Archive for the ‘general nutrition’ Category
2010
06.07
Tags: family therapy, food and family dynamics, lose weight, systems therapy, weight loss
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, weight loss | 5 Comments »
Back in 2003, I considered writing my graduate school thesis on “Dinner”. I’d follow four families through their evening meal. They’d be of different racial / ethnic backgrounds, different socioeconomic status, different compositions, and located in different places. I was (and am) very interested in family therapy, so the thesis would address different interactions viewed through the lens of family systems.
I didn’t write it, but I shelved the idea, thinking I might use it later.
Then I studied holistic nutrition, and it occurred to me that exploring the actual content of the dinner – ie, the food – would be fascinating.
Then Michael Pollan came out with Omnivore’s Dilemna, which has a similar premise. Now if I write “Dinner” it will look derivative. Michael, seriously, I thought of it a while ago!
And I think the concept is incredibly relevant. So many of us who have embraced, or who are in the process of embracing, a healthier lifestyle, had to take a serious departure from our family’s approach to food. I grew up in a vegetarian household – and by that I mean hardcore vegetarian, as in only dairy products were consumed. No eggs, no fish, and certainly no chicken or meat. Food was discussed often and extensively, but it was present in the house mainly in the form of (vegetarian) takeout, candy, frozen yogurt and processed foods like cereal and granola bars. I don’t write this to point the finger at my parents, but rather to explain the nutritional landscape of the house I originated in, and why food then became such an important force in my life. The way I ate growing up didn’t support me. If I wanted to feel healthy – emotionally and physically – I had to learn how to nourish myself.
I also want to honor the fact that as adults, our decision to take our health into our own hands is an incredibly powerful and important decision. It shows we value ourselves and we’re willing to put the time into self-care. To me, one of the cornerstones of being an adult is taking responsibility. Finding time to exercise, to shop for fresh, nourishing foods and to cook them from scratch (or relative scratch) is empowering. It’s saying “I’m not relying on someone else – some company that just wants to make a profit, or some restaurant that doesn’t care about me – to throw something together, package it, and drop it on my table. I’m taking matters into my own hands, and I’m going to do what it takes to keep myself well and vital”. And isn’t this what it’s all about? Giving yourself what you need?
2010
05.26
Tags: compulsive eating, crackhead, donuts, dunkin donuts, fat rat, food addiction, junk food addiction, krispy kreme, overeating, sugar, sugar addiction
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, low glycemic foods, weight loss | 9 Comments »
Artist Seth Lepore of Losing My Religion: Confessions of a New Age Refugee fame recently discussed 9 weight loss. He remarked that if he were to write a nutrition column it would be called “The Occasional Donut”.
Clearly, Seth is able to “have just one”. Others are not so lucky.
When you overstimulate your brain pleasure centers, your brain adapts by being less responsive, requiring ever more stimulation to achieve positive effects. This is one of the mechanisms of addiction.
What came to your mind when I said “addiction”? Was it drugs? Alcohol? Gambling? Perhaps it hasn’t occurred to you that food can be addictive. A new study shows that it is. Rats fed junk food quickly developed the compulsion to overeat, even when their buffet was paired with electric shocks. When researchers removed their preferred snacks and replaced them with a nutritious diet, the rats refused to eat. In short:
“…[T]he development of obesity coincides with a progressively deteriorating chemical balance in reward brain circuitries. As these pleasure centers in the brain become less and less responsive, rats quickly develop compulsive overeating habits, consuming larger quantities of high-calorie, high-fat foods until they become obese. The very same changes occur in the brains of rats that overconsume cocaine or heroin…”
This rat may have been indulging in more than “The Occasional Donut”.
Bottom line? Everyone’s body reacts differently. You’ll know if you’re one of those fortunate folks who can have a Krispy Kreme once a month – or if the mere scent of Dunkin’ Donuts turns you into a raving, drooling, crackhead. For those of us who fall under the second category, the above study offers validation. It’s not just a matter of willpower, although that’s an important factor. It’s a matter of biochemistry. Seth, enjoy a jelly-filled for me. Oh, and a Boston Creme. And a plain with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. And a cruller, while you’re at it.
2010
05.20
Tags: burn fat, eat fat lose fat, edible communities, edible front range, fat burner, natural home magazine, VEGA
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, weight loss | 1 Comment »
1. VEGA Whole Food Health Optimizer
30% raw. Protein sourced from brown rice, yellow pea, and hemp. 100% of your RDA of all of your vitamins and minerals…plus Omega 3, probiotic, maca and chlorophyll. Sweetened with Stevia.
What’s not to love?
VEGA Whole Food Health Optimizer is a nutritionally-dense on-the-go meal, which is good for me, cause I’m usually on-the-go. And it’s tasty, which is rare for such a healthy product. I like to blend the Berry flavor with coconut milk and add raw cacao for a choco-berry smoothie.
2. Natural Home Magazine.
Healthy home and living tips, gorgeous layout, amazing writers. You can’t beat the giveaways…anyone want a motorcycle? Puts my measly Energy Bar contests to shame. And it doesn’t hurt that I am now blogging there weekly at Food for Thought.
3. Edible Front Range Magazine.
Edible Communities is a magazine network with branches all over the country. These publications cover the local food scene, from interesting restaurants to gardening practices to ranches and farms. And they’re free. Here in the Boulder – Denver – C-Springs area we’ve got Edible Front Range. Check out “Praise the Lard”, my article in the Spring edition of EFR.
4. Eating Fat to Burn Fat.
If my statement confuses you, read this incredible book:
This book is a great primer on why saturated fat is not only necessary, it’s CRUCIAL for optimal health…and weight loss.
2010
05.18
Tags: blood type diet, hiking
Posted in fitness, general nutrition, healthy living, weight loss | 4 Comments »
Yesterday was Hard Hike #2: Royal Arch in Boulder, CO.
3 miles with an altitude gain of 1,200. We started at 5,710′ and ended at 6,915′.
The trail led up a mountain, past streams, through a tiny waterfall, and wound up at a majestic reddish-orange natural stone arch. Our perch overlooked Boulder and the day was so clear we could see all the way to Denver.
I thought it was wild how we were at the edge of the mountains, looking out over seemingly endless plains that don’t change shape for hundreds of miles.
I paced myself much better this time. I didn’t charge up the trail like a fireman running to save a kitten. My bf continued his supportive coaching approach, encouraging me to go as slowly as I needed. I only stopped and said “No more” twice.
Got home with slightly aching legs and abs (?) and a sense of accomplishment. Prepared dairy-free, gluten-free pizza with sausage, artichoke and mushroom, and a side salad of romaine, strawberries and pecans. Collapsed into bed and read and watched part of The Proposal.
I find the following curious: my boyfriend, who is not exactly an exercise fiend, propels himself up 14-ers (that’s 14k foot mountains) at a moment’s notice. He hardly broke a sweat at the Royal Arch. I know other people like this, who retain their athleticism whether they work out regularly or not. He, and they, all happen to be blood type O.
Now, I am not an advocate of following diets out of books. They just don’t work. Nuance, intuition, food preferences and individual deficiencies aren’t accounted for. But it make sense to me that you digest food – and metabolize it – the way your ancestors did. And one way to trace your ancestral lineage is to determine your blood type. The original humans were all Type Os – carnivorous, hunter-gatherers, nomadic. According to Dr. Peter D’Adamo (creator of the Blood Type Diet), the type of exercise their bodies are best suited for is “brisk regular exercise that taxes the cardiovascular and muscular skeletal system”. Contrast this with his recommendation for a Type B such as myself: “activities that are not too aerobically intense, have an element of mental challenge and involve other people”. Makes sense that I’m drawn to yoga classes.
Do you know your blood type? What do you think of D’Adamo’s recommendations for diet and lifestyle based on your type?
2010
05.17
Tags: hiking, tesoro, the fort, three sisters nutrition
Posted in beating stress, fitness, general nutrition, healthy living | 2 Comments »
Hey y’all,
You’re at a weight loss blog. And I talk a lot here about how important mental health is for the weight loss process. Sometimes I don’t practice what I preach. But last weekend I gave myself exactly what I needed. Here’s what I did:
DO ONLY WHAT I WANT DAY.
Do you ever have these? I find they are imperative to my emotional well-being, and I hadn’t had one in a while. On Saturday I woke up and decided I needed such a day.
I spent about an hour and a half lounging in my bed, then got up and prepared a breakfast of eggs, chicken sausage, and gluten free waffles with billberry jam and coconut oil.
Then I headed to Boulder Farmer’s Market to try and score some eggs from Windsor Dairy (fail: they sell out by 8 am). Standing at their tent, I looked over and spotted Anthony Bourdain holding the leash of a golden retriever. My jaw dropped. If I could have anyone’s job, it would be his. What would Mr. Bourdain be doing at Boulder Farmer’s Market? I don’t know, but stranger things have happened.
I knew I would never forgive myself if I passed up an opportunity to introduce myself to this cranky chef ex-junkie tv show host. So I made my way through the crowd and stood next to him, grinning like an idiot.
Then I overheard him talking in a high, effeminate voice.
Oh. It wasn’t Anthony Bourdain after all.
Oh well. It was still a fun morning.
Then I hopped in the car and headed over to The Fort in Morrison for the Tesoro Indian Market and Powwow. As I drove down 93, I left the shockingly blue Colorado sky and headed towards a cloud-studded, gray, misty mess. Uh oh.
Sure enough, by the time I arrived, the rain had too. But it didn’t last long. I bought an Indian taco, looked at wares, watched dances, listened to music, saw an amazing eagle, and bought a print of the Three Sacred Sisters, in honor of my business, Three Sisters Nutrition.
I drove home, made a cup of chai, and curled up in bed with the Sausage (aka Mason, the Staffordshire Terrier). We read Phillipa Gregory for hours. I ate a pupusa for dinner and admired my friend’s jewelry until the bf came over and we went to sleep.
And today…I’m doing…
dun-dun-dun…
my weekly hike!
Last weekend I posted I Climbed a Mountain, explaining that in order to train for our backpacking trip in July, the bf and I will be doing a different, difficult hike each week. Today is Royal Arch. Tune in tomorrow to see just how sore I am.
Readers, do you ever have a Do Only What I Want Day? When was your last one? What did you do?
2010
05.14
Tags: alice waters, berkeley unified school district, edible schoolyard, food what, san francisco food, three sisters nutrition, wine on tap
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, news bites | 2 Comments »
Happy Friday!
Before we begin, another “thank you” to Miz Fit for allowing me to guest post on her fabulous site.
Now, the news.
- ORGANIC, GRASS-FINISHED, GLUTEN FREE CHICKEN NUGGETS. Fantastic series up at La Vida Locavore about the Berkeley Unified School District’s Edible Schoolyard Program, developed by Alice Waters. I was fortunate enough to live in SFO for four years. That’s where I learned about food. That’s where I went to holistic nutrition school. And that’s where I launched the Sustainability Initiative, a food reform project at the psych unit where I worked. The Bay: a (hot)bed of nutritional revolution!
- POSSIBLY THE COOLEST NONPROFIT EVER. Also out of the Bay – Food, What?!, a “youth empowerment program using food, through sustainable agriculture and health, as the vehicle for bringing about personal growth and transformation”. When I read that, it sounded like the mission statement for my business, Three Sisters Nutrition. And interestingly, the second post down on this blog is about the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash).
- IT’S STILL $16.50 PER GLASS. Yet more love for the Yay. I can’t get away from it today. So we all know we’re supposed to get Siggs and reusable glass bottles for our water, ensuring our landfills don’t overflow with plastic. Now, some San Francisco restaurants are introducing wine on tap, filled from reusable casks. If we want to clean up our Earth we’ve all got to start thinking more along these lines.
2010
05.10
Tags: energy bars, giveaway
Posted in general nutrition, giveaway, healthy living, weight loss | 11 Comments »
Up for grabs:
3 Greens+ Energy Bars in Natural, Chocolate, and Wild Berry.
First three ingredients? Organic dates, organic almond butter, and organic quinoa sprout powder. Other fun ingredients include Hawaiian Spirulina, organic barley grass, royal jelly, Montana bee pollen, Japanese chlorella, organic Nova Scotia dulse…I could go on and on. Organic superfoods in bar form. Who could ask for anything more?
2 VEGA WHOLE FOOD ENERGY BARS in Chocolate and Natural.
Ideal for athletes. Start with dates, organic hemp protein, almond butter and organic sprouted whole flax seeds. Add enhancers like coconut, organic wheat grass, and dulse. Just a bunch of whole food goodness.
Want ‘em?
Simply click the “comments” button up at the top of this post (to the right of the title) and answer this question: What’s the energizing thing YOU will do after consuming these delicacies?
Then, if you are on FB or Twitter, or have a blog, please link back to www.9weightloss.com announcing this great energy bar giveaway!
Contest closes at midnight on Tuesday, and the winner will be announced Wednesday morning.
2010
05.07
Tags: gulf coast, gulf coast oil spill, hip hop about junk food, junk food, junk food hip hop, oil spill, pesticides poisonous, pesticides toxic, using hay to clean up oil
Posted in general nutrition, news bites, weight loss | 1 Comment »
2010
05.04
Tags: lose weight, natural home magazine, weight loss
Posted in general nutrition, weight loss | 2 Comments »
In May I’m doing a series of Spring Weight Loss Tips over at Natural Home Magazine. And if you know me, you know this ain’t gonna be no “low-fat, low-cal, low-taste” advice. Here’s my first. Let me know what you think!
2010
05.03
Tags: high fructose corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup bad, why is high fructose corn syrup bad
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, low glycemic foods, weight loss | 8 Comments »
By now, most of us have heard “High fructose corn syrup is bad”. We may repeat this phrase to our friends, and studiously avoid purchasing groceries prepared with the corny sweetener. What many of us might not know is why we’re avoiding it in the first place.
Let’s get one thing out of the way. We want to avoid all artificial and processed sweeteners. But that said, the next time someone tries to convince you HFCS isn’t so horrible, here’s a cheat sheet to use so you can sound incredibly learned when you reply.
SET THE SCENE: Use of HFCS increased 10,673 percent between 1970 and 2005, per the USDA. The number one source of calories in America is high fructose corn syrup in soda (and no, don’t go thinking diet’s any better…artificial sweeteners come with their own problems). HFCS is common in processed, pre-packaged food – and sadly, processed foods account for more than 90% of the money Americans spend on their meals. HFCS even lurks in food you wouldn’t think of as sweet, such as ketchup, soup, salad dressing and bread. Ironically, many low-fat diet foods often contain fructose as a sweetener.
THE PLOT THICKENS: It’s been linked to some pretty unpleasant conditions.
- To start with, almost all sweeteners will spike your blood sugar, and overuse can eventually lead to insulin resistance or even diabetes. HFCS creates a pretty dramatic spike.
- It’s metabolized to fat far more rapidly than sugar, and studies have linked it to fatty liver disease as well as obesity. It also contributes to obesity because it leads to decreased signaling from the hormones that regulate your appetite and blood sugar.
- It contains high levels of reactive compounds that trigger cell and tissue damage.
- It increases your triglyceride levels, which in turn increases your risk for heart disease.
(Interestingly, as word of HFCS’s nasty side effects started to circulate, the Corn Refiners Association launched a PR campaign, spending $20-30 million to restore HFCS’s tarnished reputation.)
WHAT CAN I EAT THAT’S SWEET? Fortunately, you’ve got plenty of options. Stevia is an incredibly sweet South American plant that actually stabilizes blood sugar. It’s so powerful that you only need a few drops in your drink. If you’re not a fan of the taste, try a flavored version, such as Coconut or Vanilla. Another nice choice is raw organic honey. It’s unprocessed, and it’s a natural antimicrobial and antioxidant – an amazing healer. Other acceptable sweeteners include brown rice syrup and molasses, both of which have been minimally processed. These can all be purchased at Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods, and your local health food co-op.
Don’t forget, the fructose in small amounts of fruit is fine. You’re consuming it along with fiber, enzymes, and micronutrients that aid its digestion. It’s when it’s isolated that it presents a problem.
2010
04.29
Tags: cafe, lose weight, pekoe, pekoe sip house, tea, weight loss
Posted in beating stress, general nutrition, healthy living | 4 Comments »
I don’t know a single person here in Boulder who has a conventional, 9-5 job.
Wait, let me think….
Nope. I don’t. One of my friends had one, but then she had a baby, and she probably won’t go back.
I know a few teachers. That’s sort of 9-5, but also not really. Everyone else is doing a mishmash of starting their own business and making ends meet. I have friends who are therapists, naturopathic doctors, students, acupuncturists, herbalists, silversmiths, writers, nutritionists, yoga teachers, real estate agents, doulas, nannies, jewelry designers, shamanic practitioners, sales reps…shall I continue?
That means that many of us end up doing at least some of our work from home. And it’s nice to wake up, eat your breakfast, and plop down in a comfy chair in your nook to tap away at your laptop, particularly when said nook boasts a view of the mountains.
Sometimes, though, working from home can feel stifling. There are distractions, like books and endless cups of tea and the sausagey dog who tries to jump into your lap despite the fact that she’s got to be 70 lbs, at least.
This isn’t the culprit, but it looks a lot like her.
For a long time I resisted taking my ‘puter to a coffee shop. First, because I really don’t like coffee – it makes me jittery – and I feel resistant to spending $2 on a teabag and hot water. When I caved, and started spending one or two mornings per week in a cafe, I actually became far more productive. Why? Something about showering, wearing clothing other than my pajamas, and looking industrious like everyone else actually makes me more efficient. In this case, changing the outside lead to a change in the inside. Usually I think it’s the other way around.
So when I need to put in time out of the nook, I have my preferences. Not too trendy. Easy parking. Chill music. NO STARBUCKS (sorry, but there are so many independents here there is just no need). Good tea selection that’s worth the price. Pekoe Sip House in Boulder fits the bill. In fact, I’m sitting in their Steelyards location as I type this. Their Chai is excellent, only rivaled by The Market in Denver. They use agave to sweeten it, but as you may be aware, growing evidence suggests the high fructose content in this cactus-based sweetener is not great for us. So I get it unsweetened and add honey to taste. They also have Boba Tea – a Hong Kong drink of milky iced tea with chewy tapioca balls. I know this sounds random. But it’s the only drink I’ve ever thought I might become addicted to. And at $4 a pop, it’s not a cheap addiction (although cheaper than heroin, and better for me).
BOBA!!!!!!!
I like Pekoe’s ethics, too. Per their website, 62% of their products through local vendors are organic, and 68% of their products are sourced locally. Which means the total percentage of their organic products equals…never mind. I failed algebra. All of their cups and plates are made from recycled materials and / or are compostable, which is AWESOME – how wasteful is a constant outflow of paper or plastic, or G-forbid, styrofoam, cups?!? Their website says they are “100% wind powered” and I’m not certain how this works….is there a windmill powering the light and sound system in this cafe? The espresso machine? Well, something Pekoe-oriented is wind-powered.
I’m thrilled to have such an awesome, eco-friendly and tasty cafe in my ‘hood. As I sit here anxiously awaiting a call from my mechanic with a cost estimate for my brake repair, the soothing taste of tea and sound of folk music is kinda sorta easing my nerves, and I’m getting some work done. Even if it’s just telling you about the place I work.
Question: What’s your favorite work spot and beverage? Only writers are allowed to answer “the pub” and “Jameson”.
2010
04.28
Tags: lose weight, low-carb, weight loss, whole grains
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, low glycemic foods, weight loss | 2 Comments »
Sorry if reading this title is going to result in visions of Ricky Martin wriggling his hips for the rest of the day. I’m not talking about the Latin sensation (and by the way, who didn’t already know he was gay?!?) I’m referring to Jimmy Moore and his popular website / blog / podcasts / books extolling the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. Jimmy dropped 180 lbs by dropping the carbs. He’s been blogging for five years, and has some fantastic information on his site. He read my guest post on naturalhomemagazine.com and invited me to be a guest on his podcast in June!! Stay tuned for dates and times.
So here’s my take on low-carb. I am not a believer in one-size-fits-all diets. I think it’s crucial to listen to what your body is telling you and give it what it needs. Some people, for instance, thrive on salads, while others don’t do well with raw veggies. Some people absolutely need to consume red meat, while others fare better on fish and eggs. Naturally, no one digests refined grains and sugar and fake foods well, and cutting these out is crucial for weight loss. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, and that most of my readers are already avoiding “edible foodlike substances” as Michael Pollan terms them.
My experience, though, is that some people can’t even digest many whole grains. I know I might get flak for saying this. But whole grains metabolize in the body as sugars, too – slower than their refined counterparts, and they’re certainly more nutrient-dense - but they are just not compatible with some folks.
Here’s a great example. A few weeks ago I got into a conversation about nutrition with a stranger. She was an athlete, but she didn’t know much about healthy eating (which is more common than you may think!). She said, “I don’t understand it. I eat a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, which is healthy, right? And then I feel hungry an hour later and I lose energy.” She’s bought into that common myth that oatmeal is the be-all and end-all of healthy breakfasts. And although she was a runner, she looked flabby, which meant she wasn’t building muscle effectively.
You probably already know my answer. She needs much more protein, and much more fat. And she’s probably not even eating enough, calorie-wise. Carbs spike your blood sugar, resulting in an energy crash later. Often that kicks off a cycle of cravings. I’m not saying you can never have brown rice again, but it’s worth tracking your reactions to grains to see what kinds of eating patterns their consumption sets up. I know that I feel sleek and slim and great if I go a day with very low grain consumption. I feel puffy and bloated if I don’t.
Like this penguin.
So thanks, Jimmy, for the opportunity, and for spreading the mission of health. And readers, if you are struggling with a weight issue despite eating healthily overall and engaging in a solid fitness regimen, I suggest you explore replacing your breakfast oatmeal with some (organic) eggs and sausage. No joke.
2010
04.27
Tags: lowfat, lowfat diet, saturated fat, trans fat, unsaturated fat
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, weight loss | No Comments »
Natural Home is the bomb magazine for anyone interested in creating an eco-friendly dwelling place. They’ve also got tons of healthy and “green” resources on their site…including me! Here’s my inaugural post on one of my favorite subjects: FAT. The macronutrient, not the stuff around one’s hips. Devour and enjoy.
2010
04.27
Tags: gross food, lose weight, weight loss
Posted in general nutrition, humor, weight loss | 4 Comments »
Want a recipe for weight gain? Eat out at restaurants. Often. The ubiquitous trans fats, the ginormous portion sizes, and the cheap sweeteners will have you tipping the scale faster than you can say “Double Down”.
But….
- I don’t know how else to socialize with my friends!
- I don’t know what else my boyfriend and I can do together for fun!
- I had a bad day and I want to indulge!
- I had a good day and I want to indulge!
- I haven’t tried that new Tibetan-Dutch-Eskimo fusion spot yet!
- I just tried the new Tibetan-Dutch-Eskimo fusion spot, and I love it, and I MUST go back RIGHT NOW for their momo-rijstaffel-seal sundae!
- I have no time to cook!
- I have time to cook but I’m uninspired!
etc, etc, etc.
Never fear. As always, I’m here for you. If you’re trying to lose weight and you need incentive to avoid Applebees and TGI Friday’s, look no further than this collection of the 13 most disgusting food stories of all time. Cooking at home doesn’t just mean you’re empowered to use the most wholesome, organic, local, fresh ingredients possible. It also means no condoms in your french onion soup, and no snakes in your sandwiches.
Even Brad Pitt is grossed out.
2010
04.27
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living | No Comments »
If you can afford
- veggies, fruits, whole grains and good quality meats on a regular basis
- organic whenever possible
- rent or mortgage in an area where you can easily access these goods
Please watch this video shot in South LA, a true food desert, and count your blessings.
2010
04.26
Tags: food allergies, intuitive eating, lose weight, personal trainer, weight loss
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living | 1 Comment »
Today 9weightloss is featuring a guest post from personal trainer extrordinaire Johanna Thomsen. Read on to discover how she learned to listen to her body…and how that process created huge shifts for her, both physically and emotionally. This, of course, is what we’re all about here: creating a relationship with food and your body.
And if you’re in the NYC area and in need of a good trainer, email this little spitfire at johanna.thomsen@gmail.com. She’ll whip you into shape in no time…in a kind, compassionate, Buddhist way, of course.
*
Are You There? It’s Me, Your Body.
Our bodies are communicating with us every moment of every day. The problem is that most of us have never learned how to really listen. We all know the sensations of daily life – like pain, pleasure, hunger, enjoyment, discomfort, and fulfillment. What we don’t know is what these sensations indicate about what is happening inside of us – both physically and emotionally. My journey to sustainable fitness and health started about 4 years ago when I began to learn the art of connecting my external and internal experiences by slowing down to hear what this wise and wondrous body was trying to communicate to me.
Despite having been a dancer for most of my life, and a fairly health-conscious person in general, I was in the latter half of my 20’s, overweight, and feeling generally sluggish. No matter how much I dieted or exercised, I felt stuck in a body that didn’t feel like mine. Simply put – I was not listening to what my body was very clearly trying to tell me – something was majorly out of whack.
With help from some talented professionals, I found out that I was sensitive to cow-based dairy and all wheat. I was also taking medication that my body processed as a toxin. My body was completely out of balance because in essence I was poisoning myself unknowingly.
Once I eliminated these items from my life, I saw immediate results. My energy level went up while my weight dropped to fit my strong 5’3” frame, and I had a new glow generated from a body thanking me for paying attention. I also learned to read the signals that my body was sending to me about what it wanted, or did not want. I found that my emotional state was often very closely tied in with my diet, as my personal response to ingested toxins is an increase in adrenaline that leads to symptoms such as increased heart rate, lightheadedness, trouble taking in deep breaths, and a general increase in anxiety.
Because my body is communicating so clearly, and I learned how to speak the same language, I found out on my own that I am sensitive to soy products and caffeine. I know that I can handle cow dairy in small quantities, but have virtually zero tolerance to wheat. There are certain supplements that I am unable to stomach, and some that have proved quite effective in keeping my digestive and immune systems in check. I know that my body craves healthy fats and functions very well when given what it wants. I have also learned to separate a physical craving from an emotional one, and although I sometimes feed the emotional needs, it’s very helpful to understand what is driving the urges.
As a result of this exciting journey and its positive outcomes, I was able to allow my “new” body to expend its energy in ways that felt supportive and sustainable. I started taking dance classes again, supplemented with yoga, Pilates, and strength and cardio training. I got myself to a level of fitness and kinetic awareness that allowed for me to share my knowledge and training with others. I am now working with a small group of private clients doing personal training tailored to a wide variety of abilities and fitness goals.
Most importantly, I am in constant communication with myself. I know when I am getting sick, and how I can bolster myself to best handle illness. I listen when my body expresses exhaustion. I understand how my cycle affects my body and mind. I can feel when I have eaten something that my body is not accepting. Through really coming to know my own body, I now have an ongoing visceral conversation that I know will continue to guide me along this special path of health and wellness.
2010
04.21
Tags: chocolate giveaway, fair trade chocolate, giveaway, lose weight, organic chocolate, weight loss
Posted in general nutrition, giveaway | 11 Comments »
Chocolate?!? This is a weight loss blog! How dare you speak of chocolate?!?
But remember, it’s a holistic weight loss blog. And a realistic weight loss blog. Eating chocolate’s gonna happen. That’s fine. I’m just concerned with the quality. I’d much rather have you eating some well made, organic stuff than “chocolate candy”, aka a bar that contains so much vegetable oil that it can’t officially be called “chocolate”. And while you’re eating the chocolate, if you can support urban poor communities simultaneously, so much the better.
Enter our friends at Urban Trader. Most cocoa is grown on large plantations, using petroleum based products. Urban Trader supports the small farmer who grows organically, without using POPs (persistent organic pollutants). They’ve put together a great package for us. You’ll receive Fair Trade Yachana Gourmet Jungle Chocolate with Macadamia Nuts, Thai Chili-Orange Chocolate Cups, and, as featured on Oprah, Divine 3.5 oz Fair Trade 70% Dark Chocolate with Raspberries. Your three delicious treats come in a handmade pine needle basket, woven by the Lencan women of Honduras.
I know you want this gift package. Here’s how to enter:
1. Remember the old commercial, “What would you do for a Klondike bar?” Post a comment by clicking the comments button up by the title, and let me know what you would do for a Fair Trade chocolate.
2. If you have a blog, FB account, or Twitter, link back to www.9weightloss.com.
Contest closes at MIDNIGHT (Colorado time) Thursday. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator, and I’ll post the results on Friday morning. So check back then!
In the meantime, head on over to Urban Trader for other awesome fair trade products including jewelry and home decor. And stay tuned for another giveaway near May 8, celebrating World Fair Trade Day!
2010
04.20
Tags: lose weight, nut cookies, nuts, nuts fattening, weight loss
Posted in general nutrition, weight loss | 3 Comments »
Nuts, glorious nuts…Chock full of satisfying fat, protein, and minerals, these inexpensive snacks are crucial to keep around the house. Buy them in bulk: it’s cheaper.
Here’s a little story I actually told a client yesterday. It’s a personal tale. I call it “The Evolution of Nut Consciousness”.
For many years I avoided nuts. This is because I heard they had a lot of fat in them. I believed that eating fat would make me fat.
Then I started to get interested in nutrition. I learned that nuts had “good fat” in them, aka unsaturated fat. I started to buy some nice honey roasted Planter’s in a can, and feeling virtuous, snacked on those occasionally.
Then I enrolled in holistic nutrition school. I learned the following:
1. The only “bad” fat is “trans” fat (saturated fat is crucial). And nuts in a can are sometimes covered with trans fats to preserve them for longer.
2. Roasting nuts impacts their micronutrients. It’s best to eat them raw.
3. Eating fat doesn’t make you fat.
4. In fact, eating fat, along with lots of nutrients, can promote weight loss. Why? You’re fuller for longer. Your body is satisfied. You don’t need to reach for junk food.
So I began my raw organic nut crusade. I tried Brazil nuts for the first time and couldn’t get enough (perhaps I was deficient in a mineral they had in abundance). I made cookies using a blend of ground oats and nuts. I ate lots of them. Then I made more and ate more.
Then I decided to use my nut cookie recipe as a snack demo at holistic nutrition school. This involved a nutrition analysis of the cookie recipe. Well…one cookie turned out to be about 350 calories.
Whoops.
Let me point out that this is a common scenario. Person has a pattern of bingeing. Person learns about nutrition. Person gets excited. Person thinks “as long as it’s healthy, I can eat as much as I want”. That’s not quite true. While I’m not an advocate of counting calories, anyone can see that eating four nut cookies at 350 calories apiece is…well…not the greatest idea. It is, of course, preferable to eating four Hostess Snowballs. Which I used to do.
So I’ve reined in my nut obsession. I still keep a box of almond milk in the fridge, as I’m not great with dairy. And I always have some kind of raw, organic nut in my cupboard. It truly is an ideal snack to tide you over between meals. Just a handful will sufiice. I like to mix up the kinds I get, as eating the same thing over and over can create an allergy. Besides, eating a wider bandwidth of foods means you’re getting a wider bandwidth of nutrients. I still make the nut cookies sometimes, but I limit myself to one. Ok, maybe two. And I eat some of the batter. You know, to make sure it tastes ok.
2010
04.14
Tags: Boulder Farmer's Market, eating locally, farmer's market, local food, locavore, lose weight, weight loss
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living | No Comments »
In some states, locavorism is a piece of cake (from a local bakery). Produce abounds year-round. In San Francisco, the only thing that changes at Farmer’s Markets is the color of the fruit and the weather (cold and rainy in the winter, cold and rainy in the summer). So after spending four years’ worth of weekends at the Ferry Building, Noe Valley Market and Alemany, a move to Colorado was a shift for me.
But it’s starting to be that time of year here in the Foothills. Before dawn breaks, trucks are pulling up to the downtown green. Tables are erected, awnings raised, and boxes of leafy greens and wrinkly mushrooms and misshapen, lovely eggs are displayed. At eight, the early morning guests arrive, fresh from their ten-mile runs / hikes / marathon yoga sessions. We get a kombucha and stroll around. We greet our neighbors’ black labs and golden retrievers and mutts of uncertain origin. I buy hunter’s stew and a pastry from the Russian lady and tell her “Spaciba”. The pastry, a buttery, cinnamon laced concoction, may be the best I’ve ever had.
Some of my clients hate grocery shopping. When I ask them why, they refer to the fluorescent lighting, the crowds, the overwhelming choices, and the overall sense of confusion about what to purchase. I’d hate that too. But I’ve reengineered my shopping experience. Grocery shopping should be pleasurable. Hell, grocery shopping should be sensual. It engages your vision, sense of smell, and sense of touch. In the right environments, food is art.
Which is why I like Farmer’s Markets. They’re often quite beautiful. And engaging in appreciation of that beauty creates a sense of community. People are usually pretty happy on Saturday and Sunday mornings (although people in Boulder are supposedly happy all the time). We rhapsodize over the shape of the peppers, the fragrance of the peaches, and chat about the weather while standing in the coffee line. Feeling disconnected? Hate grocery shopping? Visit your Farmer’s Market. It’ll cure what ails ye.
2010
04.13
Tags: almond butter, avocados, chia seeds, daily goods, daily goods blog, ezekiel bread, fage, frozen vegetables, greek yogurt, hemp seeds, lemons, lose weight, quinoa, tofu, weight loss
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, low glycemic foods, weight loss | 2 Comments »
Good morning everyone!
The lovely and talented Ashley from Daily Goods has agreed to do a posting swap with me! Today 9weightloss.com is featuring her Top Ten Foods of the Moment, while my Top Ten list is up over at her blog. Check ‘em both out and let me know what you think! Oh, and while you’re at it, congratulate her on completing a 10-mile race last weekend.
Ashley’s Top Ten Foods
1. Chia Seeds
I’m a big fan of the chia seed. They are so nutrient dense it’s amazing. They are a great source of energy and help you stay hydrated longer and replenish your electrolytes. I love to drink them mixed with water, lemon juice and a little bit of sweetener, also known as ‘chia fresca’. Having 5x the amount of Omega 3’s than supplements and 8x more than salmon they are a great option for vegetarians and vegans.
2. Hemp Seeds
Another amazing seed, hemp seeds contain all of the essential amino acids that are necessary to maintain a healthy life. They can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, and can also be made into a non-dairy milk. They contain about 80% essential fatty acids which include Omega 3s and 6s. They are also a good source of fiber, calcium, iron, and are gluten free. I personally like adding them to smoothies to give them a big nutritional punch.
3. Greek Yogurt
I have pretty much stopped eating regular yogurt and have been faithful to greek yogurt for a while now. Thick and creamy, it gives me the protein I need and I make it delicious by adding some tasty toppings. Since greek yogurt is naturally tart I like to add some honey/agave then some fruit and/or granola. A delicious snack that fills me up. Greek yogurt is also extremely versatile. It can be used to replace sour cream and also mayonnaise when you make chicken/tuna/egg salads. A lower fat option that keeps the creaminess. My personal favorite is Fage 2%.
4. Almond Butter
I used to be the biggest peanut butter fan, buying all of the different flavors and smearing it on everything. Not only did the flavors add a ton of sugar, but I came to realize that sometimes simple is better. I came across almond butter and fell in love. The only ingredient is almonds, nothing additional and it adds a deep delicious flavor to my morning bowl of oatmeal. I love both the raw and roasted variations and now actually don’t even own 1 jar of peanut butter. Almond butter has taken over. Favorite brand is Maranatha. I buy the extra large jars from Costco for a great price.
5. Tofu
I’ve grown up eating tofu so I’ve always loved it. I love the fact that it takes on any and all flavors you add to it. I like to buy the extra firm blocks of tofu and pan fry them in a saucer with a little olive oil. From there, you can either add mexican spices to create tofu tacos, bbq sauce, soy sauce and honey, etc. The possibilities are endless.
6. Ezekiel Bread
This bread is made from freshly sprouted, organically grown live grains. Sprouting is the only way to release all of the vital nutrients that are stored in the whole grains. It increases the vitamins and minerals in the bread. Typically in the freezer section of your health food store, they also come in different variations of wraps, buns, and english muffins. They also make a wonderful cinnamon raisin bread for a perfect morning treat.
7. Frozen Veggies
When you’re in a pinch for time, frozen vegetables can be a life saver. It’s always great to have some stashed in your freezer to add your daily servings of vegetables when you’re in a rush or don’t have anything fresh on hand. I enjoy using my for quick stirfrys. An easy way to add in some solid nutrition with convenience.
8. Lemons
Lemons used for making Chia Fresca, or simply added to a mug of hot water in the morning with a small amount of sweetener. They have multiple benefits such as eliminating toxins from your body, aiding in digestion, sore throats, improves immune systems, and much more. Instead of your daily morning coffee, try switching in some hot lemon water once in a while.
9. Quinoa
Gaining popularity, the ancient “grain” quinoa was known as the “gold of the Incas”. Quinoa is actually the relative of the leafy green vegetable. High in protein, it is known for being a complete protein which means it includes all 9 of the essential amino acids. It can be used to replace rice as a side dish, or even cooked similarly to oatmeal for a morning breakfast.
10. Avocados
It is a common fact that people fear fats. But please don’t fear the avocado. Avocados contain monounsaturated fats which helps the basal metabolic rates and reduce overeating. They can keep you satisfied. Make a quick guacamole combining some diced onions and tomatoes and jalapenos with a squirt of lime juice and a few avocados. Toast a piece of ezekiel bread and spread 1/4 of an avocado on it. You can add it to salads and sandwiches. They are a great replacement in sandwiches for mayo. Embrace fats, they do your body good!
2010
04.12
Tags: defending the double down, double down, double down kfc
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, humor, weight loss | 3 Comments »
Why is this Monday unlike other Mondays? Three days before tax day? Eight days before my anniversary? An archaic pagan holiday celebrating the emergence of tree buds? Nay. It’s the birth of the Double Down, KFC’s latest brainchild.
It’s being called “murder on a bun – except there are no buns“, “The Widowmaker“, and the standard “Heart Attack on a Plate”. The blog world and Twitter are blowing up with images and highly punctuted threats to purchase. With America’s obesity rate already so high, do we really need more bacon and cheese? It’s probably 1500 calories! It’s Atkins gone wild!
Hang on a sec. Back up. Let’s point the finger at the true culprit - the sandwich’s quality. Let’s distinguish between saturated fat – animal fat, which has been eaten for thousands of years – and trans fat, the artificial fat linked to obesity, diabetes, and a host of other health problems.
This sandwich is composed of chicken, bacon, cheese and the Colonel’s “special sauce”, a term which never fails to arouse my suspicion. Now, we all know that the ingredients are derived from the cheapest possible sources. The meat likely contains hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and other nasty things you don’t want in your body. The cheese is highly processed. The sandwich, like most fast food, is probably coated in trans fats – cheap sources of oil, they stay intact for months, in contrast to true oils which go rancid over time. This is not good quality food.
Let’s contrast this with the version that would be prepared in my kitchen. I’d use organic bacon, raw cheese,and all-natural chicken and I’d whip up a mayo with olive oil. No special sauce for me! Caloric? Certainly. Toxic? Hardly. The science linking animal fat to heart disease is shoddy and is beginning to be dismantled. My sandwich is just a whole lotta protein and fat. Naturally, you wouldn’t want to eat it every day. Unless you’re a triathlete, you don’t need it. Every once in a while, coming in from a long hike or a few hours of basketball? It wouldn’t kill you.
I’m not an advocate for calorie counting, except as a tool for understanding hunger and satiety. But as a side note, I found these numbers interesting: 560 for KFC’s original version and 460 for the grilled. I always say that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to eating, but on average, 400-500 calories per meal is perfectly acceptable. Depending upon your activity level, it might even be a little low. Weight loss is about a lot of things, including eating enough. An apple at breakfast and a power bar at lunch and a fat-free Lean Cuisine at dinner just isn’t going to cut it over the long term. Ensuring your meals leave you satisfied will prevent you from bingeing on cookies and chips at midnight.
Ok, so my title was a little inflammatory. I’m not defending KFC’s actual Double Down. But admit it…the ingredients sound kind of delicious, don’t they? And prepared with care, love, and attention to health, a homemade Double Down isn’t such a bad thing. Remember, it’s all about the quality.
2010
04.06
Tags: animal fat, butter, coconut oil, fats, good fats, olive oil, saturated fat, saturated fat bad for you, saturated fat good for you
Posted in general nutrition, low glycemic foods, weight loss | No Comments »
9weightloss.com endorses Sarah’s list of the top five fats to keep in your kitchen.
And no, fat doesn’t make you fat. Fat keeps you fuller for longer, gives you strong cell membranes, and enables you to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Adding some fat to your meal will lessen your need to binge on candy and chips three hours later. Fat: the true fat burner.
2010
04.05
Tags: cows, milk, milk and health, milk and nutrition
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, weight loss | 1 Comment »
A recent study draws a link between milk consumption and health by examining the length of nearly 20,000 European skeletons throughout history. Greater height indicated better nutrition. Interestingly, people became slighly shorter during the Roman Empire, which suggests their access to milk would have decreased. This is thought to have been a result of increased population.
Remember, the tall Euros were drinking raw milk. Pasteurization destroys many of milk’s innate nutrients, as well as lactase, the enzyme facilitating the digestion of lactose. Find out more about raw milk here.
How is this linked to weight loss? Simple. The more nutrient-dense your food, the less you’ll munch on with empty calories like junk food and soda. Supercharge your meal with a nutritional powerhouse like raw milk and watch your energy increase and your cravings lessen.
2010
04.02
Tags: eric schlosser, mcdonalds, michael pollan, wendy's, white house food
Posted in general nutrition, news bites | No Comments »
A day late, here’s a collection of false food news.
- BIG MACS WON’T BREAK DOWN. McDonald’s announces it’s discontinuing plans for a composting initiative after scientists discover their food won’t break down. Apparently upon learning of this article, the Golden Arches at least pretended to have a sense of humor about it, and tweeted “This…had us laughing”. Not much else they can do.
- DISINTEGRATING ORGANS PROMPT CHANGE OF HEART. In light of recent research demonstrating that their GMO corn is linked to organ disintegration in rats, Monsanto says they will stop production of this seed. Furthermore, they will donate all projected earnings for 2010 ($5.1 billion) to local, farmer-based solutions for world hunger.
- MICHAEL POLLAN HAWKS WENDY’S. He and Eric Schlosser will be filming a series of commercials to promote the chain’s new grass-fed burger. I fell for it at first.
- WHITE HOUSE CREATES STRANGE PRODUCE RITUALS. I can’t figure out if this one is a joke or not. Mrs. Obama dancing and chanting “Grow, rhubarb, grow!”? Sam Cass, Food Initiative Coordinator, shaking his hips? Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack shouting “Yay for broccoli! Yay for carrots! Yay for spinach!”? Fair enough, they were hosting 40 elementary school kids. But it was posted on April Fool’s…
2010
03.30
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living | No Comments »
From Health-Foodie.com, a wonderful list of common cooking mistakes. Check it out – it’s worth your while!
2010
03.30
Tags: cereal, cereal weight loss, cheerios, cheerios weight loss, ingredients, label reading, lose weight, weight loss, weight loss tips
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living, weight loss | 5 Comments »
Google “weight loss tip of the day”, and the very first site that comes up tells you the following:
“Put bran flakes, apples and bananas on your Cheerios for extra fiber”
Cheerios?? Of all the things you could eat for breakfast, the healthy choice is Cheerios? Look at the ingredients:
“Whole grain oats” = not the worst, although oats in their whole, unprocessed form (i.e. not formed into Os) would be a better choice. They have not been impacted and nutritionally compromised by the refining process, which involves high heat.
“Corn starch” and “sugar” = is that what you want to start your day with? A grain that has likely been genetically modified and a substance that’s been linked to over 100 pathological health conditions?
The above is just one example of the importance of label literacy. Don’t be fooled by health claims like “whole grain!” on the front of the box. Take time to read the side panel. Because as we know, the best way to lose weight is to make healthy choices. The more nutrients you take in, the more satisfied your body will be…and the less likely it will be to ask for sugar and junk.
2010
03.23
Tags: corn free snacks, gluten free snacks, healthy snacks, snack ideas, snacks, snacks weight loss, sugar free snacks
Posted in general nutrition, low glycemic foods, weight loss | No Comments »
We all know how important regular eating is for weight loss. Yet it’s all too easy to get in food ruts. Are you stumped for snack ideas beyond the standard yogurt and fruit? Here are my top picks for easy, healthy, high protein and (mostly) hypoallergenic snack picks. Have I missed any of your favorites?
1. celery, carrot, apple, or jicama slices with nut butter. For extra fun: sprinkle with coconut shreds
2. beef, elk, bison or salmon jerky:
cut your meat into thin strips (approximately 1/2 inch)
use your choice of seasonings, such as salt, pepper, and garlic, or tamari and honey
place in 150 degree oven until dehydrated – about 24 hrs
3. canned salmon, oysters or tuna wrapped in nori sheets
be sure to get seafood canned in water or olive oil
4. nori sheets spread with nut butter
5. hardboiled eggs w/ salt and pepper
6. Italian style deviled eggs
boil eggs
cut in half
remove yolk
mix yolk with salt, pepper, olive oil and shredded basil
replace yolk mixture in the egg white halves
7. coconut macaroons
3 egg whites
1 tsp liquid stevia
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c shredded coconut
1/4 c carob powder
1/4 tsp salt
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
Whisk together stevia, egg whites, and vanilla until peaks form
Fold dry ingredients into wet
Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet
Bake for 10 min at 350 degrees
8. liver pate with gluten-free crackers or rye bread
Fry a chopped onion and set aside
Season liver pieces with salt, pepper, lots of garlic, and herbs of your choice (I like Herbes de Provence)
Fry liver pieces. Insides should still be pink (approx 6 min on each side)
Place onion and liver in blender and puree until smooth
9. white bean dip with veggies of your choice (grilled or raw!)
1 can white beans, drained
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c fresh italian parsley
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend. Season w/ salt and pepper to taste.
10. guacamole with chips of your choice
2 avocados
1/2 red onion
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
Mash avocados
Chop onion
Combine all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.
11. Quick mini energy bar: spoonful of nut butter, sprinkled with oats and a few drops of Stevia
12. MYO trail mix. Use raw, organic, unpasteurized nuts, unsweetened dried fruit, coconut shreds, carob chips, cacao nibs. Go easy on the dried fruit, as it’s high in sugar. Get creative!
13. hunk of cheese
14. deli meats – turkey, roast beef, etc (remember to get at least all-natural, and pasture-raised if possible)
15. chunk of dairy or almond cheese and slice of avocado wrapped in dairy meat
16. sliced cucumbers topped with almond cheese
17. low glycemic index fruit i.e. blackberries or blueberries with chunk of almond cheese
18. low glycemic index shake made of coconut kefir, nut butter, 1/2 avocado, berries, and a few drops of stevia
19. small portion of spaghetti squash topped with tomato sauce and ground meat
20. lettuce wraps containing shredded carrot and chicken
21. black beans out of a can with your choice of toppings: salsa, avocado, cheese, cilantro
22. “Chicken nuggets”: chicken chunks in gluten-free breading. Mustard for dipping.
2010
03.10
Tags: chia seeds, colorado foods, mesquite, native foods, nopales
Posted in general nutrition | 3 Comments »
photo credit: kevindooley
With all the talk these days about superfoods such as avocado, berries, and dark chocolate I thought it would be nice to write about a few superfoods that are native here in Colorado and the rest of the Southwest and that are mostly unheard of. So today I would like to honor our Native folks and their wisdom by sharing three traditional nutritional powerhouses that have been used throughout Mesoamerica and the desert Southwest for hundreds of years:
Chia Seeds: We all know the commercials for Chia Pets–those clay animals who grow a coat of green little sprouts after you spread seeds across their surface. I think my cousin might have even had one, though it never worked. Come to find out that those little seeds were actually a staple food in Aztec culture–so important that they were used as currency. Traditionally, Chia was used as a high energy subsistance food for Aztec and Indian runners on long trading and conquest journeys. It was considered such an important food for the Aztecs that when the Spanish, under Cortez, conquered the culture they destroyed as many plants as they could and made it illegal to grow or possess Chia, which is one reason that it is not such a popular food source today. Some of the health benefits of Chia seeds:
1. Chia helps regulate blood sugar. It is considered a mucilagenous food ( much like marshmallow). When immersed in water it forms into a gelatin like substance. Within the stomach, the gel creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, in turn slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. This is also why it is so great for endurance–metabolic changes are stabilized and there is longer lasting and more stabilized energy.
2. Chia provides exceptional hydration and electrolyte balance. It is able to absorb more than 12 times its weight in water. So you retain moisture, regulate hydration more efficiently, and absorb more nutrients.
3. An excellent source of protein and Omega 3 fatty acids. Chia seeds contain the richest vegetable source for Omega 3’s–three to ten times the oil concetration of most grains and contain two times the amount of protein of most other grains.
4. Chia is also high in calcium and Boron which helps assimilate calcium in the body.
Make a gel out of Chia by immersing it in water for ten minutes and then filtering out the remaining seed husks. Use the gel in water, soups, or as a glaze on fruits and vegetables. It is almost completely tasteless and colorless although some people I know swear it tastes a bit ‘grassy’. It is also good sprinkled on food or ground up into flour. For more info on Chia seeds or to buy great organic seeds see the Purcell Mountain Farm website.
photo credit: AleCue
Mesquite:
Most people know Mesquite as a desert shrub/tree that is burned to impart a great taste to barbequed meats. A member of the legume family, mesquite provides the valuable service of fixing nitrogen in the ground in order to be used by other plants. Native Americans used the mesquite pod as a staple food, soaking and grinding it to make tea, syrup, and a ground meal called Pinole. Mesquite flour is great to use in breads. It adds sweetness but has been shown to effectively control blood sugar because its soluble fiber–galactomannin gum–slows the absortion of nutrients and regulates blood sugar. The pods are also a great source of manganese, iron, zinc, calcium and protein.
photo credit: kretyen
Desert Harvesters have great resources on mesquite products and recipes.
Nopales: The cactus that many people call Prickly Pear, for its red fruits that were traditionally made into candy and syrup, nopales are also known for their Nopalitos, the cactus pads that can be grilled and eaten. A native of Mexico and the southern Unites States, Nopales were taken back to Europe by the Spanish and spread all the way down through Northern Africa. Nopales are another great sugar balancer, as well as being great in lowering cholesterol. Nopales can be found in most mexican grocery stores and recipes online at GourmetSleuth.
photo credit: emdot
Incorporating these foods into your diet is a great and unique way of getting superior nutrition while being able to eat more locally, especially if you live here in Colorado or elsewhere in the Southwest. It can also be a great way of supporting traditional indian farmers, cultivators, and native seeds. For more information about how you can keep endangered foods and seeds alive or to find more unique traditional foods check out the Native Seed Search.
photo credit: *clairity*
2010
03.10
Tags: eating locally, local food, slow food
Posted in general nutrition, healthy living | 1 Comment »
The days are slowly getting longer and it seems like an end to winter just might be in sight, at least here in Colorado. Naturally, the mind turns again toward anticipating the coming summer’s fresh fruits and vegetables. When thinking about providing yourself with a season of healthy eating this year why not keep in mind the following:
There has been much hype the last year or so about the slow food movement. Eating whole foods that are grown locally is better for your health–food that doesn’t have to spend weeks travelling to get to you are more nutritious and fresher, and better for the economy of your town–small local farms put money back into the community and usually pollute less than agribusinesses. Buying direct from farms is also almost always a less expensive alternative than stocking up on organic food at the grocery store.
photo credit: papalars
Besides the local farmer’s market there are several options available to get local healthy products–not just fruits and vegetables but also seeds, honey, soaps, cheese, meat, milk, and crafts. To find Community Supported Agriculture and what farms are in your area try exploring the Local Harvest website. 
If you can’t find what you need locally, they have a great store that profiles wonderful products from small farms around the country.
photo credit: Nicholas_T
We all know that home gardens are the best way of giving back to the Earth while reaping the bountiful reward of fresh veggies. Now is the time hardcore gardeners start drinking in the beautiful seed catalogs and planning what to plant and where. Know, however, that where you get your seeds truly matters. There is a difference between quality–not just in the success rate of what you sow but also in the nutritional quality of the food that grows and also the resposibility the seed company shows to the community. Two great organizations to buy seeds from are Seeds of Change and Native Seeds. Both these companies work to save heirloom seeds from going extinct and both provide inexpensive, organic, and highly unique seeds.
photo credit: geishaboy500
If you have a garden and are looking for more of a challenge, or you want to bring it on home just a bit more, consider adopting chickens or ducks for their eggs. Not only are fresh chicken and duck eggs highly nutritious, the project of owning poultry is a great experience for children and adults alike. Not only are they fairly easy to care for, chickens and ducks require hardly any space–many people successfully take care of them in the suburbs. Check with your city ordinances and for more information look here.
photo credit: *clairity*
If suburban chickens are a bit much for you, it is still possible to experience fresh and raw dairy by buying a local share in a cow, goat, sheep, or chicken. Many local farms have it set up so that you give a certain amount each month, effectively buying a share in an animal. This entitles you to a certain amount of fresh milk, cheese, or eggs each month. Many people use this in order to get raw milk, which is banned from being sold in many states. By owning the cow, however, you circumnavigate this and the results are wonderful, healthy, unprocessed dairy. This is also a great way of showing children a healthy and holistic alternative to factory farming while still keeping your consumer dollars local. To find a milk or egg share near you and to learn more about the health benefits of raw dairy, check out the Real Milk website.
photo credit: cwbuecheler
All in all, now is the time to start thinking about the effects that a local, nutritious diet can have on your diet, community, mental health, and pocketbook. Living more simply and closer to the Earth may be just the tonic you need in this economically overwhelming time.
2010
03.10
Tags: agave, brown rice syrup, healthy sweetener, honey, maple syrup, natural sweetener, stevia
Posted in general nutrition, low glycemic foods | No Comments »
Today we’ll examine the wide and delicious array of natural sweeteners available at your fingertips. These can all be found at your local health food store and at Whole Foods.
Stevia is my top choice for adding sweet to your meal. Kaa he-he (“sweet herb”) is native to Paraguay and has been used as a sweetener for centuries, but was only just approved by the FDA for this use. It’s 10-15 times more sweet than sugar, so swapping it out with the white powder is definitely not a 1:1 correlation: use the internet for conversions. It is the ONLY sweetener that does not feed yeast and is therefore ok for use by people suffering from candida. Some studies have shown that it actually has a stabilizing effect on blood sugar, as opposed to all the other sweeteners that create a spike and then a resulting crash…causing depression and weight gain, among other things. There is even evidence that Stevia significantly inhibits the development of plaque, so it may actually help to prevent cavities. For some the taste is a little metallic, but you’ll get used to it quickly, and in all reality it’s a small price to pay for being able to include such a superhero food in your diet.
Agave is native to Mexico and harvested in from living Agave plants – the same ones that give us tequila. It has a light, neutral taste, making it ideal to function as more of a flavor enhancer in the same way sugar does. With a glycemic index of only 32-46, it’s processed fairly slowly into the bloodstream. Agave has anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties, and the Aztecs used it to treat wounds due to its antibacterial capabilities. Unlike maple syrup or brown rice syrup, Agave dissolves easily in cold liquids. Please get the raw kind, as it is unprocessed and therefore contains more vitamins and minerals.
Maple Syrup: A beautiful traditional food native to the woodlands of Northeastern America. The different shades of maple syrup correspond to the point in the season at which they were harvested. Maple syrup has a warm, round flavor and a pleasing amber color. It also has prebiotic properties: it helps probiotics (good bacteria) form in your gut. With a GI of 54, it is not an ideal sweetener to use if you are concerned about the stability of your blood sugar, but as an occasional indulgence it’s fine. PLEASE make sure you get real maple syrup – there are a lot of phonies out there.
Honey: The image of honey brings to mind a hive lazily buzzing with bees, soft bears licking their paws, and a thick golden stream swirling into your teacup. Did you know that honey is also a powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal? Note, though, that its nutritional benefits vary widely depending upon the quality. The pollen that collects on the bees’ legs offers phytochemicals from particular plants, and processing kills many of the nutrients, so it’s important to choose raw honey. Honey’s GI is 55 so it will create a spike in your blood sugar, but nowhere near that of sugar.
Brown Rice Syrup is made by combining brown rice and barley malt and cooking until the starch is converted to sugar. It contains all of the nutrition inherent in these ingredients, such as magnesium and zinc. A very thick syrup, it’s ideal for baking, and has a distinctive yet easily overpowered flavor. Its glycemic index is 20 and it’s about half as sweet as sugar.
2010
03.10
Tags: healthy recipe, healthy snack, low glycemic index recipe, sweet potato chips, sweet potato chips recipe
Posted in general nutrition, low glycemic foods | 2 Comments »
I’m always extolling the virtues of a complete flavor profile, and depending upon how you season this chip it may leave you totally satisfied. You’ve got the sweet of the sweet potato, the salty of the sea salt, and some spicy and bitter from the tumeric, cayenne and paprika. With a GI of 54, the sweet potato won’t cause a blood sugar surge. In fact, the beta carotene indicated by the lovely orange color actually helps your cells respond to insulin, the hormone that removes sugar from the bloodstream. The chips are coated in coconut oil, which is ideal for baking because of its high smoke point. Studies have also shown it speeds up the metabolism. So if you’re on a diet and craving some sweet and salty chips, please forego the trans-fat-filled BBQ Baked Lays and try these instead.
1 sweet potato
coconut oil
tumeric, paprika, cayenne, sea salt
1. Preheat your oven to the lowest setting
2. Leaving the skin on, cut sweet potato to uniformly thin slices
3. Heat coconut oil to make it liquid, then coat chips in it
4. Sprinkle chips with spices to taste (do not over-spice)
5. Place on a tray, pop in oven, and leave for at least several hours, until chips reach desired crispiness. Stir occasionally to prevent burning/sticking.
2010
03.10
Tags: cheap healthy recipe, cheap healthy recipes, cheap recipe, healthy recipe, red beans and rice
Posted in general nutrition, recession cuisine | No Comments »
“Red beans and rice, I could eat a plate twice.” – Spearhead
Some of the best traditional food in our country comes from the low, slow bayou country. If San Francisco is the epicenter of the local and fresh movement, New Orleans holds it down for soul. The fusion of Native American, French, African and Spanish influence means tastes are complex, surprising, hearty and hot. And a solid pot of red beans and rice represents Creole comfort food at its finest.
Red beans and rice were traditionally cooked on Mondays using the ham bone from the previous Sunday’s dinner as flavoring. Mondays were also wash days, and a pot could simmer on the stove for hours while the cook did the laundry. The holy trinity of celery, onion and pepper is a foundation of many Creole dishes, and you’ll want to be sure to have a bottle of hot sauce nearby.
Combining a legume with a whole grain results in a “complete” protein, i.e. supplying all nine essential amino acids. Naturally, I advocate using brown rice instead of white in this recipe. White rice is really brown rice with the hull removed, but the hull also contains up to 90% of the grain’s nutrition. So eating white rice, nutritionally, is similar to eating cardboard.
I’d advise fixing some vegetables as a side dish. Put on some jazz or blues while you cook and you’ll be transported to the French quarter…
“If you’re havin’ problems I invite you here…step into my kitchen, we will cook away your fears…” – Spearhead
1 lb red beans, soaked in about 2 quarts water overnight
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
at least 1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
salt, red pepper and black pepper to taste
optional – 12 to 16 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
- Rinse and drain soaked beans; place in a 5 to 6-quart Dutch oven and add about 6 cups of fresh water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are tender. Stir occasionally.
- Add remaining ingredients and salt to taste; simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add water as necessary. If the beans are not getting creamy, take one or two cups out and mash them, then return them to the pot.
- Serve over hot rice. This dish tastes even better the next day, so refrigerate overnight if you can. If you do this you’ll need to add water prior to eating.
2010
03.10
Tags: al gore, ben and jerry's, high fructose corn syrup, rbgh free yogurt, rbgh yogurt, rgbh
Posted in general nutrition, news bites | No Comments »
Better Yo-Late than Never: Yo-Plait has announced that by August of 2009 all of their products will be free of rbGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). They will be joining the ranks of other leading yogurt producers such as Stonyfield, who have been rbGH-free since 1993. rbGH has been linked to breast cancer and questions about its impact on the human body remain unresolved. And come on, do you really want to be drinking artificial cow hormone? Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the entire European Union have already banned it, and you can thank Montsano for its continued presence in our food supply. Ok, Yo-Plait, good going…now it’s time to re-think all that sugar you put in your product!
Corny Propaganda: The Corn Refiners Association recently launched a $25 million campaign to clear the name of high fructose corn syrup. You may have seen their creepy ads. Check out the King Corn group as they take on the HFCS industry’s Sweet Surprise ad with a spoof of their own. This one’s pretty funny as well.
Heil Al: Glenn Beck, conservative political commentator, takes umbrage with Al Gore’s assertion to kids that “you know some things your parents don’t”. In a nearly two minute rant he suggests that the former VP is creating a new cadre of Hitler Youth. I’m sorry, but how can you pick on Al Gore? In the Westminster of life, he’s like a kind and well-meaning brown labrador retriever, while Glenn Beck’s behavior is evocative of a yappy, persistently irritated chihuahua.
From the ‘Duh’ Files: How did no one think of this already! Those clever Aussies have come up with a toilet/sink combo that recycles water from handwashing right into the toilet bowl. They claim that a regular toilet plus “hand basin” uses over 50,000 litres of H2O per year combined, while their Profile Toilet Suite uses fewer than 20,000. But this is assuming you wash your hands after you use the restroom.
Country Pumpkin: Ben & Jerry’s has renamed their pecan flavor Yes, Pecan! in honor of President Obama. It is described as Amber Waves of Buttery Ice Cream With Roasted Non-Partisan Pecans. Sadly, Barack is not a fan of ice cream but hopefully he appreciates the sentiment. In keeping with the theme of presidential flavors, here’s a list of potential names for an ice cream honoring G.W. Bush. My favorites: Impeach Cobbler, Guantanamallow, Nut’n Accomplished, Credit Crunch, Reeses’s-cession, and I broke the law and am responsible for the deaths of thousands . . . with nuts. What is a post about ice cream doing on a weight loss site? I don’t really know, but it’s food news, and it’s funny
2010
03.10
Tags: cheap healthy recipes, cheap recipe, healthy recipe, inexpensive recipe, liver, liver recipe, pate, pate recipe
Posted in general nutrition, recession cuisine | No Comments »
I know it’s not Tuesday but I’m switching things up and doing recession cuisine today because I’m that inspired.
Over the weekend I prepared pate using elk liver from High Wire Ranch. The animals are fed a diet entirely of grass and hay, with no antibiotics and no hormones. Talk about old school and the way things should be. For some of Saturday’s diners, including a vegan recently fallen from grace, it was their first experience feasting on this delicious and nutritious organ.
Now, if you are new to liver as well, you are probably recoiling in disgust and imagining a nasty, floppy, sloppy thing. Well, IÂ am happy to say this pate wasn’t one of the more “livery” ones I’ve produced. The seasoning, onion, and olive oil merged to offer a creamy, tender, spicy flavor. The former vegan had an interesting experience watching me cook. Initially repulsed by the blood, which I told her was a cranberry marinade, she then completely switched gears and decided to sample a bite of liver raw, as she had watched Sundancers do. It had the consistency of a crisp melon.
Every native culture has sacred foods that are fed to children and pregnant women. This food is chosen for its superior nutritional value – people who are growing, and people who are growing other people, require a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals in order to perpetuate a strong, vibrant, healthy species. Well, guess what. Very often the sacred food is liver. It’s fallen out of fashion, but even as recently as 50 years ago liver was a weekly staple in many homes. It’s sad that we now focus on the animal’s muscle as our protein source – it’s not anywhere near as nutritious as the organs. But it’s certainly good for those of us who still choose to nourish our bodies with this potent substance: a pound of organic livers will often cost you less than $4. Talk about getting a ton of bang for your buck…if we are trying to maximize nutrition and taste while minimizing dollars, look no further.
Liver is nature’s most concentrated source of Vitamin A and contains all the B vitamins in abundance. Many of us tend to be deficient in both. It’s also one of our best sources of folic acid, iron and copper. And on Sunday we experienced another of liver’s legendary benefits: the anti-fatigue factor. We were all shocked by the fact that despite drinking to excess and sleeping 4 hours the night before we were all actually able to function relatively well.
“But doesn’t the liver store the toxins?” you might ask. The liver neutralizes toxins; it does not store them. Toxins are more likely to be lodged in the fatty tissues and nervous system. But the liver DOES store a host of vitamins and minerals, all of which you are able to access by eating it. As always, please select liver with as many adjectives as possible (grass finished, free range, antibiotic free, organic…). It’s best to pass on the conventional. And because liver is so powerful, a 4oz serving once or twice per week is sufficient.
I credit my friend and colleague Lisa Lawson for introducing me to the joys of pate with this simple recipe.
Lisa’s Pate
1 pound liver, as free range and grass fed as possible, cut into pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
sea salt and pepper
1 bunch parsley
butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or organic lard
seasonings of your choice: try an Italian blend…herbes de Provence…rosemary, garlic, thyme, sage…
1. Sautee onion in oil until translucent (5 min). Remove and place in blender.
2. Add more oil to the pan and add liver.
3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and seasonings.
4. Cook on both sides. Inside should still be pink (few minutes on both sides).
5. Add liver AND JUICES FROM PAN to blender. If the cooking hasn’t yielded much juice, add a splash of water.
6. Blend.
7. Taste. It shouldn’t be gross. If it is, add more seasonings.
8. Eat on its own or with crackers, tortilla, celery, carrot…
9. Prepare for bionic strength!
2010
03.10
Tags: black bean brownies, brownie recipe, brownies, healthy dessert recipe, low glycemic index dessert recipe, low glycemic index recipe
Posted in general nutrition, low glycemic foods | No Comments »
“Low GI brownies? These are going to be disgusting. They’ll taste like cardboard.”
“Beans in a brownie? Naaaaaasty!”
Hah, hah, ha….
These might actually be some of the best brownies I’ve ever eaten. Prepare them at your own risk. Then come back and tell me how it went. No flour, so gluten-free as well.
All thanks and praise to the co-inventors of this recipe, Sally and Martin Stone and Cathe Olson.
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
4 eggs
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 cups or 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, pureed
2 1/2 tablespoons instant grain coffee substitute (like Cafix or Inka)
1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, or other nut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter an 8-inch baking pan. Melt chocolate and butter or oil together in small saucepan. In mixing bowl, beat eggs and maple syrup together. Add melted chocolate mixture and beat well. Beat in bean puree and coffee substitute. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until set. If you press your finger in the middle, it should make a little dent. Don’t overbake. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares.
Yield: 16
Note: Puree beans in food processor or blender. If using food processor, chop nuts first and set them aside. Then puree beans. That way, you only have to wash the food processor once.
