Sometimes it’s not all about the fruit. At certain times and for a variety of reasons you may want a fruit-free juice or smoothie. I have many clients who are on my Candida Recovery Program, and for them fruit is temporarily off limits. It can be hard at first, especially for people who have an addiction to sugar. I’ve had clients who have sailed through 60 day or longer juice cleanses without a hitch, yet the first three or four days of drinking juices without fruit becomes a true challenge. This is often a key sign that there is an overgrowth of candida fungus.

Sugar gets the bad rap for everything these days. Especially diabetes. So much so, that people are afraid of fruit. Processed sugars, especially GMO beet sugar and high fructose corn syrup should be avoided. But fruit..that’s another story. Some would have you believe that fruit can be lumped into the same category as other sugars. There are now millions of overweight people literally afraid to eat fruit. But that’s scientifically unsound, and very unfortunate for our health.

According to research, every hour of sleep you get before midnight is roughly equivalent to two hours of sleep after midnight. At 11:00pm if you are still awake, your body releases a large amount of cortisol because it perceives you are under “stress”. The reason for that is because you are awake during what the body perceives should be rest time. Once the cortisol is released you get a second wind and keep going until the adrenaline is finally calmed down.

Digestive distress? Bloating? Fatigue? Auto-immune disorder? Autoimmune diseases now affect over 25 million people in the United States alone, and include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and more. All of these conditions are linked to one biochemical process: an over-reactive immune response also known as systemic inflammation in the body, where your body attacks its own tissues.

By now many of us know the dangers of aluminum exposure. Research has uncovered direct links between aluminum levels in the body and Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, brittle bones, autism (in utero exposure), infertility, and generalized permanent damage to the central nervous system. Aluminum is an estrogen mimicker which imbalances the hormones indirectly leading to hypothyroidism, endometriosis, and many other health issues. Some aluminum facts.

There is a group of plants known as nightshades which should be avoided by anyone who has inflammation in the body, particularly in the joints. It is wise to completely avoid all nightshades if you have an autoimmune condition of any kind. Nightshades are some of the most commonly consumed fruits and vegetables, and even some very common herbs and spices.

Still using antibacterial soap and handwipes? I hope not! For years now we have all been running and hiding from bacteria and trying at every instance to kill it. But now science has determined that we can’t live without it. One bacteria, for example, has the ability to produce 260 different enzymes that help us digest carbohydrates and extract their nutrients! Importantly, our bodies do not have the genes to produce the enzymes. So if you don’t have the bacteria you will not extract the nutrients from the food.

Another reason why the high raw, plant based, low fat diet is healthiest. Eating a diet high in vegetables and fruits, with moderate consumption of nuts, seeds, beans and some grains provides you with all of the nutrients you need for health while leaving out the foods that cause illness: including acrylamides. I’ve been writing about acrylamides for years now, and everyone who has been in my 8 Week Raw Body Reset knows that we avoid acrylamides at all costs. They are one of the most damaging substances found in foods cooked at high temperatures.

“Death begins in the colon” ~ Bacteriologist Ilya Mechnikov. Probiotics are the good bacteria that serve the function of ensuring that our colon stays healthy, and are one of the most powerful additions to your diet for superior health. Bacteria are the first line of defense of the immune system. A proper balance of bacteria in the intestinal tract is vital for maintaining good health. In a healthy colon there are between 100 billion and 100 trillion beneficial bacteria per milliliter and these consume the harmful bacteria.

Have you ever heard the statement that if you eat a “healthy well-balanced diet”, you don’t need to take any supplements? Or, that if you eat Paleo, or Vegan, or Raw, (or whatever diet being espoused) your body will receive exactly what it needs for optimal health? I know I have. And it’s unfortunate. I say unfortunate because it’s not based on the evidence available to us. It is a well-researched fact that over the last 60 years, soil quality has become so poor that even a person eating a “near perfect” diet will be deficient in some critical minerals and vitamins.

Countless studies have been done that show that cacao (without added dairy or processed sugar) has a multitude of health benefits. I could literally write an entire paper on the benefits of cacao! Luckily for those of us who enjoy the sublime taste of raw chocolates, there are no scientific studies that have concluded that cacao is unhealthy.

We often hear that we need to “soak our nuts”, as well as seeds and grains, before consuming. But, really, how important is it? And, how exactly do we do it? Nature has an ingenious mechanism to protect nuts, grains and seeds, so they survive until the best growing conditions are present. Nature’s own defense mechanism provides enzyme inhibitors and toxic substances on the nuts, seeds and grains, including phytates, polyphenols, and goitrogens.

“Death begins in the colon” ~ Bernard Jensen. As dramatic as that sounds, there is definite truth to the idea that the health of your entire body is dependent on the health of your digestive system. Your digestive system is where your body obtains its energy for food, absorbs essential nutrients, and eliminates waste products that would otherwise be toxic to the body. There is a direct correlation between the food you eat, and your digestive health.

On my first couple of attempts raw, I was a bit intimidated by the whole issue of soaking and dehydrating nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are an important part of a raw vegan lifestyle, and I wanted something more than just plain nuts and seeds sometimes, and I certainly did not enjoy spending $9.00 for a small bag of raw trail mix. I also wanted to offer my husband and kids raw vegan treats and snacks that they would enjoy. So, I eventually found a way to just simplify the whole thing.

Many of us love the taste of cinnamon, I know I do! And considering the fact that cinnamon contains phytochemicals that enhance insulin signaling and facilitate glucose uptake and storage by the body’s cells, it’s a great spice to add to your daily diet.But did you know that all cinnamon is not really cinnamon? And that mostly what you find in your grocer, health food store, big box stores like Costco, is actually Cassia?

We all know that beautifully colored fruits and vegetables are important. But many people aren’t exactly sure which colors are related to which benefits. Here is a handy list you can refer to when you are considering the many health benefits you will get from eating the rainbow!

Dates are the perfect energizing snack to keep on hand at all times! There are many different varieties, all having slightly different taste and texture. Called the “Tree of Life”, the date palm is thought to be the first cultivated tree in history, having been grown for at least 8,000 years that we know of. Directions for growing date palms are recorded on sun-baked bricks made in Mesopotamia more than 5,000 years ago.

We hear a lot about the benefits of green tea, and hopefully by now, you have added organic green tea to your life. Even if you don’t do caffeine, at least the decaf version! But did you know that matcha is like green tea elite? It’s a higher performing version of the traditional tea, and it can be really delicious. Matcha is actually the highest quality powdered green tea available, and is made from the super nutrient dense young leaves picked from the tips of shade-grown Camellia sinensis plants.

Your liver is the single most important detox organ in the body. The liver works non-stop to remove every toxin we expose our body to from the air we breathe, to the water we drink, the food we eat, and the chemicals we internalize from beauty products, plastics, household cleaners and more. Of course the best bet at a healthy liver is to eat clean organic plant based foods, use only coconut oil or natural products on your body, and avoid toxic household cleaners. It is also a great idea to do a juice cleanse regularly to give your liver an opportunity to take a break. But you can also provide ongoing support for your liver by eating foods that provide important nutrients specifically helpful to this incredible organ.

Inflammation is often talked about in health circles these days, and with good reason. Inflammation and its contribution to illness should not be overlooked, because it sets the stage for a whole host of common illnesses. In fact, chronic inflammation plays a major role in the development of various neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons, MS and others. Not to mention diabetes and heart disease.