Affordable Self-Care Act

Take Control Over Your Own Health……Because no one is going to do it for you.

When you can’t trust the system and you aren’t sure what type of care will be available if and when you need it, then it is time to start seriously thinking about preventative self-care. We know that many of the chronic illnesses that we are falling victim to, such as diabetes 2, heart disease and certain cancers, often take many years to develop, and are directly related to our lifestyle diets, which is more than likely the SAD ( or Standard American Diet) of processed foods, factory-farmed meat and dairy, toxic oils, heavily salted foods, and soda, both sugared and chemically sweetened sugar-free. if many of these diseases are “slow moving” perhaps we can “fast track” our way to a better outcome by changing our daily eating habits.

Here are simple ways to put the SAD diet in reverse, while improving your own health. Don’t let the Industrial Food Complex take control over your health destiny!

1. Find the cleanest source of water that you can afford. Mineral water is my choice for drinking and filtered water for cooking. Drink it straight as much as possible, and mixed with juice, in tea or tisane’s (herb tea) and coffee. Water is the most important ingredient for detoxing your system plus to replace lost minerals.

2. Reduce sugar intake as much as possible bylimiting organic cane sugar consumption, switching over to low glycemic index natural sweeteners such as coconut palm sugar, wherever possible, and safe alternatives such as erythritol, stevia , or Luo Han Guo for beverages or desserts. A “sweet tooth” can be nipped in the bud with a few frozen dates (tastes like caramel) or a square of 72% dark chocolate, or better yet, strawberries dipped in the melted 72% chocolate.

3. Adopt a Mediterranean -style diet, which is the gold standard for longevity. Moderate animal protein, Omega 3’s-rich fatty fish such as cod, and salmon, shellfish , healthy fats such as cold-pressed olive oil, and a large portion of your intake(75%) as plant-based choices. An example of a plant-based dish would be a whole grain or gluten-free pasta (25%) with (75%) vegetables, and a small topping of a quality aged cheese such as an aged Pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese. Aged cheese is low in lactose and high in Vitamin-K, great for bone health.

4.. Chose whole foods in season. Visit a farmer’s market and take in the local bounty. Visit a neighborhood garden and connect with the growers. You can find resources for some pretty amazing vegetables and fruits through the local growers, and often the price is right, sometimes even free .In cities, such as Los Angeles , there is a program called “Market Match” that will match your purchasing dollars at a local farmer’s market .Info at hungeractionla.org.

5.Consider your home kitchen to be a personal “health kitchen”. Plan your basic menu for the week a day before your work week begins, shop for the needed ingredients and prepare some of the dishes in bulk ahead of time, so that you can access them during the week. Yes, it takes time and effort but if you don’t take the time for your health now, you will need to take the time for illness, later.

6. Eat more purple! Adding purple antioxidants to your menus will not only increase the power of your new way of eating for health ,they are, also, beautiful to look at.

To get started, try adding any of the following ingredients on a daily basis. Purple onion is probably the simplest choice :

Purple Onion, Purple Garlic, Purple Shallot, Purple Cabbage, Purple Asparagus, Purple Kale, Radicchio, Purple Bell Peppers, Purple Carrots ,Purple Potatoes, Eggplant, Black Beans (actually purple) Black Olives, Black Lentils, Red Leaf Lettuce, Purple Basil, Red Livermore Walnuts, Black Walnuts, Guava, Purple Rice, Black Forbidden Rice, Purple Barley, Blueberries, Blackberries, Black Currants, Raisins, Black Grapes, Cherries, and last but not lease, dark chocolate!