Healthy Sports Drinks

I am often asked about the quality of the sports drinks that are available. The general public and the exercise enthusiasts seem to think these bottled drinks and squeeze tubes contain good nutrition.

Sports drinks are comprised of two ingredients, sugar and electrolytes. Electrolytes (usually sodium and potassium) replace the salts lost through sweat, and they directly enhance the fluidity of muscle contractions as well as reduce muscle cramping. These drinks are packed with artificial colours and flavours, and the sad part is the poor source of the carbohydrates they contain. Usually the sugar is from highly processed, denatured and often genetically-modified sources, most commonly high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup solids. It is used because it is cheap, plentiful and has a shelf life similar to plastic. Many classify this sweetener as a food-like substance. (3)

There are many simple alternatives, some you may purchase, and some easy to make suggestions at the end of this article.

It is important to replace fluids when exercising to prevent dehydration. Sports drinks are meant to replace fluids, electrolytes, and energy stores used up during exercise. Drinking sports drinks can cause weight gain and erode tooth enamel (high citric acid levels). (1) Sports gels and sugar fortified energy bars and drinks ignore the fact that fat is better for fuel then carbs, as fat yields three times the energy as a carb. (2)

It is possible to suffer from heart palpitations, lightheadedness and trouble concentrating as well as muscle cramping when not consuming enough liquids with electrolyte minerals. Consume fluids before, during, and after exercise regardless of whether or not you feel thirsty, as this helps prevent dehydration and muscle cramping.

Did you know that enough water can significantly ease back and joint pain for many sufferers? Along with the liver, our kidneys are important for detoxification, and they extract a litre and a half of urine daily. (4) Regardless of drinking any sports drinks, be sure to drink two to three litres of pure water daily.

The following healthy drinks make great sports drinks, help replace electrolytes and are beneficial for all of us. If you are interested in more specific nutrients for serious workouts, two good resources that I recommend are Cory Holly and Brendan Brazier, as they use all natural nutrient dense ingredients.

Suggestions:

- Purchase bottles or tetra packs of pure coconut water, a great source of nutrition.

- Have cans of coconut milk (or bottles of coconut water) and Bolthouse Carrot Juice on hand for a fast drink to take with you. Simply mix half and half and place in a thermos.

- Blend half and half of any unsweetened fruit juice and water.

- Make your own coconut milk (recipe below) and/or your own carrot juice for an even healthier drink.

- Blend your favorite fruit(s), make your own nut milks, add essential fats like hemp oil; concoct your own drinks using whole healthy ingredients .

- Add ginger and/or turmeric to help reduce inflammation.

- Add Yerba Mate (a natural stimulant) to provide a boost in energy.

- For a variety of green smoothies containing many raw ingredients, check Eat Away Illness, second edition.

Spriulina Green Drink

Mix 1 tsp. of spirulina with water, or any smoothie. Add coconut milk or water to up the nutrient value.

Spirulina contains gamma linoleic acid, linoleic and arachidonic acids, B 12, iron, protein (60 70%), EFAs, nucleic acids RNA and DNA, chlorophyll, land more. It is a naturally digestible food that aids in protecting the immune system, in cholesterol reduction, and in mineral absorption. (5)

Coconut Milk (from Eat Away Illness, second edition by Paulette Millis)

2 cups organic desiccated coconut, unsweetened

4 cups hot (not boiling) water

1. Pour hot water over coconut in a blender and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
2. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes and press through a fine sieve.
3. Replace pulp in blender and again add 2 cups hot water and all to sit for another 20 minutes.
4. Blend again for 2 to 3 minutes and press through a sieve. Discard pulp. Refrigerate milk.
5. Makes about l6 cups.

Sport Drink- from Cook Your Way to Health by Paulette Millis

3 cups coconut milk

1 serving of protein powder (Vega or Whey Protein Isolate)

2 large dates, soaked in warm water to rehydrate

½ banana

1 tsp. dulse leaves

Optional: few springs of fresh mint

1. Blend well and pour into thermos to carry with you to the gym. Start sipping during the workout. Great snack anytime; great for travelling.

Dulse (trace minerals and iodine) and coconut milk supply electrolytes. Banana and dates supply high quality carbohydrate. Protein powder supplies energy.

Workout Smoothie (from Cook Your Way to Health)

½ banana

1 scoop whey protein powder

1 tbsp. hemp or Udos oil

1 tbsp tahini

¼ cup dates (presoak to rehydrate)

1 cup pure water

3 4 ice cubes

1. Blend and enjoy.

Bananas and dates have potassium and the smoothie provides protein, vitamins and minerals. Prepare and carry to the gym in a thermos.

Sweet Kale Smoothie (From Eat Away Illness)

3 small kale leaves

1 small banana

1 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup filtered water

2 tbsp. hemp seeds

1 tbsp. hemp oil

Optional: liquid multivitamin and mineral, daily serving

Optional protein: 1 serving of Vega, natural flavor, or Whey Protein Isolate

Blueberry Green Treat( From Eat Away Illness)

2 cups blueberries

1 banana

1 large stalk celery

½ avocado

1 cup mixed field greens

2 cups filtered water or cold herb tea

Juice of ½ lime, squeezed

1 serving Vega natural or Whey Protein Isolate

Optional: 2 tbsp. hemp seed

1 tbsp. hemp oil

Cinnamon to taste

3 or more drops of liquid stevia, to taste

Liquid multivitamin and mineral

Chocolate Almond Smoothie

This smoothie came from the site BrendanBrazier.com.

1 banana

2 fresh or soaked dried dates

2 cups cold filtered water

¼ cup raw almonds

1 tbsp. ground flaxseed

1 tbsp. hemp protein

1 tbsp. raw cacao nibs

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender. It may be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, but is best fresh.

Please feel free to reply with your experiences trying any of the above ideas! I look forward to hearing from you.

1. The Athletes Deadly Mistake, Shane Ellison M.Sc. Healthy Horizons Spring 2007

2. Running Out of Steam, Eric Viallagran, Alive June 2006.

3. Quenching Your Thirst After Sports, Brendan Braxier, Vista Magazine #65.

4. Are Kidneys Your Weakest Link?, Peter Melnychuk, Mosaic Magazine Summer 2009.

5. Spirulina: Prescription for Nutritional Healing, James Balch, M.D. and Phyllis Balch, CNC.

Disclaimer: the above article is not intended to replace any instruction from medical or health professionals.

Paulette Millis
Author, Speaker & Registered Nutritional Consultant
www.EatAwayIllness.com

coconut milk1

quick breakfast smoothie1

HOW TO EAT HEALTHIER + HEALTHY RECIPE

Eating healthier is a popular topic. I am asked often by my clients how they can eat healthier, and for some ideas about healthy foods to lose weight, particularly each new year.

I believe we need to change the way we think about eating, as well as making healthy food choices. We need to look at the bigger picture. Many people worry about what they consume between Christmas and New Years Day. They would be much healthier if they concerned themselves instead, with what they consumed between New Years and Christmas!

Visualize Your Weight Loss

Indulging yourself during a holiday season and believing you will gain AND retain that weight sets you up for just that. I like to think that what we can conceive and believe, we can achieve. Begin to look at your body as capable of being the perfect weight for you; that you will sometimes indulge but that you will return to healthier eating, and you will return to your desired weight, health, energy level, etc.

Visualize, meditate, or journal pictures in your head of what you desire to do, for example skiing or dancing, and see your body as trim, muscled, energetic, and flexible. The more pictures you have, the more often you visit this place in your head, the quicker the result. Ive used this exercise with weight loss groups for years, and it IS possible to eventually eliminate those old phrases you have told yourself, such as I shouldnt eat that or I cant eat that or I gain 5 pounds, and consistently replace them with the pictures you have designed.

This is not to say you may eat everything in sight! Consider the 90 10 rule. 90% of the time you make healthy choices, and 10% of the time you indulge.

Eat Healthier Change Your Focus

I also believe we are healthier focusing on servings and serving sizes of the macro and micro nutrients, rather than the calories. First choose a nutrient packed whole food, and consume one serving (say ½ cup) instead of measuring calories. An appropriate serving of complex carbs (macronutrient) such as brown rice, cereal, or whole grain bread is ½ cup or 1 slice of bread. Three ounces of hormone-free meat, poultry or cheese, or 1 cup of legumes and grain combo is a healthy portion of protein (macronutrient). Two cups of vegetables (micronutrients), preferably raw, at each meal, and 1 2 small fruits as snacks make a well rounded daily intake.

It is best to start with small changes, and build a habit before adding the next one. For example you may wish to eliminate all unhealthy fats and oils from your kitchen and purchase extra virgin coconut oil, cold-pressed olive oil, and butter, and learn to incorporate these. You may decide that consuming 4 5 cups of veggies daily is where you would like to start. Plan many raw snacks and salads, find simple recipes, purchase 7 kinds of veggies each week, and enjoy! I firmly believe that replacing rather than depriving is the best way to go about diet changes.

Take a look at the suggestions below, start with one, and decide when another change will be implemented; one small change each week, one large change the first of every month, and so on.

How to Eat Healthier for 2012 Start Here!

- Replace all sugar with natural sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey, stevia, agave, brown rice syrup.

- Increase raw foods gradually make and use sprouts, buy raw nuts and seeds.

- Increase the number of servings of vegetables you consume daily.

- Add grain coffees and herb teas gradually to reduce caffeinated beverages.

- Replace a meat meal with a legume and grain combination such as a red bean and rice dish.

- Add garlic to your daily diet.

- Source and purchase hormone-free meats and poultry.

- Remove all foods from the pantry that contain sugar, white flours, or unhealthy additives.

- Purchase whole grains flours from the fridge at your health food store.

- Eat wild fish at least 3 times a week.

- Use hemp oil or Udos oil as a supplement.

- Use filtered water only.

- Use virgin coconut oil for kitchen and baking needs.

- Take a multi vitamin and mineral that does not contain sugars or unhealthy additives.

- Add fresh ginger to the diet.

- Add a vitamin C supplement daily.

- Make whole grain cereals for breakfast once a week; with a goal of eliminating processed cereals.

- Purchase fresh, local, organic produce weekly.

Remember! Start small, build a habit, increase slowly towards a more health giving diet.

Healthy Recipe Carrot and Nut Coleslaw

from Eat Away Illness, second edition, by Paulette Millis

3 cups shredded carrots

2 tbsp. hemp oil

2 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

¼ cup hemp seeds

1 tbsp. horseradish sauce

½ cup toasted slivered almonds

Whisk the vinegar, oil and horseradish together. Place shredded carrots, hemp seeds, and almonds in a serving dish, add the sauce, and toss to combine.

Paulette Millis
Author, Speaker & Registered Nutritional Consultant
www.EatAwayIllness.com

Onion Dip! The Best Ever!

A friend was visiting yesterday and I served this dip with crackers and corn chips. It was two days old and was even better than when I first made it! We were very impressed; no added mixes with questionable ingredients, and organic ingredients to up the nutrient value. She requested the recipe, so I decided to share it with you.

ONION DIP

2 tbsp. olive oil or liquid coconut oil

1 ½ cups diced organic onions

2 cloves organic garlic, diced very finely

¼ tsp. unrefined salt

1 ½ cups Balkan style or Greek style yogurt

1 tsp. organic Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. chopped green onion tops or chives

Optional: fresh ground black pepper or dash of cayenne

1. Saute onions and garlic in the oil in large saucepan over low heat for 30 minutes, until soft and carmelized.

2. Set aside to cool.

3. In a medium size bowl, place remaining ingredients and combine.

4. Add the cooled onion mixture to the yogurt mixture and combine.

5. Season with pepper, cayenne or more salt if desired.

6. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Great with crackers, vegetables, or corn chips.

A great dip to send to school in kids lunches! Or use it next time you travel! (remember the freezer pak)

A variation of this recipe was given to me by a friend. I have changed several things, and really like the end result.

Paulette Millis
Author, Speaker & Registered Nutritional Consultant
www.EatAwayIllness.com

Happy New Year from Eat Away Illness! New Year, New Intentions, New-Trition!

What could you do to gradually add more nutritious foods to your lifestyle this year?

How about focusing on one nutrient dense food each month? Decide to eat that food a couple of times each week for the entire month, finding new recipes, or new ways of incorporating it into your daily routine. This will build a habit, and more than likely it will continue. Here are 12 suggestions for foods that may help:

1. APPLES: high in quercetin; protects the heart, prevents constipation, blocks diarrhea, improves lung capacity, cushions joints.
2. AVOCADOES: excellent source of unsaturated essential fatty acids; battles diabetes, lowers cholesterol, helps stop strokes, controls blood pressure, smoothes skin.
3. BEETS: wonderful liver cleanser; controls blood pressure, combats cancer, strengthens bones, protects your heart, aids weight loss.
4. BLUEBERRIES: great source of anthocyanadins; combats cancer, protects your heart, stabilizes blood sugar, boosts memory, prevents constipation.
5. BROCCOLI: loaded with sulforafane; strengthens bones, saves eyesight, combats cancer, protects your heart, controls blood pressure.
6. CARROTS: high in vitamin A. saves eyesight, protects your heart, prevents constipation, combats cancer, promotes weight loss.
7. FRESH GROUND FLAX: excellent source of fiber; lowers cholesterol, relieves constipation, aids digestion, battles diabetes, protects your heart, improves mental health, boosts immune system.
8. GARLIC: natural antibiotic; lowers cholesterol, controls blood pressure, combats cancer, kills bacteria, fights fungus.
9. OATS: good source of fiber; lowers cholesterol, combats cancer, battles diabetes, prevents constipation, smoothes skin.
10. ONIONS: high in sulphur; reduces risk of heart attack, combats cancer, kills bacteria, lowers cholesterol, fights fungus.
11. SWEET POTATOES: high in vitamin A; saves eyesight, lifts mood, combats cancer, strengthens bones.
12. TOMATOES: high in lycopene; protects prostate, combats cancer, lowers cholesterol, protects heart. (published in Eat Away Illness by Paulette Millis)

REPLACE DONT DEPRIVE is my philosophy for improving your diet. As you develop new recipes, habits, and enjoyment of new foods on a regular basis, some of the less desirable choices are just naturally left out! Try the great Shepherds Pie below from Eat Away Illness, made with sweet potatoes!

Have a great New-Tritious year!

TURKEY SHEPHERD PIE

4 medium potatoes

5 medium sweet potatoes

1 cup corn kernels

2 tbsp. butter

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

3 tbsp. whole grain flour

1 ½ tsp. celtic salt

½ tsp. oregano

2 cups chicken broth (or use potato water with chicken like seasoning)

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Set aside one sweet potato. Steam remainder of potatoes until tender and set aside, reserving liquid. Peel and chop remaining sweet potato. In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add chopped sweet potato and sauté for 2 minutes. Add red pepper, celery, onion, garlic and corn, and sauté 3 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking up any lumps, until no pink remains. Sprinkle with flour, 1 tsp. salt, and oregano and stir to blend. Gradually add 1 cup of the broth and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add parsley. Spoon turkey mixture into a large deep dish pie plate. Mash reserved potatoes with the remaining 1 cup broth, and ½ tsp. salt until smooth and blended. Mound potato mixture over turkey mixture., spreading to the edge of dish. Melt remaining 1 tbsp. butter and brush over potato topping. Bake at 375 degrees F. until filling is bubbly and topping is slightly browned, about 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers of this pie will freeze. Just reheat and serve.

The above is information regarding nutritious food and is not intended to replace any instruction from medical or health professionals.

Paulette Millis
Author, Speaker & Registered Nutritional Consultant
www.EatAwayIllness.com

Brain Food! Thank you!

Thank you to the 40 people who showed up at McNally Robinson on a cold night to listen to me enthuse about the wonderful foods available to us to keep our brain healthy!

I really appreciate the support, and sincerely hope each of you received several new ideas to add to your lifestyle, whether to improve memory, depression, learning abilities, or aging. Or maybe you just wanted to add nutrient dense foods to your diet, and knew you could count on me!

Everyone received a sample of Wonderful Nut Muffins to show how we could get healthy fat into us in the form of almonds, while enjoying a real treat. The recipe is in Eat Away Illness page 396. One participant brought to our attention that another recipe called Banana Nut Cake on page 133 in Cook Your Way to Health is a similar product, providing lots of unsaturated healthy fat in nut form.

Congratulations to Sandra, the winner of the new cooking DVD, soon to be available on my website www.healingwithnutrition.ca.

A special thanks to my two helpers, Alandra and Doug, to all of those who purchased books, and McNally staff.

I would appreciate comments from anyone, particularly those who were in attendance.

Blessings,
Paulette.

Paulette Millis
Author, Speaker & Registered Nutritional Consultant
www.EatAwayIllness.com

BRAIN FOOD! a free presentation

McNally Robinson Booksellers is Pleased to Present Paulette Millis the author of Eat Away Illness: Strategies & Recipes for Healing Gluten Free & Dairy Free, Second Edition. for a presentation on BRAIN FOOD! Help for Brain Health, Memory, Learning Challenges, and Depression!. Learn what foods enhance healthy brain function. Thursday, December 1, 7:30pm, Art Alcove Paulette Millis speaks, trains, and writes about superior nutrition. She has 20 years experience helping people through life issues and healing challenges. SCN airs fifteen three minute Cooking for Health information segments with Paulette. She is the author of 3 books and numerous articles and columns. Paulette believes that you are not what you eat, but what you actually absorb and assimilate. She has a special interest in digestive disorders, women’s health, weight loss, hypothyroidism, diabetes, and hormonal imbalances. Her passion for healing is personal and professional, brought about by her own healing journey, as she was considered disabled by symptoms of Lupus, Sjogren’s Syndrome, and Hypothyroidism. Using natural foods, environmental and lifestyle changes, detoxification and emotional healing, she has rebuilt her immune system and her life. She is a Registered Nutritional Consultant and a Registered Social Worker. www.healingwithnutrition.ca Join us on Facebook, & twitter@McNallyevents McNally Robinson Booksellers Saskatoon 3130 8th St. E. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 0A7 Phone 306-955-3599 (Toll Free 1-877-506-7456) Copyright (C) 2009 McNally Robinson Booksellers All rights reserved.

The Healing Power of Plants

We all hear about the value of eating our fruits and veggies. Lets take a look at the power of phytonutrients’.

Phytonutrients are from plants (phyto means from plants in Greek) and are neither vitamins nor minerals. Phytochemical simply means plant chemicals. Researchers estimate there are 30,000 to 50,000 of these, 1,000 of which have been isolated, and a mere 100 analyzed and tested. Modern science now believes phytonutrients are what defend and protect our trillions of cells from disease. The number of phytonutrients in a single, unprocessed, plant food is remarkable. When we eat these plants, the phytonutrients protect the bloodstream, cells, tissues, membranes, mitochondria, skin, organs and immune system functions from the onslaught of synthetic chemicals, toxins, automobile or factory emissions, bacteria, pesticides, viruses, fungi, yeast, microbes, mutagens, food additives, free radicals and carcinogens.

Nature has designed plants with successful defense mechanisms. For example, the sulfur in onions and garlic repel bugs, and deep orange colored foods like carrots, apricots and squash contain beta-carotene to protect them from strong sunlight. This amazing natural system benefits us as well.

Well known phytonutrients indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane, found in cruciferous veggies like cabbage, broccoli and kale, are recognized for the role they play in protection against cancer, and in particular, breast cancer.

Turmeric is a powerful carcinogenic inhibitor, with its natural occurring curcumin. Resveratol, found in the skin and pulp of dark grapes, has been researched extensively by the University of Chicago, and is said to contain powerful cancer inhibiting qualities as well.

Lycopene, one of the thousands of phytonutrients in tomatoes is a cancer preventing antioxidant, due to its ability to interfere with the production of nitrosamines, implicated in the development of stomach cancer.

Allylic sulfides in garlic and onions have been shown in the lab to inhibit tumor production.

The following is a list of some foods and their phytonutrients:

Onions, garlic, leeks, chives: allium and organosulphur compounds.

Broccoli, cauliflower, kale: indoles, and isothiocyanates such as sulforaphane.

Blueberries, plums, dark beans: anthocyanins.

Carrots, yam, cantaloupe, winter squash: carotenoids.

Citrus fruits, tomatoes: coumarins.

Anise and licorice: glyceritinic acid.

Beans and other legumes: isoflavones, protease inhibitors, saponins.

Whole grains; brown rice, oats, wheat, rye: lignans, phenolic acids, inositols.

Nuts and seeds: lignans.

Citrus fruit: limonene.

Tomatoes and red grapefruit: lycopene.

Cocoa, tea, and most fruits and veggies: phenols.

Now, we have lots of reasons to make multiple trips to the salad bar, and to embrace the many new raw food creations that are popping up. Why not try the following recipes for a boost to your health?

Guacamole

1 large avocado

1 medium tomato

1 small green onion, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice (use less for less tang)

1 tsp unrefined sea salt

1 clove garlic, or more to taste

1/8 tsp crushed red peppers or dash of Tabasco

1 tsp Tamari soy sauce.

Use wheat-free Tamari for gluten-free.

1 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil

1 tbsp parsley, optional

1. Chop vegetables.

2. Place all ingredients in a blender.

3. Purée at low speed.

Great dip for corn chips.

- from Eat Away Illness by Paulette Millis.

Buckwheat Salad

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups buckwheat groats

1 cup chopped cucumber

1 cup minced fresh parsley

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp Tamari soy sauce.

Use wheat-free Tamari for gluten-free

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

optional chopped tomatoes

cooked shrimp

1. Place the broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. Add the washed buckwheat and cook, covered, over

medium heat until tender, approximately 15 minutes.

3. Set aside to cool.

4. Combine the cucumber, parsley, shrimp, almonds, and

cooled buckwheat in a bowl.

5. Whisk together the vinegar, oil, and Tamari.

6. Drizzle over the salad and toss gently to coat.

7. Let stand 1 hour in the fridge before serving.

8. Decorate with almonds, tomato wedges and shrimp if

desired.

From Eat Away Illness by Paulette Millis

References: High Performance Nutrition, Susan Kleiner, Ph. D, RD.; Sam Graci, Alive, 2002, author of The Food Connection; Powerfoods, Stephanie Beling, M.D.

Paulette Millis
Author, Speaker & Registered Nutritional Consultant
www.EatAwayIllness.com

Gluten-Free Presentation and Book Signing

EAT AWAY ILLNESS

Paulette Millis, Author and

Registered Nutritional Consultant

AT

Nutters Bulk and Natural Foods Moose Jaw

Join Paulette to learn how to remove symptoms and improve health!

November 1, 2011

11:00a.m. 2:00p.m.

Book Signing

The How and Why of Gluten-Free Living

7:00p.m. in Nutters Store

You will be motivated and educated to begin the path to an energized, healthy life!

Paulette incorporates her nutritional knowledge, lifestyle tips, and personal experience. See you there!

www.healingwithnutrition.ca

BEST SELLER

Paulette Millis
ROHP, RNCP, RSW
Author of Eat Away Illness and
Cook Your Way to Health
phone/fax (306) 244.8890
eatingforhealth
www.healingwithnutrition.ca

Blog: www.eatawayillness.wordpress.com

To unsubscribe, please return email with unsubscribe in the subject.

2011-14-10 – Moose Jaw Event Poster Nov.1, 2011.doc

Beware of Sugar Substitutes!

“AminoSweet” is the new Aspartame!!! I just wanted to be sure that all of you who follow the healthy food path are aware that aspartame has been renamed AminoSweet. For those of you who have my Eat Away Illness book, there is information on aspartame and why it is unhealthy, but the renaming occurred after the publication. Please do not be taken in by the hype with this new strategy to pull the wool over the eyes of the public.

You may know that aspartame originally was an accidental discovery by James Schlatter, employee for G.D. Searle & Company, back in 1965. He discovered that by mixing two naturally-occurring amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, the new compound had a sweet taste. When the company changed its FDA approval application from a drug to a food additive, eventually aspartame was born.

Over the years aspartame has been shown to be a dangerous toxin, although it has remained on the market with the exception of a few countries that have had it banned. Surprisingly to those of us who would like to believe we all want to improve our health, new types of foods continue to appear with aspartame, despite evidence showing it causes neurological brain damage, cancerous tumors, endocrine disruption, and more.

Ethan Huff, in an article in the Citizen stated “Practically all drugs and food additives are approved by the FDA not because science shows they are safe but because companies essentially lobby the FDA with monetary payofffs and complete the agency’s multi-million dollar approval process.”

Please folks, remember to read labels when purchasing processed foods, and leave those with aspartame and AminoSweet on the shelves.

A great book to read for more information on neurotoxins is Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills, by Dr. Russel Blaylock.

Please feel free to share your thoughts in comments.

Paulette Millis
Author, Speaker & Registered Nutritional Consultant
www.EatAwayIllness.com

Healthy Onion Rings!

These are the tastiest little condiments! I promised several people I would share this with you.

I love those carmelized onions found on top of Asian foods, crispy and flavorful. Several years ago I spent one week in a raw food institute, and I’ve come away with some good habits! This healthy version of dehydrating onion slices in a powdered seasoning is now a regular activity in my kitchen, and each fall I purchase the fresh vegetables and preserve them. For those of you who wish to go the extra mile in serving raw foods, (that is using temperatures under 115 degrees fahrenheit with food), these are worth the effort. If you are short of time, you might use a purchased seasoning to coat the raw onion rings, and then dehydrate them. I use an Excalibur 9 tray food dehydrator, but there are many cheaper models on the market; even using your oven set to the lowest temperature works.

In the fall when there is a surplus of tomatoes, red peppers, and onions, I store several jars of these dried, just to make this seasoning whenever I wish. All vegetables need to be thinly sliced and dehydrated at 105 degrees for one to two days until no moisture remains. They are quite leathery. Store these out of the light in glass sealed jars and grind a small amount at a time into a powder. A coffee grinder, vita mix, magic bullet, or blender will work. Mix equal amount of red pepper powder, tomato powder, and onion powder.

Place 1/8th to 1/4 inch thinly sliced onions, about 2 handfuls, in a zip lock bag, and sprinkle with about 2 tbsp. of the above seasoning. Shake well until all onion rings are coated. Spread the onion rings in a single layer on the dehydrator trays and dry at 105 degrees for about 2 days.

Store these crispy onion rings on the counter in a pretty sealed glass jar, and use daily to garnish salads, raw veggie plates, soups, or casseroles.

These onion rings are loaded with health giving properties, as well as being Soooo tasty!
Enjoy!

Paulette Millis
Author, Speaker & Registered Nutritional Consultant
www.EatAwayIllness.com