The Missing Link To Your Health!

TIMING is Everything!

Coming again soon!

Last seminar was 20 August, 2010

Would you like to know what? … and how much? … to eat at the right TIME? of the day to:

* Boost your energy (without the caffine fix)

* Stabilize your moods

* Rev up the metabolism

* Burn fat & build muscle

* Cut the cravings & bingeing

* Sharpen your concentration

* Relieve pain

* Improve your sleep

* Have a good Poo

* Restore your health

Be amazed at the Power of Food at the RIGHT TIME of the day.

COMMENT FROM A HAPPY ATTENDEE

“I have been amazed, at how different I feel, after such a short time and a few basic and easy changes. I can’t believe I have always thought it was going to be too hard. You hit me square between the eyes with common sense. Knowing how much to eat at the right time of the day, has helped me to feel so much better and I am now wearing clothes I haven’t worn for a long time. I don’t get headaches anymore and the fuzzy thinking has gone.Thank you so much. I’ll be back with all my friends”. Susan S.

Coming again soon!

Kids Nutrition – NOURISHING YOUNG BODIES AND BRAINS

Giving young children a varied, balanced diet of whole live foods is the best way to give them the best start in life and contribute to their health in later life. Their mental and physical well being is determined by the quality of foods being provided every day. Whether it is breast milk or solids the nutritional quality is of great importance.

Breast feeding from birth is always the preferred option. Breast milk is made from the foods the mother eats, so it is vital that she understands how to eat in a nourishing balanced way so the quality of milk can provide a great start to life and build a strong immune system.

Many mothers do not understand how to nourish themselves to make high quality breast milk. If the breast milk is lacking nutrients a baby tends to demand feed very often in an attempt to get the required nutrition. This can become very exhausting for the mother who seems to be constantly feeding. If the milk can not provide the right sustenance the mother is often forced to revert to formula feeding in an attempt to settle the baby. Increased protein levels are required during breast feeding and eating a wide range of whole natural foods is essential to make high quality breast milk. Mothers need to avoid the junk foods and drink plenty of clean water.

When a baby is beginning to eat solid foods it is important we do not impose our personal tastes and preferences on children eg adding too much salt, sugar etc. Sometimes we think they will not enjoy food unless it tastes like we like it. This is not true because their taste buds are unadulterated until we start providing foods for them to eat. Children’s taste, pallet and growth process should not be burdened by the packaged and processed convenience foods that contain high sugar, high fat, and artificial additives.

If the taste is influenced by these low nutrition foods at a young age it is often difficult to get children to eat the natural, high nutrition foods. This is because their taste buds have been highly and artificially geared to the excessive taste and flavour of the processed foods.

A little bit of junk occasionally is ok. But children in this day and age have far too much access to the junk foods than ever before. As a result, children are getting fat, have health & learning problems and often display unacceptable behaviour due to the negative chemical balance from too much of the wrong foods.

When introducing solid foods like fruits and vegetables and whole grains they should be lightly steamed or stewed (avoid micro waving) then blended in preference to using processed baby foods. They may be convenient, but no tinned food, can provide the quality of nutrition that freshly prepared foods can give to a growing child. Time invested in fresh food preparation, is the best investment in the health of your child.

FUEL YOUR KIDS UP RIGHT

We and our children are just a walking, living, breathing chemical concoction of air, water and food in human form. These three things are our fuel (energy), our brain & body parts and our life. High quality fuel provides higher energy, growth, brain power, performance, healing power, health and quality of life. Low quality fuel provides the opposite… low energy, low performance and poor quality health.

IS IT LIVE or DEAD…Foods & drinks can be classified for quick reference as LIVE (high quality fuel) or DEAD (low quality fuel).

The most LIVE foods are when they are still growing in the ground or on the tree and still running around the paddock or swimming. The DEAD foods are the most processed ones in a packet or tin. As soon as we pick, pull, pluck or slit its throat, food start to lose its life and energy. The further away from nature (from the ground, tree or paddock) the less life and health potential a food has.

LIVE FOODS are fresh foods like raw fruits and vegetables, legumes & beans, whole grains like brown rice and rolled oats, whole meal & grain bread and pasta, nuts and seeds, fresh eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, dairy products and other unprocessed animal products, essentials oils like olive oil, avocado and coconut oil and clean water.

FACT: LIVE foods help to build strong live brains & bodies, build a strong immune system to defend us from disease and keep us healthy and vital.

You will find the LIVE foods mainly around the sides and back sections of the supermarket in the refrigerated areas.

DEAD FOODS are man made, processed factory foods. If you can’t recognize what tree, plant or animal it came from it is probably nearly or completely Dead. Everything we do to food takes life away from it. By the time it has been heated, flattened, squashed, squeezed, preserved, puffed etc and put in a tin or packet it can be Dead. These foods don’t resemble a living thing and usually have high levels of sugar, fat, white flour, salt and artificial additives, colours, flavours & preservatives. E.g. white bread, pastries and white pasta, cakes, chocolates, biscuits, lollies, ice-cream, margarine, processed meats, takeaways, soft drink, alcohol, cordial, carton drinks, etc.

FACT: You can’t build live healthy brains & body parts or strong immune systems out of DEAD foods. Dead foods can only build low energy, weight problems, organ breakdown, aches & pains, depression, ADHD and other learning & concentration issues, cravings, headaches, allergies, colds & flu, bowel problems etc and the more serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, auto immune problems etc

You will find most Dead foods in the inside isles of the supermarket in tins & packets. The longer the use by date, the more questionable the nutrition and deader the food or drink.

REMEMBER…You can only build LIVE healthy brains, bodies and performance with LIVE food.

APPLYING THE BALANCE OF GOOD HEALTH

By the time children are a year old they can be established on family meals. Breast feeding as long as possible is still a great provider of nutrition and immunity after 1 year old. Solids should not be introduced too early as their digestive system is still developing and not in full functioning order. Allergies and digestive and health issues are often the result of an inability to break down foods properly due to the under developed digestive system.

1. Fruit and Vegetables:

E.g. a wide variety of different coloured fresh & naturally dried fruits and vegetables

Aim for 4+ servings daily. A serving is ¼ to ½ cup of vegetables, a handful of grapes, a piece of fruit etc. Chop fruits & vegetables into bite size pieces.

These are good sources of vitamins and minerals & antioxidants which protect against bugs, sickness and disease and provide essential growth nutrients.

Tinned fruits & vegetables lack nutrition and should not be used in preference to the fresh varieties. They may taste good but they lack goodness. Always use the real thing.

2. Protein:

E.g. lean meat, chicken, fish, milk and dairy group, eggs, beans and pulses

These are good sources of protein and iron. Iron intake of young children has been shown to be generally poor so it is important to encourage these foods at each meal

It is not recommended that children under 5 be given a vegan diet as this can make it difficult for them to get enough iron, calcium, protein and vitamin B12.

E.g. milk, cheese, natural yoghurt

These foods can provide calcium for teeth and bones. Children under 2 years should not be given low fat varieties such as semi-skimmed or skimmed milk as these are an important source of calories and fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A & D. Children over 2 may be given low fat varieties if they are growing well and having a varied whole food diet.

NB Due to the processed nature of some dairy products like milk, they can be common allergy foods. An inability to break them down properly may lead to sinus, mucus, asthma, wind, bloating, skin problems etc. Yoghurt is sometimes easier to tolerate due to the pre digested enzymes and the friendly bacteria they contain. High quality, organic soy milk may provide a more easily digestible alternative. Organic milk or goats milk can also be better tolerated.

3. Carbohydrates…bread, cereals and potatoes etc:

E.g. whole grain breakfast cereals like porridge and pre soaked oats, whole meal bread and crackers, whole meal pasta, brown rice, potatoes etc

Include foods from this group at each meal. These foods are important for growth and activity, a good source of energy for brain function plus vitamins & minerals and important fibres and are filling foods to prevent cravings and hunger.

Avoid white breads, white noodles & processed sugary cereals as they do not provide nutrition for sustained energy and growth, do not contain vitamins & minerals and impact negatively on growth, and brain function and teeth development.

4. Essential Fats & Oils:

E.g. cold pressed or virgin oils e.g. olive & coconut, nuts & seeds, avocado and oily fish

These foods are essential to the brain for calmness, learning and concentration, nerve development, muscle growth and hormone balance. Margarine is not recommended due to its processed nature. Butter (if tolerated) is natural and provides important vitamins.

Use avocado as a great spread on bread, toast and whole meal crackers. Avoid giving whole nuts to children under 5 years because of the risk of choking (grind and blend them into other foods). Avoid nuts and products containing nuts in children with a family history of allergies.

5. Snacks

Small children often need small snacks between meals because they are unable to eat enough calories at mealtimes. Useful snacks include:

• Plain whole meal biscuits & whole meal bread sticks & toast with small amount of natural butter or avocado with natural jam or honey
• Additive free, low sugar yoghurt (do not use artificially sweetened yoghurt due to the 92 side affects of the aspartame sweetener), cheese, whole meal crackers
• Bite size pieces of fruit & vegetable sticks

Avoid giving snacks too close to next meals so that they don’t affect your child’s appetite. Have a set snack & meal time.

6. Fatty, salty and sugary processed foods

It is not good for anyone to have too many processed, junk type foods that are sugary, artificially flavoured and fatty and low in nutrition & fibre. Small amounts of additive free junk foods occasionally (not every day) don’t pose a problem but every day they are contributing to the many health and learning issues of young children.

Sugary foods and drinks cause problems with tooth decay and behaviour and learning issues and should not be used as between meal snacks or drinks.

7. Drinks

By a year old all children should be having drinks from a beaker or cup rather than a bottle. The best drinks to offer young children are water, freshly squeezed juice and milk (if tolerated). Any sugary or acidic drinks such as soft drink and boxed fruit juices should be minimised, if given at all. Given between meals these can contribute to tooth decay and learning and behaviour issues. Giving sugary drinks from a bottle, especially overnight should be avoided.
Tea, coffee and fizzy soft drinks are not suitable for young children.

MEAL EXAMPLES

Use your imagination, have lots of variety and remember, it does not have to be fancy to be good for us.

Breakfast
Bowl of porridge or whole grain breakfast cereal (blend if necessary) with honey or small amount of brown sugar to taste, whole milk and piece of fruit or
Boiled, poached scrambled egg with whole meal toast and butter or avocado or

Blended smoothie with milk, yoghurt, nuts, fruit & honey

Snack
2 whole meal crackers with avocado or cheese or other wholesome topping

Chopped fruits

Lunch
Tuna or chicken or egg or cheese and salad whole meal sandwich
Vegetable sticks
Yoghurt

Snack
Banana or other fruits

Evening meal
Spaghetti bolognaise and salad or grilled fish with potatoes, vegetables and parsley sauce or chicken and vegetable and brown rice, jacket potato and beans or vegetable quiche etc.
Fresh fruit salad or rice pudding or fruit crumble (use whole meal flour or oats for the crumble)

Whether we are a child or adult we need the daily nutritional goodness of live natural foods.

Recommendation

- To address any specific health problems consult a Health Professional who specialises in balanced nutrition.

- Refer to the Powerful Nutrition for Life Hand Outs for guidelines.

- Refer to the many excellent Whole Food Cook Books available through book shops for meal ideas and recipes.

Weight Loss Tips

When it comes to weight loss unfortunately there are no real quick fixes. Don’t be conned by the new shed kilos in day’s diet or the latest pill, potion or fat blaster. At the end of the day it is what you choose to put in your mouth and how often you use your muscles in physical activity that is going to have you feeling full of energy and good about yourself.

It is not only what you eat but when and how much. If you know how to eat the right foods in the right amount at the right time of the day, you will not crave and eat the wrong foods at the wrong time and suffer the consequences.

1. Make clean water your favorite drink. We need a minimum of 8 glasses of water in a day. Avoid drinking juice, soft drinks or carbonated beverages.
2. First, start with the big picture. Write down your goals and be specific and realistic. ½ to 1kg per week is safe and permanent. What do you want to change? Where do you want to be a year from now? Give yourself time.
3. Focus on the details. Every day we make dozens of tiny decisions that can spell the difference between whether we lose weight or gain. Do you pick the muesli for breakfast or the chocolate muffin? Do you spend twenty minutes on the couch or twenty minutes on a brisk walk? Small changes can add up to huge results.
4. Start exercising - no matter what your fitness level just get started. When you start you might only be able to manage a shuffle to the end of the street, but gradually built up to the whole block. Then get moving in your favorite exercise or activity a minimum of 5 days per week for 45 minutes or more. The more regularly you workout the quicker you will shed the stored fat. Don’t compare yourself to others, just work within your limits and take it slow and steady and be consistent.
5. Eat more vegetables during meals as water-rich foods like zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers reduce your overall calorie consumption. Some other water-rich foods include soups and salads; they are good source of nutrition.
6. Eat breakfast. A wholesome breakfast sets you up for the day. With a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and good oils you will feel satisfied and determined to stay on track all day. Something like porridge/oatmeal/muesli, livened up with grated apple and cinnamon, or chopped banana with yoghurt and milk or soy is a tasty and nourishing way to start the day. If you are not into cereals try 2 eggs with 2 whole meal toasts or a smoothie with milk, yoghurt, fruit etc.
7. Eat fruit rather than drinking fruit juice. Eating whole foods will keep you satisfied for longer period of time than juice. Moreover, fruit juices are very high in calories.
8. Don’t stuff yourself with food in a single sitting; instead have 5 to 6 small meals or snacks in a day. Eating several small meals helps the body to release less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps to control hunger.
9. Avoid taking white foods as they contain large amounts of carbohydrates, which may further lead to weight gain. Replace white sugar, white rice, and white flour with whole grain breads and brown rice.
10. Take a walk before dinner and it’ll not only burn calories, but also cut down your appetite.
11. After every two hours, get up and walk around the office or your home for five minutes. A brisk five-minute walk after every two hours will you’re your body active.
12. Be kind to yourself and your body. You don’t have to look in the mirror and chant, “I love me! I am beautiful!” but at the same time yelling at your thighs won’t encourage your weight loss efforts. It is important to consider the emotional issues that may be contributing to your weight. Reading self help books, doing self development courses etc to help deal with past hurts, disappointments or experiences can help to bring your thoughts into a much more positive frame. Self sabotage through binge eating when emotionally challenged needs to be handled.
13. Make your treats irregular and miniature. Instead of banning dessert, choose smaller portions. Fresh fruits are always are great way to cleanse the palette and satisfy the desire for something sweet in between or after a meal.
14. Do resistance training or lift weights. It won’t make you bigger – it’ll make you more toned and strong! The more muscle you have the faster you burn through food and fat and the faster the metabolism. If you’re worried about loose skin, resistance training is the best thing you can do to tone your body as you lose weight.
15. Planning is crucial. Every weekend take ten minutes to plan our meals for the coming week. Choose from tried and true recipes, so it’s quicker to cook than phone for a takeaway. Meals don’t have to be fancy but they do need to be tasty and wholesome.
16. Buy your groceries online. It saves time and you’re not tempted by all the sights and smells of the supermarket. Or tortured by your screaming children.
17. Feel your emotions, don’t feed them. In times of stress it’s tempting to bury your feelings in cake – better to feel bad about binging than tackle the real issue! But try to find non-edible ways of coping –head for a box ercise class or some other aerobic class or activity that helps you let off steam and release the stored tension..
18. Go Greek. If you’re a cream or sour cream fiend, low fat Greek yoghurt is an excellent substitute. Being low in fat, protein-rich and incredibly creamy it is great with fruits or on a jacket potatoe with a sprinkle of sea salt and ground pepper. Dob onto a bowl of chilli or curry. Swirl into butternut soup.
19. Skip watching TV for an hour and go for a walk instead. Or else, you have now time to finish your domestic chores.
20. The best exercise is the one you enjoy. So what if your best friend swears by aerobics at dawn? If you’re a shift worker or just plain grumpy in the morning, this will never suit you. Choose an exercise you like and do it when it’s most convenient for you – this way you’ll stick with it.
21. Stock your office pantry. It’s much easier to ignore the vending machine when I’ve got half an orchard sitting on my desk and a drawer full of oatcakes, nuts and seeds.
22. Have a cuppa. When hunger strikes and it’s not meal time, you can make a cup of tea. This can give you time to figure out if you are really hungry or you are just thirsty or just bored or cranky or upset. Herbal tea is great.
23. Have a moan. Losing weight can be challenging, but you don’t have to feel alone in the struggle. Start your own blog, sign up for a message board, or join a weight loss group, buddy up with a friend to keep motivated and on track.
24. Put the scales in perspective. Don’t fret over small fluctuations – focus on all the healthy things you’ve been doing for your body. Get out the tape measure or have a pair of “measurement jeans”, so you’re not dependent on the scales for feedback. Don’t get on them everyday as they can be a nightmare. Building the muscle and shape through exercise may mean the scales don’t move for a while. Muscle weights 2-3 times more than fat, but occupies 60% less space. You can put on a little bit of muscle (which is essential for weight loss) and lose a big bit of fat and the scales may not show it. It is fat loss not weight loss that counts. Your measurements and how your clothes fit is the best guide to success.
25. Be adaptable. Make your weight loss plans fit around your life, not the other way around. Sometimes circumstances will change – a new job, a family crisis, moving house – and suddenly your usual routine doesn’t work. The trick is to be flexible and know when it’s time to tweak your methods.
26. Set a non-scale goal. Why not train for a special event like a charity walk or ride or challenge yourself to do 10 push ups or 20 lunges or 20 sit-ups or extra time a the gym or an extra 5 minutes a day of walking? Focusing on fitness means you don’t fret about the numbers so much. And all those endorphins make you feel less inclined to go on a chocolate bender.
27. Accept that sometimes it’s going to suck. Despite your best intentions, there will be days when you fall into a bag of crisps. But long-term success is about persistence, not perfection. It’s picking yourself up when you fall, over and over again. Just keep going and get back on track.
28. Don’t wait to be “skinny” to start living your life. If you have dreams of traveling or learning to scuba dive, don’t think you need a smaller bum before you deserve them. Your life is happening right now – so forget about your wobbly bits and jump right in!
29. Use vegetables to make hefty meals. Like pasta salad loaded with vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes can be eaten twice. Same applies for stir-fries; add vegetables to make a fluffier omelet.
30. Take most of the calories in the first half of the day because studies tell that the more you eat in the morning, the less you’ll eat in the evening. Moreover, you will get more chances to burn off those early-day calories than late-night calories.
31. Order alcohol by the glass, not the bottle. This way, you’ll be more aware of how much alcohol you’re in taking. Alcohol is high in calories.
32. Stock your refrigerator with low-fat yogurt. Cut down 500 calories a day from your diet and eat yogurt three times a day for 12 weeks. It will help you lose more weight and body fat.

EXERCISE & NUTRITION

FREE RADICAL DAMAGE…ANTIOXIDANT PROTECTION

THE ROLE OF “WHOLE FOOD” NUTRITION

Exercise is an essential part of maintaining good health and performance.

A diet containing “Whole Foods”, in particular fresh, raw fruits & vegetables, is essential to support an exercise programme and to achieve optimal results.

Nutrition is 80 % of the Health equation. It contributes the building blocks & fuel to support the Exercise.

Exercise is 20 % of the health equation and contributes the physical activity that delivers and utalises the nutrition & oxygen to stimulate the body to strengthen, perform & sustain health.

“Although it’s very beneficial, exercise does produce Free Radicals (oxidative stress),” says Jennifer Sacheck, PhD, cell biologist at Harvard Medical School and a researcher on exercise induced oxidative stress. “And if there’s any damage to muscles, inflammation also produces Free Radicals. Antioxidants are the bodies defence system against Free Radical damage”

FREE RADICALS

Free Radicals are highly reactive, unstable atoms or molecules.

Science shows that Free Radicals are directly linked to over 60 diseases and the ageing process.

They damage cell membranes, alter and destroy DNA, reduce the immune system, accelerate ageing and cause cell death.

ANTIOXIDANTS

Antioxidants are Free Radical scavengers. They are an important group of vitamins, minerals & enzymes that protect the body by destroying or neutralising the Free Radicals.

“As we exercise and age, the body produces more Free Radicals and fewer natural Antioxidants to fight them. You’d have to eat two heads of spinach a day to get enough vitamin E to be protective.

Whole Food” fresh, raw fruits and vegetables are the key source of natural Antioxidants — especially as you get older and if you exercise.”

EXERCISE & OXYGEN

Increased Oxygen intake during exercise leads to increased oxidation (Free Radical production and damage). This makes the body more vulnerable to damage, fatigue, inflammation, muscle soreness, slow recovery, injury and disease. Antioxidants prevent this Free Radical Damage.

DAMAGE & FATIGUE

Free Radical attack on a muscle. Ligament, cartage, bone etc will cause damage, fatigue and inhibit performance.

INFLAMMATION

Free Radicals create inflammation and are greatest twenty-four hours after a strenuous exercise session. This results in slow recovery.

Antioxidants play a major role in preventing the damage and inflammation and assist in a quicker recovery.

ANTIOXIDANT

Antioxidant means “against oxidation.”

Antioxidants are manufactured within the body from the food we eat.

The key source of “Whole Food” Antioxidants is Fresh, Raw Fruits & Vegetables, legumes, seeds and nuts and good quality essential fatty acids.

“WHOLE FOOD”

Science shows that the 1000’s of vitamin and minerals and Antioxidants from “whole food” fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, or “Whole Food” concentrates are safer and far more effective than isolated, synthetic, man made supplements.

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION recommends we eat a minimum of 5 – 9+

Cups of Varied, Quality Fresh, Raw, Fruits & Vegetables every day (more if

training hard) to provide Antioxidant, Free Radical Protection, prevent disease,

boost the immune system and slow the effects of ageing.

This high level of fruit and vegetables consumption is very difficult for most people to achieve.

Soil depletion, chemicals and pesticides, gassing, cold storage and over processing is impacting on our food quality. Plus we are often too busy and too tired to eat them, we don’t really like some of them, we only eat our favourites and we can’t get the variety all year round.

“WHOLE FOOD” Concentrated forms of Nutrition can help to solve this problem.

REFERENCES

1. Acworth, I.N., and B. Bailey. Reactive Oxygen Species. In: The handbook of oxidative metabolism. Massachusetts: ESA Inc., 1997, p. 1-1 to 4-4.
2. Alessio, H.M., and E.R. Blasi. Physical activity as a natural antioxidant booster and its effect on a healthy lifestyle. Res. Q. Exerc. Sport. 68 (4): 292-302, 1997. [Abstract]
3. Clarkson P. M. Antioxidants and physical performance. Crit.Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 35: 131-141, 1995. [Abstract]
4. Dekkers, J. C., L. J. P. van Doornen, and Han C. G. Kemper. The Role of Antioxidant Vitamins and Enzymes in the Prevention of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage. Sports Med 21: 213-238, 1996. [Abstract

The Powerful Relationship between Nutrition, Mental Health and Depression

If you are feeling stressed, tired and lethargic, uninspired, moody, scrambled, irritable, anxious, depressed (on or off medication) or mentally challenged in any way, it is time to review the foundation of mental health: your nutrition.

More than 1 in 6 people suffer from mental health challenges and depression? Depression is expected to be the second leading cause of disability for people of all ages by 2020. About 66 percent of all suicides are caused by this depressive disorder.

Depression is not simply “the blues” or a “bad hair day”. Depression is a whole-body illness—it involves the body, nervous system, moods, thoughts, and behaviour. It affects the way we eat and sleep, the way we feel about ourselves, and the way we react to and think about the people and things around us.

Symptoms of depression include fatigue, sleep disturbances (either insomnia or excessive sleeping), changes in appetite, headaches, backaches, digestive disorders, restlessness, irritability, mood swings, quickness to anger, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies, and feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy.

Depression may be triggered by tension, stress, a traumatic life event, nutritional deficiencies, poor diet, the consumption of sugar and fat, lack of exercise, chemical imbalances in the brain, thyroid disorders, upset stomach, headache, any serious physical disorder, or allergies. One of the most common causes of depression is food allergies. Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) is another common cause of depression.

Life will always present us with many emotional challenges. We just need to understand how we can stay mentally and physically strong and survive them. Nutrition plays a foundational and powerful role in this regard.

Our quality of mental and physical health is an “Inside Story” and is nutrition based. We must understand how to nourish ourselves every day at a cellular level to help stabilise mental health issues.

Most people know “What” to do…drink water, eat fruits and veggies, cut out sugar, fat and junk food, exercise and relax etc But when it comes to the “why” should we do this and “how” to put it all together for their age, health issue and activity level etc, that is where they struggle.

The key is knowing how to put the right foods in, at the right time of the day, in the right amounts. It is the “how” and the “why” that makes the real difference to mental and physical health.

Through out her presentations Helen Frost presents the positive nutritional and lifestyle strategies that can help to lift the “dark cloud” on mental health issues and depression.

You will learn…

* Which liquid has the highest brain energy conducting power?

* How much protein you need each meal to help to stabilise brain chemicals,

sugar and mood levels?

* Which essential fats and oils help regulate moods and improve mental clarity?

* The role carbohydrates play in boosting brain function?

* How coffee, tea, soft drinks, diet foods, sugar, salt, fat, additives and processed

foods negatively affect the chemical balance of the brain?

* The damage that the free radicals from our diet and lifestyle do to brain cells?

* What happens to your brain and body if you don’t have good nutrition?

Acidity and Ageing: You Are What You Eat

A newborn baby is an alkaline little being. The baby’s body tissue is clean and fresh – the smell of an infant confirms that. As time goes by the cells in the baby’s body become more acid and start to show their age. The tissues, bones and every part of the baby’s body slowly become more acidic, and lose their newborn perfection. The body of an aged and sick person is highly polluted with toxic acid waste, both within the cells, and outside the cells in all organs, tissues, bones and fluids. You can smell them.

The buildup of acid body toxins is a characteristic of ageing: your cells produce waste products, your digestive system produces waste products and the environment leaches toxins into your body. Your health and ageing reflects how completely you are able to get rid of all these toxins, and what level remains in your cells and tissues. The process of ageing starts from the beginning of life, and takes place even if there is no pollution in your food or environment.

Even in a perfect world, the baby’s body still produces waste products that must be eliminated. For example, food, metabolism and the production of energy all produce waste products. If you can keep your skin and other organs, glands, muscles and all other body tissues at the same level of alkalinity they were when you were a child, you will not age. When a woman becomes pregnant, her fetus gets priority in the allocation of her alkaline salts. Particularly while she is sleeping, there can be a rapid reduction in the level of her alkaline minerals, and her blood can become slightly more acid. She can feel awful – this is called morning sickness.

Many other aspects of life add to the toxic load on your body. Stress creates enormous levels of toxins, pollution in all its forms adds to the load, as does smoking, alcohol, tea, coffee, medications, drugs (both recreational and pharmaceutical).Initial signs of body tissue acidity include:

? skin problems such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and hives

? bad breath and a white coated tongue

? anxiety, depression, agitation, panic attacks, dizziness, headaches

? feeling tired, needing excessive sleep, weakness, low energy or hyperactivity

? general aches and pains, muscular and joint pains

? a feeling of nausea and malaise

? premenstrual or menstrual cramping

? loss of libido

? diarrhoea or constipation, heartburn, bloating, strong smelling or dark coloured urine

? rapid or irregular heartbeat, poor circulation and cold hands and feet, shortness of breath

? food and chemical allergiesAdvanced or long-term signs of body tissue acidity include:

? osteoporosis

? cancers

? heart and circulatory disease

? poor immunity resulting in fungal and bacterial infections

? baldness

? diabetes

? arthritis, gout, kidney diseases and stones in the liver or gall bladder

? chronic digestive problems

? eye diseases

? allergies and asthma

? severe mental disturbances, multiple sclerosis, migraines

A proven way of slowing ageing is to reduce the amount of food you eat. If you eat less food the total amount of toxins from your food will be lower as there is less excess food to be processed, stored and eliminated. You can correct body acidity (intra and extra cellular toxic acid waste) by eating a primarily alkaline diet, drinking alkaline water, and by following other alkaline forming life changes such as exercise, deep breathing, relaxation, meditation, and having an accepting, playful, thankful and positive attitude to life.

MEASURING YOUR BODY ACIDITY (PH)

It is difficult to measure the pH of most body tissues without taking a biopsy. If you look at a piece of aged, acid tissue under a microscope, you will see clumps of toxic fat, un-discarded metabolic wastes, brown pigments called lipofuscin, streaks of fibre and other degeneration. Ideally, your urine and saliva should have a pH of 6.4. Their pH can vary by the hour, depending on what you have just eaten, your general level of health, and previous buildups of acidity.

The pH of your urine, saliva and blood are not a good indicator of the acidity of your body’s tissues and their cells. pH (potential hydrogen) is a measure of acidity or alkalinity. Your body tissues, and in particular your blood, require a precise pH level for good health. If your blood varies even slightly from its normal pH level, you will rapidly become ill. Long-term acidity will result in a variety of degenerative diseases or even death.

FOODS

It is necessary to eat at least some acid-forming foods; in any case, it is virtually impossible to avoid all of them. The point to bear in mind is the net effect of your diet and lifestyle. If you live a busy, stressed life in a polluted city in a warm to hot climate, then a strongly alkaline-forming diet is essential to combat all these acid effects. If you eat a very acid food, you can counter its effect by eating a strongly alkaline food. For example, if you have some beef, cheese, eggs or refined bread, the acid can be neutralized with fresh vegetables.

You don’t necessarily have to eat the acid or alkaline foods together in the same meal. You can offset an acid meal hours later, after it has been digested, with a melon. If a meal consists of 10% concentrated protein and 90% vegetables, then overall it will be neutral to slightly alkaline. The most alkaline-forming food is enzyme rich and in its natural state. It is fresh, organic, raw, wild and ripe.

Conversely, your food will be more acid-forming if it is:

? cooked (especially fried or deep-fried). Burned or browned food is highly acid-forming, especially toasted crispy cheese

? preserved, canned, smoked or dried

? sweetened

? grown with chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers)

? old, rather than fresh

? refined or finely milled, with husks, kernels or other nutritious parts removed e.g. white flour and bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes and pastries etc

? unripe, especially if it was unripe when it was picked

? frozen

? contains manufactured chemicals such as preservatives, stabilizers, flavours enhancers, colours or emulsifiers

ACID / ALKALINE FORMING FOODS

VERY ALKALINE

- Raw, Fresh, Wild/Organic, Ripe picked.

The most alkalizing are lemons and melons, followed by dates, figs, limes, mangoes and pawpaw/papaya. The only acid-forming fruits are tomatoes, pomegranates, cranberries, plums and prunes.

- Slow-squeezed fresh fruit, vegetable and herb juices. Commercially produced bottled juices bought in the supermarket are acid-forming.

- Raw vegetables (except potato), seaweeds. The best are asparagus, parsley, all kinds of seaweed and watercress. Potatoes are acid-forming, but much less so when eaten with their skins.

SLIGHTLY ALKALINE

- Fresh herbs

- Raw fruit

- Beans, grains and seed- sprouted. Dried beans are mildly acid forming, but after they are sprouted, they are mildly alkaline-forming. Fresh beans and peas are alkaline- forming, especially if they are green.

- Dried herbs, herbal teas

- Lightly cooked vegetables

- Raw nuts. Almonds are slightly alkaline-forming, but all other nuts are acid-forming. Roasting them makes them more acid, and harder to digest. Soaking nuts for a few hours makes them more alkaline-forming

- Fresh spices -Most spices (especially ginger) are slightly alkaline-forming

- the fresher they are the better.

- Honey, natural fruit sugars

- Natural sugars, such as brown rice syrup, honey and dried sugar cane juice are slightly alkaline-forming. Any form of processing makes them acid-forming.

NEUTRAL

- Vegetable oils. Vegetable oils are all neutral, with olive oil being slightly alkaline-forming. Fresh cold pressed seed oils that have never been heated are slightly alkaline.

- Soybean products- soy milk, tofu, soy cheese. The fermented soy products miso and tamari are alkaline- forming, but soy sauce is acid.

- Boiled beans

- Roasted nuts

- Apple cider or brown rice vinegar is slightly alkaline-forming and is a good digestive aid.

SLIGHTLY ACID

- Whole grains, raw seeds, brown rice

- Grains and seeds are acid forming, with the exception of amaranth, millet and quinoa, which are neutral. When they are sprouted, they all become alkaline-forming. Bleached, refined white flours, and fluffy short grain white rice are extremely acid forming. Arrowroot flour is a good alkaline-forming substitute for other flours and thickeners.

- Wholegrain breads, whole cereals, heavy pasta

- Fish and shellfish. All meat fish and poultry is very acid forming. Of these, fish and shellfish are the least acid, followed by organic or wild birds and small animals.

- Poultry

MORE ACID

- Butter, cheese, cream, milk, eggs

- Fine wine, hand made beers

- Tea, coffee

- Supermarket bottled fruit juices – reconstituted

- Refined breads, cakes, biscuits, white rice, light pasta, potato

- all grains in the form of breads, cereals and pastas are very acid-forming. Wheat is the worst. If the grains have been sprouted before cooking, or are whole and unrefined, this reduces their acidity.

- Salt (refined), white vinegar, tomato sauce, supermarket mayonnaise

- White household vinegar is strongly acid-forming and should be avoided.

- Red meat

- White sugar, artificial sweeteners, drugs, cheap alcoholic drinks. White table sugar is very acid, a poison if taken in quantity. Artificial sweeteners are much worse – stay away from them! The most acid alcoholic drinks are the cheap, strong, mass produced spirits, beers and wines. Fine wines, beers and brews hand made with organic ingredients are better, but still very acid-forming.

- Soft drinks, both sugared and diet.

- Sports drinks

- Caffeinated or carbonated soft drinks (sodas) are the worst of all. They contain sugars or artificial sweeteners in concentration, phosphoric acid and a variety of other toxic chemicals. They leave a complex acid waste after being ‘digested’, and rob your body of oxygen. A typical glass of cola has a highly acid pH of 2.5.

VERY ACID

-Cooked, unripe, sweetened, preserved, canned, frozen, smoked, dried.

-Grown with, or contains any kind of manufactured chemicals colours, flavours, preservatives etc

-Old, Refined, Burned, Deep-fried, Browned

OTHER FACTORS

Your mental state and emotions have an important effect on your body’s acidity or alkalinity. You are an electrochemical, energy based being. Stress and strong, particularly negative, emotions increase your body’s acidity, and the acidity of your urine. A physical trauma or injury or an accident are very acid producing, as are emotional loss, conflict and excessive burdens.

Mental stress can be more damaging than physical stress, because there is no rest from it. The ongoing stress creates severe body acidity, which makes you feel even worse, and further adds to the stress. It is a vicious cycle which can be broken by rest, meditation, an alkaline diet, and drinking alkaline water.

If you live in a cold climate, you need more warming, yang, acid foods, according to the Taoists. In contrast, if you live in a hot climate take special care to eat an alkaline diet. The same applies to the foods you eat in winter and summer, especially if there is a wide variation in temperature.

Eating light salads and dates on a hot day is a good idea. Most fresh fruits and vegetables, and sprouted beans and grains are yin, cooling and alkaline-forming. Strong sunlight is acid-forming, and you should take care to avoid excessive exposure. Living or working in a central city is very acid-forming, mainly because of the vehicle exhaust, noise and electrical pollution. Tobacco products are acid-forming, as are virtually all prescription drugs and over the counter medicines. Smoking or exposure to a smoky atmosphere robs your body of oxygen, lowering its pH.

These factors add to the toxic acid-forming load that decreases our energy, ages our bodies, and eventually causes a range of degenerative diseases. Getting obsessively serious about following the rules is the worst thing you can do. Relax and enjoy your life. If you make time for your health, you will gain many additional youthful years.

If you have no time to spare, your ill health will take that time.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

When you wake up your body needs replenishing with a healthy breakfast (‘break’ the ‘fast’). Eating nourishing food in the morning ensures that your blood sugar remains stable. Studies show that overweight and obese people often skip breakfast, but if you starve yourself in the morning, you are more likely to make bad food choices or binge-eat.

A healthy breakfast energizes your mind and body, keeps your moods stable and helps you focus on your daily tasks, whether you’re at school, playing sport or working.

Eggs are a popular high-protein breakfast food. One egg contains two thirds of the body’s daily recommended fat intake, of which half are good fats or low density lipoproteins. The dietary cholesterol in an egg only has a small effect on blood cholesterol levels, so it’s safe for healthy people to eat an egg every day. Chicken eggs are a great source of protein, most vitamins and especially vitamin B12. Most nutrition comes from the yolk while the proteins are found in the whites.

There are many healthy ways to prepare eggs: poached, boiled, scrambled or in an omelette. This delicious vegie-filled omelette serves one person. For two people, just double the ingredients (and use a bigger frypan).

One-Person Vegie Omelette

Ingredients
½ medium zucchini, grated
2 medium mushrooms. sliced
2 small cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 medium eggs
50 ml water
Olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Place the egg in a small bowl and beat with a fork.
2. Use a small non-stick fry pan with a smear of oil. Add the prepared vegetables and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat until they have softened.
3. Pour in the beaten egg. As it cooks, use a spatula to loosen the cooked egg at the edge of the fry pan to allow uncooked egg to run underneath. Repeat until all the egg is cooked.
To Serve: Add two slices of whole meal or wholegrain bread for a well rounded, filling and nutritional start to your day.

The “Gift of Life”

I’d like to thank you personally for the fantastic presentation on POWERFUL NUTRITION at our school last week. In my sixteen years of teaching, of all the Mothers day presents, Fathers day gifts, Christmas goodies, portfolios etc, that I have given to the parents, I have never received so many thank yous from the parents. Certainly changing attitudes in young children begins with the parents. I can already see changes being made in the children’s lunch boxes.

I think your presentation should be renamed to the “Gift of Life’. Anyone who is prepared to make important changes based on realistic and easy to understand information will be given that – an extended happier & healthier life.

Shelly Coleman, Coogee Primary School

‘I have lost 9kg’

All I can say is WOW!!!!  Thank you for being so sensibly normal about diet/lifestyle.

The first seminar I was attending to support my wife. Here we go another person telling people about some fad diet” Well I was very wrong. Let me tell you a little bit about me.

I am 49 years old 6ft tall with high blood pressure. I have a very physical job & am very active. I was one of those people who could eat almost anything & not gain weight, but that has changed in the last 8 or so years. So I was watching what I ate but my weight was slowly going up not drastically but it was bothering me and I was losing my strength. I was looking around at other 40 something guys with massive bellies & thinking I don’t want to look like that.

I came home from your seminar, my wife & I went through the pantry & threw stuff in the bin. We made the changes. I have lost 9kg I have more energy, am stronger & I feel fantastic. Thank you, keep up the great work.

Philip Kilgallon

‘I feel less cloudy’

Thanks for a really interesting and powerful talk a couple of weeks ago. While I always had a concept of what is ‘healthy’, learning the actual amount of what we need to eat (fruit, veg, protein etc) was really beneficial. Since your seminar we’ve aimed to implement your plan of how much we should be eating and when, how much protein we should be eating and when, and making breakfast our largest meal of the day (and dinner the smallest).

Even these simple changes have had a huge impact on how I’m feeling. I feel like I have more energy, and I feel less ‘cloudy’ I suppose, it’s hard to describe. Our running training has been noticeably easier, and in only a week I’ve lost a kilo without trying.
We had a long weekend in Sydney recently which involved a lot of eating out and a birthday party, and we didn’t get nearly enough veg in, had too much booze and I’ve been feeling sluggish ever since. So I’ve been reminded how I used to feel most of the time.
I found that thinking about what I need to eat, rather than what I need to avoid has been good too. It’s not a mental state of deprivation, it’s one of abundance, and it’s great to be excited about wanting to eat what is going to make me feel energised and good.

To put things in perspective – I am very much a devotee of hot chips and a glass (or three) of wine, so I’m not by any means a health extremist. But now I just don’t want to eat all that other stuff – it’s weird, in all the years I’ve spent reading about nutrition and weight loss, I’ve never felt so compelled so easily to follow something. Not only do I carry in my head ‘live food and dead food’ all the time now, I am very much reminded of why we should be eating this way, and have tangible results that tell me my body is happier for it.

Emma

Freelance journalist and copywriter

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