Saturday, December 8, 2012

Importance of a food journal







Pulse test for identifying food sensitivities




“It is based on a simple, easily-proven premise; that your pulse rate is often accelerated by foods and other substances; that the reason the pulse is accelerated is because your system is allergic to that which is making your pulse race; and that life-spoiling and life shortening conditions such as migraine, eczema, epilepsy, diabetes, hypertension etc. may be caused by your continual exposure to foods or substances to which you are allergic”

Disclaimer: This is a tool, not a substitute for real medical help. If you have a serious medical condition always consult a medical professional. 

1.     You must stop smoking entirely until reintroducing it later for testing purposes.

2.     You count your pulse for one minute just before each meal.
b. three times after each meal at half-hour intervals.
c. just before retiring
d. just after waking, before rising in the morning.

(all pulse counts are made while sitting except the important one on waking. This is made before you sit up. )

3.     You record all the items you eat with each meal.

4.     You continue the pulse-dietary records for two or three days with the usual meals you would eat.


5.     You then make single-food tests for two or more whole days in this way; beginning early in the morning after the “before rising” count, and continuing for 12 to 14 hours, you eat a small portion of a different single food every hour. For example, a slice of bread, glass of milk, orange, 2 TBS of sugar in water, a few dried pieces of fruit, coffee, potato, egg, nuts or different meats etc.  You count the pulse just before eating, and again one half hour later. Do not test any food that is known to disagree.

6.     You can bring your records with you to an appointment with a practitioner that is familiar with this testing and they can help you to determine if the solution to your sensitivities is relatively easy or difficult to resolve; or you can completely avoid and cut out the foods you know you have an allergic response to.

*Note sometimes the sensitivity can come from a perfume, toothpaste, lotion, air freshener, etc. One woman who suffered from severe migraines would have a pulse jump from 74 to 104 in the morning before she had even put anything in her mouth. She took her pulse meticulously through her morning routine and found that the toothpaste she had been using for years was the source of the sensitivity. She switched her toothpaste and hasn’t had a migraine since avoiding it.




 The Pulse Test
(Lingual-Neuro Test)
Without consumption of food

Purpose: A simple two-minute self-test to determine if a particular food or supplement causes a stressful reaction. * Note: This test may not be valid if you are taking a drug that controls your heart rate, such as a calcium-channel blocker or a beta-blocker.

Procedure:

1.     Sit down, take a deep breath, and relax.

2.     Establish your baseline pulse by counting your heart beat for one full minute and record your pulse in the “Before” space in the Pulse Test Record below.


3.     Put a sample of a food or supplement to evaluate in your mouth (on your tongue). You may chew but refrain from swallowing. You do need to taste it for approximately 30 seconds.

* Note: The sensory information taste signals from your mouth will inform your central nervous system (brain) as to the nature of the test substance. If the test substance (food or supplement) is stressful to the body, you will have a brief reaction that causes your heart to beat faster.
Test only one food at a time. Testing individual ingredients will yield specific information, compared with testing foods containing multiple ingredients. Testing a banana, for example, yields more specific, and therefore more valuable, information than testing banana bread.

Retake your pulse with the food or supplement still in your mouth. Write down your “After” pulse on the Pulse Test Record.

* Note: An increase of 6 or more is considered the result of a stressful reaction. The greater the degree of stressfulness or reactivity, the higher the heart rate will be.

Discard the tested ingredient (do not swallow) and repeat the procedure to test other foods or supplements. Repeat the procedure as frequently as you like, as long as you always return to your normal pulse before testing the next food.

* Note: If a reaction occurred, rinse your mouth out with some purified water and spit the water out. Wait two minutes, and then you can retest your pulse to see if it has returned to its baseline. If it hasn’t, wait a couple more minutes and retest. Continue to retest until you have returned to your normal pulse. Once your pulse has returned to its normal rate, you can test the next food.


* I do not own the material covered on this blog post. All credit goes to Arthur F. Coca, MD.





Homemade Energy Bars




I don't know about you but I have had plenty of days where I go to clean out my backpack or purse and find handfuls of energy bar wrappers; Lara Bars, Odwalla Bars, Cliff bars. 

We live in a fast world, constantly rushing through our day and it is a miracle if we remember to eat. I am not supportive of rushing through any meal but when you're on the run it is best to have something nutrient dense and organic to throw in your bag. Just remember to sit and relax for a bit before eating :)

The link below is a no bake cherry and chocolate energy bar. I didn't have dates so I decided to re-make it with dried plums and threw in a few other ingredients. 


Ingredients

2 C - Prunes (dried plums)
2 TBS -  Honey
1/4 dried fruit of choice (blueberry, cherry, cranberry, apricot etc.)
1/3 C - Bali cocoa powder
1 C - Shredded Coconut 
1/2 tsp - Cinnamon
1/2 C - Almond butter
1 1/2 tsp - Vanilla extract
1/2 - Vanilla bean
1 1/4 C - Slivered almonds (add more to texture you like)
1/2 C - Cashews (add more (add more to texture you like)
1/4 C - Walnuts
1/4 C - Chia seeds
1/4 C- Hemp Seeds
1/2 tsp of salt


Instructions

Puree prunes in the food processor until a thick paste forms. Add cocoa powder, honey, shredded coconut, chia seeds, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Pulse until all ingredients are combined. Add the chopped almonds, walnuts, and cashews; pulse until nuts are well incorporated. 

Check the texture of the mixture by massaging some in your hand. It should be moist and stick together. If it has become too dry add more almond butter or honey; if it is too wet add more coconut, chia seeds, or nuts. 

Spread large sheet of wax paper or silicone baking mat. Transfer your energy bar mixture onto the working surface. Massage like bread to get the mixture to solidify. Form into a ball and press down to a reasonable size and place a sheet of wax paper over mixture. Use a rolling pin and roll out into a rectangle about 1 cm in height. You can cut the edges with a knife to get a clean edge. Sprinkle shredded coconut so the bars won't stick together. Wrap in the wax paper and place on a plate and put in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the fridge over night. 

Take out of the freezer or fridge and cut into the size you desire. Place bars in a plastic or glass  airtight container and layer with the wax paper in-between the bars or wrap individually with wax paper. Keep in the fridge until you want to eat them. :)