Dietary Recommendations

1. Brown rice, long grain rice, brown or white basmati and wild rice instead of white rice, Uncle Ben's converted or any instant white rice. Consider using the mentioned rice choices instead of pasta dishes. BUY ORGANIC!



2. Sprouted grain breads and tortillas. These can be found in the refrigerated or freezer section in your local health food store. Many "whole grain" breads still contain sugars and grains that do not support balanced blood sugar.
   
   
3. Buy good quality meat and poultry that does not contain growth hormones or antibiotics. If possible, try to eat good quality (wild) fish such as salmon. Deep-sea fish is usually better because it has fewer heavy metals in the meat.
   
   
4. Dairy and soy products are considered to be high allergen foods. Many people are allergic to these products and may not have typical allergy symptoms (runny nose, watery eyes etc.) Try to limit the amount of dairy and soy in your diet. A small amount in hot beverages may not cause problems but be aware or using these products daily.



5. Consider a Super Green food supplement even if you think you are getting enough vegetables in your diet. If you don't take any other supplement this is the one thing you need to consider adding to a good eating routine.



6. Consider a colon cleanse once a year and optimally twice a year. This can be done with natural products over the course of one week to one month depending on the severity of illness. A cleanse is a wonderful way to eliminate toxins from the body that maybe causing illness and allergic reactions. Keep the inside clean and functioning smoothly!



7. DRINK A MINIMUM OF 64 oz. OF PURIFIED WATER EVERY DAY!! Limit alcohol and coffee consumption.



8. Please talk to me about any known food allergies, as you may want to re-introduce certain foods back into your diet after some acupuncture treatment. Balancing the system will help with allergic reactions. Especially if you are allergic to things that are very nutritious.



9. Pay attention to how you feel after eating certain foods to better eliminate foods that you may be sensitive too. It is best to not drink liquids 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after eating a meal. Do not engage in watching the news or arguing while eating a meal as it will effect digestion, (any television). Breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a Pauper is the healthiest for our digestion. This does not mean you can no longer enjoy dinners with friends and family. Try to eat a light dinner the majority of the time and your digestion will thank you when you occasionally break the rules.



10. Avoid refined white sugar like the plague. Limit soft drinks including diet to once or twice weekly and if you can, eliminate these poisons. Please speak to me about sugar cravings, as this may be a sign of Candida infection.

Cleansing The Body

It is essential that when we become symptomatic, no matter what the condition, we take into consideration cleansing the body of toxins. A diet primarily composed of processed foods will lead to a weakened immune system—this we know for sure. When coming for acupuncture treatment, keep in mind that your treatment outcome will be far more successful when following dietary guidelines. I have put together a few different types of cleanses that I have found helpful. You may need to add fiber to this regime or to your daily diet.

Summer Cleanse:

This requires a juicer. If you don't have one - get one! Use organic produce.

1 Whole lemon cut to fit in the juice hopper
2 C. Watermelon including rind and cut to fit in hopper
1 Whole orange
1/2 Grapefruit
4 ounces Aloe Vera juice
1 tsp. Raw, local honey

Drink this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. It is best to eat fruits and vegetables during the season in which they ripen. Cleansing with fruits and vegetables during the summer and late summer is optimal in Colorado since much of our produce is shipped from Mexico and California.

The rest of the year try juicing with greens occasionally adding a whole lemon for vitamin C. I also recommend using gooseberry supplement for a whole food source of vitamin C.

Green Cleanse:

1/2 head Romaine lettuce
3 Carrots
1 Apple
Handful of kale, spinach, chard (use all three or interchange)
1 Lemon twice a week.

I have in my office a very good super food that I believe everyone should take if you are not already. Super foods contain greens that will help detoxify the liver and kidneys. The one I recommend is sweetened with Stevia, which is very good for the pancreas and has no glycemic index. This can be used when you are not juicing as a daily supplement.

I also like "The Master Cleanse" which is a fast. This can be done for 3-10 days as preparation for a lifestyle shift in your eating habits. Many people find it helpful to cleanse or fast as an aide in decreasing or eliminating food cravings and allergies. Most allergies are an immune response. Supporting our immune system will in some cases eliminate allergies. You can find an inexpensive book at the Vitamin Cottage about the "Master Cleanse". You can also "google" the term Master Cleans for more information.

ALWAYS drink a minimum of 64 ounces of purified WATER daily. Increase this amount if exercising by 20-30 ounces. If you become thirsty you are already dehydrated. Please include into your diet Celtic or Himalayan Salts as these salts contain trace minerals. Add 1/8 tsp to drinking water to aid with elimination on an empty stomach upon waking.

Avoid coffee and alcohol while cleansing. Juicing may be done daily or every other day for prevention of disease. If you have a severely compromised immune system it is best to continue juicing until you feel better. It is of utmost importance that most of your diet contains fresh foods this includes reducing contaminated meats. Restrict your meat intake to no more than 5 times per week. Make sure the quality of the meat you're eating is not just prime but also without growth hormones. When animals are treated poorly they too go into a stress response and release cortisol into their blood stream. You then eat it!

Avoid foods that contain MSG, hydrolyzed soy, wheat protein and high fructose corn syrup. We cannot expect to be well if our bodies are laden with toxins and poor quality fuel.

How Do I Grow My Own Sprouts?

The answer to this question is easily! Yes, it is a welcoming fact that growing your own sprouts does not require great knowledge of gardening, soils, plant varieties, etc. You do not need expensive equipment to grow your own sprouts (although there are many sprouter products available that make it even easier for you). You do not need to wait anywhere near the amount of time it takes to grow the average vegetable crop to grow, harvest and eat your own sprouts.

Why should I grow my own sprouts?

By growing your own sprouts you will save yourself money as it is a lot less expensive to buy the sprout seeds, grown and harvest the sprouts, rather than buying sprouts from a shop. Growing your own sprouts also lets you enjoy sprouts when they are at their absolute freshest and tastiest as they can be taken from their growing container and eaten straight after rinsing. And, because home-grown sprouts are fresher, they contain higher levels of nutrients. By growing your own sprouts, you can control which varieties of sprouts you add to your diet, the range of sprout varieties that be purchased are often very limited.

What You Will Need to Grow Your Own Sprouts

You will need some sprout seeds to grown your own sprouts. These can be obtained from all good health food stores and also from many online retailers. Try to choose organic, non-GM seeds. You can buy "seed assortments" with a number of seed varieties or individual varieties. You will also need a supply of fresh water with which you will need to rinse your sprouts each day. You will need a a space to place your sprouting container(s) which receives daylight but is not in direct sunlight. You will also need a sprouter/sprouting jar/sprouting container.

Process for Growing Sprouts

1. This is the basic procedure for growing your own sprouts. Please refer to the sprouting times schedule table at the bottom of the page for more specific times for different sprout varieties.
   
   
2. Soak your seeds for the time period that is correct for your chosen sprout type.
   
   
3. Drain the seeds, rinse and drain again. Transfer to sprouting container (distribute evenly across sprouting container).
   
   
4. Cover the sprouting container (with container lid/cling wrap, etc) to prevent the sprouts from drying out.
   
   
5. For the specified number of days (see sprouting schedule table) rinse and drain the sprouts every morning and every evening to prevent the formation of mold.
   
   
6. After the specified number of days your sprouts are ready for harvesting. Rinse the sprouts with fresh water and transfer to a bowl. Eat immediately for full nutritional content or store in the firdge for a few days.

Sprouting and Mold Formation

Some people encourter a problem when growing their own sprouts and that is formation of mold on the sprouts. Be careful not to confuse the very fine white hairs that form at the roots of the sprouts with mold. These fine white hairs are pefectly normal and are not reason to abandon your sprout crop. If you do, however, encounter mold in a batch of sprouts then you should immediately thrown the sprouts away, thoroughly wash your sprouting container and also rinse it down with vinegar as this helps protects against mold. Mold formation occurs because of one of the following:

*Sprouting environment is too wet
*Sprouting environment is too hot
*Sprouts haven't been rinsed frequently enough

Try and avoid the room temperature being much in excess of 22 degrees Centigrade.

Sprouting Seed Schedule

Mung Sprouts:
Soaking time: 12 hours
Germination Time: 4-5 days

Alfalfa Sprouts:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Germination Time: 6-8 days

Radish Sprouts:
Soaking Time: 12 hours
Germination Time: 4-5 days

Quinoa Sprouts
Soaking Time: 2-4 hours
Germination Time: 12 hours