|
With all the fresh fruits and vegetables coming into the market at this time of year, I want to focus on some simple, healthy summer treats this month. While I've designed them with kids in mind, I'm sure you'll agree that adults will enjoy them just as much. This newsletter is based largely on a recent interview I did with CTV Morning Live.
These newsletters will help you make better choices for better health. The choices that you make today can either have a positive or negative impact on your overall health. Begin by choosing better. It is a step toward longevity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Simple, Healthy, Delicious Summer Treats - Enjoy!
|
 My main feature is popsicles - four different kinds. The first (see recipes below) features 3 colourful layers, with no food dyes - the bottom layer (you actually add the layers in the opposite order when you're making this) of mangos, then strawberries, and kiwi on top. All fruits are blended and added individually after freezing the previous layer for 15-30 minutes. As well as using a standard popsicle shape, these can also be made in the shape of a cup cake.
There are also recipes (below) for creamsicles, yogurt popsicles and blueberry freezies.
In addition, I've provided you with recipes for two types of ice cream, suggestions for fruit skewers and a chocolate pudding that makes an excellent dip for the fruit skewers. The pudding contains avocado, so it is rich in protein, and no one would suspect it was there. This pudding is the only one with a little sweetener added - maple syrup - and none of the other recipes contain any added sugar or other sweetener.
|
|
Avoid Sugars, Dyes and Other Food Additives
|
 This topic is huge and here we can only scratch the surface, however, here are some basic tips.
What is a food additive? Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavour or enhance its taste and appearance. Sugars and dyes are probably the most common types of additive.
Why you should avoid added sugars:
-
Added sugar contains no essential nutrients and is bad for your teeth.
-
Added sugar, and especially HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), is high in fructose which can overload your liver. If you eat too much fructose (and especially if you are sedentary and eat a lot of processed foods), the liver will convert it into fat.
-
Overloading the liver with fructose can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). People with NAFLD consume 2 to 3 times as much fructose as the average person.
-
Sugar can cause insulin resistance, which is a stepping stone toward metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
-
Sugar is a leading cause of obesity in both children and adults. In turn, obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and several types of cancer, and other diseases and disabilities.
-
It's not the fat in your diet, it's the sugar, or more specifically the fructose, that raises your cholesterol (small, dense LDL and oxidized LDL), and triglyceride levels which can lead to heart disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends restricting added sugars to 5% of our dietary intake. For the average person, this would be about 6 teaspoons (30 ml) of sugar per day - that's less than the amount in one can of sugar sweetened soft drink. While WHO concedes that 5% might be unrealistic for many people, they emphasize that the dietary intake of sugar definitely should not exceed 10%.
Food dyes
Food dyes are one of the most widely used and dangerous additives. There are many different food dyes with different risks, however the main points can be summarized:
-
Several food dyes increase the risk of different types of cancer in laboratory animals.
-
Some dyes are known carcinogens; for others, more research is needed but why take the risk?
-
The other major area of concern is hyperactivity and other behavioural effects, particularly in children.
-
Dyes are also linked to sensitivities and to asthma, among others.
There are many other additives, but this covers a major proportion of most peoples' exposure. In general, food additives are best avoided.
I hope you enjoy the recipes below, and that you're having a great summer!
|
 POPSICLES
1. Fruit Pops
-
blend kiwi and pour into popsicle mould 1/3 way up, freeze for 15 to 30 minutes
-
blend strawberries and fill 1/3 way up freeze again
-
blend mango and fill final 1/3 of mould
-
freeze and enjoy
2. Creamsicles
-
mix 1 scoop TNT formula (available at our clinic) in 60ml of water and 60 ml of pure mango juice
-
pour into popsicle mould
-
freeze and enjoy
3. Frozen yogurt pops
-
mix 2 scoops of the TNT formula with 60 ml of coconut milk and 60 ml of Greek yogurt, shake to combine
-
pour into popsicle mould
-
freeze and enjoy
4. Blueberry freezies
-
pour coconut water into mould and drop in a few blueberries
-
freeze and enjoy
 ICE CREAMS
Choco-banana ice cream
-
2 frozen bananas
-
1 cup coconut milk
-
2 tsp coconut oil
-
2 tsp vanilla
-
2 tbsp raw cocoa powder
Optional: 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
Blend together, freeze and enjoy.
Piña Colada ice cream
-
2 cups frozen pineapple
-
1 cup coconut milk
-
4 tbsp shredded coconut
Optional: 1 scoop protein powder (Nature's Harvest works well and is available at our clinic)
Blend together, freeze and enjoy.
PUDDING
Chocolate avocado pudding
-
1 medium avocado
-
1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
-
1 tbsp maple syrup
-
1 tbsp raw cocoa powder
-
pinch of salt
-
pinch of cinnamon
Blend together, chill and enjoy.
FRUIT SKEWERS
-
fruit of your choice cut into equal sized pieces to fit on bamboo skewers evenly
-
the chocolate avocado pudding makes a great dip for these
|
|
There are a couple of Nature's Sunshine products that you can use in these recipes. You can find information about these products and purchase them in our online store:
|
|
References:
-
Food additive. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_additive Accessed July 5, 2016.
-
Gunnars K. 10 disturbing reasons why sugar is bad for you. authoritynutrition.com/10-disturbing-reasons-why-sugar-is-bad/ September 2013. Accessed July 4, 2016.
-
Branswell H. Eating sugar causes massive health problems, says WHO. The Canadian Press. huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/05/eating-sugar_n_4903790.html Accessed July 4, 2016.
-
Mercola J. Are you or your family eating toxic food dyes? February 24, 2011. articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/24/are-you-or-your-family-eating-toxic-food-dyes.aspx Accessed July 4, 2016.
-
Kobylewski S, Jacobson ME. Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks. Washington, DC: Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2010. cspinet.org/new/pdf/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf
Disclaimer: The suggestions and recommendations in this newsletter are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic. The information is accurate and up to date to our knowledge, but we are not responsible for any errors in our sources of information.
|
|
After several years of searching for relief, a friend has recommended I see Ramila. I suffered from debilitating environmental and food allergies, and such fatigue that walking up a flight of stairs was difficult. Within a few minutes of my first visit I knew I was in good hands with Ramila, as she had the uncanny ability to understand my problem and therefore get to the root of my illness.
For my path to wellness, Ramila had suggested sensitivity clearing for my allergies, as well as herbal supplements. I also gained tremendous relief from her emotional release technique. After each treatment I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders, I would never have believed how your emotions could play such a pivotal role in your physical well-being. Today I am happy to report health, wellness and serenity that I never thought possible.
- A.J., Ottawa, ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
