Thrive Nutrition Practice: Food that Heals
First Brexit. Now Trump. There is no denying that the world is in a state of rage.
I wanted to share with you today a little research I did on the nutrition habits of the states that voted for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
According to Fox News, the Top 10 healthiest states in the union are Hawaii, Vermont, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota & Nebraska. Seven out of 10 of those States – and all of the top 6 states – voted for Clinton.
According to USA Today, the Top 5 states with the highest sugar consumption are Mississippi, Tennessee, Nevada, Oklahoma & Georgia. All of those states voted for Trump.
These five states also join Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Utah, West Virginia & Maryland as the Top 10 highest consuming states of fast food. Out of the top 10 junk food consuming states in the US – 9 of them voted for Trump.
In fact, in Alabama, 80% of adults don’t eat enough fruit & vegetables. And in Texas, 20% of all 10-17yr old children are obese because of the intake of fast food & sugar. In all of these states, the rates of heart disease and type 2 diabetes are the highest in the country.
Garbage in. Garbage out.
Transfats, sugar and dead food are the fuel for large swathes of America. And these people are angry and fearful and have voted for an anti-establishment leader who they believe will protect them from “the enemy”.
How do we reach our arms out to these angry masses and bridge that divide?
I am turning to the humble blueberry for help. And today I’d like to share with you my post-election smoothie for nourishing a positive life force.
THE POSITIVE LIFE FORCE SMOOTHIE
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 banana
- 1 tspn cinnamon
- 1 tspn flax meal / chia seeds
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp Great Lakes collagen powder
- 1-2 cups almond milk
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and whizz until smooth.
If every child in those Top 10 unhealthy states could have a glass of this smoothie for breakfast, I personally believe the US might one day live free of fear and rage. Why?
- Dark fruits like blueberries nourish our kidneys which drive our life force. They are also extremely nourishing for our adrenal glands, which are our master stress organ. That’s because they’re rich in Vitamin C and people with high levels of VitC not only respond to stress more positively, they are able to recover from stressful situations more rapidly, so that they are able to go back and fight the good fight.
- Cinnamon is a beautiful anti-inflammatory spice that soothes our body;
- Flax meal and chia seeds are full of fibre and healthy fats, so crucial for healthy, regular bowel movements. Given the diet of the states we saw vote Republican, I bet they’re not pooping every day! And constipation leads to decreased levels of serotonin in the body because our gut is responsible for making 90% of our happy hormone. Unhappy people are more vulnerable to messages of fear and hatred.
- Great Lakes collagen powder is full of wonderful protein, which is going to ensure that this smoothie becomes a steady source of fuel for your body. It’s not going to spike your blood sugar like a Coca-Cola would. And erratic blood sugar levels lead to lower attention spans, feeling “hangry” & lower cognitive function. They also lead to type 2 diabetes, which are rampant in Republican-voting states.
- Raw spinach is full of folate for energy creation, DNA repair and detoxification.
In the aftermath of the American election, I have asked myself as a woman and mother of two daughters: how can I be strong enough today to model the behaviour, the self-confidence and the values I want for my daughters. Because they will struggle and fail, like so many before them. But how do I make sure that they have the inner power to dust themselves off and march back into the arena with dignity, composure & the strength to fight the good fight?
Well, the answer for me lies in nourishing them with I LOVE YOU foods. And this smoothie is a helluva start.
Cristina Tahoces is a holistic nutritionist and owner of Thrive Nutrition Practice. Please join her Facebook group “Thrive Nutrition Practice” for daily articles, recipes, promotions on professional grade supplements and upcoming workshops.
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