Strawberry-Banana-Apple Smoothie

Start your day with a delicious fruit smoothie!

It’s fast, easy and oh so good for you! Children in particular love anything that can be “consumed” with a straw, it’s a fact! Drinking smoothies is also sweet, why would you start your day with a horrible bitter black liquid that turns your stomach acidic? Just wondering sometimes about the choices people make.

Now to our fruity glass of deliciousness. What you will need for this particular recipe is:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 4-7 strawberries
• 1 small cup of organic apple sauce
• some organic soy milk (original, not sweetened)

Put everything in the blender and mix. You can even add raspberries or leave the applesauce and add instead some frozen peaches. It’s all up to you. This recipe is just a suggestion because everybody has their own favorite fruits, milks and juices they like to add. No matter what you put in your smoothie it’s going to be a delight every time you drink it.

Now go and make yourself a nice fruity smoothie! Enjoy.

Monika Baechler

Celeriac Salad with Orange Juice

This is a fantastic recipe from Switzerland. You will absolutely love it. Serve the salad with some steak or chicken. It will be great for summer picnics as well.

What you will need:

• 1/2 Celeriac
• 1 Juicing Orange
• couple of tbsp of home made mayo (or bought)
• sea salt
• garlic salt to taste
• Optional add some diced pineapple

The easiest way to do this is with a food processor. If you don’t have one, I really encourage you to invest about $160 into a good quality food processor for quick lunches and last minute dinners.

Here we go. Clean the celeriac first. The fastest way is to cut the tough stuff off with the knife and switch to a peeler after that. It takes some practice to wrestle with the celeriac root, but it’s so worth it.

Prepare the dressing first. Take 2-3 tbsp of the mayo and mix it with the orange juice. Cut the celeriac into manageable pieces. Grate them in the food processor or by hand (I do not recommend this, too dangerous). Immediately mix the celeriac with the dressing and season to taste with some garlic salt and finish off with sea salt.

Serve this delicious salad as is or with fresh whole grain bread. This is also great for kids lunches and for afternoon snacks. I love this recipe with some grilled salmon fillet or with grilled chicken. Talking about low carbs!

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Monika Baechler

Essential Fatty Acids and why we can’t live without them

So, how important are the Essential Fatty Acids you ask? Very important. They are so vital to life, that humans could not live without them. Two out of the three families are considered essential. They are alpha linolenic acid (ALA) from the omega-3 family and linoleic acid (LA) from the omega-6 family.

Do you know all three of the fatty acid families?

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Alpha linolenic acid (ALA)
• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
• Docosahexanoic acid (DHA)

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

• Linoleic acid (LA)
• Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)
• Arachidonic acid (AA)

Omega-9 Fatty Acids

• Oleic acid

It’s really hard to believe but all the fatty acids are important. Our body requires about twenty fatty acids to function properly. The big difference is that alpha linolenic acid and linoleic acid can’t be manufactured by the body and have to be taken in with the diet.

Alpha linolenic acid is a member of the omega-3 fatty acid family. Most of the sources you hear about is probably eating fish and flaxseeds. Some easily accessible foods that contain ALA are walnuts, canola oil and green leafy vegetables. You can even get eggs with omega-3′s.

LA belongs to the omega-6 family. Linoleic acid can be found in foods like Flaxseed oil,flaxseed meal, hempseed oil, hempseeds, grapeseed oil, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds (raw), olive oil, olives, borage oil, evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, chestnut oil, chicken plus many more.  Corn, sunflower, soybean, and cottonseed oils are also sources of linoleic acid, but can be refined and may be nutrient-deficient if they are not cold pressed. Some olive oils even say, “Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil” that would be the best. Always remember that heat destroys EFA’s . I’m pretty sure that most of these sources are available in your grocery store or whole food store.

Why do we need Essential Fatty Acids?

Essential Fatty Acids are fital for cells to carry out normal functions because fatty acids are part of the cell membranes. Some of the important parts they play are:

• Healthy Brain development and function
• Balanced mood
• Healthy circulation
• Healthy kidney functions
• Pain and inflammation regulation
• Healthy immune function
• Vital for healthy skin, hair and nails (if you want to grow your hair out, you need lots of healthy EFA’s for support)

There are some known physical signs of fatty acid deficiency, some of them are:

• Diabetes
• Asthma
• Arthritis
• Fatigue
• Hair loss
• Dry heels, hands, feet
• cardiovascular Disease
• Cancer
• Depression
• Memory loss
• Hypertension, plus more…

All these healthy fats can go bad and rancid! Making sure you keep all your omegas stored in the fridge ensures a safe storage for your EFA’s. (Essential Fatty Acids) Don’t overdo it with the healthy fats, they are good for you and good for your body but stay withing the suggested guidelines for the daily recommended amount. With only two tablespoons of flaxseed meal you can be on your way to a happier and healthier you. Don’t forget, EFA’s hate the heat, keep them cold and mostly don’t cook with them. EFA’s should be consumed cold in salads, mixed in with smoothies, drinks, on top of healthy cereals and soups. Add the EFA’s at the end of the cooking process when you serve your meal, this will make sure all of the EFA’s are undamaged.

One more thing, it’s not wise to hide healthy supplements from children.Do not sneak it in their foods.  How will they learn to add healthy nutrients into their foods when they are off to college without mom? Always tell your children about why it is important to eat delicious nuts and seeds or other whole foods. Let your children know that the healthy oils helps their brain keep up with the learning in school. Which child doesn’t want to do well in school? Hiding facts doesn’t help them in the long run!

Stay healthy!

Monika Baechler

“Sticking With It in 2010″ The New Years Resolution Help book

“Sticking With It in  2010″

How can you be successful and stick with your New Years Resolution past January?

8-week program to help you develop positive habits and sticking with them for life – starting today!

This is a FREE gift to you, no kidding, this 8-week program to help you with your resolutions this year is a FREE gift to you for the New Year, enjoy!

By Monika Baechler

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How to fight the Aging Process and strengthen your Immunsystem

Fasting is the abstinence from solid food and addictive substances like alcohol, coffee and drugs for a specific time. This is for therapeutic maybe even for religious purposes. Fasting will support your body by resting your digestive system. Do you know why this is so important? Now that you are fasting, your body can use the energy (calories) you are getting by juice fasting to use elsewhere in your system to heal and repair “stuff”

• I had a client who healed a very old knee wound he sustained in a car accident.
• Couple clients that cured Hemorrhoid after years of suffering.
• A Lady who cured syndrome x
• IBS gone after years of suffering for a teenager

Fasting for 3 to 5 days is considered a short term fast. If you go longer it’s a long term fast. I have seen people go 40 or more days on a juice fast. In our days, I do NOT recommend a water only fast. It is very harsh on our bodies and involves major detox symptoms, which may need hospitalization if you are very toxic to begin with. For expert fasters it is possible to finish a water only fast but don’t go over 10 days. The best idea anyway for seasoned fasters is to combine a juice fast with a water fast. This is done as follows: 5 days juice fast followed by 2-3 days of water fast, again continued by 5 days juice fasting and so forth.

People with blood sugar problems could be adversely affected by a juice fast. I recommend to fast only if you talked to your doctor. (They will not agree with your decision anyway)  If you have syndrome X (insulin resistance) please use only vegetable juices instead of sweet fruits. You can add some granny smith apples for lunch, but do not use them for breakfasts or by themselves and always dilute the juices.
I do believe, that people with high blood sugar can extremely benefit from a juice fast. Your body could in fact “reboot” and use insulin in a more efficient way, if you stick to a changed and improved diet after your fast. (more about the diet later)

Did you know that your body can not get to the nutrients in your vegetables and fruits because it’s encased in fiber? Some 90% of the nutrients in produce we eat are eliminated with the vegetable fiber as it passes through the body. This is why juicing is so important these days, the full 100% of the nutrients in the vegetables and fruits can be absorbed by our body, since the juicer does all the work for you and separates the juice from the fiber in the process. Our system can digest and absorb the juice in about 30 minutes without weighing down the digestive system.

You can find out more and learn more on 30dayjuicefast.com. Information about how to start and try a juicing day or how to buy a juicer are some of the things you will find. Videos are also available and a documentary as well.

Do you have Anemia – Iron- deficiency?

People who have anemia, which means “no blood” in Greek, do have plenty of blood. The problem is that the red blood cells are not carrying their usual capacity for energy-giving oxygen like in healthy people.

When you are not getting enough iron in your diet or you are loosing blood like women as a result of menstruation, the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood can drop suddenly.

You will feel the effects pretty rapidly. Anemia can bring on low energy, sluggish and weak feeling and brain fog or a feeling of cloudy brain. Oh, you will feel pretty cold all the time. The estimation in the US is about one-third of women have low iron stores and are at high risk to develop anemia.

Fortunately, it’s a very easy problem to correct. The antidote is a very delicious and easy to get – FOOD.

How hard is it to get enough iron in food? Well, it’s not as hard for meat eater as for vegetarians. Meats contain a large amount of iron. For example, 3 ounces of blue mussels has 3 milligrams, and 3 ounces of roasted turkey has 1 milligram of iron. If you are a vegetarian you will have to pay extra attention to your iron intake. A 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin has 2 milligrams and kidney beans and lentils have 3 milligrams in a 1/2 cup. There is enough iron in these foods but the problem could be something called bioavailability.

Bioavailability means: how well our bodies absorb the nutrients we eat. Did you know, that there are two different levels of bioavailability. Iron which we get from meats it’s called heme iron (from hemoglobin – red blood cells) and it’s very easily absorbed by our bodies. The plant based iron found in plant foods is called nonheme, this iron is not so easy to absorb.

If you combine iron foods with vitamin C, you can boost the bioavailability of the iron in the food. You don’t have to worry how much iron food with how much of the vitamin C rich foods, it’s not very important.

How can you boost your iron stores?

Let’s see, if you like clams, meats, legumes and vegetables your in luck, they all contain a good source of iron. Just remember that vitamin C can boost your iron absorption by up to 50%, which is a huge amount. Great vitamin C amounts are in tomatoes, potatoes (eat with skin), lemon dressing on salad, orange juice, pinaplle juice.

NEVER eat iron foods with calcium foods (dairy). They kind of clash and calcium hinders you from absorbing the iron. Keep calcium and iron rich foods apart, at least 3-4 hours.

Vegetarian be ware! You have to watch out and make sure you put extra thought into iron rich foods. Good options are cream of wheat cereals, pumpkin seeds, lentils, kidney beans, pinto, black beans, and split peas. Make sure you supplement your diet with B12 Vitamins if you are a strict vegetarian. Low B12 Vitamins in the body could cause fatigue and tingling in your hands and feet.

Cheers

Monika

Vitamin & Supplement Glossary

Amino Acids. The building blocks that make up proteins. Humans need 20 different amino acids to function properly. Some are made by the body. Others, called essential amino acids, must be obtained from foods.

Antioxidant. Substances, like vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene, that protect your body from the damage of oxidation caused by free radicals.

Botanicals. Substances obtained from plants and used in food supplements, personal care products, or pharmaceuticals.

Daily Value. Found on food and drink nutrition labels, this number tells you the percentage of the recommended dietary allowance provided by one serving of the food or drink in question.

Fat Soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, E, and K, are absorbed by the body with dietary fats. Your body stores excess fat-soluble vitamins in your liver and body fat, then uses them as needed. Ingesting more fat-soluble vitamins than you need can be toxic, causing side-effects like nausea, vomiting, and liver and heart problems.

Fortify. To increase a food or drink’s nutritional value by adding vitamins, minerals, or other substances. For example, milk is fortified with vitamins A and D.

Free Radicals. An atom or molecule with at least one unpaired electron, making it unstable and reactive. When free radicals react with certain chemicals in the body, they may interfere with the ability of cells to function normally. Antioxidants can stabilize free radicals.

Herb. Herbs are plants used as flavorings in cooking, but herbs can also be used as supplements for health or medicinal reasons.

Megadose. Supplements that provide more than 100% of the daily value of the body’s required vitamins and minerals.

Micronutrients. The name given to vitamins and minerals because your body needs them in small amounts. Micronutrients are vital to your body’s ability to process the “macronutrients:” fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.

Minerals. Nutrients found in the earth or water and absorbed by plants and animals for proper nutrition. Minerals are the main component of teeth and bones, and help build cells and support nerve impulses, among other things.

Multivitamin. A pill, beverage, or other substance containing more than one vitamin.

Oxidation. A chemical reaction in which oxygen combines with a substance, changing or destroying its normal function. Oxidation can damage cell membranes and interfere with a cell’s regulatory systems.

Phytochemicals. Health-protecting compounds found in fruits, vegetables, and other plants. Phytochemicals (sometimes called phytonutrients) include beta-carotene, lycopene, and resveratrol.

Prenatal Vitamins. Specially formulated multivitamins that ensure a pregnant woman gets enough essential micronutrients. Prenatal supplements generally contain more folic acid, iron, and calcium than standard adult supplements.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). The amount of nutrients needed daily to maintain good health in most people.

Supplements. Vitamins, minerals, herbs, or other substances taken orally and meant to correct deficiencies in the diet.

Vitamins. Naturally found in plants and animals, vitamins are vital to growth, energy, and nerve function. There are two types of vitamins used by the body to support health: fat-soluble and water-soluble.

Water-Soluble. Water-soluble vitamins like B-6, C, and folic acid are easily absorbed by the body. Your body uses the vitamins it needs, then excretes excess water-soluble vitamins in urine. Because these vitamins are not stored in the body, there is less risk of toxicity than with fat-soluble vitamins.

Welcome to the Baechler Health and Nutrition Blog

Do you care about living a long healthy life, getting degenerative diseases, saving your children and grandchildren from obesity and illnesses, getting cancer and paying healthcare? Because if you don’t, then this blog is not for you! Thanks for visiting.

If you do care about those things – then read on:

Sadly and ironically in a land of plenty, on a continent of excess, many people are so highly deficient in vitamins and vital minerals as a horrific result of our food productions and processing methods. These deficiencies will lead to all sorts of horrible degenerative diseases, because dead food leads to dead cells. The question is not if – the question is when.

So you are telling me that you eat whole grains and organic foods and make sure you only buy whole wheat bread and so forth. Now consider this, most maufacturers make exceptionally poor-quality organic foods available, for example the organic white sugar and various organic cane juices and cane juice powders, which are simply refined sugar – unless it specifically says “unrefined”. Most of the time the word “organic” is used to mask an unwholesome food. Only because it says “organic” that doesn’t mean it’s good for you or your children. Manufacturers use the highly obsessed over big “O” to lure consumers to buy bad foods and it nearly fools everyone and it is one of the most deceiving and sickest marketing games today.

Even harder to metabolize and worse for your health than white sugar are the refined oils. If the product is not labeled with “unrefined,” then they are refined and these commonly used canola and other oils are the worst foods that can be eaten.

There is no Right- for- all- Diet, and with diet we always refer to the daily foods you eat not a calorie or fat reduced way of eating. Some people need to be vegetarians because of the love for animals or are even vegens.  Others prefere to eat raw-vegens or just raw. Not every body is suited for one kind of diet and every body has to figure out for themselves which diet is right for them. You can also be in between raw and whole foods, for example if you eat 60-80% raw but sometimes like to eat some broiled fish with steamed vegetables or some organic broken bone and vegetable soup.

All you really have to remember is this: 100% Whole Foods or at least 95%.

1. Eat a varied and abundant organic vegetables and fruits (organic most of the times or all the times)
2. Eat organic, range-fed animals without antibiotics added and grain fed animal products, about 4 ounces daily (animal protein is optional)
3. Choose a variety of plant seeds like roasted pumpkin seeds, ground or soaked flax meal and legumes
4. supplement with sea vegetables and micro-algae, including chlorella, wild blue-green algae, and spirulina
5. add healthy exercise every day

The perfect balance in your body is one of the most important things, the balance between acidity and alkalinity. Let me give you an example: Meat, fish, sausage, eggs, noodles, white bread, processed foods and sugar are very acidic to our bodies, but most veg, salads, tofu, fresh herbs, fruits and many more things are very alkaline (acid neutralizing) to our bodies.

Many people don’t pay attention if they have heartburn or a sour stomach, but they really should. That is a very specific sign that you are in deed acidic and need to change your diet and lifestyle. Yes I now, I’m preaching about the healthy lifestyle again and eating right blah, blah, blah…

But listen, do you want to end up like older friends and relatives, sick with all kinds of industrialized illnesses like, gout, arthritis, migraines, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity…? No? I didn’t think so. If you’re experiencing some or more of these symptoms you can reverse them with a whole food diet.

If this or an other article helped you and you enjoyed it, please share this with your family and friends.

Stay Healthy!

Monika Baechler