Piano Celebration Week at TAMUCC Resources

Thanks for watching my presentation! Here are some resources that I mentioned in the video:

 

Introduction

 

What Should We Eat?

 

Digestion

  • All About Digestion Handout
  • ACTION STEPS FOR GOOD DIGESTION
    • Calm yourself before eating
      • turn off the TV or Podcasts, close your laptop, put down your phone
      • take a few easy breathes 
      • feel your connection to the ground (you can even try eating while sitting on the floor!)
    • Take a moment to appreciate your food before you start eating (it helps your appreciation if you cook the meal yourself!)
      • saying (out loud or to yourself) a prayer of thanks – thanks to the people who cooked the food, thanks to the plants and animals that gave their lives for this meal
      • visualizing the nutrients and life energy you are about to invite into your body
      • look at the beautiful food with the unique colors and textures of each ingredient and the synergy of the ingredients put together in the alchemical act of cooking
      • close your eyes and appreciate the smell of the food
    • Eat slow and chew plenty
      • break down the food enough so you aren’t gulping down chunks of food that put stress on your digestive system further south
      • enjoy the tastes, the textures, the smells, the temperature
      • allow enough saliva to be produced and contact the food so that chemical digestion gets going in the mouth 
    • Promote good stomach acid
      • eat a quality diet with enough zinc, vitamin C, B vitamins, and not too high in carbohydrates (especially refined sugar) and alcohol 
      • drink enough real water
      • reduce stress level if it is high
      • use aids before meals like digestive bitters, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice diluted in water, or hydrochloric acid supplements 
    • Promote quality bile production and flow
      • eat healthy fats (see my website https://evanengelstad.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Healthy-Food-Choices.pdf)
      • eating beets or drinking beet juice can help stimulate bile flow
      • researching and using herbs that act as cholagogues (promote discharge and flow of bile) (just a few out of many cholagogues: dandelion root, sage, turmeric, other bitter herbs)
    • Promote healthy intestinal bacteria and a healthy microbiome in general
      • avoid a high sugar diet
      • eat fermented or probiotic foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, fermented pickles, etc. 
      • spend as much time in nature and interacting with other living beings as possible 

 

Joint and Muscle Health

  • List of nutrients for Joint and Muscle Health
    • Real Water (cushions joints, flushes toxins, maintains integrity of cartilage, ensures efficient proteoglycans function)
    • Amino acids from quality protein (needed for collagen production)
    • Iron (needed for collagen production)
    • Copper (needed for collagen production)
    • Essential Fatty Acids (fish oil, cod liver oil, grass fed beef, purslane, other seafood) (important for inflammation regulation)
    • Chondroitin sulfate (found in bone broth, supplements)
    • Glucosamine (bone broth, cartilage in meat, oxtail soup, bone marrow, shellfish shells, certain fungi, lungs, trachea (haggis), mussels)
    • Silicon (found in seafood, underground foods like carrot, beets, potatoes, fiber/bran of whole grains)
    • Antioxidants (dark chocolate, pecans, blueberries, strawberries, red wine, artichokes, goji berries, raspberries, kale, red cabbage, beans, beets, spinach, coffee, walnuts, pomegranate, spices and herbs like green mint, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, rosemary, thyme, turmeric, vanilla bean, sage, oregano, and basil), acai powder, rose hips, apples, plums, russet potatoes, cranberries, anything with strong color or flavor)
    • Proteolytic enzymes (fermented food like sauerkraut, pineapple, papaya, ginger)
    • Vitamin C (sauerkraut, fruits) (needed for collagen production)
    • Vitamin D (sunlight, fish, fish oil, animal foods)
    • Vitamin K (sauerkraut, green veggies, natto, animal foods)
    • Vitamin B5
    • Vitamin B12 (meat)
    • MSM (milk, coffee, tomatoes, tea, swiss chard, beer, alfalfa sprouts, corn, apples, raspberries, other fresh raw vegetables)
    • Manganese (needed for collagen production and also pituitary health)
  • SOURCES OF GOOD FATS AND THOSE TO AVOID
    • Omega-3s (Polyunsaturated): Mackerel,
      salmon oil, cod liver oil, walnuts, chia seeds,
      herring, salmon (wild-caught), flax seeds,
      tuna, white fish, sardines, anchovies, natto &
      pasture-raised egg yolks
    • Omega-6s (Polyunsaturated): Blackcurrant
      seed oil, evening primrose oil, sunflower oil,
      sesame oil, flaxseed oil, pistachio nuts,
      pumpkin seeds & sunflower seeds
    • Omega-9s (Monounsaturated): Olives &
      olive oil, avocados & avocado oil, almonds &
      almond oil, hazelnuts & hazelnut oil,
      macadamia nuts & macadamia oil
    • Saturated: Fats from pasture-raised animals,
      organic virgin coconut oil & organic palm oil
    • AVOID: trans fats, hydrogenated oils, processed vegetable oils in clear plastic containers, fried foods, interesterified fats like “high stearate” or “stearic rich”
  • ACTION STEPS FOR JOINT AND MUSCLE HEALTH
    • Hydration – drink enough Water 
    • Eat a wide variety of unprocessed whole foods, bone broth, fermented foods, colorful vegetables, quality seafood and meat (including organ meats)
    • Avoid high carbohydrate diets, especially sugar, corn syrup, and refined grains like white flour
    • Eat a healthy balance of Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9, and saturated fats while avoiding unhealthy fats like trans fats, hydrogenated fats, fried foods, and rancid fats

 

Energy and Focus

 

Performance Anxiety

  • Amount of water to drink per day in ounces = body weight in lbs ÷ 2
  • To locate a natural spring near you: findaspring.com
  • Hydrate Podcast
  • The Best Water for Home Use by Dr. Tom Cowan
  • ACTION STEPS FOR ENSURING DIET IS NOT AGGRAVATING PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
    • Hone your pre-performance rituals so that you are eating a meal that helps you and doesn’t make you uncomfortable during a performance
    • Refer to the Macronutrient Ratios handout to ensure you are supporting your blood sugar handling by eating a diet with an optimal proportion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates (especially pay attention to if you are eating too many carbohydrates for your system to handle well)
    • Drink enough good water and explore ways to hydrate better (filtering water, adding trace minerals, seeking out a natural spring, etc.)
    • Work on your digestive system to make sure you are digesting the nutrients you need for good mental health and eliminating toxins that could be contributing to excessive anxiety

 

Immune System Health

  • The following nutrients are very important for immune health
    • Calcium supports white blood cell activity (green vegetables, bone broth, almonds, Brazil nuts, dairy, beans, certain mineral waters)
    • Vitamin D supports immune function and is needed for optimal calcium utilization (sunshine, pastured egg yolks, cod liver oil, salmon, crimini/portabella mushrooms that have been left in the sun for a couple days – see link here)
    • Zinc supports wound healing and boosts immune system (oysters, liver, pumpkin seeds, pecans)
    • Vitamin A is essential for viral balance (liver, whole eggs, full fat milk, red/orange/yellow/green vegetables, grass-fed butter, red palm oil)
    • Copper is important for bacterial and fungal balance (liver, oysters, spirulina, shiitake, sesame seeds, dark chocolate)
    • Iodine is important for bacterial and viral balance (fish, shellfish, kelp and other seaweed, dairy from animals that were pastured in iodine-rich area or given supplements)
    • Vitamin C boosts the immune system and helps with free radicals (fresh raw fruits/vegetables, sauerkraut, organ meats especially adrenal glands, thymus, lung, squash and other non-grain starches, limit sugar and refined grains, smoking)
  • ACTION STEPS FOR IMMUNE HEALTH
    • Work on your digestive system, especially optimal stomach acid levels
    • Avoid a high sugar diet
    • Keep hydrated
    • Eat a whole foods, nutrient dense diet (and get out in the sun when possible) to provide the vitamins and minerals needed to support immunity
    • Eat a good balance of healthy dietary fats

 

Bone Broth

 

Sauerkraut