Abuelita was right about the raw egg!
June 10, 2015
Do you often look back to those weird home remedies that your parents or grandparents had for every ailment under the sun? I still use some of them and wish I had asked more questions growing up. I want that library, now that I’m open to learning! These were healing products found in nature that were readily available and didn’t require a visit to the doctor or a prescription. They certainly didn’t require any insurance!
With my thoughts on natural remedies I continue our reading of Your Health is in Your Hands, by James D. Jordan. If you didn’t catch part 1, you can find it here. In this blog, I continue with the idea (in the book) that the majority of illnesses we get, or our general “un-healthy” feelings, stem from toxins, stress, and/or nutritional deficiencies. Today I focus on nutrients.
I have delicious memories from my childhood, savoring one of my favorite comfort foods that my grandmother, Amelia, made me— a large bowl of hot “harina”, or cooked cornmeal. I loved putting sugar on mine (FYI—I don’t do this today!!!), but she always made us eat it with a raw egg on top! I enjoyed it, but always thought it was strange. I questioned, “Will the raw egg make me sick?” Well, it never did. Today I know that not only are eggs a great source of protein and omega-3 fats (among other nutrients), but Jim tells us they are one of the best sources (raw) of enzymes that are “required for your body to function properly, because without them you wouldn’t be able to breathe, swallow, drink, eat or digest your food.” COOL, way to go, Abuelita!
Through studies shared in the book, we can reasonably assume that a good amount of our population consistently fails to meet even the minimum intake for many of the key nutrients recommended. There are so many eye-opening reasons why listed in the book, but the one that really caught my eye is the declining nutritional content in our food due to the changing agricultural practices that give more importance to traits (size, pesticides) other than nutrition. One study concluded that “…one would have to eat eight oranges today to derive the same amount of vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from one.”
A key point driven home in this book via study after study and Jim’s own experiences and experiments, makes it clear that one small, yet significant step we can take toward getting all the nutrients we need is to take a high-quality whole-food multivitamin/mineral formula daily because “It is difficult to get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function optimally from food alone, even if that food is organically grown.” Getting all of the key vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants we need also protect us from toxins, which simply just make us feel worst, and can negatively impact our health over time. (More on that next week!)
Jim provides a nice, brief overview of the common nutrient deficiencies and how to supplement them using real food! It’s really a great resource. But to keep it simple, I want to share with you the 8 small positive changes you can make to get all the nutrients you need, and really be in a place where you are preventing illness and thriving:
- Center your healthy diet around high-quality (Look for: organic, naturally raised, grass fed, free range, wild caught):
- Proteins such as meat, poultry, fish and eggs cooked at low temperatures (225 degrees or below to prevent oxidative damage)
- Organic fruits and veggies (more nutrient-dense and less toxic!)
- Fats such as butter, olive oil, coconut oil and raw nuts and seeds
- Raw, sprouted and cultured foods (like raw eggs, raw honey & sushi!)
- Supplement your diet with a high-quality whole food-based multivitamin and mineral formula
- Take a high-quality pro-biotic daily to support optimal digestion (for nutrient absorption!)
- Dehydration is a very common deficiency! Drink half your body weight in oz of water daily. View our 2014 guest blog about this here.
- Assess (through testing or symptoms) any nutrient deficiency which may be contributing to your health issues, and supplement those deficiencies through the above.
I’ll wrap this up by sharing that as a coach I see how many individuals (of all ages) suffer from symptoms like, insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, and constant movement (hyperactivity). Although I believe that much of this can be attributed to our life styles and careers (What we think we should be and do), Jim also shares that the most common deficiency he sees is that of magnesium, which can cause/aggravate many of these symptoms. If this sounds like you, please consider finding out what your deficiencies may be and begin supplementing what you need. Wonderful natural resources for magnesium deficiencies are green leafy veggies, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate and halibut! YUM!
I hope this was helpful! Are you already doing a lot of the above? If so, I’m cheering you on with my tall glass of water and ounce of dark chocolate!
Until next week…it’s your life, lead it well.
Namaste,
Monique
Illumined Life Leadership 