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| Slow Sugar Granola with Yogurt (active bacterial cultures) & Fresh Berries |
As vegetarians, I am sure many of you know that what you put in your system affects so many parts of your body. The healthier your diet, the cleaner your system and often the more sensitive your body is to foods that do not agree with you. So many people out there regularly complain of not feeling well, of heartburn and indigestion etc... so they eat Tums and Rolaids, drink alka seltzer and bitters to combat the discomfort. Have you ever thought why did I eat that?
Have you ever considered this food does not agree with me and then eat it anyway? Why do we do this? This feeling is a clear indication that your body is not happy. When your body is not happy, it is susceptible to disease.
First and foremost, a healthy balanced diet is the first step toward a healthy digestive system. Making sure you get the right amount of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, plant based protein, good fats and fibers is extremely important. We may not realize this, but this daily healthy daily food regime alone goes a long way. By eating at appropriate times, not only do you keep your glycemic levels balanced, you also promote bowel regularity.
Drink Kefir daily. In Turkish, kefir means ‘feel good’. Kefir with live active probiotic cells, promotes the digestion of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Lyndsay has started to drink kefir daily and is noticing a big difference on how your system is processing foods.
Drink apple cider vinegar daily. Apple cider vinegar is high in potassium and helps to flush sodium out of the system. It can act as a suppressant, can lower cholesterol and is thought to help reduce abdominal fats.
There are thousands and thousands of enzymes that are part of our digestive system. These digestive enzymes start in the mouth in our saliva and they continue on down through our stomach and into the intestinal tract. The naturally occurring enzymes in foods that assist with digestion in the stomach are often destroyed by the cooking process and therefore supplementing with Digestive Enzymes to help break down foods that are more difficult is often a good idea. This eases up stress on the pancreas, the enzyme creating organ in the abdomen, thus lessening the energy needed to break down foods.
Drinking warm water and/or natural teas help to move foods and flush fats through the system.
Get active if you are not already and consume water during activities.
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a natural bacterium that is found in the small intestine. It is considered the good bacteria and it helps to keep your digestive system balanced. This balance is often thrown off by our diets as well as medication; taking acidophilus can help to encourage this balance and I have used it to treat yeast infections, body stress from eating dairy when it does not agree with me and diarrhea after eating foods or drinking beverages that cause irritation in my digestive tract.
We recommend you do your own research. Find out for yourself what you need to do to get healthy.
Once again Live Strong is an excellent source of information:
- http://www.livestrong.com/article/482676-what-is-the-daily-dose-of-acidophilus/ is a great source for information.
- http://www.livestrong.com/search/?mode=standard&search=healthy+digestive+system
YouTube Videos:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KED6BHVM97s
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7yGj6i5lBA&feature=related
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7YVqb8FN-M&feature=related
Lyndsay and I have both dealt with digestion issues for many years and have found the above suggestions as part of how we manage to keep healthy digestive system. We are both in tune with our bodies and do our very best to listen to how it feels during and after eating certain foods. If you don’t feel good after you have eaten, you have either over eaten or eaten foods that just don’t agree with you; perhaps it is time to start avoiding these items. This is not always easy, but definitely beneficial.
Let’s get healthier together!
Laurie and Lyndsay
See below for an Apple Cider Vinegar drink that is natural sweet and can kick start you in the right direction!
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What’s on the menu this week?
- Black Kale & Napa Cabbage Slaw with Roast Cashews
- Avocado Tempura with Dill Potato & Corn Salad
- Ratatouille on Brown Rice
- Buckwheat Noodles with Tomatoes and Zucchini
- Warm Mushroom & Tofu Salad
- Brunch: Tofu Breakfast Sausage and Tempeh with Avocado Spread on Toast
- Dessert: Granola with Yogurt & Fresh Berries
Lyndsay & Laurie
Contact us at lyndsay@vegmenufortheweek.com
RECIPE: Naturally Sweet Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups of good quality water (I tend to put 3 cups)
1 tablespoon Braggs apple cider vinegar OR any Raw Unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 teaspoon stevia
1/8 teaspoon ground dried ginger spice
Stir & Ready to Serve!
You can adjust the measurements for the stevia and the ginger to better suit your taste buds. Some may like it sweeter than others.
If not, you are probably eating out a lot and missing the preparation of your foods.
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