According to Vanderbilt University, when food ingredients are listed as “hydrolyzed,” “protein-fortified,” “ultra-pasteurized,” “fermented,” or “enzyme modified,” they are often synonymous with MSG, as free glutamic acid is created during processing. This criminal can be quite a chameleon. We will alert you when mono sodium glutamate may be masquerading under the following aliases: glutamic acid, glutamate, autolyzed yeast, autolyzed yeast protein, yeast extract, textured protein, monopotassium glutamate, calcium gluta-mate, monoammonium glutamate, magnesium glutamate, sodium caseinate, hydrolyzed corn, yeast food, carrageenan, pectin, soy sauce, natural flavors.* *According to Dr. Cate Shanahan, author of Deep Nutrition, 95 percent of all products that boast “natural flavors” contain MSG.

HAVE MILK ALLERGIES? Maybe goat milk is the answer you have been looking for. According to the Journal of American Medicine, “Goat’s milk is the most complete food known.” It contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, protein, and fatty acids that are utilized by the body with ease. In fact, your body can digest goat’s milk in just twenty minutes, compared with the two to three hours it takes for your body to digest cow’s milk. Goat’s milk has higher levels of fat-metabolizing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and inflammation-fighting omega-3 than cow’s milk and supplies twice as much of the electrolyte potassium. Additionally, according to Texas A&M University, goat’s milk has more acid-buffering capacity than nonprescription antacid drugs. Due to goat milk’s lower levels of lactose (a form of sugar found in milk), individuals who are lactose intolerant (or who produce an inadequate amount of lactase, an enzyme required for the digestion of lactose) prefer it. Also, it is extra high in selenium—a micronutrient important for the prevention of cancer and diabetes.

Homemade Allmond Milk   DIRECTIONS Soak 2 cups of organic raw almonds overnight. Be sure to entirely cover almonds with water (preferably filtered) and a half tablespoon of sea salt. Drain off the murky water, and rinse thoroughly. Blend the soaked almonds (now free of much of their phytic acid and tannins) with 4 cups of fresh water until the nuts have dissolved. Using a fine strainer, cheesecloth, or nut bag (yes, there are professional nut milking bags you can buy online), strain and refrigerate. If desired, add a natural sweetener, like stevia, or an organic spice (we like 100 percent pure sugar-free vanilla) for an extra flavor kick!

Last, kefir, meaning “good feeling” in Turkish, is a thin yogurt-like drink that is made by adding kefir grains (not real grains, but a symbiotic combination of bacteria and yeast that looks like cauliflower) to cow, sheep, goat, or camel milk (cow milk is used in the United States), which produces a slightly fizzy, sour-tasting drink. Kefir is a mainstay in the Middle East and Eastern Europe and has gained popularity in recent year in the United States for its probiotic benefits. Research shows that kefir has even more beneficial bacteria than yogurt and a higher nutritional value because it is made with bacteria and yeast.

You should also know that all cheese that comes from Canada or the European Union is automatically rBGH free, due to their ban on this hormone. Don’t forget the importance of grass-fed cheese, either—cows fed their naturally preferred feed (grass) produce cheese up to four hundred times richer in fat-metabolizing CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). And because all cheese was once milk, and we know that raw milk is the most micronutrient rich, we should be on the lookout for raw cheeses. Unlike raw milk, which most often cannot be found in the grocery store, raw cheeses are quite common. Many blue cheeses and European cheeses are made with raw milk.

Traditionally, only hams were cured with added white or brown sugar, honey, or molasses. It is unfortunate that almost all store-bought brands of bacon today add sugar to the cure. While this is common, it is unnecessary. Purchasing pork belly or bacon from a local farmer and salt curing it yourself may be your best bet to ensure sugar has not been added.

The most obvious reason to eat fish is to obtain the omega-3 polyunsaturated fats found almost exclusively in fish. The essential EPA and DHA found in omega-3 are well documented for their anti-inflammatory benefits, which include a reduction of risk for heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, psoriasis, Alzheimer’s disease, and arthritis. Daily intake of DHA has been shown to improve memory by nearly 50 percent within six months. In addition, there is reason to refer to the essential fatty acid omega-3 as the “essential happiness acid,” as studies have determined that it is as effective for treating major depression as the prescription drug Prozac.

Choose wild Alaskan salmon for its sustainability and safety.

5 Catfish BASK IN THE BENEFITS: While catfish may only supply moderate levels of omega-3, this whiskered one is just bursting with other benefits. Choose catfish for more than half of your B12 and nearly 200 percent of the bone-building, cancer-fighting, and weight-loss-boosting vitamin D. REDUCE THE RISKS: While you may not love their unique appearance, you should be enamored with nearly mercury-free filets. Avoid farmed catfish from Southeast Asia, where the use of antibiotics is common.

6 Sardines BASK IN THE BENEFITS: Small but mighty, sardines supply a huge amount of omega-3s and are loaded with calcium. Fresh or canned, they are a great source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese. In addition, these silvery, sleek fish are one of the few foods to supply appreciable levels of heart-healthy CoQ10. REDUCE THE RISKS: Don’t turn up your nose at these canned fish; all brands of these nutritional power houses are virtually mercury free.

• Wild, fatty cold-water fish: Alaskan salmon, anchovies, herring, sardines • Wild rainbow trout (Lake Superior preferred) • Wild, small line-caught albacore tuna • Line-caught haddock • Atlantic mackerel • Alaskan King, Dungeness, Kona, and Florida stone crab • Wild catfish • Wild-caught spiny lobster • Mussels • Pacific oysters • Squid

Finally, we need to consider how the tuna is packaged. When buying canned tuna, it is important to choose either solid-packed tuna (packed without any added liquid) or tuna packed in water over oil for two reasons. First, the oil used is often high in omega-6 (think inflammation), the type of fat that we are trying to balance with the anti-inflammatory omega-3. Second, the oil pulls out many of the fat-soluble vitamins and omega-3 when we drain and rinse the tuna. Both the solid and water-packed eliminate these issues.

in the produce department, there are only four fruits and vegetables that are genetically modified: zucchini, crookneck (yellow) squash, Hawaiian papaya, and sweet corn (white and yellow varieties).

Try to locate produce that has been organically grown by choosing those PLUs that start with a 9, as well as looking for organic signs in the produce section. This guarantees that you are not eating genetically modified food or adding to your body’s toxic load and that your selection offers maximum micronutrient value.

By utilizing this easy-to-use produce guide, you can reduce your pesticide exposure by 80 percent and avoid GMO produce 100 percent of the time! If you cannot find a particular fruit or vegetable on the list, that means it fell in the middle somewhere or was not ranked. In these cases, use your best judgment. If you can get it organic without paying too much more, do so; if not, buy it conventionally. Photocopy page 132, or download your free wallet-size version of the following list from the Calton Nutrition Rich Food Resource Center online and bring it with you to the grocery store to pick safe produce that doesn’t break the bank. As

A study by Cook’s Illustrated examined four different cleaning techniques for produce: 1. A diluted vinegar solution followed by rinsing with cold water, 2. Antibacterial soap, 3. A water scrub with a brush, and 4. Rinsed with water. The results showed that the scrub brush with water removed 85 percent of unwanted bacteria (a little more than water alone), but the vinegar rinse removed 98 percent of bacteria on the surface of fresh fruits and vegetables. Interestingly, the study recommended against the use of antibacterial soap because of the ingredient triclosan. This agent, found in many antibacterial soaps, is believed to have the potential to eventually breed drug-resistant bacteria. If you want the most benefit from washing, it looks like water alone isn’t the trick.

Vegetable Spray Wash Don’t waste your money on expensive vegetable washes. Make one yourself, and spray away the unwanted pesticides, wax coating, and bacteria. INGREDIENTS • 1 cup water • 1 cup organic white vinegar • 1 tbsp. baking soda • Juice of half a lemon   DIRECTIONS   Mix ingredients in a tall pitcher to allow space for baking soda’s “foam eruption” that occurs after vinegar is added.   Store in an empty spray bottle.   Spray on fruit, wait ten minutes, and wash off with cool water.

Frozen and Canned Produce BELIEVE IT OR NOT, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables often start out with higher levels of micronutrients than their fresh counterparts because they are more likely to be picked at their peak of ripeness, when they are at their most micronutrient dense. Remember, fresh produce is often picked prior to peak ripeness to allow it to ripen during transport without becoming damaged or spoiled before arriving to the supermarket. However, it doesn’t take long before this advantage is lost. During the blanching process—the soaking of the vegetables in hot water, which takes place prior to the freezing process—the micronutrient content of many of the water-soluble vitamins is reduced by an average of 20 to 60 percent. Loss of antioxidants (which are needed to fight free radicals) also occurs in the blanching and freezing process of most vegetables. While some of the micronutrients are lost, the good news is that the rest are locked into the frozen vegetables for up to twelve months.

Keep in mind that tomatoes really leach BPA due to their acidity, so make sure to always buy canned tomatoes in a BPA-free can or in a BPA-free self-stable container. Glass jars are great alternatives to cans, but make sure they are amber or opaque to protect your food from the store lights, which deplete its precious micronutrients … and don’t forget to recycle.

Five-Minute Mayonnaise You’ll never buy bottled or jarred again after tasting this marvelous Five-Minute Mayonnaise. By using the healthiest ingredients, you’ll be the talk of the town with the best spread around. INGREDIENTS • 2 large pastured egg yolks • 1 large pastured whole egg • ½ tsp. organic mustard powder • ¼ tsp. organic pepper (traditionally white pepper) • ¼ tsp. unrefined sea salt • 1 tbsp. lemon juice or organic apple cider vinegar • ½ cup organic cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil • ½ cup organic extra-virgin coconut oil (melted but not hot)   DIRECTIONS    Making mayonnaise is an exercise in patience. While the recipe only takes five minutes, you can’t rush the whisking process, or the whole batch will be a waste. You can choose to whisk by hand, but unless your wrists are ready for a workout, it’s best to opt for either a blender or a handheld immersion blender. We use a traditional blender, and it is perfect every time with no effort at all.    Remove eggs from refrigerator and bring them to room temperate. Never attempt to make mayonnaise using chilled eggs.   Combine eggs, mustard, salt, pepper, and your choice of either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar until smooth. Use a high blender speed for only fifteen seconds. Don’t over-mix.   Combine the organic cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil and organic extra-virgin coconut oils in an easy-to-pour measuring cup.    Slowly add approximately one half tablespoon of the oil into the egg mixture through the hole in the top of the blender while blending at low speed. Then add the other half. We can’t emphasize enough how slowly to add the oil. Repeat this three more times. Your mixture should be thickening now.   Now your mixture should be ready to pour the oil in slowly. Create a thin stream of oil that is slowly incorporated into the blending egg mixture. You can now increase the blender’s speed to medium high.   Once all of the oil has been mixed in, you will have a creamy, smooth homemade mayonnaise. If you add in the oil too quickly, you will have an oily spread that cannot be saved. Patience is a virtue, but your taste buds will be deliciously rewarded. (By the way, this mayonnaise makes a fantastic moisturizer for damaged hair.) Still think this sounds difficult? Come to the Rich Food Resource Center and watch the video that takes you step by step through this mayo-making process.

Killer Ketchup That Won’t Kill You This is a ketchup recipe that has caught up to the times. It is sugar free, organic, and stores well in the refrigerator. INGREDIENTS • 12 oz. can of organic tomato paste (remember to look for BPA-free cans) • ½ cup water • 2 tbsp. organic white vinegar • ½ tsp. organic garlic powder • 1 tsp. organic onion powder • 1 tsp. organic all spice • Organic cayenne pepper to taste • Unrefined sea salt and organic pepper to taste • Pure stevia extract (or preferred sugar substitute) to taste (for more about Rich Food sweeteners, see Aisle 7)   DIRECTIONS    Combine ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir until smooth.    Cool and store in canning jar (preferably opaque) and refrigerate.

Chinese Fermented Brown Rice   DIRECTIONS Soak brown rice in dechlorinated (filtered) water for twenty-four hours at room temperature without changing the water. Reserve 10 percent of the soaking liquid (Liquid A), which has a good refrigerated shelf life. Discard the remainder of soaking liquid. Cook the rice in fresh water. (Although the phytic acid has been reduced in this first batch, it is still higher than we would like.) The next time you make brown rice, add the soaking liquid you reserved from the last batch (Liquid A) to the new soaking water at the beginning of the soaking process. (This batch of brown rice will contain less phytic acid than the first.) Repeat the cycle. The process will gradually improve until 96 percent or more of the phytic acid is degraded. By the third batch, better rice is revealed! This same fermentation process is great for other grains and beans as well.

Rockin’ Rice Replacement INGREDIENTS: • 1 head of cauliflower (not on Terrible Twenty) • 2 tbsp. organic coconut oil. You can substitute a high-quality Rich Food butter or ghee if preferred. • Customize with organic seasonings of choice   DIRECTIONS: Chop cauliflower until it reaches a rice-like consistency. This is easiest in a food processor. Do not over-process. In a skillet, sauté the diced cauliflower in the melted coconut oil for approximately five minutes until the cauliflower begins to soften. Season the rice to create an endless amount of options.

For you salad lovers out there, look for organic, cold pressed, extra-virgin olive oil to go with your organic vinegar. Because of the high demand for olive oil, much of it is now being made with centrifuges and isn’t “pressed” at all. True extra-virgin comes exclusively from the first pressing of the olive paste, and the first pressing only. To make sure you are getting the best oil, look for the term cold pressed on the label. The European Union regulation states that the term cold pressed can only be used when the olive paste is kept at or below 27 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) and when the oil is actually extracted with a press, not a centrifuge. Additionally, to ensure freshness, only buy oils from the current year’s harvest. (Tip: if you subtract two years from the sell by date, you can usually determine when it was harvested.) The fresher the olive oil, the better. The International Olive Council has recently approved a method of measuring oil’s polyphenol content—an indicator of its health-giving characteristics, taste, and shelf life. Ranging between 300 (low) to 800 (very high), an oil with a 500+ rating is optimal. They are not always listed, but the better products may have this number boasted on a label.

Your best two options are either to opt for an organic soy-based product, or, if like us, you have opted to keep wheat and soy out of your diet (see soy reasoning under soy milk on 56), try coconut aminos instead. You may be surprised to find out that coconut aminos, created from the sap of a coconut tree, taste almost exactly like soy sauce. This soy sauce substitute is high in protein-building blocks called amino acids that can enhance overall brain activity, boost immune system, and increase physical energy levels.

Let’s face it, the organic spice jars in this aisle are small and pricey, and it can take a long time to use up some of these specialty ingredients. Your best bet is to buy your organic spices in the bulk section of your local health food or specialty spice store, where you can buy smaller amounts of the spices you need right away. This guarantees that your spices are fresh and loaded with flavor, and it saves you money when a recipe only calls for a pinch. Buy your own glass jars online or wash out old spice jars and transfer contents from store baggies into convenient glass jars. Store them in a cool, dark place to prevent oxidative damage from light and oxygen.

While iodine has been added back into many salts, thus marketed as “iodized,” it is only one of more than ninety minerals that had been removed. In addition, in some cases, dextrose (a form of sugar made from GMO corn) has also been introduced. Would you ever have expected sugar to be hiding in your salt? In its unrefined state, salt is health promoting—in fact, it is essential for life. Unrefined salt still contains minerals and electrolytes that enable your body to utilize the sodium and chloride properly. But make sure to read the labels carefully; as we stated earlier, these product billboards are often misleading. While your sea salt may say it is “natural,” check the fine print to find out if it has been refined. If there is no fine print, the rule of thumb is: if the salt is white in color, it has been refined! You can help fight fatigue, adrenal disorders, headaches, thyroid disorders, and lower cholesterol levels and high blood pressure just by sprinkling on the smart salt—an unrefined one, steeped in its salty goodness.

Burt’s Dark Chocolate Bark INGREDIENTS • 1 tbsp. sugar-free dark cocoa powder (see Rich Food suggestions on page 214) • 5 tbsp. organic extra-virgin coconut oil • 8 ounces of Baker’s unsweetened 100 percent chocolate or similar • 1 tbsp. heavy organic whipping cream (preferably unpasteurized) • ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract • Stevia, or alternative sugar substitute of choice, to taste • Pinch of unrefined sea salt • 4 ounces sprouted nuts or seeds of your choice, chopped into small pieces   DIRECTIONS    Line a baking sheet or pan with wax paper or tinfoil.    Melt coconut oil in a small saucepan.   Add in cocoa and chocolate block and stir.   Add in cream and sweetener and blend well.    Stir in your nuts, seeds, or dried fruits.   Pour the mixture onto prepared surface; refrigerate for twenty minutes.    Break up bark into pieces and enjoy!   Store in the refrigerator. OPTION #1: Add some unsweetened coconut flakes. OPTION #2: Pour into fun-shaped mini ice cube trays to create individual chocolate snacks instead. They look elegant and are lovely to serve with coffee to create instant mochas.

According to the Mayo Clinic, an average eight-ounce cup of coffee contains between 95 and 200 mg of caffeine. A coffee’s color, boldness, and caffeine content is determined by how long a coffee seed (bean) is roasted.

The longer the roast, the bolder the flavor, the darker the color, and the more caffeine the coffee loses. So the next time you order a bold coffee, don’t assume that also means the beverage will embolden your attention span. Blond roast, the light-colored coffee, retains more of its natural caffeine. Even with all the health benefits and the tremendous variety of tastes, colors, and blends coffee delivers, it may be the heaviest chemically treated food commodity in the world. The synthetic petroleum-based fertilizers commonly used in coffee production slowly destroy soil fertility and contaminate local water supplies. Buying organic coffee reduces the global use of these synthetic fertilizers and sends a message that you care about clean water, clean soil, and healthy beverages.

MINIMIZE THE MUFFIN TOP. The most popular teas in the Western world, black teas, are traditionally from China, India, and Sri Lanka (Ceylon). A study from University College London revealed that study participants who drank black tea after a stressful event were found to have almost 50 percent lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood. And remember, elevated cortisol levels promote an increase in stubborn stomach fat. Drinking this black beauty can help you to say bye-bye to belly fat.

In studies, drinking three cups of green tea daily was shown to burn an extra two hundred fifty calories a day—enough to lose twenty-five pounds a year. Go green and get lean!

Yerba Mate MELLOW INTENSITY. Sipped in South America out of hollow calabash gourds through a silver straw called a bombilla, mate is actually a species of holly plant first introduced to the world by the Guaraní Indians in modern-day Paraguay and Argentina. It is high in vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, and potassium and also contains three members of the xanthine family: caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. Together this trio acts quite differently in the body than caffeine alone and is described as producing a relaxing effect while enhancing one’s alertness and focus. It gives you an up that is downright dreamy.

If you haven’t yet read Naked Calories, what are you waiting for?

We stocked our Rich Food Resource Center (RFRC) on CaltonNutriton.com with all kinds of great tools for you to use. Remember the Coupon Clipper icons throughout the book? The RFRC is the place you will find all the money-saving coupons for some incredible Rich Food products that we have lined up for you. And more manufacturers are coming on board all the time to help make sure that everyone can afford to purchase Rich Food.