Raw Food Diets

There has been much recent attention drawn to raw food diets.  Followers report higher levels of energy, weight loss and healthier looking skin.  In addition, a raw food diet is thought to prevent a myriad of chronic diseases including arthritis, heart disease and cancer.

The reasoning behind these claims is that cooking is thought to denature enzymes naturally present in foods.  As a result, our bodies are then required to produce higher levels of enzymes, eventually leading to system burnout or exhaustion.  The resulting chronic lack of vital enzymes is thought to lead to weight gain, poor digestion and suboptimal nutrient absorption.

In some cases, cooking a food can also produce harmful compounds such as heterocyclic amines; cancer-causing agents which are formed when meats are exposed to high heat.

Raw food diets generally contain much higher levels of anti-oxidant-rich greens and much lower levels of saturated and trans fats than the standard North American diet.   Additionally, much higher levels of fibre are often consumed due to higher intake of fresh produce.  These factors alone will improve health and prevent many chronic illnesses.

In addition, the foods consumed on a raw diet generally result in a more alkaline state of the body.  Acid-alkaline balance is thought to be a great predictor of disease appearance and progression.  Generally, those who are more alkaline tend to develop fewer chronic illnesses.

Interested in trying it out? The summer months are a great time to include more raw foods in our diets.  Even if you don’t go completely raw, shifting your food intake to include higher levels of raw foods can have a great impact.  While individual goals may vary, I would suggest keeping it simple.  For example, commit to eating raw for 2 meals of the day and including some cooked foods during the 3rd meal.  Alternately, you may commit to eating raw for a certain number of days per week.  Set a goal that is realistic for your lifestyle.  Even committing a portion of each meal as raw will have benefits.  Consider starting with a 50% raw diet; 50% of each meal will be raw.

As stated above, summertime is a great time to try out a raw diet.  Eating raw may not be a healthy choice for many during our cool North American winters.

Potential health concerns of a raw diet:

We’ve talked about the many health benefits of raw diets but it’s important to be just as aware of some of the potential hazards.  Consuming a raw diet can make it easier to get in higher levels of  vitamins, minerals and some nutrients.  However, it can also make it tricky to achieve a healthy level of other nutrients.  One place where I have seen many people struggle is with protein intake.  Be sure to monitor your protein intake, and aim for 1gram of protein per kilogram of body weight.

Ideal sources of raw protein include:

Nuts and seeds

Sprouted beans and legumes

Spirulina

Raw protein shakes (found at a local health food store like Nature’s Source)

Other nutrients which are commonly depleted on raw diets include Vitamin B12 (see my previous blog post for more information about this important vitamin), iron and omega-3 fatty acids.   If you feel you are unable to get adequate levels of these important nutrients, consider adding a supplement to your diet.

 

 

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Herbal Relief for Seasonal Allergies

Although I have yet to stow away my winter coat, I remain optimistic that Spring is, indeed, here to stay.   For allergy-sufferers, that means that the season of tissues and decongestants is almost upon us!

There are many ways to prevent and alleviate allergy symptoms.  First, it’s important to understand a bit about the process that happens in the body when allergies hit.   At a basic level, allergy symptoms reflect the immune system on over-drive.  Certain air-borne allergens (like pollen, for example) can cause a tickle in the nose resulting in a sneeze for anyone.  It shouldn’t result in continuous sneezing, running nose, weepy eyes, coughing, etc.  From an elimination perspective, that’s a bit of overkill!

So what can we do to calm the immune system and promote a more “normal” response?In an allergic body, certain immune cells (called Mast Cells) are in a highly stressed state and on high-alert to release Histamine.  Histamine is that pesky little chemical that causes many of the allergic symptoms (think itchy, puffy, irritated tissue.)   In a healthy, balanced state, these mast cells float around and release appropriate amounts of histamine when needed.  Once the histamine has been released and has done it’s job, it get neutralized by another immune cell called a leukocyte.  Sounds pretty simple, right?  Unfortunately, not so in an allergic body.  When the immune system is stressed, Mast Cells send out too much histamine, which makes it difficult for leukocytes to neutralize.  The result: an assault on the nose, eyes, sinuses and skin!Moderating an allergic response is all about balancing the immune system.  While we don’t want the immune system to become too passive, we don’t want to out-of-proportion, over-the-top response either.  Certain organs play a big role in modifying the immune response.  The top ones are the Liver, the Kidneys and the Adrenal Glands.  In short, the liver neutralizes histamine, the kidneys drain the “garbage” and your adrenal glands produce hormones that help to keep these organs (and many others) in high functioning order.Some of the most useful ways of supporting these three organs include:Identifying and removing food sensitivities.  If your immune system is reacting to a food that you are regularly consuming, this will result in a highly agitated immune system.  Remember: we’re trying to calm the immune system, not irritate it.  So removing foods that are not well tolerated can have a huge impact.  Common allergens include dairy, wheat, corn, and eggs.  Sometimes it is a food that is least suspected.  Food allergy testing, performed in a Naturopathic office, can help to identify specific food sensitivities and set a guide for elimination.

Keep sugar to a minimum.  Sugar does many things in the body…not many of which are positive.  With regards to allergies, sugar increases inflammation, which heightens the effects of those irritated mucous membranes.  It also subdues cortisol function (cortisol is a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine hormone), which allows histamine to float around the body un-checked.  For a sweet treat, stick to fresh fruit or small amounts of local, raw honey.

Eat a whole foods, un-processed diet.  You can get a lot of information about the effects of processed foods from some of my previous posts, but the short story is that processed foods add a massive burden on the body (liver, kidneys, adrenals, colon…) as it has to break down and get rid of a lot of excess “junk” that it cannot use.  Whole foods (a food in it’s original state…ie an apple vs apple pie!) provide high levels of important nutrients to support healthy organ function.

Be kind to your liver.  Remember; your liver has to process and detoxify everything that comes into the body.  Limiting your intake of junk will reduce the amount of work you liver needs to do…so it can focus on producing much needed compounds to neutralize histamine.  Eating bitter greens such as dandelion, kale, collards, chard, and endives help keep the liver in good working order.

Support your kidneys.  The most important nutrient for the kidneys by a long shot is water.  Keep a bottle of water handy and sip frequently throughout the day.  Teas can help to hydrate while supporting the immune system.  Nettles, dandelion leaf, eyebright, ginger, red clover and licorice roots are all great choices for allergy relief.
Keep your lymphatics moving. The lymphatic system plays an important role in draining all those immune complexes floating around in your body.  Contrast showers, dry skin brushing, rebounding and lymphatic massage all help to keep the lymphatic system moving.

Consider supplements.  Certain supplements are very useful during the allergy season.  Ideally, these would be started before allergy symptoms appear, but using them once symptoms are present can still provide relief.  Among my favorites are PascAllerg (a complex homeopathic product,) Vitamin C, Quercetin, and Butterbur.

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Digestion for Optimal Health

Proper digestion is essential to optimal health.  Following are some of the components required for optimal digestion:

Environment: Optimal digestion begins before we even ingest a food.  The environment in which one eats will impact the body’s ability to do what is it supposed to do in breaking down foods.  High levels of stress can interfere with the rhythmic contractions in the GI tract, and can also alter the levels of digestive acids and enzymes that the body produces.

Thorough Chewing: Chewing is the first stage in digestion, and is important in breaking large pieces of food into smaller ones.  This increases the area on which digestive enzymes will be able to act.  Poorly chewed foods will results in more work for the digestive system, and often results in symptoms such as gas, bloating and digestive upset.

Optimal pH: The body regulates the acidity and alkalinity depending on the stage of digestion.  The stomach, for example, needs to be acidic in order to break down protein, destroy any harmful micro-organisms that may be present on foods, and also to allow for ideal absorption of Vitamin B12.  Once food is passed into the small intestine, the environment becomes alkaline, to allow proper function of digestive enzymes.

Enzymes: Enzymes are needed to breakdown food components. Specific enzymes are needed to act on different types of foods.  A deficiency in digestive enzymes will result in poorly digested foods, digestive discomfort and can ultimately lead to poor health as a result of the body being unable to absorb the nutrients it needs from the food being ingested.  Stress, illness, poor diet and pharmaceutical medications can all affect the health of digestive enzymes.
Gut Flora: The digestive system has vast amounts of microoganisms within it.  A healthy body needs healthy bacteria in order to make and absorb certain vitamins, regulate bowel movements and provide immune protection.

Fibre: Fibre is needed to regulate bowel movements, help increase enzyme response, bind to toxins, and provide fuel for cells and bacteria.

Healthy nervous function: The walls of the digestive system are are fed information through a highly specialized network of nerves.  These control muscle movement.  When the nervous system is not at it’s best, rhythmic movements within the GI tract become disturbed and GI discomfort can ensue.

 

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Tofu Scramble

* ingredients:

1 lb. organic tofu drained and pressed

1/2 cup onions, chopped

1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 cup broccoli, chopped

1-2 tsp. tamari

1/2 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

1 tbsp. olive oil

* method:

1.  In a bowl, mash the tofu with a fork.

2.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

3.  Over medium flame, heat oil in skillet and add the tofu mixture.

Allow the bottom layer to brown, and turn and spread to cook the top

layers, much like scrambling eggs.

* variations:

1.  Add grated carrot,  garlic, green or red pepper, cooked potatoes,

nutritional yeast.

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Spring Cleanse; The Kidneys

Water is, by far, the most important ‘nutrient’ for the kidneys.  The kidneys work constantly to filter blood; removing unwanted components and titrating components that are needed by the body.  It is impossible for the kidneys to function well without adequate water intake.

Cranberries, celery, parsley, asparagus, artichoke, melon, watercress, apple cider vinegar, dandelion root are all great for supporting kidney function.

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Spring Cleanse; Lymphatic System

The Lymphatic System is a network of vessels which acts as a filtration system, and houses immune cells.  The lymphatic system is importance in cleansing, because it transports excess fluid and toxins released by tissues and allows them to be removed from the body.

The lymphatic system does not have any pumps to move the fluid, so it relies on contraction of muscles to function.  Various ways of activating the lymphatic system include:

Rebounding (jumping up and down on a small trampoline)

Alternate Showers (alternating between hot and cold in the shower)

Lymphatic massage (we recommend a series of four 30 minute lymphatic massages)

Exercise

General movement (ie getting up from your desk chair at least once per hour)

 

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Spring Cleanse; Liver

The Liver is considered the major organ of detoxification.  A series of chemical steps allow the liver to convert substances that may be toxic or unusable by the body, into a form that can be eliminated safely from the body.

To support the liver in it’s function, include bitter foods in your diet such as:

  • Kale
  • Collards
  • Radicchio
  • Watercress
  • Dandelion leaves
  • Lemon juice
  • Chard
  • Endive

Minimize the toxic load to your liver by avoiding additives, preservatives and non-critical pharmaceutical drugs.

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Spring Cleanse; The Colon

The colon is a major organ of elimination, making it’s health imperative for successful cleansing.

Foods that support the colon in it’s function include:

Ground Flax Seeds.  These provide a mucilaginous coating to protect the inner lining of the GI tract.  They also help to maintain a healthy water level in the colon, which results in soft, well-formed stool.  Adequate fibre intake is essential to colon health.  Aim for a minimum of 30g of fibre per day.

Chlorophyll.  This pigment, naturally present in plant cell walls, can help to bind toxins and eliminate them from the body.

Herbs. Slippery Elm, Marshmallow Root and Licorice all promote a healthy colon by providing a slippery, soothing coating to the inner GI lining.

Leafy Green Vegetables.  These offer a host of benefits including high fibre, high antioxidant* and high chlorophyll content.

Probiotics.  These healthy bacteria help to restore balance in the gastrointestinal tract.  A healthy gut flora can help the body release free radicals, heavy metals, and unhealthy bacteria.  Probiotics can also increase the level of Glutathione, which is one of the body’s most powerful antioxidants.

Colon Hydrotherapy can provide a “deep clean” for the colon.  During a cleanse, it is ideal to come in once weekly for 3-4 consecutive weeks.

*antioxidants bind to free radicals and help to prevent damage to healthy tissues.

 

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Spring Cleanse; Skin

Skin is the body’s largest organ and very important in detoxification.  Sweating allows the body to rid itself of many water-soluble toxins.  Sebum, an oily substance produced within skin glands, can carry fatty materials and eliminate them from the body.

Engage in activities which make you sweat for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.  Dry saunas are great for encouraging removal through the skin.  Remember that proper hydration is important for carrying water-soluble toxins to the skin surface to allow removal.  Regular exfoliation of skin helps to remove dead cells on the skin surface and maintains healthy, open pores.

While promoting elimination through the skin, be sure you are not adding to your toxic load through skin care products.  Skin Deep by the Environmental Working Group is a great database for checking out safety ratings of skin care products.  http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

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Spring Cleanse; Lungs

The lungs can eliminate water-soluble toxins through the vapour that is expelled with each breath.  To enhance elimination through lungs, focus on deep “belly breaths” and aim for 30 deep breaths 3 times per day.  Aerobic exercise is also important in promoting filling and emptying of the lungs.

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