Proactive “Farmacy”

The understanding of “Food as Medicine” has always had its passionate advocates, and with the emergence of Epigenetics, cutting edge science is helping to explain the cellular effects food has on our bodies. For instance, we now know that fresh foods that are local, seasonal and organic can help reduce our risk of some forms of cancer. With this knowledge comes the opportunity to make nutritional choices that impact all of your cells and leave you feeling better, as well as choices that positively impact our community and local farmers. Veggie stir-fry anyone?

This prescription from the “farm”acy will give you the most health benefits for your effort.

•    Drink at least 2 litres of water daily. Add lemon juice to your water first thing in the morning to increase bile production. Bile is a natural laxative.
•    Try to consume 3 cups of green tea daily. Some studies show it can prevent breast cancer recurrence by up to 64%.
•    Add 2 tbsp of ground flaxseeds to your meals in smoothies, salads, soups, or mixed with veggies.
•    Include at least 1 portion/day of Cruciferous vegetables daily which include watercress, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, arugula, kohlrabi, radish, daikon, and Bok Choy. These assist your liver in detoxification.
•    Add veggies like spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, parsley or fresh mint to your smoothies.
•    Eat at least 1 organic apple a day.
•    Include 1 serving/day of sulphur rich foods such as cabbage, garlic, onions, and beans which also help liver function.
•    Eat 1/2 cup of beans like lentils, chickpeas, black beans, adzuki, mung, pinto or navy every day If you were ever stuck on a desert island, you would be lucky to have beans to eat because of their nutritional value.
•    Include glutathione-containing food such asparagus, avocados and walnuts. Glutathione is the most potent antioxidant in your liver.
•    Include antioxidant rich foods such as berries, grapes (always organic), beets, cooked tomatoes, pomegranate and organic green tea to prevent free radical damage.
•    Include liberal amounts of turmeric, cilantro and walnuts in your diet.
•    Eat a total of at least 3 cups of vegetables daily.
•    Limit coffee, alcohol, grapefruit juice, stomach acid blockers and antihistamines. If you are a regular coffee reduce to 1 cup/day and try to drink only organic coffee.
•    Avoid all artificial sweeteners including aspartame, sucralose, Splenda, and acesulfame potassium. These are found in all diet products, many yogurts, gum, mints, most flavoured water and many protein bars.
•    Avoid “White” food like white bread, white pasta, white rice, and white sugar.
•    Avoid fried foods.
•    Only consume dairy that is organic.
•    Avoid MSG.