Celebrate National Nutrition Month with Five More Ways to Optimize Health—Part II

What you put in your body—including essential supplements—means everything when it comes to vibrant health—well into old age.

“National Nutrition Month” has evolved since 1973 to reflect the trends and culture of the time. However, Hallelujah Diet has fundamentally been based on the same principles for over two decades: optimal health requires mainly a plant-based diet rich in fruits and vegetables and essential supplemental living nutrition because even the healthiest diet can’t deliver all the nutrition we need. The 2016 theme of National Nutrition Month Savor the Flavor of Eating Right, which is exactly what Hallelujah Diet has always espoused. To reflect this theme, here are five more tips on optimizing health (click here if you missed the first five last week):

1. Consume the Proper Amount of Daily Protein from Plants—Plant protein is high in all cancer and disease fighting nutrients:
   • Fiber
   • Antioxidants
   • Phytochemicals
   • Folate
   • Vitamin E
   Additionally, plant protein is low in all characteristics that are linked to cancer and disease:
   • Saturated fats
   • Cholesterol
   • Arachidonic acid
   Extremely high in cancer fighting nutrients, plant protein has been shown to reverse dramatically the effects of advanced stage degenerative disease. Dr. Joel Fuhrman writes, “…a significantly greater reduction of cancer and all-cause mortality (about 75% reduction) was related to being on a vegetarian diet for more than twenty years.” Fuhrman also shows that heart attacks are virtually non-existent for people who follow a complete vegetarian diet.
2. Minimize Consumption of the Harmful Thickening Agent Carrageenan—Often overlooked on food labels, carrageenan causes inflammation that can lead to cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Carrageenan is added to otherwise healthy, plant-based dairy products like almond milk and coconut milk to make them seem more milk-like. While it is organic and naturally processed from red seaweed, studies have shown that carrageenan cannot be digested, is directly linked to severe inflammation and, in certain degraded forms, can cause cancer. The inflammation properties in carrageenan are so prominent that it has been established as the go to chemical for inflammation inducement in lab experiments. To discover ways to block cancer, carrageenan is directly injected into the paws of lab rats to create immediate inflammation. Un-degraded carrageenan is the primary version of the ingredient that is commonly found in food. However, when it is degraded, the dangers of carrageenan go far beyond inflammation. Dr. Joanne K. Tobacman notes that food grade carrageenan can become degraded relatively quickly when it is exposed to acid digestion, heating, bacterial action and mechanical processing.
3. Consume Healthy Fats—Fat has always been a demonized word and many people think that it must be avoided at all costs. But there is good and bad fat. The consumption of bad fatty foods is often linked to increased risk of:
   • High LDL cholesterol
   • Diabetes
   • Heart disease
   • Obesity
   • Cancer
   • Inflammation
   But healthy fats are essential for proper bodily function. There are four classifications of fat:
   • Trans Fatty Acids: Used in margarine, fried food and processed snack food to improve flavor, texture and shelf-life, trans fatty acids increase LDL cholesterol and inflammation that can lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
   • Saturated Fatty Acids: Found in animal products like meat, milk, cheese and butter, saturated fatty acids lead to higher total cholesterol and higher LDL cholesterol. It is recommended that consumption of saturated fats be kept under 10% of daily calories to lower risk of heart disease.
   • Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Most commonly found in vegetable oils, and high in Omega-3 and Omega-6, polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential to fight against blood clotting, increase muscle mobility and reduce inflammation.
   • Monounsaturated Fatty Acids: Found in olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados and nuts, monounsaturated fatty acids have been shown to decrease rates of heart disease.
4. Obtain Natural Energy from Food—Exhaustion is a normal lifelong condition in many people. However, instead of reaching for caffeine loaded products like coffee, energy drinks or caffeine pills, maximize energy through a combination of natural supplements, especially BarleyMax, and a nutrient rich diet.
The first step to ensuring energy throughout the day is a nutritious, balanced breakfast. Avoid high sugar breakfast options and choose fresh fruit, whole-grain oatmeal, cereal packed with nuts and seeds, or whole-grain toast with low-fat, high-protein almond butter. Spinach is another great option. One of the primary causes of fatigue is iron deficiency, and the leafy, green vegetable is packed with iron. Additionally, spinach contains the antioxidant carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, and is an excellent source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B6.
5. Supplement Your Diet with organic nutritional powders and other supplements from Hallelujah Diet—Optimizing your diet is only half the battle. The other half is adding 100% organic Hallelujah Diet supplements to your excellent nutrition plan:
   • Protein: Organic Essential Protein from Hallelujah Diets is a one-of-a-kind 100% organic, vegan protein whole food concentrate that is made from dry peas, rice, and raw seeds. The new protein mix features prebiotic fibers and an expanded flavor list of Almost Chocolate, Vanilla, Piña Colada, and plain. The supplement contains up to 25 grams of protein from carefully selected and tested sources, and is 100% free of any animal protein.
   • Energy and more: Hallelujah Diet’s best selling BarleyMax is a combination of organically grown barley grass and alfalfa to revitalize cells and prevent DNA damaging free radicals. This 100% Gluten-Free powder comes in several delicious flavors is filled with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. Among its many benefits, BarleyMax eliminates harmful toxins, builds your immune system and helps you to lose weight.
   • Sodium: Celtic Sea Salt is free of any processing. It is harvested by hand by salt farmers who gather it from marshes in France. The unrefined sea salt contains no additives of any kind, and is sun-dried to seal in many vital trace nutrients.
   • More Nutrition: An all natural beet juice powder, Hallelujah Diet’s BarleyMax is an excellent way to receive all the nutritional benefits of beets in a quick, delicious and easy juice drink. BeetMax contributes to the well being of the liver and gall bladder, stimulates lymph gland activity, flushes the kidneys and bladder, improves immune function, balances moods, improves mental acuity and normalizes brain and reproductive function, bone structure and glucose metabolism.

So, a healthy plant-based diet and high quality essential supplemental nutrition are the keys to optimizing your health, day after glorious day.