Hi Everyone!

OMG I’m so embarrassed…my Christmas Tree is still up!  Can you believe it?!?! Well, before we get to that, first I wanted to wish you a Happy 2012. Bringing in the New Year is a great time to refocus your energy on ways to heal your body.  One of the ways is by providing the body with key beneficial nutrients so that the healing process can occur.  Doing this can help add vibrant years to your life.  Check out what happened to my Christmas Tree when it received its key nutrients.  So check out my latest video with me and my 8 year old to see why I’m talking about a Christmas Tree a month past Christmas!

In love and friendship,

Joyce and Kevin

Nutrients for Healing the Body

Since we’re talking about how important nutrients are in healing the body, I thought I would lay out just a few great food sources for vitamins and minerals and a bunch of other benefits.  I ate tons of each of these items when I began my journey to heal myself from cancer as well as chronic fatigue, sinus issues, migraines, daily headaches, IBS and more.  I ate most of this raw, whenever possible, in juices and smoothies or lightly steamed to maintain the most nutrients and minerals.

• Asparagus is vegetable which is high in glutathione, one of the most potent anti-carcinogen and anti-oxidants found in the body.  It has more glutathione than any other fruit or vegetable.  It also contains rutin, which protects small blood vessels from rupturing and may protect against radiation.  It’s also a great source of vitamin A, C, E and B complex, potassium and zinc. These are great lightly steamed, seasoned and served with chopped tomatoes and avocado.  Soooo filling and soooo delicious.
• Another great vegetable is broccoli*, which contains twice the amount of vitamin C of an orange.  It also has almost as much calcium as whole milk.  Broccoli contains selenium, which is a mineral that has anti-cancer and anti-viral properties. Broccoli has such important anti-cancer properties that anti-cancer nutraceuticals are made from broccoli seeds.  If you don’t like them raw, just lightly steam and toss with garlic or onion powder and some olive oil, takes just a couple of minutes. You can keep the steamed broccoli in the fridge for a couple of days and throw them in your salad!
• Dandelion greens are one of the things I really recommend.  If you can get them into your juice, it’s a great way to tolerate them since they can be bitter and are more tolerable in the juice.  They are beneficial for digestion and are an anti-viral.  They are also used to treat and prevent breast and lung tumors and premenstrual bloating.  They’re high in vitamin A and Vitamin C and contain calcium and potassium as well.
• Another great leafy green to try to juice or build into your diet is kale*, which eases lung congestion and is beneficial to the stomach, liver and immune system.  It’s an excellent source of calcium, iron, vitamins A, C and chlorophyll.
• Then there are onions, which are an excellent antioxidant and contain anti-allergy, antiviral and antihistamine properties.  They actually aid in cellular repair.
• Avocados are also awesome in so many ways.  They contain 20 vitamins and minerals including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-Vitamins and folic acid.  They can be used in place of other fats like mayonnaise and butter.  They are also great for making a smoothie creamy.  Just put the avocado in first with either a little unsweetened coconut milk or water and then add the avocado.  Blend that up first and then add the rest of the ingredients like cucumbers, spinach, a little berries.  I throw a half to a whole avocado in all the smoothies I make for my kids, even the fruit smoothies.  The kids don’t notice the avocado and it’s providing them with lots of added benefits and making the smoothie creamy.  Many people avoid avocados because they have the reputation of being fattening but they are high in mono-saturated fat, which is easily burned for energy, but even with that benefit, pay attention to how many you are eating because they can add on weight if you’re not careful.  One a day is usually good.

*A note about cruciferous veggies (like kale, bok choy, collards, broccoli etc): they can suppress your thyroid when eaten raw, so if you have a thyroid issue, you should eat them cooked instead.  You’ll lose some of the nutrients but you’ll still get a lot of benefit from them. If you do suspect a thyroid issue, it’s important to work with a holistic professional specializing in the thyroid.

So these are just a few key foods to get you started.  Of course, there’s so much more but I thought it would be helpful to see why some of these foods are so beneficial and how easily you can incorporate them into your diet.  Mangia!