Another salad recipe, but this one is specifically packed with virus and cold killing ingredients, and is sure to give your immune system a kick in the butt!

The base of this salad is dark leafy greens, the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food.  TONS of antioxidants and beneficial proteins, giving energy to your immune defense and cell walls.  I used organic dino kale and organic spinach.

Ooh, the toppings! 

• Pumpkin seeds for zinc.  Zinc stops viral replication.
• Avocado for Vitamin E.  It’s the best fruit source of this vitamin, which promotes antibody production to fight off infection and disease.
• Celery for its anti-inflammatory properties and rich water content.
• Zucchini for Potassium.  Potassium serves as an electrolyte that helps to maintain your fluid balance
• Baby grape tomatoes for the antioxidants and Vitamin C.  One cup of raw red tomatoes gives you almost half your daily intake of C!
• Cilantro! The king of virus killers! Contains phytochemicals that promote immune system activities.
• Parsley for it’s luteolin.  Luteolin searches out and rids the body of free-radicals that cause oxidative stress in cells.
• Quinoa, yes quinoa.  For its super-protein power, filling you up and giving you energy.

This is all tossed in organic extra-virgin cold pressed Olive Oil (great source of mono-saturated fat), tons of lemon (rich in vitamin C), a tablespoon of flax oil (helps to encourage your cells to absorbe all of the above benefits), and salt/pepper to taste!

Good luck you cold/flu virus.  You dont stand a chance. 

This is one of the most important posts I have written to date, and is a food practice I’ve been introduced to that has the potential to change many lives.  

Heard of ‘The Budwig Diet’?  

Johanna Budwig was a European Cancer Research Scientist and Biochemist who passed in 2003, but has left a true mark on natural healing and cancer prevention/curation through food.  

Lets first talk about the body as it is prone to cancer, disease or immune dysfunction.  In the traditional American diet,  hydrogenated fats and chemically processed foods are ingested every day.  These oils and toxins are harmfully deposited within the body, damaging cell walls, and oxygen can no longer flow into cells to renew and achieve optimum cell health.  These cells then become inorganic, and cannot be protected from free-radicals in the body…which is one of the major causes of cancer and ailment.

Ok, now what does a healthy cell environment look like?  Healthy cells, let alone, the functioning of the entire body, rely on good fats.  Fats are vital for brain function, cell renewal, and for all growth processes in the body.   Specifically, cells need true polyunsaturated, oxygen-rich lipids to function efficiently.  This type of fat is most abundantly found in raw flaxseed oil.  However, these high quality fat lipids are most easily absorbed and become water-soluble when combined with a sulfur-rich protein.  

Enter, Mrs. Budwig, Flax Oil (the optimum fat) and Cottage Cheese (the perfect and pro biotic-rich protein).

She discovered that when combining Flax Oil and Cottage Cheese, the energy-rich fat lipids are stimulated by the protein, and the body is able to readily accept the oxygen and benefits…freely flowing into cells and giving them the air they need to breathe, grow and revitalize!

Ok……that is about as technical as I will ever get.  Now on to the FOOD!

The Budwig Protocol:

I have been eating this for breakfast three to four days a week for the past two weeks, and I have never eaten anything more energetic, powerful and TASTY!  I can literally feel my cells and body soaking up the healing properties of this mixture!

You will need 2 kitchen appliances, 3 basic ingredients, and about 7 minutes.

• Dump 1 cup of Low-Fat Organic Cottage Cheese into medium size mixing bowl.  Through my research, I’ve found Nancy’s Organic brand is best quality, it’s made with pro biotic lactic cultures. It’s at Whole Foods or Real Foods.
• Add in 4-5 tablespoons of Flax Seed Oil.  Barlean’s 100% Organic Unfiltered Cold-Pressed is favorable.  It’s the black bottle, again, found at WF or RF.
• Blend cottage cheese and flax oil with immersion hand mixer.  This is the stick-like appliance…should be around $20 bucks at your local target or even hardware store.   You will want to blend until the mixture is fluffy and custard-like; about 2 minutes on medium speed.

• Grind 2 tablespoons of whole flax seeds in coffee bean grinder or small blender.  

It is very important you do not buy pre-ground flax seeds, as these should be consumed within 15 minutes of grinding!! The seeds easily oxidate and go rancid, so only grind what you will be using right away!

• Pour the ground flax seeds into the white fluffy mixture and stir well.  
• Add fresh, whole food ingredients to flavor/sweeten if you wish!

                Here are a few yummy options — raspberries, blueberries, chopped spinach, chopped green apple (my current favorite), walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon — get creative so long as ingredients are FRESH and ORGANIC!

This mixture is incredibly delicious and I cannot stress the benefits.  Please see additional sites, how-to’s and research with cases and testimonials (below).  This has cured many people of cancer and ailments, and is important knowledge to pass on.  

http://www.cancertutor.com/Cancer/Budwig.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSoddptWL0s 

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1230105

http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=2105

A colorful and flavorful salad to whip together after a successful trip to the Farmer’s Market!  

Over fresh organic arugula, layer on…

• Organic chopped cucumber
• Organic yams (roasted earlier in coconut oil, salt, pepper)
• Organic sliced heirloom tomato
• Chopped Mary’s organic grilled chicken

Toss with…

• Two capfuls of organic apple cider vinegar
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper
• Didn’t have any, but would be amazing with sliced roasted almonds.

Pretty, huh?

In addition to being mindful about foods you put in your body, its also important how you prepare these foods before doing so.  I am a big proponent of baking with parchment paper vs. aluminum foil.  While aluminum is not classified as a carcinogen by the US Department of Health, studies have shown it possesses nerotoxic properties.  

Theres a couple of ways you can use parchment paper.  

A fun and new way of preparing your chicken or fish: Create a parchment paper ‘envelope’.  The pocket works as a steam oven and quickly cooks the ingredients while maintaining flavors and prevents from drying your meats and fishes out.   Tear a large piece of unbleached parchment paper and place ingredients in the center of the paper.  Fold diagonally, roll and tuck ends underneath.  Brush the top of the paper with olive oil to prevent the paper from cracking in the oven.  

You can also simply line your baking sheets with parchment paper for roasting vegetables or baking cookies.  The paper has non-toxic non-stick properties, so greasing the tray is unnecessary, cutting down on additional fats.

Tonight, baked my wild salmon in parchment paper and roasted my organic red potatoes in garlic, coconut oil, salt and pepper atop the paper as well.

My salmon dinners are such a treat during the work week, and the leftovers make for a perfect little lunch to bring the next day.  I try and include fish in my meals at least once a week.  Tonight I dressed my wild Alaskan Salmon with an organic basil almond pesto, and served it with roasted garlic organic green beans and quinoa…it was DELICIOUS.  

Its SO incredibly important to choose the fish you put into your body wisely.  While it drastically ups the price, buying wild and sustainable seafood will protect you from tons heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PBCs), and other harmful toxins.  Plus, the fish is guaranteed to taste SO much fresher and cleaner.  Here is a great list provided by fitsugar.com.  If you cannot always find local/wild caught seafood, the below are really great guidelines to follow as a rule of thumb:

BEST CHOICES:

• Artic Char (farmed)
• Clams (farmed)
• Crawfish (US)
• Halibut (Pacific- Alaska)
• Herring (Atlantic - U.S., Canada)
• Mahimahi (US Atlantic)
• Mussels (farmed)
• Salmon (wild- Alaska)
• Scallops (bay, farmed)
• Striped Bass (farmed)
• Tilapia (U.S.)
• Mackerel (Atlantic)
• Black Cod (Alaska)

AVOID

• Cod (Atlantic)
• Marlin
• Caviar (wild and farmed)
• Halibut (Atlantic)
• Chilean Seabass
• Lobster (spiny, Brazil)
• Mahi Mahi (imported longline)
• Salmon (farmed, including Atlantic)
• Shrimp (imported)
• Tuna (Albacore, Bigeye, Skipjack, Tongol, Yellowfib, Bluefin, canned)

Another ongoing resource for sustainable and smart seafood choices for you here.  Has a great buyers guide and seafood database to check the ‘stories behind your seafood’ as you’re shopping, meal planning, or ordering at a restaurant and are unsure of what is best: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx?c=ln.