LIFE-GIVING FOOD LIST

 
How we think about food is so important. When we understand the spiritual and life-giving qualities of the foods that we are eating it can be transformative. We can feel the deeper benefits and absorb the nutritional value of the food we are eating.  Food becomes true medicine instead of the enemy.

When we eat to heal, the body responds with authentic feedback.

Once we clear bad habits driven by emotion, old ways of thinking, sugar/salt cravings, cravings coming from deficiencies, guilt, shame, confusion and frustration, we can enter into a clean slate and get back to living in balance. Eating what we truly NEED based on clear signals from our body. We won’t be in battle anymore because eating clean feels better than the taste of something we know doesn’t serve our higher self and who we want to be. 


The Holy Four:  Fruits, Veggies, Herbs & Spices and Wild Food

(from the Medical Medium Book: Life-Changing Foods.)

Every single member of the Holy Four in its raw or steamed form acts as a prebiotic (feeds healthy bacteria in the body) 

FRUIT

Apples (cleansing properties) 

Apricots  (fresh or dried/dehydrated)

Avocado (1 per day, great travel food)

Banana (eat ripe, great travel food and great before and after exercise)

Berries of any kind (best eaten in morning alone, grazing option, wild is best, raw honey+ berries great prebiotic, cleanse liver and increases adrenal strength)

Cherries (cleansing/detoxifying, small portions, go for the dark deeper shades of cherries)

Cranberries (frozen or 100% juice) 

Dates (eat 4-6 daily, try 2 hours before bed, great grab&Go food for travel)

Figs (grounding food)

Grapes/Raisins

Kiwi

Lemons/Limes (add to 16oz water in morning wait 1hour to help clean up liver before breakfast and night time do lemon/honey in hot water before bed)

Mangos (help with restful sleep and great before exercise good for recovery)

Melons of any kind (best eaten in morning and alone, predigestion option)

Oranges/Tangerines (predigestion, add honey for added benefit for killing viruses/unproductive bacteria in gut)

Papayas (good for constipation)

Pears (great fiber on salads, eat between meals help with cravings, appetite suppressant and stomach tonic)

Pomegranates (eat seeds as a crunchy on salads, stir-fry, hummus, guacamole, appetite suppressant)


VEGETABLE

Artichokes (best way is to steam them, eat with salad)

Asparagus (look for thick fat spears, great organ detox food)

Celery - (juice and drink in morning*, great snack food and travel food, celery/cilantro smoothie for detoxing heavy metals)

All Cruciferous Veggies (Red cabbage, Kale, collards, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels, green cabbage)  - great base for recipes, adding protein for a meal.

Green and Yellow Squash - great detox qualities

Cucumbers - (healing juice, use as alternative to pasta w/ julienne peeler. Peel skin if eating conventional (non-organic) to get rid of toxins)

Eat a variety of  Leafy Greens (alkaline-producing in body, juice or eat raw, great probiotic, try growing your own greens) 

Onions (kills contaminants, chopped onions help with mucous, buy fresh ones that are firm and  not the ones that are sprouting new green) this is different then buying a fresh picked one with green still attached

Sweet Potato and white potato (organic)  Best way is to steam them to keep nutrients. Grounding food. Great absorption qualities. 

Radish(superstar food, especially for women, look for black radishes most powerful, eat raw in salads, but all radishes amazing)

Sprouts and Microgreens (highly adaptogenic promote that in those who eat them, 2 cups per day max benefit, Food for the Soul. Anti-aging benefits see link below on how to grow them at home.)


HERBS/SPICES

Oregano, Rosemary, Sage and Thyme (aromatic herbs providing disease-fighting phyochemicals - anti-bac, anti-viral, anti-fungal) essential oils used to detox body, mind and soul. 

Cilantro – (eat fresh to clean heavy metals, use in smoothies on salads, chopped in recipes, salsa, soups etc.)

Garlic - (best if consumed raw)

Ginger - (great for digestion, ginger tea during a full moon)

Parsley - superfood. Aromatic herb super alkalizing to the entire body. 

Turmeric  - anti-inflammatory superstar; after a workout recovery agent


WILD FOODS

Aloe Vera - buy the large aloe leaves and scoop out the gel. EAt in smoothies

Atlantic Sea Vegetables - Atlantic Dulse - super charged toxin-removing elixir place in smoothie (heavy metal detoxx)

Burdock Root - Take as a tea for enhanced lymphatic draining (put in a soup or juice)

Chaga Mushroom - smoothies, in hot water add raw honey. Enhances body’s immunity/building immune system.

Coconut Oil- drink pure coconut water no additives, take it in a oil form (alkalizing) helps with insomnia during a full moon.

Raw Honey – another superstar. Only take it in its raw form (don’t heat it) also try to eat local honey for immune-system building, allergies, etc. Spoon full everyday. 

Wild Blueberries -  ultimate wild food! Small blue wonders are amazing and another wild superstar.  Buy them in the frozen easiest to find most nutritious. Smoothies or added to grains as tolerated.

Medicinal Teas

Burdock Root - Take as a tea for enhanced lymphatic draining (put in a soup or juice)

Red Clover - take as a purifying tea in the evening 

Rose Hips - roses for the soul. HIgh vitamin C content: brew it, add lemon and honey or make a sun tea for high vitamin C content. 

Nettle Leaf - take in tea in the afternoon. Great for centering when you feel scattered. TAke with mint and ginger added to tea.

Dandelion – detox tea

Lemon Balm (known as Melissa, great for healing gut, make a sun tea, helps with restful sleep)

Licorice Root - (break caffeine addiction, first thing in morning, trouble with digestion, drink tea after you eat)

Lean ANIMAL Proteins

Buy Organic as much as your budget will allow

  • Whole Eggs

  • Chicken

  • Turkey 

  • Lean Beef

  • Lamb

  • Avoid Pork

Eat these Lowest MERCURY Fish/Seafood 

  • Anchovies Butterfish

  • Catfish

  • Clam

  • Crab (Domestic) Crawfish/Crayfish Croaker (Atlantic) Flounder* Haddock (Atlantic)* Hake Herring Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)

  • Mullet, Oyster Perch (ocean), Perch (Ocean)

  • Salmon (Wild, Canned or Fresh) Farmed Salmon -- might contain PCBs

  • Sardine

  • Scallop*, Shad (American)

  • Shrimp*

  • Sole (Pacific)

  • Squid (Calamari)

  • Tilapia

  • Trout (Freshwater)

  • Whitefish

  • Whiting 

  • *not eco-friendly - overfished

Grains

  • Oats

  • Quinoa

  • Kitchari meal

  • Basmati rice, wild rice

  • Pasta (super small portions once you cleanse cravings and get your portions under control for carbs)

Processed Grains

  • Ezekiel Bread

  • Rice Cakes

  • stay mindful - great choice for a meal

Oils  - main rule: avoid industrial oils: canola, vegetable, palm, corn, safflower, soybean

Buy smaller containers of the following oils. Oils will spoil and go rancid if kept too long. Store in a cool dark pla

  • Coconut and Avocado for high-heat oils

  • Olive best for saute and salads

  • Ghee (clarifyied butter)  high heat and saute

Add/ons and crunchies:

  • Almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts

  • Seeds: pumpkin

  • Dates great on salad

  • cranberries/almonds

Some DAIRY:

  • we don’t need milk

  • low-sugar greek plain yogurt

  • parmesan, goat and feta cheese as a garnish

  • everything in moderation and as it agrees with you

Treats

Same deal here. Once you get your body reset you can usually eat something “bad” with little to no problem. There are exceptions of course.. Sparingly. In that “once-in-a-while” category .  10%-20% of the time. It is called a treat for a reason. If it’s super rich and sugary then it isn’t good for ya so only have it once in a while. Goes for alcohol too.  Too much of a bad thing is well…bad. 


In general to reduce toxic exposure: 

Eat Organic vs. conventional

Frozen when you can’t find fresh 

Wash all fresh fruits and veggies before consuming 

Peel skin when you can to get rid of toxins (mostly on non-organic)

Keep alcohol in moderation and as we age need to be even more mindful