Just Good Energy

JGE Guide - Introduction

Today, there are all sorts and varying degrees of mass diets, step-by-step eating strategies, and weight loss programs that are designed as if they are a full service health and wellness solution for many. There is no such thing as a total one-stop-shop solution for optimal health. We are all unique individuals and must be treated as such. Our uniqueness is what makes us human. Each of us is a masterpiece in our own right because there is not one other person in the whole world just like us. This is a fascinating and profoundly beautiful thing, but it also means that we are each responsible for becoming the gatekeeper to our own health. Becoming our own gatekeeper means that we must seek out and make the necessary changes in our lifestyle and diet through education.

Most of the programs marketed as silver bullet solutions are geared for people to lose weight. Almost all of them have little to do with improving the participant’s overall health, and everything to do with capitalizing on a person’s obsession with losing weight. Achieving one’s optimal weight is important, but true good health can only be gained through a balance in lifestyle, which has very little to do with losing weight. If you build a lifestyle that is balanced, your optimal weight will come to you as a natural occurrence. How do you know if you are out of balance? It all starts with a simple question, “How do I feel?”

Balance is dictated by diet, and that diet is a lifestyle. A lifestyle is a unique compilation of personal choices, at first a subjective and then a shared experience. What, when, where, and how we eat is a mirror image of our lifestyle because it is tied in to that same orchestra of everyday decisions. I certainly admire and follow many aspects of “raw foodists”, “vegetarians” and “vegans”, but I could never lock myself into either of those valiant but in my view, limited lifestyles. By limited, I mean that which has limits. I don’t believe in limits. I believe in choices, because a choice is personal, and a limit is impossible. Each choice we make dictates our lifestyle and lifestyle dictates diet, which has the most influence on our energy, and the quality and level of our energy is the most accurate barometer for how we feel.

If what we put in our bodies has the most influence on our energy then certainly we must do everything we can to understand foods, and how they affect us holistically. Focus on developing a passion to learn as much as possible about foods, their functionality, energy value, and how everything we eat and drink affects our body, mind, and spirit. That way, you can make a transition to a lifestyle that will give your being the most sustained good energy.

We have simplified complex nutritional principals into a language that anyone can understand. We are first going to establish the foundation or “launching pad” to help you make the choices and decisions for making the change in your diet. I will explain how to optimize your body for proper digestion through understanding enzymes and how they relate to raw versus cooked foods. I will teach you how to cleanse your body of past and daily toxins. I lay out in detail the simple steps to get you started on your gradual transition to a more live and plant-based diet through understanding the categories of foods and the strategic phases of transition. I then give you the guidelines on what to eat depending on the time of day so that you have optimal good energy throughout your day-span. You will learn about the importance of exercising your body, mind, and spirit during your transition. You will learn how to prepare your kitchen for a good energy lifestyle. You will become a healthy shopping expert by learning exactly which foods to shop for, and will gain specific and critical information you need to sort through the countless supplements available at your local health food grocer so that you do not waste time and money on products that may be harming you more than helping you. The guide has much more, and exists holistically as a comprehensive road map to take along on your life path.

The Natural Alternative Recipe section categorizes over 200 recipes; each packed with good energy by applying an eclectic and exotic mix of vegetarian and raw food principals, with a blend of seafood cuisine. These recipes have been fine tuned in my own kitchen over the years through constant experimentation with the use of natural alternatives to add optimal flavor to every aspect of your diet. Each meal will chip away at the myth that foods that are good for you cannot consistently taste better than foods that are detrimental to your health.

These recipes contain little to no processed fats. Where I have used them, they are in the raw cold-pressed form. For a truly nourishing diet, your body needs natural “whole food” fats — not refined, over-cooked & concentrated fats. I advocate soaking or sprouting nuts, grains, seeds or legumes prior to cooking, so that cooking time and temperature can be reduced and more nutritious food will result. In addition, I use dehydrated foods so as to retain live enzymes while supplying textures and flavors not found in most “healthy” foods.

Many cookbooks today feature sprouted grains, seeds and legumes, but their recipes are completely raw and often have very little flavor. Food flavors and textures are important aspects of our eating experience. Even healthy meals should be tasty and enjoyable! In truth, most natural food recipes tend to lack flavor because the salts, fats and sugars have been deleted. I will share with you many healthy and regenerative alternatives to these flavor imposters!

I believe this guide will excite and motivate you to move forward on the path to good energy and overall health. The guide will be with you as you explore and discover the potential of your body, mind and spirit, and how foods can be such a fun and integral part of your lifestyle and well-being.

To Your Health!

Rebekah Winquest