Our modern, western diet has become one of highly chemicalized, fractioned, fake
products loosely referred to as "food."  Starting back in the latter part of the
nineteenth century with grains, the multi-billion dollar processed food industry has
grown to become what many holistically-minded individuals consider to the real reason
for so many modern, chronic diseases up to and including that dreaded "C" word, cancer.

The main thing to remember here is to eat REAL FOOD. And yes, the title of my upcoming
book is The Real Food Diet. Real food means the whole, unadulterated, toxin-free food
items upon which our species evolved and which, according to Dr. Schwarzbein, can be
hunted, fished, dug, plucked or milked. Real food is nourishing to the point where
Hippocrates stated thousands of years ago: "Let thy food by thy medicine and thy
medicine, thy food." It's that simple.

In the 1930's, researcher and dentist Dr. Weston Price travelled the globe searching out
traditional peoples and diets. He found those who kept to their traditional diets were far
healthier, with better bone and dental occlusion, than those individuals who forsook
traditional diets for new-fangled Western diets consisting mainly of highly processed,
sugary foods. The SAD (Standard American Diet) resulted in serious malocclusion and facial
defomities. His book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, is still considered seminal
within the holistic nutritional field. Mary Enig, PhD, a leading authority on fats, and Sally
Fallon co-authored an equally seminal book, Nourishing Traditions (for author's interview:
www.mercola.com/2003/mar/12/sally_fallon.htm), plus founded the Weston Price
foundation. Their website, www.westonaprice.org, contains a plethora of valuable
information. It is my personal belief that the Factor X of which Dr. Price spoke so highly, is
none other than newly discovered Omega 3 fatty acid.

Aside from being produced chemically and frequently genetically modified especially in the
cases of soy and corn, most modern food items have little to do with reality but have been
further chemicalized, devitalized and fractionated until there is little to no resemblance to
Real Food whatsoever. Of course most young people today may never have even had Real
Food in their lives but be familiar only with the Standard American Diet which is indeed SAD.

It is always wise to take into consideration age, gender, activity-level and even ethnic
background when deciding which Real Foods are best for you as an individual, but in
general, work your personalized diet plan around these considerations which are a very
slimmed down version of Chapter Two, Book Three of Living Energetically.


Foods to eat . . .

  • WATER - Far too many people are simply dehydrated, not ill or dehydrated, not
    hungry. Our natural metabolic processes alone require a minimum of 8-10 8-oz.
    glasses of pure water per day to function optimally. Some of this fluid may come from
    fruits, vegetables, soups, etc., but other fluids such as coffee and tea can be diuretic
    and actually increase our need for pure water. Pop, electrolyte drinks,and energy
    drinks are all highly acidic and chemicalized. Popular fruit drinks are the same but even
    freshly squeezed fruit juice is deleterious to the pancreas and can contribute to both
    obesity and diabetes. Pure water is it! For those used to taste in their water, pop an
    organic/herbal tea bag (like Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger) into your water jug or
    add the juice of one lemon. For more information on the necessity of water, visit www.
    watercure.com. And for awareness on what the addition of fluoride to our water
    supply can do, visit www.fluoridealert.org. For a good, portable water filter that
    removes everything including fluoride, visit www.waterwise-distillers.com. If you prefer
    a full, under-sink system, check out the RioFlow Complete 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis
    System, http://h2odistributors.com/usro5-100-qc-38.asp. Be sure to "re-energize all
    distilled water either with Reiki (or other energetic means) or with Dynamite's Catalyst
    Water and add bio-available minerals with Elixir.

  • GO ORGANIC - The organic (or bio-dynamic and/or sustainable) aspect is very
    important. Not only will you avoid loads of nasty toxins, but studies are showing that
    organically grown produce (the ONLY kind available until the twentieth century!)
    contains far more nutrients than their agri-business counterparts, www.ota.
    com/organic/benefits/nutrition.html. However, do be aware of some of the big box
    "organic" foods available in chain stores. Frequently these can be quite marginal and
    are still shipped long distances thus decreasing their nutritional value while increasing
    their carbon footprint. Even if a food is labeled "organic", if it does not look healthy
    and glowing, walk right past it!
           If you do not or cannot grow your own organic produce, search for local CSA
    (Community Supported Agriculture - http://www.greenpeople.org/csa.htm) organic
    and/or bio-dynamic farms near you. These generally work on shares whereby a
    client/customer pays an annual fee (share) and then is enabled to purchase farm-
    fresh produce, frequently much of it is heirloom, at pick-up sites throughout the
    growing season; a few may offer home delivery for an additional fee.
          Many individuals have also found their local Farmers' Markets supply an excellent
    source of local, organic produce, as can some health food stores.
          If you are unable to find local sources, consider these national websites or search
    out your own: www.boxedgreens.com, www.farmfreshtoyou.com, or www.
    diamondorganics.com.
            
  • GO ALKALINE - A study reported on by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
    (March 2002) concluded that "a mild, systemic metabolic alkalosis, which results
    from a chronic net base-producing diet, is the natural and optimal state of humans."
    Many holistic practitioners believe that a diet consisting of 80% produce (alkaline or
    base) to 20% other (acid: most grains, legumes, nuts/seeds, animal products, etc.)
    provides the best pH or alkaline to acid ratio. However, it is my experience that each
    individual needs to come to their own balance which means for some, the ratio may be
    closer to 60:40.
           Regardle/ss, plenty of good, organic produce is essential for all to help maintain
    appropriate alkaline pH balance which is critical for bone health. One of the main ways
    in which the body buffers acid-forming foods is to take calcium from your bones and
    use it to neutralize the remnants of acid-forming foods. If your body is repeatedly
    forced to do this, your bones may be weakened.
            Most important is to avoid modern "foods" that are the highest contributors to
    the rampant osteoporosis this country is experiencing are the highly acidic:
  • Artificial sweeteners
  • Soft drinks (pop)
  • Sugar
  • Cookies, cakes, and pastries made with white flour
  • Table salt (bleached white salt)
  • Alcohol
  • Coffee

  • GO RAINBOW - A simple way of obtaining the widest variety of nutrients (including
    phytochemicals which help build collagen for healthy bones and glowing skin),
    alkalising your body, and enjoying your minimum of seven servings of produce per
    day is to eat a rainbow. Choose a minimum of one fruit or vegetable from each of the
    seven color groupings:
  • Red - Lycopene, phytoene & phytofluene              Beets, raddichio, radishes, red
    lettuce, red onions, red peppers, tomatoes (fresh, dried, canned) - blood
    oranges, cherries, cranberries, pink/red grapefruit, persimmons, pomegranates,
    raspberries, red apples, rhubarb, strawberries, watermelon - red chili peppers,
    paprika
  • Orange - Cryptoxanthin, alpha- & beta-carotene   Carrots, fresh yellow corn,
    pumpkins, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, yellow/orange peppers, yellow squash,
    yellow/orange tomatoes - apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, mangoes, papaya,
    peaches, pears, tangerines - cinnamon, saffron
  • Orange/Yellow - Bioflavanoids                     Grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges,
    nectarines, pineapples, tangerines, and other citrus – tumeric, cumin, ginger
  • Green/yellow - Lutein, chlorophyll, zeaxanthin     Artichokes, asparagus,
    avocado, beans, cucumbers, green beans, leafy greens (collards, endive, lettuce,
    mustard greens, spinach), peas, snow peas, zucchini - kiwi, green apples, green
    grapes - parsley & all green herbs, pepper grass, green tea etc.     
  • Green - Sulforaphane (cruciferous family)            Brussels sprouts, broccoli,
    fermented sauerkraut, green cabbage
  • Blue/Purple - Anthocyanin, flavonoids                 Eggplant, red cabbage,
    rutabagas - blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, figs, plums/prunes,
    purple/red grapes
  • White - Allicin (the allium family)                       Garlic, onions, etc. & hexose
    Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, kohlrabi, mushrooms, turnips, white potatoes -
    bananas - white peppercorns
    Eating varied produce daily helps make eating a tasty adventure while providing all of
    the known and unknown phyto-nutrients and such that are necessary for good
    health. See some produce specifics for each color at: www.exrx.
    net/Nutrition/ColorCodes.html
             This is easy if you make a green smoothie in morning with a banana, other
    fresh/frozen fruit (such as berries) and a handful of greens; have a hearty soup or
    salad for lunch, and include a variety of veggies with your dinner. To really blend
    those greens, a heavy-duty blender, like a VitaMix (www.drbenkim.com/vitamix-
    blender), is needed, although many have found the small sized Magic Bullet blender
    (www.buythebullet.com) to be just as effective and far more kind to the average
    checkbook.
            Or get a juicer and make some delicious fresh vegetable juices like your own V-8
    juice (1 @ tomato, carrot, celery stalk, handful spinach (or kale leaf, etc), 1/2 red
    pepper, 1/4 cucumber, 1/2 cup chopped cabbage, & 1 green onion - or to spice it up,
    add seeded jalapeno) and many others I suggest in my Living Energetically book with
    many more upcoming in my Real Food Diet. We have found our Omega 8003 juicer
    (http://www.omegajuicers.com/8003_8005.html) which presses the juice from the
    veggies rather than by using centrifugal force which can heat it, to be very effective,
    quiet and easy to use and clean.
            In fact, fresh vegetable juices can be so powerful they are frequently used in
    cleansing fasts and even as a major part of some cancer therapies such as the Max
    Gerson, MD program (http://www.gerson.org). To read about how fresh vegetable
    juices can make an important contribution to health and healing, read my article
    concerning a person with Stage IV prostate cancer, Cancer Hope.
            
  • GO GRASS-FED ANIMAL PRODUCTS - At least some animal proteins and fats are
    vital for optimum health but there are vast differences in nutritional quality of meats,
    poultry, dairy, etc.
           Agribusiness animal products are loaded with toxins such as hormones,
    antibiotics, and all the chemicals in the feeds. Organic animals are far better since they
    receive only organic feeds and no hormones or antibiotics. However, free range
    animals are the closest to nature since they receive no grain. This is good because it
    is the grain feeding that changes their Omega 3 to 6 ratios from the beneficial 1:1
    ratio to the harmful 1:20 to 1:50! This skewed ratio increases inflammation (only
    Omega 3's reduce inflammation) in the body turning the beneficial animal products
    from alkaline to acidic. www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/omega_3_fatty_acids.htm.
            You'll also find that ONLY animal sources of Omega 3's contain the beneficial EPA
    & DHA fatty acids so necessary for the brains of geriatrics and children alike. In fact,
    insufficient amounts of EPA & DHA Omega 3 fatty acids in the diets of pregnant
    women result in premature birth, low birth weight, and hyperactivity in children.
    Human bodies require the animal-based forms while even the best plant sources (Chia
    is the best) contain only ALA, which, in excess, can actually exacerbate various forms
    of cancer. Most other vegetable fats (ie: vegetable oils) are very high in Omega 6 fats,
    the ones that lead to inflammation and, studies now show, various diseases, aging
    and even dementia.
            All the studies showing the harmfulness of animal products and fats are done
    with acidic agribusiness products rather than true traditional, alkaline pastured
    animals. An excellent source of red meat is bison but even some bison are feed-lot
    finished so make sure you purchase strictly pastured stock for bison, beef,and even
    chicken, eggs, and milk which should only be drunk raw. If you are unable to locate
    local sources (Vitamin Cottage stores carry some free-range meats) of free range
    products, some national, internet sources include:

For a number of superior articles concerning the         difference between healthful and
unhealthful fats (plus much, much more!), see www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/index.
html.

  • GO RAW - Back when Dr. Weston Price was doing his