There are three basic elements to staying healthy: 

            1 – Get the right nutrients into your body (eat ‘em & absorb ‘em)

            2 – Stay emotionally happy and balanced.

            3 – Move!   (Yes, we’re built to move around all day)

This messages is about the first element:  Nutrition – how do we make sure our bodies are really “getting it”.

1 – Eat the right foods.  That means lots of vegetables and fruits and much less meat and carbs than the standard American diet.  All the processing our foods go through now destroys so many of the nutrients, that even when eating the “right” foods, we’re not getting what we think we are, and, on top of that, we’re ingesting the toxins they’re grown with (egads).  Organic and raw is best.  If you believe you’re eating well and still have physical or emotional issues, then seek out someone (like me ☺) who can help you determine what is lacking or in excess.  Your body will tell you, all you need is to learn how to read the signs.

2 – You may be eating it, but your body may not be getting it, and that is just like not eating it at all.  The standard American diet (SAD—and it is sad) does not contain the enzymes required to break the food down so we can actually digest it and absorb it.  Cooking, pesticides, herbicides and other atrocities we do to our foods destroy enzymes as well as many of the vitamins and minerals.   So, getting the enzymes is important!

3 – The other thing that’s destroyed with cooking and chemicals is the probiotics that are needed to further break down the food in the intestines.  Probiotics are the friendly bacteria that live in the gut, which, by the way, are destroyed every time you take an antibiotic.  Without them, the food passes through without your body gaining the benefit.  So again, in today’s world, most of us need to make sure probiotics are part of our nutrition intake.  The best form is raw and organic foods.  If you’re having lots of intestinal issues, it can take anywhere from 1 to 6 months to fully replenish the probiotics in the gut.

4 – Another big issue with the SAD, is the imbalance of the essential fatty acids that are required to make hormones, and to absorb some of the vitamins (among other things).  Hormones regulate ALL bodily functions, so it’s vital to our health to make sure we have the right fat in our diet.  With SAD, we generally get plenty of omega-6, but we don’t get enough omega-3 fat to balance it, thus putting our health at risk.  So, think “fat is good”…it just has to be the right kind of fat, such as, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, flax seeds, grape seed oil, or hemp seeds.

That’s it!  If you can follow these basic rules, you are way ahead of the game concerning your health.  It’s not so hard (I tell myself every time the chocolate says, “I’m over here!”).

(It is understood that I (Jean) am not a nutritionist.  This information is posted for  educational purposes only.   I do not treat, diagnose, or prescibe anything.    I strongly advise anyone suspicious of a nutritional issue to consult their medical doctor.)