Foods to Avoid (Eat This Instead)…

I realize this time in quarantine may find people in different situations.  Some people have many challenges, whether it is unemployment, or working from home while caring for young children.  Where ever you are on this spectrum, if you have a desire or need to make some changes in your health habits and you have the time, then this blog is perfect for you.   

We are not rushing out the door to get to school on time, or rushing from school to gymnastics, or tennis, or soccer. Now that things have slowed down, I realize just how much we were rushing from one thing to the next.  

We have more time. Time to make home cooked meals together, time to clean the house together, time to play in the backyard, time to stay up late and watch a movie, and time to sleep in.

Things have slowed down and since we have no control over what is happening, we are trying to make the best of it.  We are using this time to bond as a family.

There is another silver lining, our Mother Earth is having a chance to recover.  The air is cleaner, the skies bluer, there is less car and air pollution, and the ozone layer is recovering.  This is a great time to get out and enjoy nature if you can.   

In my last blog post, I went over my morning routine of lemon water, celery juice, and fruit smoothies.  Next, I would like to discuss some of the foods I have eliminated from my diet, and why.  

This information is curated from reading Anthony William’s "Medical Medium" books, blogs, and listening to his podcasts.  Below are the top three foods to eliminate if you are struggling with any skin conditions, chronic or mystery illness, or any other symptom.  For the full list he recommends, click here

Processed foods

We are human, we are going to eat processed food occasionally.

When we buy processed food we still try to keep it relatively healthy and also gluten/dairy/egg free.  A couple staples we have in our house are “food for life” gluten free brown rice bread for making sandwiches.

We use organic peanut butter (the only ingredient should be peanuts), for jelly we use wild blueberry jam (from Maine).  If you love pasta, try swapping traditional pasta for red lentil or brown rice pasta.  We also love eating seaweed (which is a great source of iodine)

If you like protein bars, we like the GoMacro bars and That's it bars (made of just fruit).  Our kids like to eat pizza so we found a company called Daiya, that is plant based and make frozen pizzas, and mac and cheese that the boys like.  The kids usually eat the wild blueberry pancakes or fruit smoothie for breakfast, but if we are in a rush we always have a box or two of nature’s path organic waffles in the house. 

Reduce your fat intake

Reduce your fat intake (even healthy fats). Reducing fat allows your liver to do its job eliminating toxins from your body, which allows you to heal. This might mean cutting back on the amount of olive oil you use, or cutting back on the amount of nuts/nut butters, or animal products you eat.  

In our house we try to eat plant based as much as possible, if I eat animal protein, it is a one small serving a day.  I listened to Anthony William’s podcast about leafy greens and one a-ha moment I had was when he talks about getting your protein from leafy greens vs animal products.

He says, “Building muscle hinges on a carbohydrate and mineral salts”.  A problem some people run into when they are trying to build muscle is, when they don’t have enough carbohydrates.  

They can’t build their muscles as big as they want to,  so they add carbohydrates to the proteins (which is fat), fats and carbohydrates together build the muscle by bringing in the carbohydrates. They kept the fats so they bulk up and end up with a layer of fat under the muscle.

Now, they want to cut the layer of fat but keep the muscle so they cut back on carbs but don’t get rid of the protein and fat.  What happens is they end up losing the muscle because they cut the carbohydrates, it becomes a vicious cycle of adding carbs and cutting carbs (adding muscle and losing muscle).  

“The Game Changers” on Netfix, it is an amazing documentary that discusses the benefits of a plant based diet. The film reveals how that Roman Gladiators actually ate a plant based diet. A plant based diet has many benefits, even improving virility in men.

Eating plant based is also more sustainable, using fewer natural resources and is less taxing on the environment.

Eat More of This...

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

We do our best to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid processed foods as much as possible.  A couple of our favorite recipes that are currently on repeat in our house are Anthony William’s, spinach soup and asparagus soup.  

My seven-year-old does who hates asparagus, LOVES asparagus soup, go figure. We eat a lot of steamed sweet potatoes, white potatoes, cauliflower (or cauliflower mash - just blend with a little olive oil after streaming), broccoli, brussel sprouts, and mache.  

We eat a lot of fruits like strawberries, raspberries, apples, blueberries, watermelon, dates, and papaya.  It's a great source for glucose, which your body uses as fuel.

Leafy Greens

Critical leafy greens contain omega 3 naturally. Some leafy greens your should try to include in your diet include.

• Butter leaf lettuce
• Mache
• Barley grass juice powder
• Cilantro
• Red leaf lettuce
• Spinach
• Kale

Manuka Honey

The honey we like best, is from a company called Activist.  Activist raw Manuka Honey is wild crafted in Aotearoa, New Zealand.  They sell honey with varying MGO (Methylglyoxal) ratings.  The higher the MGO rating, the higher the level of antibacterial activity.  

Products claiming to be manuka honey but not showing an MGO or UMF rating are unlikely to be genuine.  They sell 100+ MGO and 300+ which can be used in teas and in recipes.  

They also sell 850+ MGO which I like to use on my face as a mask or on my eczema.  Occasionally they carry 1,000+ MGO that can be used sparingly either topical or a small spoonful if you are feeling under the weather.  Some uses of manuka honey include.

• Burns and wounds- the MGO enzymes create a natural hydrogen peroxide that works as antibacterial.  It can soothe inflammation and pain, and stimulate wound healing time and repair white blood cells 
• Digestion- It supports the natural digestive microbiome.It contains oligosaccharides, which have a prebiotic effect on the gut and promote the proliferation of good flora.
• Oral health- Because of it's anti-bacterial and microbial properties, it can kill plaque and improve and prevent issues relating to tooth decay and gingivitis.  Use as a mouthwash or oil pull to remove toxins. 
• Immunity- It has efficacy against antibiotic-resistant microbes, promoting its healing powers against pathogens internally and externally.  It can help against sore throats, help sooth coughs and improve common cold symptoms.  It can also help people will acute sinus problems and allergies.
• Acne, eczema, and dermatitis- Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, Manuka has extraordinary healing properties for skin conditions. You can use Manuka honey as an everyday face wash, direct spot treatment on acne or make a face mask and leave it on for a set amount of time.  
• Skin repair- We live in a toxic, environmentally polluted world, we are subjected to toxins left and right.  These toxins become prevalent and visible on our skin.  Manuka is magical at repairing skin damage.  It promotes skin regeneration, repairs cellular damage and lessens scarring.  
• Anti-aging- Studies have shown that the methylglyoxal found in Manuka honey has been shown to increase and protect the production of collagen in the skin, promoting structural growth and regrowth. The amino acid in manka honey harmonize the PH balance of our skin.  It is also extremely hydrating for the skin.  

So what does my main man, Anthony William the "Medical Medium" have to say about raw honey?  Honey in its raw from is nothing less than a miracle from God and earth.  

The fructose and glucose in honey are saturated with more than 200,000 undiscovered phytochemical compounds and agents, including pathogen-killers, phytochemicals that protect you from radiation damage and anti cancerous phytochemicals.  Honey in its raw form is a secret weapon against infectious illness.  

When consumed they nestle deeps in the ileum and create an essential bioidentical B-12. For more information on elevated biotics click here. We love planting a garden at our home with tomatoes, lettuce, asparagus, eggplant, and cucumbers.

If you do not have the space to plant a garden outdoors, no problem. Indoors we are growing broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, rosemary, sage, and thyme.  You can buy sprouting jars and seeds on amazon and it is simple to do.