Kaiser Permanente, a well-known, health care provider recently published an article in its medical journal recommending that physicians consider a plant-based diet for ALL patients.

The article stated, “Healthy eating may be best achieved with a plant-based diet, which we define as a regimen that encourages whole, plant-based foods and discourages meats, dairy products, and eggs as well as all refined and processed foods.”

And, that, “Physicians should consider recommending a plant-based diet to all their patients, especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity.”

The science is clear that a low-fat, plant-based diet is THE gold standard diet in health. Yet it is unfortunate, but true, that interested business plays way too prominent a role in standard of care medicine as they continue to profit from shoving drug and surgical solutions to a crappy diet down peoples’ throats, when what they should be pushing are veggies.

Eat plants, live well, and enjoy life, it’s that simple.

Way to go Kaiser! 

Be well,

Dr. Todd

The Permanente Journal — Kaiser Permanente – Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets.

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek

Yum! Check this out. The girls and I fell in love with a little local, veggy, organic diner called the “Beet Box Café” in Haleiwa on the North Shore, Hawaii.  It has been the best food we have had since leaving our own kitchen.

The Beet Box, run by a bunch of radiantly beautiful woman sharing their love through food, is situated inside Celestial Natural Foods. I love the fact that the owner, Marlys, is preparing and serving food along with the rest of them. They focus on serving you only the best, most healthful food on the North Shore with love and intention.  They use organic produce and grains and support their local farms. As her grandmother, Mickey, used to say: “Your Health is Your Wealth.” As you all know, I completely concur, so do Eat Yourself Super at the Beet Box, it has my highest recommendation! They have an array of nutritious and delicious Superfoods ranging from raw organic smoothies to raw organic veggy juice, acai bowls and all kinds of bomb dishes including the few that we sampled after a long day on the road.

We got the RAW’R salad, a mix of greens topped with red onion, cucumber, tomato, papaya, avocado, and sunflower seeds served with a scoop of raw nut pate and raw crackers. We tried a few other dishes as well including the THREE LITTLE BIRDS and the HEALTHY PLATE OF FOOD. On whole, the café was off the hook yum. All that AND you get to kiss the cook! We will be going back!

After meditatively munching (more like chowing down!) at the Beet Box, we went to our destination for the next few days. Malaekahana State Park where we stayed in a grass hut on the beach. It’s a good thing we had the grass hut as we were out in a good rain for a few hours. Our campsite was exquisite and clearly the hangout for locals, surfers, and Superfoods families from around the planet. As far as festivities, you name it, from surfing the amazing shore break there to sea turtles, fire stick dancing, Superfoods and drink!, bonfires and naked fun into the night. There was fun to be had by all ages. It was a blast. Getting off the beaten path and camping in particular is an amazing way to meet the locals. Turns out everyone knows about Malaekahana, in fact, I told the crew at the Beet Box where we were headed and they said it was great there. Right on!

We are off for a day of fun then tomorrow we head to the Bonsai Pipeline and . To get a feel, check this out: Bonsai Pipeline Video.

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek

Aloha!

We are here!

First things first, after that long flight we decided to run up a mountain. The Ka’iwa Ridge Trail is a great way to have a look around and stretch the legs after a long flight. Add to that the fresh air and amazing views of Lanikai, Kailua and the windward side and we are sold! Then we are down for a bit of Superfoods and off to the beach!

Check out this awesome Superfoods local chocolate find, Madre Chocolate that I came upon at a local open air market! I love the logo which is an actual Maya hieroglyph. If you technically parse it out: (cacao pods) ka:wa to imply ka ka wa. Yum!

We are now off to camp on the north shore at Malaekahana State Park for a bit and then check out a few farms in the region.

Keep you posted! Northward!

Dr. Todd

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek

I am currently traveling on my annual Superfoods search through sunny southern California to culminate on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. The plan is to start out at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California (Natural Products Expo West continues to be the leading trade show in the natural, organic and healthy products industry and there are a lot of innovative Superfoods finds to be had there!) and then I will move on to an exciting itinerary of visits to friends, family and farms across southern California and then Oahu! Stay tuned for more exciting posts from along the Superfoods trail! 

I am often asked how it is that I eat healthfully while traveling. Granted, it is a bit more of a challenge than when you have your entire kitchen at your disposal, however, with a few simple tricks it becomes just as easy on the road.

Rule One: Don’t eat out all the time, get your food from the local grocery stores, farmers markets and even farms—that way you can meet the growers themselves and have a few adventures along the way. 

Rule Two: Get out and meet the locals. Real people, they know where to find the good stuff!

Rule Three: Don’t be afraid to skip a meal. You won’t shrivel up and blow away. Oftentimes, on the road, I will have a few pieces of fruit in the morning and that will hold me over until later that day when I eat a more substantive meal. In fact, that is exactly what I did today. I started off my morning with about a liter of water and two Sumo Mandarins. Then I made up some of my Matcha and sipped that for a few hours. I munched on sprouted pumpkin seeds here and there and drank a green juice comprised of celery, parsley, green apples, cucumber, kale and ginger. And, for dinner I grabbed a box of organic spring greens, lemons, onion and avocado then whipped up a quick guacamole salad and topped them with fresh lemon juice and two of my favorite Superfoods finds from ExpoWest. All together we found about 90 new finds and two of my top favorites are Alive and Radiant Kale Chips and Living Intentions Sprouted Nut Mixes.

Alive and Radiant Foods, their Founder and Chef, Penny Ann “Blessing” Horowytz has put together an amazing culinary ensemble of dehydrated greens chips including Arugula Cabbage, Teriyaki Greens, and an array of Kale Krunch flavors including Tarragon Dijon, Hibiscus & Pink Peppercorn and Cheezy. Yum!  Do be sure to check her stuff out! In particular, she has a Spicy Superfoods Kale Chip that is one of the best kale chips ever!

And, Josh McHugh the founder of Living Intentions is busy with innovations, here you see one of their new products which is a spicy cocktail blend! All his products are raw, soaked, sprouted AND delicious.

Stay tuned!

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek

Yum! Living Greens Power Soup (pg 117 “Eat Yourself Super”) is one of our absolute favorites. It is a really easy superfoods soup to make.

Step 1) Prepare Superjuice Rejuvelac (pg 116 “Eat Yourself Super”) to use as your base. Note: Spring water works fine here as well.

Step 2) Thoroughly wash and prep your organic or homegrown produce according to the recipe and seasonal variability! You can see what we are using here. Note the thumb-sized chunk of Melissa’s Ginger, which is great (lots of zing!) this time of year! Who can guess what the red stuff is in the little bowl?

Step 3) Add approximately 1  1/2- 2 cups of your base and then slowly Vitamix in your veggies. Once all your veggies are in there mix on high speed for two minutes and throw the avocado and perhaps a pinch of mineral sea salt in at the end!

Step 4) Pour!

Step 5) Enjoy!

You can place it in a bunch of pint jars and put them in your fridge to snack on throughout the day. Also, it makes a great salad dressing!

Do try and let me know how you like it.

Be well,

Dr. Todd

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek

My family and I are of the mindset, “love people, feed them good food.”   And, it looks like Wendi here at Pepper Pike, Heinen’s is too. We could never understand the concept of a chemical laden substance being passed off as “food” being given to your child as a “treat”.  Superfoods can be a fun treat AND your loved ones feel better.  Why would do the opposite?

Much Love to you all!

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek

Who is resolving to eat more Superfoods in 2013 than they did in 2012? While you are at it, who is resolving to spend more time with introspective, meditative walks in the woods/nature in general, or what about being more connected to the earth and cosmos, more loving, more caring and compassionate, more contemplative, more grateful, less judgmental, happier, healthier?? Hopefully, all the above and then some. Do be sure to honor you, love you, and take care of your health. Always remember that our health is not stagnant, it is either getting better or worse based on our habits (so out with the bad and in with the good)! I started my New Year off right with an 11 mile run in the snow with some trail running bros. Other than that magical run, my day was interspersed with lots of contemplation, Tai Chi, family, and, of course, lots of love, positive intentions, gratitude, and Superfoods!

As our longest lived elders the world over illustrate, be optimistic, resilient, present moment and exercise regularly, spend copious time in nature, and eat Superfoods (and share them–love people, feed them Superfoods!). Superfoods or plant-based, calorie-sparse, nutrient-dense, health-empowering foods are not only fun and easy, but delicious as well. Here is my world famous Immuno-Modulatory salad that we brought with us to a friends New Year’s Eve bash, I heard at least four times that night “that was the best salad I have ever had.” I am so glad that I went through the extra effort to bring it. Onward we go!

Do share with me your resolutions!

Be well,
Dr. Todd

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek

Ancients, our ancestors the world over — from Vedic Sages of India to the Maya Shamans of the New World and countless others (my own included) enraptured with meaningful star-stories and cosmic-tethers to our observable (and sometimes non-observable) universe—have prophesized coming cosmic change.

In particular, the coming of the Winter Solstice of 2012 (December 21, 2012) has been told to be a time of transition into our new beginning, transformation and/or rebirth—a time for conscious growth and connection to our ancestors, children, nature, cosmos and all that ever was and will be.

The Maya calendar is perhaps the most precise and sophisticated calendar in human history. It is a reflection of grand cosmic cycles and it is much more accurate than our own modern day calendar. The Maya calendar counts down the 12 b’aktun ending on December 21, 2012. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the end of the Maya calendar, the time it keeps, or the world, but rather it is the beginning of the next b’aktun—the 13^th.

The Maya calendar is comprised of Long Count (longer solar components which fix the date in time similar to centuries and millennia) and Calendar Round (day-to-day and month-to-month) components, the Long Count counts vegisimally (in increments of 20) and therefore provides the quantities of b’aktun (400 years), k’atun (20 years), tun (360 days), winal (months), and k’in (days) which represent time elapsed since the Maya creation date of August 13, 3114 B.C.  Basically, a Maya calendar date lists these increments in order # b’aktun, # k’atun, # tun, # winal, # k’in followed by the associated Calendar Round. For example, today, December 20, 2012 is Long Count: 12.19.19.17.19 followed by Calendar Round: 3 kawac 2 k’ank’in. And, tomorrow, December 21, 2012 is 13.0.0.0.0 followed by 4 ajaw 3 k’ank’in. Notice the b’aktun transition from the 12^th to the 13^th on this day.

Point is, with an end is a new beginning. To illustrate, I will quote the sentiment of several Maya Shamans, spiritual guides, and revered elders (who better to ask about the Maya calendar?) with whom I have been working for over a decade in the rainforests of Belize, Central America. When asked what December 21, 2012 will bring they say: “a new age.” When asked what the new age will be, they reply “whatever we make it to be.” In that light, I would suggest that you all stray away from the apocalyptic doomsday scenarios running rampant out there in popular media and recognize that the future is a manifestation of our intentions.

We intend health, happiness and growth of life mindfully in the present moment—all in oneness and divine consciousness.

I will light our ceremonial fire facing east at predawn tomorrow and keep it burning all day.

Happy and Healthful Holiday and New Year!

Dr. Todd

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek

As we move into the time of snow, ice and cold in our neck of the woods, we take care to observe the bountiful opportunities for deep introspection that this time brings. Be sure to reflect inward and slow down for careful observation of your dreams, intuitions, our grand cosmic cycles in life, and the majesty of nature all around us.

It is the perfect time for a nice warming dish.  One of my favorites—accompanied by the warm glow of a hearth fire…. is “Wild Mushroom & Heirloom Bean Sprouted Super Stew! Yum! There are five different wild mushrooms (one must support the immune system!) in this stew, including: chanterelle, maitake, truffle, lobster, and russula. There are also ten different sprouted heirloom beans all lightly steam sautéed with a multitude of winter veggies from our front yard garden: escarole, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, carrot, celery (yep! still growing strong!), garlic, onion and a bunch of herbs and spices. Do check out our front yard kale, it tastes better in the cold!

Serve all this yumminess with a nice salad….if you can find one in these cold months.   Which reminds me, stay tuned for the construction of a hoop house….

Now it is on to the stew after a few hours of Tai Chi and then a three hour hike in the woods with my wonderful girls! Stay warm!!

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek

What is Inflammation? Cleveland Holistic Physician, Dr. Todd, Answers What is Inflammation? – YouTube.

Todd J. Pesek, M.D. is a holistic physician and published scholar who specializes in disease prevention and reversal toward longevity and vital living. With over a decade of global research and practice experience, Dr. Todd has spoken locally and worldwide on the topics of Healing Across Cultures, Secrets of Long Life, and eating for optimum health via Superfoods.

Be Well; Dr. Todd Pesek