A Diet of Clean Foods

Foods can be healing to the body depending on what you select. If you preserve nutrients during preparation, you can maintain the food's integrity. There are many ways you can get the most nutrition from your meals. I believe that raw organic vegetables provide the best source of nutritional value, then lightly steamed would be the next. However there are so many ways to enjoy food. Baked, grilled and roasted are some other ways I like to prepare my food. You still have rich colors and great flavors to savor. You might also tend to lose weight because the flavor is so satisfying, along with the fiber to fill you, while your eyes enjoy what they see on your plate. Additionally, you can decrease blood pressure, improve circulation, detox and remain regular when you eat the correct foods prepared well.

Many people have headaches (chronic, migraine, tension or trigger), abdominal pain, dehydration, inflammation, or allergies that can be the result of a poor diet...I don't care how much you pay for meals. There are studies available showing some diets are just not appropriate for us or daily consumption. Pay more attention to how your body feels up to an hour after eating. An aggravating diet can put unnecessary stress on your body, and who needs that!

It's great if you do Yoga regularly, exercise, cleanse and sauna. However, if you return to a diet of processed foods, fast foods, dining out seven days a week -sorry restaurant owners- it can take you right back to where you started. -Your efforts get defeated by your habits.

pH Miracle Cleanse

Learn to find a balance and cook your meals from scratch as they say. You might be surprised by a new appreciation for your meal. -You take more time chewing and eating it. Eat mostly raw organic fruits, vegetables and grains. Blend, juice and lightly steam where possible. Put your dollars into wonderful ingredients and read labels. Stick to healthy fats. Buy probiotic rich foods and gluten-free.

Pain is the body's way of telling us something is out of balance, and getting that balance back can happen with a combination of a vegan, raw and living foods diet that naturally detoxify giving you clarity, better concentration, improved memory and most of all free from pain.

Here are some recipes for you to try.

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Organic dried chickpeas
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tbsp. tahini
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

Prep for chickpeas:

Place chickpeas in a glass bowl and cover with fresh spring water about double the amount of chickpeas. Soak 16 - 18 hours rinsing with clear water every 8 hours or so to keep the water clear. Drain and rinse again. Place on a wet dish towel or paper towels on a cookie sheet and cover with another wet dish towel. Check to see if they have grown a "tail" in about 48  hours. The tail should be just barely visible. Rinse when done.

Prep for tomatoes:

Soak sun-dried tomatoes 1 - 2 hours before preparing your hummus. They should be soft but not mushy. Drain and save the juice.

Place all ingredients except chickpeas in a 3 HP blender. Place top of blender on low setting. Add a few chickpeas at a time and add the juice from the tomatoes or spring water as needed to keep the proper consistency for blending. The mixture should be stiff when finished, but should not strain the blender. Use the tamper to keep the chickpeas from separating from the mix until well blended. Over blending will cause the mixture to heat up, destroying the raw benefits.

Sprouted Quinoa Tabouli

Ingredients:

6-7 oz. Organic quinoa
1 bunch green onions, chopped with stems
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 medium - large tomatoes chopped into 1/2" cubes
1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped (stems removed)
2 tbsp. olive oil
Juice from 2 lemons
Sea salt to taste

Prep for Quinoa:

Rinse well and place in a glass bowl. Add spring water to cover it about 1". Soak about 2 hours. Drain and rinse. Place on a wet paper towel in a strainer. Cover with another wet paper towel. Sprout for about 6 - 8 hours. Rinse.

Mix all ingredients and toss well to blend. Refrigerate at least 3 - 4 hours before serving. The quinoa will continue to sprout slowly. Garnish with mint for true Middle Eastern flavor.

(Recipes: Creative Expression, photos: Wikipedia and Food Network)

Power Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups spinach
1 cup avocado
1 cup cauliflower
1 cup cucumber
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. flax seed oil
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
Pinch Himalayan salt

Prep Salad:

Chop the spinach, cauliflower, cucumber and walnuts. Toss with the lemon juice, flax seed oil, sesame seeds and salt and top with avocado.

(Recipe: Brenda Cobb, photo: Grow It Organically)

+Drink Your Greens and Minerals!