Sprouts are essentially predigested foods. When sprouting is done, the changes that happen start up powerful enzymes in these sprouts. They then are able to help regenerate the body because they include essential nutrients, RNA, proteins, and DNA.

Sprouts also provide you with vitamin C, various B vitamins, carotenoid A, chlorophyll, vitamin B12, vitamin E, and more. They offer more nutrition than most other fruits and vegetables, making adding them to your daily diet a great idea.

It’s easy to start doing your own sprouting, taking dry seeds, legumes, and grains and allowing them to sprout. Then you can add them to your diet in a variety of different ways. You can add sprouts to your sandwiches, you can put them in various cold dishes, and if you are into juicing, they can be used that way as well.

Sprouting gives you the ability to get the vitamins and minerals that your body needs all year long. When you can’t get anything else to grow and it’s tough to get fresh produce, you can easily grow sprouts and use them in your diet to keep your body strong and healthy. With all the great nutrients provided, you can avoid flu problems and colds during the winter months because you’ll be keeping your immune system strong.

Sprouts can even help with anti aging. Sprouts help to provide our bodies with more enzymes. Aging occurs due to enzyme depletion, and when you eat foods that are rich in enzymes, it can help you to slow down the aging process too.  Eating organic sprouts yields a bountiful harvest of vitamins, minerals and enzymes that help to keep you healthy all year long.

To Your Health,

Vida

More than a billion dollars is spent every year on digestion distress. It is said that “you aren’t what you eat, but what you digest”. The digestion process is made easiest if food is masticated to a near liquid. Rather than turn to drugs that hide the fact that you don’t digest well, you may want to give food combining a try.

Some common rules about efficient digestion include:

Eat fruits by themselves and preferably in the morning. At that time the body isn’t working hard to digest another kind of meal so digestion is more efficient.

Eat melons by themselves and not with a meal. It takes an entirely different set of enzymes to digest fruits and melons.

Eat protein without carbohydrates because proteins require an acid base to digest properly. Better combinations would be starchy or even non-starchy vegetables which includes the green veggies as well as tomatoes, sweet peppers and watercress.

Fats and oils such as avocado, olive oil, butter and nut oils digest well with carbohydrates such as beans, grains, split peas, the squash family and potatoes.

The non-starchy veggies such as green veggies of all kinds can combine successfully with fats and oils with no distress. Combine these foods with carbohydrates as well.

Starchy veggies such as carrots, cauliflower, corn, peas and beets can be combined well with a protein meal or with a carbohydrate meal.

Sweet fruit should not be combined with acid fruits. Some sweet fruits include bananas, dates, grapes, prunes, raisins, dates, figs, and dried fruits.

Acid fruits such as berries, orange, lemons, limes and grapefruits should be eaten together.

Skip desserts.  When dessert is eaten with a meal, it sits heavy on the stomach and ferments.

If you decide to give food combining a try,  just be sure and eat simply organic to avoid chemicals and toxic substances.

To Your Health,

Vida

It’s important that you get the optimum amount of protein in your diet.  However, you may be wondering how much you need, why you need it, or even where to get the protein you need in your diet.  Let’s take a look at the answers.

Why Protein Is Needed?

Wondering why it is so important that you consume optimum protein amounts each day?  Well, protein is important to the entire body and the building blocks for your hair, skin, and muscle.  Protein helps you to build muscle, helps to maintain muscle once you build it, and it also helps with fat loss.  When you digest protein, the body burns a lot more calories than it does when you eat fat or cabs and it makes you feel fuller, helping you lose fat.

How Much Should You Get?

So, you may be wondering what is the optimum protein amount you need to consume on a daily basis.  The amount you need can vary based on sex, weight, and age.  In most cases, women need 50 grams each day of protein.  Men need a bit more, at about 70 grams daily.  However, women who are pregnant, athletes, and senior citizens need a bit more protein than others do.

Where Can You Get Healthy Protein?

Just because a food includes a lot of protein for you doesn’t make it the best choice for your diet.  You want to get the optimum protein in a healthy way.  Many meats out there contain protein as do dairy products.  However, you may want to limit these products in your diet because of meat fat content, and too much dairy causes mucus formation.

If you are looking for healthy ways to get your protein, one great option is by eating whole grains such as quinoa.  Lentils, such as dried peas, black beans, and kidney beans provide plenty of protein too.  Nuts, pastas that are protein fortified, and lean meats like fish or chicken are other good options for getting the protein your body needs.  Keep in mind that eating simply organic is the healthiest way and does not include genetically modified grains and grain products.  Meats that are grass grazed on organic farms will help you avoid many chemicals and toxins that your body certainly won’t miss.  Your local health food stores will be able to point you to a local farm or producer that uses these organic methods.

To Your Health,

Vida

Herbs are cheap to start growing and most are easy to grow as well. The wonderful news is that herbs can replace a variety of the over the counter medications that you are taking. Although you may have only heard of herbs like mint for tea or oregano in pasta sauces, this merely scratches the surface of what herbs can do for you.

One example is aloe vera. You can easily grow it, and it is excellent for burns or for treating cuts. Basil, although you may think of it for cooking, can be used medicinally as an expectorant for the lungs and throat, can treat ear aches, and basil tea can help to settle the stomach.

Lavender is an herb that is both beautiful and useful.  In aromatherapy it is used as a calming agent. The oil or sachets of lavender can help to treat insomnia and to relieve headaches. Mint can be useful for treating an upset stomach, is great for helping to control dandruff, and can even freshen breath.

Rosemary is an herb that is an excellent analgesic, helping to relieve pain, it is a natural way to freshen breath, and also helps to improve circulation.

As you can see, medicinal herbs can be used in a variety of herbs. Take time to learn more about herbs and how you can use them. All you need is some seeds or young plants that are not genetically modified, some soil, and with some care you can start growing herbs, making a great and natural investment in your health.  By eating simply organic and including your own herbs into your cooking as well as personal products, you can eliminate a lot of products that include chemicals your body doesn’t need and your taste buds won’t miss.

Happy Valentine’s Day,

Vida

Of course, you probably already know that garlic is wonderful in foods. Garlic is used in cooking to provide flavor, and is an essential in your kitchen.

Not only will using garlic in food dishes provide you with wonderful and flavorful dishes, but adding garlic to your diet is an excellent health choice as well. Garlic is helpful for treating colds because of its antiseptic properties.

Studies have shown that it supports the immune system and can help fight off cancer. Even heart disease, hypertension and infections can be treated effectively with garlic. It has also been widely used as a treatment for Candida and other fungal infections, since it works as an anti-fungal as well.

Eating simply organic garlic goes beyond the kitchen and health though. Many people don’t realize it, but garlic can be used as an excellent natural pesticide. Chemical pesticides can be dangerous, but garlic can provide an all natural way to keep the pests at bay within your garden.

When garlic is used as a pesticide, it can help to eliminate and repel pests like slugs, termites, ants, aphids, borers, army worms, white flies, and more. This pesticide can easily be made at home with some garlic bulbs, a garlic press, soap that is potash based, a fine cloth, spray bottle, and a glass jar that has a lid.

Once your spray is made, all you have to do is apply it to the plants on a regular basis and it can be used on the soil as well to eliminate pests. This definitely makes for a much better option than using dangerous chemicals on your plants.

To Your Health,

Vida

These stickers tell you if your produce has been grown by conventional methods, organic or produce that has been genetically modified. By keeping these “digits” in mind next time you go to the grocery store, you’ll know how to best navigate the produce aisle.

Example:

Conventionally grown                        (2222)  4 digits

Organic fruits and vegetables           (92222) 5 digits and prefaced by a 9

Genetically modified fruits/veggies    (82222) 5 digits and prefaced by an 8

Genetically modified foods have been on the markets since the 1990s, but researchers admit that’s not long enough to determine safety risks.That being the case, you may want to stick with eating simply organic, then genetically modified foods and pesticides won’t be another food concern for you and your family.

To Your Health,

Vida

E. coli and salmonella are two contaminants that are reportedly becoming more common.  Both of these can lead to food poisoning, and large amounts have even been known to lead to deaths.

There has been much discussion and varying opinions about monosodium glutamate.  This is a flavor enhancer, especially popular in Chinese foods, and you may not realize the negative effects it can have on your health.  Many naturopathics claim it is an excitotoxin and can cause headaches, allergic reactions, nausea, cancer, fertility problems and heart disease.  MSG is in a variety of products, particularly broths, soups, and spaghetti sauces.  Almost all boxed and easy to cook foods contain MSG.  Eating simply organic recommends eating your foods fresh, slightly steamed or eaten raw to maintain all the valuable benefits.

High fructose corn syrup is an ingredient found in quite a few foods, especially cooked products, jellies, fruit pies, cereals and in many other foods you may not expect.  Check your sodas as they almost exclusively use high fructose corn syrup to sweeten because it is less costly to the manufacturer.

Milk and dairy products are on the list of foods suspect of causing negative health effects.  Evidence that the bovine growth hormone causes a host of health issues is continuing to grow.  Be sure to check dairy products made with milk containing the hormones and switch to brands that don’t use, and state so on the product, bovine growth hormones.

Nitrates are found in many meat products as well.  These can cause allergic reactions and other health maladies so consider that all of these contaminants can have a cumulative affect on your health.  Check the ingredient list on products until you can make your grocery list excluding the items that you no longer consider worth the risk.  It’s another reason to take advantage of your grocer’s sales for any organic items you use on a regular basis.  Making the switch will reward you immediately and ongoing.

It’s important that you know what you’re putting into your body.  The last thing you want is to eat foods that contain contaminants.  Give your body the best chance to renew your cellular system with the very best antioxidants by simply eating organic.

To Your Health,

Vida

Okay, so what’s the big deal about carbs?  You hear about good carbs and bad carbs - so what’s the difference?

You’ve probably heard that carbs are bad, but in reality, there are both good carbs and no so good carbs.  The good news is that it’s pretty easy to figure out which ones are actually good for you.

Good carbs are the carbohydrates that are full of healthy fiber for the body.  The good carbs are those that are slowly absorbed by the body, so you don’t get the bad spike in your blood sugar.  Good carbs also include phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins.  Just a few examples include fruits, whole grains, beans and veggies.

Bad Carbs are those that actually strip away fiber that is beneficial to the body.  This can include processed and refined carbs.  Some examples of these bad carbs include white flour products, white rice, and other processed or refined foods that include added sugars.

In the end, good carbs are those that are still natural or near to the natural state.  They haven’t been altered or processed.  For this reason, choosing to go with fresh organic foods is a wonderful eating choice.  It provides you with all the building blocks you need for good health.

With organic foods, you get the right carbs that your body needs.  When you’re in the grocery store, don’t be tempted by those colorful boxed foods.  Sure, they’re easy to cook up, but they have less nutrition and are full of unhealthy carbs that your body doesn’t need.  Eating simply organic will provide all of the good carbs that help to keep you healthy.

To Your Health and Happiness in the New Year,

Vida

Your digestive system needs to have enzymes in order to work properly. These enzymes are used to help break down food so they can be used for energy for the body.  While the body makes some of its own, enzymes that are in foods can make it even easier for the body to digest foods and make the most out of the energy they provide.

Yes, fruits and vegetables do have their own enzymes, especially when you eat them raw. Cooking fruits and vegetables too much can eliminate those enzymes that are so important to your digestion. All raw fruits and veggies include enzymes, but grains, sprouted seeds, and legumes include the most enzymes.

As we grow older, the body isn’t able to produce as many enzymes anymore, which means we need even more of these from our foods. It is important to remember that while fruits and vegetables have these enzymes, fats and meats have none. If you eat a large amount of meats and fats, then you may need to supplement your diet with enzyme supplements to help with the digestion of these foods.

Enzymes not only help with the digestion of the foods we eat, but they are also used to break down toxins in the body as well. They break up toxins that are in the bloodstream and the body’s cells so they can be excreted from the body. Enzymes are also needed for many other functions in the body, so it’s important that you get plenty of enzymes in your diet by eating fruits and veggies or that you do supplement with a quality enzyme supplement.

Be sure to buy only organic fruits and vegetables to minimize toxicity.  Eating simply organic improves your well being and gives your skin a natural glow.

To Your Health,

Vida

White Vinegar

Plain white vinegar is vinegar that has been made out of grain alcohol. The taste is unpleasant and sharp and it shouldn’t be used in large quantities. This type of vinegar works best for cleaning purposes or for creating a substitute for buttermilk.

Balsamic Vinegar

This type of vinegar has to be aged for a long time and this makes it the most expensive type of vinegar out there. As it ages, it gets thicker and sweeter. The less expensive versions are great for salad dressings that include other ingredients and marinades. More expensive balsamic vinegars are excellent on greens, as a garnish, or even drizzled on cheese for an appetizer.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This type of vinegar is very mild and it’s inexpensive as well. This vinegar isn’t expensive and it’s a nice touch to salad dressings. Because of the mild taste, it’s great if you want to marinate chicken or fish and can be used to make flavored vinegars as well.

Flavored Vinegars

Flavored vinegars are often made with apple cider vinegar, although they can be made with other types of vinegars as well. Other ingredients are combined with the vinegar to give them a specific flavor. This could include herbs such as basil, tarragon, cinnamon, raspberries, garlic, and other additives that give the vinegar flavor. Flavored vinegars are great on salads and work well as marinades too.

Eating simply with organic food pays large dividends to your tastebuds and your health.

To Your Health,

Vida