All that we consider today as nutrition is really just a secondary source of energy.

Think back to a time when you were passionately in love. Everything was exciting. Colors were vivid. You were floating on air, gazing into your lover’s eyes. Your lover’s touch and your shared feelings of exhilaration were enough to sustain you. You forgot about food and were high on life.

Remember a time when you were deeply involved in an exciting project. You believed in what you were doing and felt confident and stimulated. Time seemed to stop. The outside world faded away. You didn’t feel the need to eat. Someone had to come by and remind you.

Imagine children playing outside with friends. At dinnertime the mother reminds the children, “Time to come in and eat.” “No mommy, I’m not hungry yet,” they respond. At the dinner table, the mother feels that her role is to enforce the rules of good nutrition and instructs the children to eat their food. Eventually, the children force down a minimally acceptable amount of food and rush out again to play. At the end of the day, the kids return, exhausted, and go to sleep without thinking about food at all.

As children, we all lived on primary food. The same as when deeply in love, or working passionately on a project. The fun, excitement and love of daily life have the power to feed us so that food becomes secondary.

Now think of a time when you were depressed, or your self-esteem was low; you were starving for primary food. No amount of secondary food would do. You ate as much as you wanted, but you never felt satisfied. Even in good times when we come home at night, we often look into the refrigerator for something to eat, when all we really want is a hug or someone to talk to.

Primary foods feed us, but they don’t come on a plate. Elements such as a meaningful spiritual practice, an inspiring career, regular and enjoyable physical activity and honest and open relationships that feed your soul and your hunger for living all constitute primary food.

The more primary food we receive, the less we depend upon secondary foods. The opposite is also true. The more we fill ourselves with secondary foods, the less we are able to receive the primary foods of life.

Every spiritual tradition encourages people to fast during the year so that individuals have time to reduce secondary foods, thus allowing for a greater awareness of primary food.

Please take the time to explore your primary foods as you journey through this program.

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Are you tired of eating boring healthy diet snacks? I have great news for you! Smoothies can help you lose weight! If the smoothie contains certain ingredients, it can be the perfect snack while at the same time assisting in the weight loss and detoxification process. I have come up with a delicious recipe or guide that will help you make the ideal smoothie to give your body the nutrients it needs to function properly.

Nourishing, Delicious Smoothie Ingredients

I love the simplicity of making smoothies: just throw all of your ingredients into a blender and whirl! I don’t think there is any perfect ratio of ingredients in smoothies, so I just follow some simple guidelines and don’t worry about measuring the ingredients.

Essential ingredients:

1 to 2 cups of milk kefir, yogurt, sour milk, raw milk, coconut milk, or fresh juice – I usually use yogurt or kefir as the base ingredient, which results in a deliciously tangy, probiotic-filled smoothie. Sometimes I like the smooth creaminess of a raw milk or coconut milk smoothie, too. On special occasions, I will add a bit of fresh-squeezed juice. With my blender, I have to make sure to add the base ingredient first, before adding any frozen ingredients. Otherwise, it will not blend up properly.

1 heaping spoonful of sour cream – It may sound strange, but sour cream is my secret ingredient to make a rich and delicious smoothie. Just add a dollop to the blender any time you are making a smoothie and you will be pleasantly surprised at the great flavor it imparts.

(if you just can’t do the sour cream, leave it out)

2 to 3 cups of frozen fruit – I find that using ice to thicken up a smoothie results in a somewhat watery-tasting smoothie. Use frozen fruit instead and your smoothie will be bursting with flavor.

A pinch of salt – Add a pinch of salt to really bring out the sweet flavors in your smoothie.

1 to 2 bananas or 1 heaping spoonful honey – Ripe bananas make smoothies very creamy and add just the right amount of sweetness. If you don’t have any ripe bananas, add just a spoonful of raw honey (or none at all if the fruit you are using is very sweet).

Tiny splash of flavor extract – Add a flavor such as vanilla extract, orange extract, or almond extract to really add dimension to the flavor of your smoothie.

Optional ingredients:

1 to 2 raw egg yolks or whole eggs – A great way to add some nutrients to smoothies is to add raw egg yolks or whole eggs (if you don’t have any problem digesting raw egg whites).

1 heaping spoonful nut butter – Add nut butter to make a smoothie into a meal. Nut butter pairs well with any berries or bananas.

Splash of whey – Add a splash of raw whey to give your smoothie a probiotic boost.

Last but not least, add some greens. Spinach, Kale, Chard, etc. It’s easy to mask their flavor with fruit!

My Favorite Flavor Combinations

To make a smoothie, just follow the approximate ratios described above. Some of my favorite flavor combinations are:

Tropical – fresh orange juice, pineapple, banana, and frozen strawberries or raspberries

Triple berry – banana, frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries with a dash vanilla, almond, and/or orange extract

Strawberry dream – frozen strawberries, vanilla extract, and almond extract

Strawberry banana – banana, frozen strawberries, vanilla extract, and almond extract

Cherry goodness – frozen cherries, vanilla extract, and almond extract

Orange mango – banana, fresh orange juice and frozen mango

Strawberry delight – fresh orange juice, banana, and frozen strawberries

Strawana peanut butter – banana, frozen strawberry, peanut butter, and vanilla extract

Make it Last by Freezing Some Smoothie!

I’m always looking for ways to save on effort and time spent in the kitchen. So when I make smoothies, I like to make a large amount and freeze some into smoothie popsicles. It also works well to freeze smoothies in mason jars; they should be defrosted for about 24 hours in the fridge and will need a good stirring. These leftover smoothies make a great, easy breakfast.

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People are all over the board when it comes to recommending levels of protein consumption. The truth is, healthy adults (especially men) often don’t need as much protein as they are consuming. In our case however, a healthy appetite for protein is important.Amino acids are hugely important for a multitude of bodily functions. For instance, tryptophan is the direct precursor for the neurotransmitter serotonin, which regulates mood and controls of happiness. Serotonin becomes melatonin which is responsible for us getting a good nights sleep, so you can see how small imbalances can create drastic changes in our lives.

Most of the protein found in our processed daily diet comes in the form of soy protein isolate. The soy in this case is stripped of its fiber in an alkaline bath, and then rinsed in acid in aluminum tanks. This acid bath causes the soy to absorb aluminum, which we then ingest. Our patient is most likely a highly toxic person already, and we need to be removing metals from their body, rather than adding any.

We want healthy proteins that our bodies are used to digesting from natural sources. Meats, fish, and eggs provide loads of healthy nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and good sources of healthy fats and enzymes. The other side of that coin, is the fact that many of our commercially raised animals live pretty terrible lives. They live in cramped, filthy pens and cages, often contracting a number of diseases before they are processed for food. To fight this onslaught of disease these animals are fed a steady supply of antibiotics to keep them alive until they have reached their ideal size. These antibiotics stay with the food all the way to the plate, and play a role in the disbiosis of our gut. They speed this process along by giving them hormones to accelerate growth. These hormones alter the growth of our bodies and interfere with our bodies normal functioning. Finally, they are fed a diet of the most unpleasant things you can think of (genetically modified corn, chicken feathers, and much worse) in order to make up for the fact that these animals won’t see a pasture for most of their lives, if ever. These diets create abnormal proteins that have been shown to make labs rats very sick. Cows were not designed to eat corn, let alone the other garbage they are fed.

Most of the fish we see in the markets is farm raised and fed a similar diet to the cows and chickens. Disease is handled with the same antibiotics, and on top of it all, farm raised salmon is fed a pink dye to make them look more appealing in the markets. This dye is a toxic petroleum product and should be avoided.

Now that we have made it through most of the gross stuff, lets talk about what we do want to eat! There are lots of places that still offer traditionally pastured beef, cage free chicken and eggs, and pork from humanely raised pigs. Some beef can be called grass fed because the calves start their lives eating a diet of grass before quickly being moved in with the rest of the heard. You want grass finished beef, without hormones or antibiotics. Some salmon that is advertised to be wild caught is found to be farm raised with a false sticker on the wrapper. Make sure your fish monger or market is a reputable source. You want the good stuff!

Nuts, seeds, and beans are excellent sources of protein, as well as healthy fats (think omega 3), and lots of phytochemicals that your body needs. It is usually easier to find clean sources of vegetarian protein too, so when pastured meat is unavailable, turn to plant sources for a clean, filling meal. Organic beans are cheap and easy to include in a variety or recipes. A handful of raw, unsalted nuts or seeds is a great snack, or can be included in salads and other dishes to add some substance to a light veggie dish!

Ok, now that we know where our protein should come from, you make the decision as to where your protein comes from. You’re the boss!

I can help you one on one to realize and accomplish your health and wellness goals! Contact me for a FREE HAPPY HEALTH BREAKTHROUGH SESSION!!! Call me at (858)405-2551 or email me at [email protected]

Green vegetables are the foods most commonly missing in modern diets. Learning to incorporate dark, leafy greens into the diet is essential to establishing a healthy body and immune system. When you nourish yourself with greens, you may naturally crowd out the foods that make you sick.

Greens help build your internal rainforest and strengthen the blood and respiratory system. Leafy green vegetables are also high-alkaline foods which may be beneficial to people exposed to higher amounts of pollution in urban areas. The alkaline minerals in our bodies are used to neutralize acidic conditions caused by the environment. Green vegetables will help to replenish our alkaline mineral stores and continue to filter out pollutants1. Green is associated with spring, the time of renewal, refreshment and vital energy. In Traditional Chinese medicine, green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity.

Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They are loaded with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Although choosing organic is recommended, eating non-organic greens is still preferable to not eating any greens at all! Some of the proven and possible benefits of consuming dark leafy greens are:

o Blood purification

o Cancer prevention

o Improved circulation

o Strengthened immune system

o Promotion of healthy intestinal flora

o Promotion of subtle, light and flexible energy

o Improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function

o Cleared congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

There are a wide variety of greens to choose from, so try to find options that you will enjoy and eat often. If you get bored with your favorites, be adventurous and explore new greens that you’ve never tried before. Broccoli is one option which is very popular among adults and children. Also try to include bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, dandelion and other dark, leafy greens. Green cabbage is great cooked or raw, or in the form of sauerkraut. Arugula, endive, chicory, lettuce, mesclun and wild greens are generally eaten raw, but can be consumed in any creative way you enjoy. Spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens are best eaten in moderation because they are high in oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of the calcium these foods contain2. However, rotating between a variety of green vegetables shouldn’t cause any nutritional consequences in regards to calcium3.

Cooking Greens

Try a variety of methods like steaming, boiling, sautéing in oil, water sautéing, waterless cooking or lightly pickling (as in a pressed salad). Boiling helps greens plump and relax. Boil for under a minute so that nutrients do not get lost in the water. You can also drink the cooking water as a health-giving broth or tea if you’re using organic greens. Steaming makes greens more fibrous and tight, which helps you feel fuller, longer. This is a great method to help curb your appetite for those trying to lose weight4. Raw salad is also a wonderful preparation for greens. It’s refreshing, cooling and supplies live enzymes.

For more information about my program or for a FREE HAPPY HEALTH BREAKTHROUGH SESSION, call me (858) 405-2551 or email me at [email protected]

1 Kelsay JL. Effects of fiber, phytic acid, and oxalic acid in the diet on mineral bioavailability. Amer J Gastroenterol. 1987. 82(10):983-6 2 Avoid vegetables with oxalic acid? www.drweil.com. 2011

3 Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2010.

4 Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011). Energy density and weight loss: Feel full on fewer calories. Mayo Clinic: Weight loss, Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00195