Healthy Living News & Tips

One of the few purely 'whole food' companies in the market today, WholeFoodFarmacy, has been granted Organic Certification on three of their popular foods, Phi Plus, Cranberry Phi and Coco Cherry Phi.

Organic certification means that all ingredients are sourced from foods that are grown naturally and free of pesticides and chemicals.

WholeFoodFarmacy is a great example of how food companies can encourage healthy living habits and provide products that support their vision. The company believes strongly in the benefits of whole foods and only supplies products that are minimally handled and contain only whole food vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and natural grains. Here's a little more directly from their mission statement:

"The ingredients to health, happiness, vitality, and longevity are no secret. Every major non-profit health organization in the world has been offering the same advice for many years. Eat more fruits and veggies, drink more water, exercise on a daily basis, lose weight if you need to, don't smoke, avoid toxins, & reduce stress.

To that end, we have combined delicious, healthy foods, with convenience and affordability. Our salon quality personal care items offer superior results without the toxic chemicals.

Nothing short of a consumer based, grass roots return to healthy choices and lifestyles can steer our children, and future generations, in a healthier direction."

They plan to continue the Organic Certification of the balance of their products and provide only the best foods available.

Personally, my family enjoys the foods and many of the natural personal care products. In fact, one of their 13 day programs, the Tri-Decathlon, helped many family members, friends and readers lose excess weight, regain their health and their tastes for a more natural, whole food diet. I often recommend these programs to those looking to make an improvement in their health, be it losing weight, overcoming a health issue or just wanting to improve their diet.

The reason these foods work is because you eat only whole foods for the 7 or 13 days and your body regains its natural taste for fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and natural grains. They are conveniently packaged and the program is easy to follow (eat as much as you want!). Once you lose the 'addiction' to the Standard American Diet (SAD) of fats, clogging dairy products, heart un-healthy meats and processed and junk foods that a majority of Americans (and now becoming the world) eat, you regain your body's natural taste for what nature intended. You start eating more fresh fruits and vegetables in combination with the WholeFoodFarmacy foods and snacks. In this way, changing your habits is much easier since you are not fighting with the taste addictions (cravings) that cripple many diet efforts and makes it much easier to regain your health, your optimal weight and just feel better all around. The foods are convenient, mostly uncooked, tasty and made from all natural whole foods, nothing else.

And regardless of the fact the New Year is upon us when many of us look to make healthier choices, any time is a great time to take back your health, your body and continue a path to your best health for life. You only have one, why wait?

Visit the WholeFoodFarmacy for more information.

To your best health!

Mark Idzik

You may not know this but most of the processed and packaged foods as well as those foods you select when eating out are most often filled with a dangerous substance that's not only hazardous to your health, but is secretly counterproductive if you're trying to lose or maintain your weight. It's often hidden or disguised and rarely, if ever called by it's real name: MSG.

Watch this video to learn more about this hidden, silent killer found in most processed foods we eat every day.

To Your Best Health!

Mark

P.S. Avoid MSG completely by choosing convenient, tasty, whole, organic foods... now available for snacks, meals, lunches and more. Check out what thousands are saying as they regain their health, shed pounds and just feel great.

I had struggled with my weight for almost 20 years and overeating was a regular experience. I most often ate to 'feel' a certain way, or because I felt a certain way and wanted comfort. This is not uncommon, most of us eat emotionally, because of a lack of nutrition, unresolved emotions and as a result of addiction to foods.

Now I follow the 'have I earned my hunger?' question and feel satiated naturally without a temptation to overeat. Of course, it does happen occasionally, most often when out at a social gathering.

The following article by Paul Nison explains this concept in detail and how we can break the 'overeating' habit.

This month my article is about overeating. I chose to write abut this topic because, even though most people overeat all year, they especially overeat around the time of the holidays.

I have found that people do not eat and drink for nourishment only. Most people go way beyond their nourishment needs. Their need for nourishment becomes a pleasure to fulfill their addictions. How many people have heard that too much pleasure can be a bad thing? That is very true, and indulging in the pleasure of eating and drinking too often has left our world full of sick people, crying for help but not willing to give up their pleasers that are causing the problem. Many people do not even know that overeating is the cause. (Drink is not limited to alcohol, today many people consume many different beverages simply for pleasure, coffee, soda, energy drinks, etc.)

People are treating their own body as waste dumps, stuffing as much food and drink in as possible. Overeating might seem harmless, and a person can seem to get away with it for many years, but it is slowly leading to disease inside the body. Nothing takes more energy from the body than dealing with too much food. It drains our energy, creates disease and intoxifies our blood stream, leading to many deadly problems.

My good friend Dr. Fred Bisci has this to say about overeating:

Overeating creates havoc in the body, causing improper digestion and improper elimination. When the large intestine retains food longer than it should, harmful bacterial action occurs. The result is that gases and toxins are formed. They are absorbed by the tiny vessels on the walls of the bowel and poison the entire bloodstream. This is known as auto-intoxication.- Dr. Fred Bisci

It is so sad that people are conditioned to over-consume food. More money is spent on food each year than gas and medical care combined. These people who are overeating are also using more gas driving to and from the doctor and medical facilities, resulting in more money spent on medical care when they overeat.

“Man lives on 1/3 of what he eats. The doctor lives on the other 2/3’s”

Why do people eat so much?

Most people eat for false hunger. It is important to learn the difference between hunger and appetite. Most people have never felt true hunger, but they say all the time, “I’m so hungry.” This is just your programmed appetite kicking in. It usually happens when you see or smell something you like. Many times food was the last thing on your mind until you see a commercial or billboard with an advertisement for food. Once people start, they just can’t seem to stop.

People in most of the civilized world don’t eat out of hunger; they eat for pleasure. There is nothing wrong with a little pleasure. A little pleasure has never hurt anyone. However, a lot of pleasure has killed many. Learn to control your pleasure. You must gain control. It’s fine to experience the pleasure of food, but overdoing it turns into overeating. Learn to insure that all your nutrient needs are met while reducing your caloric intake to the amount needed. The right number of calories is different for everyone, but you can be sure that the higher the quality of the food (the closer it is to nature), the fewer the calories needed.

Boredom is another major reason why people overeat. Keeping busy is a great way to avoid thinking about food. The body can last for weeks without food. It is very rare for anyone to reach the point of true hunger.

If one doesn’t reach true hunger, how does he or she know when it is time to eat?

The answer is to eat when you feel you need food for its value, and not for emotional reasons. And then, when you consume food, limit it only to what you feel your needs are, not your appetite. Most people could reduce their meals to half of the current amount, and their health would improve.

I suggest each person figure out their own nutritional needs not on “how they feel”, but on a simple occasional blood profile. A simple blood test will show any differences if anyone is not getting enough, but just about everyone (who is healthy) can cut down to two high quality meals a day of fruits, vegetables, nuts and/or seeds. Once you figure out what you need, have set meal times to help yourself not eat more than your body needs.

As people consume more and more food, they usually look for more and more stimulants and condiments to relish their food. The best way to get out of this habit is to give your digestive organs a rest and stop consuming all foods for a certain amount of time. This is also known as a fast or fasting.

One of the major health secrets when it comes to eating is moderation and also occasional abstinence. Going one day a week without food is something I recommend to every person. Yes, fasting one day a week to give the body a complete rest is extremely beneficial. This can be done with water or green vegetable juices.

Most people overeat, and once they get started they just can’t seem to stop themselves. Before eating, ask yourself, “Do I need to eat, or do I want to eat?” If the former, enjoy your meal, but be true to yourself. Your wellness will depend on it.

You can break the curse of overeating with convenient, healthy and delicious foods that fulfill you. Find out how now.