The “energy I need” is something healthy people wake up with. You can stop eating for days and have more energy than when you were eating. So eating to gain energy is kind of a myth.

My question for you: which kidney is bothering you each morning? You need to determine that because I suspect you’re attempting the wrong “shots” to remedy. Use the leg lifts to figure it out — directions are on the Left Lemon System page. Let me know so I can tell you which shot to try.

Strive for balancing every meal — 30% protein, 30% oils, 40% carbs. If you wanted to use your almond butter with breakfast, try dipping a fresh cut apple into it for a better balance. The almond butter has good oils and protein, the apple gives you the carbs. That would be a very light breakfast, but you could add other balanced foods (a half cup of whole milk yogurt or a slice of cheese) to make it more filling.

Please let me know which kidney is having problems.

Inflammation is a biggie in health — any kind of inflammation, or swelling, means the water is stuck between the cells, instead of getting into them to flush out wastes.

Some well-known diet advisers and doctors are agreeing with this now because they see the damage 8-10 glasses of water does to their patients. It forces the kidneys to work harder to process all of those fluids, and it dilutes the natural stomach acids that are supposed to be digesting your foods.

Getting off the 8-10 glasses of water a day habit is easy. When you first get up in the morning drink the juice of one lemon with a couple tablespoons of water if necessary. This helps align the pH of your body to allow the excess fluids to escape. Don’t drink with meals, or immediately after. Wait until at least two hours after your meal, then drink a glass of water with the juice of one lemon. Do this again between lunch and dinner. Then at bedtime drink the juice of a lemon with just a bit of water again. When you’ve lost the swelling and your proteins are being digested properly you can ease back on the lemons.

If you are in the habit of drinking with meals, chances are you need to chew your food longer. It should be thoroughly wet with saliva before swallowing. Digestion begins in the mouth.

There is no such thing as an unprocessed protein powder. All of them are heated in some way, which changes the proteins and the oils. And then they are ground to a powder which means they have to be dehydrated thoroughly. Even if someone uses low heat, there just isn’t any protein powder that is fresh in any sense of the word. A natural protein you prepare at home would be much fresher than something that comes in a can or pouch. Plus you have control over the quality of that protein if you buy it yourself.

You’d be better off keeping a stash of boiled eggs (from healthy chickens living on land, not cages) in your fridge and eating one of those with the smoothie. Or make beef jerky, which is low heat treated. If you can eat dairy products without problems, you could eat a slice of cheese.