Update about ME!

Happy Holidays!!!!!

Enjoy this time and get ready for 2014! It's time to take our health to a new level. It's time to Put YOU First.

I want to do this detox not just for YOU but for ME too! Yes....yes....and yes again I AM enjoying my holiday time. I am eating, enjoying family and friends, and relaxing. Of course for me the "eating" is in moderation BUT I am still enjoying more foods that I do not normally eat. Let me share some updates about myself:

• I am no longer 100% vegan- I eat fish and dairy occasionally. I would like to think of myself as "plant-based". The majority of the time I'm eating foods that come from plants but I will eat other things. 
• Being that I am no longer vegan, things for me are not as strict. I think if I lived in California being a vegan would be SOOOO much easier but it is what it is....I still love all vegan food and would probably choose that over anything else if it was an option.
• I indulged on a few small pieces of turkey during Thanksgiving...shhhhhhhhh (lol)
• I actually still feel great but I believe that's because I have worked VERY hard to really live a life of total health and well being.
• This health and well being includes- daily prayer, daily reading, daily exercise(5 days), daily healthy eating (I do have treat days) and just constant working on bettering myself.
• I feel FREE!!

Well that's about it for me, I am truly learning how to put me first and in that I want to share the principles that have really helped catapult me into this world of peace, joy, and health, and love.

Let's DO THIS!!!!!!

The Hidden Monsters

There are some scary hidden monsters- not in your kids’ closets, or on the television but right in the foods we eat - what makes our food so sweet, flavorful, and tasty?  These additives that make food cheaper, also aide in making us sicker, or less healthy.  Today we will focus on two major monsters. Let’s come together and get rid of these monsters for GOOD!

Sugar

While we all have an idea that sugar is not the best for you, many of us do not know how many items have sugar in them. To sum it up- pretty much EVERYTHING!! Sugar weakens the immune system, it takes oxygen away from the cells breeding disease and sickness, it aides in diabetes, and it causes a rapid rise and fall of energy that is not healthy for us just to name a few.

Fortunately there are some products that do not have sugar in them you just have to know how to look. Here’s how- look on the back of any food package and there is a nutrition label. The label gives various percentages of different nutrients. Directly below that are the actual ingredients. Start paying attention to the first five ingredients- that is what is used most in the product. If you see sugar or one of its codenames in that first five, the product has an abundance of added sugar. Below are some of the names that sugar has:

·         Brown rice syrup

·         Fructose

·         Sucrose

·         Corn syrup

·         High Fructose Corn Syrup

·         Cane Juice

·         Evaporated Cane Juice

·         Dehydrated Cane Juice

·         Malt Syrup

·         Glucose

·         Lactose

·         Sorbitol

These are just a few sugar code names, there are many more. So how do we avoid or take in less sugar?

1.       Pay attention to the labels and try to by items that do not have added sugar- not sugar free- artificial sugar is worse.

2.       Try to prepare foods at home or use your own sauces 99.9% of the items you buy to eat out have sugar in them and a lot of it

3.       Eat more natural sugars and leave the sweet cravings to minimal times throughout the week. Maybe you treat yourself on the weekend to a dessert or something of that nature.

 

 

MSG

The second monster is MSG which stands for monosodium glutamate. It is used as a food additive in many food items. The inventor of MSG was Asian which is why it is associated with Asian foods but it is used in so many more items. It enhances flavor, makes salad taste fresher, meat taste more tender, and overall food taste delicious. MSG does this by “fooling” the tongue with an unknown taste that we like called umami.  While we may see products that have MSG free on them unfortunately some may still have MSG in them. Why is MSG so harmful? Let’s take a look:

Once eaten, it overexcites our cells causing them to damage or kill themselves. It triggers or adds to Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig’s, and Parkinson’s disease just to name a few. Regular consumption of MSG can also lead to:

·         Obesity

·         Eye Damage

·         Headaches

·         Migraines

·         Fatigue and disorientation

·         Depression

·         Numbness

·         Burning sensations

·         Tingling

·         Facial pressure or tightness

·         Chest Pain

·         Difficulty Breathing

·         Drowsiness

·         Rapid Heartbeat

If you have experienced one or more of these symptoms they could very well come from the food that you consume with MSG. Now that people are aware of the harm that MSG may cause, companies have come up with other names-let’s expose some of them:

·         Autolyzed yeast

·         Calcium Caseinate

·         Gelatin- which is also pork

·         Hydrogelized Protein

·         Monosodium Glutamate

·         Yeast Extract

·         Natural Flavorings

·         Citric Acid

·         Malodextrin

·         Corn Starch

·         Pectin

Some types of foods that have MSG:

·         Bouillon

·         Natural Chicken Flavoring

·         Flavors and Flavorings

·         Powdered Milk

·         Natural Beef and Pork Flavoring

What do I do?

The best way to avoid an abundance of sugar and MSG is by eating whole foods and plant based foods the majority of the time. If you are at a restaurant you can request that no MSG is added to your food but the only way that you will be certain is if you eat less processed foods, more plant based foods, and less eating out at restaurants.

Challenge: Work towards less processed foods and more whole foods one step at a time. Do not be overwhelmed, you can do this!

Take small steps, and make small changes. Remember, it’s not a diet….it’s a lifestyle!

Questions…Comments…..Concerns? Email: nakeeshasnutrition@nakeeshaharris.com Website: www.nakeeshasnutrition.com

Alkalize to Survive

Our bodies thrive off of the cells that build our tissues and organs. When these cells are given oxygen, they grow and multiply into more healthy cells. When oxygen is taken away, the being to multiply and form unhealthy cells, tumors, and even worse disease.

We can do our part to prevent this by ensuring we create an alkaline environment for our bodies. Cells thrive and love this type of place- it’s paradise for them!  All of our bodies have what is called a Ph balance ranging from 0-14. The ideal Ph of our bodies is 7.0 which we will discuss further.

The easiest way to understand what an alkalized environment vs an acidic environment looks like is to imagine nice cool calm water that flows beautifully in a peaceful stream vs huge high waves that come crashing down tearing apart whatever is around in a tsunami. Which would you prefer to have going on in your body?

Let’s look more specifically at why an alkalized environment is so important:

1.       An acidic environment promotes and eventually creates disease- think back to the crashing waves- if it continues to crash down it begins to wear away important things and destruct. An acidic environment takes oxygen away from your cells which are the basis of our lives. Once oxygen is taken away, the cells begin to die and form tumors that may become malignant in other words cancer.

a.       Acidic foods also contribute to

                                                               i.      Heart disease

                                                             ii.      High Cholesterol

                                                            iii.      Strokes

                                                           iv.      Diabetes

                                                             v.      Multiple Sclerosis

                                                           vi.      Arthritis

2.       An acidic environment leaves you feeling sluggish, depressed, unhappy, and unhealthy

a.       Having a continuous acidic environment weighs down on your systems- using products that are not natural- breathing in unhealthy toxins even in your home, and eating acidic foods all contribute to this and may also affect your sleep.

3.       Finally an acidic environment may eventually lead to death- consistently eating acidic foods, and leading an acidic lifestyle- allowing stress, using harmful products, not getting enough rest just to name  a few all may contribute to an untimely demise that can be prevented

But guess what?!? There is great news! We can prevent, and possibly even reverse everything that was mentioned above simply by making lifestyle changes. Here are a few ways that we can start even after reading this article:

·         Stop eating at least 3 hours before you go to bed

·         Get adequate rest

·         Eat more foods that are alkalizing vs acidic here are a few

o   Alkalizing-

§  Root Vegetables-such as beets and carrots- the easiest way is to juice or blend them so you get the raw live enzymes immediately into your blood stream

§  Cruciferous vegetables- such as broccoli and cabbage- you can easily add them to your salad or lightly steam them

§  Fruits- any and all fruits- except dried fruits

§  Water

·         Eat less acidic foods-

o   The easiest way to remember that is the SAD diet- the standard American diet. If you eat grits, bacon, and eggs for breakfast, a hamburger or turkey sandwich for lunch with chips and a pickle, spaghetti for dinner whole grain or not, maybe a side salad, and in the morning you have had coffee more than not, I can tell you right now your body is acidic. Even if you add an apple in here and there, that is still not enough to create an alkalizing environment.

o   Your daily meals should consist of mostly fruits, veggies and plant based foods with all the others items thrown in occasionally.

·         Work on less stress- not letting your environment affect you.  This may sound easier said than done but it is definitely worth a try if your health is at risk. Proverbs 3:5-6, 1 Peter 5:7 if you read the Bible are great scriptures to start with  and of course quiet time, and prayer  are great way to alleviate stress.

·         Work to eliminate using harmful products on your skin and in cleaning- all of these things seep into our skin and go directly to our blood stream which eventually can affect our organs- anything environmentally safe is fine for cleaning. Skin and hair care products should not have parabens and many other things here is a website that will help: http://lotionsecrets.com/glossaryharmful.html  and too make things even easier- coconut oil, olive oil, and shea butter are great moisturizers that may be used all should be cold pressed

This may probably seem to be a lot for people who feel they have made healthy changes but if you begin to make these above changes you will most definitely see changes over a period of time. Choose a few at a time and make gradual changes but do your best to allow your body to stay in an alkalized state.

Challenge: Start alkalizing to survive today!! Make gradual changes you WILL feel a difference!

For some alkalizing recipes check the below website under the recipes tab.

Remember: It's not a diet....it's a lifestyle

Questions, testimonies, comments go to www.nakeeshaharris.com or email nakeeshasnutrition@nakeeshaharris.com

The New Age Question: Blending vs. Juicing

The New Age Question: Blending vs. Juicing

By Nakeesha T. Harris, MS, CNC, CMM www.nakeeshaharris.com

             Green smoothies and freshly juiced green juices are all the rage right now. Pictures posted on social networks of smoothies blended to perfection, and fruits and veggies juiced to a lovely green color are all over. Many people think they are the same thing, and even further, many wonder which is better: blending or juicing? To answer this quickly: both. Easy right? Well let’s take a further look.

            Juicing is when one takes fresh leafy greens, celery, apples, beets, really anything one pleases and pushes them through either a centrifugal or masticating juicer. These are two different types of juices one which heats up to extract the juice and one that works slowly to extract.  Once the fruit or vegetable is pushed through the machine, it becomes a fresh watery green juice.

Blending is when all of the above and more are placed in a high powered blender with water, juice, or some type of liquid added and blended together to make a thick smoothie.

Both have many similarities:

·         Great to start the day with

·         An excellent way to ensure you are getting raw veggie and fruit nutrients, vitamins, and minerals

·         Aide in many health benefits including; lowering blood pressure, entering the blood stream quickly, and lowering cholesterol just to name a few

So what’s the debate about which is better? Well it’s simple- juicing is more of a detoxifying process. When fruit and vegetables are “juiced” the fiber is removed, thus eliminating the digestion process from having to take place. Once the fresh juice is consumed, it immediately goes straight to the blood stream without any other processes in the body having to work. Many go on a juice detox in which they drink juice only during each meal for a set amount of days. This is a great way to give your body a rest and at the same time ensure that you are receiving daily nutrients through the juice. It also is very cleansing of the colon and blood. Since the body does not have to digest anything, it gives the colon a break and opportunity to remove previous waste.

Blending on the other hand does require some digestion and really is more of a building healthy cells process. While it works wonderfully for providing the body whole nutrition quickly, digestion does still take place. Blending fresh fruits and vegetables are an excellent way to rebuild cells, provide energy, and as mentioned earlier, one receives an abundance of fruits and vegetables without having to so much as chew, pick up a fork, spoon, or cook anything.

In conclusion, both juicing and blending are exceptional. My recommendation would be for detox or cleanse- juice, and for rebuilding healthy cells- blend. If you do both, drink your juice first for a good morning energy boost, and then have your green smoothie for a whole body building nutritional vitamin. Either choice is giving your body many wonderful things that if done continuously with other wise health choices may prevent or reverse ailments, and diseases.

Give one a try today!!!

Juicing Recipe – from Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

Green & Lean

 1 Cup of Ice (only a cup, not a mug)

25 ounces Water or Coconut water

1 Lemon

1 Small Piece of Ginger

3 Large Stalks Collard Greens

1 Large Cucumber

2 Green Apples

1 Ripe Banana

5 Strawberries

½ Cup Blueberries

Blending Recipe – from www.incrediblesmoothies.com

Banana-Orange-Kale

1 medium banana, peeled

1 orange, peeled

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

2 cups kale, chopped

8 ounces of filtered water

 

Challenge: Try a green smoothie or green juice today! Looks can be deceiving you will enjoy it!!

Questions, Comments, Testimonies visit www.nakeeshaharris.com or email nakeeshasnutrition@nakeeshaharris.com

Fuel Not Flood Your Body

Fuel not Flood your Body by Nakeesha Harris, M.S., CNC, CMM

Title inspired by Deborah Moneterio

Generally when something has flooded it is not a good thing- damage to property, mold, insurance, and money all come to mind with this type of destruction. This actually is the same thing we do to our bodies when we flood them with unhealthy things- we damage, we promote growth of unhealthy toxins (mold), we have to use our insurance, and we definitely have to pay money to try and fix the problem.

 In this article we are going to look at ways that we as humans flood our bodies destructively daily BUT we are also going to share practical solutions that we can put into place today even while reading to end this destructive behavior and get on track. This can be done!

There are three ways that I believe we flood our bodies, nutritionally, in our minds, and in our spirits. Let’s look at each:

Nutritionally-

o    Abundance of unhealthy foods-fast food, sweets, processed foods (even healthy ones), enriched flour, sugar etc.

The Solution!!

·         FAVE- Fruits And Vegetables Eat!!- preferably as many raw foods as possible- I know that everyone is not a vegan and some may be far from even thinking of becoming anything close HOWEVER I will STRONGLY recommend a more plant based lifestyle with a splash of animal products, I PROMISE your body will love you! Of course exercise plays a huge part as well. Moving and getting up your heart rate along with eating well makes a VERY happy body.

In our Mind-

o   Everything starts in the mind, stress, negativism, depression etc., all begin in the mind. We have to take steps to clear our minds and grow in health:

The Solution!!

Less television, more reading, family time, flood your mind with positivity- for the most part television is filled with negative images that can begin to permeate into your mind and form habits that you are not even aware of how it begin. 

Eat your meal w/o the television on- spend 30 min to an hour with your family or by yourself reading or just talking about goals and life, set a goal to reach the goals you have by yourself by turning off the television and growing you!

Our Spirit-

o   If you believe in a Higher power know that He has got everything under control. We are free of worry and given a gift of peace- let’s willingly accept this gift and allow God to be God instead of worrying about things we have no control over.

The Solution!!

·         Prayer, thanksgiving

·         reading the Word, inspirational quotes

·         encouraging prayer partner- feed your spirit with positive things

So let’s review:  from this point forward we are going to fuel our health and not flood our health by

·         FAVE- fruits and vegetables eat

·         Turning off the television- setting goals, spending time with family

·         spending time with God-prayer, meditation, reading, with a friend

Challenge- This month increase each of these suggestions- even if by one piece of fruit, one minute less of television, reading one scripture, do something to fuel your body and not flood it.

You can do it!!!

For questions or comments feel free to visit www.nakeeshaharris.com or email nakeeshasnutrition@nakeeshaharris.com.