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Properties of fruit – Natures SUPERFOODS not from a packet!

We hear so much about superfoods and there is always a new berry or seed from a far away land packaged up ready to heal us! What about the common fruits you can get easily and eat every day?

Each fruit holds a different set of nutrients and can help you overcome deficiencies you may have or build you in areas you need. Learning to treat your body with these powerful packed goodies instead of supplements or pills or spending money on packaged super foods is the key to longevity, be it fertility, gut health, depression or removing heavy metals.

If I see a clients test results I work out how they can overcome these deficiencies  by adding in more of one fruit or more of a vegetable to build the body up. Once you learn to listen to your body and what it’s asking for you no longer have the need for supplements or crazy diets. And the body stops the addictive craving rollercoaster as really you listen to what it’s asking for and you start to grab natures powerful gifts . . . not the chocolate bar or coffee. . .

So I’ve broken it down as per the food combination chart Food combining and why is it essential for health!-chart.

Sweet Fruits.

Banana

Good for: crohn’s, colitis, adrenal fatigue, digestion, increases fat burning, autism and diabetes, lowers risk of colorectal and kidney cancer. Anti-viral properties.

Contains: potassium,  B6, vitamin C, B5, B2, folate, selenium, manganese, potassium, copper, magnesium.  And a B12 enhancing food.

A good fruit to eat with dates and sweet potatoes 2-3 days before your menstrual cycle to give you energy.

Date

Good for: adrenal support, chronic fatigue, thyroid conditions, diabetes, SIBO, GERD, OCD, lung cancers, autism , ADHD, insomnia when eaten as the last meal, vertigo, edema, candida and anxiety.

Contains:  B5, B3, B2, beta carotene, copper, potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, calcium, iron, fiber. And a B12 enhancing food.

I suggest eating these with greens for better absorption of the natural sugars and having some in your bag to stop cravings taking over you.

Fig

Good for: removing parasites, autism, ADHD, asthma, menopause, pylora, sinus and bad eyes sight issues, alzheimers, constipation, eczema, crohn’s, colitis, SIBO, highly alkaline, the skins have anti-septic properties, highly mineralised, a laxative, a intestinal cleanser

Contains: B1, B5, B6, beta carotene, calcium, zinc, copper, manganese, iron, calcium. And a B12 enhancing food.

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Grape – (organic seeded varieties are best)

Good for:  heart and blood vitalisation, filtering the kidneys, keeps blood platelets from sticking together, osteoporosis, cancers (anti-cancer phytonutrients), varicose veins, inflammation, anemia and rheumatoid arthritis, detoxifying,  cleansing, hay fever and allergies, has anti-viral properties, Great for brain fog so make a great afternoon snack!

Contains: resveratrol, antioxidants, quercetin and other polyphenols, boron, high in iron, magnesium and boron.

Jackfruit

Good for: a laxative, energy, building muscles and good for stress and for eye sight.

Contains: high in beta carotene, vitamin C, B2, B6.

Taste like every tropical fruit in one!

Mamey Sapote

Good for: gut health and diabetes.

Contains: anti bacterial properties, vitamin C and calcium.

Tastes like a sweeter sweet potato!

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Sapote (black)

Good for: great for adrenal support.

Contains: high in vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus.

Tastes like a chocolate mouse!

Mangosteen

Good for: cancers, fatty liver, heart conditions, respiratory conditions and adrenal support.

Contains: anti-microbial and anti-viral properties.

Taste sweet and tangy with a perfumed aftertaste!

Papaya

Good for: digestive support, adrenal support, liver disease, ideal for SIBO, fibromyalgia, MS, migraines, eczema, acne, rosacea and skin conditions, lymes disease, cleansing, enhances fat burning, autism, ADHD, adrenal support and fatigue.

Contains: high in beta carotene for skin conditions, high in vitamin C, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron. Great for parasites, worms and e-coli infections and especially the seeds when eaten on a full moon.

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Persimmon – (Fuyu & Hachiya) –

Great for: chronic fatigue and adrenal support, constipation as it’s a mild laxative, soothing the digestive system.

Contains: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin C.

Sub-Acid Fruits.

Apple –(organic is best)

Great for: an overall tonic and contain pectin, a fiber that’s good for the digestive tract, supports immunity, good for alzheimer’s, skin elasticity, weight loss and diabetes.

Contains: vitamin C, copper, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, and trace minerals.

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Blackberry –(organic is best)

Great for: diabetes, ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s adrenal support, helps build bone density, anti-aging, suppresses appetite, enhances fat burning.

Contains: phytonutrients ,vitamin C, beta carotene, folate, omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids, vitamin E, vitamin K, manganese, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc , fiber. And a B12 enhancing food.

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Blueberry –(organic is best)

Great for: diabetes, ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s, adrenal support, chromic fatigue, good for urinary tract and brain rejuvenation, and removing heavy metals when used with (coriander, parsley, barley grass, lettuce and coconut water in a smoothie).

Contains:  antioxidants & phytonutrients, zinc, omega 3 – 6 and 9 essential fatty acids, fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, copper, iron. And a B12 enhancing food.

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Cherry

Great for: PCOS, fat livers, cancer, autism, ear infections, acne, adrenal support, urinary tract and bladder problems, detoxifying, laxative, cleanser, reduce inflammation, heightens awareness, lowers bad cholesterol.

Contains: vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, iron, silicon, omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids.

Lychee

Great for: the blood, metabolism increaser, and helps break down fat and protein.

Contains: high in polyphenols,  iron, folate, vitamin B, vitamin C, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium. Must be eaten ripe.

Taste somewhat like a fragrant grape!

Mango- 

Great for: your kidneys and digestion, a blood cleanser, supports the immune system, lowers bad cholesterol, great for stress, adrenal support, fatty livers, gut health, thyroid conditions, parkinson, kidney stones, epilepsy, bushings syndrome, urinal tract infections, stomach cancers, diabetes and pre diabetes, histamine intolerances and insomnia when eaten as the last meal.

Contains: beta-carotene for the skin, vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, potassium and high in magnesium.

A great fruit to eat after your menstrual cycle to help support your body.

Nectarine –(organic is best)

Great for: as a digestive aid and cleanser.

Contains: beta carotene for the skin, B3, vitamin C, vitamin E and copper.

Apricot-(organic is best)

Great for: gallstones, lymes disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, moulds and candida as it helps bind to them and pull them out, gut health.

Contains: amnio acids such as cysteine and glutamine, rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, B5, copper, high in iron, potassium, high in fiber, magnesium and a B12 enhancing food.

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Peach –(organic is best)

Great for: constipation, a diuretic, a digestive aid, a cleanser and very alkalising.

Contains:  B3, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, calcium, magnesium and beta carotene.

Pear -(organic is best)

Great for: diabetes, e-coli infections, SIBO, GERD, fatty liver, OCD, migraines, stomach cancer, food poisoning. They are a diuretic, alkaline, digestive aid and cleanser.

Contains: fiber, iodine, vitamin C and copper.

Plum –(organic is best)

Great for: bowel cancer and contraption as its a good laxative.

Contains: high in oxalic acid, beta carotene, antioxidants, phosphorus, and potassium.

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Raspberries – (organic is best)

Great for: lowering bad cholesterol and inhibits certain cancer growth, diabetes, autism, ADHD, stress, adrenal support, fibromyalgia and menstrual cramps.

Contains:  antioxidants, vitamin C , vitamin K, vitamin E, folate, B5, manganese, copper, and iron.

A great food to eat during your menstrual flow.

Acid-Fruit.

Cranberry

Great for: respiratory and urinary tracts, , gallbladders, yeast infections, staph infections, a diuretic, weigh loss, diabetes, ear wax and eat infections, breaks down toxins, balances hormones.

Contains:  vitamin C, tannic and oxalic acids.

Grapefruit

Great for: high in pectin which strengthens blood vessels and capillaries and reduces the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaque in those afflicted with this problem. Grapefruit juice eases constipation and improves digestion but can reduce appetite, helping with weight loss. Good to eat for cancers, heart problems, strokes, constipation, the blood and nerves. Digestive aid, vascular health, removal of in organic calcium from joints so good for arthritis.

Contains: Vitamin c, pantothenic acid, copper, dietary fiber, potassium, biotin and vitamin B1.

Kiwi

Great for: arthritis, OCD, diabetes, adrenal support, SIBO. Removes excess sodium buildup, the enzymes help in correcting and soothing digestive system including acid reflux and anti-aging.

Contains: vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin, E, folate, copper, potassium.

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Kumquat

Great for: anti-aging.

Contains:  calcium, beta carotene, vitamin C, iron, and magnesium.

Lemon

Great for: a potent detoxifier, kills intestinal parasites and dissolves gallstones, great for flu, kidney disease, respiratory conditions, anxiety, cancers, weight loss and rosacea, heart problems, strokes, constipation, the blood and nerves. See Limes too.

Contains:  calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, cleansing, an alkalising effect even though it’s an acid fruit.

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Limes – (yellow when ripe..I know!)

Great for: Limes are good to eat for cancers, heart problems, strokes, constipation, the blood and nerves. Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, cleansing, alkalising even though it’s an acid fruit. See Lemons too.

Contains: bioflavonoids, citric acid and pectin.

Oranges

Great for: reducing inflammation, shrink tumors, and inhibit blood clots, help with gum disease, kidney stones, anxiety, depression, acne, removing heavy metals. The Herperidin in oranges can help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, they contain bioflavonoids, citric acids and pectin. Oranges are good for cancers, heart problems, strokes, constipation, the blood and nerves and  digestive support.

Contains: 170 different phytonutrients and more than 60 known falconoid, calcium, vitamin C.

A great fruit to eat the week before your menstrual cycle to help prepare and clean your body.

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Pineapple

Great for: adrenal support, respiratory conditions, ADHD, PCOS, removing heavy metals when used with greens. Promotes joint health, reduces inflammation, a  diuretic, a digestive aid, a cleanser of mucus, and a mild laxative.

Contains: calcium, vitamin C, folic acid, magnesium, manganese and beta carotene.

I suggest eating it frozen to stop your tongue burning!

Pomegranate

Great for: cleansing and building the blood, insomnia, brain fog, adrenal support, heart conditions, diabetes,  urinary tract infections, protects against sunburn, PCOS, removes ear wax, fights prostate cancer and regulates hormones.

Contains: vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and beta carotene.

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Strawberry –(organic is best)

Great for: diabetes, ADHD, heart conditions, alzheimer’s, reduce bad cholesterol, suppress growth of colon, prostate and oral cancers.

Contains: vitamin C, folate, manganese, copper and iron.

Tangerine

Great for: See oranges.

Contains: vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium.

Tomato – (heirlooms and organic are best)

Great for: Tomatoes are filled with antioxidants and phytonutrients, over 9,000 known phytonutrients to date. The main and most powerful antioxidant known in the tomato is lycopene. Lycopene is thought to protect the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin from sunburn among other things. Ongoing research seems to show that lycopene helps prevent macular degeneration, lower cholesterol, support the immune system and can help prevent and rid cancers. Also has a alkaline residue and reduces inflammation.

Contains: vitamin C, B6, B5 ,B1, vitamin K, copper, iron, magnesium.

Only eat raw do not cook tomatoes!

High Fat Fruits.

Avocado

Great for: colitis and crohn’s and gut health. Helps restores the intestinal lining and gut health, removing polyps, good for liver and to lower cholesterol levels. Great for the brain and growing children

Contains:  vitamin E, protein, iron and copper, Omega 3 essential fatty acids.

A great fruit to eat while you are ovulating and the week after ovulation.

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Durian –  great after work out food as it’s high in potassium and sulfur which makes them a warming fruit.

Contains: vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folate, copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron.

Smells bad but is tasty!

Olives – (not in oil)

Great for: anti-aging, very alkalising, lubricating and cleansing.

Contains: calcium, sodium, magnesium, amino acids, antioxidants, vitamin A and E. High in Omega 3 essential fatty acids.

Coconut fresh meat and water

Great for: autism, gut health, adrenal support, parkinson’s, anti-aging, brain support, alzheimers’s, adrenal support, diabetes, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, heart conditions.  provides protection against UV raises, promotes collagen and contains probiotics.

Contains:  4 electrolytes, anti-microbial fats, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral properties, magnesium, potassium, iron and sodium.

Add coconut water to green smoothies to help the greens like parsley and coriander to remove heavy metals and unwanted acids form the body. A great fruit to eat after your menstrual cycle to help support your body.

These 4 fruits are very high in fat, but are of the best healthiest kind. However, you should eat these foods in moderation. If you are consuming a lot of fruit or you will end up with insulin problems. A low fat raw food diet usually works best for most people look into the 80/10/10 Diet. If you are a slow oxidizer and have weight to loose you should aim for 10% fat in your diet or less. If you are eating a 2000 calorie diet this works out to be about 22 grams of fat per day and this adds up quicker than you might think. One avocado has about 25 grams of fat and one olive has 1 gram of fat. If you are a fast oxidizer you can eat a higher percentage of 20% but be careful not to consume too much high sugar fruit or stay high fat for too long.

Non-Sweet Fruits.

Bell peppers – (orange and red only, green are unripe and not suugested organic is best)

Great for: protects against sunburn, good for the heart.

Contains: beta carotene, vitamin C, folate, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, vitamin E. vitamin K, iron, manganese.

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Cucumber – (organic is best)

Great for: skin and hair, energy, adrenals support, cushing’s syndrome, MS, infertility, the lymphatic system, chronic fatigue and a cooling effect on the organs, great for e-coli infections and yeast overgrowths, alkalising, a diuretic and a great cleanser.

Contains: electrolytes, high in vitamin K (this can be converted to K2 for bone and teeth health), B5, silicon, potassium, copper.

A great fruit to eat after your menstrual cycle to help support your body.

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Tomato – (also an acid fruit see above)

Squash

Great for: contains vitamins A and C, maganese and magnesium, and contains folate, which has been shown to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects and other birth defects.

Contains: carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin, has decreased incidence of lung cancer. A cup of winter squash contains 15% of the recommended daily allowance of folate.

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Eggplant

Great for: alzheimer’s, autism , epilepsy, cancer, stress, ADHD.

Contains: vitamnins B1, B3, B6, C and potassium, glykoalkaloids and phytonutrients like flavonoids, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid. The flavonoid nasunin in eggplants, has high levels of antioxidant properties and is known to be a scavenger of free radicals, thus protecting the cells of the body. Nasunin is also known for its ability to protect the fats surrounding the cell membrane of the brain. the chlorogenic acid it contains is known to be the most potent antioxidant that displays antimicrobial, antiviral and antitumor abilities and plays an important role in the prevention of many diseases. Glykoalkaloids invade cancer cells and stimulate the cell’s owns digestive enzymes the culinary definition of fruit excludes these foods, botany declares them a fruit because of their seeds. They are low in sugar and fat and are great to add to salads or just to eat alone as part of a low fat raw food diet. Best to be steamed whole and then added to salads or raw dips.

Melons.

Melons are one of natures miracle foods, close to our own milk in goodness as they give us all we need. They are one of the best cleansers and I recommend eating mono meals of melons too clear out your system. Melons are to be eaten alone due to there rapid digestion time so make a great breakfast. Read more here: The truth about fruit . . .

Melons are the most alkalising fruits around, high in electrolytes making them a super food for us! They are easily absorbed bioavailable and bioactive so utilised by the body easily.

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Cantaloupe

Great for: immunity support, protects against sunburn, reduces inflammation, a cleanser and great for rehydrating, ideal for diabetes as it helps balances insulin levels and hormones.

Contains: a great nutrient profile, very high in beta carotene, vitamin C, folate, B3, potassium, copper. Great for parasites.

A great fruit to eat after your menstrual cycle to help support your body.

Watermelon – (organic and seeded is best)

Great for: SIBO, adrenal fatigue, heavy metals, adrenal fatigue, protects against sunburn, helps reduce the risk of prostate, ovarian and cervical cancers and a great cleanser, great for rehydrating.

Contains: beta carotene, vitamin C and  copper.

Bittermelon – the fruits and leaves of bitter melon are a good source of minerals and vitamins, such as iron, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin B. The juice from the leaves is also good to prevent and lessen cough, for fever and against ringworms. it is also used to treat sterility in women and alleviate liver problems. bitter melon has some antimicrobial activity and can help infected wounds. Nutritional contents can actually be absorbed by the body’s digestive system of the plant become some of these substances exist in unabsorbable form. It lowers blood sugar levels and addition in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, reducing the patients intake of antidiabetic drugs.

The Truth About Sugar and Fruit . . .

So is fruit good or bad for you? It makes you fat right?

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Well here is the truth about fruit and why it’s got such a bad wrap over the years.

Fruit is a whole food containing an abundance of antioxidants and healthful nutrients, and the cellular scaffolding to fuel the body, it’s packed with protein and they hold enzymes and nutrients for your body and is instant energy for your cells and brain.

In the modern word it’s a super food! So why the bad wrap? I’m glad you asked . . . it is because most of us was eating it at the wrong time, with the wrong foods and out of season old or unripe fruits.

You see fruit digested very quickly so it must be eating on it’s own, preferable on an empty stomach to not cause fermentation in the gut . . . for example watermelon digest in 15 minutes and if you combine that with an apple that takes around 45-55 minutes this will cause gasses to be produced in the gut. Then the poor apple get’s the blame. Or mixing fruit with meat which takes 24-48 hrs to digest . . . you see it’s not the fruit it’s the combination of food. If you are following a GAPS Diet or strict Paleo Diet then you must keep your fruit consumption low as your meat and fats are so high and the combination is very bad for the body causing candida to thrive candida grows from fats and starches not complex sugars. Once you move away from the strict gut protocols after healing has take place and you have more freedom then follow the rules below. or just fill up on fruits and vegetables and your don’t have to worry as much about mixing foods.

Now later I will explain how to get the optimum out of your fruit by eaten certain fruits with others or avoiding certain combinations this will take your health to the next level. But if you take anything away from this article, the rule is to have fruit on it’s own without nuts or any other foods and have it at least 1 hour away from other meals. This goes for water too ( I can see your eyes rolling) without getting distracted, drinking water is great for the body but no animal or human is designed to drink gallons of water and especially with food it then just washes out the nutrients and stops the stomach producing the bile it needs to break it down. Drink water only when you are thirsty (listen to your body health seekers, listen!) more on hot day and drink water away from food as it will stop the digestion process completely.

How much water is good for you, and why you should never take it with food?

fruitBack to FRUIT!

All sugars are NOT the same. Don’t be afraid of fruit sugar. There is a big difference between a simple sugar and a complex sugar.

Every cell in the body requires sugar!!!! 

Sugar = carbon. That is why we call foods high in sugar, carbo-hy-drates, carbon chained constituents.
Carbon is essential, over fats and proteins (amino acids). They are essential to creating ATP, what we call cell ENERGY. We are charging the battery of the cell.

Our body is made of carbon cells that feed and eliminate, just as every living thing on the planet does.

“The magnetic electrical research field will come to prove that the human body is an electrical being and our health (strength and endurance) depends on the ENERGY currents which run through the body.” – Dr. George S. White, M.D.

Each cell must have sufficient oxygen and fructose/glucose to convert the simple sugar into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This is pure ENERGY for the life processes of the cell, through aerobic oxidation.
A delicately balanced distribution of sodium and potassium in and around the cells must be maintained at all times.

Fruits are higher in antioxidants and astringents and will move your lymphatic system far better than vegetables. This is why we see a lymphatic response when a fruit is consumed, and that is what we WANT to see.

Fruits, also being a simple sugar, are even superior for diabetics, pancreatitis, hepatitis, and all other gastric and intestinal conditions. Fructose does not require insulin or extensive digestive enzymes. It needs no conversion.

Fructose is not broken down into glucose; it absorbs directly into the bloodstream ready to be used. It enters the cell by diffusion. Fruits’ magnetic (electrical) ENERGY is the highest of all foods, making them the superior brain and nerve foods. They will bring ENERGY to the body, where most other foods take it away.

Our body is not meant for complex sugars (starches), complex carbohydrates, processed foods full of chemicals, toxins, refined and processed sugars (like corn syrup, which in no way resembles a simple sugar). It has been so processed and concentrated it is poison and unrecognizable to the body.

Simplicity in digestion and absorption is key. Simple sugars such as fructose and glucose found in fruits, berries, melons, greens, and vegetables are what the body requires to thrive.

Simplicity…

Sugars of the highest quality.

How do you now what fruit goes with what?

Well there’s a few simple rules and using charts like the one below can help. Until I learnt this I had it on fridge to always check the combinations.

The rule is: sweet fruit never with acid fruit –  so banana and pineapple is a no go! But a sub-acid fruit like a plum can go with a sweet fruit like a banana. BINGO!

Then there’s melons ALL melons should be eaten on there own away from all other fruits and foods, so that’s the 80’s parma ham melon dish is out!

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We start our day with watermelon or have it late in the afternoon at least 1 hour after a salad and at least 1 hour before dinner. Watermelon digest very fast in 15-20 minute and as I know far too well if you eat it after a meal you get a very bloated gassy stomach as it is fermenting on top of grains, meat, starchy vegetables and causes a whole heap of trouble for your poor system. We need to go back to simple eating, mono foods (one food at a time) and simple combinations as our guts aren’t designed to have 10-15 ingredients at each meal and then a meal every 2-3 hours with a new 10-15 ingredients. Without being another person saying to look back to primal eating . . . but look at monkeys they eat 1-5 foods without combining them, when they do eat meat they eat it on it’s own. When we used to farm the lands we ate grains as meals without loads of combinations and cooked them well after soaking. often starches for boring and proteins for dinner only eating 1-2 meals a day. We now eat many meals on top of each other without digesting the last and with bad combinations, and the result is disease and sickness.

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So leave the meats, fats, nuts, legumes away from fruit but these can be paired with starchy vegetables and non starchy vegetables.  Food combining and why is it essential for health!-chart.

Grains and starches should also be away from fruit so no porridge and fruit or paleo granola and fruit, but also away from proteins like meat, nuts and legumes as this is also a bad combination on the digestive system. Non starchy vegetables are fine with grains. So,  Why no grains you ask?

Grains and greens yes! Fruits and greens yes! Protein and greens yes! Starches and greens yes! Greens and fats yes! Acid fruits and fats yes!

Starches and fats no! Proteins and fats no! Starches and proteins no! Grains and starches no!

Fruits and anything but greens . . . no way!

Food-combining

I share this information not to get you into a panic about fruit but to show you fruit is a super food and should be in all of your diets as it is turned in to glucose which is what our brains and cells feed off. Often candida is caused by fruits and fats not being combined properly not the natural sugar in fruit. Those who have done candida cleanses and still find they have problems will agree with me. As they don’t address the food combinations, they just remove most fruits which helps for a while but then when they come off the cleanse or elimination diet the issues return back again.

In regards to ‘fruit is just sugar and will make me fat’ I will address that here briefly but I explain in more detail in this blog about good and bad carbohydrates and how to eat the right types and when to eat for your body:  https://nourishtohealth.com.au/2016/01/26/carbs-carbs-crabs-good-bad-and-how-many-is-right-for-you/

Fruit has sugar in it, your right but it is not a refined sugar that switches on receptors in the brain and makes you addicted like refined flour products (even gluten free), nor does it damage cells and cause insulin resistance (diabetes) like simple refined sugars do. Fruit has fibre which makes us feel full and provides other metabolic benefits. When you bite into an apple, for example, the fruit’s fiber helps slow your absorption of fructose (fruit sugar). Which is why fruit juices and dried fruit are causing issues with blood sugars and insulin as there is not the fibre to stabilise it in the blood and move the energy to the cells, so it just spikes and then your adrenals kick in to contract it. As long as you eat it away from other foods so it can digest and not ferment in the gut it will not make you fat but fuel your body and feed your brain with the much needed glucose it needs to function. You see any fat monkey’s and chimps in the wild? No, but you do see it in zoo’s where they feed fruit with nuts, grains and soy products to bulk their diet’s out! Don’t mess with nature human kind . . . it’s on it already and we survive for umpteen years before man come in trying to cook, change and create unnatural foods. Unnaturafying foods. I am sure that is not a word but I am rolling with it!

Studies have found that introducing fruit daily, eaten at the right times as per above have helped heal diabetes and obesity. (Again I will mention this in my Carbohydrate blog) diabetes can be healed very very quickly with the removing all unnatural foods and replaced with a high fruit and vegetable lifestyle with low healthy fats from nuts, avocado and seeds.

So what are you waiting for grab an apple and start eating fruit again and feel the life force return to your body!

 

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Here is my food digestion chart to show you why foods can not be combined like the do on most peoples plates without causing gut rot and purification-gas, bloating, pain and wind.

DIGESTION TIME OF VARIOUS FOODS: This is approximately the time spent in the stomach before emptying into the intestines and bowels.

Pure Distilled Filtered Water is Alkaline.

When the stomach is empty, it leaves immediately and goes into intestines.
Cold Pressed Juices is Alkaline

Fruit, vegetables, vegetable broth – 15 to 20 minutes.
Semi-liquid is Alkaline.

Blended smoothies and salads, vegetables or fruits – 20 to 30 minutes.
Fruits is Alkaline.

Watermelon – 20 minutes.
Other melons – cantaloupe, honeydew etc. – 30 minutes.
Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, persimmons, papaya, pawpaw, grapes, cherries, berries etc.- 40 minutes.
Fruits is Acidic

Orange, lemons, limes, strawberries, blueberries, grapefruit – 30 minutes.
Raw Vegetables is Alkaline.

Raw salads and vegetables – tomato, lettuces, cucumber, celery, red or green pepper, other succulent vegetables – 30 to 40 minutes.
Steamed or cooked vegetables without oil is Alkaline.

Leafy vegetables, spinach, kale, greens etc.- 40 minutes.
Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, yellow squash, corn on cob – 45 minutes.
Steamed or cooked vegetables with oil is Acidic.
Leafy vegetables, spinach, kale, greens etc. – 65 minutes.
Zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, yellow squash, corn on cob – 70 minutes.
Cooked root vegetables without oil Alkaline.

Not recommended to roast in oil (Oil slows digestion).

Carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips etc. – 50 minutes.
Cooked root vegetables with oil is Acidic.

Not recommended to roast in oil (Oil slows digestion).
Carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips etc. – 1hr 15 minutes.
Semi-Concentrated Carbohydrates (Starches) is Alkaline.

Not recommended to roast in oil (Oil slows digestion).

Artichokes, butternut squashes, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, chestnuts – 60 minutes.
Concentrated Carbohydrates – Grains is Acidic.

Really not recommended for good digestion.
Brown rice, millet, buckwheat, cornmeal, oats – 90 minutes.
Legumes & Beans is Acidic

Not recommended for good digestion, but in moderation in good combinations can be tolerated especially when sprouted.
Lentils, lima beans, chickpeas, yellow peas, kidney beans, etc. – 90 minutes.
Soy beans – 120 minutes.
Seeds & Nuts is Alkaline.

In moderation in good combinations.
Seeds, sunflower, hemp seeds, pumpkin, pepitas, sesame – 2 hours.
Nuts, Almonds, macadamias, peanuts (raw), cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans etc. – 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Raw Fats is Alkaline

In moderation in good combinations.
Avocado, coconut, nut butters – 3 hours.
Cooked or extracted fats is Acidic.

Really not recommended for good digestion
Trans fats, olive oils, coconut oil, butter, canola oil, rice bran oil, rapeseed oil etc. – 6 hours.
Dairy Acidic

Really not recommended for good digestion
Skim milk, soft cheese, low fat pot cheese or ricotta – 90 minutes.
Whole milk soft cheese – 120 min.
Whole milk hard cheese – 4 to 5 hours.
Animal proteins is Acidic.

Really not recommended for good digestion
Whole egg – 45 min.
Fish, cod, snapper, flounder, sole, seafood ect. – 30 minutes.
Fish – salmon, salmon trout, herring, (more fatty fish) – 45 to 60 minutes.
Chicken – 11/2 to 2 hours (without skin).
Turkey – 2 to 2 1/4 hours (without skin).
Beef, lamb – 3 to 4 hours.
Pork – 41/2 to 5 hours.
Animal proteins is Alkaline when eaten alone.

Egg yolk – 30 minutes.
Remember this is leaving your stomach. These foods can sit in your colon for up to 4 days if your digestion is not good or you have poor food combinations, especially meat. For the best digestion choose easy to digest foods and in the right combinations.

Happy food combining!

What does “Mindful Eating” really mean and how can it help your food intolerance?

Trusting your Instincts and how it can help you find your path to health.

As a new parent you’re bombarded with information and advice about the ‘best’ way or the ‘right’ way of looking after your child.

But what do you do if that advice conflicts with your instincts? What do you do, if you know in your gut, that following all the ‘good’ advice is not what’s best for your family?

Society seems to want to condition us to conform to a ‘normal’ way of parenting, a ‘normal’ way of eating and a ‘normal’ way of thinking. But how can we be normal when everyone has their own brand of ‘normal’.

You need to feel confident in trusting your instincts, even if your instincts lead you beyond what you already know.

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For me, I learned the value of trusting my instincts in finding the path to better health, nutrition and wellbeing when I began to look for answers to ease physical, behavioral and digestive symptoms being experienced by our then-toddler son William, who was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at aged two years old.

In those early days I had applied my own brand of ‘normal’ to transitioning William to solid food, and I was quite certain I had it right. After all, I had worked in the organic food industry, food was my passion and being healthy was a conscious goal.

But, as I applied my knowledge to feeding my child, my gut, my instinct as a mother, told me that something was not right.

I had always fed William organic home-cooked foods that I thought to be healthy but the more I read and saw others’ journeys, the more I realised that was far from what I was doing. At one point he was eating three or four safe foods and a carrot or tomato was causing him skin reactions, tummy pain, behavioral issues and sleepless night. How could this be!

Instinctively I knew that there were more answers to be found.

So we followed our instincts and started working with a Biomedical Doctor who guided us thorough the midfield that is food sensitivity, intolerances and food allergies. We used supplements to build up what his body was lacking. And the results were clear, our gut instincts had taken us on the right path and we were beginning to see results.

That’s when we moved from working instinctively to purposefully seeking answers.

Soon we came across the GAPS Diet and, after the initial hard Intro stage and changing our mindset about grains and dairy and lots of detox, we started seeing massive improvements cognitively and behaviorally with William, and our younger son Edward.

Our instincts were right. Our instincts have taken us down the right path for now and have led to happier, healthier life for my family, and a way of eating that has seen William’s stress levels within his body ease, giving him the space to make the most of early childhood intervention therapies. But then my instincts kicked in again and I could see this Gaps Diet was masking and suppressing not healing and very against my ethical view asa vegan and wanting my family to be vegan to. So we started searching and I went on as many Nutrition courses studying over 100 diets and cultures,  and we found the RAW Vegan- high carb, low fat way of eating based upon the 80 10 10 philosophy from Dr Dough Graham. This lifestyle took us to further healing and to a lifestyle we adore and that fills us with joy and is easy and fun. I have then studied Natural Hygienics which is based upon the work from Dr Herbert Shelton this is a true understanding of what the body needs from a physical, mental and energetic level and be cohesive to the planet. My instincts also showed me the path away from mainstream schooling to our blessed Steiner School where the boys can be held and celebrated for all there quirks differences and needs.

But best of all, easing the stress within William has given him the opportunity to see beyond the anxiety that autism brings, and has made him calmer so he can now embrace emotionally family, friends and is thriving at school. All of this from a boy, who we were told would never feel empathy, be social or be able to love. We are blessed and my instincts led us there . . .

Thank goodness I trusted my instincts!

If you need help to start this path to health for your children please contact me for a consultation in your mindset and how to get your family started on this natural lifestyle.

hannah@nourishtohealth.com.au

0414967763

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Understanding food intolerance symptoms and how to get tested.

Food intolerances and allergies is a bit like the old ‘chicken and egg’ scenario trying to work out why you have reactions to certain foods, environmental variables and toxins. Is it because you have a leaky gut or has the food caused the leaky gut? Do you have parasites causing the issues or is it your nervous system out of balance? And do any of those things make you unwell or are they all connected? or is it your mindset and how you look at food and how you talk to your body? or is it that the foods you keep eating are causing your body harm?

Well you can go around the bend trying to work it out on your own. I highly recommend seeing a Bio-medical Doctor or Allergy Specialist to help you find of what your triggers are.  And working with myself to find your bottom beliefs and work on a Bio-individual eating plan low in irritant foods and high in natural healing foods.

As although the carrot or pecan on its own is not the reason your unwell it may be causing you more harm if you continue to eat it. Once your immune system is weak your leaky gut will start to form holes and allow food particle that are to big to get into the blood stream. Causing the body to attack that healthy carrot as if it was a bad bacteria and cause the body to be inflammed. If this continues for a long time without being healed, the body will continue attacking its own good cells not just the bad which is called an Auto-immune condition. Once this starts unless you are sealing and healing the gut, the holes will get bigger and the food you react to will grow and grow until your down to a few “safe foods” and then because your eating them daily the immune style gets weaker and attacks its self more causing more symptoms and more health issues. So really its not about what the food is, but how to heal your gut so you can enjoy all healthy foods again. Working with a good Doctor versed in food intolerance’s to heal your body whilst avoiding the high trigger foods is the key. Although through experience I recommend not removing all of your trigger foods, but to use the rotation method, as if you remove all those foods and only eat a few your body will become immune to those too. I not suggesting you eat foods causing you problems daily but if tomatoes are a really high allergen for you, just have then once a month or so to keep your body used to them and to keep the variety and colour and vitamins in your diet. Often on elimination diets you get very malnutrition and lack the nutrients your body need to heal it self and the brain is starved. But I do believe that if you have ‘leaky gut’ and those with any of the symptoms below have a ‘leaky gut’ of some degree, then limiting dairy to raw or organic and occasionally, only and if you can tolerate it without more symptoms. And strictly NO grains, dairy, sugars of any kind even “natural”, caffeine including chocolate and alcohol till your gut is healed as these foods will keep you from healing and set you back each time you indulge. To help you understand I have compiled a list of food reactions:

  • heart palpitations
  • increased heart rate
  • low blood pressure
  • high blood pressure
  • wheezing
  • allergic asthma
  • acne
  • weight gain and loss
  • excessive sweating
  • rashes
  • hives and welts
  • ADHD and behavioural issues
  • sensitivities to mossy bites
  • eczema
  • psoriasis
  • joint ache and swelling
  • fibromyalgia (muscle pain)
  • water retention-edema
  • week nails
  • hair loss and low growth
  • eye brow and lash loss
  • ear infections
  • mucous in nose ears and throat
  • blurred vision
  • spots and flickers in front of your eyes
  • swelling of eye lids
  • red sore scratchy dye eyes
  • sensitive to light
  • sneezing after food but do not have a cold
  • head aches
  • migraines
  • neck pain
  • smelly discharge and sweat
  • bumps on the back of your arms
  • runny nose
  • frequent colds (more than 1x a year)
  • frequent infections (more than 1x a year)
  • blocked nose
  • brain fog
  • body chills
  • body aches
  • stomach cramps
  • colic in babies (knees up to chest and screaming)
  • bloating
  • constipation- stools green, clay coloured, dry balls, floating or sinking away.
  • diarrhoea
  • undigested food
  • moody
  • depressed
  • anxious
  • mouth ulcers
  • cold-sores
  • vertigo
  • red around the nose and mouth and sore
  • red cheeks in children
  • vomiting and nausea
  • light headedness
  • fainting after food

I recommend the following way to test your child or yourself for allergies and food intolerance’s under supervision of an expert you will get a good list of foods to eat and the ones to have on rotation. And those ones like dairy, grains and sugars to avoid.

A raw food high fruit cleanse based on “80 10 10”- this is  fast way to restore balance in the microbiome and cleanse the body from candida. being high in fruit during the day then a raw said meal at night you allow easy digestion and health carbohydrates to fuel glucose to the brain. This has helped me over come many food intolerance and being variety back in to my diet.once you have done the cleanse you can re introduce foods with a positive mindset and belief work.

Water Fasting under a supervised practitioner– Read Dr Herbet Sheltons books first please or contact me.

Low Dose Immunotherapy- This method of testing will help you to quickly identify and potentially treat your allergies and intolerances so a nutritionally well-balanced diet becomes a more realistic option for you. Over a 3-4 day period in the clinic at ‘Your Health’ Brighton Melbourne you will be tested for 25 plus foods to see how your body reacts. Then reach your bodies level where those symptoms start to switch off. Once the testing is complete you will have your own personalised cocktail with a histamine in it to inject daily. so you can eat those 25 plus foods safely without your immune system switching on to attack them. This gives your body the chance to eat healing nutritious foods to heal your gut. I strongly recommended this treatment for those of you eating just a few foods and reacting to your home and environmental toxins, but it’s expensive at $500 a day and it works along side working with a Doctor to heal your gut and a supplementary plan to work on the bodies deficiencies. For children they use a saline dropper on the tongue so no needles needed. It’s a pain fee easy way of testing your children with true accuracy. http://allergyintolerancetreatment.com

A word about other testing mehtods: Blood test-  Although this gives you up to 80 foods quickly and with little pain and cost, the issue is the blood test will only show what the body is reacting to at the time of the blood test i.e. the foods you eat the most. This does not show a true indication of the body, as the carrot could not be the issue but as its been eaten with the cheese, and the cheese the culprit then your body all attack this food too. Also as I have mentioned if your gut is damaged you will be reacting to most foods. They also promotes avoiding that high food completely and as I have also mentioned that makes the body react to the small amounts of food you are eating. You are better to remove only the big food groups that cause issues like soy, grains, sugars and chemicals and rotate your health’s foods to lessen the load.

Kinesiology Muscle Testing and Vaga Testing – Both of these methods are controversial and you will find people that swear by them and others who knock them down. In my opinion I believe they can work well, but you have to have a great relationship with your therapist as they can sway the results. You also have to be calm and focussed so this can be hard for children and often the results can be varied. I had good results with Vaga testing to help me when I started The Elimination diet but on experience I would have just gone straight to The Gaps Diet. I believe Kinesiology holds many great benefits for releasing energy and helping balance the body but is to varied for food intolerance testing.

My conclusion is to not demonise a particular healthy food but to avoid the worst food groups, soy, grains, sugars and dairy for some and rotate the healthy foods like vegetables, proteins, fruit, nuts and seeds and good fats so your body doesn’t not get used to them and can cope with them in small doses. Whilst and this has to be the most important thing you do . . . work on healing the gut lining and repairing the holes. Taking digestive enzymes can help as will a good probiotic and eating prebiotic foods, raw real foods, fruits and good fats help restore the gut lining too.

An example of this is bananas used to make me angry so I stop eating them completely. Once my gut had healed I added them in again, but now I find blueberries have that effect on me . . why because all I ate was blueberries. Now I have blueberries occasionally and banana occasional with little effect. I try to rotate my foods and always continuer to strengthen my gut and heal my body.

The alternative is you will keep getting more and more intolerant to foods and environments and your body will think its safer to shut down. And as someone who has been there it is not nice and you do not want the T-shirt!

On this blog I hope to show you there are always alternatives to your favourite foods and swapping one for another means you can still enjoy your favourite snack without all the pain and discomfort.