Spirit of Health - Natural Health Online

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Why We Love Fruits & Vegetables

Fresh Vegetables and Vegetables Juices

Vegetables are the most perfect food God has given to us. They are also the most abundant foods on the planet. Vegetables are your #1 source of quality vitamins and minerals.

Because fruits and vegetables are often high in fiber they can help contribute to weight loss. High-fiber foods help people feel fuller than foods without fiber or foods high in sugar. For this reason if fruits and vegetables are a large part of a meal or a snack it becomes easier to avoid less desirable snacks and food items.

Because fruit and vegetables do not contain artificial sugar, and are packed with minerals, vitamins and other nutrients, they help maintain energy levels. Foods high in sugar, caffeine or "energy drinks" often result in a sugar-crash because they elevate sugar levels quickly and burn off quickly. Fruit and vegetables provide a more enduring energy level.

According to the Linus Pauling Institute, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables aids in the prevention of a number of diseases. Among these are cardiovascular disease, high-blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis.

There is no better option for cleansing the body quickly than with fresh, raw fruit and vegetable juices. Juice fasting is becoming more and more popular as people discover the tremendous benefits. Just starting your day with a freshly juiced drink will go a long way..

Arugula, Burdock Root, Celery Root,Dandelion Greens, Lettuces, Radishes, Sprouts, Watercress, Asparagus, Cabbage, Chives, Endive, Jicama, Mustard Greens, Bell Pepper, Swiss Chard, Yellow Squash, Bok Choy, Carrots, Collard Greens, Escarole, Kale, Okra, Scallions, Tomato, Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Onion, Shallots, Turnips, Brussel Sprouts,Daikon, Garlic, Leeks, Parsley, Spinach, Turnip Greens....

God has given us so many wonderful choices!!!

 

Fruits, Fruits, and more fruits

Fruits are an amazing and healthy part of a balanced diet. Just like vegetables, fruit is loaded with healthy vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and other phytonutrients.

*  NOTE:  Our viewpoint on fruit has recently changed…  For years we have avoided fruit.  For years, we have believed fruit feeds cancer, diabetes and other health issues.  For years we have followed many programs such as Body Ecology Diet which promotes avoiding fruit.  Now Body Ecology is an AMAZING program that has helped thousands of people, and I still love the program.  However, we now believe differently…

Having learned new information, and having experienced major changes in my personal journey along with many of my clients, we now believe fruit is very healthy and beneficial.  Yes, fruit still has its issue of mono-cropping, picked unripe and shipped thousands of miles, but in general, fruit is a wise choice for most people.  The reason is fruit is a SIMPLE sugar, easily processed and burned as fuel for the body.  Fruit does not require insulin for digestion, which eases the burden on the pancreas, unlike complex grains and carbs.  Whereas all grains (bread, pasta, pizza, crackers, baked goods, etc.), rice, sugars like maple syrup, agave, cane sugar, etc. are all COMPLEX sugars which stress digestion, weaken the adrenals and create acidic waste byproducts that damage the kidneys, blood and tissues of the body.  Here are our general guidelines for healthy fruit consumption.  

  • Fruit on empty stomach, always. 30 minutes before meals or two hours after meals. Only exception is adding leafy greens or greens powders to smoothies as desired.

  • Limit or avoid dried fruits such as dates, figs, dried cherries, raisins, etc.

  • Eat lots of HYDRATING high water content fruits such as all citrus, watermelon and other melons, all berries, pineapple, kiwis, mango, etc.

  • Eat melons alone with no other fruit. Example, eat only watermelon for breakfast with nothing else

  • For blood sugar issues and diabetes, it is good to eat whole fruit on a consistent basis, sometimes even hourly, to keep blood sugars stable.

  • Ideally, fruit is eaten in season, picked ripe from local farmers

Most of the time, fruit should be eaten in its whole form. Eating whole fruit is best because it controls the release of sugar into the bloodstream.  It is ok for most people to freshly juice some apple in combination with a healthy vegetable juice drink.

Fruits, like vegetables, are ideally eaten fresh from a local farmer. This guarantees high nutrient content, as most grocery store items are picked before they are ripe, making them very poor in nutrition.