01 | Introduction

Since the beginning of time, the human body has evolved around a food source that has always been supplied by nature, in the form of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and animals.

Technically a fruit is any real food, which contains seeds. This would include such foods as cucumbers, green/red sweet peppers, tomatoes, avocadoes, squash, etc. These are foods that man’s entire anatomical and physiological make up is designed best to handle. For example, fruits are 90% efficient to a human body, meaning, if there are 100 calories in a banana, it only takes 10 of the calories to digest and process that food. The other 90 calories are for usable, life maintaining energy. The primary reason we eat food is for glucose—our main energy supply. Fruits are high in sugar.

Nuts contain fat, but are primarily protein, although a vegetable source protein. It is easier for the body to digest and assimilate this type of protein compared to animal source proteins.

Vegetables are also a positive energy food, but not quite as efficient as fruit. It takes roughly 90% of the calories from the vegetable to digest and process it, leaving only 10% of the calories for usable energy. All other foods are negative energy foods for they take more energy to digest and process than they give in return. This is not to say we cannot utilize some of the nutrients in them. We do, but at a price.

If we were really healthy and had optimal digestion, lived in a stress-free environment, and consumed foods of superior quality, all of our nutritional needs would easily be met. Since all of the above are not true in today’s society, it is wise to add whole food supplements.

As far as protein is concerned most Americans consume an excessive amount. You may have heard of a number of people who have lost weight and lowered cholesterol by going on a high protein and fat diet. In most cases this diet change was an improvement over their previous diet (usually one high in processed junk foods). We are not overweight and unhealthy as a nation because of a protein deficiency. We are overweight and unhealthy because of a real food deficiency!!

Your body was designed to operate on a specific fuel. This fuel will only add to the health and life of the body. It will not take away from its efficient operation or “clog up” the works. This fuel is called “real food”. The principles for determining if a substance is real food are:

  • If it is something edible grown by nature (of the plant kingdom)
  • If it is a “clean” protein. Clean is defined as an animal raised in its natural environment and fed its natural diet devoid of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and various chemicals and dyes
  • If it can be eaten without processing in any way
  • If a meal of just that one substance can be eaten and is satisfying (i.e., not offensive to the taste buds). The taste buds are our primary defensive mechanism to keep toxins out of the body via the digestive tract. We naturally have a “sweet tooth.” This is nature’s way of attracting us to our natural diet, fruits and vegetables, and to keep us from consuming toxins or toxic foods.

Real foods come to us from nature as “complete packages” meaning they have everything in them necessary for the body to process and assimilate that food for use in the body.

What are processed or “junk” foods and why are they so harmful to us?

A junk food is defined as a substance that does not meet one or all of the qualifications of a real food, meaning it would not be conducive to health and life, but would be disease producing; this is because:

i. Junk foods are missing some of the ingredients needed by the body to make efficient use of the food. The body will then try to complete the package by pulling from its reserves and its own tissue.

ii. Junk foods contain within them—toxins—which ‘clog up the works’ making the body less efficient. The natural response of the body is to neutralize and remove the toxin. This takes a tremendous amount of energy and nutrients to complete this process. (Energy and nutrients that weren’t supplied by the junk food)

Other names are more descriptive of what refined or junk foods really are:

    • processed foods
    • partial foods
    • fragmented foods
    • incomplete foods
    • refined foods
    • fortified foods

A refined food is just what the above names indicate: part of the whole, not a complete food that nature has produced. Remember that nature’s foods—real foods—come as complete packages containing all that is needed for the body to process and assimilate the nutrients in that food for life and health. Once man begins to do anything to that food, it begins to lose part of its nutrient quality, and becomes only part of the whole. Obviously the more that is done to the food, the less complete it becomes.

Lets take a look at the amount of nutrition that is removed from a grain of wheat.
Percentage of nutrition loss in processing of wheat

  • Protein – 25%
  • Fiber – 95%
  • Calcium, Ca – 56%
  • Iron, Fe – 84%
  • Phosphorus, P – 69%
  • Zinc, Zn – 76%
  • Copper, Cu – 62%
  • Manganese, Mn – 82%
  • Selenium, Se – 52%
  • Thiamin (vit B-1) – 73%
  • Riboflavin (vit B-2) – 81%
  • Niacin (vit B-3) – 80%
  • Pantothenic acid (vit B-5) – 56%
  • Vitamin B-6 – 87%
  • Folate – 59%
  • Vitamin E – 95%

Some more commonly eaten refined foods are:

Table sugar (brown or white) and anything containing such

    • soft drinks
    • candy
    • pastries

White refined flour and products made from such

    • breakfast cereals
    • crackers
    • pastas
    • pastries
    • breads

BREAKFAST

  • Fruit juice (freshly made)
  • Fruit – apples, oranges, grapefruit, bananas, grapes, melons, etc. Choose a variety of fruits, cut up and put in a bowl. Always try to eat at least 1 piece of fruit for breakfast
  • Smoothies (see instruction)
  • Cold cereals – Soy milk is preferred. If you use cow’s milk, choose low fat and organic .
  • Eat a cereal high in fiber. Look for ingredients that say whole grains, for example, whole wheat as compared to just saying wheat, corn or oats.

    Raw cereal blend recipe:

¼ - ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp. raw wheat germ
pinch of flax seeds
raw organic honey, fructose or stevia for taste (optional)
You can also add berries, bananas, or dried fruits to this mix.

  • Hot cereals – SLOW cooking oatmeal – not instant and NO microwave use

LUNCH

* Try to eat a salad before the rest of your meal.

Sandwiches – whole grain breads with lettuce (not iceberg), tomato, pickles, sprouts, cucumbers etc. Make sure you use veggies on your sandwich – turkey, chicken, or tuna are your better choices of protein.

Salads – A large salad with a mixture of veggies (broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower, etc.) and a whole grain roll. Try to choose a dressing that uses olive oil. No partially hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. Watch for sugars in dressings.

You may choose ONE of the following (when you have a small salad or protein with some vegetables:

  • Baked Potato
  • Baked Yam or Sweet Potato
  • Brown Rice or Wild Rice
  • Millet
  • Quinoa
  • Avocado (avocado sandwich acceptable)
  • Raw Nuts and Seeds (1-4 ounces)

DINNER

Dinner is the best time to have a protein meal. Have a piece of fish, chicken, or turkey.
Add some veggies, raw is always best.
Salads or lightly steamed vegetables are a great choice.
Whole wheat pastas – angel hair is a popular choice.

NOTE: It is not necessary to have a protein meal every night. Should you elect not to, ONE of the following choices will go well with the salad and the optional steamed vegetables:

  • Baked Potato
  • Baked Yam or Sweet Potato
  • Brown or Wild Rice (not instant or white rice)
  • Millet
  • Quinoa
  • Whole Grain Bread (1 or 2 slices or rolls)
  • Avocado