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Healthy and Happy

• Proud to be a “Salad Chick”

  19Jun
  Categories: Inspiration & Motivation Comments: 0

  So while waiting for a client the other day I was catching up on the important information in the world via “Us” Magazine.  In it a celebrity was quoted saying she enjoys working out but hates “dieting.”  For some reason while working out myself this morning that little quote jumped back into my head and I started getting more and more upset by it.  I realized just how backwards our society is in that eating Doritos and pizza is just simply “eating”…while eating nutritious vegetables, grains and proteins gets the negative connotation that goes along with “dieting.”  People think of the word diet and they think “tasteless, boring, unsatisfying” and is that going to win the race in beating obesity if people keep allowing themselves to think that healthy foods lead to unhappiness when it is just the opposite?  There are some circles where people still slightly make fun of people who eat healthy.  While I have definitely not seen the movie, there is a quote in the preview of a Queen Latifah movie where she goes “I ain’t one of those salad-eatin’ chicks!” as if to say people who eat salads only do it to be skinny or are overly feminine or are no fun to be around.

  Let me set the record straight.  I grew up on Twinkies and Hohos and I LOVED them.  Couldn’t get enough.  That’s because that S#*T is addictive.  And when you’re hooked on one drug, there isn’t room to be hooked on a different healthier kind.  I wouldn’t eat any type of lettuce as a kid other than iceberg.  Vegetables?  Forget it.  I got my high on baked goods and sugar.  And I was never happy with my body and always had horrible allergies.  I was jealous of the other girls in ballet class with longer and leaner muscles and who didn’t know the misery of never being able to breathe out of one nostril.  It’s taken me nearly a decade to turn my diet around and I’ll have it be known that eating foods that are nutritionally dense are addictive also.  You just have to give your body a chance.  If you go with the connotation associated with being “on a diet” you will never feel or look the way you wish you did.  NEVER.  And you would be amazed to see just how tasteless most things you think you can’t live without really are once you readjust your taste buds to healthier fare.  I tried a Twinkie about 4 years ago for the first time since probably late middle school.  It tasted like pure chemicals.  The texture was strange, the color, the horrendously over-sweet in a not from real sugar kind of way…  The same goes for other processed foods as well.  Once you detox from those foods and then try them again, you can taste the difference.

  So get off your asses, stop making excuses, stop thinking that giving up french fries and pizza is some huge sacrifice because it’s not.  Especially not if you are the type to constantly stare at yourself in the mirror wishing this jiggle or that jiggle could improve, or if you look longingly at another person on the subway who looks fit and healthy wishing you could be so “lucky.”  Luck has nothing to do with it!  ’JUST DO IT.”  You’ll forget all about those nutrition-less foods eventually, and then every once in a while get a chance to eat them and enjoy them because they aren’t part of your every day world.  You’ll begin to look forward to a big healthy salad because of how it will make you feel, and it will still be delicious once you condition your brain to appreciate and enjoy these foods.  And you will do this for your entire life, because that’s what a diet SHOULD be.  It should be the way you eat consistently, not the way you miserably eat for a short amount of time in order to lose weight, which you will inevitably put back on and wind up even more miserable.

  You will lose weight, you will feel better and happier because of this, you may even remedy some chronic diseases along the way.  You will exude more confidence with these improvements, be more motivated to mix and mingle, find the man or woman of your dreams and live happily ever after.

  I kid you not.  My wedding is this November

  Let’s start a salad revolution!

• My GF Year

  16Jun
  Categories: Food Education, Inspiration & Motivation Comments: 0

  Hello friends!  So it has been just over a year since I made the decision to go gluten-free, and it’s definitely been one of the best decisions I’ve made in this life!  I’ve learned that there is a vast and delicious world on the other side of wheat, and one that alleviates many chronic problems.  In the past year I have not had one episode of itchy, swollen eyes that plagued me the two years prior, and I stopped getting hives on my legs that had also cropped up at the same time.  And since I have been a little girl I have gotten ulcers in my mouth, behind my gums, or in the deep crease of the lower lip and gum line, but I am thankful to say that the only time that has happened to me this year is when I insisted on eating a piece of my mother’s Kentucky Butter cake at Christmas.  Lesson learned.

  One of the biggest things I have learned this year though is just how common Celiac disease and gluten/wheat sensitivities really are.  Every single time I have told someone new that I have a gluten intolerance, not a single person didn’t know what I meant.  In fact, almost every single person I’ve told for the first time has quipped back, “oh my cousin/friend/aunt/etc. has that too!”  It is just that common.  Restaurants and chefs are being much better educated on the matter, and many offer gluten-free menus or have a protocol to follow when a diner mentions the allergy.  It’s amazing.

  I’ve also heard stories recently about suspected cases of celiac disease finally being considered after years of thinking friends had some other disease or just couldn’t figure out what was going on.

  Case in point: remember my friend with the acid reflux I got all enraged about when her doctor told her food didn’t have anything to do with what was going on with her?  Just a few weeks ago he mentioned the possibility that she might have Celiac disease!  After having umpteen biopsies of her esophagus taken just to have him say “nothing is wrong with you” and NOW he’s suggesting what I told her to consider all along?  Drive me nuts!  She had to have a colonoscopy where they found benign polyps, blood work done where they found antibodies that might suggest that she have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (both of which can be misdiagnosed when gluten is the actual culprit), and a slew of other relatively minor symptoms when taken one at a time, but when added together drastically point towards a gluten issue.  And speaking of theumatoid arthritis, I learned about an old co-worker of mine who was diagnosed with RA as a child and is now on a gluten-(and I believe dairy-)free diet.  She is also medication and symptom free.   Can I be any more emphatic here as to how little the medical world truly knows about what our food is potentially doing to our bodies?

  I even had a client on my massage table a few weeks ago describe a story about white patches on her tongue that she’s had since childhood that no doctor could ever give her an explanation for.  She also suffered from small mouth ulcers here and there as well, and has a history of dealing with bloating and minor GI issues.  To try to shed a few pounds, she went on a carb-free diet and after just a few days her tongue looked like a normal tongue, and she lost the bloat!  She went on vacation and tossed the diet out the window, and immediately got the white spots and an ulcer in her mouth.  I of course told her it sounded like a wheat or gluten issue, and she had an epiphony when I told her some other types of symptoms, because she’s dealt with them all.  She’s been experimenting with her diet now, and is finally realizing what’s been plaguing her all along!

  So I urge anyone and everyone out there to do your own experiments with gluten and wheat.  Celiac disease isn’t simply having horrible stomach pains and diarrhea after a meal.  The signs and symptoms can be extremely subtle.  Diseases that are currently linked to gluten intolerance include any auto-immune diseases like RA and lupus, and things like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and depression, skin conditions, and infertility.  Mood swings, terrible PMS, hives, eczema, psoriasis, are often times improved or reversed entirely on gluten-free diets.  Infertility is gaining a lot of momentum right now in its correlation to Celiac disease, so anyone who’s been having trouble getting pregnant or suffering from miscarriages should consider it.  That goes for men and sperm production as well!

  Obviously, going gluten-free is not a cure all for everything.  Many conditions are based on a complex equation of nutrient deficiencies, genetics, food intolerances, chemical intolerances, Candida overload, etc.  However, gluten sensitivities are increasing rapidly and if you suffer from any chronic complaints, it’s worth trying out.

  It should be noted that many people who are sensitive to gluten are also sensitive to dairy (specifically casein, the protein in milk), which is why many people are on both diets, like myself.  There is also much evidence to support a GFCF diet will improve children on the autistic spectrum.  Many are so benefitted by the diet that they are no longer considered to be autistic, but they must adhere to the diet or symptoms could return.

  Let it also be known that while the signs and symptoms are very similar, Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease that can be triggered at any stage in life and is different from gluten or wheat allergies or sensitivities, which can be overcome with careful dietary planning and intestinal fortification.  Celiac disease is also hereditary, so if anyone in your family has been diagnosed, you should be checked as well.  It is the most common in north western European blood-lines.  In fact, almost everyone I’ve met with Celiac disease has been Irish or has mixed northern European ancestries, but that doesn’t mean they are the only ones!

  After decades of minor health problems that never seemed to pose any real threats, I finally feel healthy and in control of my body.  I know what will happen when I consume certain foods and in certain combinations, and I know how to reverse any ill effects when I’ve crossed the line.  I have to say…that’s a pretty powerful feeling!

  So here’s to being gluten-free for one year, and many more to come!

• Happy Summer!!

  04Jun
  Categories: Uncategorized Comments: 0

  I’m back guys!  Since summer has unofficially begun, I thought it would be a good idea to start the season off right with a super healthy, super delicious meal before we let the burgers, hot dogs and potato salad take over for the next 3 months!

  One of my absolute FAVORITES this time of year is basil.  I can’t get enough of it, and luckily, it’s usually sold in large bunches.  So for this super summer meal, I’m giving you a basil-quinoa-veggie salad.

  Sort of like a bean salad, but without the beans (although they’d make a lovely addition), this salad uses up any veggies in your fridge you need to think of something to do with before they go bad.  I specifically chose sugar snap peas and red peppers because that’s what was available in my fridge, but you could use anything you like- raw, steamed, sauteed, or roasted.

  Prepare one cup of quinoa according to the package directions and then mix in your chopped veggies.  Leave some of them raw for extra nutrients and added crunch if you can, but things like sauteed leeks and roasted eggplant chunks would be delicious add-ins.  Especially the leeks, as they get an almost sweet, buttery flavor.

  I chopped up a handful of basil and incorporated that as well, but I also made a very quick pesto with the rest of the basil, a heavy drizzling of olive oil, a handful of walnuts, the juice of half a lemon and a large pinch of coarse sea salt.  Food process that all together, adding the oil as you go until the consistency appeals to you.  I prefer mine a little chunky.

  Serve your quinoa (keen-wa for newbies to this super healthy grain) salad with a side of steamed kale and a small chicken breast, and drizzle the whole plate with some pesto and an extra squirt of lemon juice and you’ve got a meal I couldn’t make healthier if I tried!

  The best thing is that the longest part of this whole process is making the quinoa, which takes about 15 minutes.  While it’s cooking, you can put some chicken on another burner, chop a few veggies, process the pesto, AND steam the kale all in that time.

  And to make this even more filling for the vegetarians, throw in some white cannelini beans or adzuki beans.  While quinoa is conveniently already a complete protein (unlike all other grains and beans), it can’t hurt to add a little more.

  Focus on this at your next BBQ and I guarantee a guiltless morning after!

• Running Revelation

  18Apr
  Categories: Inspiration & Motivation Comments: 1

  Hello again dear friends.  My apologies for once again dipping below the radar.  As many of you already know, three weeks ago, after 3 and a half years of courtship, Ameesh and I have decided to get a joint bank account and celebrate with a really big party.  The blessed union will take place this November, and wedding planning has already been an all-consuming pastime.  Therefore, I pre-apologize for any major lulls in writing as decisions such as centerpieces and fillet vs. salmon may be in the forefront of my mind for the next few months.

  I did have a recent health related revelation, that I wanted to bring up though.  This one goes out to the runners, as I’ve been experimenting recently and I think I like it.

  A few months ago, one of the members of the gym I work in was wearing those “skin” running shoes.  Maybe you’ve seen them, but if not they are essentially like toe socks, but instead…think toe shoes.  Individual toes make them look more than a little strange, but the idea is that they simulate running barefoot, as our ancestors must have before Nike could get their paws on them.  Since we most likely evolved walking and fleeing from animals and enemies without the support of Dr. Scholl’s, the way we naturally distribute our weight while barefoot must actually be better for us than the liberties we take with well cushioned soles, enabling us to put pressure on our joints in ways they weren’t designed to be used.

  Most people, while wearing running shoes, or any shoes at all for that matter I guess, will take a step with the heel of the foot first, flexing our foot up and then rolling through the rest of the foot, back to front.  When running barefoot, it’s actually intuitive to sort of gently leap onto the ball of the foot first and roll through front to back instead.  When thinking about this, I was reminded of the way dancers run, knowing first hand from nearly 20 years of strict classical ballet training, the smooth gliding feeling of running across the stage in pointe shoes.  In fact, it wasn’t very long ago that I saw something on the news about scientists studying the ergonomics of dancers vs. other types of athletes, since dancers get many fewer ankle injuries compared to the general population of athletic people.  The scientists were studying the very act of rolling through feet, the way dancers are taught to run and come out of jumps, and comparing them to other athletes.  It was quite interesting.   This theory also made me think about the stories in high school history class about how the Native Americans were known for being so quiet as they tracked through the woods so as not a soul could hear them approaching….was it because they were shoe-less and running/walking this way?  Hmmmmm…….

  So when I realized I needed new running shoes, the thought popped into my head about changing the way I run instead, thinking that flattened out old running shoes might actually be more like running barefoot than a brand new pair of fancy air-cushioned sneakers.

  I put the theory to the test, when I was mid-way through a run last week and completely forgot that I had wanted to make this change.  I began my jog around my neighborhood with the typical running heel strike first.  About 10 minutes in, and more out of breath than I’d hoped to be, I remembered the theory in landing on the ball of the foot first.  So without stopping and re-starting, I began to leap gracefully from foot to foot instead.  And… I instantly felt better.  Within three or four steps, I actually felt less winded, and I felt MUCH lighter on my feet.  There was something about it that felt much more effortless.  I was pretty amazed.  The best thing was how sore I was the next day.  It was a new kind of calf soreness, one that I haven’t felt since my days of taking off too much time between dance seasons, and how I felt the day after my first ballet class in a while.  Most people wouldn’t like that feeling, but I always appreciate being sore in new ways, since I know I worked under-used muscles!

  I’ve been running a couple of times now, in my old shoes, with the new gait, and I love it.  It just feels lighter, easier and like I can get an extra half mile to mile out of a relatively short run.

  Now, I certainly don’t consider myself a true runner.  I never run more than 4 miles, and I certainly don’t do it daily, so I’d be curious to know if any more serious runners out there have heard of this theory, or the funky shoes, and have tried it.  Just goes to show you that everything we create, (not that I don’t appreciate a cushion-y pair of shoes, especially after a night of high heels!), in an effort to make our lives more convenient or “protect” us from injuring ourselves from doing what the body was naturally designed to do… is creating more problems in the long run!  That doesn’t sound familiar at all does it?

  Sometimes I really think our bodies just need to go back to ancient basics.  The way we move, the way we eat, the way we sleep and think…  If we could combine that with a few modern amenities…(like Whole Foods salad bars and really comfy mattresses) we might be a lot healthier..and happier…species!

• Soda Tax Vent

  31Mar
  Categories: Uncategorized Comments: 1

  I just have to blow off some steam here and need to know that I’m not alone…  Has anyone seen the commercials encouraging people to oppose the “fat tax” on sugary drinks?  Every time I see it I feel the violent urge to throw something at the television.  Ameesh would be mad if that happened, so I turn to writing.  In said commercial, a woman who is supposed to represent a lower socio-economic status (although she’s in what appears to be a very nice homey kitchen larger than my own) is encouraging viewers to feel bad for the plight of people who can’t afford to pay a couple extra dollars for sweetened beverages.  She takes a bottle of generic cola out of a grocery bag and hands it to her son, while complaining that even instant drinks like lemonade might be affected by this evil tax.  Her counter is full of brand-less drinks, obviously standing in for things like Coke and Sunny Delight.

  “Families already struggling to get by may have to pay up to $5 extra dollars for these beverages!” she pleads.  This is where I begin to lose it.  I mean seriously lose it.  If there is anyone out there who honestly doesn’t think to themselves “SO DON’T BUY THE DRINKS!” and thinks that these commercials will work, I need a show of hands.  The really sad thing is that people truly ARE that clueless to come to that conclusion and actually DO think that a sugary drink tax is pure evil!

  I’ve mentioned it before, but I find it absolutely dumbfounding that people are literally throwing money down the drain to buy things like this to begin with.  How much money would you save in a month or in a year if you didn’t always need to have sugary drink options?

  Water is FREE.  Lemonade needs 3 ingredients: lemons, water, table sugar.  Done and done.  Make a cup of tea- they come in many flavors these days.

  The entire point of the proposed tax is that so people buy less of the product and LOSE WEIGHT, thus curbing the progression of so many dietary related chronic diseases, all while earning a little extra government mulah from the people who insist on still drinking that stuff regularly.  Isn’t that a step in the right direction?  Who do you know out there that wouldn’t like to lose a pound or two and save money at the same time?

  Sigh…I’m just one frustrated voice in a sea of declining health!  I look forward to the day when the corporate world food system finally kills itself and people have no choice but to go back to growing their own food!

  We’re probably closer to that than we realize…

• Tough Love

  12Mar
  Categories: Inspiration & Motivation Comments: 0

  You either want to look better or you don’t.  You either want to FEEL better or you don’t.  You either want to be healthier or you don’t.

  It’s time for all the people out there who complain about the way they look or feel to finally just DO something about it!  Everyone has an excuse.  I’m tired, I’m overworked, there aren’t enough hours in the day.  I had this conversation with my mother last night.  She’s the world’s toughest person to motivate and always has a reason why she can’t accommodate every single little suggestion.  Then she’ll say, “you’re right, OK, I can do that” and she never will.  Remember the yoga challenge?  While I’m proud of her for doing yoga a few times at home from a yoga TV program, she still has yet to actually take a class with an instructor that could encourage her, motivate her, and most importantly correct her form so she gets the most benefit out of it!

  While I was talking to her I realized that New York City is a totally different world from most of the country.  My mother, at 60, thinks of herself as old in many respects.  She thinks many activities or fun, trendy clothes are only for “young” people.  Most of my clients are between the ages of 40 and 65.  And not a single one of them gives excuses about why they aren’t where they could be.  If they know they need to lose weight, they tell me they’re on a program to do so….  Most of them are active business folks.  Bankers, lawyers, corporate folks or on the other side of the spectrum I have the artistic Broadway performers crowd.  But they all have one thing in common:  they all don’t seem to consider their age as a factor for holding them back from anything.  I had a 65 year old banker on the table the other day who was really sore because he’s training for his first marathon and ran 18 miles the day before.  Think about the average 65 year old in your life (especially if they don’t live in an energetic urban environment like NYC)…  Could they run a marathon?  I have 45 year old moms who come into the chiropractor’s office after hanging up the phone with their boss and tell me about the yoga class they took that morning or the gardening they did all weekend.  I have a 64 year old male client who runs a bank, and takes 7am spin class 3 times a week, yoga twice a week, and a posture stabilizing class, then gets on the massage table and tells me about having a few too many glasses of wine at a cocktail party over the weekend.  Do these sound like the people in your life with those same ages?

  My clients work 40 - 100 hours a week in some cases, but there they are, scheduling time to take care of themselves because they know it’s not an option.  When they wait too long between sessions, they come in complaining saying “I don’t know why I just don’t do this more often.”  Life does get busy, and things do get in the way, but what good are you to the rest of the possibilities in life if you’re being held hostage by your own skin?

  So please people!  Enough with the reasons why you can’t lose weight, can’t eat a healthy breakfast, can’t get to the gym more than once a year….  Stop being jealous of the people who look great in their clothes, or who have glowing skin, or who have well functioning digestive tracts… Sure they must all just be “lucky”.  Those “lucky” genes ya know?  It’s a rare genetic disorder these days to look and feel healthy.

  I hear at least 3 times a week from people whether I know them or they are a new client, “aww, you’re so tiny!”  Yes, I’m a petite person, but I work really hard to look and feel the way I do.  Sometimes I get lazy and and I stop and overeat for a while, but then I start to feel like everyone else in the country who is bloated and unhappy so I snap myself out of it and go back to working hard- and feeling happy and optimistic again.  It’s a continuous life long cycle, but the lazy cycles definitely get shorter and shorter as you go.  And the truth of the matter is that, yes I’m short, we all know this (unless you’re reading this and have never met me), but I’m what the medical community deems as a standard level of good health as far as height/weight ratios go.  I’m 5 feet tall and fluctuate 1 to 2 pounds above and below the 100lb mark.  To get a very rough estimate of a healthy weight for a certain height (this doesn’t take into account many considerations, but it can give some idea) is to figure about 100 lbs for the first 5 feet of height (in a woman) and add 3 pounds for every inch of height above that.  (Not sure what the numbers for men are)  Muscle weighs about 30% more than fat so the number on a scale can be misleading, so go by how you FEEL.  Just learn to know your own body and the weight range for when you start to feel unwell, versus when you feel really fit and happy and everything seems to be functioning smoothly.

  I’m not a special case!  I’m not “lucky”.  I’m just a typical New Yorker trying to do it all and maintain my health in the process.  Anyone can do that.  You don’t have to be born that way.  You don’t have to be a specific age.  If you want to change, then just do it!  The only reason why you can’t is your own head.

  It comes down to making a simple decision:  You either want to be healthy, and all the good that comes of it….. or you don’t.

• Noshies!!!!

  06Mar
  Categories: Uncategorized Comments: 0

  So, if you think trail mix is your only “healthy” snack that involves something nutty, something sweet and something satiating, I’ve got some good news for you.

  Welcome to the world…..Noshies, the brainchild of fitness and nutritional champion (and very trusted friend) Debra Duby.  Complete with protein, fiber and the perfect balance of amino acids, and let’s not forget- deliciousness, these things trump most “nutritious” snacks on the market.  I met Debra on Friday for a late afternoon snack.  She gave me a sample pack of the goods to see if I liked them and if so…my mission was to blog about them.  I got one of each of her 8 flavors.  These suckers are filling, they are delicious, and to me…oddly reminiscent of my younger years stealing raw cookie dough from the freezer when Mom wasn’t looking.  I tried two flavors at first, and loved them so much I couldn’t wait to try another flavor to see if it was as tasty as the previous.  By the end of the night, woops- I’d eaten all of them.

  I HIGHLY recommend getting a tray of these for your next social gathering…. or if you’ve been looking for the perfect energy bar, but haven’t stumbled across anything you really enjoy quite yet- these have your name all over them.

  From super chocolate-y varieties, like chocolate covered apricot or chocolate trail mix to child hood favorite flavors like peanut butter and jelly, your mouth will dance with joy.  No really.  Mine seriously did. The best part about them is they’re all organic and they don’t have a stitch of chemical ANYTHING.  They run the gamut of organic ingredients from whey protein to whole oats, flax and chia seeds, nut butters and dried fruits, these little nuggets of nutrition offer more than just that.  My favorite flavors were the apple pecan, banana chocolate chip, and peanut butter and jelly I think.  Although there wasn’t a single flavor that I wouldn’t eat twice, or thrice even..

  Here’s the complete list of available flavors:

  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
  • Chocolate Almond Macaroon
  • Chocolate Chip Banana Nut
  • PB & J
  • Cinnamon Apple Pecan
  • Super Chocolately Trail Mix
  • Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip
  • Chocolate Covered Apricots

  They’ve all got approximately 5 grams of protein and 3 or 4 grams of fiber per treat, so they’re definitely filling and satisfying!

  So for my birthday coming up in less than 6 weeks (hint, hint) you know what to do…

  So give my friend Debra a shout and order up a batch of your own…and for me. (PB & J please!)

  Debra Duby: debra@soulsaladltd.com  She delivers to almost all of Manhattan, Westchester and southern Connecticut.

• Why Hello Punkin’

  05Mar
  Categories: Meals and Recipes, What is Caitlin eating? Comments: 0

  Remember my banana dessert trick that I like so much?  The mashed and whipped up banana with whatever fun additions you like?  Well, I’ve stumbled on to something else completely delicious and have gone completely overboard with it!  But if your options on a night you’re destined to sabotage your healthy ways are this or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, this should do the trick.

  So I had a large can of pumpkin pie mix in my pantry from the holidays.  I had every intention to bake a pie, but never got around to it, so on a night I wanted to experiment making a new kind of dessert I opened it up.  I was really good at first.  It was one of those super large cans, so I took out maybe a third of it and put the rest in a freeze-able container.  I mixed a few scoops of the pumpkin mix (already has the sugar and spices included, so it’s a no-brainer) and a few scoops of my favorite yogurt: So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt in the plain variety.  Amazing.  For texture I threw in a few crushed pecans.  Holy Cow was it delicious.  I couldn’t believe how pumpkin pie-y it really was.  So I was hooked.  And I was on a mission to experiment adding other things to it.  In the days following I finished the small amount I left refrigerated and unfortunately dove into the frozen batch.  Sigh…sugar addiction in an upswing!  So, my recommendation to you would be a) to only buy a small can and share the dessert with the ones you love or to b) get a can of plain pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie, and add your own sweetener and pumpkin pie spices: cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, I believe.  Then you can pick and choose your favorite flavor ratio and your sweetener (as long as it’s not artificial!) of choice.  Since I don’t eat regular yogurt, I don’t know how it would taste mixed with a cow’s milk yogurt, but I do know that the coconut milk yogurt isn’t nearly as tart as yogurt made out of animal milk, so it might not blend as seamlessly as the coconut variety.  The Westerly Market on 54th and 8th Ave has 4-serving size tubs of this yogurt, so I recommend you scoop a few up New Yorkers!

  In any event, in the days following my initial delicious discovery I’ve experimented with several combinations.  All winners in my book:

  1. Mixed the pumpkin with almond butter and spread on toast.

  2. Stirred almond butter into the yogurt/pumpkin mix for texture and protein.

  3. Added hemp powder (a protein powder made of hemp seed that ranks superior in nutrition, particularly fatty acid ratios- and no, you can’t get high from it.  It’s a different plant than what they make marijuana from).  I found that the addition of the protein powder even gives an extremely close resemblance to the true texture of actual baked pumpkin pie without the crust.  It’s amazing.

  4. Added ground flax to the above mixture.

  5. Added all, almond butter, ground flax AND the protein powder.

  Pumpkin has sooooo many great things about it including fiber, Vitamin C, E, potassium, magnesium and carotenoids, so it’s a great food to try to incorporate in meals.  Just don’t go overboard with the sugar, as the canned pumpkin pie mix is definitely sweet!

  Like I said, this is a better choice than many other death by dessert options you may be faced with and it is truly satisfying, but like all things sweet, a little goes a long way.  So be wise.  If you do go for the no-brainer option and get a can of pumpkin pie mixture, read the ingredients and just make sure it isn’t sweetened with corn syrup.  Real sugar only!

  But I’m definitely making this for Thanksgiving next year to enjoy while everyone else is stuffing their faces with creamy and milky and crusted pie.  And I honestly think I won’t feel left out!  The proof is in that I made it for Ameesh the other night (pumpkin/yogurt/hemp powder combo) and even HE thought it was delicious.

• Is Your Gut Leaking?

  26Feb
  Categories: Food Education Comments: 0

  This is something I have talked about in passing before, but I finally thought it worthy enough to deserve its own post: Leaky Gut Syndrome.  When it first was presented as a theory by the alternative crowd, it was poo-poo’d by doctors and clinicians. However, it is now a commonly accepted condition among MD’s, RD’s and holistic practitioners alike.  In fact if you suffer from allergies of any kind, extra weight you cannot drop, foggy thinking, or a general sense of feeling “not great” it’s more likely than not that you are affected by this to some extent.

  What it essentially means is that your intestines are leaking.  Pretty gross, right?  Our intestines are a very complex system.  This is where our immune system is born.  They are designed to absorb certain kinds of nutrients here and another kind there.  Each section even has its own ideal pH (acidity) level to accomplish just that.  They of course also sweep out what we don’t need.  One of the most important aspects of your gut are the levels of bacteria that are supposed to be there.  You’ve heard me talk about them a million times PROBIOTICS.  These are what colonize our tract with our very first breath of life.  They teach our immune system how to identify foreign invaders that need attacking vs. particles that would otherwise be benign or even beneficial.

  We also have colonies of yeast living in our guts.  As in the world, there are symbiotic relationships within our bodies as well.  There is a circle of life continuously taking place inside.  Some yeast is good, but too much of a good thing is bad, and the Standard American Diet (SAD, go figure) lends itself to an overly acidic, yeast friendly system, which starts making it very difficult for the probiotic colonies to thrive.  When we take antibiotics, we kill off the beneficial probiotics that we need as well, further allowing the yeast to take control.  Along the same line, many medications such as corticosteroids and birth control hormones further support these unbalanced conditions. When this happens the walls of the intestines become weakened and inflamed and overly porous.  Through these weakened walls, undigested food particles, harmful microbes and toxic waste products that wouldn’t normally go directly into the blood stream slip easily through these holes triggering our immune system to fire away.  As I mentioned probiotics teach our immune cells (two varieties of T cells) when to attack and when to lay low.  In fact, sufficient levels of probiotics encourage the production of the T cells whose job it is to say “cool it” to the hot headed T cells that are lookin’ for a fight.  But with so many unrecognizable particles floating around the body produces more of the trigger happy T cells attacking anything in their way.  And there we have: allergies and/or autoimmune diseases.  An unnecessary reaction by our immune system to fight things that aren’t a real threat possibly even our own tissues.

  Not only does our immune system overreact, but our detoxification systems become burdened by all this junk too.  Food particles, the excrement from the yeast and other unfriendly bacteria, even stool that isn’t moving the way it should begins getting into our system.  In a perfect digestive tract, different strands of probiotics actually consume the waste of other types of yeast and microbes.  It’s a self-recycling system.  But without them, these toxic by-products of digestion, and partially digested food and bacteria that should have made it to the toilet are all swimming around your blood, and frankly- really freaking your liver out.

  The liver, trouper that it is, can only handle so much.  It not only filters through the chemicals and digestive by-products of your food, but it’s also handling what is absorbed by our skin through products or things we touch, and the air we breathe.  It’s got a huge job.  If it were the manager of a company, it would be looking to hire at least 3 assistants, but stuck relying on its kid sister for some after school help.

  In the body, this helper is our skin.  Why do you think we have all those pores?  Why do we sweat?  To GET RID OF STUFF.  If you’ve got eczema, psoriasis, hives, mysterious itchiness or acne, it is absolutely imperative that you take a look at what could be going on inside you rather than searching for the next miracle lotion.

  So how do you know if you might be at risk for this?  Well, take a look at what you eat and how you feel.

  • If you’ve been on antibiotics for even just one week of your life, that could have swung the scales in the wrong direction from which you never recovered.
  • If you are a heavy meat, cheese, dairy and sugar eater, this leads to very acidic conditions, not friendly towards probiotics.
  • If you are extremely stressed, this makes matters worse.
  • If you have a problem with constipation or diarrhea, you are at risk.
  • If you eat a lot of bread and therefore yeast, consider it, even more so if you actually CRAVE those foods.  We tend to crave what we’re allergic or sensitive to.
  • If you get sick very easily, or have problems with fatigue upon waking and through out the day, or are prone to depression, you are at risk.
  • Different forms of arthritis may be triggered or worsened by leaky gut, and even conditions such as fibromyalgia are now being linked to it.
  • As I mentioned skin conditions are a big clue as well, as are seasonal, environmental and food allergies.  If all of a sudden you’re getting hives from eating foods you’ve never had a problem with before, take stock of your insides.

  And if you think you’re a seasonal allergy sufferer, just because allergies are normal…think again.  Sure, breathing in dust makes you sneeze, that’s a programmed body response to eliminate invaders, but much more than that is a sign your body is overly paranoid.  I spent my life on Claritin and Allegra and having my grandmother tell me I should get allergy shots.  Trust me, I know allergies!  And I haven’t taken a single allergy medication in 3 years because…I haven’t needed them!  The only exception being a resurgence of cat related sniffles after I started sneaking milk back into my diet here and there.

  So, what can you do to experiment with your own allergies or digestive issues?  First and foremost, start taking a probiotic supplement.  Go to Whole Foods or some other health store.  They are refrigerated, so keep them that way at home.  Get as many microbes per capsule as you can find/afford and with at least 6 different strains of probiotic.  Remember, they all have different jobs, so you want to get as many kinds in you as possible to get things working properly again.

  Second, begin eating many more vegetables and fruits.  The fiber in these foods are what feed the probiotics and allow them to reproduce.  Green leafy vegetables and nuts like almonds are also very alkalizing which inhibit the growth of too much yeast and promote the growth of probiotics.  Do a search for alkalizing foods, because there are many great things to choose from.

  The counter point to eating more alkalizing foods is to eat less acid forming ones, like the heavy fatty meats and cheeses and everyone’s favorite- SUGAR.

  DRINK WATER!  Most people are dehydrated.  Dehydration may be the root of so many problems in and of itself, but it is certainly necessary for proper bowel movements.  If you start eating a lot of veggies, but don’t drink more water, the extra fiber may actually stop you up, so get a water bottle at work and make sure it never stays empty.  Adding a slice of lemon to the water is actually alkalizing to your system as well, and makes it a little more refreshing than boring old water sometimes.

  SWEAT.  Work out.  Get sweaty, get stinky, then get a shower.  Sweat removes toxins, so help your liver out expedite the waste removal process.  Just shower relatively soon after a good workout as I’ve read the body can quickly start to reabsorb the toxins sitting on the surface of the skin.  And the more alkalizing foods you eat and the more water you drink, the less your sweat actually stinks.

  So could you have Leaky Gut Syndrome?  Hit up your favorite web browser for more detailed and scientific information should you feel so inclined, but chances are you or someone you know is definitely suffering!

  Tags: leaky gut, probiotics

• My Groceries Cost More Than Yours Do…or do they??

  18Feb
  Categories: Food Education Comments: 0

  A few months ago we had a house guest that asked me something that really got me thinking.  After being with us for a day and getting a view of the innards of our kitchen, he said, “don’t you all buy groceries?” as if he’d opened the fridge and only seen a half eaten pickle, some left over Chinese food and a bottle of ketchup (a real life bachelor pad scene I wish I’d made up).  I looked very confused because the fridge was full.  I even went and looked just to be sure I wasn’t crazy, but there was left-over home made chicken and mashed potatoes, a stocked fruit and veggie drawer, some vegetable broth, a freezer full of Sunshine burgers and frozen vegetables, etc.  It definitely did not look sparse.  Of course in the pantry I had shelves full of canned beans, bags of dry ones, bags of rice, split peas, lentils, Thai noodles, you name it.  So this house guest decided to go get some “groceries” during their stay to not feel like we were a bed and breakfast and to not have to eat out every single meal in expensive NYC.

  He came back with 2 bags of Tostino’s pizza rolls, a loaf of Wonder bread, some ham and cheese, and a bag of BBQ Lays potato chips.

  Yes, my thoughts exactly.

  So this is what it means in America today to have groceries on hand.  Well, it got me thinking.  People say buying organic and quality produce and meats is too expensive.  But how much in one shopping trip do we spend on soda, chips, ice cream and other foods that hold absolutely no nutritional value and in reality do much more harm than the good instant gratification of appeasing taste buds?  I’m not sure how much that pizza/bread/chip run cost, but I can assure you it is the same amount of money I save by not buying those kinds of things at all.  If I want ice cream, I splurge on a small pint once in a blue moon, but it’s not a required staple in the freezer.  We occasionally like to indulge in chips and salsa, but I can’t tell you the last time I purchased beverages other than boxes of tea or liquor for hosting a party.

  I see people in the grocery store all the time purchasing things like this and it really does boggle my mind.  If you are what you eat, and I FULLY believe that we are, that means we’re a nation of genetically modified corn, by-products, and food stabilizers, all up and walking around not at all aware of why we don’t feel healthy (or happy) most of the time…

  So how much do you spend on groceries?  How much of it is actually feeding you and what percentage of it is going to complete nutritional waste?  I probably spend $50/week on groceries.  My grocery list consists of nothing but vegetables, fruit, maybe some peanut butter, occasionally some almond milk, or vegetable broth, and sometimes organic chicken.  These are the things I buy weekly.  Almost always organic, especially for certain fruits and meat.  Does that sound so bad?  I don’t feel like I’m spending much more on groceries than the people who complain about how much quality food costs…

  Also take this into consideration- and this is HUGE.  How many of you know somebody with a medicated condition?  High blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type II Diabetes?  Something chronic that you know could be remedied if they lost a few pounds, started exercising, and stopped eating a lot of the junk you know they eat.  Type II Diabetes is one of the best examples.  The last major report on Diabetic costs was in 2007.  Take a look at this:

  Seattle, WA, April 10, 2007 – A first-of-its-kind report looking at the prevalence and cost of type 2 diabetes complications shows that an estimated three out of five people (57.9 percent) with type 2 diabetes have at least one of the other serious health problems commonly associated with the disease, and that these health problems are taking a heavy financial toll on the United States. In 2006, the nation spent an estimated $22.9 billion on direct medical costs related to diabetes complications.*

  The new report, titled State of Diabetes Complications in America, also shows that estimated annual healthcare costs for a person with type 2 diabetes complications are about three times higher than that of the average American without diagnosed diabetes. These complications, which can include heart disease, stroke, eye damage, chronic kidney disease and foot problems that can lead to amputations, cost a person with type 2 diabetes almost $10,000 each year.* People with diabetes complications pay nearly $1,600 out of their own pockets for costs that are not reimbursed by insurance, such as co-payments and deductibles.* This amount is significant, considering that according to the National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 40 percent of adults with diabetes reported a family income of less than $35,000 per year in 2005.”

  This is a disease that is completely PREVENTABLE and REVERSIBLE. That was 3 years ago.  We’re not doing any better.  Now it is estimated that 1 in 3 children being born today will get Type 2 Diabetes, and that rate goes up to 1 in 2 in black and Hispanic communities.  That also doesn’t take into consideration the costs associated with people that have pre-diabetes and the pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes.  Cha-ching.

  So tell me now, how much do your groceries really cost?  Is it worth it to save a few dollars now to have to pay it back 10, 20, or even 30 fold down the line not only with money but with possibly a limb or your eyes??All the while complaining about your stressful job, your low back pain, your lack of energy for the next umpteen years?  Eating junk foods doesn’t just lead to being overweight and type 2 diabetes, though.  The list of conditions that are preventable through healthy eating and exercise is endless.  Infertility, cancers, heart disease, inexplicable body aches and pains, libido, mood, depression, you name it… can all be improved or prevented entirely by eating and exercising the way your own body needs to.

  So really take a good hard look and ask yourself how much do your groceries really cost?