Today’s hectic and demanding lifestyle as well as the emergence of convenient stores is among the major reasons why people skip their healthy meals. After learning how to depend on fast food stores and convenience stores, it is easier for people to just grab a food that contains less nutrition compared to those foods that matter.

With all these drastic changes in the habit of eating, food preparation and food options, people have become more prone to various diseases because their bodies fail to absorb the nutrients it needs. Contrary to common conception, healthy foods need not to be expensive, rare or hard to prepare. In fact, most of these recommended foods for healthy living is cheaper, abundant, and easier to prepare compared to those that can be bought in the nearest convenient store.

Why Choose Healthy Foods?

Most food and nutrition experts say that healthy eating is not about what people cannot eat, it is about what people could eat in order to get the optimum nutrition that their bodies need.

If you are one of those who are on their way of learning to eat healthy foods, the best valuable thing that you can do when buying inside the grocery store or super market is to pick those that are fresh, unprocessed and whole. This is very ideal especially if you plan to buy fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and sprouts.

Considered as live foods, being fresh ensures that the food still contain the greatest amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that provides the body with optimum nutrition. Make sure that you eat fruits that are fresh, dried without sulfur dioxide or frozen without preservatives and avoid eating fruits that are canned and in heavy syrup because these have preservatives, additives, and sweeteners. Also, eat veggies that are fresh or raw, lightly steamed, baked and dried without sulfur and avoid eating veggies that are frozen with preservatives, additives, sweeteners.

Always opt for fresh sprouts and avoid veggies that are fried or overcooked. When it comes to grains, opt for whole grain products that are unprocessed, nonirradiated, non genetically modified, sugar free, no chemical additives, no preservatives and other whole grain & sprouted grain products like bread, muffins, tortillas, cereals, and pasta, crackers. Avoid products with white flour, unbleached flour, enriched flour, sweeteners, chemical additives, refined and processed grains, white rice, quick oats, instant oatmeal, and instant cereals.

When it comes to legumes, choose beans, peas, lentils, and chickpeas. Avoid using canned legumes prepared without animal fat, with chemical additives, sweeteners, pork and beans, and soybeans. Nuts and seeds such as almonds, filberts, pine nuts, cashews, raw seeds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, raw nut butters, and tahini should be eaten raw. Avoid eating dry roasted nuts and seeds. Also, make sure that you choose animal foods such as eggs, poultry and other meat that are free range, hormone and antibiotic free as well as grass fed. In fish, opt for those that have the lowest exposure to mercury.

Aside from this, you should always consider eating organic foods over to those commercially-produced ones. Nutritionists say that organic foods are indeed the purest and healthiest foods out there because they are not yet contaminated with pesticides and have higher percentage of nutrition.

Lastly, learning to read and check the label of the food item that you are about to buy is one of the best ways to ensure that you will be eating healthy food. Checking if the item is properly labeled – especially these are pre-packaged – is your main defense and protection against possible adverse effects and unwanted ingredients or contents.

Matt Monarch, www.RawSpirit.org, 9 year Raw Food eater, was featured on Al Gores new TV Network, Current TV which is a current events news channel. Matt is author of two Raw Food books and travels the World speaking about Raw Foods.

If a Health and Safely officer came to my house, they would probably condemn my kitchen out of hand. Why – because although I keep my kitchen clean, I flatly refuse to use any of the anti-bacterial products that seem to be dominating the market, and are getting such a tremendous advertising push whichever way you look these days.In fact, totally opposite of what these adverts tell you, there is actually virtually no scientific evidence to back up the claims made for use of anti-bacterial products used in a healthy home.

In fact, there is more evidence to prove just the opposite, and that by a more widespread use of these anti-bacterial agents, we are actually causing far more harm than good. The very bacteria that we are supposedly destroying are in fact, fighting back, by mutating, and producing new forms of bacteria that are becoming resistant to these so-called healthy cleaning agents, and thus forming total immunity to properly administered antibiotic drugs. Hence all the concerns over MRSA in hospitals, and the community version c-MRSA.

Besides creating resistance, the antibacterial craze has another potential consequence. Reports are mounting about a possible association between infections in early childhood and decreased incidence of allergies. In expanding this “hygiene hypothesis,” some researchers have found a correlation between incidents of too much hygiene and actual increased allergy. This study has shown that if you are brought up in this sterile environment too protective against microorganisms, then a much greater occurrence of allergies, including asthma and eczema, seems to be the result. In one rural community, children who grew up on farms had fewer allergies than did their counterparts who lived in more normal towns and cities.

The problem stems due to the way our bodies have been designed to be able to survive in an environment where we are surrounded – both inside and out – by myriads of different bacteria, some good, and some bad for us. And as a direct result of this, we have been designed with a really powerful and automated system that co-operates with these friendly bacteria but is able to seek out and destroy these that will cause us harm.

It is of course our very own inbuilt Immune System, and is the most effective system designed by Mother Nature that is streets ahead of any profit-oriented pills that the Big Pharmaceutical organisations can try and push at us. But, trouble starts when we let all these unnecessary anti-bacterial products, and food preparation like long periods of pasteurisation, destroy as many bacteria willy-nilly as we can.

- First of all, our Immune Systems don’t get triggered by the nasty bacteria, so they get a little lax in how they respond to attacks.

- Secondly, our bodies have now got an absence of ‘good’ bacteria in our bodies, especially our gut. And that causes more problems, as our bodies are no longer feeling the mutual benefits of having these ‘good’ bacteria’ inside of us. This is especially true where pasteurised foods like milk are consumed. Raw milk is so much more beneficial for us than the sterile stuff we consume these days.

- And thirdly, and most dangerous for all, is the fact that many bacteria and viruses now mutate, to overcome the liberal dosing of poisons they are getting, so when your doctor prescribes a drug to help our bodies fight a particular disease, the nasty little things than cause it (like the MRSA bug for instance) have mutated, and are totally resistant to these medicines.

- If your immune system is now left unable to cope with even the simplest of attacks, all sorts of inflammation gets triggered off inside of us. And do you know what – most of the most common debilitating lifestyle and life-threatening diseases – like most forms of cancer, arthritis, skin diseases, and even ageing itself – stem from uncontrolled inflammation inside our bodies.

And then, on top of all that, we consume a diet that is so high in products that cause our bodies lots of problems, like so many processed and poison-laden foods (Read your food labels carefully), and so low in great immune system boosting products, like fresh fruit and vegetables – Our immune system is unable to cope, and we succumb to the simplest of infections. Thius is why so many life-threatening diseases stemming from hidden inflammation like cancers, diabetes, Alzeihmers, arthitus, and many other ailments seem to have reached epidemic proportions these days. Have you also noticed how many of us suffer from colds and sniffles all the time?

So, rather than spending our lives killing bacteria by any means, rather than boosting our own internal immune systems by eating loads of fresh fruit daily (or great healthy fruit juices – not those that have any of the suspect products like many modified forms of sugar or sweeteners, especially the nasty aspartame – but with a high fibre content, especially the better açai-based juices) – take evasive action and we will return to the status quo that Mother Nature had designed for us.

You may have to search to get any raw milk in every country (don’t help yourself with a bucket and milking stool though), so look for specialised outlets. I know certain States in America ban it, but I believe it can be bought in countries like the UK and Germany. As far as I know, there is only one fruit juice that contains not just pure fruit, but has not been kettle pasteurised, so it still contains live enzymes, and that is Mona Vie. That is available all across the USA, the UK, and Germany, but only from word of mouth distribution, not the major stores.

After all, we should all (barring accidents) be able to live much longer, healthier and pain free lives, as long as we act like proper human beings, and not like some sterile robot fed on processed foods.

By spreading the word of better health, by enjoying the company of bacteria, you can join the new and rapidly-growing wellness marketplace. Find yourself some good products, and you may be able to carve out another part-time income just by promoting the benefits that you have gained from using them. This will help you enjoy your longer life with better health, both physically and financially.

Let’s live a longer dirtier life, enjoy loads of fresh fruit, sunshine, and at least a modicum of daily exercise, and learn to live again with the environment we were designed to exist in.

 ’Exercise is a dirty word… Every time I   hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate.’

I am a chocolate lover. There is nothing else in the world that tastes as good as chocolate to me. It makes me happier – simple. Definitely a brain food and definitely an addiction.

There is a downside to all of this of course. The reason why many of us - women refuse this appetizing piece of chocolate cake at Cousin Alvin’s Wedding. Yep, the extra few pounds here and there. They stay with us to remind about the chocolate affair we have been having. No secret kept.

It got me wondering a little. Is there a solution to all this? What are the choices I have?  Do I always have to make the choice – eat or look good? 
Well, there were 3 Solutions I saw, since I have decided to do something about my weight :
- No more chocolate, sweets. This meant a constant battle of senses, constant guilt.
- To join a gym and keep eating the amounts I have been until now,  
- To minimize quantities and improve the quality of the food I have been eating.

After thinking for a little bit I have decided to choose Solution #3. Not that the gym wouldn’t be great (uff, all those HOT HOT men), simply because the gym wasn’t me.

I knew that my decision would not make my 6 pounds disappear of course.  It would improve however the way I looked and felt without changing much of my lifestyle. And I do have a busy one believe me…

I begun my research. I wanted to find chocolates that were not as fattening and not loaded with sugar and all that chemical stuff. I found plenty and raw chocolate among them – this was definitely my prime choice.

New Era has begun for me - a new naked chocolate, an entirely new raw experience, true chocolate with all its psychoactive properties, nutrition and brain activators. Why?

Well through my research I found the following:

Health benefits:
Raw cacao is the primary source of the alkaloid Theobromine (Theobroma cacao, the botanical name of the cacao nut tree, literally means ‘food of the gods’); it also contains high levels of the flavoniods catechin and epicatechin, which are antioxidants. There is a plethora of information relating to scientific and medical research regarding the health benefits of these substances as well as their therapeutic applications.

Ordinarily these substances, along with other essential vitamins and minerals are broken down by a heating processes. Fortunately eating raw chocolate is the answer – it presumes all ingredients at their best. 
Chocolate originates from the pure energy of the cacao bean, also known as ‘the food of the gods”.  All chocolate is made from cacao, the seed of the fruit of an Amazonian jungle tree!

The heating process however  used in almost every chocolate out there destroys most of the benefits cacao has to offer. This means that even if there is a nutritional value in the chocolate, it is probably minimal. Instead we get lots and lots of carbohydrates combined with fats. Not a good combination to begin with. Then there all the colourings, E’s and God know what else.

OK. Knowing this ‘ my tasting’ began.

I have started to taste this ‘raw’ novelty for the first time in my life beeing a bit sceptical, I must say. I remember I have unwrapped the bar with hesitation craving Mars or Kit Kat. But that was then…

I remember I have managed to get few bites and…And BINGO! Loved from the first taste. ‘Yeah, BABY! I could survive eating only this’ - I thought.
Raw Chocolate appeared to be less sweet (no processed sugar at all! – sweetened with dry fruits or flower nectar only) and incredibly rich (packed with real cacao solids). Wonderful wonderful experience. I will not name my favorite as I do not want to advertise them to anyone (well, I guess if you click on my page www.sweetorganicgifts.com you will figure it out anyway But I must say surly raw chocolate has been since then a big part of ‘NEW ME’. 

I am very happy I did manage to try this kind of chocolate. I do not eat as much chocolaty things and raw makes me fill fuller quicker. I have limited my sugar intake (sugar is very addictive and unhealthy!) and yes, I have actually lost some weight. Thumbs up for the raw extravaganza.

Thank you for your attention.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of ‘NEW ME’ FOOD – SUGAR FREE or Not Sugar free that is the question? Until next week then… TA TA

Believe it or not, I was not born a vegetarian. I had to work hard at it and I did take baby steps.  I didn’t just jump right into the vegetarian lifestyle.  I began eliminating meat from my diet at the age of 12.  I had to figure it out (and I am still trying to figure it out) and learn how to replace meat with healthy foods that would not only nourish my body, but keep me feeling full and just as important, tasted great.   ‘My father, the vegan,’ was a vegetarian for a couple of years, then became a vegan.  So as I took my journey to become a vegetarian, there was a point in time when I was still eating seafood (and no other flesh) and I remember him saying to me, “Ebbie Webbie (that’s what he calls me) when are you going to become a REAL VEGETARIAN?”  I was like what, are you kidding me?  I thought I was a real vegetarian.  Who defines who the real vegetarians are?  Are you less of a vegetarian because you eat dairy, eggs, or fish?  My answer is “no” but others would say differently. Either way, you have to start the vegetarian transition somewhere and to help you design a meatless plan that works best for you, here are 10 different types of vegetarian diets that you can adopt to assist you with becoming a “real” vegetarian:

Lacto Ovo – This vegetarian diet consists of eggs & diary, but do not consist of any animal flesh or seafood.
Ovo – If you are an Ovo Vegetarian then you don’t eat any flesh, seafood, or diary products, but you still consume eggs.
Lacto – Lacto Vegetarians do not eat any flesh, seafood or eggs, but still enjoys the taste of diary products.
Pollo – If you are a Pollo – Vegetarian, then you are probably still trying to ease into the vegetarian lifestyle.  You still eat chicken, but no seafood or other animal flesh.
Pesco Pollo –  I was a pesco-pollo vegetarian when I was 12.  I ate seafood and poultry and no other animal flesh.
Semi (part-time) – If you are a part-time vegetarian then you still eat meat/flesh but you have reduced your consumption.  For example, you may be a vegetarian Monday – Friday, but once the weekend hits, you want chicken or steak.
Pesco – Pescatarians just eat seafood and no other flesh or meats.
Fruitarian – I would like to meet a fruitarian.  Fruitarians only eat fruits and veggies that do not hurt, harm, or suck the life out of the plants from which they stemmed from.  An example would be oranges and apples.
Vegan – Don’t eat any flesh or any products that come from something that once had a face (is how I like to describe it).  They don’t eat honey, wear leather, silk, or use or eat gelatin products.
Raw – Raw vegetarians only eat whole grains, raw or lightly steamed vegetables and fresh foods.  Some raw vegetarians don’t even cook their grains and beans, they just let them soak for a couple of days until they are soft enough to consume.

Remember, which ever path you take to become a vegetarian is yours and yours alone.  Just remember to eat a healthy, diverse range of fruits, vegetables, and plant based proteins to support your smart and new decision to become a vegetarian.