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Happy Gut Detox Salad

Happy Gut Detox Salad

Salad:

  • 8 cups mixed greens or roughly chopped kale (I mixed both)
  • 1/4 cup raw sauerkraut or other raw, fermented vegetables of your choice
  • 3-4 medium radishes (thinly sliced)
  • 1/4 cup raw (sprouted, if possible) pumpkin seeds
  • 1 medium ripe avocado (thinly sliced)
  • Shredded beets
  • Shredded carrots
  • Handful of chopped parsley
  • Handful of chopped cilantro

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 Tbsp. grainy mustard (Dijon works great, too!)
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium lemons, juiced
  • 1 healthy pinch each of sea salt and black pepper
  1. Add the greens to a large serving bowl and top with beets, radishes, sunflower seeds, parsley, and avocado.
  2. Next, whisk all of the salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with the salad.
  3. Best when fresh, though leftovers keep (undressed) up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Your Brain on Diet Soda: Aspartame Effects on the Brain

Recent headlines read, “Michael J Fox will never find a cure.” The actor, long suffering from Parkinson’s disease, was a former advertiser and consumer of diet drinks since a young age, which contain the chemical sweetener aspartame. A seven year time lapse between his diagnosis and informing the media, left many people missing the link between his diet drink consumption and the disease.

The Elusive Cure

Although aspartame is a known trigger of Parkinson’s disease, the Michael J. Fox Foundation is still seeking the elusive cause and cure. Many people have sent legitimate research studies to the foundation pointing to aspartame as a trigger of Parkinson’s, but have been largely ignored. It’s easier, of course, to keep looking for a cause instead of blaming a billion dollar industry with so much profit at stake.

Aspartame Effects on the Brain: The Problem with Aspartame

MJ-FOX-Featured-Image What exactly is so wrong with aspartame? Studies have shown the sweetener directly affects our NMDA receptors, the glutamate-gated ion channels that control our synaptic plasticity and neuronal communication, thereby influencing our learning and memory. The receptors are involved in many neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy. Aspartame damages NMDA receptors by causing nerves to fire excessively. Basically, it stimulates the neural cells to death, and is the reason why aspartame is called an excitotoxin (others include flavor enhancers like MSG and artificial flavorings). Excitotoxins excite our taste buds, as the name suggests, making them very appealing for the food industry to use to enhance flavor. Aspartame is particularly harmful because high doses can cause severe damage to the nervous system and brain. Therefore, aspartame begets excitotoxins, which creates a brain inflammation cycle that plays a critical role in the onset of Parkinson’s and other diseases of the brain. For further information on this topic, I highly recommend the work of brilliant biochemist Dr. Martin Pall. Many of my clients suffering from neurological disorders and memory loss have a history of consuming diet products; the link between aspartame and neurologic dysfunction is undeniable to me, and I'm observing a growing number of these cases. Moreover, researchers utilize aspartame to produce cancer and tumors in lab rats and, ironically, it's been shown to promote obesity. Sorry dieters, but your diet soda is not only causing brain dysfunction, it is making you gain weight. How much more evidence do we need to ban this poison?

Why is Aspartame Legal?

If the studies indicate that aspartame is a major public health concern, why does it remain on store shelves? One word: money. In 1980, when Donald Rumsfeld (former president of Searle, creator of aspartame) was hired to help transition President Regan into office, he made his old friend Dr. Arthur Hayes head of the FDA. Rumsfeld and Hayes had close links to the president of Pepsico, and Hayes soon approved aspartame for use in foods and sodas. To top it off, Rumsfeld got a $12 million dollar bonus for his role in the scheme. I like to believe that Rumsfeld didn’t realize the massively negative impact that aspartame would inflict on society, as most folks at the time believed it to be safe.  But today we know that it is in no way safe, and is in fact driving neurodegenerative diseases.

The Link to Heavy Metals

In addition to aspartame, Parkinson’s disease is also linked with heavy metal exposure, a topic near to my heart as I battled for years with debilitating mercury toxicity caused by amalgam fillings (read my personal story here). When watching old Michael J. Fox films you can observe a mouthful of fillings when he laughs. The “perfect storm” of aspartame consumption and mercury fillings likely gave rise to his disease. Research has shown that abnormal or excessive exposure to heavy metals is associated with various neurologic and movement disorders, since the metals encourage free radical formation.

The Key to Restoring Brain Health

So what do we do? As I always say, an illness will never heal until the origin or source is removed. Once the offending source, or sources, of illness are eliminated, the body can begin to heal itself as God designed. Stop consuming aspartame immediately, and tell everyone you know and care about to do the same. Also, share this article and video with others who need to hear the truth. I hope and pray that Mr. Fox recognizes the reality of the true cause of his disease, and uses his fame to expose the truth of the deleterious effects of aspartame to the world.

Fight back: Brain-Changing Solutions

What else can you do to impact your brain health and safeguard your memory? I took part in developing these “brain-changer” products, which have made remarkable impacts on many of my clients suffering from neurological decline and disease: A powerful intra-cellular antioxidant which 1) helps to down-regulate the brain inflammation cycle, 2) enhances the cells ability to generate glutathione and Superoxide Dismutase in response to oxidative stress, 3) acts against superoxide and peroxynitrate (ONOO) free radicals. VISTA 1 and 2: A distinctive two part system taken as capsules and liquid oil, composed of the correct ratio of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to target and support regeneration of the cellular membrane, where all life begins. The formula contains cardiolipin, critical to the cell’s ability to produce energy, which supports body-wide cellular function. In addition, consuming an un-processed, whole foods diet rich in good fats can make a massive impact on brain function. My favorite healthy fats include: coconut oil, MCT oil, raw olive oil, hemp oil, and eating high quality, grass-fed animal protein like beef, poultry, eggs, wild game, whey, and raw, cultured dairy products, all included on my Cellular Healing Diet. Additional Resources:
  • To read more about my 5R’s of PompaCore Cellular Healing, click here.
  • For more information on how heavy metals negatively impact the body and how to properly remove them and detox, read my three part article series here: part 1, part 2, part 3.
  • Click here to watch the video I shot with my son Simon on healthy cooking and the importance of removing toxins from your life.
  • To get a copy of my brain-changing Cellular Healing Diet book, click here.

Top Health Breakthroughs and Strategies of 2014

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As 2014 comes to a close, I feel it’s important to reflect upon what we’ve learned and discussed over the course of the year on Cellular Healing TV to move forward and achieve our best health yet in 2015. Here’s a list of this year’s 5 most powerful and popular 180° Solutions™ that will impact your health and life. Tune in to the live show this Friday at 10AM (Eastern Standard Time) where I’ll expand on each of these topics, and remember to watch us live each and every week to discover what you need to know about today’s hottest health issues.

Top 5 Health Breakthroughs and Strategies of 2014

  1. Keto-Adaptation (More..)
  2. Intermittent Fasting (More…)
  3. Stress & Rest Hypothesis (More…)
  4. Bone Broth (More…)
  5. GMOs (More…)
The year was amazing and we explored and learned so much about how to impact our health to feel, look, and be the best version of ourselves. Thanks for your continued support, and we look forward to all the New Year has to offer. Cheers to the best year yet!

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Grain-Free Salted Dark Chocolate Bites

Grain-Free Salted Dark Chocolate BitesAlmond Flour Crust:

  • 1 cup firmly packed, finely ground blanched almond flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt

Dark Chocolate Layer:

  • 10 ounces high-quality organic dark chocolate. *I recommend 85% dark chocolate. Stevia sweetened chocolate works great here, too.
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil
  • Flakey sea salt, for topping
  1. Make crust. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Very lightly grease an 8×8 square pan with coconut oil. Tip: Line with parchment paper strips (in a criss-cross) that hang over the sides so you can pull the tart out after it sets.
  2. In a large bowl, add all of the crust ingredients and mix very well. The dough will be crumbly like sand and should come together when you squeeze in your hands. If it seems too try, you may add another tablespoon of coconut oil.
  3. Add the crust mixture to the tart pan and press down firmly into the pan, evenly across the bottom and the sides.
  4. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and set.
  5. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the filling once crust is cooled:

  1. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate with the coconut oil.
  2. Mix really well to combine, checking on it every minute or so.
  3. Pour evenly into the prepared and cooled tart shell.
  4. Transfer the tart to the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set ever so slightly, and then sprinkle the top with sea salt.
  5. Continue to set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving (but overnight is best).
  6. Once cooled, pull tart out gently by the parchment handles you've made.
  7. Cut into 1-2″ squares after about 10 minutes in room temperature.
  8. Top with a little whipped coconut cream, if desired.
  9. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Berry Vanilla Tea Latte

Berry Vanilla Tea Latte

  • 2-3 cups hot, steeped green tea
  • 1-2 tsp. vanilla powder or extract
  • 2-3 Tbsp. grass-fed butter or grass-fed collagen powder
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite berries
  • Pinch of sea salt
  1. Put all ingredients in high-speed blender, excluding collagen, and mix on high until frothy.
  2. Add in collagen and incorporate at low speed.
  3. Serve and enjoy!
  4. Serves 2.

Traditional Christmas Pudding with a Healthy Makeover

Traditional Christmas Pudding: With the holidays around the corner, many people have anxiety that the food at their Christmas dinner will suit their dietary needs. One Christmas classic is pudding, traditionally made with flour and lots of sugar. The recipe below swaps out all the nasties in favor of more wholesome ingredients. The custard is dairy-free, and the recipe can be made alcohol-free as well!

traditional-christmas-pudding

You can make up the fruit mix to a month before, but it can also be soaked for 24-hours if you’re making a last-minute pudding! The pudding should be made relatively fresh, either served the same or the following day.

Ingredients

For the Soaked Fruit 

  • 1 cup Medjool dates
  • 1.5 cups dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, cherries, apricots)
  • ½ cup of port wine or orange juice 
  • ¼ cup maple syrup 
  • ½ tsp allspice 

 

For the Pudding

  • 1 ¼ cup Medjool dates, chopped
  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cups mashed (cooked) sweet potato
  • 2 1/4 cups almond meal
  • 1.5  tablespoons coconut flour 
  • 1.5 tablespoons tapioca flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 teaspoons allspice powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 teaspoon cacao powder
  • Zest from ½ an orange + more to decorate
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (to grease the pan)

 

For the Custard

  • 250 ml almond milk (or any milk)
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup  
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
  • Pinch of sea salt

 

Instructions

For the Soaked Fruit 

  1. Let the dates soak in boiling water for 15 minutes
  2. Strain and purée the dates in a blender with the allspice 
  3. Place the port (or orange juice) in a sealed container with the puréed dates and the rest of the dried fruit.
  4. The fruit must soak for at least 24 hours but can soak for up to a month. If soaking for a more extended period, shake the container every couple of days and store it in a cool, dry place. 

 

For the Pudding 

The pudding should be served either that day or the following day after cooking.

  1. Soak the dates in boiling water for 15 minutes with the baking soda and then purée them in a blender
  2. Separate the eggs, and whisk the four egg whites with a hand mixer until they fluff up 
  3. Add the puréed dates and egg yolks to the mixture and continue to whisk for 60 seconds
  4. Add in the sweet potato purée and orange zest and whisk until smooth
  5. In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the dry ingredients with a fork
  6. Add in the dry ingredients mixture to the wet and whisk briefly until all combined
  7. Add in the soaked fruit and fold through using a spatula
  8. Grease a pudding bowl with coconut oil and fill the mixture, and smooth the top using a spatula
  9. Place the bowl in a saucepan, making sure that you can cover at least ¾ of the bowl with water
  10. Bring the water to a boil and cook the pudding for 6.5 hours, topping up the water regularly (since the water will evaporate) 
  11. Remove the pudding bowl from the saucepan and let cool for 20 minutes
  12. Run a knife around the pudding, and then invert the pudding onto a plate
  13. Pour the custard over the pudding before serving and decorate with fresh orange zest

 

For the Custard

  1. Whisk the milk and scraped vanilla bean in a saucepan over low heat until it gets near boiling 
  2. Using an electric whisk, mix in the egg yolks, sweetener of choice, and tapioca flour on medium until the mixture becomes thick (about 5 minutes)
  3. While the whisk is running, pour in the very hot milk and keep whisking until the custard forms and is smooth

 

Assemble and Decorate

The Christmas pudding can be made the day prior or ideally served fresh the same day. Serve by pouring the custard over the cake and decorating with anything you like; some ideas include fresh orange zest, some cacao nibs, a few cherries, or some shredded coconut!

 

A Final Note

It’s important to find balance in life and not worry too much about diet. And yet, understand that there are many ways to modify and upgrade foods to fit your overall goals. Old school holiday favorite recipes have come a long way, and there are so many healthier alternatives today. This recipe is a great example of enjoying an old favorite without totally abandoning your food ethos!

One of the easiest ways to stay on track during the holidays is to bring your own food to share. The sharing spirit of the holidays may even inspire family members who are on a different life path by seeing how delicious healthy alternatives can be.