What goes in not always comes out

When was the last time you ate beets?  This naturally red and sweet root provides many benefits to your body.  It s loaded with anti oxidants (which help neutralize free radicals), vitamins and minerals such manganese, copper and potassium (which is particularly helpful to lower heart rate). Beets also helps with the absorption of iron, so beet juice is recommended for people with low hemoglobin and anemia, as it improves blood circulation and red blood cell count.  It helps lower blood pressure and prevents heart related problems.

When was the last time you tried some asparagus?  Besides being extremely tasty, asparagus are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, and chromium, which enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells (very helpful to fight diabetes).   It also has diuretic properties that will help the body release excess salts through urine, which is also very good for people suffering cardiovascular problems.

These two vegetables are just an example of products available on any grocery store that you can consciously add to your diet and thus, improve your health in a natural way.

When was the last time you or your family consumed some colorful cereal for breakfast or dinner?  How about some very red ketchup? Or perhaps that brightly yellow mustard accompanied by a juicy frank and fries?  

All these are examples of highly processed foods that do not add any nutritional value to our daily lives.  On the contrary, they deplete our immune system and contribute to heart problems, liver diseases, diabetes and high cholesterol.  The examples above also contain artificial coloring such as Red 40, Yellow 5 or Blue 2, just to mention a few.   

There is evidence that these artificial colors are linked to ADD, ADHD… And our children are the primarily target market (just think about those lollipops that would leave them with blue tongues…)

You will remember you ate beets when you see “the evidence,” after using the restroom.  Why? Because the human body disposes of the waste naturally. When some natural color cannot be metabolized by the body, it simply goes “down the drain” to be eliminated.  You will remember you consumed asparagus the same way;  if you pay attention, your nose will recognize the strong scent impregnated in your urine. It may sound disgusting but this is a prime example of how the human body works.

But what happens when you drink a cola soda or consume some artificially colored food? All those artificial colors and additives are metabolized by your body too; they are broken down and some of them will be eliminated as waste, but some others will remain in your body stored in the colon tissue. Sometimes what goes in does not come out.

So, our recommendation is to avoid highly processed foods with artificial colors, flavors and preservatives as much as you can. Check the list of ingredients of the product and try to stay away from names such as "Allura Red" (Red # 40), "Tatrazine" (Yellow # 5) or "Indigotine" (Blue # 2).  Just by doing this, you  will improve the nutritional value of your family’s diet.  

You are what you eat

Being aware of the things you eat regularly is a good way to start implementing a series of changes in your life.  “You are what you eat” is a popular saying, and there is a great amount of truth on it, as it is a proven fact that frequent consumption of fast food increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. “Knowledge is power” is another saying and once again,  what we are trying to say is that by knowing what you eat, you will be able to understand the outcome of your choices, which ultimately will be reflected in your body and in  your long term health.

The refined sugars contained in sodas and other highly processed foods are one of the most important factors that create an unbalance in the pH levels of your body, turning it into acidic levels. Human body always keeps blood pH level at 6.5.  But what happens when your body is too acidic as a consequence of what you eat  or drink? Blood pH balance must be kept, so the body responds by drawing minerals and nutrients from other parts of the system, such as bones and tissues, in order to restore the natural pH balance of the blood.  When this happens, you start feeling tired, probably with aching muscles, headaches or perhaps suffering lack of concentration.  You tend to overlook the signals because you can quickly  remedy the situation by taking some over the counter pain relievers, which will make you feel better... And you will continue taking OTC medication as needed perpetuating the problem.  But it is very important to note that you are not addressing the root cause of the problem!  A few changes in your eating habits will help you feel better in a natural way.  Remember:  You are what you eat.  

Consciously modifying your eating habits, reducing the consumption of fast foods and highly processed products and at the same time incorporating more whole grains, green leaf vegetables and more fruits to your diet will have an immediate effect in your health.  Diseases develop faster in an acidic environments, but they cannot survive in an alkaline system. So if you start choosing alkaline foods when you eat, you are reinforcing your immune system, making it stronger.

So next time you go to a restaurant, do yourself a favor and skip the soda.   Iced tea is a much better choice, because tea contains antioxidants which are good to fight free radicals.  If you don’t like iced tea, just go ahead and add some lemon to regular tap water.  Lemon although acid per se, has alkalinizing properties when absorbed by the body (potassium, sodium and other minerals). Just by doing something as simple as drinking lemon water every day, you are helping maintain a healthy pH balance in your organism.