Eat good.  Smile.  Live well.

POWER NUTRITION

Fueling Your Body for a Powerful Life

In North America the "healthy eaters" generally eat like this:  low-fat, lots of protein, and now low carbs.  They avoid fried foods as much as possible, eat at fast-food restaurants as little as possible and declare themselves healthy eaters.  Compared to the average American they are; compared to a healthy eater, they are not.  What they are, and most Americans are, is nutrient deficient.

My friend, Dr. David Stender, says that without strict attention to health, nutrition, exercise, and self care, we move from a position of ease, to dis-ease, to disease, to deceased.  The number one killer in North America as most of us know is heart disease.  What most of us don't know is that "the first symptom of heart disease is a fatal heart attack in the majority of heart disease patients," Stender says.  The human body is the most magnificent machine ever built, but without treating it with extreme self-care, it follows a painful path towards being deceased.

There are many aspects of abundant health, such as how you move, (how often and how intense), how you think, how you rest, if and how you pray, how you socialize, how you relate to your family, and of course, how you eat. 

Essential Components to Peak Nutrition

1.  Whole foods and phytonutrients

How much of the calories in your diet is from whole foods and how much is from processed food?  Whole foods are foods that are closest to their natural state as can be, were recently alive, spoil quickly, and don't have additives.  The best diet is plant-based, high in fiber, and filled with phytonutrients.  Phytonutrients are nutrients concentrated in fruits and vegetables  (mostly in the skin) and are high in antioxidents.  (You would do well to consider a good phytonutrient supplement such as Udo's Fast Food Blend or Living Fuel).

2. Healthy fats

One of the biggest deficiencies in the North American diet is lack of essential fatty acids (EFA's), specifically Omega 3's (found in flax seed oil, fish oil, nuts, seeds, etc.)  EFA's help every cell in the body function; they aid in recovery from injury and illness, boost the immune system, reduce body fat, aid cardio-pulmonary function, softens your skin, and much more.

3. Antioxidants

Cancer, the number two killer in North America, is caused by free radicals and carcinogens that alter a cell's genetic makeup.  Both free radicals and carcinogens are fought off by antioxidents.  Antioxidants (such as vitamins E and C, Selenium, and Beta-carotene) are measured in foods on a scale called ORAC.  The higher the orac units, the more antioxidents.  Prunes, blueberries, raspberries, (and most berries) are a few foods that have the highest orac scores.

4.  Smaller portions, more nutrients.

It has been well established that people who eat less live longer, healthier lives.  Avoiding insulin spikes and lessening the amount of food to digest are important to Peak Nutrition.  THe #1 problem with the North American diet is not too many carbs or fats, it's too many nutrient-poor calories.  The key is to eat nutrient-packed foods.

5.  Good protein

 Protein is a part of every cell in your body and plays many different roles in keeping you alive and healthy. It is important for the growth and repair of your muscles, bones, tendons, and other tissues.  Lean meat may be the easiest source of protein, but there are other important sources that should be included such as legumes, nuts, seeds, and other vegetables.  There are issues to consider with protein, such as cholestoral from animal products, and mercury from fish products.  Another way to get protein is to take a supplement (as I do with my Murphy Power Shake).  The best protein for most people is whey protein isolate.  Look for it as the main ingredient in your protein powder.  (Beware of how they sweeten it--avoid aspartame and sucralose if possible).

6.  Good digestion

Relating to #4 above, good digestion relates to what kinds of food you eat, how much you eat, and how you combine them.*  If you eat nutrient-dense food in small amounts, spread out, and combine them well, your digestion should work well.  Supplementing with probitoics can help (as well as simply putting some lemon into your water).  Yoghurt with it's live bacterial cultures contains probiotics.  Probiotics are live microorganisms that help digestion by improving the balance of the intestinal microflora (digestive enzymes).  *There are many good books on food combining.

7.  Lots of pure water between meals

Our bodies are mostly water and we need to keep well hydrated for everything to function fully.  Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink!  Most of us are in a constant state of dehydration; most headaches are caused by this.

8.  Know the enemy

In general, our greatest nutritional enemies are sugar and sugar substitutes, saturated and hydrogenated fats, and processed foods.  Sugar and other sweeteners are harmful in many ways, such as elevated insulin response, nutrient-poor calories, tooth decay, immune suppression, obesity, diabetes, cancer, premature aging, depression, headaches, attention-deficit disorder, and much more.  Don't get caught up in the sugar substitute craze--if it's not natural it may be cancer causing (aspartame has been found to cause cancer in lab rats, and sucralose (brand name Splenda) is made with chlorine). 

More guidelines to fueling your body for a powerful life

1. The majority of your calories should be fruits and vegetables (which are carbs by the way!)

2. Eat foods made by God, not by man.

3. Read the ingredients.

4. If you read the ingredients and you can't say it, it probably is a chemical you would be better without in your body. 

5. Shop at produce stands for most of your food, and at the Supermarket shop the perimeter and avoid the aisles.

6.  Have the Murphy Power Shake every day!  (for incredible energy and health).

7. Make nuts and seeds a regular part of your snacks (some great ones are:  almonds, walnuts, pistaccios, macademias, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)

8. Avoid dairy (replace with almond, soy or rice milk).

9.  Make meal times a time of rest, peace, and socialization.  Take your time.  Eat slowly.  Chew your food well.  Present it well.  Live well. 

MURPHY ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE POWER SHAKE

This shake is an extremely powerful combination of nutrient-dense phytonutrients.  There are a lot of calories per portion; think of it as pure fuel rather than the stuff that makes our incredible machines sputter and choke.  This shake is excellent for most people, as it will probably be the most nutrients you eat all day in one serving. 

The main ingredient is fruit.  Try any of these, mix and match according to your taste.  Also look at what’s in season.  Blueberries are favorites of mine for their taste and high antioxidant level.

1. strawberries (frozen - thawed 30 seconds or so in micro—just enough so blender will blend)
2. blueberries (frozen)
3. bananas (fresh)
4. apples (fresh)
5. acai (a fruit from Brazil with extremely high amounts of antioxidents)
6. Mango, cantaloupe, pears, and peaches also work well

 How much of each?  To serve four, use about:

     1.  8 or 9 big strawberries (or 15 or 20 small ones), 2 large apples, 1 or 2 bananas, a cup or so of blueberries, and 1 package of acai.  (Note:  acai can be bought frozen from Wild Oats health food store -  it is a deep purple color and tastes great)

When blueberries are in season I buy them in bulk at Costco (they have organic!) and freeze them.   

2. organic rice/oat/almond or soy milk (I use Vanilla)   about 2 cups
3. Udo’s Choice oil blend*                                   1-4 tablespoons per serving
4. Udo’s Choice Wholesome Fast Food*             1-4 tablespoons per serving
5. Protein powder**                                             1 scoop
6. * In Arizona, these can be purchased at Wild Oats.  Most nutrition/health food stores will have these (although GNC does not carry them). 
7. Greens powder (various types)

** The highest quality whey protein powder is Cross-flow microfiltered (CFM) whey protein isolate.  Try to at least get whey protein isolate as the major ingredient, and then try different brands to taste.  (If you are sensitive to whey try hemp powder.)  Strawberry or Vanilla flavored are the two flavors that work the best.  The flavor of the protein powder affects the shake a lot. (Note:  if you are getting sufficient protein in your diet, you may omit the protein powder).  The two key ingredients to this shake are the oil and the phytonutrients.  These two things elevate this shake above all others.  (Though Udo's is the best I've found, other brands work well too.)

• Strawberries and blueberries should be frozen, banana doesn’t have to be.  Combine all in blender.
• Preferably buy fresh berries in bulk, wash them well, then freeze them.  If your fruit is not organic, wash your bigger fruit with a spray bottle of Fruit and Vegetable Wash* and the berries with a couple caps of organic raw apple cider vinegar in a bowl of water.  (need to get rid of the pesticides and waxes, etc).
• This shake has a lot of good calories.  It’s high in protein, high in essential fatty acids, phytonutrients, and antioxidants.  Ideally eaten in the morning for your first meal, or within a hour after your workout.  Not recommended after dinner.
• If the shake is too thick, add more rice milk; you may add grape juice also.  The shake should taste good--I love it as do most people--so keep working with the ingredients to get the right taste.  If it doesn't taste good, you won't keep it up.
• You may rotate rice milk with soy milk and oat milk.  I do not recommend cow milk as there are many problems with dairy in North America.  (And the Japanese are much healthier than Americans, even though they smoke more, and they eat way more rice, and drink way less cow milk).
• Make sure you put the powders in last.  After everything is pretty well blended, add the powders and oil.  Blend for about 15 - 20 seconds.  Do not overblend! If your shake is too frothy, you overblended the powders.

 Caution:  this shake builds champions.

Note:  The MAP Power Shake was designed for high performance athletes.  It is packed with nutrients, much of which is deficient in our North American diet, and very necessary for those training hard.  It is filled with antioxidents, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids; these are strong fighters of cancer, heart disease, skin problems, and much more.  This shake aids in recovery from workouts, healing from injury, provides tons of energy, improves the skin, and benefits every cell in your body.  As such, most everyone would benefit from taking the Shake.  You don't have to be a high-performance athlete to eat like one.  Before starting, consult your doctor if you are taking prescription medicine.

"I want to thank you for giving me the recipe for the MAP Power Shake.  I have been drinking it every day and the fatigue I always felt down my arms is gone.  My knees no longer ache like they did and I feel great!"  - Donna Davis, Tucson, Az.  January 7, 2005

EFA'S:  POWER-PACKED

What are the Functions of Essential Fatty Acids?

Essential fatty acids have many functions throughout the body. They are involved in:

Energy production. In a study with athletes in Denmark, Dr. Udo Erasmus et al showed that within one month of giving athletes one tablespoon per 50 pounds of body weight per day of an oil blend with an n-3: n-6 ratio of 2:1, stamina increased by up to 40 or even 60%. Athletes could exercise longer before reaching exhaustion, recovered more quickly from fatigue, could exercise more often without over-training, healed quicker from injuries, built muscle faster, and had less joint pain.

Energy improvement is also seen in non-athletes and older people. The EFA blend also improves mental stamina.

Brain Function. Dr. Udo Erasmus:  In our work with the blended oil, we have seen consistent improvements in brain function, and research with EFAs from other sources has also shown brain benefits. Among these are elevated mood, lifted depression, increased calmness, better handling of stress, less hyperactivity, better focus, better mental processing, faster learning, increased intelligence, better concentration, and improved motor coordination.

Among the mentally ill, EFAs can decrease hallucinations in schizophrenics, elevate mood, lift depression, improve symptoms in bipolar and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and improve brain function in Alzheimer's disease and autism.

EFAs are also required for vision.

Skin, Hair, and Nails. EFAs are required for healthy skin and hair, and are required for normal nail growth. They moisturize skin and prevent dryness.

Cancer. N-3 EFAs lower cancer risk.

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). N-3 can decrease most CVD risk factors, including high triglycerides (blood fats), blood pressure, platelet stickiness, fibrinogen, and lipoprotein(a). N-3 also keep the inside of our arteries smooth. N-3 and n-6 keep the heart beat regular.

Diabetes. EFAs are required for insulin function. N-3 make diabetics more insulin-sensitive.

Weight Management. N-6 slightly and n-3 more effectively help reduce fat production in the body. They also increase fat burning and heat production in the body, and shift the body from burning glucose to burning fats. Saturated, monounsaturated, and trans- fatty acids do not help to manage weight. Sugar triggers increased fat production in the body. Starch can also lead to overweight.

Digestion. EFAs improve gut integrity, decrease gut inflammation, and decrease 'leaky gut' that can lead to allergies.

Allergies. EFAs reduce symptoms of allergies. They work best if digestive enzymes rich in protein-digesting protease are also used.

Inflammation. N-3 reduce inflammation. Digestive enzymes are also helpful.

Autoimmune Conditions. N-3 dampen the over-response of the immune system in autoimmune conditions. Again, enzymes are also helpful.

Injury. EFAs speed the healing of injuries.

Bone Minerals. N-3 improve bone mineral retention, thereby inhibiting the development of osteoporosis.

Stress. EFAs, by optimizing serotonin production, improve response to stress. People report feeling calmer, getting stressed less easily, dealing with stressful situations more calmly, and losing their temper less often.

Sleep. EFAs improve sleep in some people.

Hormones. EFAs improve hormone functions. Hormone levels may decrease, yet the effects of hormones remain normal. EFAs thereby ease the work load of glands.

Organs. EFAs are required for liver and kidney function.

Reproduction. EFAs are required for sperm formation, the female cycle, and pregnancy.