Nutrition And Pregnancy

Eating well is one of the most important things you can do you for baby. Healthy eating is important for the health of your baby and should be planned in advance and implemented before pregnancy. Nutritious foods can help you get and stay fertile and are important before and during the entire term of your pregnancy.

The best diet is the simplest and you may be aware of it as something you’ve seen it on a wall at school or in a doctor’s office. A well-balanced diet means 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day (organic is best, especially during pregnancy; you and your baby don’t need all the extra chemicals). Fresh fruit and juiced fruit from fresh vegetables are best. Starch and starchy food: breads, grains and cereals, pasta, rice, potatoes, avoid bleached or blanched breads and flour and always go for wholegrain options. Eat foods with lots of protein: lean meats, seafood, eggs, pulses, legumes, beans (again, organic if it’s available for eggs, pulses, legumes and beans). Eat a fair amount of dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt to make sure you get sufficient calcium.

Dairy food made from unpasteurized milk may contain listeria which could harm your baby and lead to miscarriage. It’s a harmful bacteria detrimental to pregnancy contained in unpasteurized dairy products. Pates, raw or undercooked meat or eggs are also potential sources of bacteria that can harm your unborn baby. Make sure everything you consume is well-cooked. It may be a wise idea to avoid raw seafood like sushi as well.

As for other seafood-any sea fish may contain unsafe levels of naturally occurring mercury, so it’s wise to avoid these during pregnancy.

Liver and liver products (e.g. pates, liver sausage, etc.) should be avoided because the possibility exists of them containing large amounts of vitamin A in the form of retinol. Too much retinol could be harmful to your developing baby.

Alcohol during pregnancy is a big “no-no” and should be avoided entirely as well as smoking and being around people who smoke.

Caffeine consumption should be no more than 200mg a day (2 cups of coffee, 4 cups of tea or less)

Remember, when you’re pregnant eating healthy foods becomes top priority for you and your baby. Having a baby is a lot of extra strain on your body. You need more protein, iron, calcium, and folic acid than ever before. You also need more calories. On the other hand, eating for two doesn’t mean eating twice as much, but the foods you eat must be the main source of nutrients for your baby. Sensible, balanced meals are best.

You should gain weight gradually during pregnancy, not all at once, and most weight should be gained in the last trimester. The following growth rate is often recommended by doctors:

2 to 4 pounds total weight gain during the first trimester

3 to 4 pounds each month during the second and third trimesters

300 calories a day more during at least the last six months of pregnancy is what most women need compared to their caloric intake before pregnancy. Remember, the quality of calories you take in is more important than the amount. A growing baby needs healthy foods with a lot of nutrients, so avoid junk foods and foods with a lot of sugar, fat and other empty calories.

Stan P. Wright

http://www.fertiltysolutions.webstarts.com

Nutrition is a far greater part of the recovery process than one can imagine. Foods reflect your moods and when used correctly allow one complete control over how they feel. From the moment you arise in the morning until you go to sleep at night, there are food choices which will determine how you will feel.

Morning foods should provide energy and vigor rather than bog you down. Instead of fueling the fogginess they should crack through the haze and boost your concentration levels as you begin the day. Caffeine is not required to achieve this morning energy response. There are other natural food choices that help blast through the fog.

Here are a few suggestions to combat early morning feelings of brain fog:

– Avoid all sweet and refined boxed cereals at all costs. Pancakes and waffles are also not recommended unless whole grain and accompanied by a protein.

– Get up, get dressed and get out… walking past the brain fog after a nutritional meal helps awaken mind and body.

– Watch your thoughts and stop scaring yourself with “what if” thinking.

The best choices for an energy provided breakfast is as follows:

Breakfast Suggestions

Eggs (prepared in any fashion you prefer), along with whole grain toast or turkey bacon, and warm decaffeinated beverage.

Oatmeal with low glycemic fruits (blueberries, cantaloupe, strawberries), and one egg or protein powder.

Natural peanut butter on whole grain bread with fresh berries or melon slices and decaffeinated warm beverage.

Never skip breakfast and always have this meal within 30 minutes of rising in the morning.

Lunch Suggestions

– Dense/Solid Protein such as chicken, meat or fish with a whole grain bread or salad side. (no sweet dressings).

– Salad with Protein (chicken, fish or meat).

– Soup with vegetables and protein (chicken, fish or meat)

– Grilled Cheese on whole grain flatbread with unsweetened beverage.

Dinner Suggestions

– Lean Protein (Chicken, Meat or Fish) along with Potato and Green or Yellow Vegetable, Salad.

– Whole Grain Pasta with Protein and Salad or Vegetable.

– Mediterranean Salad with Seafood and Lemon Dressing.

– Chili with Shredded Cheddar and Caesar Salad.

The above suggestions are a minor outline (which is more detailed in our program package), and can be used as a guideline for foods that will allow clarity and peace of mind. They fuel your energy without adding to feelings of anxiety and depersonalization.

Never go more than 4 hours without a meal. Snacks are fine but you’ll find unnecessary if your meal satisfies you.

Suggestions for Snacks:

-Hummus with carrot or celery sticks.

-Natural Peanut Butter and Blueberries on whole grain toast.

-Hard Boiled eggs and Cheddar Cheese. –

-Whole Grain Cereal and Berries

-Fresh Fruit with Cheese or Nuts (nut butters)

-Yogurt and Fresh fruit.

Remember that food is fuel and when the proper nutrition plan is followed it will allow one full control of how they wish to feel. You are always in charge when applying the correct choices and following the proper steps.

The above are only a few examples of how you can use foods to change the way you feel. The combination of this nutrition plan and the proper behavioral modifications will change your life. They will help you maintain balanced blood sugar levels and naturally boosted Serotonin (the feel good chemical) in the brain.

The foods you often crave are often the exact foods that fuel this condition. Choose foods that are low in sugar and do not metabolize into sugar, such as refined white flours, pastas and simple sugars. If you must have a sweet, do it directly after your meal. The goal is to keep stable blood sugar levels and balanced Serotonin in the brain. By following this food plan you will feel happier, more secure and less reactive to outside stimuli.

This is a very specific nutrition plan and must be strictly adhered to in order to achieve results, but well worth the effort. The Behavioral Modification steps are also to be followed precisely to achieve complete success.

This is the combination and path to full and permanent recovery from depersonalization and anxiety. The results will give you back your life as you achieve full clarity and a true sense of well being.

Living organisms are continuously undergoing chemical reactions which gives rise to energy changes in their bodies. All these reactions and changes are termed metabolism. Basically, metabolism consists of two processes, the synthesis or building up of complex body substances from simpler constituents and energy, and the decomposition nor breaking down of these complex substances and energy. The first process is known as anabolism and the second as catabolism.

One of the main characteristics of living organisms is the ability to feed. This is referred to as nutrition. Nutrition is therefore, the process of acquiring energy and materials for cell metabolism, including maintenance and repair of cells and growth. In living organisms, nutrition is a complex series of both anabolic and catabolic processes by means of which food materials taken into the body are converted to complex body substances (mainly for growth) and energy (for work). In animals, the food materials taken in are usually in the form of complex, insoluble compounds. These are broken down to simpler compounds, which can be absorbed into the cells. In plants, complex food materials are first synthesized by the plant cells and then distributed to all parts of the plant body. Here, they are converted to simpler, soluble forms, which can be absorbed into the protoplasm of each cell. The raw materials necessary for the synthesis of these complex food materials are obtained from air and soil in the plant’s environment.

All living organisms that cannot provide their own energy supply by either photosynthesis or chemosynthesis are known as hetero strophes or hetero strophic organisms. Hetero strophic means feeding on others’. All animals are hetero strophes. Other organisms such as many types of bacteria, a few flowering plants and all fungi use this method of nutrition. The way in which hetero strophes obtain their food varies considerably. However the way in which the food is processed into usable form within the body is very similar in most of them. But all green plants possess the ability to manufacture carbohydrates from certain raw materials obtained from the air and soil. This ability is important not only to the plants themselves but also to animals, including man, which depend directly or indirectly on plants for food.

Photosynthesis is the process whereby plants manufacture their foods through the use of energy from the sun and available raw materials. It is the manufacture of carbohydrates in plants. It takes place in the chlorophylls (i.e. green) cells of leaves and stems only. These green cells contain chloroplasts, which are essential for the synthesis of food. All the raw materials required for photosynthesis, namely, water and mineral salts from the soil, and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere have, therefore, to be transported to the chlorophylls cells, which are most abundant in leaves.

The tiny pores, or stomata, which usually occur greater numbers on the lower surfaces of most leaves, allow gases from the atmosphere to pass into the tissues within. A stoma is an oval-shaped epidermal cells known as guard cells. Each stoma is actually the aperture of a sub-stomata air chamber. This is a large intercellular air space, which lies adjacent to the stoma. It is continuous with other intercellular air spaces found inside the leaf. The size of each stomata pore depends on the curvature of the guard cells flanking it. When the guard cells are full of water they become swollen, or turgid, and consequently the pore opens. However, when the water level is low they become soft, or flaccid, and collapse, as the result, which the pores close. When the stoma is open air enters the sub-stomata chamber and diffuses throughout the intercellular air dissolves in the water, which surrounds the cells. This solution of carbon dioxide then diffuses into the cells of the leaf, particularly the palisade cells. Here, it is used by the chloroplasts for photosynthesis.

Water carrying dissolved mineral salts such as the phosphates, chlorides and bicarbonate of sodium, potassium, calcium iron and magnesium, is absorbed from the soil by the roots. This soil water enters the roots hairs by a process called osmosis the movement of water molecule from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. It is then conducted upwards from the roots, through the stem to the leaves by the xylem tissue. It is transported to all the cells, via the vein and their branches.

The chloroplasts contain the green pigment, (chlorophyll) which gives the plants it color and capable of absorbing light energy from sunlight. This energy is used for one of the first essential steps in photosynthesis; namely, the splitting of the water molecule into oxygen and hydrogen. This oxygen is liberated into the atmosphere. The hydrogen components are used too reduces carbon dioxide, in a series of enzymes and energy consuming reactions, to form complex organic compounds like sugars and starches.

During photosynthesis high energy-continuing compounds like carbohydrates are synthesized from low energy-containing compounds like carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll. As solar energy is necessary for photosynthesis, the process cannot occur at night due to the absence of sunlight. The final products of photosynthesis are carbohydrates and oxygen. The former is distributed to all parts of the plant. The latter is given off as a gas through the stomata back to the atmosphere in exchange for the carbon dioxide that was taken in. the occurrence of photosynthesis in green leaves may be demonstrated by experiments showing the absorption of carbon dioxide, water and energy by the leaves, and the production of oxygen and carbohydrates. Simple experiments can be set up to demonstrate the giving off of oxygen by green plants, the formation of carbohydrates (namely, starch) in leaves and the requirements of carbon dioxide, sunlight and chlorophyll for the formation of starch in green leaves.

Experiments in physiology involve the placing of biological materials like plants and animals or parts of plants and animals under unusual conditions, e.g. jars, cages or boxes. If an experiments is set up to show the effects produced by the absence of carbon dioxide during the photosynthetic process, then the result obtained from such an experiment can be argued as being partially due to the placing of the biological material under unnatural experimental conditions it is, therefore, necessary to set up two almost identical experiments; one is placed under normal conditions (the control experiment) where all the factors necessary for photosynthesis are present while the other (the test experiment) is placed under a condition where a single factor is eliminated or varied while all the other factors are present. This enables the experimenter to be sure that the result shown by his test experiment is due to the eliminated or varied factor and not to the experimented set-up. Thus, the control experiment serves as a guide to ensure that the conclusion obtained by the test experiment is not a fallacy.

After certain proper experiments observation show clearly that oxygen is released only when photosynthesis occurs, i.e. during the day. No starch can be formed if sunlight is absent although the other entire essential factors such as water, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll may be present.

Photosynthesis the basic constituent of nutrition the unit of healthy living has played and is playing an essential role to living organisms. The complex cellular structures of plants are built up from the primary product of photosynthesis, namely, a simple carbohydrate like glucose. At this stage, it must be realize that, though much emphasis has been placed on photosynthesis, the process of protein synthesis is just as important as the former. During protein synthesis, nitrogenous compounds absorbed by plants and in certain cases, phosphorus and others element, combine with glucose to form the various plant proteins.

Besides contributing to the synthesis of plants proteins, glucose is important also because it can be transformed into fats and oils after a series of chemical reactions. It is also the primary product from which other organic compounds are formed.

The importance of photosynthesis in all food cycles cannot be overemphasized. Animals are unable to make use of the sun’s energy to synthesize energy-rich compounds from simples easily-available substances like water and carbon dioxide found in the atmosphere around us, rather the ultraviolet rays from the sun causes some to living body; the melanin and keratin it affects the color and strength of animals skin, and some internal damages. From the rays, Therefore, it is fortunate that plants have the ability to use the energy provided by sunlight to synthesize and store energy-rich compounds upon which ultimately all forms of animal life are dependent.

For his survival, man eats not only plant products like fruits, vegetables and cereals, but also animals like cattle and fish. Cattle and other herbivorous animals depend entirely on plant life for their existence. While certain fish are herbivorous, others have a mixed diet and a large number are entirely carnivorous. Carnivorous animals depend indirectly on plants for a living. Their immediate diet consist of smaller animals which themselves must feed, if not entirely, then partly, on plants. Photosynthesis is the first step in all food cycles.

During the process of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and oxygen is added to it. If this purification process did not exist in nature, soon the atmosphere would become saturated with the carbon dioxide given out during the respiration of animals and plants and during decomposition of organic matter so that all life would gradually come to a stop. Without photosynthesis, there will be no nutrition. And if there is no nutrition, living thing will not exist. And if there’s no living things in the earth the earth will still be without form and entirely void. There will be no for living things to do work if photosynthesis does not court. I wonder what will be the fate of living things today or sometime, when photosynthesis comes to a stop.

There has been some misconception about the Scarsdale diet portion sizes in the diet. Some have been led to believe there are no diet portion sizes and you are free to eat as much as you want. The Scarsdale diets are founded on the principle that you eat until your hunger is satisfied (or you are in other words full) and then you stop eating. You should not eat until you are stuffed. This is where the confusion begins with the Scarsdale diet portions and sizes.

Some people take the phrase “eat as much as you want” to mean there are no Scarsdale portions, however this is not correct.

In order to help folks know how much they can eat, here is a list of Scarsdale diet portion sizes; broken down into food groups; with a portion size comparison for you to follow. Hopefully this will guide those who want to have maximum weight loss while on this diet.

Scarsdale Portion Sizes for the Carbohydrate Food Group

The main component of the diet carbohydrate group is the protein bread. A serving here is one thin slice. The goal is to consume a protein bread that is greater than 4 grams of protein and less than 12 grams of carbohydrates.

There really are no other Scarsdale portions for the carbohydrate food group that you will need to measure.

Scarsdale Diets Portion Sizes for the Meat Food Group

The meat food group receives a lot of attention in this diet portion sizes you will measure. Since meat is a protein and the Scarsdale diet is high in protein you will be eating meat at a lot of you meals.

A good rule to use when measuring portions and sizes for the meat food group is to have a serving of meat about the size of your palm. This will roughly give you the required Scarsdale portions and sizes for the meat food group.

Scarsdale Diet Portions for the Fruits and Vegetables Food Group

The vegetable food group is another one that gets a great deal of consumption in this diet. Vegetables offer fiber, vitamins and minerals without consuming a lot of calories. However corn, potatoes, peas and beans (not veggies anyway) are not allowed. Other vegetables such as green beans, carrots, mushrooms have a Scarsdale portion size of about what will fit in one cupped hand. Spinach, lettuce cabbage and other leafy vegetables are two cupped hands.

If you have a big appetite though, the vegetable category is so low calorie these diet portions and sizes are the ones you want to increase and fill up on. You get fuller, with a lot fewer calories.

The Scarsdale portion sizes for fruit are always ½ a grapefruit and a medium fruit about the size of your fist for all others. If the fruit is cut up, generally what will fit in your cupped hand will give you the Scarsdale portion sizes for fruits.

Scarsdale Diet Portions for the Fat Food Group

Fats themselves (such as butter, margarine, and mayonnaise) are not allowed on the diet; so you have no need to worry about the Scarsdale diet sizes for this one!

Remember you should always consult your health care provider before beginning any diet regimen. Hopefully this has helped clear up any confusion you may have had regarding Scarsdale diet portion sizes. If you follow this guideline; you should fall within the desired 850-1000 calories per day for optimal weight loss.

However unbelievable this may sound, I did manage to successfully lose 9 pounds in 3 days with the help of St Johns Hospital 3 day diet. Looking and feeling much better and healthier was an instant result because of the amazing 3 day diet I experienced in St Johns Hospital. If you are a little unsure about this particular diet,

I am here to tell you not to worry as it is very safe and efficient. Amazing things can be done by going through a diet like this and to be honest with you, unlike most diets it does not even taste bad.

Hospital have a bad reputation when it comes to their food as most people tend to think that all the food served in hospital are always bland and boring with little or no taste. However, this is becoming a thing of the past. as hospital foods are becoming more and more delicious and tasty to go along with the healthy nutrition in their food as well. Overall, The food preparation and medical care in hospitals such as St Johns Hospital are improving day by day.

The St Johns 3 days hospital diet is pretty decent tasting and even though its menu does include the typical hospital food you would normally get, it does not necessarily mean it is going to taste bad.

The chemicals contained in the food are the main factor involved in St Johns 3 day hospital diet and that is the main reason why you cannot replace the food any way you like as no food substitution is allowed for this diet to be effective. The different food components mix together to form a combination to help in your weight loss. Once you are done with the St Johns 3 day hospital diet it is recommended that you do not continue the diet after day 3 and just stop because the sole purpose is to provide a motivation for you for that push you need to enhance your weight loss program. However, If you wish to go back to the St Johns 3 Day hospital diet then it is not a problem just do not do it continuously and give it a 4 day interval between each time you do the 3 day diet. Always keep in mind as well during those 4 interval break days between the hospital diets do not eat fatty and unhealthy food but just eat reasonably and healthy.

The following is the list of food items that you should consume in the St Johns 3 day hospital diet:

1st Day:

Breakfast – A cup of plain black coffee or tea, 1/2 of a grapefruit, 1 slice of toast with nothing on it, and a tablespoonful of peanut butter.

Lunch – A cup of plain black coffee or tea, 1 ounce of cheddar or 1 slice of toast with nothing on it, and 1/2 cup of tuna (plain, packed in water)

Dinner – 3 ounces of lean meat (chicken), 1 cup green beans, 1 cup of carrots, 1 small apple, and – get this now – 1 cup of vanilla ice cream (Delicious!)

2nd Day:

Breakfast – A cup of plain black coffee or tea, 1 egg, 1 slice of toast with nothing on it, and 1/2 a banana

Lunch – A cup of plain black coffee or tea, 1/2 cup of tuna or 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese, and 5 regular saltines.

Dinner – beef hot dogs (sans buns), 1 cup of broccoli, 1/2 cup of carrots or turnip greens, 1/2 banana, and 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

3rd Day:

Breakfast – A cup of plain black coffee or tea, a small apple, 1 ounce of cheddar cheese (sharp or mild does not matter), and 5 regular saltine crackers with nothing on them

Lunch – A cup of plain black coffee or tea, 1 hard-boiled egg, and 1 slice of toast with nothing on it

Dinner – 1 cup plain tuna again, 1 cup cauliflower or 1 cup kidney beans, 1 cup carrots or beets, 1 cup of watermelon or cantaloupe, and 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream.

For those that have been to basically any hospital the food menu looks familiar doesn’t it? Think of it this way, if the hospital is serving it then it must be good for you as they will not serve food to make you even more unhealthy or sick and that is why I am a fan of St Johns 3 day hospital diet and feel safe in taking up such a diet. Trust me it works as I have gone through it. It felt amazing losing 9 pounds in just those 3 days and now with this information hopefully you can feel amazing too. It takes just 3 days! Thanks St Johns hospital diet!

Everyone, whether they are new to fitness, work out on weekends or they are completely dedicated to sports and workouts can benefit and improve performance when they formulate the right combination of sports nutrition actions and supplements. There is plenty of research lending itself to the fact that motivation is a driving reason for success. Along with cognitive performance and perceived exertion they plan a strong role when using nutritional supplements of all kinds and certain foods for an overall dedicated nutrition program.

Why is sports nutrition so important?

Sports nutrition is so very important to a person’s overall health. Research conducted over the last 10 years shows that dedicated nutrition supports and enhances the best athletic performance possible. Also, genetic endowment and a commitment to training are equal in regards to results. Nutrition is utterly important, and various food experiments show that particular foods improve things like endurance, strength and workout recovery.

In a world where everyone wants to improve their athletic performance for the most part, dedicated nutrition means taking advantage of these things. A healthy diet must contain all or some of the following:

• Amino acids
• Electrolytes
• Individual minerals
• Creatine
• Protein
• Carbohydrates

These additions are just some of the nutritional elements or factors that exist in the healthiest of diets. They are important for peak athletic performance and even give to the mental health of those involved in sports of all types. Trust that elite athletes of all kinds and those who want to become elite are hard focused on a dedicated nutrition plan.

Being physically active helps people thrive, and those who partake on a daily basis know more than anyone the benefits associated with that sort of lifestyle. Still, a large population of the public isn’t regularly involved in sports and physical activity. Yet they too can benefit from a dedicated nutrition plan.

Differences Noted

One of the main differences between those who are regularly physically active and those that are more of a sedentary person is that those who are overweight and not active are more depressed. Many don’t know that there are different results for each group after they’ve done some sort of physical activity. Those who do it regularly feel great, while those who don’t suffer fatigue even more. This is why supplements should be included in their diet that will help get them moving and into a routine.

Sedentary people have a lack of conditioning and suffer inflammatory issues after a workout. This often keeps them from following through on further workouts. They need to change their diet to include more anti-inflammatory foods and supplements so they aren’t discouraged.

Final Thoughts

A dedicated nutrition plan is the first step to a successful journey to a more physically fit and better feeling person. They begin to enjoy life, become more active and become overall happier people.

The program of dedicated nutrition should include specific dietary antioxidants as well as magnesium which minimizes exertion and improves mood. Together with a sports nutrition expert and doctor, they can increase muscular strength and relieve depression to live their lives to the fullest. Low doses of creatine has been proven to help as well, as long as the person taking it keeps it under control, as it has up to three times as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

Once diet is under control, a dedicated nutrition plan should include exercise from a brisk walk to a full on workout with weights. The majority of those who don’t complete regular physical activity are dehydrated and suffer declining health in many ways. Thankfully, it’s never too late to get healthy.

In America we are nutrition deficient- we are lacking serious nutrition.

That may come as a shock to many people, but the facts don’t lie. With the fast food restaurants as big as they are as well as processed foods being cheaper and more convenient the consumption of nutrition-inferior foods has skyrocketed. And along with that have come many nutrition related health complications.

Are You Tired All The Time?

A typical American consumes about 50% of their carbohydrates as simple sugars which are added to foods as opposed to sugars that come naturally in fruits and vegetables. The diet in the tropics tended to be based more heavily on plant foods vs animal products and generally speaking people in

the tropics are healthier and have more nutrition than those in a more northerly climate.

Here Are 4 Practical Tips To Boost Your Immune System

Tip #1

Keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a well balanced nutrition based diet. Eat and drink enough of the foods that contain key nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fat and water).

Popular processed foods are just full of unhealthy or non-nutrition ingredients. Whenever possible, eat whole, fresh, raw and (organic if possible) raw unprocessed foods – not the foods in the frozen boxed section of the supermarket. This is definitely an alternative health therapy compared to most people’s eating habits.

Tip #2

Get regular physical activity. This helps tremendously with relieving stress so that you body can absorb the nutrients properly.

Tip #3

Key Food Groups Are Essential – Make Sure You Get Them. The key is to eat a variety of foods including vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products lean meats, poultry, fish, beans and low-fat dairy

products and drink lots of purified water. Go easy on the salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated fat and trans fat.

Tip #4

To See A Noticeable Difference In Your Life Try These

Top 12 Nutrient Rich Foods

o Vegetables (preferably the majority dark leafy)

o Fruits

o Whole grains

o Legumes (beans, lentils etc)

o Soy

o Fish

o Nuts

o Red Wine

o Green Tea

o Yogurt (plain – you can put your own fruit in to sweeten it)

o Olive Oil (cold pressed virgin)

o Flaxseed

Spanish researchers report that a daily serving of green leafy vegetables, rich in flavonoids and vitamins A and C, may cut your risk of lung cancer in half. But don’t think you can just pop a pill and get the same protective benefit.

This May Shock You

In a second study University of Washington scientists found that people taking vitamin supplements were just as likely to develop lung cancer as those not taking vitamins. The key here is the protective effect of the vegetable’s nutrients with their antioxidant contents – that’s really what is critical.

Supplements are fine (I take them too), however, fresh vegetables will do more for your health than any pill you can take.

In summary, eating a wide variety of fresh, whole (unprocessed), foods will do a whole lot more for your health and nutrition compared to monotonous diets based on processed foods.

There’s a lot more to foods than just the nutrition they contain. Some can act as medicines, helping to tame inflammation in the body, or protect cells from DNA damage. Others can act as aphrodisiacs (see number 2 below). Still others can protect your memory.

Superfoods are “super” precisely because they offer more benefits than what you can find on the “nutrition facts” label. Every one on this list qualifies!

1.Blueberries

These amazing berries are on anyone’s list of superfoods. Recent research shows that they’re brain food– feeding blueberries to rats actually slows their age-related mental decline. Blueberries contain pterostilbene, a plant compound recently shown to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Their ORAC value (antioxidant rating) is the highest of any fruit. And blueberries are rich in fiber. Tip: try them frozen. They taste like sherbet!

2.Maca

Based on a long history of traditional use in Peru, maca has recently become known as a “natural Viagra”, and is popular as an aphrodisiac, and for increasing fertility and stamina. (I talked about it in my book ‘The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth” as part of a natural treatment for restoring sexual potency.) But maca’s also a superfood from a nutrition point of view. It’s an important staple for the Andean Indians, has been around since 3800 BC and is rich in sugars, protein, starches and essential minerals, especially iron and iodine. You can buy it as a supplement, or, even better, as a powder which you can add to shakes.

3.Cherries

Cherries are absolutely loaded with anti-inflammatory, antiaging, anticancer compounds that don’t show up on your average nutrition facts label. These include quercetin, a member of the flavonoid family which has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Cherries also contain anthocyanains which act like natural COX-2 inhibitors, reducing pain and inflammation. That’s one reason why they’re so great for gout. My favorite “healthy” desert- frozen cherries mixed with full fat yogurt. Tastes like Cherry Garcia only way better for you.

4.Guava

Among the superfoods of the world, guava is a sleeper. With a taste that’s been described as “part strawberry part pear”, one low-calorie cup of this vitamin rich fruit contains a whopping 8 grams of fiber. And in one widely used nutrition lab test for antioxidant power, guava scored second only to blueberries, and right behind kale. Guava also contains cancer fighting lycopene.

5.Kale

Kale is a member of the brassica family, vegetable royalty that boasts cabbage and broccoli among it’s relatives. It’s simply loaded with nutrition. It’s rich in potent cancer fighting substances called indoles, and loaded with bone-building vitamin K. Kale also contains sulforaphane, a powerful nutrient that helps the liver detoxify carcinogens and other toxins. Kale has the highest antioxidant rating of any vegetable and is ridiculously low in calories. Try it tossed with olive oil, a few dried cranberries and some pine nuts.

6.Sardines

These are the best kept nutrition secret in the world when it comes to health foods and the secret weapon of travelers looking for a cheap, portable, easily available source of protein. Sardines are rich in omega-3 fats, and one of the least contaminated of any seafood since it’s so low on the food chain. Eat them out of the can or throw them on some salad.

7.Coconut oil

This superb oil has been long neglected as a healthy oil because it contains saturated fat. But not to worry: the saturated fat in coconut is a very healthy kind called MCT (medium chain triglyecerides) which is easily burned by the body for energy. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid, a natural anti-viral and anti-microbal. And today’s excellent virgin coconut oil- unlike the inferior products of a few decades ago- doesn’t contain trans fats. Note to skeptics: The Puka Puka islanders consumed 80 % of their diet from coconut products and had virtually no heart disease.

8.Green tea

Here’s a superstar beverage if there ever was one. Green tea helps with weight loss and helps fight against cancer. It contains EGCG, a catechin (plant compound) which stimulates metabolism and has anti-cancer properties to boot. Green tea also contains theanine, a natural relaxant which helps explain why the caffeine in green tea doesn’t make you nearly as jittery as coffee.

9.Flaxseeds

Flaxseed oil is one of the only plant sources of omega-3 fats, but the flaxseeds themselves provide the added nutrition benefit of fiber along with the omega-3’s. Flaxseeds can be thrown on salads, tossed into smoothies, or sprinkled on vegetables. They also contain lignans, a group of plant nutrtients that have been studied by the National Cancer Institute for their cancer preventive properties.

10.Eggs

The protein source against which all others are judged. And for goodness sake, stop with the egg white omlettes. The yolk is loaded with good stuff! Half of the measly 4.5 grams of fat are actually monounsaturated fat, the same heart-healthy fat that’s in olive oil. The yolks are also one of the best sources of lutein, the superstar of eye nutrition. Plus they contain choline, which helps support brain function and help keep harmful homocysteine levels down. Look for the new designer eggs with increased omega-3 content.

11.Pomegranate juice

If you’re wondering if all the hype about pomegranate juice is for real, stop wondering: it is. Animal studies suggest that pomegranate juice combats artherogenesis (hardening of the arteries) as well as other cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. It’s rich in antioxidants and has a higher amount of polyphenols– heart healthy plant compounds– than even red wine. Look for the pure pomegranate juice (not the watered down cocktail). You can always dilute it with water or mix it with other juices.

In the long run, the rules for healthy eating are a lot simpler than you might think: Eat food that your ancestors could have hunted, fished for, gathered or plucked.

If it’s food your grandmother would have recognized as food, it’s probably good for you.

And if it doesn’t have a bar code, so much the better.

Does this story sound familiar to you?

You graduated from nutrition school totally jazzed about building your holistic nutrition practice.  You thought you had all the pieces in place for a successful nutrition business – the counseling program, the website, the business cards, the brochure, and the fire inside to spread your message about holistic health and nutrition.  You’re doing workshops, meeting referral partners, launching events, and coaching clients…you’re working your butt off!  And yet you’re almost dead broke.

I know your story, because I had the same experience!

Until one day I realized….why waste your valuable time and money building your practice using unproven strategies and trial and error, when it’s possible to discover the biggest mistakes – and the most effective strategies – of Holistic Nutrition Professionals who have careers that are already thriving?

I mean, how much money and time could you save if you could analyze, understand and MODEL real-world, profitable holistic nutrition practices?

With this in mind, I interviewed ten top holistic nutrition pros to discover EXACTLY how they built their booming careers.  And I learned that there are three keys to success in holistic nutrition.

1.    Passion

Most holistic nutritionists got into this career because they had a personal experience with nutrition that utterly transformed their own lives. They have a deep, burning conviction in the transformative power of nutrition, and a driving desire to help other people experience that transformation.

2.    Persistence

Would you believe that even Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of the best-selling “Flexitarian Diet” and featured nutritionist in magazines and TV shows all over the country, was turned down over and over again for almost every job she got? Even this brilliant and gifted nutritionist, who has made an indelible mark on the industry, had to push past “NO” a hundred times. 

Kathie Swift, Dr. Mark Hyman’s featured nutritionist in “UltraMetabolism” had to spend years convince top doctors about the benefits of nutrition and functional medicine before she could help create the now world-renowned nutrition and medical programs at Canyon Ranch Spa and Resorts.

These trailblazing holistic nutritionists had a driving passion for their work, and they simply didn’t take “no” for an answer!

3.    Passive Income

There is no doubt about it – the most successful holistic nutritionists are able to go beyond the traditional model of seeing individual clients and being paid by the hour.  These savvy nutrition pros know exactly how to package, price and market their services, so that they have products and services practically selling themselves when they’re asleep, at the gym, or on vacation at the beach!

By leveraging this kind of passive income stream, the top holistic nutrition pros have been able to easily explode their practices into the six-figure mark and beyond.

So what does studying and modeling the careers of successful Holistic Nutrition Pros mean for you?

If you’re someone with a passion for nutrition, who wants to turn that passion into a career…

It means that it IS possible to make a great living while doing you love to do, instead of going to a job everyday that drains you.

If you’re a practicing holistic nutrition pro, but you’re not getting enough clients or making enough money…

This means the difference between getting two clients this month, and getting TEN clients this month.

For both practicing nutrition pros and nutrition-pros-to-be….

This means the potential to add a ZERO onto your currently yearly income…by helping people transform their lives through the power of food.