Avoid, Strictly Limit, and/or Minimize

1. Anything made with, or containing, white or refined sugar and anything made with, or containing, artificial sweeteners of any type or by any name.
2. Anything containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (except organic, unrefined coconut oil) such as margarine, vegetable shortening, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, etc. Also, avoid anything made with them such as commercially made chips, cookies, candy, cakes, popcorn, other similar snack foods, and most fast foods, especially deep fried or pan fried foods.
3. Water with chlorine or fluorine in it.
4. Anything made with, or containing, MonoSodium Glutamate (MSG) (See the Food Additives Article)
5. Alcohol or caffeinated products (except in moderation: one to two alcoholic beverages or cups of coffee per day), tobacco, social drugs of any sort, and non-essential prescriptive or over-the-counter drugs.
6. Anything that has been altered. Examples: decaffeinated, de-fatted, denatured, "diet," fat-free, imitation, "lite," low fat, polyunsaturated, salt-free, etc. Almost all "altered" foods have been treated with benzene &/or one or more of its derivatives (See info on benzene below).
7. White flour, white potatoes, corn and anything made with them.
8. Milk, milk products, and anything made with it.
9. Commercially raised meats (animals grown with hormones, antibiotics, chemical additives, etc.), especially pork and beef, and anything made with them.
10. Commercial salt. This type of salt has been heated to extremely high temperatures during processing and chemicals have been added. Use moderate amounts of air-dried or sun-dried natural salt after your food has been cooked. Redmond's sea salt is one of the best.
11. Products (toothpaste, mouthwash, hand lotions, cosmetics, soaps, cleansers, shampoos, etc.) made with benzene or benzene-derived chemicals such as benzoic acid, methyl paraben, paraben, propyl paraben, and sodium benzoate.
12. Excessive exposure to electromagnetic fields such as electric blankets, water bed heaters, microwaves, etc..
13. Mercury/silver amalgam fillings, root canals with mercury, and fluoride treatments.

Emphasize and Maximize

1. Note: Most municipal water contains harmful concentrations of chlorine, fluorine, and other contaminants (See the Water Article). You can purchase inexpensive water filtration and treatment systems to adequately remove many of these undesirable contaminants. Make sure you replace the filters regularly to insure your water quality.

   Pure Water: The maximum amount of water you can safely drink in a day, unless you perspire excessively, is about one half your body weight in ounces. For example, if you weigh 128 pounds, you could drink 64 ounces or eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Most people do not drink this amount. If you are not even close, you may consider increasing your daily water intake. Keeping a container of water with you all day at work or around the house makes drinking enough water a lot easier.
2. Fresh Juices, prepared just before you are going to drink them, from organically grown, locally produced vegetables and fruits. There are many tasty juice combinations for a wide variety of health problems. There are many good, effective juicers available. One of the best is the Champion Juicer

   NOTE: Seeds and nuts are most nutritious when shelled and soaked in water overnight just prior to eating them (See the Sprouting Article). These foods naturally contain enzyme inhibitors that prevent them from sprouting before they have the proper moisture and temperature to succeed in growing. Enzyme inhibitors in foods must be deactivated by your digestive enzymes so your body can completely digest the foods which contain them. The overnight soaking in water accomplishes this for you. An alternative would be to use roasted seeds and nuts. The heat of roasting destroys the enzyme inhibitors. Unfortunately, this same heat destroys the naturally occurring enzymes in these foods which help you to properly digest them. Therefore, if you eat roasted seeds and nuts, you will probably need to take digestive enzymes, especially protease and lipase, to properly digest them.

3. Organically grown, locally produced Vegetables, Fruits, Whole Grains, Seeds, and Nuts. If produce has crossed a national or state boundary, it has likely been treated with some type(s) of chemical. Whenever possible, select foods you have grown yourself or foods grown without pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals, in the county or state where you live. All foods, especially vegetables and fruits, are best digested when eaten raw (by themselves, in salads, etc.) or minimally cooked such as lightly steamed, sauted or quickly stir-fried. Avoid all genetically modified (GM) foods.
4. Non-hydrogenated (Flora and/or Barlean brands especially) vegetable oils, especially extra virgin olive oil (for cooking and for salad dressings). You can find these brands of oils in most health food stores. The only hydrogenated oil we recommend is organic, unrefined coconut oil.

   NOTE: The companies that produce the Flora and Barlean brands of oils are the only two companies we are familiar with producing oils fit for human consumption. As far as we know, all the other oils produced in this country are made with excessive heat and/or excessive chemical treatments. Such hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (except organic, unrefined coconut oil) are usually rancid and have been implicated in causing or worsening, among other things, headaches, joint pain, back pain, arthritis, asthma, skin problems, hot flashes, premenstrual syndrome, and menstrual cramps. In addition, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils can promote or aggravate heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory conditions, and autoimmune diseases. Read labels and choose your fats and oils, and anything made with them, with care.

5. Meats/flesh products are usually consumed in excessively large quantities. Try to keep your consumption of meat protein to about three to five ounces at one meal a day. Growing children, body builders, or people working at jobs requiring extremely heavy labor will require more daily protein. Try to eat your largest protein meals later in the day.
6. 1. Fresh, deep ocean fish (tuna, salmon, halibut, cod, etc.). Avoid all farm fish.
   2. Organically raised, free-range (cage/pen-free) animals with natural choices for food selections, untreated with antibiotics, hormones, or other chemicals.
      1. Chickens and their eggs
      2. Turkeys
      3. Beef and aged raw, unpasteurized milk products (be very sure of your source(s) for these products) such as yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc. from organically raised cows are acceptable foods, especially for people of Scandinavian or northern European origin. Also, there are excellent alternatives to cow's milk and milk products. Some of these include goat's milk and goat's milk products, rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, sesame milk, etc. and products made with them. Health food stores carry most of these. Try different ones. You may find you like them.

      NOTE: All foods, including meats, are best digested when eaten raw or rare. With meats, however, this must be done with extreme care and caution. You must be positive of the source of the meat as well as its handling before you received it. If there is any doubt, cook it. The best ways to cook meats are by broiling at high temperatures for a very short time or by cooking at low temperatures for a very long time.

7. Wild Game (deer, elk, birds, etc.)
8. Unheated salt can be added to your foods after they have been cooked. Commercial salt has been heated to very high temperatures. This changes it from a healthy to a harmful food additive. In addition, chemicals have been used to produce it, with other chemicals added to keep it free-flowing and to enhance its taste. Air-dried or sun-dried earth salt or sea salt, available at health food stores, is a much healthier choice, especially when used in moderation. Redmond's sea salt is an excellent choice.
9. Eating Technique. Whenever possible:
   1. Look at, smell, taste, chew, and swallow your food (in that order)
   2. Talk only when your mouth is empty
   3. Place your fork down until your food is into your stomach
   4. Eat only when you can be sitting, relaxed, and in a quiet, pleasant setting
   5. Eat at a moderate pace
   6. If you wish liquids with your meal, sip room temperature or warm water
   7. Have foods at room temperature or warmer
   8. Eat freshly prepared meals
   9. Leave 1/4 to 1/3 of your stomach empty for best digestion
   10. Sit quietly for about five minutes after each meal

10. NOTE: If your first morning urine pH is 8.0 or higher, do not exercise or work hard until it is back to less than eight. Also, if your first morning pulse is 10 beats per minute greater than or less than your average daily pulse, do not exercise or work hard until the day it returns to within 10 beats per minute of your average.

    Exercise as often as possible. It's cumulative. A 10 minute walk, 5 minutes after meal, is the same as 30 minutes of continuous exercise that day. Moderation is best.

Sunlight is an essential nutrient. Whenever possible, get outside in the sunlight daily, especially around midday. This is the optimal time to maximize your Vitamin D from sunlight. Moderation is best. Do not burn. NOTE: Full spectrum light bulbs and full spectrum lamps are extremely helpful at preventing and improving the "winter blues."

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