Lime and Hibiscus
FOR DIGESTIVE HEALTH AND TO KEEP YOU ALKALINE
Lime juice and jamaica (hibiscus) have been shown to have antimicrobial properties. Lime juice also helps balance your HCl acid production to help you digest heavier foods so you feel lighter and more energetic. Both have also been shown to be antimicrobial. So, always squeeze a bit of lime on your meal or in your water (ideally without ice, or just a tiny bit of ice).
Eat Your Biggest Meal at Lunch
EAT A LIGHT AND EARLY DINNER
Our digestion is strongest at lunch and weakest in the evening. When you eat your largest meal during mid-
day, your digestion will have the rest of the day to process your food. Since we often treat ourselves to more fun foods while on vacation and don't always have access to foods we usually eat, eating your biggest meal mid-day will make it easier for your body to process. For example, if you want to try a pizza and gelato, have it at lunch instead of dinner. If you eat too much too late, your digestion will suffer, which will not only impact your sleep and energy the next day, but over time, can congest the liver, irritate the lining of the gut, and release waste into your lymph.
Enjoy Cooling Fruits and Vegetables
IF IT IS GROWING LOCALLY DURING THIS SEASON - EAT A TON OF IT!
Nature always produces the perfect farm-acy of foods that are most balancing during each season for each
location. The foods that are growing in the region that you are visiting will help you feel light, lean and clear. What is growing around you? What fresh vegetables do you see being sold in the markets? This is what is local, and thus medicinal for this region at this time. For example, in the winter in the tropics, you will find these vegetables and fruits growing in abundance: cucumber, leafy greens, starfruit, bananas, jackfruit, avocado, corn, legumes, cabbage, papaya, pineapple, etc..
Medicinal Plants for Digestion, Energy, Skin & Lymph
ENJOY MORINGA AND NEEM REGULARLY
You can harvest moringa and neem yourself, or purchase it locally. An easy way to do it is to pick the leaves
and simply chew on them. Be warned that neem is very bitter, which is part of it's healing properties. Or, take
a handful of leaves and simmer on the stove for a few minutes. Strain. Then store in the fridge or freezer in
ice cube trays. Take 1-3 spoonfuls per day, with food. Always start with a small amount. If you can't find neem and moringa where you are, ask about local medicinal herbs for general health. Start with a tiny amount to see how it feels, and slowly increase.
Eat Less Heavy, Oily or Acidic Foods
ENJOY GLUTEN, DAIRY AND ALCOHOL AS A SPECIAL TREAT
Bread products and dairy can be heavy and damp for the tropics. Glutenous grains like wheat grow in colder
climates at higher altitudes. Though delicious, be mindful that too much pizza, cheese, ice cream, pastries,
bread or pasta may cause you to experience more joint pain, weight gain, fatigue, mental fogginess and
digestive issues, like acidic digestion or bloating. In Latin American countries, corn tortillas, rice and beans are lighter and easier to digest. In Thailand, there is more rice and rice noodles than gluten or other flour products. Alcohol is acidic and hard on the liver, especially in a warm climate. Enjoy more water, mineral water or jamaica, limonada or naranjada without sugar.