Beverages

Remove: Fruit Juices and sodas (believe it or not, they’re not that different)

Replace With: Home made Fresh Squeezed Vegetable or Fruit Juice, Herbal Teas

Here’s Why:

Do you think you could consume 35 pounds of sugar per year?  If you start your day with a glass of pasteurized orange juice or consume just one can of coke per day, then you already do!

Consider This:  your body can only handle approximately 1tsp. of sugar in the blood at any given time. A 12 ounce glass of OJ provides a whopping 8 teaspoons.  So what happens? The pancreas has to work extra hard to produce enough insulin to regulate that amount of sugar entering the blood stream. The body interprets this demand for more insulin as an internal stress.  This alerts our adrenals to release the hormone cortisol – our internal stress regulator.  In normal healthy amounts, cortisol is a potent anti-inflammatory and natural pain reliever.  However, when this hormone is being produced on a consistent basis, and in high amounts, it has the reverse effect.

Too much cortisol starts to cause inflammation and pain, not to mention your adrenals get burned out… and that can mean chronic fatigue and weight gain.  Once you’ve started this cycle it can be hard to get out of because your body craves the very thing that is causing the stress response…more sugar! Hmmm, perhaps you want to rethink your morning glass of sugar?

In addition, pasteurized fruit or vegetable juices that have been sitting on a shelf for months or even years have lost much of their nutritional value. Without the enzymes, micronutrients and vital energy fresh juice offers, bottled juices are not much more than a big dose of liquid sugar.

To make matters worse, some conventional juices add additional sugar and other additives such as colored dyes and preservatives.  There is no bottled juice you can buy that can compare to the nutrition we are blessed with from Nature’s fresh juiced fruits and vegetables.

Rich in live enzymes, micronutrients, and vital energy,  try it in place of your morning cup of coffee or pasteurized juice and notice the amount of energy you’ll feel.  It’s a perfect way to start  your day, and your body will love you for it.

Recipe Tip:  juice up your energy with freshly juiced vegetables and fruit to start your day.

Using a juicer or high powered vitamix blender mix

– large celery stalk                              or      –  Handful of arugula

– 1 cucumber                                                  – 1 pear

– 1 green apple                                              – 1 kiwifruit

– handful of grapes                                        – 1 fennel stalk

– handful of spinach                                        – 1/4 avocado

– TBS coconut oil                                            – ½ lemon slice

Add a little water, and a smile because you just started your day with a  high powered  life giving nutritious drink!

Remove: Carbonated drinks (sodas, diet sodas, carbonated water), Gatorade, Crystal  Light, other sugary beverages, or diet beverages

Replace With:  Clean water, Kombucha, herbal teas

Here’s Why:  

Let’s start with a 12 oz can of coke.  This beverage contains approximately 10 tsp. of sugar – remember the fruit juice situation, already you’re causing stress on the pancreas, a rise in insulin, resulting in a rise in cortisol and stress on your adrenal glands. Now if you consume one coke every day, that’s a cup and a half of sugar per week. In four weeks, you’ve consumed almost 6 cups of sugar.  In one year you’ve consumed 70 cups of sugar, or the equivalent of 35lbs of sugar in just one single beverage.  If you’re also consuming fruit juices, products ladled with sugar, refined carbohydrates, you can easily reach 150lbs of sugar per year (the average human body weight). Is diet soda any better?  See notes on artificial sweeteners to answer that question.

So what to drink?  How about some water!

 

WATER

Here are just a few benefits of drinking water:

• Water is essential for proper digestion, nutrient absorption and chemical reactions.
• It is essential for proper circulation and flexibility of the blood vessels.
• Water lubricates joints, eyeballs, mouth, nasal passages, and the intestines.
• Gets rid of toxins by removing wastes through the kidneys and helps solid waste pass through the intestines.
• Regulates body temperature.
• Transmits electrical signals through the nervous system.
• Keeps the shapes of cells and aids in metabolism.
• Dissolves and absorbs nutrients.
• Keeps the blood alkaline.
• Cushions body organs and tissues.
• Carries oxygen to cells.

With all of those benefits, it’s a sad and unnecessary  statistic that nearly 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.  Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day can significantly increase over-all health; easing back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers, decreasing the risk of colon cancer by 45%, reducing the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and reducing the risk of bladder cancer by one 50%. Hmmm, I wonder if those medications in your cabinet could also be reduced simply by drinking more water?

Why don’t we drink enough water?  Well I think the answer to this varies with each person… too busy, don’t like the taste or, you may be you’re one of the 75% of Americans who often mistake hunger for thirst. Next time you feel a craving or hunger pang – drink some water.  If you were truly hungry, you’ll still be hungry after you hydrate. You may be surprised to find however that you’ll no longer be craving food after that glass of water  because you were actually dehydrated – not hungry!

Eating when you’re really thirsty can’t be good for your waist line. But did you know that even mild dehydration can slow down a your metabolism as much as 3%.  Now you’re not only eating when you should be drinking – but your metabolism is getting slower.   That’s a big deal!  And an easy solution.  Drink more water !

So what is proper hydration?  If you really want to hydrate properly, it’s best to take a few sips of water every 30 minutes and about an equivalent of half your body weight in ounces per day.  If you weigh 100lbs – 50ounces of water is a good daily goal.  But not all at once!  Too much water at one time will not hydrate your cells and can induce water retention in the tissue.  So pace yourself.  Drink throughout the day.

It is also important not to drink too much with your meals.  This weakens your digestive enzymes and can interrupt the natural digestive process. Try drinking 20 minutes before or after a meal instead and sip just small amounts of water with your meals if necessary.

Does the source of water matter?  

“It makes little sense to ‘go all out’ and eat pure, wholesome foods while drinking water that is full of toxic substances.”

Tap water can contain up to 90 legally allowable chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pharmaceutical drugs including estogenic and psychotropic agents, rocket fuel, arsenic, and other shocking ingredients. (REF)  While bottled water not ony severely damages the environment,  but the plastic bottles can leach dioxin, a known carcinogen, and other chemicals into the fluid contents and be damaging to our health.

So what do:  

I am not expert on the perfect water filtration system.  There are a lot of varying opinions and research on this topic.  I personally use a Kangen water ionizer and filtration system.  I have used other systems that I have been happy with as well, however I have seen actual medical benefits using the Kangen system with myself, family members and clients I’ve referred it to.  That being said, I recommend you do your due diligence investigating the perfect water filtration system for you.