by Peter James | Aug 8, 2023 | Health, Nutrition
Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for overall well-being, and one of the challenges many individuals face is making healthy food choices while eating out at restaurants or shopping at grocery stores. Tempting menus and enticing displays can often lead to unhealthy food decisions. However, with some mindful strategies and awareness, it is possible to make healthier choices without compromising on taste or satisfaction. In this article, we will explore effective tips to boost healthy food intake decisions when dining out and grocery shopping. 1. Plan Ahead: Before heading to a restaurant or grocery store, take some time to plan your meals. Research healthy options available at the restaurant or create a grocery list with nutritious foods. Having a clear idea of what to order or buy will help you avoid impulsive decisions and stick to healthier choices. 2. Be Mindful of Portions: At restaurants, portion sizes are often larger than what we actually need. Consider sharing a meal or opting for a smaller size. Similarly, at grocery stores, be cautious of bulk deals that might lead to overeating. Buying in moderation can prevent unnecessary overconsumption. 3. Opt for Fresh and Whole Foods: When dining out, choose dishes that feature fresh ingredients and whole foods. Look for items that include lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains. At the grocery store, shop primarily from the fresh produce section and whole food aisles, avoiding processed and packaged foods as much as possible. 4. Read Labels and Ingredients: While grocery shopping, make it a habit to read labels carefully. Avoid items high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and excessive sodium. Look for...
by Peter James | Apr 6, 2020 | Nutrition, Supplements
One of life’s most potent therapeutic agents is actually fungi. You can find many edible forms of mushrooms that can actually be used in the kitchen for cooking within recipe’s. There are also many other mushroom’s present in nature that are not all necessarily safe. Some have phytochemicals and agents within them that are used in extracts for their medicinal potential, meanwhile others have toxins that can be deadly if they are ingested and broken down in the liver. Mushrooms are currently being used for medical research and drug development for people with all sorts of diseases and illnesses. This excitement within the field of mycology has funneled into other areas of study including immunology and oncology. Some of the most promising research most recently has come up through immunomodulation. Herbal medicine which has been in practice for centuries in Chinese eastern medicine assists with balancing out the body when endocrine systems are out of whack. Medicinal mushrooms can be defined as macroscopic fungi, mostly higher Basidiomycetes, which are used in the form of extracts or powder for prevention, alleviation, or healing of diseases and/or for nutritional reasons. It is well-established that mushrooms are adept at immune modulation and affect hematopoietic stem cells, lymphocytes, macrophages, T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer (NK) cells.1 Extensive research over the last 40 years has demonstrated that mushrooms have potent antineoplastic properties that slow growth of tumors, regulate tumor genes, decrease tumoral angioneogenesis, and increase malignant-cell phagocytosis. Additionally, evidence suggests that medicinal mushrooms may safely boost chemotherapeutic efficacy and simultaneously protect against bone marrow suppression.Mushrooms represent a unique branch of botanical medicine...
by Peter James | May 19, 2019 | Nutrition
Flash-Freezing Fruits If you happen to grow a lot of your own produce with your own fruit, vegetable, or herbal garden there is often a plethora of extra’s at the peak end of grow season. When it comes to fruits and using them fresh it’s often quite enjoyable to use them right away after they’re picked for the fresh taste. If you want to experience and taste more produce throughout the year, it’s a good idea to flash-freeze some of your fruits from local farmer’s markets or your own garden as a way to preserve nutrients and vitamins. The best way to follow through with this process is to use a baking sheet or tray and place your fruits on this tray inside a freezer and space the fruits apart away from each other. Afterwards you should have frozen fruits that could be stored in a container or placed in freezer bags. Use a marker and label the fruits and the date they were picked or frozen in the freezer. As a result you should have flash frozen fruits that you can use during the upcoming year for nutritious smoothie recipe’s. Some key things to remember are as follows: Wash your fruits and peel the skin offCut out any bruises or ugly spotsIf you have large fruits cut it up smaller so it is more bite sized, so it will blend and break down easier after freezingMake sure to space fruits apart when first placing in the freezer on a traySame protocol can be taken with garden herbs Remember you don’t have to waste extra fruits or keep them...
by Peter James | May 14, 2019 | Nutrition
Lectins (From Peppers) Lectins are specific proteins that are found in plant sources and especially legumes. They can also be found in the skin, rinds, seeds, and leaves of certain plants. It is important to know that these particular proteins are something that can attach to the intestinal lining in our guts and thus cause havoc in the human body. A big factor surrounding lectins is that they disrupt our immune systems thus leading to excessive inflammation and other issues for our health down the road such as digestive issues, brain fog, weight gain, and fatigue. Although not everyone is completely sensitive to lectins and the way they’re broken down in the body in the gut microbiome, it is important to note that this can affect the body when you consider other toxins that accumulate in the body. There are other noteworthy toxins that can accumulate in combination that synergistically cause havoc along with lectins such as antibiotics, NSAIDS, artificial sweetners, artificial colors, GMO’s, and blue light emission from technology. So where are lectins in your foods? Here is a little list of common foods: Peanuts and cashew nutsCorn and animal meat that came from animals that ate cornWheatBeans and LegumesNightshade vegetables (Tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, okra, white potatoes)Squashes The most important factor with lectins is knowing whether the foods above really happen to cause you sensitivity in your gut. If you eat these foods on a regular basis and notice a tendency to have digestive disturbances it may be wise to start slowly eliminating the foods out of your diet. A big part of it comes down to how...
by Peter James | Nov 15, 2018 | Health, Nutrition
Creating Balance There are a few main questions that I have to ask you, if you’re reading this material. Are you feeling sick right now? If you are, how are you going about taking care of your health at the current moment? If you keep getting sick or you continually have the same symptoms or health problems, you need to re-think why problems keep reoccurring. Are you hooked on pharmaceutical drugs that your doctor keeps prescribing? If so, you should look into some natural alternatives. Nowadays it isn’t uncommon for people to become frustrated with their medical practitioners and seek other ways to treat themselves with alternative medicine. An increasing amount of people now feel the need to make some heavy changes with their lives. Is your pantry and refrigerator full of unhealthy foods? If so, perhaps it’s time that you re-think what food you buy and how you fill up your pantry and refrigerator. In order to make vast improvements in your life you need to have alkaline balancing foods in your diet. If you’re like most Americans you’re probably consuming part of the Standard American Diet (SAD). Most people on this diet eat and drink straight up unhealthy garbage. The majority of Americans have been brain-washed and they eat whatever they feel like. This poor choice of eating and indulging on any foods that are put in one’s face, ends up resulting in a plethora of health problems which usually includes obesity and diabetes. All the refined, processed, packaged, and fast foods end up making your body an acidic mess. As a result of all this acidic...
by Peter James | Sep 27, 2018 | Health, Herbs, Supplements
The potent phytochemical known as cannabidiol is a phytocannabinoid derived from the industrial plant Cannabis Sativa L. It has many recently discovered healing properties that in fact can be used in order to help alleviate a host of abnormalities. The host of health benefits of hemp and particularly CBD oil listed below: Pain and InflammationAntioxidant and NeuroprotectantReliever of compulsive addiction and opioid drugsSleep aid for REM sleep disorderWakefulness aid for daytime sleepinessAnxiolytic aid for relieving anxiety and mood booster for depressionCritical aid in lipid signaling and metabolic effects with diabetes complicationsTherapeutic potential for cancer, obesity, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular diseasesTherapeutic potential for epilepsy and multiple sclerosis In addition to what’s mentioned above. CBD is noted to boost memory, combat inflammation, and increase restful sleep. Many are hesitant to try CBD oil derived from the flowers of industrial hemp plants. This is mainly due to its close resemblance to it’s relatives Cannabis Ruderalis, Cannabis Sativa, and Cannabis Indica which are higher in the psychoactive phytochemical THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol). Although Cannabis Sativa L is a close relative of Indica and Sativa, it does not have more than .3% THC which is the main psychoactive property that produces that noted “euphoric high” that people often associate with cannabis. It is important to note that Industrial hemp is Cannabis Sativa L. The relative Cannabis Ruderalis is native to Eastern Europe and Russia and also happens to be lower in THC content. There is a lot of promising medical research backing up CBD oil which can make it an excellent alterative treatment for many people across the globe due to its ability to affect the Endocannabinoid...
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