Moms On a Mission

OH so good for you!

Okra, say it with me…Okra! It’s as much fun to say as it is to eat. Packed with naturally glutathione (necessary for supporting the immune system). Want more fibre? Eat Okra! 1 cup at 35 calories is 4gr of fibre. It is also high in vitamin A & K, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and folic acid.

Onions! They are a cancer fighting food and they build strong bones. Onions contain a whole bunch of goodness for allergy and asthmas sufferers. They contain powerful antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antiviral. Have even been linked to lowering blood pressure! And they are in the top 12 foods least contaminated!

Oatmeal – turbo charges your immune system and has more protein than popular cereals! 5 g og fibre and 8.5 g of protein in a mere 2/3 cup of oats. Don’t forget the phosphorus, potassium, selenium, manganese and eve a couple of milligrams of iron!

Oranges! Take a deep breath and imagine you are in an orange grove. Let the scent fo fresh oranges take over your senses…it is a good day! Whole not juiced! The pulp is your friend. We know about the vitamin C in oranges, but have you heard about…the 170 cancer fighting phytochemicals? The 60 flavonoids? And the 3.4 g of fibre?

Organic – anything!

We can into this world in the most natural state…yet once we are here, we often forget what that means. If we have a headache we reach for a pill, if we have a cold, we reach for a pill, if we have a pain, we reach for a pill…when really Hippocrates said it best in 400 BC… Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food!

There are a plethora of natural cures for all that ails you. Don’t take my word for it, try them out for yourself!

Got a headache? How about a natural mint-cucumber compress?

2-4 slices of fresh cucumber

2 tsp dried mint

1 cup water

According to herbal lore, the cooling combination of sucumber and mint can be effective in silencing the pain of headaches, especially behind the eyes.

Bring water to boil,

steep the mint for 10-15 mins (covered),

strain and refrigerate for usage

TO USE:

Dip – to dampen – a washcloth in the cold tea

Place 2 cucumber slices over each eye and place compress over your eyes and forehead and rest quietly until pain subsides.

**Thanks to Lavendar, Parsley, Peppermint and Sage by Shea Zukowski

Adapted from the 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Johnny Bowden, PhD. C.N.S.

MMMM Marvelous foods! Here we go!

MUSHROOMS: Have been used for eons for their healing properties. They are a fungus that scavenge on organic material and they absorb and safely eliminate toxins…That is great for the body! 3 Types: Maitake, Shiitake and Reishi.

Cremini mushrooms: (white button mushrooms) According to Regina Wilshire, N.D., “Cremini mushrooms are superdense with nutrients. One 5 oz serving (dry before cooking) gives you mnore than 50% of the DV for the cancer fighting trace mineral selenium, 40% of riboflavin, 35% of copper, 30% niacin, 20-25% of pantothenic acid, phosphorus and zinc PLUS 10-15% of manganese and thiamin. They also have trace amounts of magnesium, calcium, folate B12 and iron!”

PS they have also been proven to be a metabolic enhancer.

MANGOES: The KING of fruits!

Not only is the Mango tree a symbol of love, but some believe the tree can grant wishes!

Mangoes are a high volume food, few calories, high nutrition…potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin C and K calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Rich source of enzymes and 3.5 g of fibre!

MACADAMIA NUTS

Dr Aikins said, “a meal in itself”. Is more than 80% monosaturated fat (the good fat) that has been shown to lower heart disease and cancer and youthful aging! They are high in calories so think about substituting them for other snacks a couple times a week.

So let’s eat!

Leeks
Lemons and Limes
Licorice

Lucky you! Luscious, lovely foods that will feed and heal your body. You deserve it!

LEEKS
Sweeter than an onion and FABULOUS in a stirfry. This vegetable contains a whole pharmacy of compounds with health benefits (including allyl sulfides that provide protection from cancer). Lowers LDL (the bad cholesterol); lowers blood pressure. Goodness right down to the roots, they are mineral dense and full of flavour. Great for eye health, contain fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin K, and over 1400 IUs of vitamin A.

LEMONS/LIMES
Lemons used in folk remedies for centuries. Hot lemon for sore throats, lemon and honey too, lemon and water before bed to cleanse the liver, and avoid kidney stones.
Lemon Peel and black tea reduces the risk of skin cancer, great source of vitamin C and anti-inflammatory (just 1 tbsp/week). When making lemonade, use the WHOLE LEMON even the peel. Limes saves live – vitamin C rich and tastes GREAT!

LICORICE
Not the candy…the root. Great for treating coughs and lung disease. Commonly used for respiratory tract health, soothes inflamed mucous membranes. Used for urinary tract irritations, adrenal fatigue and exhaustion, immune deficient stated, allergies, liver disorders and detoxification. Japanese use licorice to control hepatitis, and chronic fatigue. Makes the top 6 list of anticancer activity!

What are you adding to your shopping list this week?

“K”eep It Super Simple!

Food is simple. Your body simply needs simple food…nothing with additives or preservatives. You may have never heard of these foods but they are worth knowing about!

KALE

KOHLRABI

KIWIFRUIT

KIMCHI

KALE

SUPERSTAR! Bet you didn’t know that? First it has an ORAC value of 1770! (ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, that is how it works to fight cell-damaging free radicals).  Contains powerful phytochemicals like cancer fighting indoles, high is sulphur and something called “sulforaphane” (which gives a boost to the body’s detox enzymes) Great for the liver to remove free radicals. Loaded with calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C and bone-building vitamin K, 2 cups contain 4g of protein and 3 g of fibre.

KOHLRABI

One of the world’s healthiest foods and you probably have never heard of it, have you? The stem can be crisp and juicy as sweet as an apple similar taste to turnips. It comes in two “flavours”, green and purple (a bit spicier). Contains important phytochemicals such as cancer fighting indoles, sulopane and isothiocytes.  What are those? They are CANCER fighters! Eat them. 36 calories per cup  and 5 g of fibre.

KIWIFRUIT

Okay, really, this is one of the SUPERFOODS that you MUST eat. First it is the most dense nutritional food on the planet. It has twice as much vitamin C than that of an orange and also a decent source of magnesium. 2 Kiwi have 5 g of fibre. A significant ability to reduce oxidative stress, kiwi limits the amount of oxidative damage to DNA. Kiwi works as a blood thinner without the side effect of Aspirin. Also beneficial in protecting against respiratory symptoms associated with asthma and to help with wheezing symptoms in children.

KIMCHI

AKA Chinese Cabbage. Okay so technically it’s not “one food” but it makes the list! Made from fermented chile peppers and vegetables, usually cabbage and was recently called one of the worlds healthiest foods by Health magazine. So what’s in it? Cabbage, onions, and garlic (all on the top 150 list)…anti cancer fighting properties, significant heart benefits. The goodness is this one? FERMENTED foods are almost good for you. Full of healthy probiotics that help control inflammation which is important in fighting degenerative diseases. Also contains high levels of Vitamin C, and all the B vitamins, minerals (calcium, iron and potassium) and dietary fibre.

K – go eat lunch!

“J”ust the facts Ma’am!

Just knowing the facts will make a huge difference in what you eat.

Jerusalem Artichokes
Jicama
Juicing– FRESH fruit or veggie

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES
Feeding the good bacteria for a healthy gut. High is fructooligosaccharides and inulin ? good food for your gut! Also found to lower blood glucose, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. May inhibit the growth of various types of cancer. May cause flatulence when eaten raw.

JICAMA
Fresh, clean refreshing and crispy! It’s a root vegetable that is a staple in Mexico. A squeeze of lime and a bit of chili or cayenne powder…yum! Low calorie, high fibre (6g) and a bit of calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, A and beta carotene and only 49 calories per cup! Bake or boil just like a potato and stir fries nicely.

JUICING
Everyone agrees, without a shadow of a doubt that we NEED TO EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES. This fact has never been disputed. A diet rich in fruits and veggies lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke, and cardio-vascular disease. Raw foods, the goodness of fruits and veggies…ahhh…the good life! Use apples or carrots as a foundation and you can’t go wrong. Get creative!

Isn’t that the truth! How can I know what I don’t know? Well all we can do is learn…so let’s learn a bit here today.

We hear a LOT about insulin, inulin, insoluble fibre, and inflammation, but what do e we REALLY know about them?

Here is what I know…

INSULIN: Is a hormone that lowers the level of glucose in the blood and when glucose goes up (like when we eat) insulin helps that glucose enter the body’s cells where it can be used for energy or “stored” for future use. This is the fat storing hormone that, if raised high enough, long enough consistently enough will contribute to diabetes, heart disease and aging. A healthy body regulates insulin easily.

INULIN: A naturally occurring soluble fibre that feeds the good bacteria in the gut and helps support gastrointestinal health. Basically it creates a friendly environment in the digestive tract.

INSOLUBLE FIBRE: indigestible part of foods that moved bulk through the intestines.  We call it “roughage”. This type of fibre absorbs water as it moves through you and “in the end” makes it easier to “eliminate the waste”.

INFLAMMATION: This is a big word that is thrown around a lot. The bottom line it is the critical component of almost every degenerative disease. It is a biological reaction to harmful stimuli in the body, damaged cells, irritants etc. The UPSIDE of inflammation is wounds and infections heal because of it. The challenge is CHRONIC inflammation that can lead to a lot of problems, hay fever, arthritis, even cancer.

As always, feed your body better to feel your best. www.BestBreakfastEver.com

“If you are what you eat and you don’t know what you’re eating, do you know who you are?” Claude Fischler

HORSERADISH

Great for clearing up sinuses; inhibits bacterial infection; increases circulation; only 14 calories per tbsp; contains postassium; one of the richest sources of allyl isothiocyanate (which is believed to play a role in the prevention of tumors and in the suppression of tumor growth); contains a substantial quantity of glucosinolates that help increase resistance to cancer (they detoxify carcinogens); a little dab will do you!

HONEYDEW

A high volume food (meaning they are high in fibre, water and air and low in calories); great for appetite control (there fore great for weight loss); half a melon is only 180 calories; about 90% of it is water; high in potassium (404mg) and vitamin A; and a bit of calcium and vitamin C; high potassium foods help lower blood pressure; make it into a juice for a wonderful treat!

HAZLENUTS

Help with high cholesterol; lessens the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (causing men over 40 multiple trips to the bathroom at night); contain a nice amount of potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus and vitamin E; and 1 oz contains 3g of fibre!

Honestly, it really can be that easy!