add a few dashes of the 8-spice blend  if you have it around, (optional)  – adds a unique and delicious flavor

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the braggs and oil over med-high heat.
2. Stir in the chopped onions, celery and bell peppers and sauté for about 5 minutes before adding the garlic, carrots and about ½ cup of water or broth – sauté another 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, basil, water or broth, salt, marinara sauce and remaining spices (wait to add the coconut oil and nutritional yeast until the very end before pureeing).
4. Let the soup come to a boil and cook on low-med heat for about ½ hour, allowing all of the flavors to melt together.
5. Pour all of the contents from the soup pan into a blender, along with 1 Tbsp coconut oil and the nutritional yeast.  Blend on high for about 30 seconds until smooth and creamy!
6. Serve hot with some grated hard goat gouda on the top or how ever suits you best.

*Serves 4-5

                          

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2. Mushroom Coconut Bisque
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When you start an exercise program, you will want to have an energy strategy to go with it.  As we have said, every one of us has a unique body design, and therefore has different energy needs depending on the intensity, goals, and time of day of your workout.   First, you need energy, and energy is created by what you put in your body so regardless of the time of day or intensity of workout, you will want to find the right energy source and should be conscious of how your body will utilize that energy.

Always build your strategy off the fundamental rule of choosing ‘natural’ versus ‘processed’ whenever available:  Whole grains versus white flour and white rice / Raw fats and oils versus fried and saturated oils /  Natural raw sugars instead of processed white sugar /  More simple foods and less processed in general.  Also try to drinnk as much alkaline water as possible before and after a workout.  Alkaline water is very hydrating, helps remove the lactic acid build up in the muscles from exercise and replenishes the body with minerals.

Morning Workout: Before and After, 5 am – Noon

   Your body is in a state of cleansing from about 4am until 8am.  Your body will be emptier and more cleaned out in the morning than any other time of the day.  This is a great time to engage in physical activity because your body is not preoccupied with digesting a lot of food from that day.  The morning time is ideal for burning those extra stored sugars and fats – your body has less food to burn.  I don’t advise rolling out of bed, drinking some water and then doing one hour of intense cardio.  Your body does need some form of food-energy.  Keep it simple, high-energy and nutrient rich.  Here are some examples of foods that I use for my morning energy demand:

• Green and/or Red superfood drinks

• Whole sprouted grains (sprouted bread (toast), Ezekiel tortillas, whole grain/sugar-free cereal, brown rice, quinoa) or Steel cut oats soaked in water over night, then cooked or eaten raw

• Dehydrated cookies or burgers

• Raw protein like almonds, walnuts or tempeh

• Small portion of fish or egg whites

• Vegetables or vegetable juice

• Starchy fruits like bananas and dates

• Young Thai Coconuts

Afternoon Workout, Noon – 5 pm

By the afternoon, you will have probably eaten 2-4, hopefully smaller, meals.  If you are planning to workout in the afternoon, adapt your eating schedule accordingly so that you have the energy you need for an optimal exercise session.  You should eat within the first 30 minutes after you awake, and then every few hours thereafter.  A simple guideline is to eat something the size of your palm, about ½ hour prior to workout, depending on how quickly your body metabolizes food.  Focus on the following snack and meal whole foods and ingredients for sustained good energy.

•  Dehydrated cookies or crackers

•  Complex carbohydrates (whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, sprouted tortilla with humus and veggies, sandwich with whole grain or spouted bread, cashew mushroom burger, veggie or fish wrap with whole grain tortillas)

•  Lean animal or plant-based protein (fish, eggs, tempeh, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, hempseeds, pumpkin seeds)

•  Raw fats (avocado, raw nuts, olive oil, and especially coconut oil)

•  Berries or other raw fruits

•  Salad (vegetables, tempeh, fish, nuts and seeds, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, avocado, sunflower dressing)

• A second green/red superfood drink.  Or make a smoothie and add a scoop of the green or red superfood powder

Evening Workout, 5 pm – 10 pm 

It is always challenging to workout in the evening due to a lack of energy, exhaustion after a full work day, or the desire for a big heavy dinner.  My recommendations are very similar to the eating habits for an afternoon workout.  First, eat a variety of small meals that include whole foods in their natural state every 2-4 hours throughout the day.  This will help you keep your energy level up, and help keep you motivated for your workout.  Secondly, if you plan to exercise after 6 pm, I advise eating a small good energy meal by 5:30 or 5:45.  Here are some examples of a small good energy meall:

• Dehydrated cookies and burgers are great quick energy full of complex carbohydrates, protein and raw fats

• A small piece of salmon and a handful of baby carrots

•  A slice of sprouted bread or tortilla with nut butter or coconut oil and honey

• Apple slices and peanut or almond butter 

After your workout, I wouldn’t advise eating a big meal.  Keep it simple and light, such as fish and vegetables, soup, brown rice and vegetables, salad with sprouted bread and avocado.

Tips on Protein Drinks

•  Protein Drinks are popular, and are better drunk before or after the workout, not during.  Try to allow 15 minutes before working out after you have a protein drink.  Ideally stick to hemp protein protein.  Amazing Grass makes a great hemp protein mix:
• Whey protein is fine for building muscle faster if that is your goal, but stick to products that are pure whey without preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and ideally organic or hormone free (these products are hard to find, but ideal).  
• Avoid isolated soy protein because it is so processed and toxic that you are better off eating animal protein.  See Chapter 10, page 85 for more on soy and isolated soy protein

 After a workout

Be kind to your body after exercising.  It needs to repair and re-hydrate.  Drink lots of pure water; eat some lean protein such as:

• Fish, tempeh, eggs, raw nuts (almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts)

• Healthy raw fats such as avocados, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, raw nuts; whole grain breads; grains such as quinoa (extremely high in protein) and brown rice

• Vegetables, especially greens

•  Easily digested protein drinks (hemp protein, rice, or nut based)

• Fresh fruit eaten by itself. 

• Young Thai Coconut

It is also beneficial to take a good quality calcium/magnesium (such as Megafoods or Catie’s – both whole food based) after exercising to help relax the muscles and prevent cramping and soreness the next day.  The following products can be great for healing and repairing muscles and joints:

• MSM

• Alkaline Water

• Turmeric

• Protein enzymes

•  Raw omega fatty acids

•  Ginger

•  Blue-Green algae (“Blue Mana”)

Supplemental Products for more energy

There are various food-based products which aid in energy and endurance.  Some of my favorites are:

• Cordyceps mushroom

• Schizandra Berry, Acai Berry

•  Spirulina, Blue-Green algae, Wheat Grass and other greens

•  Matcha Green Tea

• Fat Burning Lemonade

• Maca root is another great herb that provides great energy, without the caffeine.  Maca has been used by ancient cultures for thousands of years for energy, hormone balancing, focus, stamina, and much more. 

 I encourage you to research these food-based supplements, and see what works best for you.

                          

Related posts:

1. The 5+1 Eating Guide
2. What’s the Connection: Hormones & Late Night Eating?
3. Finding the Right Combination

If you like to buy those bags of sprouted and dehydrated raw nuts and seeds this recipe will show you how to do it yourself, which will save you money.  I know dehydrated foods that are pre-made can be a bit pricey in the store but making them yourself can cut back on the cost.

The ideal way to make this snack is to have a dehydrator, which I know not everyone has so you can also use your oven.  I always soak any nuts or seeds first, which eliminates about 40% of the fat; creates very easily absorbed and digested fats; increases the enzymes and nutrients; makes the nut a complete protein and makes the nut very easy to digest, allowing the body to receive more energy from the nuts.  Convinced to soak your nuts and seeds???

 (This is how it looks when soaking the nuts in glass jars as described below)

Here is all you have to do:

1. In glass jars fill the nuts/seeds half way and then to the top with water.  Soak the nuts and seeds individually (one type of nut per jar).  My favorites are almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
2. I like to add about 1/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt per cup of nuts/seeds which allows the nut/seed to absorb the salt while soaking, making them even yummier!
3. After soaking 4-6 hours rinse them well in a collander and pour into a bowl.
4. Sprinkle Celtic Sea Salt and nutritional yeast to taste over the nuts/seeds and stir well.  The nutritional yeast adds a great variety of vitamins and minerals, aminos and even B12.
5. If using a dehydrator lay the nuts/seeds over a piece of parchment paper or dehydrator tray and dehydrate for about10-15 hours at 115 degrees.  Smaller seeds take less time to dehydrate while larger nuts like almonds or walnuts can easily take 15 hours.  The goal is to dry them completely until crunchy.
6. If you are baking them, set your oven at the lowest temperature possible and bake until dry and crunchy.  If you don’t have time to bake for a long period of time you can also bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, then stir/flip and bake another 10-15 minutes until crunchy and slightly browned.
7. Last option is to heat them in a fry pan over medium-high heat for about 5-10 minutes stirring often – very tasty.

*I store them in a paper bag or glass jar on the counter – tastier than eating popcorn!

                          

Related posts:

1. Simple & Deelish Fresh Almond Milk
2. Quick & Yummy Almond Pate
3. Raw Chia Flax Chips

MATCHA BERRY LIFT

I have been making this shake for over 4 years and is a family favorite.  It is amazing in the afternoon when you need that boost of energy and mental focus due to the wonderful Matcha tea.  This can be a great meal replacement on the go!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut, hemp or almond milk
• 1 tsp Matcha Green Tea powder (best price is through www.avateas.com)
• 1 Tbsp Hempseed Protein powder or other protein variety of choice, optional
• 3 ice cubes
• 1 banana, can be frozen for a thicker shake
• 1/3 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1/3 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup raw shredded coconut, optional but adds thickness and creaminess

Add the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Serves 1-2.

*If it is not sweet enough you can add a few drops of stevia, raw agave or yacon syrup

CREAMY MACA CACAO SHAKE

This smoothie is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, energy and 2 amazing superfoods: Cacao and Maca.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coconut, almond or coconut milk (my favorite is to use my raw coconut milk recipe)
• 2 Tbsp cacao powder (if you don’t have raw cacao it is also yummy to use a chocolate flavored superfoods such as Nutiva Chocolate Hemp Protein or Amazing Grass Chocolate Superfoods)
• 1 1/2 – 2  tsp Maca powder
• 10 pitted dates
• 1 tsp raw honey, yacon or agave (more or less to taste)
• 1 banana
• ½ cup ice
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Add the ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth.

*You can add 1 scoop of the Amazing Grass chocolate Amazing Meal for a more complete meal and a richer chocolate flavor.

ACAI PACIFIC BREEZE

Acai is an amazing Superfruit that is high in antioxidants, omegas, and nutrients.  You can use Acai juice but I love to buy the Sambazon Smoothie 4 packs that you keep in the freezer and they are ready to go – great for smoothies.  They have a few varieties but I generally buy the unsweetened.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup peach juice
• 1 cup almond, hemp or coconut milk
• 1 frozen pack of Acai Berry juice (I often buy the
• 1 banana
• ½ cup frozen mangos
• 2 fresh kiwis

Blend on high in the blender.  If you use unsweetened acai juice you might need to add some raw honey, agave or yacon syrup.

POMEGRANATE TROPICAL BLAST

Pomegranate fruit is great for the heart, rich in C, A, E and folic acid and is well known for its antioxidant properties.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• ½ Pomegranate juice
• 1 banana
• 3/4 cup frozen strawberries
• ½ cup frozen pineapple
• 2-3 large dates
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Blend on high in the blender. 

CREAMY MATCHA LATTE

This is what I am drinking right now.  On cooler days I drink this latte in the afternoon while I write and during cooler days I enjoy the Matcha smoothie above.  This is so comforting and soothing but incredibly invigorating to the entire body and mind – it is no wonder the Japanese call it the ceremonial tea!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond or coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ tsp Matcha green tea powder (might be to strong for most so start with probably 1 tsp in the beginning)
• 10 drops Vanilla Stevia (I use the Whole Foods 365 brand of Vanilla flavored Stevia)

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan over high heat whisk together the milk, water and cinnamon.
2. Before it comes to a boil remove from heat and add the Matcha powder and Stevia – whisk vigorously until the tea has dissolved.  (It is common for some of the matcha powder to stay clumped together because it is a whole food).
3. Pour into a large tea mug and enjoy. (I keep a spoon in my cup to stir it occasionally)

                          

Related posts:

1. Raw Chocolate Truffles – Cacao the new Superfood!
2. Pumpkin Chai Latte
3. Kidz Superfood is the Best Multivitamin

If you understand anything about me, you will know that I am a huge advocate of preventative eating – eating a diet and following a lifestyle that helps the body stay healthy and able to fight off and prevent illness and disease.  That is a very strong reason I eat the way I do because I know that the more care I take of my body the fewer problems and age-related illnesses I will have.  Plus I feel amazing and what is life without energy?

The studies concluded the following: “Increasing daily intake of green leafy vegetables could significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and should be investigated further.  A recent meta-analysis concluded that there is overwhelming support for the benefit of lifestyle interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes.” They are recommending 1.35 servings of leafy greens daily compared to the common average of 0.2 servings.

Many of these lifestyle studies included the incorporation of more fruits and vegetables into the diet – In the United Kingdom alone 86% of adults consumed less than the recommended amounts of 5 servings veggies and fruit.  The connection between an inadequate diet and lack of nutrients, specifically veggies, could have attributed to 2.6 million deaths in 2000, according to their studies.  Just imagine the figures now in 2010 – it is scary how much processed, fast food, soda and animal products we consume and how little amount of fresh produce we do consume.

Eating a higher diet in fruit and especially vegetables and greens has been associated with a reduction in not only diabetes but cancer and cardiovascular disease

Eat your greens!!

Reference:

BMJ 2010;341:c4229,  Published August 19, 2010

                          

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Ingredients:

• ¼-1/3 cup coconut or grapeseed oil
• ½ brown onion
• ½ red onion
• 1/3 cup chili sauce
• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• 8 oz. black beans, cooked
• 8 oz. kidney beans, cooked
• 2 lbs. of fresh or stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 10 small mushrooms or 2 large Portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 1½ cups fresh cilantro
• 1½ cups corn, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 large carrots
• 10 ounces of Seitan (wheat flour based meat-like texture) fresh if possible, chopped
• 1/3 cup goat chevre or plain coconut or goat yogurt
• 1 Tbsp Onion powder
• Juice from ½ a lime
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 fresh chilies (I like the small red and green ones – Serrano or Pasilla chilies)
• 1-2 Tbsp dry vegetable broth powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ¼ cup catsup
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar, honey, or xylitol
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• Celtic Sea Salt to taste (about 2 tsp or more) 

Directions:

1. Place the fresh chilies on a pan in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. 
2. When they are finished, scoop out the seeds and pure the chilies with the cilantro and a few dashes of salt in the food processor.  Set aside.
3. In a food processor, pulse-chop the Seitan and mushrooms.
4. In a skillet, heat about 2 Tbsp of oil and the chili sauce. Stir in the Seitan and mushroom combination and grill on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
5. Sprinkle in a little salt, ½ of the cumin and chili powder, and stir every couple of minutes.
6. In a large deep soup pot heat about 1/4 cup of oil.
7. Puree or finely mince the onions, garlic, celery, red bell peppers and carrots.  Don’t let the mixture get mushy, keep it slightly chunky.
8. Stir the vegetable mixture into the soup pot, adding about 1 tsp of salt. 
9. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring in the Seitan/mushroom mixture once it has finished grilling.
10. Add the chopped tomatoes, including their juice, to the pot and stir well. 
11. Add the corn, cilantro & chili puree, cooked beans, catsup, lime juice, agave and remaining seasonings.  Stir well and bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat. If desired, add the non-dairy sour cream or coconut milk.
12. Stir well and taste to see if it needs more sweet, salt, or heat/spice – add accordingly.
13. Let the chili simmer on low-medium heat for at least 30-60 minutes before eating for best flavor. 

*Serves 6-8

**For the best flavor, pour the chili (which has already been brought to a boil) into a crock pot and keep it on low over night.  The flavors and spices will intensify and grow richer.

                          

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2. Gluten-Free Butternut Quinoa
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The processing and refining of food is unfortunately a very common practice — A processed food is any food that has been altered from its natural state by any method, such as refining.  Refining is simply a form of processing, where food has been altered and generally stripped of its original raw fiber, fats and/or nutrients.  The most commonly refined foods include grains (white flour, white rice), sugars (white sugar), salt (refined salt) and oils (refined vegetable oils).  These processed and refined foods that have been transformed from a whole food to a synthetic food are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, creating high glucose levels and acid, which usually ends up as stored fat.  These processed and refined foods and oils are one of the leading causes of today’s rise in degenerate diseases and frequent illnesses.  

After decades of consuming the most highly refined food products, people are beginning to realize that we actually need ALL of what food provides, not just the fragmented remains.  The processing & refining process, specifically with grains, removes most of the fiber and vitamins, which are needed for our body to properly digest the food and maintain optimal health.  The fiber that has been removed from foods that are processed is necessary to help transport the nutrients and food itself to the designated areas in the body.  Eating foods without fiber is like a bicycle manufacturer creating a bike without tires, and expecting it to get you where you want to go.  It is absurd.

The White Rule

You have probably deduced that the “White Rule” has something to do with refined grains.  That is correct.  One of the first steps I have a client take is to minimize the “whites”.  The whites include grains that have been stripped of fiber such as white flour and white rice, along with white refined sugar (for weight loss I include cooked potatoes to the list).  Eliminating these foods and replacing them with more natural choices will make a huge difference in your energy, digestion, weight management and overall health.  If you were to only make this one change in your lifestyle for the first few months you would notice a significant change.

One of the most commonly consumed grains is in the form of flour made into bread.  Our ancestors usually soaked their grains and dried them in the sun before making bread, which often left the center of the bread raw, which made the bread easier to digest.  Today, most bread is made from bleached white or wheat flour with added chemicals.  Bread is so over-cooked now that it has little or no nutritional value and definitely no life-giving enzymes.  Whole wheat, whole grain and sourdough breads made from whole grains are better, but they still lack enzymes to aid digestion.  For bread to be nutritious, it should be made from sprouted grains.

It takes our bodies up to 72 hours to digest refined flours because of the loss of fiber.  In our digestive tract, these flours are like a paste — clogging up our colons, poisoning our system and interfering with normal digestion. With the introduction and use of these refined grains/carbs, “the industrial diet”, we have seen a significant rise in heart disease, diabetes, cancer and tooth decay.

Eliminate and Substitute

Let’s take this a step further and talk about what we are going to substitute these toxic processed carbohydrates with.  Essentially we will be eliminating the whites and replacing them with whole sprouted grains, whole grain/sprouted flour and natural unprocessed sweeteners and fruits. 

Pure carbohydrates in their natural state include fresh fruit, whole grains, sprouted whole grain products, legumes, vegetables, squashes and fiber.  Those will replace the altered or “bad” carbohydrates which include corn syrup, cooked fruit juices and cooked fruit by products, white & wheat flour (including semolina & durum flour), white rice, white sugar, chips, crackers, and refined flour bread.

If you are diabetic sensitive to starchy foods; concerned about weight gain and afraid to eat carbs; an athlete needing immediate long sustained energy; or simply want to keep your colon and digestive tract as healthy as possible, sprouted grains are your best friend.  Eating raw and sprouted grains such as dehydrated cookies/breads/crackers and raw grains is the most simple and healthy form possible.  Grains are meant to be eaten in this natural state and are vital to health.  Believe me; you won’t gain unhealthy weight/fat by consuming raw sprouted grains. It is just the opposite; they will assist the body with daily cleansing and appetite satiation.

The bottom line

I think that it is pretty clear how to best eat grains – whole, unprocessed/refined and ideally sprouted.  You can soak grains in water at home before cooking them or grind them into a raw pate or dehydrated food.  Fortunately sprouted has become a popular buzz word and almost every store, especially health stores, carries one or more brands of sprouted food lines such as Ezekiel (they make pasta, cereal, bread and tortillas all made from sprouted whole grains), Alvarado (they even make a sprouted pizza crust) and raw brands like Rawnola (make raw sprouted granolas)  along with numerous other companies now making raw crackers and breads.  There are numerous options out there! 

                          

Related posts:

1. Weekly Food Tip – Sprouted Tortillas
2. Nutrient-Dense Foods that are Light on Digestion
3. Transition Steps From a Low to High Energy Diet