"Eating fresh pineapple or regular consumption of fresh pineapple juice is also a traditional remedy for treating intestinal parasites and worms, particularly pinworms." (Link)
1 cup of frozen wild blueberries.
"Blueberries are the King of antioxidant foods. Antioxidants protect your body from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage your cells and contribute to aging and diseases, such as cancer" (LINK).
Seed Mix:
- 1 tablespoon of papaya seed powder. "In one study, researchers found that a mixture of honey and papaya seeds cleared stools of parasites in 23 out of 30 subjects." (Link)
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seed powder. "Pumpkin seeds have long been used as a traditional remedy for intestinal parasites — especially tapeworms. And their popularity seems to be well-earned. Recent studies have shown that pumpkin seeds can increase the rate of parasite removal." (Link)
- 2 heaping tablespoons of flax seed powder. "Flaxseed contains bioactive peptides, such as cyclolinopeptide A, which have strong immunosuppressive and antimalarial activities, inhibiting the human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum in culture." (LINK)
3 cups of organic mixed greens
1 avocado
Enough filtered water to create a smooth consistency.
After combining all of the above ingredients... blend and enjoy!
Coffee actually does have some nice benefits. For example, one extensive study in Korea confirmed that black, organic coffee is great for your heart (Link). Another interesting study links drinking coffee with longevity (Link).
Quitting coffee can be difficult. It can lead to pounding headaches, fatigue and even depression (Link). So, why would anyone want to go through these difficult coffee withdrawal symptoms?
Despite some of the positive aspects of drinking coffee, it also has its downsides. First of all, it is proven to be very addictive (Link).
Secondly, drinking daily coffee is associated with a caffeine crash - which can lead to a sense of exhaustion or even depression as the daily crash sets in (Link). Some coffee drinkers have also experienced irregular heartbeat, insomnia, jitters, increased anxiety, heartburn and temporary blood pressure spikes. While some people experience none of these symptoms, many people do, and feel the need to quit coffee.
But how to quit coffee?
1) Knowledge over Guilt - The link between coffee and depression is real. However, guilt and anger for having a cup of coffee is not helpful at all. Rather, realizing that coffee can rob us of our overall daily energy and mood (link), it becomes easier to quit it. Realizing the significant benefits of freedom from coffee can make it easier to get through the first few difficult days of withdrawal.
2) Switch to Swiss Water Decaf - If you love the taste of coffee, there are many organic decaf coffees available now. The "Swiss Water Process" uses natural ways to remove the caffeine in coffee, so harsh chemicals are avoided. Fortunately for us, these chemical free decaf coffees taste amazing and are becoming more popular.
3) To combat headaches, try Green Tea. Green tea has far more benefits than coffee with 25% of the caffeine (Link).
Try adding different flavors to your green tea!
4) Consider other coffee alternatives. There are many chicory and barley blends that brew like coffee and share coffee's"nutty" and "earthy" flavors. Link
Sadly, one famous drink that is often overlooked is hot chocolate. Tradition tends to give year round preference to coffee, reserving hot chocolate for cold winter nights. However, many people are starting to buck that silly tradition, replacing their morning coffee with cocoa on a daily basis. Hot chocolate has about 10-15% as much caffeine as coffee (Link) and is also good for your heart, your blood pressure, your skin and your cognitive abilities (Link).
5) During Withdrawals, Give Yourself Time For Rest. Coffee withdrawals can bring headaches as well as exhaustion. Giving yourself time to sleep, rest and simply recharge during these withdrawals may be essential. The worst withdrawals occur the first few days. So plan on quitting during a weekend when you can sleep a lot, for example.
6) Have fruit or a fruit smoothie for breakfast. The natural sugars in fruit smoothies help to boost energy while providing an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C. A fruit smoothie can be combined with your coffee replacement to give you the energy spike that you're looking for.
7) Cut Back Gradually. Cutting back gradually makes the headaches and other withdrawal symptoms less severe.
8) Forgive yourself if you have a cup. Remember that coffee does have health benefits, and there are worse things than drinking coffee. The decision to quit is totally your own, and many reasonable people decide that they will never quit coffee. So if you do have an occasional cup, it definitely isn't the end of the world.
9) Stop Before You Start. Withdrawal from coffee can be very painful and difficult. As the Smithsonian puts it, "Within 24 hours of quitting the drug, your withdrawal symptoms begin. Initially, they’re subtle: The first thing you notice is that you feel mentally foggy, and lack alertness. Your muscles are fatigued, even when you haven’t done anything strenuous, and you suspect that you’re more irritable than usual. Over time, an unmistakable throbbing headache sets in, making it difficult to concentrate on anything. Eventually, as your body protests having the drug taken away, you might even feel dull muscle pains, nausea and other flu-like symptoms." (Link)
In other words, why start this new addiction if you're currently free from it? Since breaking an addiction usually leads to a painful withdrawal period, it's far easier to stop before you start.
To increase my Omega 3 intake, I recently started taking a tablespoon of liquid flax seed oil in the morning. However, I find that taking the flax oil by itself is not very delicious. Since I often drink a green smoothie in the morning as well, I decided to add the flax seed oil in with my smoothie. To my surprise, the flax seed oil blended very well with the smoothie, and added a great flavor and texture. The texture kind of reminded me of when I add a piece of an avocado to my smoothie.
I now plan to include flax seed oil with my smoothies on a regular basis, as it is a delicious way to increase essential Omega 3 fatty acids!
If you are confused or uncertain of what to eat on a whole foods vegan diet, think of the 5 S's:
Smoothie, Salad, Soup, Stir Fry or Sandwich
Of course there are other healthy options such as oatmeal, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, organic coconut yogurt, etc. But you can easily cover all bases with the 5 S's
Note: Scroll down for a great daily smoothie recipe!
For many people, sacrificing a hot breakfast for a cold green smoothie can be difficult at first. However, for most people, the benefits of this sacrifice will pay off greatly. Of course results aren't guaranteed, but with so many servings of powerful fruits and veggies, a green smoothie is a great way to start your day!
While I like to avoid hard set "rules" in dieting in favor of an intuitive and balanced approach, I also believe that some things can generally be seen as healthy. One of these things is a green smoothie, which can be an energizing and delicious meal option to incorporate into your life. Again, this isn't necessarily a rigid daily rule to follow, but rather an understanding of the benefits that green smoothies can bring.
Dr. Brooke Goldner has had amazing success healing people of a variety of terrible and debilitating diseases. She healed from lupus on a high raw vegan diet, and recommends green smoothies as a staple to her program.
Dr. Josh Axe helped his mom heal from cancer in an amazing story, and he promotes starting every day with a kale green smoothie.
For my smoothies, I do not include canned or jarred ingredients, as they have almost always been pasteurized and therefore do not retain many of the living enzymes found in fresh produce. Frozen fruits, on the other hand, are generally still in their unprocessed original state.
Kevin Gianni was one of the more influential raw vegan pioneers around the years 2000-2010. He ended up eventually adding animal protein into his diet, yet he still recognizes the power of a green smoothie as a part of a balanced diet. Check out this amazing interview where Gianni continues to affirm the power of a green smoothie!
In the below interview, Arnold Kauffman interviews Elaine, who claims to have had more success with green smoothies than with traditional cancer treatments for her mouth cancer! Of course, this was her decision and I'm not prescribing anything on this blog. Yet I find her story to be very inspiring.
Brenda, the "Real Food Rebel," beat a terrifying infection of parasites and lyme disease that left her totally debilitated and even suicidal. In her own words, "When I was very sick and going through heavy lyme and parasite cleansing I often did a green smoothie fast for a day or two. I would eat as much smoothie as I wanted and it really helped to clear the body of die-off toxins. Go ahead and give it a try" (Link)!
Feel free to vary your smoothie to what works best for you. Here are some possible ingredients:
1/2 cup of fresh or frozen pineapples.
"Pineapple contains compounds that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are linked to cancer. One of these compounds is the enzyme bromelain, which may stimulate cell death in certain cancer cells and aid white blood cell function" (Link).
1/2 cup of frozen wild blueberries
"Blueberries are the King of antioxidant foods. Antioxidants protect your body from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage your cells and contribute to aging and diseases, such as cancer" (LINK).
One Banana
Bananas are a rich source of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber.
1 Cup of Carrots: Beta-carotene is said to aid in the treatment or prevention of the following health problems: Age-related macular degeneration, Arthritis, Asthma, Cataracts, Heartburn, Heart disease, High blood pressure, Parkinson's disease and Psoriasis (Link).
1/3 cup of Omega 3 Seeds (chia and/or flax)
- "Flaxseed is a rich source of healthy fat, antioxidants, and fiber. The seeds contain protein, lignans, and the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, also known as ALA or omega-3. The nutrients in flaxseed may help lower the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease." (LINK)
- "Despite their small size, chia seeds are full of important nutrients. They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron, and calcium. Omega-3 fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that protects against heart attack and stroke" (Link)
4-6 cups of organic mixed greens (Kale is best)
Enough filtered water to create a smooth consistency.
