12 Steps to Whole Foods FAQ

The 12 Steps to Whole Foods Program is a lifestyle change. Robyn will teach you how to move away from the standard american diet to a lifestyle of whole foods and she teaches you how to do is easily and inexpensively. This program really helps take your nutrition to the next level in your everyday life.

These are the 12 Steps, with hundreds of delicious recipes

1. Bye-Bye, Stimulants—Hello Green Smoothies (2x Your Fiber, 10x Your Nutrition in 10 Minutes Daily)
2. Making Salad the Star (How to Make a Salad A Main Dish You LOVE)
3. Dressing Up Your Salad (The Healthy Dressing “Makes” the Salad!)
4. Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats (Because the Good Fats Burn the Bad Fats)
5. Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards (In Any Space, Even If You Don’t Have a Yard!
6. Making Plant-Based Main Dishes (Filling and Inexpensive, for the Best Sleep You’ve Ever Had)
7. Sprouting and Dehydrating (Replace Your Salty/Crunchy Snacks!)
8. Preserving Raw Foods with Natural Probiotics (Rehab Your Gut Health, For Cheap!
9. Replacing White Flour with Whole Grains (Lots of Grains Are Highly Nutritious)
10. Starting Your Morning Off Right (Whole-Foods Breakfasts, and Even Fabulous Weekend Breakfasts!)
11. Creating Delicious Whole-Food Treats (One Every Day! Treats Don’t Have to Be Toxic to Be Delicious)
12. Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain (If You’re Ready to Take It to the Next Level!)

​You can request access the 12 Step to Whole Foods FREE Video Masterclasses at this link: http://greensmoothiegirl.com/12-steps/accessnow/

You can access the 12 Steps to Whole Foods Program options at this link: http://greensmoothiegirl.com/12-steps/specials/

The 26-Day Detox will take you through 4 different phases, each of which have different recipes utilizing foods to systematically target the detoxification of specific organs in your body. The food required in the detox are real foods that you can purchase at your grocery store or health food store, and you eat plenty of food and should not feel very hungry. Robyn will take you through a colon cleanse, kidney cleanse, gallbladder cleanse, she incorporates detoxing protocols such as dry skin brushing, oil pulling, coffee enemas etc to detox your lymphatic system and liver. It is not just a "diet".

Each of the 4 phases have different foods. The first phase you will eat lots of smoothies as well as some other raw and cooked foods like a potato soup and steamed broccoli. You will eliminate salt for the entire 26 days and will eliminate sugars for the first 4 days. There are a few days where you eat lots of watermelon and there are lots of really yummy recipes like purple heaven and black bug soup.

This detox is far superior to most detox programs out there. It changes lives. Robyn incorporates the nutrition, internal cleansing, and healing protocols of Dr. Max Gerson in her 26 Day Detox as well as the protocols of Dr. Bernard Jensen, Dr. Richard N. Anderson, Dr. Ann Wigmore, Dr. Max Gerson, Dr. Johanna Budwig, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, and even Hippocrates. She has researched Detoxing for years, been to several clinics around the world.

You can request access to the Free Detox Masterclasses here: https://greensmoothiegirl.com/detoxsecrets/

You can see the different 26-Day Detox program options at this link: http://greensmoothiegirl.com/detoxsecrets/detox-webclass-specials/

Both the 12 Steps to Whole Foods Programs and the 26-Day Detox Programs are sold separately with no crossover. 

That’s why it’s 12 Steps! Just one at a time.

Start with Step 1! Stay there until you’re feeling the difference and that motivates you to take another step!

For your NEXT step, see what intrigues you. You don’t have to do the program in order! And make sure you’re on the Facebook support page (if you purchased that option) to ask questions of us, and your peers….stay plugged in!

And remember, one recipe at a time, adds to your arsenal…..you don’t have to learn a LOT of habits to find that, voila! You’re a whole foodie! And you’ll slowly but surely start to feel and look better.

We aren’t super militant about food around here, but we try to keep our diet organic, mostly plant based, and minimize dairy, gluten, and processed foods.

If someone wants to take it that extra 10%, any occasional recipe that calls for something they don't want can almost always be left out or substituted, and we're happy to help with ideas.

Robyn recovered her health by eating 60-80% raw, mostly organic, primarily plant based foods, and she keeps dairy, gluten grains, and processed foods to the "fun foods only" zone and feels that there has to be a bit of "play" in the diet in order to have a social life and not feel like a "mistake" you make is catastrophic and means you can't eat healthy.

Some people with really serious health problems may need to be extremely vigilant about their diet for a time, with a zero-tolerance policy towards sugar, dairy, gluten, and/or meat for some.

Robyn’s way of maintaining optimal health is to be vigilant about the 60-80 percent of her diet being greens (salads, green smoothies, green juice are DAILY staples, she never misses) veggies, and then fruit, legumes, whole grains mostly the gluten free kind, nuts and seeds. For sure she “plays” on Saturday nights, and occasionally...and then doing a very strict DETOX twice a year...She believes this the “2017” way of navigating a toxic, fast-food world, where you live with and around people who have no idea how to be healthy, and you have a social life, but you also maintain some basic principles of good nutrition.

It took me quite a few months. I had 70 pounds to lose.

I lost weight on the detox and then gained some of it back. Now I’m doing 12 Steps but not losing weight as much as I’d like.  How can I keep losing weight long term?

Stay the course and remember that this is a lifestyle change. You didn’t get to the condition you’re in overnight and you won’t get out of it that quickly either.

You may continue to experience various detox symptoms as you progress through 12 Steps and add new things and foods to your daily diet. Stay vigilant and aware and open. Keep track of foods that may have an adverse effect on you and adjust accordingly.

Trust the process. And trust that as you keep putting in more good whole foods, your body is making the changes that it needs to in order to be well...and if weight loss is what it needs it will do that too.

Also I suggest making green smoothies--heavy on the greens, light on the fruit--a bigger part of your diet. And/or big, colorful, high-variety salads. With greens, yes--but also veggies (raw or steamed), and legumes like kidney beans or black beans or chickpeas. Bulky, high-fiber plant foods, in whatever form YOU prefer them (smoothies, salads, stir fries, etc.) are the answer to pushing other addictive, processed foods that cause weight gain OUT.

Now, if you’re doing all that, and not losing weight?

Google a bioidentical hormone specialist, in your area, and get a full blood panel. (Not a regular OB/GYN or GP. They just measure your TSH and send you home if you’re within their HUGE “normal” range.) You may have a hormone issue, if eating super-healthy doesn’t cause weight loss. Thyroid disorder is very, very common.

I make them the night before all the time!

I just recommend eating it within 48 hours OR freezing the leftovers in ice cube trays to easily blend back up fresh in the future.

To paraphrase Michael Greger from nutritionfacts.org on this issue, you need to prepare your food in such a way that you will eat it to get the most nutritional value.

Perhaps a SMALL amount of nutrition is lost when making them in advance, but 100% is lost if we don't eat the good food at all because either we didn't like the way it was prepared or didn't have time etc.

So please prepare your smoothies and other food in advance and do not worry about the negligible loss of nutrition.

How do you freeze a Green Smoothie and how long will it last?

You can freeze a Green Smoothie indefinitely.

I pour them into pint size jars and store in the freezer.

Then when ready to use...allow to thaw at room temperature or in the fridge and if you can, re-blend for better texture.

You can also freeze in ice cube trays to re-blend again later as well.

How long can you keep a Green Smoothie in the fridge for?

Smoothies in the fridge are best not kept for longer than 2 to 3 days.

Avocados, Cashews, Hemp Seeds, Coconut milk as the base.

If dairy is an inflammation food, why is it in recipes in 12 Steps?

If it’s alright to use occasionally what is the rule of thumb with how often you eat dairy products before it is bad?

We have very few recipes in 12 Steps that use dairy, VERY few. And the recipes that might suggest feta or parmesan are optional ingredients.

Now, FERMENTED dairy products break down those problematic proteins, and so for most of us, it's worth a try, and potentially part of your strategy to have a healthy gut.

Fermented dairy products are the one dairy category I would routinely feel comfortable recommending (but use no-RBSt hormone milk, better yet if you can find RAW milk). If you’re avoiding Daily altogether, you’re in luck: Step 8 has many, many cultured-food habits that don’t involve any animal’s milk.

I do not believe that gluten itself is a problem. There is NOT whole grain in abundance in 12 steps.

But 12 steps isn't a gluten free program which is a fad and the culprit of auto immune issues is likely hybridized and processed grain. We go into detail about this in Step 9. Gluten itself is not likely the issue. It's throwing away bran and germ and hybriding grain that causes some people issues.

And more evidence is emerging that what we have THOUGHT was reactivity to glutens in grain, is actually reactivity to glyphosate (Roundup) sprayed on the grain, plus the fact that many Americans eat processed grain three times a day, for years--white bread, bagels, cookies, cake.

Less than 5 percent of our recipes in 12 Steps to Whole Foods even have grain. And anyone wanting to follow that diet trend should read Step 9 for our thoughts on this. Wheat isn't genetically modified. It's usually hybridized though, and generally hundreds of times, for many generations of the plant.

You can always substitute Kamut or Spelt or Einkorn all ancient, non-hybridized grains if you have decided no hybridized grain should be in your own room personal diet. And keep in mind that Quinoa, millet and wild rice aren't even really grains. They are seedfruits. Or skip grains altogether if you wish. However, the lowest disease cultures of the world eat lots of grain.  And vegetables.

I still use organic, sprouted whole wheat flour occasionally.....however, you can use other flours (try sprouted ones!).....just know that every whole food is different, every flour is different, and coconut flour and almond flour react in a recipe very differently than those with rising / fluffier properties like grains. You might want to put an acid and a basic in the recipe if you use those (a bit of non-aluminum baking powder, and baking soda).....remember it's going to be an experiment and we can't guarantee results with substitutions.

If you're Celiac, you'll want to studiously avoid all gluten grains. However, most who have "gluten sensitivity" will do fine with those grains. They're high in protein, high in fiber, and high in micronutrients. That said, for those who don't want to eat grains, you can certainly avoid those in this program. They aren't hard to avoid.

I personally do not like to eat animal flesh--I don't feel good, nor do I like it--so grains and legumes are staples in my diet. If you eliminate grains AND legumes, you'll have a tough time getting enough to eat WITHOUT meat / animal products, is all.

You may be interested in reading Robyn's blog post called "Wheat Is Good For You! (But Not How You’re Eating It)" and "Why Ketosis Diets Will Fail: The Paleo and Keto Manifesto"

My generic lab results shows positive on gluten sensitivity and celiac gene.

You said whole grains are anti-inflammatory. But my functional said all grains are inflammatory.

She actually said, all grains have gluten (proteins), which I understand all grains have protein , but not all proteins are bad for people with GS or CG, right?

While I believe these very popular, trending food sensitivity tests show many people to be ‘sensitive’ to legumes, and to whole grains, a few points may be helpful to you.

First of all, legumes and grains are good food. Read the best book to come out about health in 2016, Dr. Michael Greger, MD’s How Not to Die. There are millions of people all over the globe who get virtually NO heart disease, cancer, or autoimmune disease. And guess what they eat. Vegetables and grains, the vast majority of their diet.

I privately think that the powerful meat/dairy industry is behind these auto-immune protocols that are also trending, because if they can run legumes and whole grains out of town, people are essentially FORCED to eat meat (sometimes dairy), just to get enough calories, enough to eat!

Just know that even if you abandon certain classes of foods, like nightshades and some grains and legumes, for a short time, while you heal your gut–and healing your gut is CRITICAL (all the high-fiber foods throughout 12 Steps and ESPECIALLY the cultured, high-fiber foods in Step 8 are important for you), please don’t take your functional practitioner taking you off these GOOD foods that you’re potentially reacting to, as evidence that grains and legumes are bad foods, categorically. Nothing could be further from the truth. And you CAN heal your gut and get back to eating all good whole foods.

More scientists are starting to discover that the problem isn’t the gluten in grain--the problem may be a few other issues.

First, heavy spraying with glyphosate (Roundup). Second, eating too much grain, and all of it processed (flour, bran/germ removed), for many years.

Fact is, many people who think they are “gluten intolerant” do just fine with the ancient grain Kamut. And it has DOUBLE the amount of alpha gliiadin in regular wheat. So, there are some missing puzzle pieces that are getting more attention--the story isn’t fully told yet.

And how sad that your functional practitioner knows so little about how most of the healthy populations of the world eat--TONS of grains and legumes as well as greens and vegetables--that he or she is throwing the baby out with the bathwater!

We sick, obese Americans need to take a page from Africa and India who eat non-hybridized, organic vegetables and grains all day, every day….and don’t get any cancer, heart disease OR auto-immune disease. Legumes are good food, period.

Both myself and my daughter are sensitive to wheat and have found avoiding decreases inflammation symptoms. Will the green smoothie diet over time reverse sensitivity?

Well, my dear, there IS no “green smoothie diet.” (I did write a book by that name. Because my publisher forced it. Because people buy diet books.)

But green smoothies are just ONE really easy way to get tons of raw, organic plant foods in the diet. And THAT is the secret sauce. That is the holy grail, if there is one, or the fountain of youth. LOTS, and I mean LOTS, of greens, vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

These are the anti-inflammatory foods. The disease preventative foods. Probably your wheat sensitivity is related to eating white-flour foods, sprayed with Roundup (glyphosate), multiple times a day for many years. If we ate grain like ancient Man did….in the Fall/Winter, when our body produced more amylase to break it down, and we sprouted/soaked it, and we ate it whole (not processed, with the bran/germ stripped out), we wouldn’t likely have a reaction.

So, if you heal your gut (and may I HIGHLY recommend Robyn’s 12 Steps to Whole Foods course, go directly to STEP 8 to heal your gut!)....you will likely see symptoms and gut reactivity disappearing.

You say that Dairy causes inflammation, yet  you are listing yogurt as a probiotic rich food.

Is yogurt ok to eat? Does that only mean Greek yogurt? What if you have a Casein sensitivity? Is it still ok to eat yogurt?

It’s a rare exception to my avoidance of dairy; however, if you react badly even to homemade organic milk kefir, then by all means, use our other cultured recipes that don’t involve milk!

I personally do not eat yogurt or kefir. I did raise my kids on raw goat milk, that I fermented into kefir. There’s a smaller fat molecule in goat milk, and many properties similar to human breast milk…. however, with predigested protein in CULTURED milk, even organic cow milk, you’re getting a very nice carrier of probiotics and with the proteins pre-digested, they generally do not cause a mucous-forming or inflammatory response for most people.

My kids did great on it and when we started those (and other fermented foods habits), they stopped getting sick, permanently! But there are plenty of other cultured foods habits we teach in Step 8 of 12 Steps to Whole Foods, and like I said, I don’t personally eat dairy products.

And as for commercial kefir and yogurt, I don’t trust them.

That’s MARKETING saying that greek yogurt is good for you. Tens of millions of dollars have been spent, to get you to believe that. Commercial yogurt and kefir, according to studies, do NOT have all the live cultures they boast, and I highly recommend you save yourself some money and learn to make it yourself. It’s SUPER easy and cheap. And learn other culturing recipes if milk isn’t your thing. It’s not mine either.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto”s almost 2 years ago and still struggling with symptoms. I’ve read a lot of books, watched Isabella Wentz’ documentary and I’m ready to heal my gut!

I guess I just got a little confused and overwhelmed with all the mixed info about some whole foods not being too good for the thyroid. HELP!

Izabella is a dear friend, and I love all the quotes from the interviews with 100+ functional medicine practitioners in that docuseries! I was proud to promote it. And I watched it BEFORE I promoted it.

I do not line up with her stance that Paleo is the only way to go, for thyroid patients–for me, a very green and plant-based diet (not vegetarian, or vegan, necessarily, the past 25 years, but highly plant-based) was KEY to my putting my own Hashimoto’s in remission and keeping it there.

We’re great friends, the Paleo folks and I, even though I believe that (AND the Auto-Immune Protocol) are fad diets, industry-driven, and on their way out…..because we ALL see that processed foods, GMO foods, and flour products have got to go! There’s lots to say here, but I disagree with the implication that everyone, just because of thyroid function, needs to eat animal proteins.

Read How Not to Die by Michael Greger, MD, for another perspective that’s very important. I eat virtually all whole plant foods, freely, and do not show any antibodies for thyroid. There’s no “one size fits all” but eating a LOT of plants is important for human beings with 35′ of GI tract.

Would an underactive thyroid be caused by inflammation and would it improve by eating this way? I have put on so much weight and the thyroxine does not help it.

We don’t diagnose, treat, or prescribe of course….but the food we eat (or don’t) is at the root of all inflammation.

Inflammation is at the root of all disease.

So it makes sense that while we may ALSO do other things besides address the diet…We HAVE to address the diet piece. This is a very low-inflammation diet. Sometimes functional medicine practitioners will take sufferers off all grains and some legumes, especially if you’re tested for food sensitivities. Giving the body space and time to heal. These are GOOD foods but taming the inflammation may be a good thing.

Just know that if anyone tells you this, long term, when you’ve healed a bit, those are GOOD foods. (says 10’s of millions of africans, indians, and other people who don’t eat meat OR processed foods, and have approximately ZERO heart disease and other inflammatory conditions).

You also may want to look for a BIOIDENTICAL practitioner in your area, to look at MORE than just your TSH that they likely used to measure “thyroid”…..it’s more complex than that, and if you’re gaining weight while not overeating, I suspect you want to work with a food FUNCTIONAL medicine practitioner specialized in BIOIDENTICALS and get a FULL BLOOD PANEL workup to get to the root of what a possible hormone imbalance could be? Drugs alone can’t be the whole answer.

First, let me share with you this testimonial we received from Laura B. from Utah about her experience with diabetes and drinking green smoothies. She says “I had full-blown diabetes. I burst out laughing when the nurse practitioner told me her recommendation was to cut out sugar, since I eat so little of it already. Robyn taught me about green smoothies, and I began making them daily for my family, as well as teaching others about them. I just went back to the clinic after several months of my new green smoothie habit, and they said all signs of the pre-diabetic condition were gone. The only thing I changed was adding green smoothies to my diet!”

This is just one of many people with diabetes who contacted us raving about the results they got from following our programs.

You can still drink green smoothies but be careful about the amount of fruit you put in it. Make sure you add lots of greens and as little fruit as possible to still make it good. Use low sugar fruits like berries and green apples. You can also make a no fruit green smoothie using water, lemon juice, greens, ice, and a little bit of stevia to make it sweet.

Regarding the carbs in the 12 Steps Program, eating low-glycemic foods prevents insulin resistance, Type II diabetes, weight gain, colorectal cancers, heart disease, and many other conditions. Carbs have been vilified in the media as being high glycemic index foods—but, in fact, legumes and whole grains, especially when combined with greens and vegetables, are excellent foods that do not contribute to blood sugar problems and associated health problems.

Also consider that the carbohydrates in whole grains and legumes are complex, slowing the absorption of sugars. Eating a salad with a whole-grain dish further slows sugar uptake in the bloodstream, as greens are a very low glycemic index food. They are also high in dietary fiber, leading to healthy digestion.

Finally, this thought: nobody ever got diabetes from eating fruit. Diabetes happens from eating junk food. Not just sugar, but high-fat diets are now shown to cause diabetes, such as the ketogenic diet, as well as high-protein diets (Atkins, Paleo). People don’t get diabetes on a healthy, mostly plant-based whole-foods diet.

Folks with a candida overgrowth have to go through a much more extensive process of not eating ANY sugars, even “good” kinds in whole foods like grains and fruits…..for a time. I know many who have starved it out and RETURNED to those good foods, of course. But it’s a difficult diet and far more extreme than the sustainable lifestyle of 12 steps.

I have reviewed many (if not all) of the food-combining theories, and if you are going to do one—especially to starve out Candida (it never goes away, but it can become controlled and dormant, as the immune system is strengthened) - We recommend Donna Gates’ Body Ecology Diet.

It focuses heavily on sea vegetables, which will be very foreign to most people. It also emphasizes probiotic-intensive foods. I am not a big fan of the poultry, fish, and eggs Gates recommends.

However, when you eliminate fruits and grains, in an effort to regain a healthy terrain populated with good bacteria rather than bad, getting enough calories is a problem. Therefore, for those with Candida or significant health problems, we are supportive of undertaking the Body Ecology Diet and then, when you are healed, shifting to eating fruits and other whole plant foods.

Once you have your candida under control, I recommend you do Step 8 in 12 Steps to Whole Foods. Step 8 teaches you the whole broad array of habits indigenous people have used for thousands of years to maintain good digestive health, and a fully functioning colony of healthy bacteria protecting us, in the gut (where 80% of our immune system is).

Kefir, yogurt, raw sauerkraut, rejuvelac, and much more. Robyn recommends you do at least TWO of these habits she teaches in Step 8 daily, which are easy and inexpensive but require a shift in your food-prep habits.

So make sure you have our 12 Steps to Whole Foods course. It is truly a game changer, and will really help you replenish your intestinal flora and avoid having problems with yeast in the future.

Diverticulitis is a bowel disease, and it is caused by severe lack of fiber in the diet. So, fiber in the diet has to be a part of the solution. (And I’m not talking about Metamucil. I’m talking about high-fiber foods. So you’re in the right place--that’s exactly what we teach.)

The way to heal the bowel is through diet that promotes excellent nerve and muscle tone, with clean, pink, highly peristaltic tissues. And what’s that diet?

Lots of clean water, and lots of bulky greens, vegetables, and fruits, legumes and whole grains, nuts and seeds. The GreenSmoothieGirl diet prevents ulcerations, diverticulitis, spastic bowel, IBS, strictures, adhesions, and colitis, and gas/flatulence that are affecting increasing numbers of people in the Western world.

Just wondering if you have had success with your program in treating quite severe adrenal fatigue. Don’t have addison’s so adrenals are still viable but pretty exhausted.

I also have thyroid autoimmune so am struggling with no energy, gut issues, etc.

My doc is wary of juice cleanses and whole foods in general (sheesh!) as thinks it will be too “stressful” for my system. Thoughts?

I wouldn’t stay with a doctor that was “wary” of the foods people ate for thousands of years until we all became sick due to the processed-food diet.

What’s stressful for your system is being under siege by your own body so confused and misfiring that it’s attacking some of your glands. This tends to continue, in stage III and IV of auto-immune disease. And without significant attention to diet, all the drugs in the world that are likely your doc’s solutions, do not heal. They cover symptoms, which make you more comfortable while your disease progresses.

Returning to a disease-preventative diet isn’t option, in our humble opinion. What’s “stressful” to your “system” is genetically modified food, processed food with proteins you’re reacting to, chemicals in soda, booze, energy drinks, acids and tannins in coffee, nitrites and other carcinogens in processed meat…..I’ll stop there, but that’s what’s stressful. Not organic, natural, plant-based, healing foods.

12 Steps to Whole Foods is a great way to help address many autoimmune issues as it focuses on eating whole foods, eliminating processed foods and refined sugars and just fueling your gut (where a lot of your immune system is) with good clean real plant and food sources that are friendly to your body and that it loves and needs to be well.

12 Steps to whole foods does not follow the AIP (Auto Immune Protocol) diet. You can read what Robyn's stance on Paleo or AIP is here

NO you can't dehydrate in your oven.

The entire purpose of having a dehydrator is to preserve a sprout's enzymes. Which die at 116 degrees. So it's heatless drying.

We aren't baking. We are dehydrating.

You can get a pretty inexpensive one at Walmart these days! Just make sure it has a heat gauge that lets you set it below 116.

They are all good natural probiotics and can all be used well in green smoothies or on their own and are generally just a matter of preference. However, there are some differences.

Rejuvelac is made from sprouted fermented grains. It is one of the easier and least expensive foods to ferment. You just need a grain (wheat, rye, quinoa, buckwheat, tritcale, or other whole and unmilled grain) and water.

Water kefir requires water kefir grains and often calls for sugar water (although you can make it just fine without the sugar). It’s especially effective with plain coconut water.

Milk kefir requires milk kefir grains and milk. Raw is best. But if you can’t get that make sure it’s from cows untreated by hormones. And raw goat’s milk also makes great kefir. When fermentation occurs in in a dairy product, enzymes proliferate and milk protein (casein) becomes much more digestible. The enzyme lactase pre-digests lactose proteins, and several enzymes created by the fermentation process increase absorption of calcium and other minerals. Even people who are “lactose-intolerant” usually have no problem with cultured dairy products like kefir.

Both have good Omega 3 EFA.

The oil form is a bit more concentrated but since it's an oil it also loses some of the other vitamins and minerals in the extraction process (with the exception of vit E) as well as the lignans and fiber which the ground flax contains.

If you use the GSG ground flax it is also a sprouted seed so it stabilizes the EFA in the seed which increases the conversion efficiency of the EFA's for better bioavailability and also prevents rancidity which the oil and regular ground flax are prone to.

Can you give some help on understanding label choices?

Low sodium but high sugar? Low sugar but high sodium? How is one to know?

I agree that buying anything packaged and canned is FRUSTRATING because manufactures cater to standard american diet tastes, NOT to us health nuts.

So, if I use a canned item, my FIRST priority is that it is organic.

There should be no sugar or other strange additives.

As for salt, good luck with that one! Salt is in everything, so I live with it and I just don’t add additional salt to a soup or main dish or whatever. I let the canned tomatoes for example provide it.

And speaking of tomatoes, you can find tomatoes with without salt added. Please don’t worry about the sugar in the tomatoes or fruit themselves...unless you’re in some kind of diagnosis/medical restriction about counting these things with a practitioner you trust, nobody ever got diabetes from eating fruits, or tomatoes.

The thing to avoid is added sugar.

Another tip: If I buy organic canned beans, I rinse them! (Bye bye extra salt).

If it is labeled as 100% Organic then it is also GMO free.

If it is labeled certified organic or USDA organic than it is suppose to be GMO free but that's not always the case.

There are loopholes and tricks that companies can use to get around that.

So my advice is to stick with 100% organic when possible so you know it is GMO free.

I want to make raised garden beds. Robyn says to make sure to use untreated wood.

How do I know if wood is treated or not?

Also, what do I use for dirt and fertilizer since I don't already have my garden going and no compost yet?

Ask at the lumberyard, say you want untreated lumber only!

Check out the tips in Step 5 for not using any chemicals.....BUY organic compost and dirt. Don't worry about what was treated last year or whatever.....just don't let anyone spray your new garden or overspray with treating the rest of your yard. Then you can get some composting going and add that for the next season....no rush, you won't need it now.