Best and worst breads on the market

Food babe is my number one go to site for learning about ingredients that are not safe for your body.  Recently she did an article about the healthiest breads and worst breads you can buy.  She also has been on CNN talking about Subway and how they put azodicarbonamide (same ingredient in yoga mats and shoe rubber) in all their bread!  In fact, a lot of breads have this nasty ingredient!  I think I will pass on the yoga mat sandwich for now!  Disgusting! 

Before I dive into the healthiest and worst breads I wanted to first talk a little bit about bread. Gluten free food is super popular right now and unless you have a gluten sensitivity you really don't need to avoid gluten.  I think the reason why so many people are buying gluten free foods is because as a society in general we eat way too much wheat.  Bread for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.  This can be hard on your body over time because grains are hard to digest and your pancreatic enzymes can become overworked.  In general there are too many  chemicals added to breads these days.  Flour can be treated with 60 different chemicals approved by the FDA, including chemical bleach!

Bread ingredients to stay away from

• dough conditioners
• azodicarbonamide
• DATEM
• monoglycerides
• diglycerides
• sodium stearoyl lactylate
• soybean oil/corn oil
• presrvatves
• GMOs
• added sugar
• sucralose
• artificial flavors and coloring

 


 




HEALTHIEST BREADS


 


 my favorite breads!

I love to buy alpine valley organic whole grain bread.  Want to know a little secret?  If you go to the alpine valley factory in Mesa on country club and southern you can buy a loaf of bread for $1 each!  I like to stock up and put them in my freezer.

Ingredients:
Organic Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Organic Wheat Flour, Water, Organic Evaporated Cane Syrup, Organic Honey, Organic Oats, Organic Oat Bran, Organic Cultured Wheat Flour, Organic Vinegar, Sea Salt, Yeast, Wheat Enzymes.


Another favorite of mine is ezekiel bread!  I love their cinammon raisin bread, english muffins, and their 7 grains bread.

 healthy bread list:

Sprouted Grain Breads

• Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread – Food for Life (all varieties – 7 grains, sesame, genesis, flax, cinnamon raisin, tortillas, muffins)
• Sunseed Bread – Manna
• Banana Walnut Hemp Bread – Manna
• Sprouted Multi-Grain Bread – Rudi’s (contains added sugar)
• Sprouted Wheat Bread – Dave’s Killer Bread (contains added sugar)
• Sprouted Wheat Multi-Grain Bread – Alvarado St. Bakery (contains added sugar)

Gluten-Free Breads

• Buckwheat Bread – Happy Camper’s (contains added sugar)
• Gluten-Free Rice Almond Bread – Food for Life (contains added sugar)
• Gluten-Free Exotic Black Rice Bread – Food for Life (contains added sugar)
• Gluten-Free Super Chia Bread – Nature’s Path (contains added sugar)
• Good Morning Millet Toaster Cakes – Ancient Grains Bakery (contains added sugar)
• Gluten-Free Deli Rye Style Bread – Canyon Bakehouse (contains added sugar)

Ancient Grain Breads

• Gluten-Free Ancient Grains Bread – Manna (contains added sugar)
• Spelt Ancient Grain Bread – Rudi’s (contains added sugar)
• Good Seed Spelt Bread – Dave’s Killer Bread (contains added sugar)

you can read the full article on bread here.

grocery shopping

I wanted to do a post on what my grocery shopping typically looks like.  Each week I go to the superstition farmers market for discounted fruits and vegetables.  I like to buy certain things organic, so I just get the things I want organic from Trader Joe's.  I usually spend around $80-100 per week on groceries for my husband, a toddler, and me.  Yes, this is a lot, but having healthy food for my family is my number one priority.  I don't eat out, maybe once a month and I don't really buy anything extra for myself.  Come find me on instagram at healthy_withsam for daily healthy meals and workouts.

My typical grocery list

Produce

• apples
• bananas
• pears
• organic spinach
• zucchini
• butternut squash
• asparagus 
• tomatoes
• avocado
• cilantro
• green beans
• frozen fruit 
• broccoli
• sweet potatoes

Grains

• ezekiel bread
• ezekiel tortillas
• ezekiel cereal
• whole wheat pasta
• couscous
• quinoa
• oatmeal
• granola

Milk

• unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• organic soy milk

Other

• chia seeds
• flax seed
• greek yogurt
• organic eggs
• extra lean ground turkey
• organic chicken
• salsa
• frozen acai packets (at sprouts)
• sunflower seed butter
• almond butter
• cashews
• almonds
• raisins
• unsweetened coconut
• organic strawberry jam

Costco ( I usually go once a month or once every two months for these items)

•  frozen pineapples 
• organic frozen berries
• quinoa
• brown rice
• whole wheat pasta
• dates
• oatmeal

Trader Joe's (here is what I normally buy at trader joe's)

• ezekiel bread (they have the best price that I have seen)
• ezekiel tortillas
• couscous
• granola (I like the coconut cranberry trader joe's brand kind)
• greek yogurt (organic plain, and sometimes the mango)
• organic strawberry jam
• sunflower butter
• almond butter
• cashews
• almonds
• raisins
• unsweetened coconut
• organic eggs
• organic chicken
• organic soy milk
• unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• hummus (Mediterranean kind)

Here is a peak into my fridge from my grocery trip this week.  I actually bought enough that I won't go shopping for two weeks.  I freeze a lot of fruit and my produce usually lasts around two weeks.  It seems like way too much food for us, but we always end up eating it all.  We eat a ton of produce!  My husband bikes crazy distances every week and needs to eat a ton to refuel.  

Here is a look at what I bought at the superstition farmers market this week.  I always load up on sweet potatoes, any berries on sale, pears, tomatoes, green beens

Some of my trader joe favorites!


almonds
dried mango
almond butter
sunflower seed butter
hummus
corn tortillas
organic spinach
organic plain greek yogurt
mango greek yogurt
coconut cranberry granola
any sliced up veggies that make my life easy!

what I get for Allie:
apple bars
fig bars
raisins
mangos sliced up
spinach tortellini

natural teething remedies for Allie

This past week I decided to start training for the turkey trot. So far I can barely run three miles.  I have been running with Allie, pushing her in the jogging stroller.  I want to do the 6 mile race, but I don't know if that will happen.  I can't believe I ran a marathon and can't even run 3 miles now!  Getting out of running shape is so easy!  Just stop running for two weeks and you pretty much lose it.  I love doing the turkey trot every year.  It's so nice to wake up and run before you eat a yummy meal that pretty much lasts all day long!  I'm not a big fan of turkey and stuffing so Thanksgiving food isn't really my thing.  Pumpkin pie is though!  I pretty much would rather just eat the pumpkin pie for dinner.  This year I'm going to make a vegan pumpkin pie from the blog Oh She Glows.  I love all of her recipes, they always taste good no matter what I make.  I can't wait until her cookbook comes out!

Lately Allie has been such a stinker!  She wakes up a couple times a night crying and eating her hands and anything she can get her mouth on.  I feel so bad for her so I can't just let her cry because I know her mouth is hurting her.  Orajel shouldn't be used on babies because it has benzocaine in it and has been linked to a disease called methemoglobinemia.  The FDA has warned people not to use this on babies.  You can read the CNN article here, I'm not making this stuff up people.  You would think that they would stop selling it, but no they still do.  So I became desperate to find something that would work for my baby.  I wanted my happy Allie back so bad!  I also really like sleeping!

Allie's teething routine!

Her teeth usually don't bother her that much during the day.  It starts around 6 that she gets really angry and starts doing but thrusts in the air and chews on anything she can find.  This can go on for hours and hours.  At night this is what I have been doing for her and ever since she has been using all this stuff she has slept 8 hours or more.  

2 doses of camilia 

Camilia is a natural medicine that has chamomilla to relieve teething pain, phytolacca decandra which relieves painful gums, and rheum which relieves minor digestive disorders associated with teething.  All natural and safe ingredients.

I rub coconut oil and lavender oil on her jaw and around her nose.

I mix 1 tbsp coconut oil to 2 drops lavender oil and put them in these containers that I bought at the dollar store.  It smells so good, helps her sleep, and helps sooth her sore jaw.

I also rub coconut oil and clove oil on her sore gums.

I mix 1 tbsp of coconut oil to 2 drops clove oil and put them in a container and mix it.  Then I just use a qtip or my finger and rub her mouth where it is bothering her the most.  Clove oil helps numb the mouth and relieve the pain.  These three things have been helping out a lot.  

Sometimes I just give her a cold carrot to chew on :)

Here is a video of my thruster girl!  She does this A LOT!  

and here is what my happy girl looks like

Being a mom is so hard sometimes, but it is worth it!

I have so much fun dressing this girl

I have been working really hard to get all of my eyeshadows done in time for this boutique.  There are going to be over 80 venders, so come get your holiday shopping done early!  I've never sold my mineral makeup at a boutique before so I'm kind of nervous, but if no one buys it at least Christmas is coming up and I can use them for presents, right?

These are some of the pictures my sisters let me take of them.  Aren't they gorgeous?  I used my mineral makeup on them to get some pretty shots.  

Top pictures are amber glaze with maroon matte.

bottom pictures are silver with black..

I'm Back!

I'm back!  I have been adjusting to this whole mom thing for a while and finally feel like I might want to start blogging again.  I also really miss making my mineral makeup, so hopefully that will start up soon too!  Being a mom is the greatest thing ever and is so much fun.  Allie has so much energy!  

For the past two weeks I have been eating a completely whole foods plant based diet.  No processed foods, no meat, and no dairy.  It has been so much fun experimenting with new recipes and trying to be creative.   A couple nights ago Rip Esselstyn, author of the Engine 2 Diet spoke at whole foods in Phoenix.  It was so much fun.  Allie was a little crazy for half of it so my husband just walked her around whole foods so I could listen.  

Some of my favorite things from the night....

"Your genes are not your destiny!"-Not many people know that your genes do not control your destiny.  The way you eat is far more important than any genetic predisposition you have.

Mexico is now the fattest country! So glad we are not number 1 anymore.

Protein from animals and dairy creates metabolic acidosis in our bodies and our bodies want to then create a neutral environment.  We use the calcium from our bones in order to buffer the acid.  Dairy is actually doing the opposite of what we think it is, it is actually weakening our bones.  We can get way better sources of calcium from plants!

Plant based proteins are complete proteins!

You can get your daily amount of vitamin b12 from fortified cereals, plant based milk, and nutritional yeast.

You can get enough iron from a plant based diet

"How many people do you know that were hospitalized last year for protein deficiency?"  We actually don't need as much protein as we think.  

I highly recommend getting Rip Esselstyn's new book, My Beef with Meat.  It explains every nutrition myth in a short easy to understand way.  It also has a ton of recipes in the back!  

This is from the other night at Whole Foods.  How did my baby get this big!

Here are some pictures from Allison's first week

I miss my cute little baby, but at the same time I'm so happy I get to sleep 8 hours most nights now.

how to grow your own wheat grass

We are getting so excited for baby girl to get here!  Only four short weeks til our baby comes.  It seems so far away.  Who knows, maybe she will come sooner.  Jordan was at a friends house working on their bikes and they gave him this awesome crib!  I was so excited.  I already put it right next to my bed so I can stare at my baby 24/7 haha.  I am definitely ready for this pregnancy to be over.  My stomach pretty much hurts all the time, I am so sick of it.  My mom came over and cleaned my house, brought me lunch, and gave me a MUCH needed pedicure!  It was the best day ever.  Love her!

During this pregnancy I have tried to eat really healthy for the baby.  One thing I got into was juicing wheatgrass.  It is super cheap and easy I promise!  (Or else I probably wouldn't do it).  I first tried wheatgrass at jamba juice but decided two dollars for a shot of wheatgrass everyday would get old. 

what you will need:

certified organic hard red wheat for growing wheat grass.  Here is where I bought mine on amazon.
Around $12 for 5 pounds (really good deal)  

Organic soil (I bought this at walmart for a couple dollars)  We are in an apartment so I didn't feel like awkwardly digging a hole and stealing dirt.  Organic soil is always best to use.

Azomite:  around 10 dollars on amazon.  You only need a very small amount for growing wheatgrass so it will last you a long time.  Azomite has 67 organic trace minerals to help wheatgrass grow.

wheatgrass tray:  I bought super cheap individual trays at walmart for five dollars.  It's better to use an actual wheatgrass tray that has holes in it so the water can drain out.   You can buy these on amazon as well.

And that's it!  Simple!

how to grow your wheatgrass

STEP 1

The first thing you will need to do is soak your wheatgrass seeds in cold water for a couple hours, I just soaked mine over night.

STEP 2

Next, fill up whatever trays you are using with organic soil.  I filled mine about 2/3 full.

STEP 3

sprinkle azomite all over the soil.  I used a spoonful and just sprinkled it over so it covered the dirt.  Just make sure it's evenly spread out.

STEP 4

Sprinkle wheatgrass seeds on top of azomite.  

STEP 5

place a paper towel over your wheatgrass and then use a cup to pour water all over the paper towel.  I placed my wheatgrass in the sink so it didn't make a mess.  Leave the paper towel on top of the wheatgrass until it starts to lift the paper towel up from the height of the wheatgrass.  This will probably be for five days.  Water your wheatgrass once a day.  I think mine took around a week and a half to grow until I started juicing it.

There are a couple options on how to drink your wheatgrass.  The cheapest easiest way that I use is to cut a handful of wheatgrass and put it in my blender and add a small amount of water.  After I blend it all up you can use a strainer (I use a milk bag, you can buy them at whole foods or amazon) and get all of the juice out without the leftover grass chunks.  

Or..you can buy a sweet wheatgrass juicer.  I will probably get one eventually, but right now all of our extra money is spent on baby stuff.  So maybe after the baby stops sucking all of our money I will save for one.  This one actually looks like a pretty good one that I would probably buy.  They can range anywhere from 50-300 dollars.  

Once you cut your wheatgrass you can use the same seed and just keep watering it and cutting it.  It's recommended to only do this five times because it will start to lose its nutrients.  I use the same seeds five times and then toss them and start over again.  

Benefits of wheatgrass

• wheatgrass juice is one of the best sources of chlorophyll available, chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life
• wheatgrass is high in oxygen and the body tissue and brain function better in a highly oxygenated environment
• chlorophyll is anti-bacterial
• wheatgrass rebuilds the bloodstream
• Wheatgrass has over 100 elements needed by man
• wheatgrass juice is superior compared to any other fruit or vegetable juice.  Just 15 pounds of wheatgrass juice is equivalent to 350 pounds of carrot juice.
• chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body
• chlorophyll helps purify the liver
• chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems
• wheatgrass juice helps with acne and even removes scars
• wheatgrass juice keeps hair from graying (I am all for that)
• wheatgrass improves digestion

Order your wheatgrass stuff today!  It's really fun to do a shot of it every morning.  And then you can start your day off super healthy.  Here is a starter kit that has everything you need in case you would rather buy it all together.  They also have a lot of good information on their website.

chipotle vs. chick-fil-a

Chick-fil-a


Chick-fil-a claims to be healthier than most fast food places.  If you eat at chick-fil-a you should know the truth.  Thier classic chicken sandwich has over 100 ingredients in it, a majority of them have health consequences.  Many of the ingredients are food colorings, refined grains, MSG, and GMO corn.  There are a total of 18 chemical preservitaves in their sandwich.  The ingredient TBHQ which stands for "tertiary butylhydroquinone" is a chemical made from butane (toxic gas).  Eating only 1 gram of this toxic preservative can cause all sorts of issues like ADHD in children, allergies, asthma, and certain cancers.  The FDA limits the amount of TBHQ that can be added to foods, they did this same thing with trans fats.  If a products contains .5 grams of transfat or less it can be labeled transfat free.  If you are eating fast food you are consuming a large amount of presrvatives and chemicals.  The high amounts consumed of these chemicals are a big contributing factor to auto immune diseases and cancers in the US.


Here is a recipe for a healthier chick-fil-a sandwich you can make at home.  I haven't tried it yet, but it looks pretty good.  I will try to make this next week.

Strawberry Milkshake                              

Icedream (whole milk, sugar, nonfat dry milk, cream, corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, dried whole eggs, cornstarch, mono and diglycerides, disodium phosphate, cellulose gum, carrageenan, sodium phosphate, guar gum, sodium citrate, annatto and caramel colors, artificial color [Yellow 5 & 6]), milkshake base (whole milk, sugar, cream, whey powder milk, nonfat dry milk, artificial flavor, disodium phosphate, mono and diglycerides, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, guar gum, cellulose gum, carrageenan), strawberries (water, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sugar syrup, modified food starch, salt, erythorbic acid, potassium sorbate as preservative, citric acid, artificial color, [contains FD&C Red #40]), whipped cream (cream, milk, sugar, sorbitol, nonfat milk solids, artificial flavor, mono and diglycerides, carrageenan, polysorbate 80, mixed tocopherols [vitamin E] to protect flavor, propellant: nitrous oxide), cherries, (high fructose corn syrup, water, potassium sorbate [a preservative], sodium benzoate [a preservative], citric acid, artificial flavor, FD&C Red #40, sulfur dioxide [a preservative]).

 

Wow!  I'm glad the last time we went to chick-fil-a my husband stole my milkshake from me.  Why does a milkshake need this many ingredients?  Look at all that crap in there!  You can look at all their ingredients on their website. 

Sorry to ruin your day if you love chick-fil-a!

Chipotle 

Chipotle now lists all of their ingredients on their website.  Chipotle still has some foods that contain preservatives, but nothing compared to chick-fil-a.  All of their meat and dairy is hormone and antibiotic free.  I would definitely splurge on a chipotle burrito or salad before chick-fil-a.  They do not add any aritifical colors or have any hidden MSG. 

Ok so here is one option to order at chipotle:
-organic black beans
-lettuce
-organic fresh tomato salsa
-organic  guacamole
-sour cream/cheese
-vegetables
-pork carnitas (they don't add any GMO oil to thier pork)

When I go to chick-fil-a I usually have the vegetarian burrito.  I add their vegetables, brown rice, guacamole, salsa, and a tiny bit of cheese. 

Here is a link to chipotles ingredients.
I love how they did their ingredients list.  It is really simple and easy to understand.  they put a G next to everything that has been genetically modified.  It makes it really easy to find safe options to order when you go there.  They even have options on their menu that is organic and local. 


Chick-fil-a vs. chipotle
Chipotle wins!

The truth about Emergen-C Packets

The other night I ran into walmart to pick out some vitamin C pills and was shocked.  I have never read the back of an emergen-c packet ingredient list before.  Emergen-c contains "natural flavors", which pretty much means the company can sneak in MSG without labeling it.  Also one of the ingredients I was shocked to find was maltodextrin, a GMO (genetically modified organism).  If a food says it contains maltodextrin then chances are it isn't organic and has been genetically modified, it is in the same category as high fructose corn syrup.  You need to always read the ingredients on vitamins to make sure you are getting the nutrients without the additives.   They have a lot of questionable ingredients.  I definitely won't be buying emergen-c anytime soon.

Here is an ingredient list for Emergen-C

INGREDIENTS:
Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium, Sodium, Potassium, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Quercetin, fructose, citric acid, natural flavor, tapioca maltodextrin, malic acid, silica, glycine, aspartic acid, tartaric acid, and cysteine hydrochloride.

Don't get too sad, there are better options!

This is what I started taking.

Garden of Life raw vitamin C

All of the ingredients are whole foods plant based and are 100% organic.

I got mine on sale at sprouts for $12

Here is the ingredients list for Garden of LIfe raw vitamin C:

	Amount Per Serving	% Daily Value
Vitamin C*	300 mg	500%
Raw Probiotic and Enzyme Blend Saccharomyces boulardii, Phytase, Beta-glucanase, Alpha-galactosidase, Hemicellulase, Cellulase	100 mg	+
RAW Organic Fruit and Vegetable Blend Organic Strawberry (fruit), Organic Cherry (fruit), Organic Blackberry (fruit), Organic Blueberry (fruit), Organic Raspberry (fruit), Organic Beet Juice (root), Organic Carrot Juice (root), Organic Spinach Juice (leaf), Organic Broccoli Juice (flower & stem), Organic Tomato Juice (fruit), Organic Kale Juice (leaf), Organic Red Cabbage Juice (leaf), Organic Parsley Juice (leaf), Organic Brussels Sprout Juice (leaf), Organic Green Bell Pepper Juice (fruit), Organic Cucumber Juice, Organic Celery Juice (stalk), Organic Garlic Juice (bulb), Organic Ginger Juice (root), Organic Green Onion Juice (root), Organic Cauliflower Juice (flower & stem), Organic Asparagus Juice (flower & stem).

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Rounded Teaspoon (4 g)
Servings Per Container: 30
	Amount Per Serving	% Daily Value
Calories	5
Total Carbohydrate	2 g	< 1 %†
Vitamin C (from organic acerola [fruit], organic goji [fruit], organic kiwi [fruit], organic amla [fruit]	500 mg	833%

To know whether a food has been genetically modified you can look at this LIST of ingredients.  If a food has this on its label it has most likely been genetically modified. 

Here is another option

Alive Vitamin C

For this you add a teaspoon to water and drink it.  I haven't tried it yet, but I will soon.

These are all the pills I am taking:

Garden of life raw prenatal vitamin

Garden of life oceans 3 for omega-3

Garden of life raw vitamin C

GMO corn linked to cancer tumors!

  Eating genetically modified corn (GMO corn) has caused rats to develop horrifying tumors, widespread organ damage, and premature death. That's the conclusion of a shocking new study that looked at the long-term effects of consuming Monsanto's genetically modified corn. The study was published in The Food & Chemical Toxicology Journal and was just presented at a news conference in London.

You would hope that most people agree that genetically modified food is bad for you.  Especially since all of Europe banned them from their country.  Do you know what is really amazing to me?  That the USDA and FDA claims that genetically modified foods are safe for us when they have never actually done studies on them.  Hmm....interesting.  This study was led by Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caein.  It is the first every study to examine the long term effects of eating GMOs.

Findings from the study:
-up to 50% of males and 70% of females suffered premature death
-rats that drank trace amounts of Roundup had a 200 to 300% increase in large tumors
-rats fed GMO corn suffered severe organ damage including liver and kidney damage
-The study fed these rats NK603, the Monsanto variety of GMO corn that's grown across your corn-based breakfast cereal, corn tortillas and corn snack chips.  

Here is an abstract of the study: http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm
Read the original article here:http://www.naturalnews.com/037249_GMO_study_cancer_tumors

And if thats not enough to make you mad, here is some more great news! READY?

California's Prop 37, a ballot initiative that would make it mandatory to label genetically modified foods did NOT pass.  Can you believe that?  People don't want to know if there food has been genetically modified.  Are they stupid?  I want to know where my food is coming from.  53% of California voters voted against it.  Monsanto (aka the worst company in the World) spent an enormous amount of money to try to sway people's votes and convince them that labeling genetically modified foods would cause the price of food to increase.  Thats a bunch of crap.  Monsanto spent 46 million dollars knocking prop 37.  Only 8 million was spent on proponents for the bill.

I seriously can't believe that a company and politics are controlling the kinds of foods we eat and feed our kids.  It makes me so mad whenever I think about it.  My husband is used to my crazy rants by now.  I told him that I am going to travel the US and convince people about genetically modified foods, I should probably wait until after i get my masters in public health.  Or maybe I'll just move to Europe where they don't allow genetically modified foods.

What you can do:
Try and buy organic foods whenever you can.  Trust me it is worth investing in.  Corn and soy are the most modified so maybe stat by buying organic corn and avoiding soy or choosing organic.  Canola oil is another highly genetically modified food.  Dairy should definitely be avoided unless buying organic. Personally I just avoid milk completely and buy almond milk.  Use the dirty dozen list for buying organic produce.  I hope that in the future the entire US bans genetically modified foods and we will no longer have this problem.  

Superfoods!

I have been rewatching all of my favorite health dvds lately.  One of my favorites is Food Matters.  Its on Netflix.  They also have an awesome website you can go to for a lot of health advice.  Ok I sort of splurged on a couple items the past couple of days at sprouts and whole foods.  To me one of the most important thing I can possibly spend my money on is the food I eat and feed my family.  I know it will pay off in the long run.  Here are some awesome superfoods that I decided to get.

Organic raw cacao powder

Health benefits: It is extremely high in magnesium, they are an appetite suppressor.  One small 28 gram serving of raw cacao gives 314% of the recommended daily allowance of iron.  They also have a very high antioxidant score. 
How I use it: I add a teaspoon or two of this to my smoothies or I add some to things I am baking.

Aloe Vera Juice







Health benefits:  Aloe vera has seventy five healing compounds which include a natural steroid, antibiotic agent, amino acids, minerals and enzymes.  It alkalizes the digestive tract and prevents over-acidity.
How I use it:  I bought this to drink to help with my acid reflux from being pregnant.  When I got home from the store I read online that you probably shouldn't drink it while pregnant.  I guess I will have to force Jordan to drink this!

Goji Berries

Health benefits: They have 500 times more vitamin C per ounce than oranges.  They are an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and E.  They have a full complement of protein with 18 amino acids and 21 trace minerals. 

How I use it: I just eat these plain or with nuts/yogurt, they take a while to get used to.

 

Hemp hearts, raw shelled hemp seeds





Health Benefits: They help with weight loss and help increase your energy.  They help you recover from disease or injuries, they lower blood pressure and cholesterol.  They have a good balance of proteins, essential fats, vitamins, and enzymes.
How I use it: I add 2 tablespoons to my smoothie each morning.

Coconut Water

Health benefits: coconuts are the highest source of electrolytes in nature.  Drinking this is like giving your body an instant blood transfusion since the molecular structure of coconut water is identical to human blood plasma.
How I use it: I add this to my smoothies or I mix half coconut water with half of any kind of juice.  Its hard for me to drink this plain.

Organic Wheat Grass

Health benefits: It is super alkalizing and is good for promoting healthy blood.  It also normalizes the thyroid gland to stimulate your metabolism and aids in digestion and promoting weight loss because of its high enzyme content.
How I use it: I add this to my morning smoothies

Maca Powder

Health benefits: Maca is used to increase energy and enhance immune system function. 
How I use it:  I add a small amount to my morning smoothie

Bee Pollen

 

Health Benefits: Been pollen is one of the most complete foods found in nature and has 5-7 times more protein than beef.  It is especially a benefit for people who are athletes or people recovering from an illness.  Research has shown that bee pollen counteracts the signs of aging.
How I use it: I add a spoonful to my cereal or yogurt.

All of these items can be pretty pricey if you buy them at once.  I buy almost all of my stuff at sprouts.  Honestly you just have to decide what your priorities are.  Do you want to eat the healthiest foods you can possibly eat and have a really healthy family or do you want to spend money so you can have an iphone, new car, new clothes.  Personally I care so much more about my health and my family's health.  For some people its just not a priority.  I will probably never get to a point in my life where I think that I can't afford to spend money on health foods.  I can't afford NOT TO!  You can have your chances of disease and health problems be extremely low if you invest the money on fresh organic whole foods.  I have been eating a plant based whole foods diet for about a year now.  It is the best change I have ever made.  After watching Food Inc, food matters, and forks over knives I have never wanted to turn back to my old ways. I think its funny how the things I used to think of as healthy I don't even consider  healthy anymore.  chicken with cream of chicken and potatoes with cheese (definitely not very healthy and full of fat).  I say that I eat a plant based whole foods diet because I don't like the word vegetarian or vegan.  I don't like to exclude certain foods completely.  I rarely have dairy and try to eat meat only once a week, I don't think I will ever be a full blown vegan.  It just doesn't seem right.  Anyways, that's my lecture for the day.  Go to the food matters website to read about more superfoods!