November Event Calendar

Download our November Event Calendar Here

The Rainbow Connection - Yes, Your Foods!!

“Phytonutrient” means literally a plant-based nutrient. Mother Nature provides us with an abundance of disease-fighting, tasty, and colorful foods, all of which pack a powerful punch of flavor and health benefits. The phytonutrients in plants work to protect them against insects, bacteria, ultraviolet light, and extreme weather. In much the same way they protect plants, phytonutrients protect you.

One class of phytochemical, known as polyphenols, has been touted as a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants destroy free radicals—components in the body that destroy healthy cells and can lead to disease. The American Cancer Society even promotes the consumption of antioxidant-rich foods, stating that one type of polyphenol (flavonoids) acts “as antioxidants and may protect against some cancers and heart disease.”

Get Colorful!

The basic rule of thumb when choosing your fruits and vegetables? Select from a rainbow of colors! The deep colors give fruits and vegetables their antioxidant and disease-fighting powers, and different colors contain different benefits. You simply can’t go wrong if you eat a variety of citrus fruits, cruciferous vegetables, allium vegetables, and purple, red, and green produce.

Four Categories of Phytos:

Eating a diet rich in colorful produce means incorporating the following varieties of phytonutrients:

·      Anthocyanins – found in deep purple or red-colored fruits such as cherries, blueberries, strawberries, red grapes, and blackberries. These have been shown to boost metabolism and short-term memory.

·      Carotenoids – found in yellow and orange-colored fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, peaches, carrots, and pumpkin. These are powerful immune system boosters and can also improve eyesight. The antioxidant value of carotenoids makes them impressive disease-fighters.

·      Catechins – found in apples and green or black tea. Catechins help to burn abdominal fat (the dangerous type of fat) and aid in weight loss.

·      Flavonoids – found in berries, pomegranates, red onions, the skin of apples and red grapes. These have been increasingly linked to slowing the growth of cancer cells.

The evidence supporting the consumption of phytonutrient-rich produce is impressive. Tap into the power of whole, organic food to reveal anti-aging and disease-fighting properties. You won’t find anything in pill form that can equate to the impressive health benefits found in a rainbow of garden fresh produce.

Here at The Monument Market we strive to have available the freshest and in season fruits and vegetables we can find.

We are proud that what we sell is 100% organic and locally grown.  Two very important steps in your choice of making sure you are eating a rainbow of colors.

===========>

Saturday, Sept. 19th Workshops

10:30 a..m. - In the garden with Michelle - Talking all about weeds!

11:30 a.m. - Nutrition with Sandra - Talking about toxins. Where they lurk and how to avoid them.

Hope to see you then,

Sandra

The Paleo Diet - What The Heck Is It?

The nutrition talk this Saturday (Oct. 5th) at The Market, is all about the Paleo diet, what it entails and why it has become so popular.  

Below is a blog post I wrote over on my own site Renew Whole Health last year to educate my audience on what the Paleo diet is.  

Enjoy the read and if you would like to know more, join us Sat. at 11:30 at The Market.  Into gardening as well?  At 10:30, Michelle will be talking about what gardening needs to be done in the month of Oct.

========>

One question I am frequently asked  about is the "Paleo Diet". What exactly is it and whether it is a fad diet with a cool name. My answer to that is NO!

The "Paleo Diet" name first came on the scene about 15 years ago, but in reality this way of eating has been around for tens of thousands of years. Hence the name.  What it emphasizes is a diet in fresh, whole foods that humans have been consuming forever. It is a way of eating that brings our bodies back to being healthy the way God intended us to be and creating homeostasis within us.

I personally have been eating this way for the last couple of years and have seen a dramatic difference in my weight and energy, as well as no longer being dependent on medicines for hormonal imbalances and depression.  With that said, it is not for everyone.

As one goes digging into and researching the Paleo Diet, they will find a lot of confusion.  There seem to be two sides to the debate.

• some say no dairy, others say in moderation is ok
• some say absolutely no sugar, others say using a natural sweetener is ok in moderation
• some say no wheats or starches, others say rice and potatoes are ok and others say soaked and sprouted grains are ok
• some say no legumes, others say in moderation as long as they are soaked and sprouted

This is where bio-individuality comes in.  I have spoken about this before, though we are all human, we are all our own unique individual.  Not everybody is going to have the same reaction to the items listed above and the only way to find out what you can and cannot tolerate is through an elimination diet.

I truly believe in this way of eating.  I have an issue with the name of the diet, but only because I have seen countless people turned off by trying this way of eating simply because of the name.  Take away the name and you are left with a way of eating that is wholesome, nourishing, free of preservatives, trans-fats and all the other crap that is fed to us.

Keep in mind two things.  First, if you are not eating grass fed animal products or organic vegetables but avoiding packaged, processed foods, you are still ingesting a ton of toxins into your system. Second, if you are not doing anything to "heal your gut" from years of eating a Western diet, this will inhibit you from enjoying the full benefits of this new dietary lifestyle.

To your health,

Sandra