Thanksgiving is right around the corner and unhealthy food is all around us! Last week’s workshop, The Gut & Brain Connection, gave a lot of information about choosing the right foods.
It’s time to listen to your body and make some healthy food choices!
Here are eight basic food choices that will help you get started:

1. Whole Grains (once a day) – This does not necessarily mean breads, crackers and pastas, even though they are fine form time to time, but on a daily basis, use whole grains such as Brown Rice (including short grain, medium, long, wild, basmati, and sweet brown rice), Millet, Oat Groats, and Pearled Barley. These foods in their whole form, not processed, have tremendous value nutritionally to heal the body and to promote healthy organ function. For example, Brown Rice supports healthy colon and digestion function. Millet supports healthy spleen and pancreatic function. Barley supports the breakdown of excess mucus and benefits gallbladder.

2. Sea Vegetables are a wonderful source of digestible le minerals which are easily utilized and absorbed by our bodies. Start with Wakame (best used in soups), Kombu (best used in beans), and Hijiki (best used in stir fries). They are excellent detoxifiers and good sources of calcium.

3. Vegetables are a good source of vitamins as well as creating vitality in our lives. Avoid Night Shade vegetables for pain and inflammation. The most common ones are tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant.

4. Fish, Beans, Tofu and Tempeh to replace foods such as Chicken, Beef and Pork for protein.

5. Use good quality oils: Sesame oil, Olive oil, Flaxseed oil (raw only). Avoid Canola oil (highly toxic).

6. Eat miso soup daily. It is preferable that it is the first thing you eat in the morning Miso is a fermented soybean paste that is rich in beneficial bacteria and digestive enzymes. It is highly alkalizing to the blood and to the entire digestive tract.

7. Use kuzu as an alternative thickening agent, as opposed to corn starch. It is from the root of the vine knows as Kudzu and has many medicinal qualities that support intestinal health.

8. Use Umeboshi, a salty pickled plum, to settle and support digestion and aid in maintaining an alkaline blood quality.

-Compliments of Virginia Harper, www.youcanhealyou.com