The Most High Alkaline Foods

An acid body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging. Eating more alkaline foods helps shift your body's pH and oxygenates your system.

Alkaline foods keep your body healthy and functioning correctly, preventing cancer.

1. Spinach. All leafy greens should be eaten in abundance but spinach is my absolute favourite because it’s easy to buy, easy to use in recipes and salads and is delicious. Baby spinach or fully grown spinach are nutritional powerhouses and are incredibly alkaline.

As with all green foods, spinach is rich in chlorophyll - a potent alkaliser and blood builder. It is also super high in vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. I doubt there is a more all round healthy food on earth and I highly encourage you to eat spinach throughout the day, every day.

2. Kale. Kale is another leafy green beauty that is widely known for its cancer-fighting, cholesterol-lowering, antioxidant-rich, detoxifying goodness. Less popular than spinach, but only because it has a history of being cooked poorly [like cabbage] - but when prepared correctly, it is absolutely delicious!

If you eat kale 2-3 times per week you’ll know it. Like spinach it is massively high in vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin C and being a leafy green, it also has a huge chlorophyll content. The reason it is so powerful against the cancer fight is that kale contains at least four glucosinolates. I don’t want to lose you here by using words like glucosinolates – all you need to know is that as soon as you eat and digest kale, these glucosinolates are really easily converted by the body into cancer fighting compounds. Also quite amazing for lowering cholesterol, it should be noted that steamed kale is more effective for cholesterol lowering than raw kale.

3. Cucumber. The beauty of cucumber is it’s water content - 95%. That is phenomenal and you won’t find that anywhere else. It’s the daddy of water-content. This, of course, makes it an incredibly hydrating food to consume, that also contains superb amounts of antioxidants, including the super-important lignans. These highly beneficial polyphenols have more commonly been associated with the cruciferous vegetables, but their content in other veggies such as cucumbers is gaining more and more attention.

Cucumbers contain a right load of lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol - three lignans that have a huge and very strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as several cancer types including breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers. The best thing about cucumbers is that they provide the base for practically every alkaline soup, smoothie and juice – giving you a very alkaline, very nutritious base that also tastes great. In terms of the actual nutrient RDA per serving, cucumbers contain fair amounts of vitamins K and C, and slightly less of vitamin A and the B vitamins. Cucumbers also contain the following alkaline minerals: calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, selenium, copper, manganese, iron and zinc.

4. Broccoli. Broccoli is just a must. If you are serious about living with health, energy and vitality you simply have to eat broccoli - if not on a daily basis, then at least 4 times per week.
Broccoli has been proven over and over and over again to be incredibly powerful in inhibiting cancers, supporting the digestive system, the cardiovascular system, the detoxification processes in the body and also supporting the skin, metabolism, immune system, being an anti-İnflammatory and providing ample antioxidants.

Eaten steamed or raw its a hugely alkaline, hugely nutritious food. Please, please, please eat lots and lots of it. Put it in salads, juices, smoothies, soups… steam it with other veggies - you can even roast it.

5. Avocado. I know a lot of people give avocado a bad rep because it is a high-fat food (85% of it’s calories come from fats) - but this is totally insane. These are good fats that will not make you gain weight. If anything, due to the high content of oleic acid [making it an Omega 9 fat and very similar to olive oil], it can lower total cholesterol level and raise levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) while lowering low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), also known as the “bad” cholesterol. Oleic Acid also slows the development of heart disease, and promotes the production of antioxidants. These beneficial omega oils also help speed the metabolism, actually leading to weight loss rather than gain.

So now we’re over the fat issue - avocado also contains a wide range of other nutrients that have serious anti-inflammatory, heart health, cardiovascular health, anti-cancer, and blood sugar benefits. Containing key antioxidants such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, selenium and more - it is a powerful, alkaline, nutrient-dense superfood.

6. Celery. Celery, like cucumber, is a favourite because it’s alkaline and really high water content, so is used very frequently as a base in juices and soups [not so much smoothies as you have to juice it first].

One of celery’s big benefits is it’s vitamin C level, which has the well known benefits - but two of it’s lesser known nutrients are phthalides which have been shown to lower cholesterol and coumarins which have been shown to inhibit several cancers. The beauty of vitamin C rich foods are they help with the most common and most challenging health concerns - they support the immune system, inflammation [helping with Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Asthma], and vitamin C also helps significantly with cardiovascular health.

If you are on a weight loss journey, you’ll also be happy to hear that this alkaline staple contains plenty of potassium and sodium and so is a diuretic – meaning it helps rid the body of excess fluids.

7. Capsicum / Bell Pepper / Pepper. The antioxidant superpower, bell pepper is one of my all-time-favourites because it is sweet, crunchy and refreshingly delicious. You can use it in almost any meal raw, grilled, fried, roasted and it is always a winner.

Impressively beneficial to our health, cartenoids are highly researched and get a lot of attention in the health field - and bell peppers contain over 30 different members of the carotenoid nutrient family! The only other food that is close to this is tomato.

Bell peppers have shown up in research relating to decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type II Diabetes, Macular Degeneration, cancer, inflammation and more.
Alongside these lesser known or more complex-named antioxidants, bell pepper is one of - if not the best food source - of the more common antioxidants: vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E. In fact, bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as oranges.

Here are just some of the antioxidants bell pepper contains:
• Flavonoids
– luteolin
– quercetin
– hesperidin
• Carotenoids
– alpha-carotene
– beta-carotene
– cryptoxanthin
– lutein
– zeaxanthin
• Hydroxycinnamic Acids
– ferulic acid
– cinnamic acid

Information courtesy of www.energiseforlife.com/wordpress/2012/01/24/the-7-most-alkaline-foods/

Juice ideas containing Ginger

Ginger is 13th on the anti-oxidant list. It is composed of several volatile oils, which are are powerful anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic agents. In addition, it inhibits cancer cell formation while firing up our body's own ability to destroy the cancer cells formerly present. Read more about this superfood herb HERE.

Fresh Carrot, Apple & Ginger

2 medium carrots

1 crisp apple

1 inch of fresh ginger root

Juicer Ginger Ale

1-inch piece ginger root

1/2 cantaloupe, peeled

1/2 pint strawberries

1 orange, peeled

Juice all ingredients, then add 1 cup sparkling water separately. Mix well.

Hot Tomato Juice

1 medium tomato

1 medium carrot

1 celery stalk

1-inch ginger root

1-inch horseradish root

few sprigs of cilantro

1 radish

1 clove garlic, peeled

Juice ingredients in order, stir, season with salt & pepper to taste.

Add vodka to juice separately for a great Bloody Mary.

Paradise Island

1 papaya, peeled

1 orange, peeled

1/2 pineapple top (top and skin removed, cut into spears)

1 lime

1-inch ginger root

Sweet Dreams

1-inch ginger root

3 stalks celery

1/2 small head cabbage

1 green pepper

1 medium apple

Juice ingredients. Mix in a blender with 1 banana and 1/2 cup soy milk.

Kiwi Kooler

2 kiwi fruit

1/2 pineapple (peeled)

1 orange, peeled

1-inch ginger root

For a special treat, add canned coconut milk to juice and stir.

Spicy Orange

1-inch ginger root

2 large oranges, peeled

1/2 cantaloupe

1/2 lemon

Fun Juice Tips!

Freeze juice into molds for healthy juice-on-a-stick frozen treats for kids.

Freeze juice into ice cube trays for tasty additions to sparkling water, water or seltzer.

Make scrumptious sorbet by freezing juice, then chopping in a blender until a soft sorbet consistency.

Superfood Smoothie: Blueberry

In a blender, combine 3/4 cup fresh [or frozen] blueberries, 1/2 cup ice, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons soy milk, 2 tablespoons orange juice and 1 tablespoon raw honey.

Blend until smooth, scraping down sides of blender as needed. Serve immediately.

For an extra boost, blend in a handful of spinach leaves.

Obedience is for Our Protection

If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock - the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in obedience to him. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them. Deuteronomy 28:1-14

My friend Lisa shared this story with me a few days ago, and we wanted to share with our readers because we have also felt convicted of this many times:

A few weeks ago, my friend Lisa took on a new job, looking for some extra money. She only lasted about two days because she quickly realized they wanted her to do things that were, well, illegal - she had to lie to people and threaten them. There are many reputable collection companies that follow laws, but this wasn't one of them. My friend didn't know what all the laws are, but she thought that this company broke most of them!

Later into her second day, Lisa felt the Holy Spirit very quietly tell her that she wouldn't have God's protection in her life if she kept working there. God's protection meant more than any money she would make... if she ever got paid (and she never did!!).

Many people would rather not be bothered with talking about obedience, and instead focus on God's grace and mercy. Those are wonderful things!! But it is walking in obedience that keeps us safe! When we are obeying the laws God established for us, we have a hedge of protection around us. God can minister his blessings and healings to our finances, our health, our families.

But when we choose to sin and make selfish choices apart from God's will, we forfeit His blessings of protection. That is a very scary place to be!

Deuteronomy 28 is Moses' warnings to the people before he dies. He first goes on to tell the people if they obey the Lord's commands, they will be blessed in all they do.

Conversely, starting at verse 15, he negates the blessings if they are disobedient, and they are cursed in all they do.

My friend Jen puts it nicely, "We are not under the law; but the Lord did not come to take away the law, but to take away our sin. The law is still there to help us. The Bible is an instruction manual for our lives. We need to apply it. We cannot ignore it..."

We are either walking in obedience, or we are not.

The choice is ours.

My friend Lisa sells organic honey, bee pollen and eggs - from Niagara County, NY. If you are interested in these products, e-mail her HERE.

Take action to reverse Pre-Diabetes

People likely to develop diabetes can halt the progression of the disease - or even prevent it.

In pre-diabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal. The condition increases the chances of heart disease and stroke, as well as type 2 diabetes. It affects about 40% of those between ages 40 and 74.

Get tested. Pre-diabetes generally develops gradually and has no symptoms, so people may be unaware that they have it. Doctors recommend testing for all people older than 45. Younger people with risk factors for diabetes such as being overweight, having a family history of the disease, or having high blood pressure or cholesterol also should consider testing. There are three blood tests to detect pre-diabetes: the fasting glucose test, glucose tolerance test and A1C test.

Four changes you can make TODAY:

Your everyday choices can reduce your risk for diabetes, even if you have pre-diabetes. People with pre-diabetes can cut their risk by more than half with modest lifestyle changes, according to a report in Hormone and Metabolic Research. Eating healthy, exercise regularly and slim down if your body mass index (BMI) is 25 or higher.

1. Choose foods wisely. Create meals that feature vegetables and whole grains. Cut back on total fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt and refined grains. Need a simple way to start? Switch from full-fat to non-fat dairy products (and check out recipes here on Eating Eden's Blog!!).

2. Move your body. Exercise helps you body use insulin, and it burns calories, which helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Be active for at least 30 minutes most days. Try walking briskly during your lunch break to squeeze extra exercise into your day.

3. Eat smaller portions. This helps control your weight by reducing your calorie intake. If you're overweight, losing just 5% of your weight helps lower your diabetes risk. Need help cutting back on how much you eat? Ten minutes before your meal, drink a glass of water to help you feel full on less food.

Courtesy of healthstyles, the wellness magazine by Independent Health

Healthy Eating Doesn't have to be Expensive!

Your money or your health.

When it comes to nutrition, sometimes if can seem like a choice between the two.

Researchers recently calculated the cost of following the government's dietary guidelines in one metropolitan area. Eating the right foods, such as vegetables and whole grains, was more expensive than loading up on sugar and saturated fat, they reported in the journal Health Affairs.

But don't turn to the dollar menu just yet.

For one thing, these estimates may not apply to all areas of the country. And it's still possible to eat well without breaking the bank. Here's how:

• Make a meal plan. Each week, survey your pantry, scope out coupons (for healthy food) and scour grocery store circulars. Search for recipes using ingredients that are on sale or that you already have, and plot out healthy meals (but, this does not mean that you utilize coupons for processed/refined foods or buy convenience foods just because they are on sale!!). Make a shopping list - and stick to it.

• Savor the season. Fruits and vegetables picked at their prime are less expensive. Search farmer's markets for fresh, reasonably priced produce. Springtime favorites include green beans, rhubarb, strawberries and asparagus.

• Grow your own. Spring the best time to plan seeds or seedlings. Invest a little in them now and you'll reap rewards later in the summer. Even if you don't have space for a garden, you can lettuce in a window box, cherry tomatoes in a pot on your porch or herbs in indoor containers.

• Cut to it. Whole produce often costs much less than precut. Chop your fruits and vegetables at home instead. Also, watch single-serving packs and bagged salads; you'll pay more for the packaging.

• Bulk out. Buying stables like grains, nuts and spices in bulk can help you save. Measure out only what you need to avoid waste.

Like anything else worthwhile, eating healthy while on a budget takes a little planning. But if you think of the rewards - better health & more money - you'll find it's worth the effort!

Courtesy of healthstyles, the wellness magazine by Independent Health

In A Nut Shell...

Here are the facebook posts over the past few of weeks, In A Nut Shell...

Information posted on Eating Eden's facebook page over the past few weeks:

April 13th: Celebrate Western New York’s blossoming local and sustainable food movement at April's M&T Second Friday! In conjunction with the exhibition Edible Complex, the Burchfield Penney Art Center will host a “live exhibition of our food culture.” Click HEREfor info.

A series of three informational classes on genetic engineering and our foods will be offered during April as part of the Clarence Central Community Education. April 16 - GE Food Basics, Learn what it is, how it is done, why it's done and questions to consider; April 23 - World According to Monsanto, Discussion will revolve around corporate influence in GE foods, patenting issues, political influence and causes for concern; April 30 - Protecting Your Health, Which foods are genetically engineered, what you can do, and where to find information. For more info on these classes, click HERE.

Sugar & Kids: The Toxic Truth on 60 Minutes - Click HERE.

Think about sugar like this instead: when you eat a cheeseburger, you think 'oh this is a fatty food; it's gonna raise my cholesterol and that can put me at risk for heart disease' - that's what sugar is doing as well and perhaps even more so than fatty foods." -Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Between 16-33% of Children & Adolescents are Obese: according to American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Many factors contribute to obesity in children including marketing claims create a false sense of what is healthy; foods marketed to children like breakfast sugar & snacks are laden with high-fructose corn syrup, starch, empty calories, fat, salt and chemicals; chemicals in foods can cause all kind of endocrine, metabolic and health disorders that contribute to obesity; children drink soda & juice, which are full of sugar, HFCS and other chemicals. Click HERE to read the full article.

Aspartame linked to vascular disease, cancers, mental disorders, migraines, weight gain: If you have been drinking diet soda & chewing gum, chances are you have been enjoying aspartame in generous quantities. Aspartame is found in many diet soda drinks, gum, fruit spreads and sugar-free products, known by the brand names Sweet One, NutraSweet and Spoonful.

Read more HERE.

Our Bodies Cannot Digest Processed Foods Properly: Most of the time, we hear about avoiding processed foods because they'll make us fat. But a new video of what happens in your body when you eat Top Ramen noodles & Gatorade vs. homemade noodles and drinks gives us a whole new reason to avoid processed foods. Watch the video HERE.

A University of Grenada study published in Public Health Nutrition revealed that consumers offast foods and baked sweets were 50% more likely to be depressed than those eating a healthy diet! Watch the 3-minute interview HERE.

GMO PLU labeling: "The ONLY way to ensure you are not purchasing GMO produce is to buy produce which has a PLU code that begins with the number 9. That makes the produce certified organic, which cannot be GMO. If you fall for buying produce with PLU's that begin with 3's or 4's you are likely purchasing genetically modified organisms."

Read the entire article HERE.

Blue Strawberries Raise More GMO Questions: Scientists wondered what would happen if they introduced the gene (from the Arctic Flounder Fish) that produces antifreeze in to a strawberry plant.

Read the article HERE.

Red onions contain twice as many antioxidants as any other form of onion, making them a powerful part of an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. Read more HERE.

Coconut Oil Touted as Alzheimer's Remedy: Researchers say the ketones found in coconut oil have slowed the progression of Alzheimer's disease in some people and may actually prevent it. Coconut also raises your HDL "good" cholesterol, and is a natural antibiotic. Read the article and watch the video HERE.

Emotions are stored in our body and when we choose to hold onto anger, frustration, jealousy, impatience, worry or fear those emotions negatively impact our physical well-being. Questions to ask yourself next time you have an ache, pain or feel ill: What emotions am I storing in my body? Am I holding on to something that is no longer serving me today? What is my body trying to tell me?

Remember what the Lord told us... cast your cares on Him & He will sustain you:
Psalm 12:25: An anxious heart wears a man down.
Matthew 6:25 Do not worry about your life.
Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious; pray; the peace of God will guard your heart & mind.
Romans 8:26 The Spirit helps us in our weakness.
Matthew 6:31-33: (Worries) dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.