The older I get (65 on my birthday, May 31) the more grateful I am that I started eating a health promoting diet at a young age. It is really paying off. In fact, the older I get, the bigger the payoff!

When people ask me what’s the first thing they can do to get started creating a healthier lifestyle, I usually tell them to clear out the pantry and get rid of all those foods that they find tempting which are health destroying.
Once those are gone, fill up the fridge and pantry with foods that will support your goal of crating a healthy lifestyle. Here is a list of the top ten of the health destroyers and the foods I recommend.

Top 10 Enemies of Health and Beauty

Soda, milkshakes, and alcohol, coffee with sugar and cream

  1. Deep Fried Foods such as French fries, onion rings, fried meals
  2. Fatty meats like hamburger, bacon and processed meats
  3. Dairy products
  4. Salty convenience foods
  5. Processed foods with hydrogenated fats, like cookies and crackers
  6. Refined sugar products like white sugar, brown sugar, and any other processed concentrated sweetener
  7. Dehydration
  8. Lack of fresh plant foods (see list below)
  9. Emotional eating (when under stress, in front of the TV, eating when not hungry or in between meals).

Top 10 Raw Food Categories for Health and Beauty

  1. Deeply colored foods high in phytonutrients and antioxidants that combat free-radical damage and promote eye health. Examples include blue or purple foods such as blueberries, blackberries, black mission figs and beets
  2. Leafy greens like collard greens, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, dandelion greens, beet greens, bok choy, many lettuces, broccoli, and Napa cabbage
  3. Yellow-orange fruits and vegetables such as squash, peaches, sweet potatoes, carrots; and red bell peppers.
  4. Grasses and algaes, such as wheat grass, barley grass, leafy green sprouts, blue green algae from Klamath Lake, spirulina and chlorella.
  5. Foods high in vitamin C, such as lemons, oranges, grapefruit, peaches, strawberries, pineapples, mangoes, papaya, kiwi, cantaloupe, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, bell peppers, romaine lettuce, kale, and mustard greens.
  6. Foods containing omega 3 fatty acids, such as chia, flax, and hemp seeds and dark green leafy vegetables like kale, romaine, and dandelion greens.
  7. Foods containing selenium, particularly Brazil nuts.
  8. Foods containing zinc, such as pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, cashews, and lentils.
  9. Foods containing iodine, such as kelp and dulse.
  10. Hydrating foods, such as juicy fruits, high-water-content vegetables, and of course good quality pure water.

If you want to learn more about foods for health and beauty, I highly recommend taking the Living Light Science of Raw Food Nutrition certification courses with Drs. Rick and Karin Dina D.C. Basic class is only 2 days or stay for three weeks and receive certification as a raw food nutrition educator. And, learn how to transform fresh organic foods for health and beauty into amazing gourmet raw vegan cuisine at Living Light Culinary Institute. Classes are as short as 1 day or take an entire series and be certified as a Living Light Chef and Instructor.