Alternatives

Whole grains These contain high fibre, complex carbs and are rich in healthy fat and sodium.  Except for wheat, whole grains help reduce body fat and are good for blood sugar disorders. Sprouted grains offer the greatest nutritional value Fermented grains contribute to a healthy gut All whole grains (except wheat) help reduce fat Rye has the most lysine, is low in gluten and best for weight loss Spelt is highly nutritious: it stimulates the immune system, has high carb content, fibre, protein & B-Vitamins Avoid all overly processed grains that are white.  The white colour is a result of the processing which ends up removing all the nutritional value of the grain for a longer shelf-life.  You end up ingesting nothing but empty calories... [...]

Water More than anything, your body NEEDS water.  And most of us definitely don't get enough!  Try to drink water regularly throughout the day to keep properly hydrated.  As long as you're drinking enough water, you can also have some of your favourite beverages that aren't laden with sugar while also avoiding the sugary drinks altogether. Caffeine, carbonated drinks and the tannin in black tea contain ingredients that interfere with iron absorption Coffee There is plenty of information available stating whether coffee is good, bad or whatever.  Depending on your health and the type of food you normally eat, your consumption of coffee can be good, bad or whatever.  If you have certain health issues, caffeine is definitely not a good thing, so you could [...]

No need to throw out all your favourite recipes! If you're like me and you enjoy cooking from recipes in magazines or recipe books, you don't have to throw them out because they call for unhealthy ingredients you no longer want to use. And sometimes you don't have the specific vegetable or liquid listed and would like to use up something you already have kicking around in your cupboard or fridge before it goes bad. Be brave and with time, you'll automatically be able to switch to healthy ingredients automatically while following your old-school recipe. Here's an example of a Ricotta & Lemon Pancake recipe that I "veganized": Standard Ingredients Vegan Replacement 3 large eggs* equivalent egg replacer or 1/4 cup applesauce x 3 1 [...]

Satisfy your Cravings! Usually, a snack entails something laden with sugar or salt, not to mention preservatives, and generally does not supply our bodies with any nutritional boost.  Snacks tend to please the palate while not satisfying our body's needs; which is why we find ourselves perpetually craving yet never satisfied.  All those empty calories combined with lack of exercise end up packing on the pounds while keeping us hungry. Here are some ideas for healthy snacks: there are endless options for healthy snack bars in the health sections of grocery stores, look for those with low sugar and salt content and follow the following guidelines: 150 to 250 calorie range Min. 10g protein from non-gmo soy, whey or pea Min. 4g of fiber less [...]

Beware of "healthy-sounding" catch words on food labels! Beware that certain claims highlighted on food labels don't necessarily indicate the product is healthy for you.  Unless you read the "Nurtrition Facts" table, these catchy claims only indicate specifically what they are stating: Cholesterol Free: means there's no saturated fats from animal sources Diet: you are inclined to consume larger quantities as you presume these are "healthier" options but sugar substitutes end up causing more harm than the non-diet options Fat-free & Low fat: many of these foods contain fillers like fruit puree, fruit juice, dextrin, syrup, sucrose or glucose-fructose (which are all carbs) to add texture and flavour lost with the fat Farmer's Market (or any term using the word "farm"): this does not indicate [...]

You don't have to try hard to consume your daily requirements for salt.  As a matter of fact, we unfortunately consume too much every day without even realizing it.  Here are some guidelines to help keep the salt intake at a safer level: choose products with less than 200mg of salt per serving thoroughly rinse your canned goods whenever possible as this will remove excess salt substitute salt with seaweed flavourings like Arame, Hijiki, Dulse, Wakame, Kelp or salt-free alternatives like Mrs. Dash

Avoid all "white" choices as these are over-processed and depleted of any nutrients as a result.  Choose whole grain options including multitudes of different grains and even seaweed choices. Pasta The options are almost endless, including making your own out of vegetables by peeling them into spaghetti-style lengths.  You can do this with almost any long shaped vegetables like zucchini and carrots.  And don't forget about Spaghetti Squash, mother nature's own homemade version of pasta!  It's pretty easy to find the following pasta options: Flax Rice pasta: high fiber & protein and packed with nutrients Seaweed Noodles: no cooking required, nutritious and low-carb; just rinse and serve Sweet Potato & Buckwheat noodles are just another example of many different options available Vegetable wheat pastas are [...]

Definitions of store Labels for poultry and eggs: "Free Range" are birds that have access to the outdoors "Free Run" birds are not confined to cages and have room to move around but not necessarily outside "Hormone-Free": hormones are not allowed in North American poultry production so this claim is irrelevant except to reassure consumers' concerns" "Organic" means poultry is fed 100% organic food, free of animal by-products, antibiotics or GMO's "Raised without Antibiotics": these birds have significantly lower levels of drug-resistant bacteria than birds raised in dismal, cramped conditions that are ripe for the spread of disease "Vegetarian-Fed" means feed contained no animal by-products BUT may contain GMO's if not organic For even more detailed info about different labels on eggs: https://www.cornucopia.org/2017/04/egg-labels-explained/#more-23226 Chicken If [...]