Detox & Nourish: 

We are learning this week about putting on the Belt of Truth in our devotional series. So, it seems only fitting to think about our diets and what we are putting in our bodies. 

Dr. Ann Wigmore is quoted as saying, "the food you eat is either the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison." 

From obesity to chronic illnesses, there are three main factors involved:

1. Toxicity
2. Deficiency 
3. Inflammation

It's critical to cleanse your system by eliminating toxic input- but it's equally important to address nutritional shortcomings. The only way to do that, is to eat plenty of good, clean, nourishing food. 

My dear friend Amy Thedinga is an expert on setting up a nutritional plan to address these three factors. Check out her Real Food Reset Program, HERE if you want to dive in! You will learn an amazing amount of life-changing info there.

Nutrition is obviously a topic we could go on and on about. Here are a few guidelines to get the dialog started:

Loosen your rules about the perfect diet

1. Get to know yourself better
2. Ask yourself if you’re choosing joy & choosing a vibrant thriving life- or if you’re choosing fear that’s packaged to look like good habits or the perfect, “best” way to eat.
3. Put aside fixations with your clothes sixe and appearance and start feeling more and being more present in your body.
4. You’re stronger when you team up with you body, and feel more, than when you try to rule over it with your mind.

It’s About Quality Not Quantity

1. YOU CAN STOP COUNTING CALORIES!

2. Focus more on food quality and less on food quantity. If you are primarily eating whole, healthy foods (an array of veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, meats, fish, eggs, whole-kernel grains and healthy fats/oils) you don’t need to stress about #s. You can trust that your body will tell you what you need.

How/why does this philosophy work?

• Our bodies require a consistent balance of healthy macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) as well as micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants & phytochemicals)- plus adequate phytonutrients (enzymes, fiber & water).  When we miss any part of these elements, your energy levels decrease, hormones and neurotransmitters get imbalanced, and your metabolism stops working efficient.

• The health of our metabolism (the machinery that dictates how we burn fat and produce muscle) requires whole, “real” foods & the complex synergistic blend of nutrients they contain to function properly.

• “Diet plans” (selecting foods on low calories, low-carb, high-protein or low-fat characteristics) fail because, they put your body into a hunger-creating, “fat-conservation” mode.
• Your body eventually compensates by reducing your metabolic rate. Goodbye caloric burn. Hello weight rebound!

A diet that enables our bodies to thrive is whole food-based and diverse. It will naturally provide a low glycemic load and a high phyonutrient index. 

Here’s what you need to eat:

Vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, lean meats, fish, eggs, whole-kernel grains and healthy fats/oils.

Here's something else you can do:

For the past couple of years, I have started my mornings out with a warm detox drink and I feel like it has greatly improved my health. In addition to giving your body a nice blast of vitamin C, it fires up your metabolism and helps to detoxify the liver and elimination organs of the body. #loveit

Drink this blend EVERYDAY, no matter what, and as soon as possible upon waking:

• Squeeze 1/2 lemon in a mug. 
• Add a dash of cayenne pepper and hot water
• Sip this concoction through a straw (preserves tooth enamel) and chase with at least 8 oz of cool water.

Buy these every week:

Dark leafy greens (more nutrients, calorie for calorie, than any other food),

Cruciferous Veggies (lower the risk of cancer),

• (protect you from heart disease, and other degenerative diseases),
• (prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, ulcers, and high blood pressure),

Eggs (full of protein, good fats, and choline which is essential to the functioning of all cells),

Walnuts (Omega 3’s and other nutrients protect your heart).

Eating to Thrive: 

• Instead of worrying about food labels, buy fewer packaged foods. Fill the kitchen with REAL FOOD- the kind of stuff that grows in the ground, goes bad if not refrigerated, or has a limited shelf life.
• Clear your pantry of anything containing high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners.
• Eat the colors of the rainbow: Especially choose vegetables (and some fruits) in a wide range of deep colors. Intense colors indicates loads of phytonutrients (biologically active substances that protect plants from viruses and bacteria- and offer the same benefits to humans.
• Buy organic and local- better yet go hyper local and grow your own. Dirty Dozen: Apples, celery, cherries, tomatoes, grapes, peppers, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, strawberries, leafy greens (spinach, lettuce, kale & collards), blueberries. Clean Fifteen: Asparagus, avocado, cabbage, cantaloupe, corn, eggplant, grapefruit, kiwi, mango, mushrooms, onions, sweet potatoes, pineapple, and sweet peas.
• Sugar is poison Sugar raises your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Sugar and carbs trigger the production of bad cholesterol in your body as well- not the cholesterol level in the food you eat.
•  Fermented foods (Kombucha, Miso etc) Fermentation transforms foods into a superior food, rich in friendly flora, lactobacilli and enzymes that are extremely beneficial to your health. Gut health is CRITICAL to your overall health. In fact, a healthy intestinal tract should contain 85% friendly bacteria to prevent the over colonization of disease causing micro-organisms- which result in a large number of ailments from digestive disorders, joint inflammation to susceptibility to colds and flu.
• Fat is GOOD for you Your body needs fat to flourish- good fats which are found in nutritious foods like avocados, raw nuts, coconut oils, grass-fed meats, fatty fish and even butter from grass-fed cows. It’s the BAD fats you have to avoid- those in fried and processed foods. Good fats are not the enemy. Complex carbs satisfy hunger for 1-2 hours, protein for 3-4, good fat for 5-6 hours. Good fats also help keep blood sugars at a healthy level = optimal health.
• Upgrade your snacks The less junky food you eat, the more sensitive and subtle your taste buds become. Without the onslaught of heavily salted, artificially flavored, fatted-up foods, you mouth learns to appreciate and crave a diet that will help you to thrive. You can trust your body to tell you what it needs- but you’ve got to get rid of the processed junk.

Healthy Snack Recipe: Mix equal parts of- raw almonds, raw walnuts, raw cashews, raw Brazil nuts, raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs- and a dash of chopped dates. Yummy!

Workout of the Week: We've got two fabulous workouts for this week.

1. The Lord's Prayer Yoga Flow

2. Belt of Truth Core Circuit  

The Belt of Truth Video Devotional: "God is strong and He wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them, to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way." ~ Ephesians 6:10-12 (The Message)  Click below to hear this week's video devo on The Belt of Truth

Recipe of the Week: FOOD BABE'S LENTIL DETOX SALAD

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
• 2 tsp of curry powder (or more if you like it spicy)
• 2 tsp of honey
• juice of one lime
• Salad:
• 2 red peppers diced
• 8 ounces of sprouted lentils cooked
• 1 bunch of cilantro chopped (about 3-4 cups)
• 2 tbsp of raisins or dried currants
• 1 avocado diced

Instructions

1. Mix together dressing in a large bowl, add together the other ingredients (except avocado) and mix well.
2. Serve immediately or store in fridge up to 3 days.
3. Top with avocado before serving.

Note: This is called a detox salad because it contains a very detoxifying herb called cilantro. As you can see, there's actually no lettuce in this salad – the cilantro makes up all the greens. Cilantro can help the body rid itself of heavy metals, reduce water weight, is a cancer fighter and can improve memory with its brain protecting vitamins and minerals.If don’t want to use cilantro, try arugula, parsley or kale instead.

From my Holy-spirit infused soul to yours!

Amber