a)      Eat whole, natural foods

b)      Only eat foods that will spoil, but eat them before they do.

c)      Eat naturally raised meat

d)     Dairy – eat whole natural dairy from grass fed cows.  Fermented types of dairy are better; whole yogurt, cheese, fresh and sour cream.

e)      Use only traditional fats/oils; EVOO, Sesame, & Flax.

f)       Fresh fruits and veggies, Organic is better.

g)      Whole grains and nuts.

h)      Filter water for cooking, drinking, showering, and laundry.

i)        Use only natural sweeteners, in moderation; raw honey, maple syrup & stevia powder.

j)        Use only natural supplements

k)      Get plenty of sleep

2)      Don’t trust the Government to keep you safe.  Just because the FDA approves of a product or additive, don’t believe it’s safe.  The FDA looks for convincing evidence that a new product is not harmful when the product is first approved.  Most of the research at the time of new product approval has been conducted by the manufacturer who wants the new product approved, Hmmmmm.  After a product has been approved, there must be clear and convincing evidence that the product is harming people, and that there is no other possible explanation of the damage that the product is allegedly doing.

3)      Ingredients to watch out for:   

a)       High Fructose Corn Syrup – Many believe this is the cause of America’s obesity problem.  There’s 35 years of evidence about man-made fructose metabolizing straight into triglycerides and adipose tissue.  Natural fructose, changes to blood sugar to power our bodies.  Also, the actuarial curves on cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypoglycemia, and diabetes all follow precisely the increased use of high fructose corn syrup in America.  Most Fructose is consumed in a liquid form (soda or fruit juice).  Fructose does not stimulate the release of insulin and leptins which are key regulators of appetite.  Fructose has no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and it is 60 times sweeter than table sugar (highly addictive).

b)       Monosodium Glutamate – MSG is an excitotoxin that can damage cells and acts as a poison.  MSG is frequently hidden in food labels under the names like broth, casein, hydrolyzed, autolyzed, or natural flavors.  Scientists have known that MSG causes obesity since the 1960s and causes your body to produce internal fat, around the organ systems, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, insomnia, type 2 diabetes, and others.  Particularly vulnerable are babies and very young children plus, MSG is often found in baby foods.  It should be avoided by everyone, but especially pregnant women and infants.  Some background on why MSG is so bad:  Glutamine is a neurotransmitter that allows nerve cells to communicate with each other and transfers signals between the brain and the body.  When glutamine (MSG) hits the tongue the brain says “Wow that was awesome.”  This aspect is why food producers use MSG, it’s highly addictive on a psychological level and we want more of the food that has MSG in it.  Unfortunately, glutamine in the rest of the body is the neurotransmitter associated with pain transmission.  Through this pathway, MSG will increase a person’s perception of pain and even minor aches will become a major pain issue.      

c)       Trans-fats – These started coming out in the 1940’s as oleo, which later became margarine.  There has been plenty of information out about trans-fats, and most people realize that they should stay away from them.  Trans-fats have been shown to be a major factor in the coronary heart disease and increased arterial plaguing that has been epidemic in the U.S.

d)     Artificial Sweeteners – These fake sugars have been touted as much sweeter than regular sugar and are the product of chemistry, rather than nature.  What happens is that these sugars stimulate the taste buds in such a way that the brain wants more of them (otherwise known as a psychological addiction).  Aspertame blocks the neurotransmitter serotonin which controls food cravings, thus messing with the brain chemistry that allows us to feel satisfied from the food we do eat.  Ralph G. Walton, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Northeastern Ohio University’s College of Medicine says, "Probably one major contributor to obesity is the widespread use of diet products!"  Aspertame also breaks down at warm temperatures into: DKP ( a known cancer producer), formaldehyde (embalming fluid), methanol (poisonous alcohol), phenylalanine (an amino acid that causes brain damage for people with PKU) and aspartic acid (which can cause brain damage in very high doses).  According to Dr. Lydon, "Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are amino acids that are normally supplied by the foods we eat; however, they can only be considered natural and harmless when consumed in combination with other amino acids. On their own, they enter the central nervous system in abnormally high concentrations, causing aberrant neuronal firing and potential cell death. The neurotoxic effects of these amino acids, when consumed as isolates, can be linked to headaches, mental confusion, balance problems and possibly seizures."  For more information on this subject, click this link:  http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/sugarfree_blues.html

4)      Take Your Vitamins – Most people are safe in taking water soluble vitamins but if you have unusual circumstances or a health condition that you are not sure of, always ask your physician for advice.  In the vitamin world, you get what you pay for, if you buy inexpensive vitamins, the absorption and breakdown of the actual vitamin may not be as good as a higher quality natural vitamin.   

(a)    Multivitamin are almost required these days to help make up for the decreased nutrients in our foods from depleted soils and to counter-act the             toxins in our environment.

(b)   Vitamin D is a nutrient that most of us don’t get enough of.  Most people say that they get that from the sun, and you do.  The problem comes in with our northern climate where your body can only get enough vitamin D from the sun between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm during the summer months.  So unless you spend lots of time out in the sun during those times, you don’t get enough.  We definitely don’t get enough during the winter months.

(c)    Magnesium is a mineral that is essential for muscle relaxation and mineralization of the bones.  If the magnesium stores are depleted, the bones will be unbalanced in their composition and the muscles will be more spastic on all levels.